NEW YORK — Comic actor Dave Madden, who played the talent agent on the hit 1970s sitcom “The Partridge Family,” died in Florida on Thursday at 82.

Towering and rumpled, Madden was best known for his role as Reuben Kinkaid, who managed the Partridge family band and clashed with its impish preteen bassist, played by Danny Bonaduce.

While the series starred Shirley Jones, with her real-life stepson David Cassidy as the resident heart-throb, it was Madden and the freckle-faced Bonaduce who became the reigning comic duo.

Before “The Partridge Family,” Madden was part of the “Laugh-In” comedy series, sipping and sometimes spitting milk. He later had a role as one of the customers at Mel’s Diner on the sitcom “Alice.”

He also appeared on “Bewitched,” “Barney Miller,” “Happy Days,” and “The Love Boat.” In 2007 he published a memoir, “Reuben on Wry.”