The Big Lebowski Star Jack Kehler Dies At 75 After Complications Of Leukaemia

The prolific actor Jack Kehler passed away on Saturday the 7^th of May at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, from complications due to leukaemia. He was 75 years old, born on the 22^nd of May in 1946 in Philadelphia, who set his career off into acting from the age of 24. The death was confirmed by his son Eddie Kehler, after which a flood of tributes came through on social media, particularly as he is so well-known for his roles in The Big Lebowski, The Man in the High Castle, Mad Men and Love, and Victor.

When Jack Kehler was 24 years old, he decided to pursue an acting career in theatre, having already worked as a waiter, before being admitted to Actors Studio in 1982 when he acquainted with Sanford Meisner and Wynn Handman. Soon after, Jack Kehler began to appear in a lot of supporting roles in films and television series, with his first credit in 1983 for Michael Laughlin’s Strange Invaders, a sci-fi film starring Paul Le Mat and Nancy Allen.

He continued to make appearances on television series such as Hill Street Blues, Fresno, Cagney & Lacey, St. Elsewhere, and more, so that by the 1990s, Jack Kehler became a known presence in action films such as The Last Boy Scout, Wyatt Earp, Year of the Dragon, Lethal Weapon 4, and Waterworld.

In 1998, Jack Kehler found himself in the spotlight of cult film for his role as the landlord to the Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, in the crime comedy film The Big Lebowski by Joel and Ethan Coen. Playing the character Marty, Jack Kehler performed an unforgettable dance routine in the film, combining genres such as mime and ballet.

Jack Kehler is survived by his wife Shawna Casey, his son Eddie Kehler, his daughter-in-law Mari-Anne, and his grandson Liam.