Miguel Ferrer, one of TV's all-time greatest 'ohhh that guy' supporting actors, passed away following a long battle with cancer. He was only 61 years old but still somehow found time to appear in a murderer's row of classic projects including Twin Peaks and the original RoboCop.
Miguel Ferrer began acting in the early 1980s and quickly established a career for himself in key supporting roles, especially on television. He appeared as a regular presence in Twin Peaks, Shannon's Deal, Broken Bridges, On The Air, Fallen Angels, LateLine, Crossing Jordan, Bionic Woman, The Protector, Desperate Housewives, Young Justice, Adventuretime and NCIS: Los Angeles. And that's not even including the numerous one-off appearances on TV and key film roles he played throughout his career. In short, he worked non-stop for more than thirty years, which is really impressive given how hard it is to find a niche in Hollywood.
The career longevity made sense for someone who was born with show business in his blood. The actor's mother was Rosemary Clooney and his father was Jose Ferrer. Clooney, of course, had an accomplished career as a musician and starred in many films, including White Christmas. The elder Ferrer was the first Hispanic male to ever win an Academy Award. He did so in 1950 for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac. Miguel Ferrer's cousin George Clooney has done pretty well himself too.
Last year, Ferrer agreed to reprise his role as Albert Rosenfield in the upcoming Twin Peaks revival. Not much is known about the extent of his appearance, but according to People, it seems he completed filming on his portion of the project. What NCIS: Los Angeles will do, however, is still unclear. The actor's cancer was written into the show; so, assumedly, something touching will be done. Here's what showrunner R. Scott Gemmill had to say...
Today, NCIS: Los Angeles lost a beloved family member. Miguel was a man of tremendous talent who had a powerful dramatic presence on screen, a wicked sense of humor, and a huge heart. Our thoughts go out to his wife Lori, his sons, and his entire family. He will be greatly missed.
CinemaBlend's sincerest thoughts go out to Miguel Ferrer's entire family during this time of need. It's easy to obsess over the biggest stars in Hollywood, the people who get their names above movie titles, but it's quality character actors like Miguel Ferrer who are the backbone of the entire industry.
Thanks for all the great work, Miguel. We'll enjoy it for decades to come.
