Peter Crombie, the actor who was in all probability greatest identified for taking part in the function of “Loopy” Joe Davola on 5 episodes of the hit tv sitcom “Seinfeld,” died on Wednesday in a well being care facility in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 71.
He had been recovering from unspecified surgical procedure, mentioned his ex-wife, Nadine Kijner, who confirmed his loss of life.
In his function as Joe Davola, Mr. Crombie performed a temperamental character who stalks Jerry — a semi-fictionalized model of the comic Jerry Seinfeld — and develops a deep hatred of him.
Tall and lanky, Mr. Crombie’s character had a flat, borderline menacing have an effect on and an unblinking 1,000-yard stare. Within the sequence, he additionally stalked the powerful New Yorker Elaine, in a single case plastering a wall of his house with black-and-white surveillance images of her.
Apart from his half in “Seinfeld,” Mr. Crombie additionally had roles within the films “Seven” (1995), “Rising Solar” (1993) and “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), amongst different performing tv and film credit.
Mr. Crombie was born on June 26, 1952, and grew up in a neighborhood exterior of Chicago.
His father was an artwork trainer, and his mom taught residence economics, Ms. Kijner mentioned. Mr. Crombie educated on the Yale Faculty of Drama earlier than transferring to New York.
Mr. Crombie and Ms. Kijner met in Boston within the late Eighties earlier than marrying in 1991. Although they divorced after about six years of marriage, the 2 remained buddies.
“He was like a rock,” she mentioned. “He was somebody you may at all times name and lean on.”
Ms. Kijner mentioned Mr. Crombie is survived by a brother, Jim. She mentioned Mr. Crombie stepped again from performing round 2000, and labored on his different passions, one in all which was writing.
In a publish on social media, the comic Lewis Black known as Mr. Crombie a “fantastic actor” and an “immensely proficient author.”
“Extra importantly he was as candy as he was clever and I’m a greater individual for realizing him,” Mr. Black wrote.
Larry Charles, a “Seinfeld” author, additionally provided reward for Mr. Crombie.
“His portrayal of Joe Davola managed to really feel actual and grounded and psychopathic and absurd and hilarious all on the similar time,” Mr. Charles wrote on social media. “This was a juxtaposition I used to be at all times looking for on my Seinfeld episodes and reached a climax of kinds with ‘The Opera.’ Seinfeld was a sitcom that would make you uncomfortable and no visitor actor walked that line higher than Peter.”
