Veteran actor Mike Hagerty, who acted in shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friends, and Seinfeld before taking on more prominent roles such as Bridget Everett’s father on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, has passed away at the age of 67. Everett confirmed his passing on Friday via an Instagram post honoring him. The post said, “With great sadness, the family of Michael G. Hagerty announced his death yesterday in Los Angeles. A beloved character actor, his love of his hometown of Chicago and his family were the cornerstones of his life. Mike, a devoted husband, is survived by his wife Mary Kathryn, his sister Mary Ann Hagerty, her wife Kathleen O’Rourke, and their daughter Meg. He will be sorely missed.”
A truly humble soul
Mike never sought to take on flashy roles during his career. Instead, he carved out a place for himself in TV history as a well-known character actor. He caught people’s attention by essaying the role of the gruff Mr. Treeger, a building superintendent, on the sitcom Friends. He famously made Joey his dancing partner and brought Rachel to tears with a funny mean roast about her being a spoiled princess.
Hagerty continued that streak with roles in Seinfeld as the clothing store owner Rudy, who got Frank Costanza’s cabana wear on fire. Mike later starred in Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Captain McGinley. Among his other notable appearances were roles in The Wonder Years, Deadwood, Married With Children, Murphy Brown, and The Drew Carey Show.
When it came to Somebody Somewhere, Hagerty helped Bridget in her debut comedy, playing the lead’s caring father and Kansas farmer Ed Miller. Their father-daughter bond was fundamental to the show, as he served as an emotional anchor for the entire family.
Shouldering a deep burden and grief to keep everyone together, Ed showed a deeper side to Mike’s acting that proved his range was beyond the random sitcom character appearance. With Season 2 of Somebody Somewhere about to return, Hagerty was excited to reprise his role.
Well-wishers share their condolences
Upon the announcement of his death, HBO released a heartfelt statement mourning his passing:
“We are very saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Mike Hagerty. A member of the HBO family for many years, his most recent role as Bridget Everett’s father in Somebody Somewhere showed his special talent for bringing heart to a performance. Mike was a joy to work with and brought warmth and kindness to all who knew him. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
Mike Hagerty was an incredible character actor of our time with more range than he got credit for. Mike is survived by his wife, Mary Kathryn, his sister, Mary Ann, her wife, Kathleen O’Rourke, and their daughter Meg. Our condolences go out to Hagerty’s family and friends.