George Segal passed away today at the age of 87. “The family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery,” his wife Sonia said in a statement.
Segal started acting in front of the camera in 1960, and he never stopped. Six years into his career, he received an Oscar nomination for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. From then on, he starred in movies and shows like The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Where’s Poppa, Fun with Dick and Jane, and the Look Who’s Talking franchise, Take Five, and Murphy’s Law.
However, his biggest roles came later on in life. In 1997, he landed the role of grumpy Jack Gallo in Just Shoot Me. Finally, in 2013, he was cast in his last role, one he played almost to the end. He starred as the lovable Pops on The Goldbergs. He was the type of grandfather that everyone wants to have as their own. That is why today, show creator Adam F. Goldberg said this about the man he cast to play his Pops, “Today we lost a legend. It was a true honor being a small part of George Segal’s amazing legacy. By pure fate, I ended up casting the perfect person to play Pops. Just like my grandfather, George was a kid at heart with a magical spark. I think these memories say it all…”
It is the perfect way to characterize the actor. Today, let’s keeps his magical spark alive by watching him in one of his many roles throughout his career.
He is survived by his wife Sonia and two daughters, Polly and Elizabeth, from his first marriage to Marion Sobel.
