by Jimmy Kimmel devoted his Monday night episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live to the late great Fred Willard.
Willard had appeared as a regular guest performer on JKL in post-monologue sketches since 2004, even more so in the past couple of years after Willard’s wife died. (Willard talked to me about being ready at a morning’s notice to drive into Hollywood as late as this February — it’s at the 50-minute mark of my podcast chat with him). Kimmel described Willard Monday as “In a lot of ways, Fred was like a Christmas tree in June. A little weird. Familiar, but still surprising to see it. Full of good memories. And you’re just instantly happy that it’s there.”
And here are some remembrances from his funny famous friends…including Catherine O’Hara, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Ray Romano, Norman Lear, and Martin Mull.
