Joe Flaherty’s Back to the Future Part II character explored in the wake of the actor’s death at age 82

Sadly, on Monday, April 1, 2024, at the age of 82, Joe Flaherty, the American actor most recognized for his role in the Canadian sketch-comedy series Second City Television, passed away after a “short illness.”Joe’s daughter, Gudrun Flaherty, announced his passing to the press, but did not disclose the specific illness that caused his death. In her statement, she stated:

“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss. Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s. His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me.”

In the 1989 sci-fi movie, Back to the Future Part II, the 82-year-old actor portrayed the character of Western Union Man. His role was that of a delivery person who brings a letter from Christopher Lloyd’s character, Doc Brown. The letter, written in 1885, was intended for Marty McFly in 1955.

The role of Western films in shaping Back to the Future Part III’s storyline

In Back to the Future Part II, Joe Flaherty played the character of Western Union Man. Although his role was small, it held significant importance as it aided the protagonist, Marty McFly, in developing the premise for Back to the Future Part III.

After successfully retrieving the sports almanac from their enemy Biff in 1955 and erasing the alternate 1985, Emmett “Doc”Brown and Marty find themselves in a new predicament. A bolt of lightning strikes the flying DeLorean, causing it to vanish along with Doc, who was inside.

Despite feeling hopeless without his mentor, McFly is surprised when a car suddenly appears and Joe Flaherty steps out. The Western Union Man confirms McFly’s identity as Marty and then reaches into his coat, causing McFly to be momentarily startled.

Upon hearing this, Joe Flaherty claimed that it was a letter. However, McFly was skeptical as he did not technically exist yet. He questioned:

“Who the hell are you?”

The worker who was part of the union replied:

“Western Union. Actually, a bunch of us at the office were kind of hoping maybe you could shed some light on the subject. See, we’ve had that envelope in our possession for the past 70 years. It was given to us with the explicit instructions that it be delivered to a young man with your description answering to the name of Marty at this exact location at this exact minute, November 12, 1955.”

After Joe Flaherty’s quip about losing the bet, it was confirmed that McFly was indeed present at the location. The protagonist then inquired if Joe had mentioned that the letter was from 70 years ago, to which Joe replied with a yes and added:

“Yeah. 70 years, two months, uh, 12 days, to be exact. Here, sign on line six, please. Here you are.”

The next part of the scene involved Marty McFly meeting the Doc from the first Back to the Future movie in order to transport him to 1855, where the current version of Doc is living.

Throughout his four-decade-long career, Joe Flaherty gained a significant fan base from his role in the sci-fi movie and his other projects.

After Flaherty passed away on Monday, his daughter, Gudrun, stated that he had been struggling with “health issues.”She also mentioned that they had spent time watching classic movies together during this period.

“In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together — moments I will forever hold dear.”

Numerous actors and netizens shared tributes in honor of the actor and comedian.

Surviving him are his children, Gabriel and Gudrun, as well as his younger brother, Paul Flaherty. The late actor was previously married to Judith Flaherty for 20 years before their divorce in 1996.