Mike Hagerty, the character actor known for small roles in more than 100 TV shows and movies, has died at age 67. Hagerty was likely best known as Mr. Treeger, the building superintendent on Friends. HIs cause of death was not disclosed.
Mike Hagerty got his start at Second City in Chicago and started making guest appearances on TV in the 1970s. He was a series regular on The George Carlin Show in 1994-95, as well as Lucky Louie in 2006. Most recently he appeared on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere as Ed Miller. His co-star, Bridget Everett, posted an update to Instagram regarding his family's confirmation of the actor's passing:
Bridget Everett said that Mike Hagerty is survived by his wife Mary Kathryn, his sister Mary Ann Hagerty, her wife Kathleen O’Rourke, and their daughter Meg. Everett posted a second photo of the two actors together, with some kind words about how loved he was on their show:
I loved Mike the instant i met him. He was so special. Warm, funny, never met a stranger. We are devastated he has passed. Mike was adored by the entire cast and crew of Somebody Somewhere. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.
Mike Hagerty was one of those actors you knew, even if you couldn't immediately place where you knew him from. Always sporting his mustache and thick Chicagoan accent, he often played blue collar roles, like the building superintendent on Friends.
Mr. Treeger only appeared in five episodes of the NBC sitcom, but the character is known to any fan of the classic '90s TV series. In one particularly memorable episode in Season 4, "The One With the Ballroom Dancing," Mr. Treeger agrees to not evict Monica and Rachel for illegally subletting their apartment only if Joey helps him learn how to ballroom dance ahead of the Super Ball.
He also holds the honor of being the last character mentioned in the series, as Monica tells Chandler in Season 10's "The Last One," “I almost forgot — I promised Treeger that we’d leave our key,” which leads to laughs when more than just the apartment's current residents set their keys on the counter, with all of the main characters being revealed as having a key to the door.
On Seinfeld's classic Season 5 episode "The Raincoats," Mike Hagerty played Rudy, the guy selling vintage raincoats to George and Kramer.
Mike Hagerty’s other numerous TV roles included appearances on Martin, Cheers, The Wayans Bros., Curb Your Enthusiasm, Grey’s Anatomy, Community, Shameless, ER, The Wonder Years, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also appeared in numerous films, including Dick Tracy, Wayne's World, Speed 2: Cruise Control, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
If you want to rewatch Mike Hagerty in one of his most memorable roles, all 10 seasons of Friends, including Friends: The Reunion are available for streaming with an HBO Max subscription. Our condolences go out to all of Hagerty’s family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.
