Peter Crombie, the actor who memorably played “Crazy” Joe Davola on the television series “Seinfeld,” has died. He was 71 years old.
“It is with shock and extreme sadness that I share with you that my ex-husband died this morning,” Crombie's ex-wife, Nadine Kijner, announced Thursday. in an Instagram post, sharing several photos from their wedding. kijner he told TMZ who died Wednesday from an undisclosed illness.
“Thank you for so many wonderful memories and for being a good man,” Kijner continued in his post. “Fly free towards the limitless source of light, Peter. May your parents and Oliver receive you with love. [Crombie’s pet cat]. Many people loved you because you were a kind, generous, caring and creative soul.”
Raised in Chicago, Crombie is best known for stealing scenes on the fourth season of NBC's “Seinfeld” as “Crazy” Joe Davola, a psychopath obsessed with terrorizing the title character (Jerry Seinfeld). Crombie later played Frankenstein's creature in the 1997 NBC miniseries “House of Frankenstein.”
“I've gone from terrorizing Jerry, Kramer and Elaine to terrorizing all of Los Angeles,” he said. he told Entertainment Weekly in 1997 of the two roles. Although he spent his career playing “tormented people,” his “Seinfeld” character remained the best known thanks to the series' syndication. “I can always tell when they're airing it because I'm walking down the street and someone says, 'Hey, Joe!'”
Crombie, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, also appeared in the films “Se7en,” “My Dog Skip,” “The Doors,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Natural Born Killers” and the remake 1988 of “The Blob,” as well as the television shows “Law & Order,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “LA Law,” “Get Smart,” and “NYPD Blue,” among others. His latest On-screen performance is attributed to a 2000 episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Crombie's friends and colleagues paid tribute to the late actor on social media. “I am heartbroken by the death of my good friend,” said comedian Lewis Black. wrote in X. “He was a talented artist. He was not only a wonderful actor but also an immensely talented writer. More importantly, he was as sweet as he was smart and I am a better person for knowing him.”
“To those who knew him, he was a kind and loyal friend, soft-spoken and expressive in his work as an actor and writer,” said director and photographer Bill Stetz. wrote on facebook. “Rest in peace, Pedro.”
