The entertainment and sports worlds are mourning the loss of Joe Flaherty, a revered comedian known for his roles in 'Happy Gilmore', 'The Wrong Guy', and as memorable characters such as Count Floyd and Guy Caballero. Tributes from colleagues and fans highlight his impeccable comedic timing, character work, and influence in comedy and improvisation. Jennifer Tilly, who played his daughter in 'The Wrong Guy', praised his pitch-perfect performance, remarking he was 'Gone too soon'. Adam Sandler, Martin Short, who mentioned 'In over 50 years of our friendship', and others reflected on Flaherty's impact on their lives and careers, noting his genius in comedy, his role as a mentor, and calling him 'The nicest guy you could know'. Flaherty's contributions to comedy, including his work on SCTV, his discovery of talents like John Candy, and his recognition as one of golf's best hecklers, have left a lasting legacy. 'Rest easy Joe', the entertainment world has lost a true genius.
RIP "Guy Caballero" https://t.co/HmB1mQ2w8t
“In over 50 years of our friendship, there were very few people as wise or hilarious when it came to comedy, teaching improvisation and the art of character work as Joe,” Martin Short said in a statement. https://t.co/laQfI9Z2pJ
From @joe_warmington: From creating Count Floyd to finding John Candy, Joe Flaherty helped us laugh https://t.co/xRuyiCn3vd https://t.co/hsa90QwYq2
Oh man. Worshipped Joe growing up. Always had me and my brother laughing. Count Floyd, Guy Caballero. Any move he made. He crushed as border guard in Stripes. Couldn’t be more fun to have him heckle me on the golf course. The nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a… https://t.co/DaAV9RqkEr
My memories of SCTV actually predate my memories of SNL. My dad was a fan, so I got to watch old tapes of these shows and Count Floyd was instantly my young-kid favorite. https://t.co/w37Xp57OMq
The key to comedy as you know is timing. It was perfect. Masterful scene. Thanks Joe for the laughs 🙏 https://t.co/AYAIyqlHgq
Rest In Peace, Joe Flaherty 🙏 One of the best hecklers golf has ever seen 💯 https://t.co/kJrzpVo70q
No one could have played the role of Donald like Joe Flaherty did. His comedic delivery was perfect and his role alone made Happy Gilmore the classic it is today. He will be missed. Rest easy Joe https://t.co/npdVOjQFpp
Joe Flaherty played my dad in “The Wrong Guy.” I was so thrilled to be able to work with him. His performance was pitch perfect. A great comedian. Gone too soon. https://t.co/7qFnjGAoM1