On Saturday, the world said goodbye to iconic Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Lerner as he passed away at 81.
His beloved nephew, Sam Lerner, best known for his role in the hit show “The Goldbergs,” sadly shared news of Mr. Lerner’s passing on Instagram 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,” Sam posted. “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.”
In 1991, Michael’s remarkable and acclaimed performance in “Barton Fink” earned him an Academy Award nomination. With nearly 200 film credits under his belt, including hits like “Eight Men Out,” “Godzilla”, and the blockbuster hit “X-Men: Days of Futures Past”; at the time of passing away he had three unreleased projects upcoming.
“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. “
Michael’s team was unavailable to provide a response immediately when Fox News Digital requested comment.
Sam Lenner, the son of renowned actor Ken Lenner, finalized his post, “RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”
Michael was actively developing three projects, one of which being “Sallywood” featuring Sally Kirkland, Jennifer Tilly, and Eric Roberts in post-production.
Buzz about Edoardo’s next project, “Edoardo the Last Goodbye,” circulated, and he was soon announced to star in “Fragments from Olympus: The Vision of Nikola Tesla” with acclaimed actors Sean Young and Ed Begley Jr.
Growing up in Brooklyn, Michael’s acting career started when he joined the American Conservatory Theater, a non-profit theatre located in San Francisco, California. – per IMDb.
In 1970, he made his cinematic debut with “Alex in Wonderland” before transitioning to small screen roles on legendary series like “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Emergency!” and especially stirring work on the celebrated Korean War drama “M*A*S*H*.
In 1974, the ABC TV movie “The Missiles of October” featured William Devane and Martin B. Lerner taking on the roles of White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger.
He graced our television screens with memorable performances on fan-favorite shows like “The Rockford Files,” “Kojak,” “Barnaby Jones” and even the iconic series “Hart to Hart.”
Following the Oscar nomination for his performance as Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink,” Lerner’s recognizable face made it effortless to spot him in other films such as “Newsies,” “Blank Check,” and he later had a role alongside James Caan’s publishing boss in “Elf.”
