Former SCTV actors Dave Thomas (left to right), Joe Flaherty, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the US Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999 in Aspen , Colonel Flaherty, founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV”, died Monday at the age of 82.
E. Pablo Kosmicki/AP
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E. Pablo Kosmicki/AP
Former SCTV actors Dave Thomas (left to right), Joe Flaherty, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the US Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999 in Aspen , Colonel Flaherty, founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV”, died Monday at the age of 82.
E. Pablo Kosmicki/AP
TORONTO — Comedian Joe Flaherty, a founding member of the beloved 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 the vampiric TV host Count Floyd.
Former castmates also included Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin.
He won Emmys 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 heckler 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 .
“Oh man. I loved Joe growing up,” comedian Adam Sandler said on X. “My brother and I always laughed. Count Floyd, Guy Caballero. Any move he made.”
“He crashed as a border guard in Stripes. Couldn’t be more fun watching him heckle me on the golf course. Nicest guy you’ll ever know. Genius of a comedian. And a true sweetheart. Perfect combo. Lots of love to his children and thanks to Joe for all the greatness he has brought us.”
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. “Filmmaking wasn’t just a hobby for him; it deeply influenced his career, especially his unforgettable time 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.”
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