Larry Drake, best known for playing Benny on “L.A. Law,” died on Thursday at the age of 66, TheWrap has confirmed.
Drake was found in his home in Hollywood and pronounced dead on the scene. According to Steven Siebert, the actor’s manager of 30 years, Drake had recently been struggling with health issues and had been hospitalized several times.
The actor’s role as the office manager Benny Stulwicz on the NBC legal drama was hailed as a revolutionary portrayal of developmental disorders for the time, and earned him two Prime-Time Emmy Awards in 1988 and 1989. He reprised the role in the 2002 TV movie.
He also starred in Sam Raimi‘s 1990 cult hit “Darkman” alongside Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, as well as the direct-to-video sequel “Darkman II: The Return of Durant.”
Though he had recently taken a step back from acting to teach, Drake‘s recent credits included the 2009 thriller “Dead Air,” and guest roles on “7th Heaven,” “Six Feet Under” and “Boston Legal.”