One of the foundational members of the legendary Second City Television crew that shaped so much of the best 20th century comedy, actor and comic Joe Flaherty died Monday at the age of 82, per Variety.
Flaherty broke out on the legendary Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV, which also kickstarted the careers of film and television greats like John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis, Andrea Martin and Dave Thomas.
Flaherty played recurring characters like Count Floyd, Guy Caballero and Big Jim McBob on the hugely influential comedy series. Count Floyd in particular was a brilliant send-up of the public access horror hosts who would scare viewers through a programming block of schlocky B-grade horror movies.
On top of memorable turns in films like Back to the Future Part II, Happy Gilmore (he was the guy who taunted Happy at the tee), Used Cars, Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, Flaherty lives immortal for playing Mike and Lindsay Weir’s dad, Harold Weir, on the short-lived cult classic series Freaks and Geeks. Walking a fine balance between warning and warm-hearted, Flaherty helped give the iconic coming-of-age show part of its soul.
The show’s Mike, John Francis Daley, fondly remembered his television dad, as did the show’s creator Paul Feig.
Plenty of Flaherty’s former collaborators and fans poured out tributes with news of the comic legend’s passing, including his Happy Gilmore co-star Adam Sandler.
