AceShowbiz - Michael Lerner has passed away at the age of 81. His nephew Sam Lerner confirmed on Sunday, April 9 that the actor - famous for his roles as Mr. Greenway in hit festive comedy "Elf" and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jack Lipnick in "Barton Fink" - had passed away on Saturday, April 8.

"We lost a legend last night. It's hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me. His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special," Sam - who is best known for his role on sitcom "The Goldbergs" - wrote on Instagram without revealing a cause of death.

Sam went on to add that Michael - who is also survived by his "Happy Days" actor brother Ken Lerner - was known as "insane" in the best way possible and feels "lucky" that he was able to spend so much time with him before his death before urging his followers to enjoy his body of work.

He added, "Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was - in the best way. I'm so lucky I got to spend so much time with him, and we're all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time. RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon!"