Thursday, 1 January 2015

EDWARD HERRMANN 'GLIMORE GIRLS' FATHER DIES@ 71

 Edward Herrmann, the versatile, honey-voiced
actor whose roles included patricians and politicians such
as "Gilmore Girls" father Richard Gilmore, "The Practice"
law professor Anderson Pearson and President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, has died. He was
71.
Herrmann passed away Wednesday at a hospital in New
York. The cause of death was a brain tumor, according to
his manager, Robbie Kass.
"Besides being an accomplished actor, was also a true
gentleman and a scholar, as well as being an incredibly kind
and decent man. He will be sorely missed," Kass told CNN.
"My friend Ed Herrmann was the kindest, classiest, most
talented man. It was an honor and a joy to know him, a
devastating blow to lose him," tweeted Lauren Graham, who
starred as Lorelai Gilmore in "Gilmore Girls."
Over a career that stretched over
more than four decades,
Herrmann was rarely the star but
always a standout.
In a 1980 episode of "M*A*S*H,"
he played a visiting surgeon who
starts out confident and polished
but can't keep up with the pace.
In "St. Elsewhere," he had a
recurring role as Father Joseph
McCabe, the sturdy founder of St. Eligius, the show's
hospital, who offered guidance to a future doctor. The latter
role earned him two Emmy nominations.
And then there was Richard Gilmore, the blue-blooded
father of Lorelai Gilmore, whose snappy dialogue -- often
with his daughter or his wife (Kelly Bishop) -- couldn't hide
his big heart, especially when it came to his granddaughter
Rory, played by Alexis Bledel.
That relationship was reflected in real life, he told the A.V.
Club in 2012 .
"I was sort of delegated from time to time to look after her,
and I was very, very fond of her," he said, noting that Bledel
had a number of challenges her first years on the show.
"One summer, I thought, 'She's not going to make it. She's
going to burn out.' But then she went to Italy with a friend
to learn cooking, and I thought, "She's going to be fine.' "
Herrmann had his star turns as well. He was nominated
twice for Emmys for his portrayal of FDR, first in the TV
movie "Eleanor and Franklin" (1976) and then in the next
year's "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years." (He
also played Roosevelt in the 1982 movie version of "Annie.")
He won a Tony for his performance in a 1976 revival of
George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession." His
performance in "The Practice" led to his only Emmy win.
Even people who didn't recognize him probably knew his
mellifluous voice from audiobooks and History Channel
documentaries.
But, in general, he was content to be a supporting performer,
one of the esteemed and distinctive cadre of performers
thought of as "character actors." He went easily from role to
role -- his Internet Movie Database page includes 130
credits , including small spots in "American Dad," "30 Rock"
and "Drop Dead Diva" -- and he reveled in the work.
In the A.V. Club interview, he expresses enthusiasm for
almost everything he appeared in. His co-stars are often
"great" or "wonderful," and he has kind words for forgotten
films such as "Harry's War" and his appearance in the
maligned 2011 comedy "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star."
"Sometimes I'm stuck in a straitjacket with suits, playing
Alger Hiss and Roosevelt and so on, and I said, 'These guys
are really wonky, and they're where the kids are these days,
so do it! What's the matter with you?' " he said. "I had a
great time."
Recently, Herrmann had been playing Lionel Deerfield in
"The Good Wife."
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

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