Farewell to a legend! After playing Albert “Pops” Solomon on “The Goldbergs” for the past eight seasons, the late George Segal was honoured with a special tribute on Wednesday’s new episode.
Segal died on March 23 at the age of 87, and portrayed the beloved grandfather of the Goldberg household for all 179 episodes of the show’s run.
Wednesday’s episode, “Couple Off,” marked Segal’s final appearance, concluded with a heartfelt montage tribute to the actor and his beloved character.
The video memorial featured scenes from the past eight seasons of Pops giving meaningful and profound life advice to everyone in the Goldberg family, including his daughter Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey), his son-in-law Murray (Jeff Garlin), and his grandchildren — Barry (Troy Gentile), Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Adam (Sean Giambrone).
The montage ended with a simple, meaningful message of love: “We will miss you, George.”
Following his death, which occurred as a result of complications from bypass surgery, Adam F. Goldberg — the creator of “The Goldbergs”, which is loosely based on his childhood — took to Twitter to share a message of love for the man who played his character’s grandpa for nearly a decade.
“Today we lost a legend. It was a true honour being a small part of George Segal’s amazing legacy,” Goldberg wrote, alongside a montage of screenshots from different episodes showing Segal’s fan favorite character. “By pure fate, I ended up casting the perfect person to play Pops. Just like my grandfather, George was a kid at heart with a magical spark. I think these memories say it all…”
Today we lost a legend. It was a true honor being a small part of George Segal’s amazing legacy. By pure fate, I ended up casting the perfect person to play Pops. Just like my grandfather, George was a kid at heart with a magical spark. I think these memories say it all… pic.twitter.com/D1aNZuT20e
— Adam F. Goldberg (@adamfgoldberg) March 24, 2021
While the creator had stepped away from the show during Season 8, he took to Twitter on Wednesday to share his thoughts on how the loss of Segal and his character should be addressed, should there be a ninth season.
“Tonight is George’s last episode. Fans are asking what’s planned for Pops. Even though my input and stories have not been used this season, I know the way to address this loss is to use my real experience of losing my Grandpa to honour George and my Pops,” he wrote. “Hope I’m welcome S9.”
Tonight is George’s last episode. Fans are asking what’s planned for Pops. Even though my input and stories have not been used this season, I know the way to address this loss is to use my real experience of losing my Grandpa to honor George and my Pops. Hope I’m welcome S9! #JTP https://t.co/hrqJwd4PlY
— Adam F. Goldberg (@adamfgoldberg) April 7, 2021
Meanwhile, Gambrione — who plays the fictionalized version of Adam Goldberg — shared an emotional tribute to Segal shortly after news broke of his death.
“My heart is broken. I lost a dear friend. Working with George was an honour and some of the happiest moments of my life. What a sweet & wonderful man,” Gambrione wrote. “He was my confidant & teacher. When he smiled it changed my day. I wish everyone could have met him. Prayers are with the family.”
My heart is broken. I lost a dear friend. Working with George was an honor and some of the happiest moments of my life. What a sweet & wonderful man. He was my confidant & teacher. When he smiled it changed my day. I wish everyone could have met him. Prayers are with the family. pic.twitter.com/fp8WvwdOdv
— Sean Giambrone (@seangiambrone1) March 24, 2021
“The Goldbergs” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Check out the video below for more on Segal’s incredible life and legacy.
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