Fred Willard (born September 18, 1939)Year of birth often reported as 1939; see Birthdays this week. (September 14, 2008) USA Weekend. Accessed 2009-06-06. is an American comedian and actor known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is best known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. He is also an alumnus of The Second City comedy troupe. He received three Emmy nominations for recurring role on the TV series as Robert Barone's father-in-law on Everybody Loves Raymond.

Biography

Willard grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His father died in 1951 when Willard was 12.Tad Friend (July 3, 2006). Fred Williard, tourist. The New Yorker. Accessed 2009-06-06.

Career

He auditioned alongside Robert Klein for The Second City, which consisted of a nightclub manager and his employee. The audition helped the two secure the job. He is an alumnus of The Second City and currently heads a sketch comedy workshop, The MoHo Group. He was a founding member of the improvisational comedy group, Ace Trucking Company. Fellow members of Ace included, Bill Saluga and Patti Deutsch, among others. They appeared regularly on This is Tom Jones.