Martin Mull
Martin Mull
Roseanne, Hollywood Squares, Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Martin Mull was born in Chicago in 1943, spent his formative years in a small township in Northern Ohio and graduated from high school in New Canaan, Connecticut. The next six years, he attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts.
Martin then embarked on a career as a musician/singer/songwriter/comedian. The next fifteen years of performing was fueled in part by the release of four albums on Capricorn Records, two for ABC Records and one for Elektra Records.
I’M EVERYONE I EVER LOVED (ABC) was nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording and, the following year, SEX AND VIOLINS (ABC) was nominated for Best Cover Design. Martin then decided to pursue a career in television and film.
His acting debut was made as wife-beating Garth Gimble on Norman Lear's MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN. After Garth met his well-earned demise, his twin brother, Barth, surfaced briefly and was spun-off to host FERNWOOD 2 NITE and, subsequently, AMERICA 2NITE. These were half-hour talk shows that distinguished themselves from the usual afternoon TV fare by being intentionally inane.
From there, along with frequent forays into the world of talk shows (hosting the TONIGHT SHOW on numerous occasions) game shows, and dramatic guest shots, Martin starred in two series for CBS: DOMESTIC LIFE and HIS AND HERS, as well as THE HISTORY OF WHITE PEOPLE IN
AMERICA for Cinemax. The latter, a six-part "mock-umentary," won the cable-TV ACE Award, the Writer's Guild of America Award, and was placed by TIME magazine in its "top ten shows of the year" - right alongside the Olympics and PBS's unforgettable THE STORY OF ENGLISH.
With the exception of a one-year "loan out" to the JACKIE THOMAS SHOW, Martin spent the following eight years as a regular on the ROSEANNE show (ABC) where he played Leon Carp, Roseanne's gay and dyspeptic boss. After that, he joined the cast of SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH (ABC) where he played Willard Kraft, the equally dyspeptic Vice-Principal of a high school.
Martin has appeared in numerous television shows including THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY, THE WILD THORNBERRYS, JUST SHOOT ME!, THE ELLEN SHOW, REBA, LIFE WITH BONNIE, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, AMERICAN DAD!, and TWO and a HALF MEN. He appeared as himself in 425 episodes of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES (1998-2004). Among his film credits are starring roles in SERIAL, RENTED LIPS and CLUE, and featured roles in MR. MOM, THE BODYGUARD, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, and JINGLE ALL THE WAY.
He has just landed one of the lead roles in DADS, Seth MacFarlane's new live-action comedy for Fox. The sitcom, which has already received a six-episode order, revolves around two successful video game entrepreneurs, Warner and Eli, who find their lives turned upside-down when their nightmare fathers unexpectedly move in with them. Martin will play Warner's dad Crawford, a man who has blithely and happily ignored all the chaos he's caused by moving in with his son.
An exhibiting artist, Martin's paintings have been shown in numerous galleries and museums nationwide. PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS AND WORDS, a collection of essays and reproductions of his work, was released in June of 1995. (Journey Editions Press) He is married to musician/composer, Wendy, and they have a daughter, Maggie.
Martin Mull at the Internet Movie Database
Martin Mull at Artsy