Michael Lerner, an actor who featured in films such as “Elf,” “Godzilla” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and who received an Oscar nomination in best supporting actor for his performance in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1991 psychological comedy “Barton Fink,” died Saturday evening. He was 81 years old.
Lerner’s death was confirmed by his nephew, “The Goldbergs” actor Sam Lerner, who paid tribute to his uncle through a post on Instagram Sunday afternoon. No further details regarding Lerner’s death are available 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,” Lerner wrote. “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,” Lerner continued. “RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs and endless movie marathon.”
After putting together steady work as a character actor through the 1970’s and ’80s, Lerner achieved a higher profile after landing an Oscar nomination for his turn in the Coen brothers’ period thriller “Barton Fink.” In the film, Lerner portrayed the movie mogul Jack Lipnick, the pushy boss to John Turturro’s eponymous screenwriter and a bellwether for the film’s sometimes-cutthroat, sometimes-uproarious tone. An imposing man behind a desk, Lerner’s performance is often considered a cornerstone turn among Coen purists. The actor would later reunite with the directors with a brief role in their 2009 existential comedy “A Serious Man.”
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