Fred Willard Movies
Born in the Midwest and educated in the military, actor Fred Willard has proven his talent for improvisational comedy on the stage, television, and the big screen. His characters are frequently grinning idiots or exaggerated stereotypes, but Willard's skillful timing has always added a unique spin. An alumni of Second City in Chicago, he's worked with many of the biggest-named comedians of his time. His early TV credits include a regular stint on The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour, a supporting part on the sitcom Sirota's Court, and the role of Jerry Hubbard, sidekick of TV talk-show host Barth Gimble (Martin Mull) in the satirical Fernwood 2Night. He went on to appear in subsequent incarnations of Fernwood and continued to work with Mull and his gang for the next few decades. In the early '80s, he hosted the actuality series Real People and co-hosted the talk show Thicke of the Night. Some of his small, yet memorable, performances in feature comedies included President Fogerty in National Lampoon Goes to the Movies; the garage owner in Moving Violations who's mistaken for a doctor; the air force officer in This Is Spinal Tap; and Mayor Deebs in Roxanne.Doing a lot of guest work on television, he was also involved in Martin Mull's The History of White People in America series and was the only human actor amid a cast of puppets on the strange show D.C. Follies. In the '90s, he worked frequently in the various projects of fellow satirists Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and the like. He was travel agent Ron Albertson in Waiting for Guffman, TV announcer Buck Laughlin in Best in Show, and manager Mike LaFontaine in A Mighty Wind. He also appeared in Eugene Levy's Sodbusters, Permanent Midnight with Ben Stiller, and showed up in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. On television, he picked up a regular spots on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Roseanne (as Martin Mull's lover), and Mad About You, along with voice-over work on numerous cartoons. He also received an Emmy nomination for his role as Hank McDougal on Everybody Loves Raymond. Since 2000, he has shown up in quite a few mainstream commercial films, including The Wedding Planner, How High, and American Wedding; but he also played Howard Cosell in the TV movie When Billie Beat Bobby. Projects for 2004 include Anchor Man: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.
In 2004, however, he returned to his roots in outlandish comedies with Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. He also joined up with his Mighty Wind and Waiting for Guffman castmates again in 2006 with For Your Consideration, a satire of Hollywood self importance injected with Willard's trademark clever silliness. The next year he appeared in the spoof Epic Movie, as well as the romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Teenage burnouts and post-modern slasher films are both raked over the satiric coals in the blood-soaked comedy Idle Hands. Anton (Devon Sawa) is a cheerful but exceedingly non-ambitious 17-year-old stoner who lives to stay buzzed, watch TV, and moon over Molly (Jessica Alba), the beautiful girl who lives next door. However, it turns out that the old cliché about idle hands being the devil's playground has a kernel of truth after all; there's a demonic beast living in his house that has already decapitated Anton's mom and dad (though it takes him a while to notice), and now the Dark Lord Himself has taken possession of Anton's right hand. Before he's entirely aware of what's happening, Anton's demon hand has killed his two best friends, Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson), though both come back as zombies to keep Anton company. Can Randy (Jack Noseworthy), local metalhead and expert on all things Satanic, figure out what the Evil One has planned next for Anton's digits? Will traveling demon slayer Debi (Vivica A. Fox) vanquish the possessed in time? And most important, will Anton get to go to the big dance with Molly before his hand starts causing trouble again? Director Rodman Flender certainly knows the genres he parodies here; he cut his teeth in horror working for exploitation legend Roger Corman and directed the film Bloody Mutilators as well as episodes of the TV series Tales From The Crypt, while more recently he immersed himself in teenage culture directing episodes of the TV series Party of Five and Dawson's Creek. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Devon Sawa, Seth Green, (more)
David Veloz made his directorial debut with this drama adapted from the autobiography of comedy writer Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller), whose $6000-a-week heroin habit had him taking his infant daughter along on his drug runs and doing smack during TV script conferences. Departing detox, Stahl explores memories with survivor Kitty (Maria Bello), who listens patiently to Stahl's flashback. Other women in Stahl's life are his British wife Sandra (Elizabeth Hurley) and his agent Vola (Lourdes Benedicto). For the TV series "Mr. Chompers" (inspired by ALF), Stahl meets with sitcom exec Craig Ziffer (Fred Willard) and puppeteer Allen (Charles Fleischer). For freaky freebasing, Stahl hangs with mumbler Nicky (Owen Wilson) and druggie Gus (Peter Greene). Stahl himself can be seen in a cameo as the methadone clinic doctor. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Elizabeth Hurley, (more)
- 1998
- NR
- Add Elvis is Alive! I Swear I Just Saw Him Eating a Ding Dong Outside the Piggly Wiggly to QueueAdd Elvis is Alive! I Swear I Just Saw Him Eating a Ding Dong Outside the Piggly Wiggly to top of Queue
A filmmaker in dire need of a job takes on an "interesting" assignment -- he's hired to travel the country and interview people who claim to have seen Elvis Presley alive, well and in good appetite after his death in August of 1977. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Dias LeRoy
- 1998
Ellen DeGeneres guest stars as Nancy Bloom, a former caterer whom Paul (Paul Reiser) had indirectly fired from the set of his "Making of Titanic" documentary. Through a twist of fate, Nancy is now the Buchmans' nanny -- but is she responsible for the brief "misplacement" of baby Mabel? Titanic director James Cameron makes a cameo appearance in this, the final episode of Mad About You's sixth season. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
Once again (and for the last time), Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) preside over an eventful Thanksgiving dinner. This time, the guest list includes not only the couple's families and friends, but also Jamie's boss Henry Vincent (Fred Willard), baby Mabel's pediatrician Dr. Lee (Steve Park), and airheaded waitress Ursula Buffay (Lisa Kudrow, taking time out from her Friends duties). Trouble ensues when little Mabel shows signs of developing an allergy -- and the source may be one of the guests. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
Everybody wants new mother Jamie (Helen Hunt) to go back to work -- except Jamie. Despite her worries over leaving baby Mabel in the care of others, Jamie agrees to accept a job with political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin (playing themselves). Elsewhere, Paul (Paul Reiser) goes on the defensive against the newspaper writer who turned out an error-ridden article on the movie "Buchman." Fred Willard makes his first appearance as Jamie's immediate superior, Henry Vincent. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
Lisa Kudrow and Fred Willard reprise their Mad About You roles as Ursula Buffay and Henry Vincent. Trouble begins smoldering when Joan (Suzie Plakson), the life partner of Paul's sister, Debbie (Robin Bartlett), is asked to pose for a "20 Most Eligible Bachelorettes in New York" magazine article. Paul (Paul Reiser) adds fuel to the flames by encouraging his wife, Jamie (Helen Hunt), to quit her job with James Carville. And Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow) is steaming because Riff's Restaurant has slighted him. With such an incindiary situation, is it any surprise when a real fire breaks out at Riff's, permitting Ira to play the hero while Paul is stuck in the bathroom? ~ All Movie Guide
The city of Blaine, Missouri is celebrating its sesquicentennial, and what better reason could there be to put on a show? Corky St. Claire (Christopher Guest), current leader of Blaine's community theater group and creator of a stage musical version of Backdraft that led to the unfortunate destruction of the theater, has been commissioned to put together a musical about the city's noble history, "Red, White and Blaine," which stars a variety of the town's theatrical talent. Corky's cast includes Ron and Sheila Albertson (Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara), a pair of married travel agents that Corky calls "the Lunts of Blaine;" Allan Pearl (Eugene Levy), a dentist who insists that he wasn't the class clown in high school but did sit next to him; Libby Mae Brown (Parker Posey), a sweet young thing who lives for her job at the Dairy Queen; and Clifford Wooley (Lewis Arquette), an "Old Blainian" who makes gun racks from deer hooves. Somehow, Corky has persuaded a major theatrical producer in New York to send a representative to look at the show -- is it possible that "Red, White and Blaine" could be headed to Broadway? Christopher Guest directed and co-wrote this very funny mock-documentary, in addition to playing the flamboyant Corky; Guests's partners from This Is Spinal Tap, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, helped write the memorable songs for "Red, White and Blaine." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, (more)
- 1996
Roseanne misses Dan, so she visits Nana Mary (Shelley Winters) with Leon (Martin Mull) and Scott (Fred Willard). Nana Mary (Shelley Winters) tells stories about her rebellious past and leaves everyone with very sound advice. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this Thanksgiving episode, Roseanne is glad that she won't have to cook, but she's upset that Dan won't be there. Leon (Martin Mull) and Scott (Fred Willard) visit with the news that they are thinking about adopting a child. This leads into a discussion with Bev (Estelle Parsons) where she announces her attraction to women. The episode ends at the homeless shelter. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Ross (David Schwimmer) discovers that Marcel the Monkey has become a popular TV commercial star (next step to superstardom: "Virus II"). Fortune also smiles upon Joey (Matt LeBlanc) during his tenure on Days of Our Lives -- or at least he thinks so until meeting his unbalanced "number one fan." And Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) finds that her songs may not be suitable for all ages when she plays for a group of library kids. Michael Lembeck won an Emmy award for his direction of this episode. Part one of "The One After the Super Bowl" originally aired in a 60-minute slot with part two, but was rebroadcast and syndicated as a separate entity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Shelley Long makes her first appearance as Dottie Wilcox, one-half of the hosting team of the popular daytime talk show "Dick and Dottie" (based on guess-which syndicated talkfest). Unable to hide her disdain for the lightweight Dottie, Murphy (Candice Bergen) makes a catty comment about the woman during an "FYI" broadcast. Forced by the network to apologize to Dottie, Murphy proceeds in her own inimitable fashion to make a bad situation worse. Comedian Dom DeLuise and Hollywood columnists Army Archerd and Liz Smith appear as themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- PG
In this youthful fantasy-adventure a quintet of miniature dinosaurs try to help a nearly bankrupt miniature golf-course owner get back on his financial feet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Willard, Bruce Weitz, (more)
- 1994
In this made-for-TV movie inspired by the popular series Hart to Hart, jet-setting Jennifer and Jonathan Hart (Stephanie Powers and Robert Wagner) are attending a party for a successful publisher on his private island resort. Jennifer happens to overhear two men discussing a murder they plan to commit -- and their intended victim appears to be Jonathan. Suddenly the Harts have to find out why Jonathan has become a marked man while staying out of harm's way as they track the killers. Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die also stars Mike Farrell and Paul Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Kris Kristofferson stars as a loner in a small frontier town in this spoof western. Directed by Eugene Levy, the film offers its own take on the men and women who risked their lives for truth, justice, and all of that other good stuff. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Willard, Kris Kristofferson, (more)
The mock heavy-metal band Spinal Tap (actually comedians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer) return to duty in this made-for-TV sequel to Rob Reiner's 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, filmed to promote the group's album Break Like the Wind. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, (more)
- 1992
For their 20th anniversary, Peggy (Katey Sagal) wants just one present from Al (Ed O'Neill)--and may get what she wants when the two of them are whisked off to Florida at the behest of their kids Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino). Unfortunately, the younger Bundys have an ulterior motive: having won a "My Dinner with Anthrax" award, the kids are anxious to get rid of their parents, and to do this have enmeshed Al and Peg in a shady time-share scam. Appearing as themselves, the rock band Anthrax performs "In My World" and "Bad to the Bone". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Just outside of St. Louis sits the main factory for Edna's Pies, a baking concern run by Edna Hayes (Phyllis Newman), an old friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). When the IRS swoops down on Edna demanding a fortune in back taxes, Edna concludes that she has been betrayed by her ex-husband Nolan (Macon McCalman)--who, sure enough, is the government's key witness. Inevitably, Nolan is murdered and Edna is accused of the crime...and it is at this point that Jessica takes a hand in matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Portrait of a White Marriage is an outgrowth of Martin Mull's wickedly satirical The History of White People in America, with a bit of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman tossed in. Mull plays a self-involved TV talk host who journeys to Hawkins Falls, Ohio, to reactivate his flagging career. While glad-handing the locals, he enters into an affair with bouffanted housewife Mary Kay Place. Also appearing are such frequent Mull colleagues as Fred Willard, Michael McKean and Jack Riley. Made for cable, Portrait of a White Marriage was directed by humorist Harry Shearer, who'd also helmed the History of White People installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Puppets are the featured performers in this volume of parodies and skits from the Krofft brothers. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This entertaining, educational video features shows for children with many various guest stars. ~ All Movie Guide
This modernization of Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac casts Steve Martin as C. D. Bates, the fearless, quick-witted fire chief of a Washington State resort town. Bates' most trusted fireman is the handsome but tongue-tied Chris McDonell (Rick Rossovich). Both men are in love with the beautiful Roxanne Kowalski (Darryl Hannah), but Bates, adorned with a huge nose that makes Bob Hope look like Nanette Fabray, is convinced that he's too homely to win Roxanne's heart. Thus, in the self-sacrificing tradition of Cyrano de Bergerac, Bates courts Roxanne vicariously by feeding his rival Chris the proper romantic words and phrases. The inherent pathos in Roxanne is offset by moments of slapstick, notably the scene wherein C. D. Bates vanquishes a pair of hooligans with a tennis racket. Steve Martin himself is credited with the screenplay for Roxanne, though he generously cites Edmond Rostand as his inspiration. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Daryl Hannah, (more)
