Sam Lerner is mourning the death of his uncle, Michael Lerner, an Academy Award-nominated actor who died on April 8 at the age of 81. Sam’s Instagram tribute confirmed Michael’s death. He included several photos of his famous uncle from throughout his life and career, along with a touching message that honored how important Michael was to his nephew. Sam even credited Michael with giving him a passion for acting.
“We lost a legend last night,” Sam wrote in his April 9 post. “It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael as, and how influential he was to me. 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. RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs and endless movie marathons.”
Michael started acting in the 60s and received his first big acknowledgement with an Oscar nomination in 1992 for his role in Barton Fink. Following the major breakout role, Michael continued to book jobs throughout the movies, starring in films like Newsies, Blank Check and Godzilla. He is also recognized for his role in 2003’s Elf, while he was also in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014. In addition to movie roles, Michael also has television credits to his name, including as Mel Horowitz on Clueless. His most recent acting credit is in 2019’s Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein.
Meanwhile, Sam earned his first movie role in 2004’s Envy, where he played the son of Ben Stiller and Rachel Weisz’s characters. He has also appeared on shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Two and a Half Men, Las Vegas, NCIS and more. He started out as a recurring character on The Goldbergs in 2014, but was upped to a main role during season 5.