Obituaries

Tony Winner and Gilmore Girls Star Edward Herrmann Dies at 71

The Broadway veteran passed after a battle with brain cancer.

Tony-winning actor Edward Herrmann has died at age 71.
Tony-winning actor Edward Herrmann has died at age 71.

Tony Award-winning Broadway actor Edward Herrmann, best known for his role as Richard Gilmore on the long-running television series Gilmore Girls, died this morning at a New York hospital. He was 71 years old.

According to reports, the actor had been in the ICU for the past three and a half weeks due to a battle with brain cancer. After his condition failed to improve, his family decided to take him off the respirator.

Born July 21, 1943, Herrmann began his career in the theater. He appeared in the U.S. premiere of Michael Weller's Moonchildren at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., in November 1971 — a production that gave him his Broadway debut the following year. His next Broadway role came in 1976, when he took on the part of Frank Gardner in Mrs. Warren's Profession and earned a Tony Award for his featured performance. Herrmann's other Broadway credits include The Philadelphia Story, Plenty (Tony nomination), Love Letters, and The Deep Blue Sea.

In 1978, he married screenwriter Leigh Curran, whom he later divorced. He married Star Hayner in 1992 and remained married to her until his death. In addition to Hayner, Herrmann is survived by two daughters, Ryan and Emma, and a stepson, Rory.