Robert “Bob” LuPone, best known for his role as Dr. Bruce Cusamano on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” died Saturday from pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.
LuPone battled cancer for three years before succumbing to the disease. Fans, friends, and loved ones are mourning his loss, including his colleagues at the Manhattan Class Company (MCC), the off-Broadway theater company he co-founded in 1986. LuPone and casting director Bernie Telsey formed the MCC, also known as the MCC Theatre, and led the entertainment company for nearly 40 years, according to Page Six. LuPone “lived fearlessly and with great curiosity, good humor, a boundless passion for connection, and a whole lot of heart. We will miss him deeply and always,” the MCC wrote in a statement.
NEW YORK – MAY 26: Producer Robert Lupone attends the Outer Critics Circles Award reception at Sardi’s on May 26, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
The actor was a triple threat in the world of entertainment, possessing talents as an actor, singer and dancer. LuPone showcased his work on Broadway as well as on television. He graduated from Juilliard in 1968 and landed a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Al in “A Chorus Line,” according to Page Six. His dedication to the MCC led to the production of shows such as “Frozen,” “School Girls” and “Wit.”
LuPone also appeared in “Sex and the City,” “Guiding Light” and “All My Children,” where he nabbed a Daytime Emmy nomination, according to Page Six. (RELATED: Olivia Newton-John Dead At Age 73)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 26: Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Blake West and Robert LuPone attend Miscast 2018 Honors Laurie Metcalf at Hammerstein Ballroom on March 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
“Bob was a force, an advocate, complex in the richest ways, overflowing with a youthful enthusiasm, and deeply wise as he looked in to our souls,” representatives from the MCC said. “He was our best friend. It is hard to believe that we will never sit down with him again and say ‘Let’s talk.'”
LuPone is survived by his wife, Virginia; his son, Orlando; his sister, actress Patti LuPone; and his brother, William.