‘American Pickers' star Mike Wolfe remembers late Frank Fritz as show plans first hiatus in 15 years
Mike Wolfe is keeping the memory of his late co-star and dear friend Frank Fritz alive.
The "American Pickers" dynamic duo had a special friendship and starred on the hit show together for over a decade.
"Every day we think about Frank on set. He was such a big part of the show. He was my friend since 8th grade. And a lot of times when we are traveling through a property there are so many things that capture our attention that connect us to him," Wolfe said in an interview with the New York Post.
Wolfe, who's helmed the show for years, is grappling with the absence of someone who was more than just a colleague, but a lifelong friend.
"It's kind of hard to talk about because it's so fresh, but he is with us in spirit every single day," Wolfe said.
In September 2024, Fritz died of complications from a stroke while in hospice care.
"It's kind of hard to talk about because it's so fresh, but he is with us in spirit every single day."
Fritz, 60, had also been suffering from Crohn's disease, according to his longtime manager, Bill Stankey.
Wolfe's comments come after an announcement by "American Pickers" that the show will take its first hiatus in more than a decade.
"We haven't done that in 15 years, so that's going to feel good. For 15 years, we have just been going and going and going," Wolfe told People.
Filming for the show will wrap sometime this June.
"I think we're going to have at least four or five months off, so it's going to be good," Wolfe said.
Wolfe also recently made his film debut in the Western "Day of Reckoning."
He told People he was hesitant when he was first offered the role and thought it might be best for him to "stay in my lane." Wolfe gave in after finding out what the job would entail.
"I was like, 'OK, maybe I can.' I don't know if I'm fighting above my weight here, but it wasn't like I had a ton of lines," he told the outlet. "I think the best experience out of it, or the most surreal experience for me, was meeting a lot of the cast."
Wolfe and Fritz starred in "American Pickers" for 10 years together and had known each other for more than 40 years.
At the time of Fritz's death, Wolfe shared a tribute to his dear friend.
"I've known Frank for more than half my life and what you've seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny. The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself," Wolfe wrote on Instagram at the time.
"Who would have ever dreamed we would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures," he added. "Before the show, we would take off together to places we never knew existed with no destination in mind and just the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic.
"We've been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home. I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know you're in a better place."
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