Louis Zorich, 'Mad About You' actor and longtime Montclair resident, dead at 93

Louis Zorich, a longtime actor and a founding member of the Whole Theatre Company in Montclair, died Tuesday, according to his son. He was 93.

A longtime Montclair resident, Zorich died in his sleep less than two weeks before his birthday, according to his son Peter Zorich. He was married to Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis.

“He was larger than life but an extraordinarily humble man,” Peter Zorich wrote on Facebook. “The best I will ever know. We will miss him dearly.”

Louis Zorich’s career dates to 1958 when he was in the movie “The Double Cure.” One of his first major movies was playing the constable in the 1971 film “Fiddler on the Roof.”

The Whole Theatre Company was founded in 1972 by Dukakis, Zorich and others. The theatre remained in town for 20 years. The Whole Theatre, which was located on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, was an Equity company, meaning that it employed members of the actors' and stage managers' union.

Zorich later played the role of Paul Reiser’s father on the sitcom “Mad About You” from 1993 until 1999. He continued playing various roles into his late 80s and early 90s. His last role was in the 2016 film “No Pay, Nudity.”

Zorich wrote a book about celebrity auditions called “What Have You Done?” in 2009.

During a 2010 AARP appearance, he was asked about what makes his marriage successful.

“We just said to ourselves that, one to the other, that I’m there for you, and you’re there for me," Zorich said. "If she wanted to go to Hollywood and do a movie, I say do it. If I want to go away on Broadway, you go do it.”

Zorich is survived by his wife and three children. Funeral arrangement were not available.