Twin Peaks and Grace Under Fire Actor Walter Olkewicz Dead at 72: 'He Was a Good Man'
Warner Bros. Television / courtesy Everett Collection
Walter Olkewicz, an actor known for his roles on Twin Peaks, Grace Under Fire and Seinfeld, has died. He was 72.
Olkewicz's death was confirmed by his son, screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, in a statement given to USA Today.
"He was a good man who pushed his love for creativity and the arts into everything he did," his son told the outlet of his father. "He handed that passion down to me, and I look forward to passing it on to the grandchildren he loved so much."
Olkewicz died on Tuesday morning at his Los Angeles home, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor dealt with a series of health issues over the past 20 years, following a series of knee surgeries that caused various infections.
Alongside his son, Olkewicz is also survived by daughter-in-law Katrina Rennells, and his two grandchildren, Sadie and Declan Robert.
RELATED: Celebrities Who've Died in 2021
ABC /Courtesy Everett Collection
Born on May 14, 1948, in New Jersey, Olkewicz graduated from Bayonne High School before he later attended St. Mary of the Plains College in Kansas before going onto Colorado State University, per Deadline.
In 1976, he appeared in his first role, making his film debut in Futureworld, which starred Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Olkewicz then went on to star in an array of other films, including 1941, Making the Grade, The Big Picture and Par 6.
The actor also had a recurring role on the first four seasons of ABC's Grace Under Fire, while Seinfeld fans will remember the actor as Nick the cable guy in the episode, "The Cadillac."
RELATED VIDEO: Get a Behind The Scenes Look at The Casting Of Twin Peaks
But his most famous role came as Jacques Renault on David Lynch's Twin Peaks series in 1990. Olkewicz also went on to star in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces.
Olkewicz similarly reprised his role for the 2017 Showtime reboot of Twin Peaks, which would be his last on-screen role. "It was his first role in almost 15 years, and he did it all from behind a bar to cover the fact that he couldn't stand," his son told THR.
