Actor Lew Palter, best known for starring in the Titanic movie, has died at the age of 94, his family has confirmed.
Palter, who starred in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in James Cameron's 1997 hit film, had lung cancer and died at his home in Los Angeles on May 21, however, the news was not made public until June.
He had played Isidor Straus in the movie, who was seen cradling his wife Ida in bed as the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg.
The character was based on the real-life Straus, who was the co-owner of Macy's department store along with his brother Nathan, and who did indeed die aboard the Titanic in 1912.
The short scene lasts just a few seconds in the movie, but it has been remembered as one of the most heartbreaking, as the elderly couple chose to embrace together as they knew they were about to lose their lives in the tragedy.
As well as his role in Titanic, Palter is also known for starring in First Monday in October, a 1981 Supreme Court drama-comedy, in which he played Associate Justice Benjamin Halperin opposite Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh.
The New York-born actor was also a professor at the CalArts School of Theatre, where he tutored future stars including Oscar nominees Ed Harris and Don Cheadle, before retiring in 2013.
Alongside his silver-screen career, Palter also directed many off-Broadway plays including Tom Topor’s drama Nuts for the Los Angeles Stage Company, which got a movie adaptation starring Barbra Streisand in 1987.
Palter had been married to L.A. Law actress Nancy Vawter for 64 years when she died in 2020, and the couple shared daughter Catherine Read Palter. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Sam, Tessa, and Miranda Morgan.
News of Palter's death comes after the tragic deaths of five men aboard the Titan sub, which catastrophically imploded while attempting to visit the wreck of the Titanic.
Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions which owned and operated the sub, British entrepreneur Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, lost their lives in the tragedy.
The sub was declared missing on Sunday, June 18, after losing contact with its mothership the Polar Prince an hour and 45 minutes into its descent.
Days of searching yielded no results until a debris field was discovered, containing parts of the Titan, confirming that the vessel had imploded in the deep water.
It was also confirmed that one of the men on board had a connection to Palter's character, Isidor Straus, in a strange twist of fate.
OceanGate CEO Rush's wife, Wendy, is in fact the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, who chose to remain on the sinking ship together so that others could take their place on the limited lifeboats and get to safety.
Wendy Rush is the direct descendant of Minnie Weil, one of the Straus' seven children.
Our thoughts are with Palter's family, friends, and fans as well as the loved ones of all involved in the Titan sub tragedy.
