Michael Lerner has died at the age of 81.
Michael Lerner dies aged 8`
The actor was best known for his roles as Mr. Greenway in hit festive comedy 'Elf' and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jack Lipnick in 'Barton Fink' but passed away on Saturday (08.03.23) his nephew Sam Lerner confirmed on Sunday.
Without revealing a cause of death, Sam - who is best known for his role on sitcom 'The Goldbergs' - wrote on 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. 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.
Sam went on to add that Michael - who is also survived by his 'Happy Days' actor brother Ken Lerner - was known as "insane" in the best way possible and feels "lucky" that he was able to spend so much time with him before his death before urging his followers to enjoy his body of work.
He added: "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!"