Joe Flaherty earned guffaws among fans of 害羞草研究所淪CTV害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淔reaks and Geeks,害羞草研究所� but the comedian was also a 害羞草研究所渕entor害羞草研究所� and the 害羞草研究所渇unniest害羞草研究所� among his pals, famous friends said Tuesday as word spread of Flaherty害羞草研究所檚 death.
Martin Short, Andrea Martin and Dave Thomas were among the 害羞草研究所淪CTV害羞草研究所� alumni to pay tribute to the American-born actor and writer for helping shape Canada害羞草研究所檚 comedy scene 害羞草研究所� from the nascent days of a Toronto-based Second City stage to teaching students in the comedy program at Humber College.
害羞草研究所淎t a dinner or an occasion, Joe was the funniest at the table 害羞草研究所� and the brightest as well,害羞草研究所� said Short, who first met Flaherty in 1972.
Flaherty, who was born in Pittsburgh, spent seven years at The Second City in Chicago before moving north of the border to help establish the company害羞草研究所檚 Toronto outpost.
He went on to become a founding cast member of 害羞草研究所淪CTV,害羞草研究所� a sketch series about a fictional TV station that was stacked with buffoons in front of and behind the cameras. He was part of a team that won Emmys in 1982 and 1983 for writing on the show.
Flaherty害羞草研究所檚 most famous characters included network boss Guy Caballero and the vampiric TV host Count Floyd.
Short described Flaherty as a sort of leader, helping newer cast members 害羞草研究所� including Short 害羞草研究所� get their bearings on set.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 be in the edit bay, and I didn害羞草研究所檛 know what I was doing. I害羞草研究所檇 say, 害羞草研究所楯oe, get in here!害羞草研究所� and he害羞草研究所檇 come in and go, 害羞草研究所楾hat害羞草研究所檚 the take!害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所極h, look at that!害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Short recalled.
害羞草研究所淎nd he害羞草研究所檇 be laughing. You know, some people in comedy don害羞草研究所檛 really laugh at other people. They害羞草研究所檙e too competitive. Joe was never that way.害羞草研究所�
Short said he and the rest of the SCTV cast had several video calls with Flaherty over the last month, when it became clear his health was declining.
Flaherty died Monday at age 82 after a brief illness, his daughter Gudrun Flaherty said. She called him 害羞草研究所渁 kind, sweet soul who blessed all who knew him and those who loved his work.害羞草研究所�
Andrea Martin, who was also on the calls, said they reminisced about their time on 害羞草研究所淪CTV害羞草研究所� and how lucky they felt to have been a part of it.
害羞草研究所淛oe was really the motor of the show, so we were all too happy to talk about it,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淗e also had been in Second City longer than anybody. He was older than all of us, so he was our teacher. He was our mentor. He was our fellow cast member in acting as well as writing. So we looked up to him.害羞草研究所�
Flaherty also helped pioneer a particular style of comedy, said fellow cast member Dave Thomas.
He recalled one early sketch that was all at once a parody of the TV show 害羞草研究所淔antasy Island,害羞草研究所� and the films 害羞草研究所淐asablanca,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淩oad to Morocco害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Wizard of Oz.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲eaving all of those elements together in one sketch, it was a long sketch and it was very ambitious, but it was the beginning of a style of writing on TV that Joe and I pioneered together in the second season (of 害羞草研究所楽CTV害羞草研究所�),害羞草研究所� Thomas said.
Even after The Second City was set up in Toronto in 1973 and 害羞草研究所淪CTV害羞草研究所� aired its final episode in 1984, Flaherty continued to have an impact in Canada, helping to found Humber害羞草研究所檚 comedy writing and performance program back when it was still just a summer workshop.
He served as its artistic director, and later as an artist-in-residence.
害羞草研究所淧eople were auditioning for the program and he was so compassionate and open and that really blew me away,害羞草研究所� said Andrew Clark, who heads the college program.
害羞草研究所淚 knew he was funny, so I expected all of that. But it was so interesting to see害羞草研究所e treated these auditioning students as if it were 害羞草研究所楽CTV.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
Flaherty was introduced to later generations through memorable turns as a jeering heckler in the 1996 film 害羞草研究所淗appy Gilmore害羞草研究所� and as an old-fashioned dad in the TV comedy 害羞草研究所淔reaks and Geeks,害羞草研究所� which ran from 1999 to 2000.
Adam Sandler, who co-wrote 害羞草研究所淗appy Gilmore,害羞草研究所� said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that he 害羞草研究所渨orshipped Joe growing up害羞草研究所� for the characters he played on 害羞草研究所淪CTV.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a true sweetheart. Perfect combo,害羞草研究所� Sandler wrote.
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