The Tragic Death Of Seinfeld Actor Lou Cutell
Lou Cutell has died. The 91-year-old actor was probably best known for his single, but hugely memorable, appearance as Dr. "A**man" Cooperman in a 1995 episode of "Seinfeld," while fans may also recognize the late star as Amazing Larry in the 1985 comedy movie "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."
The sad news of Cutell's death was announced on Facebook by his friend, Mark Furman, who shared several photos with the late actor alongside snaps looking out over what appeared to be Los Angeles at night. "After 91 years, and a great life, my friend Lou Cutell went home. A film, theater and character actor. Big Larry in 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure,' A** Man in 'Seinfeld,' Abe in 'Grey's Anatomy' S12,E4," he wrote on the social media site. Furman then added, "He took me to Lucille Ball's house in 1986. Rest in peace Lou."
Cutell raked up some seriously impressive acting credits over the span of his career, also popping up on classics like "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Golden Girls," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," according to IMDb. The star also achieved recognition in the role of Dr. Brainard in the movie "Honey I Shrunk the Kids," while his final professional TV acting credit is listed as his appearance as Abe, a sick patient, in a 2015 episode of "Grey's Anatomy."
After the sad news broke, with his cause of death still to be officially confirmed, social media was flooded with tributes for the late star.
Lou Cutell tributes
Social media was full of sweet praise for Lou Cutell, with a touching and lengthy post from Pee-wee Herman leading the messages on Twitter. In a heartfelt thread shared on November 23, Herman confirmed that Cutell died on November 21, noting, "During a career that spanned well over fifty years, he acted in an extraordinary number of diverse movies and television shows."
In another tweet, Herman confirmed that "Lou was surrounded by family who loved him when he passed," though his exact cause of death has not yet been released publicly. Herman also shared that he was "lucky enough to be able to tell [Cutell] how much he meant to [him] and that [he'd] never forget him" just a couple of days before his death.
Author Jacopo della Quercia also shared his memories of Cutell on Twitter, writing, "I can't think of any modern actor more captivating without a single spoken line," as he shared how he and his family grew up watching the star in his many roles. He added, "Thinking face Lou Cutell made silence a thing of wonder. In death, he will always be Amazing. Ciao. #RIP."