Edward Herrmann

The embodiment of erudite, well-bred men of means in American entertainment, Edward Herrmann was an Emmy- and Tony-winning actor whose gift for quiet drama and frothy comedy enlivened such projects as "Eleanor and Franklin" (ABC, 1976), "Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story" (NBC, 1978), "Reds" (1981), "The Lost Boys" (1987) and "Gilmore Girls" (The WB, 2000-07). Tall, reserved and possessed of a marvelously fluid voice, Herrmann's characters ran the gamut of the rich, intelligent and powerful - from multiple portrayals of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the kindly founder of St. Eligius hospital on "St. Elsewhere" (NBC, 1982-88) to a venal William Randolph Hearst in the feature film "The Cat's Meow" and the emotionally complex patriarch on "Gilmore Girls." In all cases, Herrmann's portrayals found the humanity behind the occasionally stuffy veneer of his roles, which kept him busy in films, documentary narration, advertising and on television and the stage for over four decades. His death on December 31, 2014, following a brief battle with brain cancer, was mourned by fans and peers alike.