‘The Middle’ & ‘Murphy Brown’ Star Pat Finn Dies at 60

Comedian and actor Pat Finn, who starred in the sitcoms Murphy Brown, The Middle, and Nickelodeon’s Marvin Marvin, has died. He was 66.

According to TMZ, Finn passed away after a battle with cancer. The entertainer’s family told the outlet that he died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday (December 23), and he was surrounded by family.

Born on July 31, 1965, in Evanston, Illinois, Finn graduated from Marquette University in 1987, where he played on the school’s rugby team alongside the late comedian Chris Farley. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to pursue a comedy career, joining the The Second City National Touring Company.

After his stint with Second City, Finn got his first big break when he was cast as Dan Coleman on the short-lived CBS sitcom The George Wendt Show in 1995. He’d continue at CBS when he joined the hit sitcom Murphy Brown, playing Phil Jr. across 10 episodes.

Pat Finn in The Middle; Richard Cartwright/©ABC/courtesy Everett Collection

Finn continued to make appearances in sitcoms and comedy dramas throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including Seinfeld, The Drew Carey Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, That ’70s Show, Friends, Ed, Less than Perfect, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Bernie Mac Show, and more.

More recently, Finn was best known for playing Bill Norwood on the ABC sitcom The Middle from 2011 to 2018. He was also a main cast member on Nickelodeon’s sci-fi comedy Marvin Marvin and appeared in a 2019 episode of The Goldbergs.

On the big screen, Finn had brief roles in the likes of Dude, Where’s My Car?, How High, I Love You, Beth Cooper, and Dealin’ with Idiots. His final role came in the 2021 romantic comedy film Funny Thing About Love.

Comedian Jeff Dye paid tribute to Finn on X, writing, “I don’t like to be the guy who post pics with celebrities that pass. But this guy wasn’t just a celebrity to me. He was a friend. One of the best dudes I knew with a PERFECT sense of humor. I love you Pat Finn and I’ll see again in the after, we can sing together and shake our heads about all the meanness in the used to be.”

I don’t like to be the guy who post pics with celebrities that pass. But this guy wasn’t just a celebrity to me. He was a friend. One of the best dudes I knew with a PERFECT sense of humor. I love you Pat Finn and I’ll see again in the after , we can sing together and shake our… pic.twitter.com/pQhobHKbCZ

— Jeff Dye (@JeffDye) December 24, 2025

The Late Show writer Brian Stack also paid his respects, posting, “Heartbroken that our dear friend, Pat Finn, passed away. As kind as he was brilliantly hilarious. This video of him at our Chicago apartment in ‘96, making his baby daughter Cassidy pretend to drive a bus and do karate kicks is priceless. Rest In Peace, Finner. We love you.”

Heartbroken that our dear friend, Pat Finn, passed away. As kind as he was brilliantly hilarious. This video of him at our Chicago apartment in ‘96, making his baby daughter Cassidy pretend to drive a bus and do karate kicks is priceless. Rest In Peace, Finner. We love you.❤️☘️ pic.twitter.com/N2uxudhgKj

— Brian Stack (@BrianStack153) December 24, 2025

Finn is survived by his wife, Donna, and their children, Cassidy, Caitlin, and Ryan; his parents, Leo and Betty; and his siblings, Michelle, Tracy, Tom, Kevin, and Katie.