Butler actor, featured in numerous shows over the years, dies
Joe Colligan was a funny guy. Funny enough to trade lines with the casts of popular TV sitcoms, including “Friends,” “Cheers,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Ally McBeal,” a show where he played a character with a multiple-story arc.
Colligan lived in Los Angeles since the 1980s, but his acting aspirations and talent for show business were evident in his years at Butler Senior High School, where he participated in school plays and productions. His wit and charm even as a teenager made him a comforting presence to his classmates, even those who did not know him.
“He was my very first friend at Butler High. I was originally from L.A., and my dad got a job in Butler, so I was just a fish out of water,” said Victoria Rosendahl, a former classmate of Colligan and later his writing partner. “He made me feel comfortable. I went to my very first audition at the high school, and he made me feel like part of the group.”
Colligan died July 30 at the age of 68, after battling colon cancer for years. His obituary listed numerous acting jobs he worked on over the years, and the people closest to him said Colligan was a pleasant person even outside of the comedic roles he played.
Colligan’s younger brother, Bruce Colligan, said Joe had always been funny, and the two were always trying to make their parents and siblings laugh. With an age difference of three years between them, Bruce said his brother was a good role model.
“I did a lot of the things he did. He was just a good role model,” Bruce Colligan said. “He was tough and honest, and that's what I liked about him. People really loved him; they gravitated toward him. He was so funny.”
Bruce said Joe moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue a career in acting. Joe would perform at comedy clubs and found an agent through one of his fraternity brothers, who also lived in California, Bruce said.
Through his experience with improvisation and ad-libbing, Joe landed a role on “Days of Our Lives,” where he had a run of 43 episodes from 1987 to 1988. From there, he managed to get roles on multiple sitcoms in the 1990s, and Bruce said his brother did a lot of commercials along the way.
“He did things on his terms, but he was a working actor, and I never heard him complain about it,” Bruce said. “That’s what meant a lot to him.”
Even though Joe lived thousands of miles away, he kept in touch with some of his hometown classmates. Donna Collins became friends with Joe after the two reconnected at their 15-year Butler Senior High School reunion. Collins said she moved to Orange County after that, and she would talk to Joe almost every day.
They continued to keep in touch, even after Collins moved back to Butler in 2018.
“He was the funniest guy I knew. He would take everything and turn it into a comedy show,” Collins said. “I hadn’t seen him in five years, but we talked every day.”
Rosendahl also moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s and would eventually work on writing a series with Joe. The faith-based comedy has not yet been produced, but Rosendahl said Joe’s comedic sensibilities made him a good writer.
“If there was anyone you wanted to see a movie with, it was him. He talked through the whole thing, and he would say a better line than what the writer came up with,” Rosendahl said. “Every couple weeks we would get together on the phone for an hour or two. He would come up with an idea; I would come up with an idea.”
Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, Joe kept in communication with his friends and family. Rosendahl said Joe hoped to attend his 50th high school class reunion, which is planned to take place in the fall.
“He was an amazing friend,” Rosendahl said. “I miss him.”
Bruce said he always will remember his brother for his comedic personality, especially his affinity for singing made-up songs when talking to him on the phone. Bruce said he believed Joe made peace with death after he was in treatment for cancer for a few years.
“We always loved it when he was around; he was always fun,” Bruce said. “I got a really nice text from him and he really wasn’t one to text, so that’s when I knew he knew.”
