Michael Lerner
Known for
A versatile character actor, Michael Lerner stood out for his ability to embody brutal, overblown figures of power. Born in Brooklyn in 1941, he reached his peak with the overwhelming Hollywood mogul of the Coen brothers' 'Barton Fink', a role that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Throughout his extensive career he appeared in titles as diverse as 'Elmer Gantry', 'Godzilla' and 'X-Men: First Class', in addition to countless television roles. His range, authoritative and often intimidating, made him ideal for bosses, mobsters and unscrupulous businessmen. He died in 2023.
Michael Lerner
78 Movies
37 Series
A versatile character actor, Michael Lerner stood out for his ability to embody brutal, overblown figures of power. Born in Brooklyn in 1941, he reached his peak with the overwhelming Hollywood mogul of the Coen brothers' 'Barton Fink', a role that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Throughout his extensive career he appeared in titles as diverse as 'Elmer Gantry', 'Godzilla' and 'X-Men: First Class', in addition to countless television roles. His range, authoritative and often intimidating, made him ideal for bosses, mobsters and unscrupulous businessmen. He died in 2023.
Movies
Plays Senator Brickman
X-Men: Days of Future Past
2014
Plays Fulton
Elf
2003
Plays Mayor Ebert
Godzilla
1998
Plays Producer (voice)
101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
2003
Plays Baron
Mirror Mirror
2012
Plays Mr. Katz
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1981
Plays Dr. Lupus
Celebrity
1998
Plays Jerry Miller
The Beautician and the Beast
1997
Plays Warden
No Escape
1994
Plays Jack Lipnick
Barton Fink
1991
Plays Mr. Channing
My Favorite Martian
1999
Plays Biderman
Blank Check
1994
Plays Wesley Mouch
Atlas Shrugged: Part I
2011
Plays Solomon Schlutz
A Serious Man
2009
Plays Bugsy Calhoune
Harlem Nights
1989
Plays Phil Kleinman
For Richer or Poorer
1997
Plays Barbet
The Other Side of Midnight
1977
Plays Weasel
Newsies
1992
Plays Goodloe Bender
The Road to Wellville
1994
Plays Art Dealer
Art School Confidential
2006
Plays Howard
The Mod Squad
1999
Plays Henry Lydell
Borderline
1980
Plays Marvin Berstein
Love and Other Disasters
2006
Plays Big Fat Bernie Gayle
Safe Men
1998
Plays Mr. Souse
A Dennis the Menace Christmas
2007
Plays Arnold Rothstein
Eight Men Out
1988
Plays Professor Marcus
Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy
1998
Plays Big Mikey
Slipstream
2007
Plays Edward Doyle
Maniac Cop 2
1990
Plays Myron Green
St. Ives
1976
Plays Burt Wilder
Vibes
1988
Plays Entwhistle
Ashby
2015
Plays Uncle Lou
Nobody Knows Anything!
2004
Plays Phil Gillman
Amos & Andrew
1993
Plays Harvey
Life During Wartime
2010
Plays John Pressman
Anguish
1987
Plays Marvin
Busting
1974
Plays Lieutenant Cross
Radioland Murders
1994
Plays Leguzza
The Last Time
2006
Plays Dr. Stan York
Mockingbird Don't Sing
2001
Plays Paul Corliss
The Candidate
1972
Plays Willie Collins
Strange Invaders
1983
Plays Leonard Proval
Pete Smalls Is Dead
2010
Plays Frank
No Way Back
1995
Plays Joel Swanson
Internet Famous
2016
Plays Perry
A Pyromaniac's Love Story
1995
Plays Sternberg
Goldengirl
1979
Plays Paulie
The Baltimore Bullet
1980
Plays Leo
Alex in Wonderland
1970
Plays Artie Cohen
The Calcium Kid
2004
TV Shows
Plays Mel Horowitz
Clueless
1996
Plays The Mensch
The Bannen Way
2010
Plays Sidney Greene
Glee
2009
Plays Rollie Simone
Hill Street Blues
1981
Plays Arnold Love
The Rockford Files
1974
Plays Seymour Morgenstern
Third Watch
1999
Plays Captain Futterman
M*A*S*H
1972
Plays Sergeant Chomsky
The Odd Couple
1970
Plays Mr. Byrd
Tales from the Crypt
1989
Plays Mr. Carolla
The Bob Newhart Show
1972
Plays Gantner
MacGyver
1985
Plays Dr. Samuel Fine
Kojak
1973
Plays Amar
The Equalizer
1985
Plays Ashton Ripley
Wonder Woman
1975
Plays Martin Noble
Emergency!
1972
Plays Ralph Guidera
Police Woman
1974
Plays Max
Hollywood Beat
1985
Plays Mr. Murray
The Doris Day Show
1968
Plays Joe Yarby
Ironside
1967
Plays Lou Watkins
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Plays Dr. Burgess (segment "You Can Come Up Now, Mrs. Millikan")
Night Gallery
1970
Plays Fat Rolly
Starsky & Hutch
1975
Plays Mr. Marvin
Amazing Stories
1985
Plays Karatz
Love, American Style
1969
Plays Albert Krueger
Barnaby Jones
1973
Plays Arthur Radner
Hart to Hart
1979
Plays Pop
Childrens Hospital
2008
Plays Parelli
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
1969
Plays Jerry
The A-Team
1983
Plays Joe Roberts
Entourage
2004
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
First Oscar
Full Filmography
Sallywood
Ned Levitt
2024
Film
First Oscar
Louis Burt Mayer
2022
Film
Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein
Bobby Fox
2019
Film
Drive Me to Vegas and Mars
Milt the Man
2018
Film
American Bred
Francis Adamo
2018
Film
The Shickles
Elroy Shickles
2016
Film
Internet Famous
Joel Swanson
2016
Film
Ashby
Entwhistle
2015
Film
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Senator Brickman
2014
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Michael Lerner still alive?
Michael Lerner passed away on April 8, 2023 at age 81.
What are the most famous roles of Michael Lerner?
Michael Lerner is best known for roles in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Elf, Godzilla.
How many movies has Michael Lerner been in?
Over a 54-year career (since 1969), Michael Lerner has appeared in 78 movies and 37 TV shows.
What was Michael Lerner's first movie?
The career of Michael Lerner began with Three's a Crowd (1969).
What is Michael Lerner's most recent movie or series?
Michael Lerner's most recent release is Sallywood, which premiered on April 4, 2024.
What TV shows has Michael Lerner appeared in?
On television, Michael Lerner has appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The A-Team, Tales from the Crypt, Glee.
Michael Lerner
1941-06-22 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Michael Charles Lerner (June 22, 1941 – April 8, 2023) was an American actor. He was best known for his Academy Award-nominated performance in Barton Fink, as well as appearing in the films Elf, Godzilla, Eight Men Out, and X-Men: Days of Future Past.