Joe Flaherty, the comedian and writer known for his roles on shows like Freaks and Geeks and SCTV, has died. He was 82.

“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” daughter Gudrun Flaherty shared with CBC News via SCTV producer and close family friend Andrew Alexander.

“I take solace in the memories we shared and the incredible impact he had on those around him. His spirit, humour and love will be a part of me forever.”

An improvisation expert with an iconic voice and gift for the guest spot, Flaherty’s credits run the gamut from movie blockbusters such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy to TV staples such as Frasier, Freaks and Geeks and Family Guy.  

Even with a career spanning more than four decades, he was perhaps best known for a small role as a heckler in the Adam Sandler film Happy Gilmore and as a writer and performer in the Canadian comedy series SCTV.

He was one of the show’s original members, working alongside comic legends such as John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, and stayed on for the show’s entire six-season run. Though he never attained quite the same blockbuster heights of some of his cast mates (or made the move over to U.S. competitor Saturday Night Live), his was a familiar name both in front of and behind the camera. 

Alongside writing, directing and starring in the Levy-created Maniac Mansion from 1990 to 1993, Flaherty pulled the same multi-hyphenate duty on his comedy-anthology series Really Weird Tales alongside O’Hara, Candy and Short. And while on SCTV, Flaherty would win an Emmy for outstanding writing in a variety or music program in both 1982 and 1983.

It was evidence of the Canadian sketch group’s surprising TV success — a cult hit that Flaherty continued to view with humility. According to the New York Times, he joked to a huge crowd at the the show’s 2018 reunion that it was surprising anyone remembered them at all, and that before the event, he “just didn’t know if anybody would show up.”

But the group continued collaborating on and off, Flaherty said, because of what they could do together.

WATCH | Joe Flaherty on creating Really Weird Tales: 

Joe Flaherty, post-SCTV, discusses Really Weird Tales

The comedian enlists former colleagues, including Catherine O’Hara, for a new series he’s producing. Aired July 9, 1986 on CBC’s Midday.

“I’d say the SCTV people bring to Hollywood a certain — I would say it’s an ability to get the most out of a script … as well, or better than anybody else in the biz.” Flaherty told CBC News in a 1986 interview.

“It’s simply a matter of knowing how … your part fits in with the rest of the characters, and then how to get the most out of it. That’s the bottom line, is to just milk it for everything it’s worth.” 

After the show ended in 1984, Flaherty went on to star in a host of other comedies, but established himself as a consummate performer with another iconic role: Harold Weir in the comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks in 1999. Though that series would only run for a single season, like SCTV it would go on to gain cult status and launch the careers of a generation of comedians.  

‘So cool we thought he was Canadian’

Fans and former co-stars shared their condolences on X, soon after news of his death broke.

“Worshipped Joe growing up. Always had me and my brother laughing,” wrote Happy Gilmore star Adam Sandler. “The nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a true sweetheart. Perfect combo.”

“I was so thrilled to be able to work with him,” shared actor Jennifer Tilly, who played Flaherty’s daughter in 1997’s The Wrong Guy. “His performance was pitch perfect. A great comedian. Gone too soon.”

“I was incredibly fortunate to have worked with Joe Flaherty a few times,” wrote Colin Mochrie. “A sweet man that produced a lot of laughs. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

“Joe Flaherty, an American so cool we thought he was Canadian. Thanks, Floyd Robertson,” Ontario comedian Stewart Reynolds posted — referencing the iconic news reporter character Flaherty played on SCTV.

Pittsburgh to Toronto

Flaherty earned his honorary Canadian status from a long-running association with the country and some of its most successful series.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1941, Flaherty served with the U.S. Air Force for four years before joining Chicago improv group The Second City in 1969 — where his time would overlap with future Saturday Night Live star John Belushi as well as Harold Ramis, the Ghostbusters actor and Groundhog Day director.

He eventually moved to Toronto, where he would help establish the Toronto arm of the troupe and pave the way for a career perpetually affiliated with Canada and Canadians. He would play Kirk Dirkwood on CTV’s David Steinberg Show, Mayor Andrews in the Canadian sitcom Call Me Fitz, and held a recurring role in the Vancouver-shot Robson Arms. He also had a guest appearance on Royal Canadian Air Farce — and of course his time at SCTV. 

He later became a faculty member at Humber College, serving as an artist-in-residence and participating in the college’s first comedy workshop.

In February, Toronto’s Second City group shared a fundraiser spearheaded by Short to raise money for Flaherty. 

“Our beloved SCTV cast member, Joe Flaherty, is very ill. Joe is aware of the gravity of his failing health and would like to spend whatever time he has left at home rather than in a facility,” the fundraiser read. 

Flaherty was married to Judith Dagley for 22 years until the two divorced in 1996. The couple had two children, Gudrun and Gabriel Flaherty.