Who was Larry Neumann Jr.? Tributes pour in as 'Stranger than Fiction' star dies aged 62

Stage actor Larry Neumann Jr. passed away at his South Shore home last Wednesday at the age of 62. The death was most likely from complications due to Type 1 diabetes.

The news was announced by Sandy Borglum, his former wife of 18 years. Borglum noted in a statement:

"Larry was the hardest working man I ever knew. He was lucky in that he always was able to live his life on his own terms."

Quite a few friends and fans of Larry Neumann Jr. took to social media to share their condolences. Chicago PD actor Carlo Lorenzo García tweeted:

Actress Jacqueline Williams also shared her grief on Twitter, writing:

Actor Jeff Still posted:

Another account noted that Chicago is losing a lot of "theatre stalwarts."

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Larry Neumann Jr. is widely remembered for his exceptional acting skills

Neumann acting in a play (Image via larryneumannjr.com)

The Chicago theater actor, who is widely regarded as quintessential, appeared in movies like Stranger Than Fiction (2006), The Merry Gentleman (2009), Stir of Echoes (1999), Sirens (1993), and Slice (2018). However, he is best known for his theater performances.

Larry Neumann Jr., who served as the managing director of the Famous Door Theatre Company for a while, enjoyed a successful career in the entertainment industry for decades. During the mid 1980s, Neumann worked with New Crimes Productions and Blind Parrot Productions.

Neumann acting in a play (Image via larryneumannjr.com)

In 1986, the dedicated actor injected himself with a syringe on stage and was nailed into a coffin at the end of the play when he played the title role in Artaud at Rodez by Charles Marowitz.

After Artaud at Rodez earned him his much-deserved recognition, Neumann went on to play Iago in the Chicago Shakespeare Company production of Othello in 1988. In 1995, Neumann starred in the one-man show Judgement.

Neumann acting in a play (Image via larryneumannjr.com)

Be it his role as a Shakespearean tragedian or a mere Chestnut Seller in the annual Goodman Theatre production of A Christmas Carol, Neumann executed all his performances with much efficiency.

He played Dalai Lama in Eric Overmyer’s monologue, The Dalai Lama Goes Three for Four, in 1996. His most remarkable work was probably acting as Richard Nickel in the Lookingglass Theatre's production of They All Fall Down in 2001.

Larry Neumann Jr. has also acted in a few commercials. Other notable performances by him include acting in The Puppetmaster of Lodz at Writers Theatre, Underneath the Lintel at Noble Fool Theatricals, and The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe at First Folio Theatre.

His untimely death is a great loss for Chicago theaters, but the performances he has delivered throughout the years will always be remembered by theater enthusiasts.