American actor, Michael Lerner who was known for his incredible roles in Barton Fink and Elf has been reported dead. No cause of death was revealed. He was 81 years at the time of death.
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He received his first Oscar nomination for his role in Barton Fink. Before that, he had auditioned for the brothers but he was not hired for Miller’s Crossing until later on.
“They said the character was a Michael Lerner type, but they didn’t have me come in until last minute. I came in and f**king blew them away. I auditioned in character, talking a mile a minute. Joel and Ethan Coen were on the ground, laughing and crying in hysterics, and I just walked out of there. I came in, I did the first big speech and I walked out,” he said.
His nephew, Sam Lerner announced his death on social media.
“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. 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,” Sam wrote in the post.
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