OSCAR-nominated actor Michael Lerner, who has appeared in films such as Elf, Godzilla, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, died on Saturday evening at age 81.
His death was confirmed by his nephew, Sam Lerner, who appears in the sitcom The Goldbergs.
Sam Lerner paid tribute to his uncle in an Instagram post on Sunday afternoon.
It's unclear what the cause of the actor's death was at this time.
"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.
R&B star Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dies aged 74
"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"
Lerner said he felt lucky to have spent so much time with his uncle, "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."
INCREDIBLE RESUME
Michael had an extensive career in film and television with a whopping 186 acting credits per IMDB.
In 1991, he got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as film producer Jack Lipnick in Ethan and Joel Cohen’s dark comedy Barton Fink.
He also had a recurring role on Glee where he played Sidney Greene, an investor working on the revival of the Broadway musical Funny Girl- co-starring with Lea Michele.
His film credits run quite long and include Elf (2003) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and The Coen Brothers' A Serious Man to name a few.
In the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy he played James Caan's brass tacks boss, Fulton, who was demanding a hit children's book.
Some of Lerner’s other TV credits included The Brady Bunch (1969), M*A*S*H (1974), Starsky & Hutch (1975), and The Good Wife (2012).
MICHAEL'S RISE TO FAME
Michael was on June 22, 1941, and was raised in a housing project in Red Hook Brooklyn, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Celtic icon Frank McGarvey dies aged 66 as tributes paid to hero after cancer fight
He worked several odd jobs in his younger years including at a deli owned by his older brother in Brighton Beach.
His father was George Lerner, a fisherman and antiques dealer.
Michael was primarily raised in Solon, Ohio as well as in Red Hook.
He attended Brooklyn College and played Willy Loman in a production of Death of a Salesman - he then got his master’s from UC Berkeley.
Michael intended to become an English professor but accepted a Fulbright Scholarship to study theater for two years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
After spending time in London he returned to the States and found himself out West where the roles started coming in during the late 1960s and they never ceased to do so.
“I’d been a working character actor for about 20 years, and then all of a sudden I got nominated and my money went up!” he once remarked per THR.
He's survived by his brother, Ken Lerner - a famous actor who also starred in The Golbergs - and his extended family.
