Al Strobel, Twin Peaks' One-Armed Man, Dead at 83

Al Strobel, known for starring as Twin Peaks' Philip Gerard, has passed away. He was 83. 

Sabrina Sutherland, Twin Peaks producer and longtime David Lynch collaborator, confirmed the news over the weekend. "I am sad to have to post that Al Strobel passed away last night," she wrote. "I loved him dearly."

No cause of death has been revealed yet. 

Strobel was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1939, and lost his left arm in a car accident when he was 17. His most notable role was the One-Armed Man in Twin Peaks, who cut off his arm to put an end to an evil entity posessing him. During his career, he also appeared in films like Megaville and Ricochet River. Strobel starred in the original iteration of Twin Peaks in the 1990s and returned for Twin Peaks: The Return, despite having retired from acting in the early 2000s. 

Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost paid tribute to the late actor, writing "Oh no…Dear Al…as those of you lucky enough to have met him over the years, what a warm and wonderful gentleman he was. RIP, friend." He was joined by actor Dana Ashbrook, who starred as Bobby Briggs in the series. "Sad, sad news…love Al. He was the sweetest of men."

Series lead Kyle MacLachlan also expressed sadness over Stobel's passing in an Instagram comment. "One of the nicest guys ever. I'm so sorry to hear this news. He brought a gravitas and an intensity to the world of Twin Peaks that was essential. Sending love." 

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.