Actor Jack Axelrod, recognised for his roles in General Hospital and Grey’s Anatomy, has passed away at the age of 93

 

Actor Jack Axelrod passed away at the age of 93, as confirmed by his representative, Jennifer Garland, to The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly. Garland stated that he passed away due to natural causes in Los Angeles on November 28.

Garland shared with Entertainment Weekly, “I had the pleasure of spending a significant amount of time with him in his final years, as he had no immediate family. We often enjoyed outdoor activities, where Jack indulged in sketching, reading news articles, and reciting Shakespearean sonnets.”

Axelrod, renowned for his roles in General Hospital and Grey’s Anatomy, initially pursued acting after undertaking courses at the University of California, Berkeley. Despite qualifying as a licensed architect in Washington, his enduring love for acting led him to a six-year acting program under German actress Uta Hagen at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York City.

Following his graduation, Axelrod diversified his career by delving into acting across various theatres, all while maintaining his role as an architect, according to IMDB records. Through this dual pursuit, he meticulously built his acting portfolio, eventually securing a pivotal role in Woody Allen’s 1971 film, Bananas.

Subsequently, Axelrod graced numerous television series and movies during his tenure as an actor. Notably, he garnered acclaim for his recurring portrayal of mob boss Victor Jerome in General Hospital. Additionally, his performances in Grey’s Anatomy, where he depicted the comatose elderly patient Charlie Yost, and in My Name Is Earl as the character known as the Electrolarynx Guy, further showcased his versatility and talent.

Moreover, Axelrod made cameo appearances across an extensive array of television series such as Dallas, Dynasty, Boy Meets World, Murphy Brown, Alias, Frasier, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Scrubs, Private Practice, Dexter, and Shameless.

Additionally, he featured in several films, including Hancock (2008), Labor Pains (2009), Little Fockers (2010), Fred & Vinnie (2011), Super 8 (2011), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

He featured in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, notably portraying Banquo in a 1969 rendition of Macbeth, as reported by EW. His involvement extended to the play ‘Gandhi,’ which found its way to Broadway.

Axelrod continued to impart his passion for acting to the subsequent generation, contributing to theatre departments across various universities over the years. These included Boston University, Penn State University, Temple University, CalState Northridge & Bakersfield, Cal Arts, and Brandeis University, as per IMDB. Additionally, prior to his passing, he served as a guest teacher at the Aaron Speiser Acting Studio in Los Angeles.