Actor Michael Lerner dies
Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Lerner has died.
Sam Lerner took to Instagram on Sunday to announce that his uncle had passed away the previous night at the age of 81.
No cause of death was given.
"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 wrote, captioning a carousel of throwback photos featuring a young Michael. "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, also an actor, went on to joke that Michael was "insane" but "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," he continued. "RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon."
Michael appeared in movies including Elf, Godzilla, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the 1991 film Barton Fink.
