Joe Flaherty dies as Adam Sandler heartbroken - 'Struggling with immense loss'

Publish date: 2024-07-08

Joe Flaherty, comedian known for his roles in Freaks and Geeks and Happy Gilmore, in which he starred alongside Adam Sandler, has sadly died, aged 82.

The SCTV star died after a short illness, his daughter, Gudrun confirmed, saying she had been “struggling to come to terms with the immense loss.” Adam Sandler has also paid tribute to his co-star on Instagram, calling him ‘the nicest guy you could know.’

“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” Gudrun confirmed in a statement to Variety. “Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s,” she continued.

“His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me.”

She then emotionally added that in these last few months, while her father faced his health challenges, they had the ‘precious opportunity’ to watch his classic movies together, “moments I will forever hold dear.”

The star brought joy to living rooms as a writer and performer on the Canadian Show SCTV between 1976 and 1984, starring alongside John Candy, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short.

He was well known for his iconic celebrity impressions including Kirk Douglas, Richard Nixon, and Art Garfunkel.

“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,” Short told Variety. “In ‘SCTV’ we called him the anchor. In life, he was simply the funniest man in the room. I just adored him.”

Adam Sandler leads tributes for the star

Although Sandler and Flaherty worked together in 1996’s Happy Gilmore, the Uncut Gems star had ‘worshipped’ the comedian growing up. Sharing photos of the late star in his heyday, the actor wrote: “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,” referring to the hilarious moment in the 1996 film.

“The nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a true sweetheart. Perfect combo. Much love to his kids and thanks to Joe for all the greatness he gave us all,” the 57-year-old emotionally concluded.

Many fans and celebrities who shared a bunch of laughs with the SCTV star have also taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to pay tribute.

“I’ve spent the entire afternoon watching and reposting clips of Joe Flaherty. It’s strange to be made so sad while laughing so much. Thanks for stopping by the planet Joe,” posted actor Dave Foley.

“As a kid from a small Canadian town with only three channels (one of them in French), I feel like I grew up with Joe Flaherty on my TV screen at least 75% of the time. He will be missed,” penned one fan.

Jennifer Tilly, who worked with the comedian on The Wrong Guy wrote: “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.”

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Joe Flaherty dies as Adam Sandler heartbroken - 'Struggling with immense loss'

Adam Sandler leads tributes for the star