Larry Drake, who famously played the role of Benny on NBC's "L.A. Law," died on Thursday at his Los Angeles residence, according to his manager Steven Siebert.
A friend found the 66-year-old actor dead in his Hollywood home and immediately notified authorities, after which paramedics arrived at the scene and pronounced Drake dead. The cause of death is not yet known, but Siebert stated that Drake had some health problems in connection with his weight.
Born in Tulsa, Okla., Drake graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and kicked off his acting career with small movie roles in the 70s. He bagged his first major TV role in the 1983 adaptation of Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth" on PBS' "American Playhouse."
In "L.A. Law," Drake portrayed the character of Benny Stulwicz, a mentally challenged office assistant from 1987 until the end of the show's eight-season run in 1994. In 2002, the actor returned as Benny in the reunion movie titled, "L.A. Law: The Movie."
Drake's performance in the drama won him back-to-back Emmy Awards for Supporting Actor in 1988 and 1989 and an Emmy nomination in 1990.
In addition, he had a recurring role on the 1998 sci-fi series "Prey" as Dr. Walter Attwood. Drake also featured in Sam Raimi's 1990 superhero film "Darkman" as the ruthless villain, Robert Durant, alongside Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand.
His other movie credits include the 1992 horror flick "Dr. Giggles," in which he played the titular character of a homicidal physician. He also made appearances in films like "Bean" and "American Pie 2" and was last seen on the silver screen in the 2009 horror, "Dead Air."
Later in life, Drake took up voice acting and did voiceover work for animated series such as "Johnny Bravo," "Justice League" and "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" He also made guest appearances on television shows like "Six Feet Under," "Crossing Jordan," "7th Heaven," and made his last TV appearance on ABC's "Boston Legal" in 2008.
"He was a great person," screenwriter and Drake's close friend, Charles Pogue, said, "genuine sweet, smart, gentle man. A very loyal, good friend."
