Miguel Ferrer, a man who could spin memorable gold out of any role, no matter its size, has died. The actor, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer, was 61.
Born in Santa Monica, California to actor José Ferrer and singer Rosemary Clooney, Ferrer was seemingly destined for life in the entertainment industry. Though he ended up as a successful actor, his teenage years saw him committed more to music, including playing drums on an album for Keith Moon. And percussion helped land him his first job on television: his friend Bill Mumy (known for Lost In Space), cast him as a drummer in the TV series Sunshine.
From there, Ferrer grew a healthy TV career full of guest appearances and solid work, including playing his father's younger self on Magnum P.I., and roles on CHiPs, T.J. Hooker, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, The Stand, Crossing Jordan, Desperate Housewives and, most recently, NCIS: Los Angeles. But he was perhaps best known to genre fans for his performance as the caustic pathologist Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, a role he'll be seen in again for this year's reboot.
He also made an impact on the big screen, notably in movies such as Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (as the Excelsior's sniffy executive officer), 1987's RoboCop, in which he was ambitious, ill-fated executive Bob Morton, Iron Man 3 and Hot Shots! Part Deux, delivering possibly one of the greatest line readings in cinematic history{
Ferrer had just today been announced as part of the cast for animated DC offering Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. He's survived by his wife, Lori, sons Lukas and Rafi and several brothers and sisters. George Clooney, his cousin, paid tribute via a statement to Variety. “Today history will mark giant changes in our world, and lost to most will be that on the same day Miguel Ferrer lost his battle to throat cancer. But not lost to his family,” Clooney said. “Miguel made the world brighter and funnier and his passing is felt so deeply in our family that events of the day, (monumental events), pale in comparison. We love you Miguel. We always will.”