Jimmy Kimmel pays emotional tribute to the late Fred Willard, with Willard's co-stars and collaborators
Fred Willard died Friday at age 86, and Jimmy Kimmel dedicated Monday's show to the actor's life and work, including frequent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Tonight's show will be a special show," he said. "It will be a sad show, but we will also laugh a lot as we pay tribute to a lovely and genuinely funny man."
Kimmel recalled that he was enthralled as a kid with Willard's parody late-night show Fernwood 2 Night, with Martin Mull. And even when Willard gained renewed fame in the Christopher Guest movies Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind, then Anchorman and the sitcoms Everybody Loves Raymond and Modern Family, "he played basically the same character in everything, he was the same guy, because it always worked," Kimmel said. He explained how Willard became a regular guest on Kimmel Live with his timely reprisal of his "Space Force" character. "After that, we started putting him in everything," he said. "We could not get enough Fred. He never had any time to prepare for these bits."
Kimmel also curated "a remembrance of Fred from those fortunate enough to work alongside him," including Guest, Mull, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Ray Romano, and Norman Lear. He gave the last word to Willard. Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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