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Report: Fred Willard pulled a 'Pee Wee' in adult theater

    by Breaking News Desk
    Published 

Longtime comedic actor Fred Willard, who has made a career of portraying dim-witted characters, was snagged in an adult movie theater in Hollywood with his pants down and charged with lewdness, according to a police report.

Los Angeles police Sgt. Mark Ro says uniformed vice officers were conducting a routine investigation of the theater shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday and saw Willard engaging in a lewd act.

Police said the former co-star of Fernwood Tonight, as well as a character on Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, was spotted in the Tiki Theater with his pants down and hand on his genitals.

He appeared to be alone. He was arrested, taken to the Hollywood police station, and released shortly after midnight.

Willard, 72, has made guests appearances in dozens of TV shows and movies throughout his career that took hold in the 1970s with Fernwood.

A call to Willard's agent, Mike Eisenstadt, seeking comment wasn't immediately returned Thursday morning.

A similar incident derailed the career of Paul Reubens, known as Pee-wee Herman, in 1991 when he was arrested for indecent exposure in a Florida adult movie theater.

Willard was nominated four times for Emmys for guest roles on TV's Modern Family and Everybody Loves Raymond. In Pixar's 2008's hit WALL-E, he played Shelby Forthright, the CEO of a ubiquitous big-box chain called Buy'n'Large.

In addition to Best in Show, Willard has also appeared in other Christopher Guest mockumentary films, including This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman.

In Anchorman, he shared this bit of dialogue, as the character Ed Harken, according to imdb.com.

"Ed Harken: [on the phone] I have no idea where he would have gotten ahold of German pornography. But you and I are mature adults; we've both seen our share of pornographic materials. Oh, you never have? Of course you haven't, how stupid of me. Neither have I. I was just speaking in generalities. Right. I'll stop by the school a little later, Sister Margaret. Bye. "

The Associated Press contributed to this report.