Fred Willard, Comic Actor Who Thrived in Ensembles, Dies at 86

Fred Willard, the Emmy Award-nominated comic actor best known for his scene-stealing roles in Christopher Guest ensemble comedies like “Best in Show” and “Waiting for Guffman,” died on Friday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86.

Mike Eisenstadt, Mr. Willard’s agent, confirmed his death.

Mr. Willard played Frank Dunphy, the father of Ty Burrell’s Phil Dunphy, on the ABC sitcom “Modern Family.” In 2010, he was nominated for the outstanding guest actor Emmy for the role. Mr. Willard’s character died of old age in the show’s recently ended final season.

He received three nominations, in 2003, 2004 and 2005, for outstanding guest actor for his role as Hank on the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” In 2015, Mr. Willard won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding guest performer on the CBS soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

Mr. Willard made his first network television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964.

He rose to prominence playing Jerry Hubbard, the sidekick to Martin Mull’s talk-show host Barth Gimble in the satirical series “Fernwood Tonight” in 1977.

In the following years, he became known as king of the deadpan cameo.

Viewers in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s may remember his work as a member of the Ace Trucking Company and Second City improv comedy groups or his appearances on episodes of “Love, American Style” and “Murphy Brown.”

Beginning in 1992, Mr. Willard also had 50 appearances in sketches on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”

In 2000, he played an ill-informed TV announcer at a dog competition in “Best in Show,” a comedy directed by Christopher Guest in which all the dialogue was improvised.

More recently, the late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel had Mr. Willard on his show about every other week to do comedic sketches until stay-at-home orders began going into effect, Mr. Eisenstadt said.

Later this month, he will appear as Steve Carrell’s father in the Netflix series “Space Force.”

Mr. Willard’s survivors include a daughter, Hope Willard.

A complete obituary will be published shortly.