Bill Tull, who worked with Conan O’Brien from Late Night to his eponymous TBS talk show, has died. O’Brien confirmed the news on Twitter. “Bill Tull, our prop master extraordinaire for 28 years, died this morning,” he wrote. “We always asked the impossible of Bill, sometimes minutes before showtime, and he always delivered. He was a warrior and a legend. Rest In Peace, Bill, and eternal thanks.” Tull first got camera time during the 2008 WGA strike, as O’Brien was interviewing crew members in lieu of written jokes. Tull showed off his collection of disused Triumphs, a blunderbuss, and an Oscar getting a prostate exam.
After that, Conan’s various shows would check in with Tull from time to time, with suggestions of holiday specific tips. Tull weighed in on Cinco de Mayo, weddings, and budget Halloween costumes among many others. Tull even followed O’Brien into the podcasting sphere, appearing on Inside Conan alongside fellow prop master John Rau. Andy Richter remembered Tull as the type of person to drop everything and help someone out of a jam. “I know it’s a tv cliché that crews become family, but I wouldn’t know what else to call Bill,” he tweeted. “He was in my life for almost 30 years, and I loved him a lot.”
Bill Tull, our prop master extraordinaire for 28 years, died this morning. We always asked the impossible of Bill, sometimes minutes before showtime, and he always delivered. He was a warrior and a legend. Rest In Peace, Bill, and eternal thanks. pic.twitter.com/DpOMU6Bo0L
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) July 27, 2022Bill’s one of those ppl everyone has a funny story about, & what they all have in common is his big heart & dedication to whatever silliness we threw at him. He was a big part of the soul of our show, & I’m sad to lose him, but glad I got so many years of his beautiful friendship
— Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) July 27, 2022Related
Conan O’Brien’s Long Time Prop Master Bill Tull Has DiedncG1vNJzZmivp6x7t8HLrayrnV6YvK57kWlpa2dgbHyku82apWankqe2prqMqamoqF2irrTAxKtkm6GcoXq1wculZJ2dkZl7qcDMpQ%3D%3D