TV Howard Hesseman, Emmy-nominated star of WKRP in Cincinnati, dies at 81 "He will be sorely missed and always treasured," Hesseman's manager says. By Jessica Wang Jessica Wang Jessica is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where she covers TV, movies, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog. EW's editorial guidelines Published on January 30, 2022 03:51PM EST Howard Hesseman, beloved for his sitcom roles as radio disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class, died Saturday in Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery. He was 81. Hesseman's manager Robbie Kass confirmed the news to EW, calling his lifelong friend and longtime client a "groundbreaking talent." "He was a groundbreaking talent and lifelong friend and longtime client whose kindness and generosity was equaled by his influence and admiration to generations of actors and improvisational comedy throughout the world," Kass said. "He will be sorely missed and always treasured." Howard Hesseman. Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage Born Feb. 27, 1940 in Lebanon, OR, Hesseman began his career in the 1960s as a member of the San Francisco-based improv group The Committee, performing under the moniker Don Strudy. He also moonlit as a disc jockey for the city's underground rock station KMPX, prophesying his culture-defining role as Johnny Fever. Hesseman starred as the hippie disc jockey on the CBS sitcom during its four-season run between 1978 and 1982. He earned two Emmy nominations for the role before making a mark in other notable sitcoms, including ABC's Head of the Class and CBS' original One Day at a Time. His recent TV stints included Fresh off the Boat, Chicago Med, Mike & Molly, Drop Dead Diva, CSI, Psych, House, Boston Legal, and That 70's Show. Hesseman was also a three-time Saturday Night Live host. Howard Hesseman as Johnny Fever in 'WKRP in Cincinnati'. Courtesy Everett Collection Around the late 1980s, Hesseman expanded his curriculum vitae and forayed into film, starring in This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Gridlock'd (1997), Doctor Detroit (1983), Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985), Clue (1985), Flight of the Navigator (1986), and most recently, Martian Child (2007), Halloween II (2009), and Wild Oats (2016). On Twitter Sunday, Hesseman's This Is Spinal Tap costar Michael McKean called him the "real deal" in a touching remembrance. "Impossible to overstate Howard Hesseman's influence on his and subsequent generations of improvisors," McKean wrote. "The first time I saw him on stage (Troubadour, '71, with The Committee) I saw that he was the real deal. He was a friend for 50 years." Related content Stars we've lost in 2022