Actor Michael Lerner dead at 81

Michael Lerner, the American actor with several decades of work, died Saturday evening at 81 years old. Lerner was best known for his work in ‘Barton Fink,’ ‘Elf,’ and ‘Godzilla.’

Lerner’s death was confirmed by his nephew, ‘The Goldbergs’ actor Sam Lerner, who paid tribute to his late uncle in an Instagram post on Sunday afternoon.

“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,” Lerner 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.”

‘Cuban cigars and endless movie marathons’

“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,” Lerner continued.

“RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”

The post included a carousel of images of Lerner throughout his lifetime. No further details are known about Learner’s death at this time.

Lerner’s acting career

Lerner had an extensive career in television and film which lasted several decades. He began his career at the age of 24, landing a role in the KPFA radio production of Michel de Ghelderode’s Breugelesque play, ‘Red Magic.’

During the 1970s he began making guest appearances in iconic television shows such as ‘The Brady Bunch,’ ‘M*A*S*H,’ and ‘The Rockford Files.’ Later in 1970, Lerner made his film debut with ‘Alex in Wonderland.’

He secured an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jack Lipnick in ‘Barton Fink’ in 1991. His later works include, ‘Elf’ (2003) and ‘Poster Boy’ (2004).

His last role before his passing was in the 2019 short film mockumentary ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein’ in the role of Bobby Fox.