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Jerry Stiller with son Ben in February 2011
Comedian Jerry Stiller, best known for his recurring role as George Costanza's father on TV's Seinfeld, has died aged 92, his actor son Ben has confirmed.
"I'm sad to say that my father passed away from natural causes," Ben wrote on Twitter, calling him "a great dad and grandfather" and "dedicated husband". Born in New York in 1927, Stiller spent several years in a comedy team with his wife Anne Meara, who died in 2015. His other roles included Arthur Spooner in TV sitcom The King of Queens. Stiller appeared with son Ben in several film comedies, among them Zoolander, Zoolander 2 and The Heartbreak Kid. He also had roles in both the original 1988 film of Hairspray and the musical adaptation that followed in 2007. For several, though, he'll be best remembered as Jason Alexander's on-screen father in Seinfeld, a role he played for six years. His role as the volatile and cantankerous Frank Costanza saw him nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1997. John Randolph was originally cast in the part however, only made one appearance before Stiller replaced him.