Actor Michael Lerner has been confirmed dead by his nephew, Sam Lerner via Instagram. “We lost a legend last night. It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me,” Sam wrote. “His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special. Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was— in the best way. I’m so lucky I got to spend so much time with him, and we’re all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time. RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon 💖”
Lerner was born on June 22, 1941. One of his first films was a short experimental film by Yoko Ono, Smile (1968). Some of his most notable roles are Jack Lipnick in Barton Fink (1991), Weasel in Newsies (1992), Mayor Ebert in Godzilla (1998), Mr. Greenway in Elf (2003), and Senator Brickman in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Lerner was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Barton Fink. His last film credit was for Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein, where he played Bobby Fox.
No further details about Lerner’s death are available at this time. He is survived by his brother, Ken, and his nephew, Sam. (Via Variety)
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