John Mahoney: R.I.P.

John Mahoney, perhaps best known as Frasier's Dad, died yesterday at the age of 77.

From the Washington Times:

John Mahoney, 77, died Sunday in hospice care in Chicago, TMZ first reported Monday evening, citing his publicist.

The British-born actor was best known for his 11 years on “Frasier,” playing the father of Kelsey Grammer’s fussy lead character.

He was nominated for two Emmys and two Golden Globes and won a Screen Actors Guild prize for the role of Martin Crane, the more down-to-earth, but sometimes cranky, forebear of Frasier and Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce).

He appeared in about 30 movies, including five as a voice actor in such animated classics as “Antz” and “The Iron Giant.”His movie work mostly consisted of character and supporting roles for such prestigious 1980s and 1990s directors as John Sayles, the Coen brothers, Roman Polanski and Rob Reiner. His best-known role may be as the father in “Say Anything” who objects to dorky John Cusack, in the role that made him a star, courting his valedictorian daughter Ione Skye.

Film blogger Jake Bart took to Twitter to say that “John Mahoney was one of my favorite actors, full stop. Exquisite work in films like EIGHT MEN OUT, BARTON FINK, SAY ANYTHING, and of course MOONSTRUCK. A great lion of Chicago theater.”