Martin Mull

Martin Mull

Performing at the Boarding House in San Francisco, 1976
Birth name Martin Eugene Mull[1]
Born (1943-08-18) August 18, 1943
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality American
Education New Canaan High School
Alma mater Rhode Island School of Design
Influences Bob and Ray, George Gobel, Jack Benny[2]
Spouse Kristin Johnson
(m. 1972–78),
Sandra Baker
(m. 1978–81),
Wendy Haas
(m. 1982)
Children Maggie Mull

Martin Eugene Mull (born August 18, 1943)[3] is an American actor and comedian who has appeared in many television and film roles. He is also a painter and a recording artist. As an actor, he first became known in his role on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its spin-off Fernwood 2 Night. Among his other notable roles are Colonel Mustard in the 1985 film Clue, Leon Carp on Roseanne, Willard Kraft on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Vlad Plasmius on Danny Phantom and Russell the pharmacist on the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men.

Early years and education

Mull was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Betty, an actress and director, and Harold Mull, a carpenter.[4] He moved with his family to North Ridgeville, Ohio, when he was two years old. They stayed there until he was 15 years old, when his family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut, where he attended and graduated from public high school.[5] He studied painting and went on to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in painting.

Acting career

Mull's first well known acting role was as Garth Gimble in the 1976 television nighttime absurdist soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. This led to work in the spin-off comedy talk shows Fernwood 2 Night (1977) and America 2-Night (1978), in which he played talk show host Barth Gimble (Garth Gimble's twin brother), opposite Fred Willard, as sidekick Jerry Hubbard.

In 1979, he appeared in the Taxi episode "Hollywood Calling". Mull created, wrote for and starred in the short-lived 1984 CBS sitcom Domestic Life, with Megan Follows playing his teenaged daughter. In one episode of The Golden Girls, he played a hippie who was afraid of the outside world. He had a long-running role as Leon Carp, Roseanne Conner's gay boss (and later business partner) on the TV series Roseanne.

During the 1980s, Mull starred in a series of commercials for Michelob and Pizza Hut, and in a series of television and radio commercials for Red Roof Inn. He appeared in the Pecos Bill episode of the Shelley Duvall TV series Tall Tales & Legends. Mull voiced the role of The Evil Cad on the 1995–97 animated series Freakazoid! He also did the voice of Vlad Masters/Vlad Plasmius, the main villain in Danny Phantom.

Mull has appeared as a guest star on the game show Hollywood Squares, appearing as the center square in the show's final season, from 2003 to 2004. In late 2004 and in 2013's Netflix-produced Season 4, he portrayed Gene Parmesan, a private investigator, on the TV series Arrested Development. During 2008 and 2009, Mull guest starred in two episodes of the television series Gary Unmarried as Allison's father.[6]

Mull also starred in the Fox sitcom, Dads.

A caricature of Martin Mull in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.

Musical career

Mull broke into show business as a songwriter, penning Jane Morgan's 1970 country single "A Girl Named Johnny Cash", which peaked at #61 on Billboard's country charts. Shortly thereafter, he began his own recording career.

Throughout the 1970s, and especially in the first half of the decade, Mull was best known as a musical comedian, performing satirical and humorous songs both live and in-studio recordings. Notable live gigs included opening for Randy Newman and Sandy Denny at Boston Symphony Hall in 1973,[7] Frank Zappa at Austin's Armadillo World Headquarters in 1973 and for Bruce Springsteen at the Shady Grove Music Fair in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in October 1974. His self-titled debut Album, released by Capricorn in 1972, featured many noteworthy musicians, including Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Levon Helm from The Band, Keith Spring of NRBQ and Libby Titus.[8]

"Dancing about Architecture"

Elvis Costello and Gary Sperrazza attribute the well-known phrase, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" to Martin Mull.[9][10]

Artistic career

Mull has been a painter since the 1970s, and has had his work appear in group and solo exhibits since that time. He participated in the June 15, 1971 exhibit "Flush with the Walls" in the men's room of the Boston Museum of Art to protest the lack of contemporary and local art in the museum.[11] His work often combines photorealist painting, and the pop art and collage styles.[12] He published a book of some of his paintings, titled Paintings Drawings and Words, in 1995. One of his paintings was used on the cover for the 2008 Joyce Carol Oates novel My Sister, My Love.[13] Another painting, owned by Steve Martin titled After Dinner Drinks (2008), was used for the cover of Love Has Come For You, an album by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.[14]

Personal life

Twice divorced, Mull is married to singer Wendy Haas. The two have a daughter, Maggie.[15][16][17][18]

In a 2010 interview on The Green Room with Paul Provenza, Mull identifies himself as an atheist, saying "I certainly don't begrudge someone else their choice to follow whatever they do, it's just for me, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I think more harm has come to this planet through organized religion, probably, than any single situation that we've invented."[19]

Filmography

Films

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2017 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Modern Doug Kenney
2011 Oliver's Ghost Clive Rutledge
2010 Killers Holbrook
2006 Relative Strangers Jeffry Morton
2004 A Boyfriend for Christmas Martin Grant
2000 Attention Shoppers Charles
1998 Richie Rich's Christmas Wish Richard Rich Sr.
1997 Beverly Hills Family Robinson Doug Robinson
1996 Jingle All the Way D.J.
1996 Edie & Pen Johnnie Sparkle
1994 How the West Was Fun Bart Gifooley
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Justin Gregory
1992 Miracle Beach Donald Burbank
1990 Far Out Man Dr. Leddledick
1990 Ski Patrol Sam Marris
1989 Cutting Class William Carson III
1988 Rented Lips Archie Powell
1986 The Boss' Wife Tony Dugdale
1985 O.C. and Stiggs Pat Coletti
1985 Clue Colonel Mustard
1985 California Girls Elliot
1984 Bad Manners Warren Fitzpatrick aka: Growing Pains
1983 Private School Pharmacy Guy Uncredited
1983 Mr. Mom Ron Richardson
1981 Take This Job and Shove It Dick Ebersol
1980 My Bodyguard Mr. Peache
1980 Serial Harvey Holroyd
1978 FM Eric Swan

Television

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Veep Bob Bradley 3 episodes
2015–2016 Life in Pieces Gary Timpkins 3 episodes
2015 Community George Perry episode: "Advanced Safety Features"
2013 Dads Crawford
2013 Psych Highway Harry episode: "100 Clues"
2010 'Til Death Whitey / Mr. White 12 episodes
2008–2013 Two and a Half Men Russell, the pharmacist 6 episodes
2008 My Boys Dr. Clayton episode: "Opportunity Knocks"
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Gideon Hutton
2007 The War at Home Principal Fink
2005–2011 American Dad! Father Donovan 10 episodes
2004–2013 Arrested Development Gene Parmesan 4 episodes
2004–2007 Danny Phantom Vlad Plasmius/Vlad Masters 16 episodes
2004 Reno 911! Jim Kringle
2003 Reba Dr. Todd episode: "Encounters"
2002 Teamo Supremo Governor Kevin
2002 Dexter's Laboratory M.A.R. 10 episode: "Lab on the Run"
2001 That '70s Show Voice of Donna's journal episode: "Eric's Drunken Tattoo"
2001–2002 The Ellen Show Himself 18 episodes
1997–2000 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Willard Kraft 73 episodes
2000 Family Guy Mr. Harris episode: "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'"
1998 The Simpsons Seth episode: "D'oh-in' in the Wind"
1993 Family Dog Skip Binsford
1992–1993 The Larry Sanders Show Himself
1991–1997 Roseanne Leon Carp 46 episodes
1991 Get a Life Sandy Connors
1990 The Golden Girls Jimmy episode: "Snap Out of It"
1985 Lots of Luck Frank Maris TV film
1985 The History of White People in America Himself
1984 Domestic Life Martin Crane
1979 Taxi Roger Chapman episode: "Hollywood Calling"
1977 The New Adventures of Wonder Woman Hamlin Rule episode: "The Pied Piper"
1977 Fernwood 2 Night Barth Gimble
1976–1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Garth Gimble

Discography

References

  1. ↑ http://mivoice.flightpathcreative.com/pdfs/issue-31-5.pdf
  2. ↑ Macdonald, Norm. "Norm Macdonald Live" (Interview). Interview with Norm Macdonald. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  3. ↑ "Today in history". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  4. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  5. ↑ "Martin Mull". Patterson & Associates. Retrieved 2006-09-17.
  6. ↑ "FutonCritic.com page on ''Gary Unmarried''". Thefutoncritic.com. 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  7. ↑ "The Tech, (May 11, 1973)". Learningace.com. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  8. ↑ "The History of the Band, (March 2013)". Theband.hiof.no. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  9. ↑ "Writing About Music". Quote Investigator. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
  10. ↑ "Quotes Uncovered: Dancing About Architecture". Freakonomics. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
  11. ↑ Cook, Greg (June 15, 2011). "Local Artists Commemorate -and re-stage -a legendary protest". The Phoenix. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  12. ↑ Martin Mull, Artnet
  13. ↑ Format Follies, Pt. 3, Christopher Currie, Furious Horses (blog), April 1, 2009
  14. ↑ Neale, April (2013). "Steve Martin's 'Love has Come For You' celebrates Martin Mull's artistry, tour dates (VIDEO)", MonstersAndCritics.com.
  15. ↑ Biography for Martin Mull at the Internet Movie Database
  16. ↑ Wojciechowski, Michele "Wojo" (2013). "FOX’s Dads Star Martin Mull: The Accidental Comedian", Parade.CondeNast.com.
  17. ↑ "Martin Mull Biography", TvGuide.com.
  18. ↑ Lavin, Cheryl (1994). "Martin Mull", ChicagoTribune.com.
  19. ↑ The Green Room with Paul Provenza, July 15, 2010
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