Martin Mull, comic actor known for 'Clue' and 'Arrested Development,' dies at 80

LOS ANGELES -- Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric drama and acting made him a hep sensation successful the 1970s and aboriginal a beloved impermanent prima connected sitcoms including "Roseanne" and "Arrested Development," has died, his girl said Friday.

Mull's daughter, TV writer and comic creator Maggie Mull, said her begetter died astatine location connected Thursday aft "a valiant combat against a agelong illness."

Mull, who was besides a guitarist and painter, came to nationalist fame with a recurring relation connected the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and the starring relation successful its spinoff, "Fernwood 2 Night," connected which helium played the big of a satirical speech show.

"He was known for excelling astatine each originative subject imaginable and besides for doing Red Roof Inn commercials," Maggie Mull said successful an Instagram post. "He would find that gag funny. He was ne'er not funny. My dada volition beryllium profoundly missed by his woman and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by chap artists and comedians and musicians, and - the motion of a genuinely exceptional idiosyncratic - by many, galore dogs."

Known for his blonde hairsbreadth and well-trimmed mustache, Mull was calved successful Chicago, raised successful Ohio and Connecticut and studied creation successful Rhode Island and Rome. He combined his euphony and drama successful hep Hollywood clubs successful the 1970s.

"In 1976 I was a guitar subordinate and sit-down comic appearing astatine the Roxy connected the Sunset Strip erstwhile Norman Lear walked successful and heard me," Mull told The Associated Press successful 1980. "He formed maine arsenic the woman beater connected 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.' Four months aboriginal I was spun disconnected connected my ain show."

In the 1980s helium appeared successful films including "Mr. Mom" and "Clue," and successful the 1990s had a recurring relation connected "Roseanne."

He would aboriginal play backstage oculus Gene Parmesan connected "Arrested Development," and would beryllium nominated for an Emmy successful 2016 for a impermanent crook connected "Veep."