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Ferguson’s on-screen husband Eric Stonestreet also shared his praise of Willard. “It was a privilege to have the great Fred Willard know my name. Rest In Peace Fred. You were funny in your bones,\" he said on Twitter.

It was a privilege to have the great Fred Willard know my name. Rest In Peace Fred. You were funny in your bones. pic.twitter.com/PlFTCHFZCK

— Eric Stonestreet (@ericstonestreet) May 16, 2020

Rico Rodriguez, who played Manny Delgado on “Modern Family,” tweeted, “RIP to one of our family members. It was always a pleasure having you on set. Thank you for the laughs! You will be missed, Mr. Willard.\" Nolan Gould, who played Willard’s on-screen grandson Luke, called Willard “a joy to work with” and said he “forever changed comedy.”

View this post on Instagram

Sending love to Fred's family, friends, and fans. We were incredibly lucky to have him be part of our show. He was a joy to work with and forever changed comedy.

A post shared by Nolan Gould (@nolangould) on May 17, 2020 at 6:54am PDT

Before “Modern Family,” Willard’s career spanned for decades with stage, TV and film appearances. He established himself as a master of the mockumentary in numerous Christopher Guest films, including “Best in Show,” “For Your Consideration” and “A Mighty Wind.” He also appeared in memorable roles in “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.”

Willard's TV roles garnered four Emmy nominations. He was nominated three times for his guest role on “Everybody Loves Raymond” and once for his role as Phil Dunphy’s father Frank on “Modern Family.” His death comes just months after an episode of “Modern Family,” where his character died of natural causes.

Willard also starred opposite Steve Carell in the upcoming Netflix series “Space Force,” which is set to begin streaming May 29. Carell tweeted Saturday, “Fred Willard was the funniest person that I’ve ever worked with. He was a sweet, wonderful man.”

Other celebrities paying tribute include Jamie Lee Curtis, whose husband is Christopher Guest. She wrote on Instagram, “A fond farewell to Mr. Fred Willard. How lucky we all are that we got to witness his great gifts. Thanks for the deep belly laughs. You are now with Mary. Home safe.” Mary is Willard's wife of 50 years, who died in July 2018.

Writer-director Judd Apatow also tweeted praise of Willard, declaring, \"Fred Willard could not have been funnier. He was pure joy. And the sweetest person you could ever meet.\"

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