Michael Lerner, ‘Barton Fink’ Oscar Nominee, Dies at 81

Michael Lerner appears at the opening night of Bette Midler in "I'll Eat You at Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2013. (AP)
Michael Lerner appears at the opening night of Bette Midler in "I'll Eat You at Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2013. (AP)
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Michael Lerner, ‘Barton Fink’ Oscar Nominee, Dies at 81

Michael Lerner appears at the opening night of Bette Midler in "I'll Eat You at Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2013. (AP)
Michael Lerner appears at the opening night of Bette Midler in "I'll Eat You at Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2013. (AP)

Michael Lerner, the Brooklyn-born character actor who played a myriad of imposing figures in his 60 years in the business, including monologuing movie mogul Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink,” the crooked club owner Bugsy Calhoun in “Harlem Nights” and an angry publishing executive in “Elf” has died. He was 81.

His nephew, actor Sam Lerner, announced his death in an Instagram post Sunday. Sam Lerner wrote that his uncle died Saturday but did not provide further details. Neither his nor Michael Lerner’s representatives immediately responded to requests for further comment.

“He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy,” Sam Lerner wrote. “Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way...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.”

Born in 1941 to Romanian-Jewish parents and raised in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, Michael Lerner began acting locally as a teen and into his days at Brooklyn College, where he got the chance to play Willie Loman in “Death of a Salesman.”

His ambitions to pursue acting professionally crystalized when he received a Fulbright Scholarship and chose to study theater at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, where he lived in an apartment with Yoko Ono for a time, appearing in her short film “Smile” alongside Paul McCartney. His brother, Ken Lerner, also became an actor.

Lerner moved to Los Angeles in 1969, at the urging of an agent who saw his work at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. He started getting cast in television shows, including “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H,” “The Brady Bunch” and “The Rockford Files,” making his film debut in Paul Mazursky’s “Alex in Wonderland,” alongside Charlotte Rampling. But he considered his first significant role to be in the television movie “Ruby and Oswald” (he played Jack Ruby) with Brian Dennehy.

In 1981, he was cast in Bob Rafelson’s remake of “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” alongside Jack Nicholson, who he called one of the most generous actors he'd ever worked with, and Jessica Lange. A longtime cigar aficionado, Lerner felt out of his depths when he was asked to smoke a cigarette in a scene with Nicholson in a jail. Lerner said he held the cigarette with both hands.

He felt more comfortable playing cigar-smoking journalist and politician Pierre Salinger in “Missiles of October,” for which Jackie Kennedy once told him that he’d “out Pierre’d Pierre.”

Lerner also loved working with John Sayles on “Eight Men Out,” in which he played Arnold Rothstein, the crime boss who conspired to fix the 1919 World Series.

“Most of the time I don’t rehearse, but I do a lot of preparation. Especially for a biographical character or one of the studio heads,” he said in 2016. “I did a lot of research for Barton Fink and looked into Louis B. Mayer and all the moguls in Hollywood.”

Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Barton Fink,” released in 1991, is the film Lerner is most remembered for.

“I had auditioned for Joel and Ethan before, for Miller’s Crossing. So I walked into the room, as the character, and I don’t say hello to anybody. And I sit down behind my desk and do this big speech: ‘Bart! Bart! So great to see you,’” Lerner said in 2016. “I did the monologue the way I wanted to do it and I just walked out of the room and that was it. And Joel and Ethan were just sitting in a corner just laughing and laughing and that was it.”

Lerner, who drew inspiration from Preston Sturges movies, said the Coens didn’t give him much acting direction and “were a little nervous that I was talking so fast” but that they let him do what he wanted.

The role got him his first and only Oscar nomination, but in 1992, the Academy Award for supporting actor went to Jack Palance for “City Slickers.”

The Coens called him years later to do a cameo in “A Serious Man.”

Lerner also said he was frequently recognized for his turns in Eddie Murphy’s “Harlem Nights” and “Elf,” as Fulton Greenway. He also played Cher's father in the television spinoff of “Clueless.”

In the late 90s, he was excited to get a chance to work with Woody Allen on the film “Celebrity,” but it turned into a terrible experience, he said in a 2016 interview.

Lerner also appeared in several bigger blockbusters over the years, including “Godzilla” as Mayor Ebert, “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” as Senator Brickman, and “Mirror Mirror” as Baron.

“Those are good parts but not great acting roles,” Lerner said.

And he never felt cheated by being known as a “character actor” rather than a leading man. In 1999, in an interview with Cigar Aficionado, he said, simply, “Every role is a character role.”



Beyonce Delivers a Rousing Kickoff to Her 'Cowboy Carter' Tour

Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Beyonce Delivers a Rousing Kickoff to Her 'Cowboy Carter' Tour

Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Singer Beyonce launched her "Cowboy Carter" stadium tour on Monday, rolling through "Texas Hold 'Em" and other country-inspired hits and sharing the stage with her two daughters.

Beyonce opened the nearly three-hour show at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles with "American Requiem," appearing in an all-white cowboy outfit with long fringe on the sleeves as dancers in red performed around her, Reuters said.

For her cover of Dolly Parton classic "Jolene," Beyonce sat on a lighted horseshoe that floated above the crowd. She rode a gold mechanical bull for "Tyrant" and flew through the air in a red car while holding an American flag for "16 Carriages."

Beyonce's 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, joined the backup dancers for several songs, including "Ya Ya" and "America Has a Problem." She strutted down a long runway to lead a dance to "Deja Vu," flipping her hair as she turned to walk back.

Seven-year-old Rumi Carter appeared on stage while Beyonce performed the lullaby "Protector." She waved both hands to the crowd and turned around to give her mom a hug.

"Cowboy Carter" earned Beyonce her first album of the year Grammy in February. It was viewed by experts and fans as a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of Black Americans within country music and culture.

"I want to thank all of those who came before me that allowed me to be on this stage today," Beyonce said at Monday's show. "I want to thank you my fans for allowing me to make this album. Thank you for giving me the creative liberty to challenge myself."

Beyonce also performed hits including "Formation,Cuff It" and "Crazy in Love" from previous albums.

The tour, called the Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour, is scheduled to run through July in the US and Europe.

Many fans went all in on the cowboy theme, wearing Western hats, cowboy boots and rhinestone-studded denim. Beyonce thanked the crowd before ending with the song "Amen."

"I feel so overwhelmed," Beyonce said.