Fred Willard Movies and Career Information

Fred Willard (born September 18, 1939) is an American comedian, actor and voice over actor known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as television series D.C. Follies. He is an alumnus of The Second City comedy troupe. He received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series Everybody Loves Raymond as Robert Barone's father-in-law, Hank MacDougall. Willard grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His father died in 1951 when Willard was 12. Willard is a former Army soldier, having graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1951 and the Virginia Military Institute in 1955. After his tour in the Army, Willard auditioned alongside Robert Klein for The Second City, which consisted of a nightclub manager and his employee. The audition helped the two secure the job. He is an alumnus of The Second City and currently heads a sketch comedy workshop, The MoHos. He was a founding member of the improvisational comedy group, Ace Trucking Company. Fellow members of Ace included Bill Saluga and Patti Deutsch,