Actor Miguel Ferrer passed away this afternoon at 61 after a long battle with throat cancer, Variety reports.
He was known for playing Owen Granger, assistant director on NCIS: Los Angeles since 2012. Prior to his role on NCIS, he played opposite Jill Hennessy as Dr. Garret Macy on the NBC drama Crossing Jordan, as well as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield on the show Twin Peaks. He had recently reprised the role of Rosenfield for the upcoming return of Twin Peaks on Showtime this May.
Along with extensive work in television, including roles in Shannon’s Deal, Broken Badges, Bionic Woman, and Desperate Housewives, Ferrer was also known for his film and voiceover work in addition to his television presence. More recently, he had starred in Iron Man 3 as Vice President Rodriguez, however his biggest film role to date was that of villainous executive Bob Morton, designer of the titular software for the 80s classic Robocop.
He had also lent his voice to a number of animated projects as well. He voiced the vicious Hun Shan-Yu in the new classic Mulan, as well as the nasty Big Boss in Rio 2. He had also been featured on Superman: The Animated Series, Robot Chicken, American Dad!, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and the video game Halo: 3.
Ferrer was born to singer Rosemary Clooney and actor Jose Ferrer on February 7th, 1955. He was born in Santa Monica, California and began his career in entertainment as a touring drummer for Keith Moon of The Who before switching to T.V. and film. He had previously toured with his mother and Bing Crosby.
His earliest roles were on Magnum P.I. and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
Ferrer was first cousin to George Clooney, who made a statement saying,
‘Miguel made the world brighter and funnier and his passing is felt so deeply in our family that events of the day … pale in comparison. We love you Miguel. We always will.’
Fans of NCIS, had noticed that the actor’s voice had changed and had rendered his delivery difficult for fans to understand, leading to speculation about a possible stroke in early November 2016. He had been notably absent from recent episodes, prompting concern among his fanbase and NCIS: Los Angeles viewers. NCIS:Los Angeles showrunner R. Scott Gemmil has said of Ferrer,
‘Today, NCIS: Los Angeles lost a beloved family member. Miguel was a man of tremendous talent who had a powerful dramatic presence on screen, a wicked sense of humor, and a huge heart.”
Miguel Ferrer is survived by his wife Lori, and two sons, Lukas and Rafi.