Jimmy Kimmel pays hilarious yet 'heartbreaking' tribute to Fred Willard, fans say 'he will be missed'
The May 18 episode of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ was all about Fred Willard. The legendary actor and a great comedian of his times, Willard passed away at the age of 86 on Saturday, May 16. At that time, Kimmel shared a heartfelt post on his Twitter account. And then, on the following Monday night, he dedicated the entire episode of his late night show to the late actor. Kimmel not only knew him as a fan but also a colleague with whom he had worked on many episodes of his show. This really moved the fans.
People were all prepared to watch Sarah Paulson and the music band Gorillaz on the Monday night episode but Willard’s tribute superseded them all. Fans took to social media and commented on how much they loved the tribute to Willard, even though they didn’t get to see a new guest on the show. “What a beautiful memorial for Fred Willard @jimmykimmel ! He will be missed! @JimmyKimmelLive #JimmyKimmelLiveFromHisHouse”, said a Twitter fan.
Hosting the show live from his home, Kimmel walked the audience through older episodes of the late night show where Willard had appeared as a guest artist and joined the show host in some of the most eccentric sketches. As Kimmel remembered working with the veteran actor and cited funny instances, it cracked up fans too. One fan on Twitter commented, “This tribute to Fred Willard on @jimmykimmel is absolutely HILARIOUS! The characters he played on the show were nothing short of EPIC. We’re going to miss you Fred! #JimmyKimmelLiveFromHisHouse”
Although knowing that the legend of television is no more was heartbreaking, the retrospective clips put a smile on people’s faces. “Listening to @jimmykimmel Jimmy ‘s tribute to #FredWillard is just SO heartbreaking #JimmyKimmelLiveFromHisHouse”, said a fan while watching Kimmel’s tribute. “Tribute to #FredWillard now on #JimmyKimmelLiveFromHisHouse and its giving me #Emotions. Mostly bit wide smiley emotions tho”, added another.
Kimmel and Willard had a long time connection through the ABC talks show, mostly after Willard lost his wife Mary. His spontaneous and quirky deliveries and incredible comic timing made him a legend of American television.
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ now airs every weeknight at 11:35 am ET, right from his home.
