Mad About You Actors You May Not Know Passed Away

Before "Friends" became a huge hit for NBC, there was the Emmy-award-winning sitcom "Mad About You," a romantic comedy starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple living in New York City. The show followed Paul (Reiser) and Jamie (Hunt) Buchman in their day-to-day lives as they juggled their careers and families while experiencing the ups and downs of their relationship. "Mad About You" aired for seven seasons on NBC, plus a revival season that was picked up by Spectrum Originals in 2019.

Thanks to soaring ratings and several awards, "Mad About You" was one of the NBC network's most popular sitcoms of the 1990s. Along with crossovers with other hit shows like "Friends" and "Seinfeld," the series managed to acquire a long list of guest stars and recurring characters, many of whom were distinguished TV legends. It's been over 20 years since the original series went off the air, and fans may be surprised to discover that some of the beloved cast members have passed away. Here is a list of actors that appeared on "Mad About You" that are no longer with us.

There was once a time when New Year's Eve wasn't a party without famous TV personality Dick Clark. Clark was the host of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC for over 30 years, and before that he hosted the musical performance series "American Bandstand" from 1956 to 1989.

In the "Mad About You" episode "New Year's Eve," the Buchmans are forced to celebrate the coming of 1996 apart, as the two have conflicting plans. Paul is going to document the two men who operate the ball drop at Times Square while Jamie is attending a fancy party hosted by the mayor. This doesn't sit well with either of them, as they have never spent New Year's Eve apart since they got together.

The entire evening goes awry, culminating in the disaster of the ball getting stuck and the countdown coming to a halt. Dick Clark witnesses this fiasco on TV from the comfort of his own home and remarks, "Oh sure! The one year I decide to stay home!" Clark died of a heart attack in 2012.

In the "Mad About You" episode "Farmer Buchman," Paul's latest documentary causes a rift between him and Jamie. The film is titled "People Who Aren't Famous, But Should Be," a subject that appears to fascinate Paul but that Jamie finds "dull." A clip from the documentary shows Paul interviewing Kalman Wertzel, played by Abe Vigoda, who was the inventor of the moist towelette.

Star of stage and big and small screens, Abe Vigoda was perhaps best known for his role in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II," where he played Salvatore Tessio, a friend of the Corleone family. He also played the cantankerous detective Philip K. Fish on the ABC sitcom "Barney Miller" and went on to have his own spinoff series with the character "Fish" in 1977.

Though Vigoda's death was falsely reported on several occasions –- leading to various hilarious gags in the media -– Vigoda actually did die in 2016 of natural causes.

Throughout seven seasons of "Mad About You," Paul and Jamie have had their share of marital disputes. To help settle their issues, they attended marriage counseling sessions with Dr. Sheila Kleinman (Mo Gaffney). In the Season 6 episode "Cheating on Sheila," the Buchmans start to have doubts about their regular therapist. While attending a party hosted by Sheila, they meet Dr. Sydney Warren, played by legendary film director, producer, and actor, Sydney Pollack. It seems that Dr. Warren might be better suited for their needs, although this leads to guilt and conflict over their abandonment of Dr. Sheila.

Sydney Pollack was an acclaimed director known for helming award-winning films such as "Tootsie," "The Way We Were," and "Out of Africa." He also appeared as an actor in several TV shows and movies, including "The Twilight Zone," "Will & Grace," "Eyes Wide Shut," and "Michael Clayton." He died of cancer in 2008.

Paul's work as a documentary filmmaker has taken him to some interesting places, and none were perhaps quite as interesting as his film "Buchman," which explored the history of his family tree. In the Season 5 episode, "Citizen Buchman," Paul's Uncle Marty (Shecky Greene) suffers a heart attack on camera and passes away. In his final moments, Marty utters his greatest regret -– two words that baffle the family and has everyone divided: "Hoo moos."

As the family gathers for Marty's funeral, Paul's Uncle Harold, played by the comedy legend Sid Caesar, has his own theory about "hoo moos." In a hilarious improv, Harold told a story of a boyhood accident that he attributed as being Marty's greatest regret. The tale appears to satisfy the family, and in Paul's eyes, the end of his film.

Considered one of the greatest sketch comics of his age, Sid Caesar worked with some of the era's greatest comedic minds, including Steve Allen, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, and Neil Simon. Caesar died in 2014 at 91 years old.

In the Season 3 "Mad About You" episode "The Alan Brady Show," Paul is making a documentary on the history of television and needs the perfect narrator. For him, that narrator is Alan Brady, a classic TV sketch comic. However, Brady is a bit more high maintenance than Paul was expecting, and it takes a lot of convincing to get him on board. Far from being the amiable personality that Paul was expecting, Brady is a terror who insists on having creative control over the project. Paul enlists Jamie's help to charm Brady over to his side, and in the process, they discover something surprising about Jamie's mother.

Carl Reiner received an Emmy for his guest appearance as Alan Brady and shines in every second that he appears on screen. Reiner was one of the biggest comedic influencers since his career began in the 1950s. As a screenwriter, actor, director, and producer, Reiner proved himself to be a jack of all trades in the entertainment industry. Fans of television history may recognize the name Alan Brady, as Reiner portrayed the character of the same name (and disposition) on "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Reiner was also known for being in a comedy duo with Mel Brooks and was the father of acclaimed director Rob Reiner. He died of natural causes in 2020 at the age of 98.

In the "Mad About You" Season 5 two-parter, "The Birth," the Buchmans welcome their new baby, Mabel, to the family. Like many labor stories, this one is filled with excitement and madness — and Bruce Willis in a hospital gown. Besides the famous "Die Hard" star, there's also another familiar face in the mix. The episode starts with Paul interviewing his Aunt Ida for his "Buchman" documentary. Ida claims to have been acquainted with the cousin of the famous composer Ira Gershwin, a man named Milton — or "Skippy," to his friends. The older woman then wanders out of the room, obliviously knocking over camera equipment as she goes.

Although it's only a brief cameo in a momentous episode, most fans will likely recognize "The Golden Girls" star Estelle Getty as Aunt Ida. Getty won a Primetime Emmy for her role as Sophia Petrillo on the beloved sitcom, a character she played for seven years. Getty also appeared in TV shows "Empty Nest" and "Blossom," and the films "Tootsie," "Mask," and "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot." Getty was 84 when she died in 2008 of Lewy body dementia.

Edward Asner appeared in three episodes of "Mad About You" over the course of the fourth and fifth seasons, playing Zigmund "Ziggy" Klarik. His first appearance was during an emotional three-part finale, with Paul and Jamie uncertain of their future after Jamie kissed a co-worker. Zigmund was the wealthy father of Lisa's (Anne Ramsay)​​ fiancé, Sanford (Billy Morrissette), but he also happened to have an old feud with Paul's father, Burt (Louis Zorich). Klarik is a brash, gruff, and altogether unpleasant man who believes his wealth and power can get him whatever he wants.

Asner was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Lou Grant, the fictional TV news producer on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and later the spin-off series, "Lou Grant." He was also acclaimed for his roles in two mini-series: "Roots" and "Rich Man, Poor Man." He won a total of seven Primetime Emmy Awards for his performances. Later in his career, Asner became well known for his role as Santa Claus in the 2003 holiday comedy "Elf," as well as for lending his voice to Carl Frederickson in Pixar's "Up" in 2009. Asner died in 2021 of natural causes.

Months after giving birth to Mabel, Jamie decides she is ready to rejoin the political fray in the Season 5 episode, "Back to Work." By chance, she meets famous political strategists James Carville and Mary Matalin while eating at their regular diner, Riff's. She is quickly offered a job by their associate, Henry Vincent, working at their New York office, and is thrilled to accept. Things soon take a turn, however, when Jamie realizes how much she misses Mabel and feels that maybe she isn't quite ready to return to the workforce.

Henry Vincent was played by actor Fred Willard, who had a recurring role in five "Mad About You" episodes. Willard's career spanned over 50 years in both television and film. He was a veteran of The Second City comedy troupe in Chicago and appeared in a number of films written and directed by Christopher Guest, including "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind," and "This Is Spinal Tap." Besides "Mad About You," Willard had many guest appearances in shows such as "The Golden Girls," "Married... With Children," "Roseanne," "Friends," and "Modern Family," among others. Willard died in 2020 of natural causes at age 86.

Though Jamie's parents were played by two sets of different actors, Paul's parents, Burt and Sylvia Buchman, were portrayed by the same actors through all seven seasons of "Mad About You." Sylvia, Paul's controlling, if well-meaning, mother, was played by Cynthia Harris, while Paul's father, Burt, was portrayed by Louis Zorich.

Burt and Sylvia were some of the show's most memorable supporting characters, both appearing in about 70 episodes. Burt Buchman was a loveable, larger-than-life character who provided plenty of laughs for fans of the series. One of Burt's trademarks was the hilarious habit of knocking on Paul and Jamie's door and announcing, "It's me, Burt Buchman! Your father!"

Louis Zorich began his career in theater during the 1960s, where he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in "Hadrian VII." He appeared in the Academy Award-winning musical film "Fiddler on the Roof" and had a memorable role in the 1984 Muppets movie, "The Muppets Take Manhattan." He married fellow actor Olympia Dukakis in 1962. Zorich died in 2018 at the age of 93.