Oscar Nominee Michael Lerner, Star of ‘Barton Fink’, Passes Away at 81

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Michael Lerner, an actor from Brooklyn who was in the movie business for over 60 years and played lots of memorable roles, passed away recently at age 81. Some of his iconic characters include Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink”, Bugsy Calhoun in “Harlem Nights” and a mad publishing executive in “Elf”.

Actor Sam Lerner’s uncle, Michael Lerner, passed away on Saturday. Sam announced this news on Instagram Sunday but didn’t provide any other information about his uncle’s death. Neither he nor his uncle’s representatives have responded to requests for additional comment.

“Sam Lerner said he was the best! Everyone knew how amazing he was – in a good way. We were so lucky to watch his work forever. Rest In Peace Michael, and have fun with all the cigars, comfy chairs, and movies you could want.”

Michael Lerner was born in 1941 to parents from Romania who later moved and lived in Brooklyn. As a teen, Michael started acting around his neighborhood and at Brooklyn College, where he was given the chance to play ‘Willie Loman’ in “Death of a Salesman”. His dreams of becoming an actor were strong enough for him to receive a Fulbright Scholarship that allowed him to study theatre at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. During his stay in London, Michael shared an apartment with Yoko Ono while also appearing in her film “Smile”. His brother Ken is also an actor too.

We all have the power to do amazing things with our lives. It takes dedication, perseverance and hard work – but it is possible. With a strong will and staying true to your dreams, you can unlock your potential and create something special. Everyone has the capability of achieving greatness; it’s up to us to make it happen!

In 1969, an agent suggested to Alan Lerner that he move to Los Angeles after seeing his performance at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. After this, Alan was given roles on famous television shows such as “M*A*S*H” and “The Brady Bunch” and eventually made his film debut in Paul Mazursky’s “Alex in Wonderland” alongside Charlotte Rampling. However, Alan considered the TV movie “Ruby and Oswald” (in which he played Jack Ruby) with Brian Dennehy to be his most important role yet.

In 1981, Michael Lerner acted alongside Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in the movie remake of “The Postman Always Rings Twice”. Jack was one of the most kind actors he’s ever worked with. Although Michael was a big fan of cigars, he wasn’t used to smoking cigarettes. He said that when he had to smoke one during a scene inside the jail with Jack, he held it with both his hands!

John Lerner felt good when he played the role of cigarette-smoking journalist and politician Pierre Salinger in “Missiles of October”. Jackie Kennedy even told him that he performed better than the real Pierre! John also had a great time on the set of “Eight Men Out”, with his character, Arnold Rothstein. He was playing a crime boss who tried to fix the 1919 World Series game.

In 2016, an actor said that they don’t rehearse a lot but do lots of background work such as research when preparing to play characters in movies, especially biographical ones or any parts of movie studio heads. An example is Joel and Ethan Coen’s film “Barton Fink” released in 1991 which requires him to research into famous Hollywood moguls like Louis B. Mayer.

Lerner said in 2016 that he had auditioned for Joel and Ethan’s movie, Miller’s Crossing. He entered the room while acting as a character and didn’t say hello to anyone. He then gave a monologue that went like this – ‘Bart! Bart! So great to see you’. After he finished,he just walked out and Joel and Ethan were laughing away in a corner. That was it.

Lerner was inspired by Preston Sturges movies and the Coens did not give him much direction for his acting. They felt a little nervous as Lerner spoke so quickly, but they let him do whatever he wanted. This role got him his first (and only) Oscar nomination, but sadly Jack Palance won the Academy Award for supporting actor in 1992 with “City Slickers”. Years later, the Coens contacted him again to have a small appearance in “A Serious Man”.

Dan Lerner is known for starring in movies such as, “[Harlem Nights]” and “[Elf]” where he portrayed Fulton Greenway. He also acted on an episode of the [TV spinoff of Clueless] as Cher’s father.

In the late 90s, Dan was happy to get a chance to work with Woody Allen, however, it wasn’t good whatsoever. Dan referred to him as a “schmuck” and said that the movie turned out to be rubbish.

Lerner starred in many big movie hits including “Godzilla”, where he played Mayor Ebert, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” as Senator Brickman, and even “Mirror Mirror” as Baron. He said that these were good parts, but not the best acting roles. That being said, Lerner wasn’t disappointed with his title of being a “character actor” rather than a main lead—in an interview with Cigar Aficionado from 1999 he declared that “Every role is a character role”.