The Seinfeld actor who died was also a familiar face in The Middle and Friends
If you've watched sitcoms at any point in the last 30 years, you knew this face — even if you never caught the name. The actor who died on December 22, 2025, at age 60 turned up everywhere: Seinfeld, Friends, The Middle, Murphy Brown, Curb Your Enthusiasm, That '70s Show, and dozens more.
His name was Pat Finn, and his family confirmed he passed away at his Los Angeles home after a battle with cancer — diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2022, he went into remission before the disease returned and metastasized.
The Seinfeld role
Finn played Joe Mayo in the 1998 episode "The Reverse Peephole" — the party host who famously delegates every job at his own party to his guests, putting Elaine in charge of the coats. One episode, permanent place in Seinfeld lore. That was Finn's specialty: making a single half-hour unforgettable.
Friends and The Middle
- Friends — he appeared as Dr. Roger, Monica's boyfriend in the alternate-reality episode "The One That Could Have Been" in 2000, sharing scenes with Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc.
- The Middle — his longest-running role. Finn played Bill Norwood, the Hecks' friendly neighbor, across 23 episodes of the ABC sitcom from 2011 to 2018.
- Everything else — recurring turns on Murphy Brown as bartender Phil Jr. and on 3rd Rock from the Sun, plus guest spots on The King of Queens, House, 2 Broke Girls, and The Goldbergs.
The Chris Farley connection
Finn's comedy roots ran deep. Born in Evanston, Illinois, he met Chris Farley at Marquette University in 1987 — the two played rugby together, became roommates in Chicago, and performed with the legendary Second City troupe. His first regular TV role came in 1995 on The George Wendt Show, playing the brother of Wendt's character. He also performed for years with the improv group Beer Shark Mice and taught improv classes back at Marquette.
The tributes
Finn is survived by his wife, Donna, and their three children — Ryan, Caitlin, and Cassidy. Comedian Jeff Dye called him a friend with "a PERFECT sense of humor" in a tribute on X. His family's statement summed him up best:
"Pat never met a stranger — only friends he didn't know yet."
For a guy who spent three decades playing everybody's neighbor, boyfriend, and party host, it 's hard to imagine a better epitaph.