The Hollywood Reporter has announced the sad news that prolific character Louis Zorich has died at the age of 93. Most outlets reporting Zorich’s passing are emphasizing his role on Mad About You, but we Muppet fans will always think of him first and foremost as Pete in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
I think it’s safe to say that any discussion of the most memorable moments in that movie must include Zorich’s perfect performance as the grumpy Greek diner owner with a distinct manner of speaking and a heart of gold. Pete’s inspirational/hilarious speech about human nature ranks among the most quotable Muppet movie dialogue ever. Here, watch it again:
You should definitely take a gander at Zorich’s filmography. I bet you’ve seen him in something you didn’t even realize you’d seen him in. Among other projects, he reunited with Manhattan director Frank Oz a few years later for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. And he has 89 other credits on IMDb.
It’s not exactly typical for a human being to have several of the funniest moments in a Muppet movie, especially when that human being is not even a “celebrity” co-star or cameo star. But Louis Zorich pulled it off.
Click here to remember Louis Zorich on the Tough Pigs forum.
by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
