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Actor and comedian Joe Flaherty has died at the age of 82.
Flaherty, known for starring in Freaks & Geeks and Happy Gilmore, passed away on Monday, April 1.
His death comes just over a month after his former improv comedy group Second City hosted a fundraiser to support him while he was ill, which was shared by Martin Short.
The fundraiser’s description read: “Our beloved SCTV cast member, Joe Flaherty, is very ill. Joe is aware of the seriousness of his failing health and would like to spend his remaining time at home instead of in a center.
‘We are writing to our friends because we believe SCTV meant something to you, and that wouldn’t be the case if it weren’t for Joe Flaherty. He was a mentor, a director, and an inspiring improviser who gave us many of the tools we still use in the careers he helped launch.
Actor and comedian Joe Flaherty died at age 8 (pictured in 1979)
Flaherty, known for starring in Freaks & Geeks and Happy Gilmore, died on Monday April.
And it made us all laugh! We think you’ll want to know about Joe’s condition and perhaps even contribute to his home care.’
From 1976 to 1996 he was married to Judith Flaherty and together they had two children, daughter Gudrun and son Gabriel.
Jennifer Tilly wrote: “Joe Flaherty played my father in ‘The Wrong Guy’.” I was very excited to be able to work with him. His performance was perfect. A great comedian. He left too soon.
Mad Men star Joel Murray, who starred alongside him in 1986’s One Crazy Summer ‘We’ve lost another one of my idols. RIP Joe Flaherty.’
Flaherty, born Joseph O’Flaherty, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. he the eldest of seven children.
He served in the United States Air Force for four years before turning to theater.
The star moved to Chicago to begin his comedy career at the Second City Theater as Joe O’Flaherty before leaving the O for another actor with the same name.
He began appearing on the National Lampoon Radio Hour from 1973 to 1974 before moving to Toronto to found the Toronto Second City theater company.
In 1999, Flaherty joined Freaks and Geeks, in which he played Father Harold Weir raising two teenagers during the 1980-1981 academic year.
The star appears as Dracula on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1995.
His film appearances as a crazy fan in Happy Gilmore (1996)
Mad Men star Joel Murray, who starred alongside him in 1986’s One Crazy Summer ‘We’ve lost another one of my idols. RIP Joe Flaherty’
Screenwriter Al Jean also paid tribute to the late star.
He was one of SCTV’s original writers and performers, playing iconic roles such as Big Jim McBob and the station’s owner and manager, Guy Caballero.
His film appearances include Back to the Future II (1989), where he played the Western Union postal worker who delivers Doc Brown’s 70-year-old letter to Marty McFly, as well as a crazy fan in Happy Gilmore (1996).
During 1997-1998, Flaherty starred in the television adaptation of Police Academy.
In 1999, Flaherty joined Freaks and Geeks, in which he played Father Harold Weir raising two teenagers during the 1980-1981 academic year.
He also appeared in Family Guy, Married… with Children and The King of Queens.
In later years, beginning in 2004, Flaherty was a member of the faculty at Humber College, where he taught a comedy writing course.