The demise of Michael Lerner, actor from 'Glee,' 'Law & Order,' 'Barton Fink'

Farewell to Michael Lerner
Confirmed by Sam Lerner
Cause of Michael Lerner's death unknown
More than half a century in the industry
'Endless movie marathon' in heaven
A tremendous acting career
Beginnings in the 60s
Takeoff in the 70s
Alternating film and television
Classics like 'The Candidate' and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'
Barton Fink
Oscar-nominated
Great performance in Coen movie
Recent films
Michael Lerner in 'Glee'
Farewell to Michael Lerner

He had more than 180 film and TV titles on his resume. Actor Michael Lerner died at the age of 81.

Confirmed by Sam Lerner

The sad news was announced by his nephew, the actor Sam Lerner, with a heartfelt message on Instagram.

"We lost a legend last night"

"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 Lerner began his post.

Photo: @samlerner / Instagram

"He was the coolest"

"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," said Sam Lerner.

Cause of Michael Lerner's death unknown

In his lengthy goodbye to his uncle, Sam Lerner did not discuss the cause of Michael Lerner's death.

More than half a century in the industry

"Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way," Lerner's nephew wrote. "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."

'Endless movie marathon' in heaven

"RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban c i g a r s, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon," Sam Lerner's statement concluded.

A tremendous acting career

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Michael Lerner had acting talent in his genes. His brother Ken, Sam's father, is also an actor.

Beginnings in the 60s

Michael Lerner's acting career began in the late 1960s, although it wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that he began to make a name for himself. He appeared in episodes of the best series of the moment.

Takeoff in the 70s

Productions like 'The Brady Bunch', 'Three's a Crowd', 'M.A.S.H.' and 'Hill Street Blues' were among the first titles of his spectacular filmography.

Alternating film and television

In parallel to his work on television, Michael Lerner grew his career in cinema. He debuted in 1970 with 'Alex in Wonderland' alongside Donald Sutherland.

Classics like 'The Candidate' and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'

From there, he would make films to remember, such as 'The Candidate' (1972) with Robert Redford and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' (1981, image) with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange.

Barton Fink

A career milestone came in 1991 when he gave life to film producer Jack Lipnick in 'Barton Fink.' Michael Lerner's performance was directed by the Coen brothers.

Oscar-nominated

His performance earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Great performance in Coen movie

He would lose out to Jack Palance ('City Slickers') but the nomination in itself was a great honor. 'Barton Fink' is a memorable film thanks to Michael Lerner's performance in it.

Recent films

In the 21st century, Michael Lerner continued working until his last days. He played in films like 'Elf' (2003) and 'A Serious Man' (2009), for example.

In the photo: Lerner with the rest of the cast of 'Yonkers Joe,' a film from 2008.

Michael Lerner in 'Glee'

He also starred in series like 'Glee', 'Entourage, and 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.'

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