The actor’s career spanned over eight decades.
Tributes are being paid to actor Norman Lloyd, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 106.
Lloyd, who was known for his performances in Dead Poets Society and The Practice, was commonly referred to as “the world’s oldest living film actor.”
Producer Dean Hargrove, a friend of Lloyd’s, confirmed his death to Variety, saying that the actor’s “third act was really the best time of his life”.
According to reports, Lloyd passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles. The cause of death is not yet known.
The actor was born in New Jersey in 1914 and enjoyed a prolific career in theatre, radio, television and film.
The legendary director Alfred Hitchcock selected him to play the lead role in his 1942 film Saboteur. He later appeared in Spellbound, another Hitchcock film.
Lloyd’s professional relationship with the director continued and he served as the executive producer of the series The Hitchcock Hour. He subsequently directed and acted in a number of episodes as well.
Lloyd continued to act long after that and in the 1980s he attracted critical acclaim for his performance as the physician Dr. Auschlander on NBC’s medical drama St. Elsewhere.
His stage career spanned eight decades, and he performed roles in many iconic theatres, including Eva Le Galienne’s Civic Repertory Theater and Orson Welles-John Houseman Mercury Theater.
Famously, Lloyd played Headmaster Gale Nolan alongside Robin Williams in Tom Schulman’s award-winning film Dead Poets Society.
His last film, Trainwreck, was released following his 100th birthday.
The actor often joked that the secret to his health and longevity was “avoiding disagreeable people”.
His wife of 75 years, Peggy, passed away in 2011. The couple had two children together. Their daughter, actress Josie Lloyd, passed away last year.
