Michael Lerner, who starred in Elf and Godzilla and was nominated for an Oscar for Barton Fink, has died at the age of 81
- Michael Lerner, a longtime actor known for roles in Godzilla, Elf and Barton Fink, has died at the age of 81
- Sam Lerner, the actor’s nephew, shared the news via Instagram on Sunday
- Michael has appeared in films such as Newsies, Harlem Nights, The Mod Squad, Celebrity and For Richer or Poorer
Michael Lerner, a longtime actor known for roles in Godzilla, Elf and Barton Fink, has died at the age of 81, TMZ reported Sunday.
Sam Lerner, the actor’s nephew, shared the news via Instagram on Sunday.
He wrote: “We lost a legend last night. It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my Uncle Michael was and how influential he was on me.’
The 30-year-old actor continued in his heartfelt post, “His stories have always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting.
“He was the coolest, most confident and talented guy and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special.”
RIP: Michael Lerner, a longtime actor best known for roles in Godzilla, Elf and Barton Fink, has died at the age of 81, TMZ reported on Sunday
Famous role: Lerner can be seen in 1991’s Barton Fink, which earned him an Oscar nomination
Writing to his 117,000 followers on the platform, he continued, “Anyone who knows him knows how crazy he was — in the best way.”
Sam added, “I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend so much time with him and we’re all lucky to be able to watch his work the rest of the time.”
He ended the message by writing, “RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs and an endless movie marathon.”
Michael left his mark on audiences when he played James Caan’s boss Fulton in 2003’s Elf starring Will Ferrell.
He has also appeared in films such as Newsies, Harlem Nights, The Mod Squad, Celebrity and For Richer or Poorer.
The entertainer’s career stretched back to the ’70s and he appeared on The Brady Bunch, MASH, Starsky and Hutch and The Good Guys.
Other credits include roles in Ironside, The Odd Couple, The Rockford Files, Barnaby Jones, Hill Street Blues and Melba.
Tales from the Crypt, Courthouse, Clueless, Kingdom Hospital, Law & Order: SVU, Matumbo Goldberg and Glee also saw appearances from Michael.
He is survived by his brother Ken Lerner, 74, who is also an actor.
Breaking: Sam Lerner, the actor’s nephew, shared the news via Instagram on Sunday
Long Career: Michael has appeared in films such as Newsies, Harlem Nights, The Mod Squad, Celebrity and For Richer or Poorer