Michael Lerner, 'Barton Fink' actor, dead at 81

Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Lerner died Saturday. He was 81.

His nephew, Sam Lerner, who starred on "The Goldbergs," announced his death in an Instagram post shared Sunday afternoon.

"We lost a legend last night. It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me," Sam wrote. "His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special."

Michael earned an Oscar nomination in 1991 for his role as Jack Lipnick in "Barton Fink." He had nearly 200 credits to his name, including "Eight Men Out," "Godzilla" and "X-Men: Days of Futures Past," with three un-released projects in the works.

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"Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was— in the best way. I’m so lucky I got to spend so much time with him, and we’re all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time. "

Michael's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Sam ended his post, "RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon."