Comedic actor Ian Abercrombie dies at 77

Ian Abercrombie, who appeared in such shows as Seinfeld and Wizards of Waverly Place as well as movies like Army of Darkness, died of a heart attack on Thursday at the age of 77.

Our readers probably known him best as Mr. Pitt, Elaine’s eccentric and demanding boss from Seinfeld. One of this more notable gags had him keeping her late at work to pick out the perfect sock.

Cult movie fans will recognize him as the old man Ash refers to as “Spinach Chin” in Army of Darkness. This wiseman advises Ash on how to retrieve the Necronomicon and return to his time. One could say this man with a long beard was a sort of medieval wizard.

Most recently Ian Abercrombie, still wearing a long white beard, had a recurring role in the hit Disney TV series Wizards of Waverly Place. He played Professor Crumbs, headmaster of Wiz-Tech, a school for Wizards that the main characters occasionally attended.

With half a century of acting experience to his name, Ian Abercrombie’s contribution to movies and TV won’t soon be forgotten.