Martin Mull

Martin Eugene Mull[1] (born August 18, 1943)[2] is an American actor and comedian who has appeared in many television and film roles. He is also a painter and 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 Gene Parmesan on Arrested Development. He had a recurring role on Two and a Half Men as Russell, the drug-using, humorous pharmacist.

Martin Mull
Mull in 2018
Birth nameMartin Eugene Mull
Born (1943-08-18) August 18, 1943
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationNew Canaan High School
Alma materRhode Island School of Design (BFA, MFA)
Spouse
  • Kristin Johnson
    (m. 1972; div. 1978)
  • Sandra Baker
    (m. 1978; div. 1981)
  • (m. 1982)
Children1

Early years and education

Mull was born in Chicago, the son of Betty, an actress and director, and Harold Mull, a carpenter.[3] He moved with his family to North Ridgeville, Ohio, when he was two years old. They lived there until he was 15 years old, when his family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut. There he attended and graduated from New Canaan High School.[4] He studied painting and graduated in 1965 from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts; in 1967 he earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting, also from RISD.[5]

Career

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 No. 61 on Billboard's country charts. Shortly thereafter, he began his own recording career.

Mull in 1976

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. Rather than the stage trappings of most musical acts, Mull would decorate his stage with comfortable thrift store furniture.[6] 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; Billy Joel in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1974; 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] Elvis Costello and Gary Sperrazza attribute the remark, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" to Martin Mull.[9][10]

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Martin Mull among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[11]

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. Mull also played the neurotic disc jockey Eric Swan in the 1978 movie FM, his feature film debut.

In 1979, Mull appeared in the Taxi episode Hollywood Calling. He 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 played a supporting role in the film Mr. Mom. He also starred in a series of commercials for Michelob and Pizza Hut, and in a series of television and radio commercials for Red Roof Inn with Fred Willard. He appeared in the Pecos Bill episode of the Shelley Duvall TV series Tall Tales & Legends. 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.[12]

Mull also starred in the Fox sitcom Dads, and starred in The Cool Kids along with David Alan Grier, Vicki Lawrence, and Leslie Jordan.

Artistic career

Mull has been a painter since the 1970s, and his work has appeared in group and solo exhibits. 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.[13] His work often combines photorealist painting, and the pop art and collage styles.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16]

Personal life

Twice divorced, Mull is married to singer Wendy Haas. They have a daughter, Maggie.[17][18][19][20]

In a 2010 interview on The Green Room with Paul Provenza, Mull identified himself as an agnostic, 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."[21]

Filmography

Films

Year Film Role Notes
1978FMEric Swan
1980SerialHarvey Holroyd
1980My BodyguardMr. Peache
1981Take This Job and Shove ItDick Ebersol
1983Mr. MomRon Richardson
1983Private SchoolPharmacy GuyUncredited
1984Bad MannersWarren Fitzpatrickaka Growing Pains
1985 Television Parts Himself
1985California GirlsElliot
1985ClueColonel Mustard
1985O.C. and StiggsPat Coletti
1986The Boss' WifeTony Dugdale
1988Rented LipsArchie Powell
1988Portrait of a White MarriageHimself (as talk show host)
1989Cutting ClassWilliam Carson III
1990Ski PatrolSam Marris
1990Far Out ManDr. Leddledick
1992Miracle BeachDonald Burbank
1993Mrs. DoubtfireJustin Gregory
1994How the West Was FunBart Gifooley
1994Mr. WriteDan Barnes
1996Edie & PenJohnnie Sparkle
1996Jingle All the WayD.J.
1996101 DalmatiansWildlife Presenter
1997Beverly Hills Family RobinsonDoug Robinson
1998Zack and RebaVirgil Payne
1998Richie Rich's Christmas WishRichard Rich Sr.
2000Attention ShoppersCharles
2002The Year That TrembledWayne Simonelli
2004A Boyfriend for ChristmasMartin Grant
2006Relative StrangersJeffry Morton
2010KillersHolbrook
2011Oliver's GhostClive Rutledge
2013Tim's VermeerHimself
2018A Futile and Stupid GestureModern Doug Kenney

Television

Year Film Role Notes
1976–1977Mary Hartman, Mary HartmanGarth Gimble / Barth Gimble
1977Fernwood 2 NightBarth Gimble
1977The New Adventures of Wonder WomanHamlin Rule/Pied PiperEpisode: "The Pied Piper"
1978America 2-NightBarth Gimble
1979TaxiRoger ChapmanEpisode: "Hollywood Calling"
1984Domestic LifeMartin Crane
1985The History of White People in AmericaHimself
1985Lots of LuckFrank MarisTelevision film
1990The Golden GirlsJimmyEpisode: "Snap Out of It"
1991Get a LifeSandy Connors
1991–1997RoseanneLeon Carp46 episodes
1992–1993The Larry Sanders ShowHimself
1993Family DogSkip Binsford (voice)
1994Burke's LawWayne HudsonEpisode: "Who Killed Good Time Charlie?"
1995Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanMarlin Pfinch-LupusEpisode: "Whine, Whine, Whine"
1997Over the TopBrookes JensonEpisode: "The Review"
1997–2000Sabrina the Teenage WitchWillard Kraft73 episodes
1998The SimpsonsSeth (voice)Episode: "D'oh-in' in the Wind"
2000Family GuyMr. Harris (voice)Episode: "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'"
2000Just Shoot Me!StanEpisode: "Slamming Jack"
2001–2002The Ellen ShowEd Munn18 episodes
2001That '70s ShowVoice of Donna's journalEpisode: "Eric's Drunken Tattoo
2002Dexter's LaboratoryM.A.R. 10 (voice)Episode: "Lab on the Run"
2002Teamo SupremoGovernor Kevin (voice)
2003RebaDr. ToddEpisode: "Encounters"
2004Reno 911!Jim Kringle
2004–2007Danny PhantomVlad Plasmius/Vlad Masters (voice)16 episodes
2004–2013Arrested DevelopmentGene Parmesan4 episodes
2005–2011American Dad!Father Donovan (voice)10 episodes
2007The War at HomePrincipal Fink
2008Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDr. Gideon HuttonEpisode: "Retro"
2008My BoysDr. ClaytonEpisode: "Opportunity Knocks"
2008–2013Two and a Half MenRussell6 episodes
2010'Til DeathWhitey / Mr. White12 episodes
2013PsychHighway HarryEpisode: "100 Clues"
2013–2014DadsCrawford Whittemore19 episodes
2015CommunityGeorge Perry2 episodes
2015–2017Life in PiecesGary Timpkins4 episodes
2016VeepBob Bradley4 episodes
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
2016–2018The RanchJerry7 episodes
2017NCIS: Los AngelesEddie (Edward O'Boyle)Episode: "Old Tricks"
2017presentI'm SorryMartin6 episodes
20182019The Cool KidsCharlieMain role
2020Brooklyn Nine-NineAdmiral Walter PeraltaEpisode: "Admiral Peralta"
2020Bless This MessMartinEpisode: "The Table"
2020Bob's BurgersShopkeeper (voice)Episode: "Local She-ro"

Video games

Year Film Role Notes
2005Nicktoons Unite!Vlad PlasmiusVoice
2006Nicktoons Winners Cup RacingVlad PlasmiusVoice

Discography

  • Martin Mull (1972)
  • "Dueling Tubas" (Single) charted at #92 on Billboard's Hot 100 (1973)
  • Martin Mull and His Fabulous Furniture in Your Living Room! (1973)
  • Normal (1974)
  • In the Soop with Martin Mull (also with: Ed Wise and Les Daniels) (1974)
  • Days of Wine and Neuroses (1975)
  • I'm Everyone I've Ever Loved (1977)
  • No Hits, Four Errors – The Best of Martin Mull (1977)
  • Sex & Violins (1978)
  • Near Perfect/Perfect (1979)
  • Mulling It Over – A Musical Ouvre-View of Martin Mull (1998)

References

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2014-11-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Today in history". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  3. Ely, Robert (December 7, 1979). "Martin Mull has interest in art, penchant for humor". St. Petersburg Times.
  4. "Martin Mull". Patterson & Associates. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2006-09-17.
  5. "Martin Mull Witnesses the "Madness"". www.risd.edu. Rhode Island School of Design. 2013-04-24. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  6. https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/03/archives/martin-mulls-fabulous-furniture.html
  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. 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
  11. Rosen, Jody (25 June 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  12. "FutonCritic.com page on Gary Unmarried". Thefutoncritic.com. 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  13. Cook, Greg (June 15, 2011). "Local Artists Commemorate -and re-stage -a legendary protest". The Phoenix. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  14. Martin Mull, Artnet
  15. Format Follies, Pt. 3, Christopher Currie, Furious Horses (blog), April 1, 2009
  16. Neale, April (2013). "Steve Martin's 'Love has Come For You' celebrates Martin Mull's artistry, tour dates (VIDEO) Archived 2014-05-25 at the Wayback Machine", MonstersAndCritics.com.
  17. Biography for Martin Mull at IMDb
  18. Wojciechowski, Michele "Wojo" (2013). "FOX’s Dads Star Martin Mull: The Accidental Comedian", Parade.CondeNast.com.
  19. "Martin Mull Biography", TvGuide.com.
  20. Lavin, Cheryl (1994). "Martin Mull", ChicagoTribune.com.
  21. The Green Room with Paul Provenza, July 15, 2010
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