Actor Joe Flaherty, Comic Star of 'SCTV,' 'Freaks and Geeks,' Passes Away at 82

The actor, writer, and comedian Joe Flaherty, known for his roles on 'Freaks and Geeks,' 'Back to the Future II,' 'Happy Gilmore,' and the landmark Canadian series 'SCTV,' died at 82 on Monday.

Flaherty's daughter, Gudrun, confirmed his father's death to Variety in a statement through the Comedic Artists Alliance, which had previously donated money to help Flaherty hire a 24-hour caregiver.

Flaherty Dies at 82

Gudrun said in a statement issued through the Comedic Artists Alliance, a group that had previously assisted Second City in Toronto, that after a brief illness, his father died yesterday and shared that since then, he has been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss.

"Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the 40s and 50s. In these last few months, as he faced health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many classic movies together."

Martin Short, his co-star on 'SCTV,' was one of several comedians, mostly from Canada, who paid their respects to the versatile writer and comic.

Short told Variety that in over 50 years of their friendship, there were very few people as wise or hilarious when it came to comedy, teaching improvisation, and the art of character work as Flaherty. He added that in 'SCTV,' they called him the anchor, and in life, he was simply the funniest man in the room, and he just adored him.

Adam Sandler, Flaherty's 'Happy Gilmore' co-star, also paid tribute to the actor on Instagram. He wrote that he worshipped Flaherty growing up, and he and his brother always laughed at him.

He called Flaherty a "genius of a comedian" and a "true sweetheart."

The 'Freaks and Geeks' actor Paul Feig also expressed his devastation on X, formerly Twitter. Feig said he was sad to hear about Flaherty's death as he was his TV dad and a true comedy hero.

Playing as his son on the show, John Francis Daley continued, saying, "My favorite days on set were the ones where we had scenes together. What a lovely guy." "Joe Flaherty made me crack up so hard it ruined takes."

April 1936: Lumberjacks, Eric Smith, and Joe Flaherty, Newfoundland, Canada.
(Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

"Genius of a Comedian"

Flaherty was a founding member of 'SCTV' a Canadian sketch show that co-starred with John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, and Martin Short. The program aired from 1976 to 1984 and included sketches from the made-up town of Melville that were shown as television programming on a network.

The comedian gained fame for impersonating famous people, including Kirk Douglas, Alan Alda, Richard Nixon, and Art Garfunkel.

In the cult classic Freaks and Geeks, Flaherty played the father of Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley's characters, Harold Weir, the sporting goods shop owner, the role for which American viewers are most familiar with him.

Flaherty also portrayed the scientist father, Fred Edison, in the American-Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion, produced by his 'SCTV' colleague Eugene Levy, and the Western Union man in 'Back to the Future Part II.' He also portrayed Donald, the heckler in 'Happy Gilmore.'

He was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his comedic career at Second City in Chicago, sharing the stage with John Belushi, Harold Ramis, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

In 1973, he relocated to Toronto to open a Canadian location of the flagship comedy theater. In 1976, he assisted in founding 'SCTV,' for which he was awarded two Emmys.