'Anchorman' Star Fred Willard Arrested for Lewd Conduct at Adult Movie Theater
by Andy Neuenschwander
Cue the "wha hoppen" jokes: actor Fred Willard was arrested earlier today on charges of lewd conduct. The 72-year-old star of "Anchorman" was quite literally caught with his pants down in an adult movie theater, according to reports.
Willard is famous for his roles in the improv-heavy films "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind," "Waiting for Guffman" and others, in addition to more mainstream films like "Anchorman" and "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle." Willard is likely lined up to appear in the upcoming "Anchorman 2" as well, though that has not been announced.
Since the arrest, TMZ has reported that Willard claims innocence and his representation says that he was not doing anything inappropriate in the theater. PBS was quick to react to the situation, however, and reportedly fired Willard from his gig on the show "Market Warriors" just hours after news of the incident broke.
Willard, whose long career has never offered much in terms of name recognition or exposure, has been trending on Twitter today. But because of Willard's sense of humor and general good nature, many of the tweets have been either supportive or very lightly mocking. Albert Brooks offered his solution to the issue:
I love Fred Willard. He's a great guy. For his birthday I'm getting him a den and a computer.
— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) July 19, 2012
Comedian Rob Delaney offered his point of view on the matter, noting that even if Willard was doing what the cops said he was doing, he probably shouldn't have been arrested for it:
Last year Fred Willard was arrested for ordering food at a restaurant.
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) July 19, 2012