Character actor Mike Hagerty, best known for his roles on HBO’s comedy Somebody, Somewhere and as Mr. Treeger on Friends, has died. Hagerty passed away on Thursday, May 5, just four days before his 68th birthday. The actor’s cause of death has not been disclosed.
Bridget Everett, who stars as Hagerty’s onscreen daughter on the HBO comedy, confirmed the actor’s passing on Instagram Friday. “With great sadness, the family of Michael G. Hagerty announced his death yesterday in Los Angeles,” her post read. The statement went on to remember Hagerty as a “beloved character actor” whose “love of his hometown of Chicago and his family were the cornerstones of his life.” Everett’s post concluded, “He will be sorely missed.”
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“I loved Mike the instant i met him. He was so special. Warm, funny, never met a stranger,” Everett added in a second post alongside photos of herself and the actor on the set of Somebody, Somewhere. “We are devastated he has passed. Mike was adored by the entire cast and crew of Somebody Somewhere. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.”
Hagerty had a decades-long career under his belt that began with local improv troupe and comedy launchpad Second City, according to Vulture. He later began booking film and TV roles, including a 1986 appearance on Cheers. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of apartment building superintendent Mr. Treeger on the NBC comedy Friends. Hagerty joined the cast of the cult classic comedy in 1995 and remained on in a recurring role until 2001. Most recently, the actor starred as farmer Ed Miller, father of Everett’s Sam, on Somebody, Somewhere. The comedy is set in Manhattan, Kansas and follows Sam as she deals with a midlife crisis following the death of her sister. Hagerty’s other credits include Fox’s The George Carlin Show, Boston Legal, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, CSI, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, ER, Ghost Whisperer, Glee, The Goldbergs, Grey’s Anatomy, Happy Endings, Medium, The Mindy Project, Mob City, Monk, Seinfeld, Shameless, The Wayans Bros., and the original Wonder Years.
Hagerty is survived by his wife Mary Kathryn, his sister, Mary Ann Hagerty, her wife, Kathleen O’Rourke, and their daughter Meg. News of his death was met with an outpouring of tributes, with Second City Chicago comedian Sean Masterson tweeting, “RIP Mike Hagerty. Funny, sweet and a total pro. Thanks for the decades of laughs.”