Titanic actor Lew Palter dies aged 94, here's what we know

A week after the Titan submarine imploded at sea, Netflix has decided to bring back the Titanic movie on the platform, there's also another piece of news that's likely to sadden Internet users.

Following the submarine's mission to visit the wreck of the Titanic, which resulted in the death of all five passengers, the cult around the disaster movie is back in full force. Indeed, streamings of Céline Dion's My Heart Will Go On, the soundtrack to the James Cameron-directed film, have exploded. But that's not all.

Lew Palter, aka Isidor Straus in Titanic, has died

Titanic fans are still reeling, as one of the actors of the classic film has died of lung cancer on May 21, 2023, at the age of 94. Lew Palter's daughter confirmed the news of his death to the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, June 27, saying the actor died in his Los Angeles home last month.

The actor had a surprising connection to the Titan submersible, which imploded last week, killing all five of its passengers. Indeed, Lew Palter played the role of Isidor Straus in Titanic, a man who really existed, and coincidentally, an ancestor of Wendy Rush, the wife of Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions. Wendy Rush has therefore lost three people to the Titanic shipwreck, her great-great-grandparents Isidor and Ida Straus, but also her husband, Stockton Rush, last week, when the submarine imploded in the Atlantic ocean. Isidor and Ida Straus were depicted in the Titanic film as the couple staying in bed together while the ship sank.

Read more:Titanic diver reveals near-death experience he had during visit to shipwreck: 'It's a terrible way to go'

'Lew loved acting'

Lew Palter was a beloved teacher at CalArts. Indeed, when Palter wasn't acting, he worked as a drama teacher, joining the school in 1971 and teaching thousands of successful students until his retirement in 2013. The actor had the opportunity to mentor stars such as Don Cheadle, Ed Harris and Cecily Strong, whose audition for SaturdayNight Live he encouraged. CalArts School of Theatre dean Travis Preston released a statement paying tribute to Lew Palter.

Lew loved actingand taught his students to do the same.

Read more:Titanic: Here's why Jack couldn't have survived with Rose, according to James Cameron

This article has been adapted from Oh!MyMag FR.

Sources used:

Hollywood Reporter: Lew Palter, ‘Titanic’ Actor and Longtime CalArts Teacher, Dies at 94

Washington Post: Submersible pilot’s wife is descendant of immortalized Titanic couple