Actor Hiram Kasten, known for his roles in TV shows like ‘Saved by the Bell’, ‘Seinfeld’, and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, passed away at the age of 71, reported the New York Post.
According to a Facebook post, the actor had been battling prostate cancer. He died in his wife Diana Kisiel Kastenbaum’s arms “only hours after their 38th wedding anniversary,” the post reads.
In addition to cancer, Kasten had been fighting Crohn’s disease for the past seven years. He passed away at home in Batavia, New York. Beginning in 2017, Kasten’s “health had taken a downturn and he no longer performed or actively pursued his career,” and he “only began to share the terminality of it all with his friends in the last six months,” the post read.
His “great comedy and artistic community rallied to his side,” with some visiting him in Batavia and late-night Zoom meetings with friends on both coasts that “went into the wee hours of the morning.” His wife added, “It prolonged his life for at least another two months to be able to laugh with his peers.”
Kasten’s most notable role was as Michael on ‘Seinfeld’ from 1993 to 1994. He gained recognition in the comedy industry by frequently performing at The Comic Strip, a legendary club where Jerry Seinfeld once performed. “Seinfeld passed Hiram on his first audition and he became a regular,” with the pair forming “a friendship that has lasted for 45 years,” Diana wrote in the post.
In addition to ‘Seinfeld’, Kasten appeared on ‘Saved By the Bell’, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, ‘Cybill’, ‘Mad About You’, and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’. In the early 2000s, he made appearances on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’, ‘My Wife and Kids’, and ‘7th Heaven’.
The Bronx-born actor is survived by his wife Diana, daughter Millicent Jade, and brother-in-law Kevin John Kisiel, reported the New York Post.