A number of Hollywood stars have flooded the internet with condolences and tributes to remember the 86-year-old comedy icon soon after his passing was announced.

AceShowbiz - Rob Reiner, Steve Carell, and Ben Stiller are among the old friends and colleagues to salute Fred Willard online following the comedy icon's death on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who is married to the veteran funnyman's longtime collaborator, director Christopher Guest, shared the news of his passing on Twitter on Saturday, as she led the tributes to the 86 year old.

"How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard's gifts," she wrote. "He is with his missed (late wife) Mary now. Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard."

His "This Is Spinal Tap" filmmaker Reiner posted, "So sad to hear about Fred Willard. He was a brilliant satirist. Made you laugh from your gut. And the kindest of souls," while his co-stars Michael McKean and Harry Shearer also mourned his death with fans.

"I'm at a loss for words, a state Fred Willard never found himself in. My friend for 40+ years, a great comic actor who had no competition because there was only one of him. We were all so lucky. Goodbye, Fred," tweeted McKean as Shearer added, "Just learned of Fred Willard's passing. Just about the funniest human ever to walk the planet. An amazing talent, in telekinetic contact with the very wellspring of comedy."

Meanwhile, Willard's "Modern Family" castmate Eric Stonestreet wrote, "It was a privilege to have the great Fred Willard know my name. Rest In Peace Fred. You were funny in your bones," and co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson shared, "Rest In Peace sweet @Fred_Willard. You will always be a true original and I am so honored that our lives intersected. No one will ever come close to replacing your genius."

Ben Stiller, who lost his dad, actor Jerry Stiller on May 11, 2020, remembered his "The Ben Stiller Show" guest as a "brilliant comic actor and improvisor," as "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" producer Judd Apatow declared, "Fred Willard could not have been funnier. He was pure joy. And the sweetest person you could ever meet."

And Steve Carell, co-creator and star of Willard's final project, the upcoming Netflix comedy "Space Force", noted, "Fred Willard was the funniest person that I've ever worked with. He was a sweet, wonderful man."

Other early tributes also poured in from the likes of Kathy Griffin, Paul Feig, Christina Applegate, and Jimmy Kimmel.

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