Celebrity Biographies
Fred Willard
He gave life to Frank Dunphy, father of Phil and therefore grandfather of Haley, Alex and Luke, in the popular “Modern Family”. Actor Fred Willard, who played supporting roles for five decades on film and television, has died at the age of 86 in California. “Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Willard,” wrote his friend, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, whose husband, Christopher Guest, had worked with him many times, and that she was the first to break the news.
Born September 18, 1939, in Cleveland, Frederick Charles Willard (his full name) graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1951, and served in the military for a few years, stationed in Germany. Upon graduation he moved to New York, where he made his stage debut.
He appeared for the first time on the big screen in Teenage Mother , his 1967 product. Next, Fred Willard would lavish himself on titles like Steal Well Without Looking Who , Very Important Dogs , Wedding Plans , American Pie. What a wedding , my mother’s boyfriend and 50 very dark shades . He became popular especially when he started appearing in various episodes of Modern Family .
Married to Mary Lovell in 1968, he remained attached to her until her death on July 13, 2018. They had a daughter, Hope, and a grandson, Freddie.
Before he passed away, he had wrapped filming on Space Force , starring Steve Carell , for Netflix.