Lew Palter dead at age 94: Titanic actor who played ancestor of sub CEO Stockton Rush’s wife in James Cameron film dies
AN actor and teacher who had a shocking link to the Titan submersible wreck has died, his heartbroken family confirmed.
Lew Palter, who was most known for his role in James Cameron’s Titanic, died on May 21 of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He was 94.
Palter portrayed retail tycoon Isidor Strauss, who was one of 1,500 people to tragically die in the Titanic wreck.
He will forever be remembered for a heartwrenching scene where Isidor and his wife Ida held each other in the sinking ship while water crept up around them.
The role in the film was thrust back into the spotlight after it was revealed that he played an ancestor of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush’s wife.
Rush was among five passengers to die in the Titan submersible during a harrowing 13,000-foot descent to see the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18.
When Palter wasn’t acting, he was working as a beloved acting professor at director at CalArts.
He joined the school in 1971 and taught thousands of successful students until his retirement in 2013.
Palter mentored stars like Don Cheadle, Ed Harris, and Cecily Strong, the last of which he encouraged to audition for Saturday Night Live.
The school confirmed his death on May 30 and remembered him as a treasured member of the theater department.
“Lew loved the craft of acting and taught his students to do the same,” CalArts School of Theater Dean Travis Preston said in a statement.
“He fostered deep curiosity, care, intellect, and humor in every scene, play, and class.
“He had the utmost respect of his students and encouraged all to find truth in their work and lives.”
His family confirmed his death on Monday and said that his life centered around education.
“As a teacher, he seemed to have truly changed people’s lives,” his daughter told The Hollywood Reporter.
Other films that Palter starred in include First Monday in October, The Flying Nun, Hill Street Blues, and L.A. Law.
The actor is survived by his daughter and grandchildren Sam, Tessa, and Miranda.
The submersible wreck drew comparisons to the tragedy the Palter depicted on film, with director Cameron saying he felt in his bones what had happened.
“We now have another wreck that is based on unfortunately the same principles of not heeding warnings,” he told the BBC.
“OceanGate were warned.”
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