Martin Mull: Arrested Development and Roseanne star dead at 80

The American actor and comedian, Martin Mull, famous for his roles on the television series Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Roseanne, has passed away at the age of 80.

Mull, who was also a prominent actor in the 1985 comedy movie Clue, passed away at his residence on Thursday after bravely battling a prolonged illness, according to his daughter, Maggie Mull, who shared the news on social media.

On her Instagram post, Ms. Mull paid homage to her father's versatile talents and his memorable work in Red Roof Inn commercials.

"He would have found that joke hilarious," she remarked. "He always had a great sense of humor."

Mull's first big part was in 1976, when he played Garth Gimble on the satire soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. This role opened the door to two more spin-off roles, one of them being in the show Fernwood 2 Night.

Next, he was cast as the army officer Colonel Mustard in the dark comedy movie Clue, which was based on the popular board game with the same title.

During that period, he also started providing the voice for the Red Roof Inn commercials that were mentioned by his daughter in her tribute.

Fans of TV shows from the 1990s will be familiar with Mull for his roles on Roseanne and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In Roseanne, he portrayed the character Leon Carp, who was the boss of the main character. In Sabrina the Teenage Witch, he played Principal Willard Kraft.

Mull also made an appearance on the highly praised comedy series Arrested Development, portraying the bumbling private investigator Gene Parmesan.

He made appearances as a special guest in many popular TV shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Golden Girls, and Two and a Half Men.

Mull received a nomination for a prestigious Primetime Emmy Award for his outstanding performance as a guest actor in a comedy series. He appeared in four episodes of the political satire show Veep on HBO in 2016.

Mull, who was born in Chicago to an actress and a carpenter, started his career in the entertainment industry as a songwriter and gained a reputation as a musical comedian. He performed as the opening act for Frank Zappa and Bruce Springsteen at many live performances in the early 1970s.

He also learned about painting and completed his studies in 1965 at the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in Fine Arts.

During a interview in 2013 with the A.V. Club, he mentioned that in his acting career, many painters he knows have other jobs. They often work as art teachers at a college or drive taxis to make a living.

"I was fortunate to stumble upon a day job that is amazing, enjoyable, and allows me to purchase plenty of paint," he explained.

In addition to their daughter, Maggie, who works as a television writer, he is survived by his wife, Wendy Haas, who is both an actress and a composer. They were married in 1982.