How 'Archer' Addressed The Loss Of Woodhouse Voice Actor George Coe

Fans of the hit FX animated comedy “Archer” were hit with some pretty bad news this week when they learned that actor George Coe, who voiced the character Woodhouse, died at age 86. Now, to commemorate the talented Coe, the show released a reel of some of his best performances in a brief but touching tribute.

According to Variety, Coe died from an unspecified pre-existing illness. Before settling down in his role as Sterling Archer’s (Jon H. Benjamin) long-suffering but always loyal butler, Woodhouse, he had a lucrative career in stage and film. He was nominated for an Academy Award, an accomplished theater actor and could boast being one of the original cast members on the 1975 premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” In addition to his acting work, E! Online notes he was a noted Screen Actors Guild (SAG) activist - reaching the heights of vice president of the organization for two years.

As fans of the popular FX series will know, Woodhouse premiered in several episodes throughout its six season run where his character was given a rich backstory. At first he was simply an abused butler but, as time went on, Woodhouse was revealed as a World War I veteran, a heroin addict and the father-figure that Archer desperately needed while growing up with just his alcoholic super-spy mother as a parental figure. For a character that was meant to suffer, Coe’s performance allowed the audience to see something deeper while laughing all the while.

The clip below ends on a sweet note, showing a scene from Season 2, episode 8 in which Archer, thinking that he’s going to die from breast cancer, finally thanks Woodhosue for his service. The clip was repurposed in a way that allowed the show to thank Mr. Coe for all of his work.

Check out the sweet, hilarious and definitely NSFW highlight reel of some of Coe’s best moments as Woodhouse on “Archer.”