Hollywood mourned the loss of Carl Weathers recently, star of classic films like ‘Rocky,’ ‘Predator’ and, of course, ‘Happy Gilmore.’ Unfortunately, the hits keep coming for the cult classic golf comedy, with Joe Flaherty, AKA Donald the Heckler, passing away at the age of 82 on Monday.
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Flaherty’s daughter, Gudrun, told Variety that her father died following a battle with a “brief illness.” She paid tribute to her him in a touching statement:
“Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s. 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. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together – moments I will forever hold dear.”
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Though Flaherty is best known for verbally harassing Adam Sandler on-screen (who can forget “you suck ya jackass!”?), the comedian took to Twitter on Tuesday to offer his effusive praise and heartfelt condolences for the human behind the heckles.
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. The nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a… pic.twitter.com/DaAV9RqkEr
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) April 2, 2024
Despite rumours of ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ picking up steam, it’s been a rough couple of months for the original cast, which also lost Bob Barker in August.
Here’s hoping the next time we write about ‘Happy Gilmore,’ it will be casting news, not an obituary.
