John Mahoney, who played dear dad Martin Crane on the sitcom Frasier, has passed away at the age of 77. TMZ broke the news on Monday evening. Mahoney died in hospice care in Chicago, according to his publicist. He was 77 years old.

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The British born actor moved to America as a young man and settled in the Chicago area, where he became a prominant performer in the theater scene. He joined the Steppenwolf Theatre thanks to the encouragement of John Malkovich. 

Over the 11 seasons of Frasier, Mahoney garnered numerous accolades, from the Golden Globes, Emmys and SAG. The popular Cheers spin-off was his first regular role on a television series. Previously, he had appeared on a Cheers episode himself, albeit in a different role. In "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman," he played an ad man named Sy Flembeck who is hired to write a jingle for the bar. However, he writes all his songs to the tune of "Old McDonald."