. . . About Fred . . .

Fred radiates fun & laughter.
Fred Willard radiates a unique charm that has established him as one of our generation’s most gifted comic actors. A master of sketch comedy, Fred is most heralded for his quick wit and improvisational expertise. Fred is an alumnus of The Second City and was a co-founder of the comedy group Ace Trucking Company which appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson over fifty times as well as being regulars on the “Tom Jones Show.”

As a sketch performer, Fred appears on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. His reoccurring character, Willard J. Fredericks brings much laughter. Over the years, he has appeared as a number of other characters on “The Tonight Show”. These appearances are indicative of his ability to transform any character into a unique comic portrayal. He has played such diverse characters as Skippy Hussein, President Clinton’s dog, Buddy, and Christopher Columbus. Jay Leno calls Fred, “The funniest man in the world.” To see for yourself, CLICK HERE. [4MB]

SOME OF THE MOHOs
Top: Mary & Fred
Bottom: Judy, Lou, Robbie, Richard
Fred and his award winning playwright wife, Mary, currently run a weekly sketch comedy workshop, The MoHo Group. They formed this group back in 1994, and it's still going strong. For more about the MoHos. . . .

Fred writes a monthly column for Stuff Magazine (a sister publication of Maxim). His column will surely make you laugh out loud!

Say, "Cheese."
Fred appears in Howard Schatz’s book In Character: Actors Acting. The book shows stars of stage and screen close up and instantly morphing into various. Schatz shot them in the moment-to-moment manifestations of the craft, as well as gleaming their thoughts on acting and indvidual method. Fred appears in many different shots: a prison guard amidst a riot, an eager real estate agent, someone with great anticipation. Fred says, “I love acting because when it’s time to speak, everyone else has to shut up before your cue.” Fred’s source for many of his characters come from his two years in the Army and a subsequent job in a credit office. “I was always fascinated by their officiousness and bureaucracy and petty little rules, so I’ve always kind of taken a gibe at those kind of characters and that’s where I’ve had the most fun, those people that have no self-realization.”

For some more information on Fred, check this out.

Fred’s remembrance and tribute . . . . the legendary Johnny Carson
[excerpt taken from the New York Times]
I remember Johnny Carson laughing effusively when I made my "Tonight" show debut in the early 1970's as part of a sketch comedy group called the Ace Trucking Company. We didn't even have a name when we first did the show, but one of my favorite moments was looking over to see him laughing, falling off his chair. This was topped only by another kind of tribute often paid by Johnny: imitation. We did a sketch about tough motorcyclists stopping into a shop and demanding shoes and coming away with handbags and ruffled blouses and stuff, andd after it was over, Johnny kept saying, "I want some shoes," like one of the characters, and that was just a kind of salute. To have him pick up a catchphrase and repeat it was just amazing.