Veteran American actor Jerry Stiller breathed his last on Monday at the age of 92. His son and Hollywood actor Ben Stiller shared the news of his death on Twitter, "I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad", the actor said.
Jerry Stiller was best known for his role as Frank Costanza, quick-tempered father of Jason Alexander’s George, on the iconic 1990s sitcom Seinfeld. His character’s exclamation of the phrase “Serenity now!”, one designed to quell inner rage, became a line of dialogue synonymous with the show.
Born June 8, 1927 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Jerry Stiller was the eldest of four children raised in an impoverished Polish-Jewish household. He found his comedic chops as a child eager to keep the peace and distract his parents from fighting. As an actor known for inhabiting bombastic curmudgeons, Stiller later admitted, “I stole all their material.”
Jerry Stiller is survived by his son Ben, daughter Amy and two grandchildren.