One of the great character actors of a generation has left us. Miguel Ferrer, the star of RoboCop and NCIS: Los Angeles, died today of throat cancer. He was 61 years old.
The gravely voiced actor was known for playing hard-bitten characters, villains and badasses who could shout down a crowd with his sheer force of personality. In some cases, like in Twin Peaks and On the Air, this quality of his was funny as hell. In other other roles, like in The Night Flier or NCIS: Los Angeles, his seriousness imbued even the most unusual situations with reality.
Miguel Ferrer was the son of veteran actor Jose Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac) and iconic singer Rosemary Clooney (“Mambo Italiano”), and the cousin of actor/director George Clooney. His lengthy career seemed to be on the upswing in recent years, with a recurring role in the hit television series NCIS: Los Angeles and an upcoming return to his classic character Albert Rosenfield in Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival, which is due to premiere on May 21, 2017.
Actors like Miguel Ferrer don’t come along very often, and his absence will soon be felt in films and television shows which would obviously benefit from his particular, ineffable presence. We will miss the hell out of Miguel Ferrer, but we will never forget him. To honor the actor we now present seven particularly memorable roles that will stick with us, forever.
Rest in peace, sir.
Seven Miguel Ferrer Performances We Will Never Forget:
Top Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
Seven Miguel Ferrer Performances We Will Never Forget
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RoboCop (1987)
As Bob Morton, the sniveling go-getter who takes control of the RoboCop project, Miguel Ferrer manages to play one of the classic film's greatest villains (since he's playing god) and one of its greatest heroes (since his boss was even worse). "You are going to be a bad mother fucker!" he promises his cyborg creation. Say what you will about Bob Morton, but he was a man of his word.
Photo: Orion Pictures
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Twin Peaks (1990-2017)
As the cynical, snarky pathologist Albert Rosenfield, Miguel Ferrer injected the cult television series Twin Peaks with the bitterness of the big city. But no matter how many mean things he says, we know he's not a bad guy, because his impatience stems from his lifelong dedication to peace and pacifism. "Albert's path is a strange and difficult one," Agent Dale Cooper tells us. That's what makes this wonderful character so unforgettable.
Photo: ABC
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On The Air (1992)
The hilarious but oft-forgotten follow-up to Twin Peaks, this sitcom about a 1950s variety show co-starred Miguel Ferrer as Bud Budwaller, a no-nonsense studio executive whose job is to put up with a LOT of nonsense. The juxtaposition of Ferrer's hardboiled performance and the innocent wackiness of his showbiz troupe makes for one classic gag after another. On The Air lasted only seven episodes, but all of them are treasures.
Photo: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images
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The Stand (1994)
The age the network television mini-series may not be over (or at least hibernating), but one of the crown jewels was definitely The Stand, an ambitious adaptation of Stephen King's post-apocalyptic saga. Miguel Ferrer played Lloyd, a criminal trapped in his cell after a virus killed all the guards, a character whose amorality helps him rise through the ranks to damn near conquer what's left of the world. What this adaptation of The Stand gets right, it gets REALLY right, and casting Miguel Ferrer definitely qualifies.
Photo: ABC
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Blank Check (1994)
The great Disney hokum boom of the 1990s probably culminated in Blank Check, a miasma of cheerful clichés that make no sense whatsoever but somehow managed to take a permanent spot in the nostalgia pantheon. Miguel Ferrer plays a criminal who accidentally gives a blank check to a little kid, who bilks the bad guy out of a million dollars. Lots of shopping spree montages, lots of Miguel Ferrer looking ticked off, and lots of silly childhood memories.
Photo: Buena Vista Pictures
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The Night Flier (1997)
Of all the myriad Stephen King adaptations, few are more underrated than The Night Flier, a strange tale about a tabloid reporter investigating a string of mysterious murders at small airports. What could have been a familiar supernatural whodunnit evolves instead into a potent character study about Richard Dees, a man who gave up believing in the real news long ago, and struggles now with the tattered remains of his conscience. The Night Flier may be Miguel Ferrer's best performance, and that's really saying something.
Photo: New Line Cinema
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NCIS: Los Angeles (2012-2017)
For many, a series like NCIS: Los Angeles served as a gateway to Miguel Ferrer, who played a conflicted assistant director who helped catch a series of murderers throughout the ongoing run of the popular program. It was a regular dose of Miguel Ferrer, a hit series with legions of fans who will miss the actor very much. Hopefully they will continue to look through even more of his filmography to see just how varied his talent really was.
Photo: CBS
