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Lew Palter, the actor best known for playing Isidor Straus in James Cameron‘s 1997 Titanic and a supreme court judge in First Monday in October, died of lung cancer May 21, The Hollywood Reporter reports. He was 94.
Palter’s daughter Catherine confirmed her father’s death to THR, telling the outlet he died last month at home in Los Angeles.
Other than his on-screen appearances, the Brooklyn-born actor was dedicated to fostering the next generation of actors, of which included actress and comedian Cecily Strong, as a faculty member at CalArts.
According to Deadline, he encouraged Strong to join The Groundlings, the on-campus improv group, which helped her land her 10-year run on Saturday Night Live. Throughout his career, he also taught actors like Ed Harris and Don Cheadle. The art university’s theater department took to Twitter to honor Palter after his death, writing:
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that longtime #calartstheater faculty Lew Palter has passed away. Lew retired from @CalArts in 2013, having served our community since 1971 as an acting teacher, director, and mentor.”
Palter began his career in theater prior to transitioning to on-screen acting. Aside from Titanic and First Monday in October, he appeared in a vast array of popular TV series, including but not limited to Columbo, Charlie’s Angels, The Brady Bunch, and The Six Million Dollar Man.
Palter’s role in the Titanic, Isidor Straus, was based historically on a Bavarian-born American businessman of the same name, who became a partner at Macy’s with his brother Nathan, and who also served on the House of Representatives from 1894 to 1895.
Straus died while aboard the Titanic with his wife, Ida. According to the U.K.’s National Archives, the couple was “last seen together on deck holding hands before a wave swept them both into the sea.” The two refused to get on a lifeboat when the ship hit an iceberg, Isidor out of frustration that there were still women and children on-board not being helped, and Ida out of the desire to stay with her husband.
Netflix is planning to stream the 1997 drama on its platform starting July 1, a move that’s stirred up some unrest from fans amidst the recent OceanGate tragedy.
