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.”



Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More

Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
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Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More

Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)

When Billy Idol first entered American consciousness in the early '80s, leather-clad and bleached hair in tow, he not only brought a punk rock sound to the mainstream. The Englishman brought a new attitude, a new, rebellious way of being.

In the time since, songs like “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face” have become instant classics — for those who've worn a spiky jacket and those who've only imagined what it might be like.

Now, over four decades later, he's got the wisdom to reflect. It's led to a new documentary about his life, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead,” which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and a new album, the polished punk-pop of “Dream Into It.”

“It was a gradual process, really,” he said of the 11-year span between albums. “It wasn’t so much that we didn’t want to make an album, it was more like we were building up to doing this.”

Idol discussed with The Associated Press this week his new album and forthcoming documentary, his past struggles with addiction, his first-ever Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and more.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You've described “Dream Into It” as autobiographical. I thought your last album, 2014's “Kings & Queens of the Underground,” pulled from your life as well.

IDOL: Being this age, in particular, 69, when you look back, you can really see your whole life, how it plays out. And maybe it’s also having grandchildren. My children are having children.

You sort of reach this vantage point where you can really look back and see all the sort of different eras of my life. And you can sing about it. And I think I didn’t go deep enough with the songs I did on “Kings and Queens.” I thought lyrically I could go deeper. That’s one of those regrets I had about the last album. So I really went for it, and I went for more imagery, (on ‘Dream Into It,’ in the) way of talking about my life. I’m not spelling it out exactly.

AP: There are a lot of rock ‘n’ roll women on the album. Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne and The Kills' Alison Mosshart are all featured.

IDOL: (Mosshart's) voice is just incredible. And of course, Joan Jett, I’ve known since 1978 after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert. We hung out in Los Angeles. I was on a Generation X promotion tour for the first album. And then Avril, I mean, I’ve just been watching her career forever and she’s fantastic. So, it was just great.

AP: The documentary has an evocative title, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead.” It sounds like it may dive into your past struggles with addiction.

IDOL: There was a point in my life when I was living like every day, like, “Live every day as if it’s your last.” One day, you’re going to be right.

In the '70s, in England, you know, young people, we had this feeling that we were being completely ignored. You were even being told that you had no future. And so, we just didn’t think beyond the day-to-day existence. It was probably only when I really started having children and stuff like that, I really starting to realize I (should) try start to give up drugs and things.

I’ve always flirted with death, in a way. Even riding motorcycles, you’re staring at the concrete. It’s right there, you can come off that thing and get horribly messed up. And I’ve done it. It’s horrible. You find out how human you are, how vulnerable. There’s lots of things about my life that, yeah, I did kind of call death at times. Not really mean to, but you just were living like that.

Imagine if it was today. If I was doing what I was back then today, I would be dead because I would have run into fentanyl.

AP: You're nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the first time. Do you think your younger punk rock self would be excited?

IDOL: I do sort of think about Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Little Richard. “And what? Are you going to be in something with those guys?” You know, Buddy Holly. These are some of the seminal people who turned on the people that turned me on, you know? Somewhere down the road, it led to punk rock.

Also, my motorcycle has been in the Rock & Roll of Fame for like five years. So I might as well be in it, too.