NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Fred Willard

Fred Willard (born September 18^[1]) is an American comedian and character actor, known for his improvisational comedy skills. â€œLibelâ€ redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956â€“present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic - President George W. Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... For the documentary about Jerry Seinfeld, see Comedian (film). ... A character actor is an actor, especially in motion pictures, who predominantly performs in similar roles throughout the course of a career. ...

Biography

Early life

Willard was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, an only child. His father died unexpectedly when Willard was 11, and by mutual consent with his new stepfather, Willard was sent to military school. He graduated from Kentucky Military Institute, where he played varsity baseball. He then attended the Virginia Military Institute with a B.A. in English. His childhood ambition was to be a professional baseball player, and he played the sport both in college and in the U.S. Army, where he served for two years. After the Army, he enrolled in acting school, in New York, and in due time started a comedy team with a classmate, Vic Grecco.^{[citation needed]} This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Kentucky Military Institute (KMI) was a military college, which was located in Lyndon, Kentucky and Venice, Florida. ... The Virginia Military Institute (VMI), located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state military college in the United States. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

In a 2006 appearance as a guest critic on the television show Ebert & Roeper, he credited the 1956 Danny Kaye film The Court Jester as inspiring him to become a comedic actor.^{[citation needed]} At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper is a movie review television program featuring film critic Roger Ebert and columnist Richard Roeper, both of the Chicago Sun-Times. ... Kaye entertaining U.S. troops at Sasebo, Japan, 25 Oct 1945 David Daniel Kaminsky, known as Danny Kaye (January 18, 1913 â€“ March 3, 1987) was an American actor, singer and comedian. ... The Court Jester is a 1956 comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Angela Lansbury. ...

Career

Willard auditioned alongside Robert Klein for The Second City, which consisted of a nightclub manager and his employee. The audition helped the two secure the job. He is an alumnus of The Second City and currently heads a sketch comedy workshop, The MoHo Group. He was a founding member of the improvisational comedy group, Ace Trucking Company. Fellow members of Ace included, Bill Saluga and Patti Deutsch, among others. Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... Second City redirects here. ... Second City redirects here. ... Bill Saluga is an American comedian. ... Patti Deutsch (b. ...

Willard achieved wider fame as Martin Mull's impossibly dense sidekick, "Jerry Hubbard," on the television shows Fernwood 2 Night, Forever Fernwood, and America 2-Night, which parodied the nighttime talk shows of the day. Willard also had a short role on Roseanne as "Leon" (Martin Mull)'s husband. From 2001 to 2002, he played the father of five children on Maybe It's Me. Martin Mull (born August 18, 1943) is an American actor who has starred in his own TV sitcom and acted in prominent films. ... Fernwood 2 Night (or Fernwood Tonight) was a comedic television program created by Norman Lear as a spin-off from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. ... America 2-Night was the continuation of the talk-show parody series, Fernwood 2Nite. ... Jackie Harris redirects here. ... Maybe Its Me was an American television comedy that aired on The WB Television Network for one season. ...

His most recent notable work has been in Christopher Guest films, such as A Mighty Wind, in which he played "Mike LaFontaine," a character known for his catch phrase, "Wha' happened?"; Best in Show, in which he portrayed "Buck Laughlin," a dog show announcer who offered up an unending stream of bad jokes and off-color comments; Waiting for Guffman, in which he played "Ron Albertson," a travel agent who performs in amateur stage productions with his wife; This Is Spinal Tap, in which he played a lieutenant on the military base where Spinal Tap play; and For Your Consideration, as an obnoxious entertainment television show anchor.^[2] He also appeared as KVWN news director "Ed Harken" in, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and in American Wedding as Michelle Flaherty’s father, "Harold". For the Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, see Christopher Guest, Baron Guest. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert and the three groups that must come together to perform on national television for the first time in years. ... Mike LaFontaine is a fictitious character played by Fred Willard in the Christopher Guest film A Mighty Wind. ... A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ... Best in Show (2000) is a mockumentary that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. ... In a conformation show, judges familiar with specific dog breeds evaluate individual dogs for how well they conform to published breed standards. ... A joke is a short story or ironic depiction of a situation communicated with the intent of being humorous. ... Waiting for Guffman is a mockumentary written,starring, and directed by Christopher Guest that was released in 1997. ... This Is SpinÌˆal Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. ... For Your Consideration is the fourth feature film directed (and co-written) by Christopher Guest. ... Categories: Stub | 2004 films | Comedy films ... American Wedding (also known as American Pie 3: The Wedding outside of America or American Pie 3) is the 2003 sequel to the comedy films American Pie (1999) and American Pie 2 (2001). ...

Willard also had a recurring role as "Hank MacDougall" on the later seasons of CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Willard was also the host of a VH1 documentary series called Totally Obsessed about people obsessed with their hobbies. He appears as "Captain Ribmanman" in Episode 21 of Channel Frederator, a podcast from Kansas. Willard also landed a role on Family Guy as Jeff Campbell, the father of a nudist family (first appearing in" From Method to Madness"). It is unclear whether or not the role will be reprised. Willard also voices "Officer Brown" in King of the Hill. This article is about the broadcast network. ... Everybody Loves Raymond is an American sitcom originally broadcast on CBS from 1996 to 2005. ... An Emmy Award. ... The year 2003 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 2004 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 2005 in television involved some significant events. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994 and VH1: Music First until 2003) is an American digital television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently... Channel Frederator Channel Frederator was launched November 1, 2005, as the worlds first cartoon video podcast network. ... Family Guy is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series about a dysfunctional family in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. ... From Method to Madness is the 18th episode of the 3rd season of the American television show Family Guy. ... This article is about the television program. ...

Willard frequently appears in sketches on The Tonight Show, with Jay Leno, typically as a government official, businessman, or other authority figure named Willard J. Fredericks, who is always drinking. He also hosted, Saturday Night Live in 1978 (musical guest: Devo) and appeared twice on SNL's rival show, MADtv. Two years prior to this, he made a minor appearance in the movie Silver Streak as a bemused railway station worker. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... James Douglas Muir Jay Leno (April 28, 1950) is an Emmy Award-winning American stand-up comedian and television host, who succeeded Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show in 1992. ... SNL redirects here. ... For other uses, see Mad TV (disambiguation). ... Silver Streak is a 1976 comedy, action and mystery film about murder on a Los Angeles-to-Chicago train journey. ...

He was the voice of a clueless companion to a lazy robot (Martin Mull) in one episode of the series Dexter’s Laboratory, and guest-starred on the Adult Swim cartoon, Tom Goes to the Mayor. He acted in the Cartoon Network movie Re-Animated and played Vala Mal Doran's "father" in an episode of Stargate SG-1 in 2007. He appeared in an episode of the Adult Swim program Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. He has also starred as the "Boogie Man" in an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and reprised his role in the movie, Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure. His final appearance as "Boogey" occurred in Billy & Mandy: Wrath of the Spider Queen. In 2007, he made a guest appearance on the children's TV series Come on Over. He's also guest-starred on an episode of The Boondocks providing the voice of "Joe Petto." Adult Swim is the name for an adult-oriented television programming network. ... Tom Goes to the Mayor was an American animated television series on Cartoon Networks Adult Swim. ... Re-Animated is a live-action/animated television film that aired on Cartoon Network on December 8, 2006. ... Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the television series Stargate SG-1 played by the actress Claudia Black. ... Stargate SG-1 (often abbreviated as SG-1) is a science fiction television series, part of the Stargate franchise. ... Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, is an American television series which premiered February 11, 2007 on Adult Swim. ... The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, created by Maxwell Atoms, is an American animated television series that currently airs on Cartoon Network and Teletoon. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Come on Over is a childrens television series produced by the Grand Rapids Childrens Museum in association with Enthusiastic Productions. ... This article is about an animated television series. ...

Willard has been cast as a sportscaster in the television series Back to You, which premiered on the Fox Network on September 19, 2007. He also made an appearance in the 2007 sci-fi comedy I'll Believe You. He has been cast to play the president of the "Buynlarge Corporation" in the Pixar animated film WALL-E, scheduled for release in 2008. Back to You is an upcoming American situation comedy created and executive produced by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Late-night radio host Dale Sweeney (David Alan Basche)s usual line up of odd-ball, conspiracy-obsessed callers is interrupted by a panicked phone call in an indecipherable language. ... Pixar Animation Studios is an American computer animation studio based in Emeryville, California, United States, and is notable for its eight Academy Awards. ... WALL-E is a CGI animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ...

Willard recently completed a sold-out run of Fred Willard: Alone At Last!, advertised as a one-man show but actually featuring a cast of 10, and received Los Angeles Artistic Director Awards for Best Comedy and Best Production. He has also completed a RiffTrax with Michael J. Nelson for the movie Missile to the Moon.^[3] RiffTrax main page, March 1, 2007. ... Michael J. Nelson. ... Missile to the Moon is a 1958 black and white science fiction film directed by Richard E. Cunha, and is a similar to of the 1953 film Cat-Women of the Moon. ...

He was also seen roasting William Shatner in the Comedy Central special The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner on August 12, 2006. Also at the roast was George Takei with whom Willard performed in the improv show Thank God You're Here. William Alan Shatner (born on March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor who gained fame for playing James Tiberius Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the television show Star Trek from 1966 to 1969 and in seven of the subsequent movies. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Hosato Takei (IPA: ) (born April 20, 1937) is an Japanese American actor best known for his role in the TV series Star Trek, in which he played the helmsman Hikaru Sulu on the USS Enterprise. ... Improvisational comedy (also called improv or impro) is comedy that is performed with a little to no predetermination of subject matter and structure. ...

Willard is the voice of the character "Ed Warmer" in the Playstation Portable game Hot Brain. The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP)[5] is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. ...

In 2007, Willard took the role of "Aslo" in Epic Movie. For the film genre see Epic film. ...

Personal life

Willard has been married since 1972 and has one daughter (b. 1974) and a grandson (b. 1998). He is friends with voice actor Richard Steven Horvitz, and along with Richard is a member of the Fred Willard Players. Richard Steven Horvitz, sometimes credited as Richard S. Horvitz, Richard Horvitz or Richard Wood (born on July 29, 1966 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor and voice actor. ...

Selected filmography

WALL-E is a CGI animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ... Harold is a story written by Greg Fields and T. Sean Shannon about a teenager (Spencer Breslin) with an early on-set of male-pattern baldness who befriends his high schools janitor (Cuba Gooding Jr. ... Back to You is an American situation comedy series created and executive produced by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. ... I Could Never Be Your Woman is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed/written by Amy Heckerling and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... For the film genre see Epic film. ... Re-Animated is a live-action/animated television film that aired on Cartoon Network on December 8, 2006. ... Late-night radio host Dale Sweeney (David Alan Basche)s usual line up of odd-ball, conspiracy-obsessed callers is interrupted by a panicked phone call in an indecipherable language. ... For Your Consideration is the fourth feature film directed (and co-written) by Christopher Guest. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Church Ball is a 2006 film about a basketball team from an LDS church ward who has failed to make it into the church tournament in the past twenty years. ... This article is about the spoof. ... Chicken Little (2005) is a computer-generated imagery (CGI) animated film and the forty-fifth animated feature made and produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 4, 2005. ... The Aristocrats is a 2005 documentary film about the infamous dirty joke of the same name. ... Lovewrecked was originally a feature length film that, when the rights were sold, became a television movie that was released in 2007 (even though it sat on the shelf for two years), however after many different attempts at theatrical distribution in the U.S., The Weinstein Company, who obtained the... Categories: Stub | 2004 films | Comedy films ... Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (released in some countries as Harold and Kumar get the Munchies or American High, due to few international White Castle locations) is a comedy movie released in 2004. ... Killer Diller is a 2004 drama film with musical themes that had a limited release in 2006. ... American Wedding (also known as American Pie 3: The Wedding outside of America or American Pie 3) is the 2003 sequel to the comedy films American Pie (1999) and American Pie 2 (2001). ... A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert and the three groups that must come together to perform on national television for the first time in years. ... Teddy Bears Picnic is a 2002 film directed and written by Harry Shearer. ... See also: How High Soundtrack How High is a 2001 comedy film, directed by Jesse Dylan, which is a feature film debut for him. ... When Billie Beat Bobby is a 2001 ABC docudrama detailing the historic 1973 tennis match often referred to as The Battle of the Sexes, between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and what lead up to it. ... The Wedding Planner is a romantic comedy released in 2001 starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. ... Best in Show (2000) is a mockumentary that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. ... Chump change is a 2004 film written by, directed by and starring Stephen Burrows. ... Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... Idle Hands is a 1999 comedy/horror movie starring Devon Sawa, Seth Green, and Jessica Alba. ... Cant Stop Dancing is a 1999 feature length film written and directed by Steven Falick and Ben Zook and starring Janeane Garofalo and Margaret Cho. ... Permanent Midnight is a 1998 movie directed by David Veloz starring Ben Stiller. ... Breast Men is a 1997 United States Semibiographical, dark comedy film. ... Waiting for Guffman is a mockumentary written,starring, and directed by Christopher Guest that was released in 1997. ... High Strung is a comedy film first released in 1991 in the USA, starring Steve Oedekerk as the protagonist Thane Furrows. ... Roxanne is a comedy film released in 1987, starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah. ... Moving Violations is a 1985 comedy film, starring John Murray, Jennifer Tilly, Brian Backer, Sally Kellerman, and Clara Peller, directed by Neal Israel. ... This Is SpinÌˆal Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. ... National Lampoon Goes to the Movies is a National Lampoon anthology of three shorts spoofing everything from personal growth films, glossy soap operas, and police stories. ... How to Beat the High Co$t of Living is a 1980 comedy film, starring Jane Curtin, Susan Saint James and Jessica Lange. ... Salems Lot was a 1979 tv mini-series based on Stephen Kings vampire novel, Salems Lot. ... Americathon (also known as Americathon 1998) is a 1979 comedy starring John Ritter, Fred Willard, Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman and Nancy Morgan, with narration by George Carlin, based on a play by Firesign Theatre alumni Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman. ... Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 romantic comedy film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle class couple who turn to crime. ... Silver Streak is a 1976 comedy, action and mystery film about murder on a Los Angeles-to-Chicago train journey. ... Chesty Anderson, USN is a 1976 R-rated comedy film featuring Shari Eubank in one of her two movies. ...

References

The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of a two Knight Ridder newspaper duopoly daily for the Philadelphia area. ...

External links

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For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... For the documentary about Jerry Seinfeld, see Comedian (film). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956â€“present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic - President George W. Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

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