Canadian actor Maury Chaykin dies

Although his management has yet to release an official cause, Maury Chaykin passed away in Toronto at the age of 61 last Tuesday. According to CBC News, close friends of the beloved actor said he had been suffering recent health problems that apparently had to do with his kidneys.

Mark McKinney, producer of “Less Than Kind,” in which Chaykin appeared in 15 episodes, described him to CBC News as "one of our greatest actors" and added that the cast of the HBO Canada comedy was "reeling" from news of his death. “Maury's an actor of unparalleled gifts, you cannot learn what he had in spades — you could study for 1,000 years. He had an incredible gift, an instant quickness.”

Chaykin was born in the Brooklyn, New York to an American father and Winnipeg-born mother, and after living in the States for a few years he moved to Toronto, where he resided until his death. His first starring role came in 1994 when he was in “Whale Music,” followed by “My Cousin Vinny” with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, and “Dances With Wolves.” He also enjoyed success on television, appearing in “Emily of New Moon,” Canadian gem “Due South,” and a semi-recurring role on the hit show “Entourage” playing Jeremy Piven’s nemesis Harvey Weingard. He won two Gemini Awards, a Genie Award and a Canadian Comedy Award over the course of his career.

Production on season three of “Less Than Kind” was set to begin in September, but the schedule has been pushed back because of Chaykin’s passing. Winnipeg actor and castmate Stephen Eric McIntyre said Chaykin was "a very nice, very entertaining man with lots of energy and a fabulous work ethic.”