Joe Flaherty was an original cast member of “SCTV” who went on to memorable roles in “Happy Gilmore” and “Freaks and Geeks.”
- Died: April 1, 2024 (Who else died on April 1?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 82.
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Joe Flaherty’s legacy
Born in Pittsburgh, Flaherty served in the U.S. Air Force for four years before taking the job that launched his career. Having moved to Chicago, he began working as a stage manager for the Second City comedy troupe in 1969. He became fascinated with the sketch comedy/improv process, and he eventually found himself promoted to writer and performer.
When Second City planned its expansion to Toronto, Flaherty was one of several performers from the Chicago troupe who traveled there to launch the new branch. And when the Toronto troupe debuted its TV show, “SCTV,” he was one of the founding players, working alongside future legends like John Candy (1950–1994), Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis (1944–2014), and more. Flaherty’s recurring “SCTV” characters included “Farm Film Report” host Big Jim McBob, fictional TV station owner Guy Caballero, and the fan favorite character Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson. Robertson was the co-anchor of the “SCTV” news segment, and Count Floyd was his alter ego, the host of “Monster Chiller Horror Theater.” He introduced silly faux horror films while in character as a vampire who howled like a werewolf.
After “SCTV,” Flaherty continued to work widely in both TV and movies. Among his best known movie roles is a short but iconic one: In “Happy Gilmore,” he played a golf fan who heckled Adam Sandler’s character mercilessly as he tried to play. Flaherty also played the Western Union man in “Back to the Future II,” and he made appearances in such movies as “1941,” “Stripes,” “One Crazy Summer,” “Stuart Saves His Family,” and “National Security.” He had voice roles in “Heavy Metal,” “Home on the Range,” and “Phil the Alien.”
On TV, Flaherty was well known for his performance as Harold Weir, father of Lindsey and Sam, on the cult classic coming of age comedy-drama “Freaks and Geeks.” He starred as absent-minded scientist Dr. Fred Edison on the 1990s Canadian sitcom “Maniac Mansion,” created by his former “SCTV” castmate Levy, and he played Commandant Hefilfinger on “Police Academy: The Series” in the late 1990s. Flaherty’s many other TV appearances included recurring roles on “The King of Queens” and the animated “The Legend of Tarzan,” as well as guest spots on such shows as “Married… With Children,” “Ellen,” “That ‘70s Show,” “Fraiser,” and “Family Guy.”
Flaherty on comedy
“I wish I could boil it down to one thing. It has to do with being intelligent and honest in your approach. Find something funny and explore it intelligently and honestly, even if you have to look bad in the process. I think the audience appreciates these traits – assuming you have a sense of humor to begin with. That’s the main thing.” —from a 2011 interview for Gig City
Tributes to Joe Flaherty
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
