‘Happy Gilmore’ and ‘Freaks and Geeks’ star Joe Flaherty dead at 82

Comedian Joe Flaherty, founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV,” has died. He was 82 years old.

His daughter Gudrun said Tuesday that Flaherty died Monday after a brief illness.

Flaherty, born in Pittsburgh, spent seven years at Second City in Chicago before moving north of the border to help establish the theater’s Toronto outpost.

He then starred alongside John Candy and Catherine O’Hara on “SCTV,” on a fictional television network known as Second City Television that was full of buffoons in front of and behind the cameras. Flaherty’s characters included network boss Guy Caballero and vampiric TV host Count Floyd.

He won Emmy Awards in 1982 and 1983 for his writing on “SCTV” and continued to work in television and film for decades.

He was introduced to later generations through memorable turns as a mocking rowdy in the 1996 film “Happy Gilmore” and as an old-fashioned father in the TV comedy “Freaks and Geeks,” which aired from 1999 to 2000 .

Flaherty maintains deep ties to Toronto, serving as an artist in residence at Humber College.

“Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and unwavering passion for films of the 1940s and 1950s,” his daughter wrote in a statement Tuesday.

“Cinema was not just a hobby for him; it deeply influenced his career, especially his unforgettable moment with “SCTV.”

He cherished every moment spent on the show, so proud of its success and so proud to be part of an incredible cast.