Joseph Flaherty (; June 21, 1941 – April 1, 2024) was an American actor, writer, and comedian. In television, Flaherty starred on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV from 1976 to 1984 (on which he also served as a writer, winning two Primetime Emmy Awards) and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks (1999). His film roles include the heckler in Happy Gilmore (1996).
Early life and career Joseph O'Flaherty was born on June 21, 1941, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the eldest of seven children. His father was a production clerk at Westinghouse Electric and of Irish heritage and his mother was of Italian descent.
Flaherty served in the United States Air Force for four years, before becoming involved in dramatic theatre.
Flaherty moved to Chicago, where he started his comedy career in 1969 with the Second City Theater as Joe O'Flaherty and would work with future stars such as John Belushi and Harold Ramis. He dropped the "O" in his birth name as there was another Joseph O'Flaherty registered with Actors Equity. Along with several other Second City performers, he began appearing on the National Lampoon Radio Hour from 1973 to 1974. After seven years in Chicago, he moved to Toronto to help establish the Toronto Second City theatre troupe. During those years, he was one of the original writer/performers on SCTV, where he spent eight years on the show, playing such characters as Big Jim McBob (of Farm Film Report fame), Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson, and station owner/manager Guy Caballero, who goes around in a wheelchair only for respect and undeserved sympathy.
SCTV ceased production in 1984. The same year, Flaherty played Count Floyd in a short film that was shown at concerts by the rock band Rush before the song "The Weapon", for their tour in support of Grace Under Pressure (and can be seen in the home video, Grace Under Pressure Tour).
In 1988, Flaherty reprised his Count Floyd character for live-action segments of the animated series The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, a character created and voiced by another SCTV alum, Martin Short.
Flaherty appeared in a number of cult-favorite films, including an appearance as a Western Union postal worker who delivers Doc Brown's 70-year-old letter to Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989), as well as the crazed heckler Donald Floyd yelling "Jackass!" who secretly works for antagonist Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore (1996). In season eight of Family Guy, Flaherty once again played the Western Union man in "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side".
Flaherty plays a Vatican Messenger in the Family Guy season 9 episode "The Big Bang Theory". In 1989, he played a guest role in Married... with Children in the season-four episode "Tooth or Consequences", as a dentist who must repair Al Bundy's teeth. From 1990 to 1993, Flaherty starred in The Family Channel series, Maniac Mansion.
During 1997–1998, Flaherty starred in the television adaptation of Police Academy (Police Academy: The Series) as Cmdt. Stuart Hefilfinger. The series lasted for only one season. In 1999, Flaherty joined the cast of Freaks and Geeks, an NBC hour-long dramedy set in the 1980–1981 academic year, in which he played Harold Weir, the "imperfect perfect" father of two teens. Despite a dedicated cult following, the show only lasted one season.
Flaherty made appearances on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens as Father McAndrew, the priest at the Heffernans' church. He starred on the Bite TV original program, Uncle Joe's Cartoon Playhouse, and served as a judge on the CBC program The Second City's Next Comedy Legend.
From 2001 to 2004, he had appeared in various Disney shows and films, including The Legend of Tarzan and Home on the Range.
In 2018, Flaherty participated in a SCTV cast reunion at Toronto's Elgin Theatre filmed by Martin Scorsese for a yet to be released Netflix special on SCTV.
Beginning in 2004, Flaherty was artist-in-residence at Humber College's School of Creative and Performing Arts in Toronto, where he taught a comedy writing course. He previously helped found the school's comedy writing and performance program serving as its artistic director. He was also on the program's advisory committee.
Personal life and death Flaherty was married to Judith Dagley for 22 years until their divorce in 1996. They had two children, Gudrun, who is also an actress and writer, and Gabriel. His brothers, Paul (b. 1945) and Dave (1948–2017), were both comedy writers.
Flaherty died on April 1, 2024, at the age of 82, after a short illness. No cause or place of death were given.
Characterizations Flaherty impersonated a number of celebrities, including: Kirk Douglas, Richard Nixon, Gregory Peck, Alan Alda, Bing Crosby, Gavin McLeod, William F. Buckley Jr. and Elvis Presley.
Flaherty appeared in a cameo in the deleted scenes from Anchorman as the manager of a Texas television station and the boss of Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), one of the members of the station's news team. He also appeared as an immigration Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer in the "Canadian Road Trip" episode of That '70s Show alongside fellow SCTV member Dave Thomas.
In the third episode of Freaks and Geeks, "Tricks and Treats", he dressed up as a vampire, a reference to his character Count Floyd.
Discography Gold Turkey (National Lampoon album, 1975) Count Floyd (1982) (RCA)
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotesReferences1976Tunnel VisionCarl Michaelevich19791941Sal Stewart, Raoul LipschitzThe Lady in Red1980Used Cars Sam Slaton1981By DesignVeteran FatherStripesBorder GuardHeavy Metal Lawyer, General (voice) A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.1983Going BerserkChick Leff1984Johnny DangerouslyDeath Row inmate Uncredited1985Sesame Street Presents: Follow That BirdSid Sleaze1986Club ParadisePilotOne Crazy SummerGeneral Raymond1987InnerspaceWaiting Room PatientBlue MonkeyGeorge Baker1988Kid Safe: The VideoCount FloydVideo1989Who's Harry Crumb?DoormanSpeed ZoneVic DeRubisAKA Cannonball FeverBack to the Future Part IIWestern Union Man1994A Pig's TaleMiltVideo1995Stuart Saves His FamilyCousin Ray1996Happy GilmoreDonald Floyd1997Snowboard AcademyMr. BarryVideoThe Wrong GuyFred Holden1999Detroit Rock CityFather Phillip McNulty2001Freddy Got FingeredWilliamUncredited2002SlackersMr. Leonard2003National SecurityOwen Fergus2004Home on the RangeJeb the Goat (voice)Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyManager of Texas television station, boss of Veronica CorningstoneDeleted scenePhil the AlienBeaver (voice)
Television YearTitleRoleNotesReferences1972The David Steinberg ShowKirk Dirkwood10 episodes1976The Sunshine HourVariousRegular1976–1984SCTV1978King of KensingtonFast FrankieEpisode: "The Hustler"1985George Burns Comedy WeekGuest star1986Really Weird TalesYour HostTV movie/pilot, also producer and writer1988CBS Summer PlayhouseRegis RoganEpisode: "Limited Partners"The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed GrimleyCount Floyd13 episodes1989Looking for MiraclesChief BermanTV movieI, Martin Short, Goes HollywoodGene SiskelMarried... with ChildrenDr. PliersonEpisode: "Tooth or Consequences"1990MonstersSherwinEpisode: "Murray's Monster"1990–1993Maniac MansionDr. Fred Edison65 episodes1991Morton & HayesThugEpisode: "The Vase Shop"Little DraculaBig Dracula (voice)4 episodes1993–1994DinosaursChief Elder (voice)1994NursesMr. FortinEpisode: "The Big Jack Attack"PhenomFather O'MalleyRebel HighwayMr. NicholsonEpisode: "Runaway Daughters"HardballButt Winnick1995Family Reunion: A Relative NightmareKevin DooleyTV movieCartoon PlanetCount Floyd1996Dream OnStodEpisode: "Second Time Aground"The Louie ShowMr. WellsEllenPerryEpisode: "Kiss My Bum"1997The Don's AnalystDr. Lowell RoyceTV movie1997–1998Police Academy: The SeriesCmdt. Stuart Hefilfinger1999TradersMcGraffEpisode: "This World... Then the Fireworks"The Wonderful World of DisneyEpisode: "Dogmatic"1999–2000Freaks and Geeks Harold Weir18 episodes2000MentorsJames NaismithEpisode: "Nothing But Net"2001Even StevensMr. RupertEpisode: "Almost Perfect"The IndustryDon DouglasThat '70s ShowBryanEpisode: "Canadian Road Trip"Go FishDr. Frank TroutnerPrimetime GlickClay GlickEpisode: "Molly Shannon/Nathan Lane"The Legend of TarzanHooft (voice)Episode: "Tarzan and the Mysterious Visitor"The Santa Claus BrothersSnorkel (voice)TV movie2001–2003The King of QueensFather McAndrew4 episodes2002Maybe It's MeChazEpisode: "The Romeo & Juliet Episode"Royal Canadian Air FarceFrasierHerm EvansEpisode: "Frasier Has Spokane"A Nero Wolfe MysteryDr. Vollmer2 episodes2002–2004Teamo SupremoCloaked Skull (voice)2002The True Meaning of Christmas SpecialsBing CrosbyTV movie2002–2003Clone HighAbe's Foster Dad (voice)2 episodes2004Puppets Who KillJoeEpisode: "Bill's Got the Blues"2005TiltCasino Player from AliquippaEpisode: "Risk Tolerance"Chilly BeachAntoine DelVecchioEpisode: "Driving Mr. Biggs"Robson ArmsRamon Garcia2008–2010Caution: May Contain NutsCount Floyd2008–2011Family GuyVatican Messenger2009American Dad!Car Door Owner (voice)Episode: "Delorean Story-An"2012I, Martin Short, Goes HomeAtticus FinchTV movieCall Me FitzMayor AndrewsEpisode: "Teetotal Recall"
References
External links
Interview on The Sound of Young America, 9/06 Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca