Joe Flaherty, who played a part in FREAKS and Geeks and Happy Gilmore, has died. He was 82 years old.
Joel Murray, who was in the movie “One Crazy Summer,” shared the sad news of the man’s death on X, which used to be called Twitter.
Joel wrote, “We’ve lost another of my idols.”
“RIP Joe Flaherty.”
In a press release, Joe’s daughter Gudrun Flaherty confirmed that her father had died.
“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” he wrote.
“Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s.”
“His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me,” she said.
“In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together — moments I will forever hold dear.”
Joe’s first appearance on SCTV was in 1976 as a member of the show’s original cast.
He had roles as Count Floyd, Big Jim McBob, and Guy Caballero.
On SCTV, he also played many famous people, from Kirk Douglas to Elvis Presley.
The star was also famous for his role on Freaks and Geeks, an hour-long dark comedy on NBC.
His role as Harold Weir, a father of two teens, hit home with fans of the cult show.
People also know the star for his part as Donald, a jerk, in Adam Sandler’s movie Happy Gilmore.
Many celebrities have paid tribute to the late star on social media as they mourn his death.
Author and director John Francis Daley wrote, “Joe Flaherty made me laugh so hard that it ruined takes.”
“The days we had scenes together were my favorites on set.” “What a nice guy.”
“Joe Flaherty played my dad in The Wrong Guy,” Jennifer Tilly, an actress, wrote.
“I was thrilled to be able to work with him. The way he played was perfect. A great jokester. “Gone too soon.”
“Working with Joe Flaherty a few times was a huge blessing for me.” A nice guy who made everyone laugh a lot. I’m very sorry for his family and friends’ loss, said comedian and Whose Line Is It Anyway? regular Colin Mochrie.
“I was lucky enough to have Joe Flaherty dig out his old costume and play Count Floyd one last time on one of my MonsterVision episodes. He was great!” The nicest guy ever. No changes were made to the original sentence as it is a memorial.
Star Mark Meer said, “I’m really sorry to hear this sad news.”
“When I was younger and watched SCTV, Joe Flaherty was one of my favorite comedians. After many years, I found out for myself that he was also a really great guy. He wrote with a heart emoji, “Much love tonight to all who love Joe.”