John Mahoney, who played family patriarch Martin Crane on the NBC comedy “Frasier,” died Sunday, a spokeswoman for the actor told TheWrap on Monday.
“I am sad to confirm the Sunday, February 4th death of actor John Mahoney after a short illness in Chicago, Illinois,” Mahoney’s publicist told TheWrap.” The family will issue a statement at a later date.”
In addition to playing small-screen dad to Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce), Mahoney’s many other credits include “Hot in Cleveland” and “In Treatment.”
Born June 20, 1940 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, Mahoney cut his teeth with stage work before moving on to film and television.
For his portrayal of Martin Crane, Mahoney was twice nominated for an Emmy award, and was also nominated for two Golden Globe awards. He portrayed the role from 1993 until the series’ end in 2004.
Mahoney’s big-screen roles included “Moonstruck” and “Tin Men,” both released in 1987.