Modern Family actor Fred Willard dead at 86 from natural causes

Comic talent Fred Willard has passed away at 86.

The Best In Show actor died from natural causes, rep Glenn Schwartz confirmed to Rolling Stone.

He was well known for his roles in Christopher Guest mockumentaries like A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration and This Is Spinal Tap, also recently appearing on the hit series Modern Family.

The news was first shared by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the wife of Willard’s longtime collaborator Guest.

‘How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts,’ Curtis tweeted. 

‘He is with his missed Mary now. Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard.’ 

Willard’s wife of 40 years, Mary, died in 2018.

And while Fred was famous for his cheeky dog show host in Best In Show as well as his Emmy-nominated roles on Modern Family and Everybody Loves Raymond – the latter of which earning him three Emmy nods – Willard had an illustrious television career dating all the way back to 1966.

Just some of the notable series in which he appeared over the decades include Get Smart, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, Golden Girls, Roseanne, Married… with Children, Lois & Clark, Mad About You and Ally McBeal.

Willard’s daughter Hope Mulbarger commemorated her father in a statement, saying, ‘He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.’