Farewell, Mr. Pitt. Ian Abercrombie, the actor who played the crotchety boss of Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on Seinfeld, has passed away.
As reported by The Los Angeles Times, the U.K.-born actor, who recently appeared on episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Desperate Housewives and Wizards of Waverley Place, died in Los Angeles last Thursday. The 77-year-old had kidney failure and has been struggling with lymphoma.
Abercrombie was only on Seinfeld for seven episodes during its sixth season, but they made a big impact both on him and the show’s fans.
“I have been around as an actor for 40-odd years, and this show knocked me out of the ball park,” Abercrombie said in a CNN interview in the late ‘90s.
His character, Mr. Pitt, made Elaine’s life a living hell, indulging in quirky habits like eating his Snickers bars with forks and only wearing white knee socks. He eventually fired her, mistakenly thinking she and Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) were trying to kill him.
In addition to having a recurring role on Seinfeld, Abecrombie made appearances on Get Smart, Dynasty, Northern Exposure, NewsRadio, Murphy Brown, Twin Peaks and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His film work includes Young Frankenstein, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and last year’s Rango.
Abercrombie began his career on the stage. In 1957, after moving to the States, he was drafted by U.S. Army and worked with the "Special Services" team in Germany. When he returned from serving, he moved back to California and kick-started his long-running onscreen career.
Abercrombie is survived by his wife, Gladys, and his three brothers, Douglas, Donald and Alex.
Thoughts? Comment below.
Follow TV Guide Canada on Facebook