‘Punky Brewster’ star and ‘Police Academy’ actor George Gaynes dead at 98

Gaynes died on Monday at his daughter’s house in North Bend right here, stories The New York Times. But he never achieved the stardom attained by a leading man. The Police Academy star died at the home of his daughter Ivy Gaynes Falcone Brown in Washington.

In 1984, he gained Hollywood notoriety as Commandant Eric Lassard in Police Academy.

In his popular role as Warnimont on “Punky Brewster”, Gaynes’ character found an abandoned little girl (Soleil Moon Frye) in an empty apartment and became first her foster parent and then her adoptive father.

Adept at delivering the series’ ridiculous dialogue in a boisterously resonant baritone, Gaynes appeared in the role seven times across a decade’s worth of films.

Gaynes’ silver screen credits also include 1982’s “Tootsie”, in which he played the role of a soap opera star who has a crush on his new co-star, Dorothy Michaels, unaware that Michaels is Dustin Hoffman’s character in drag.

After the war he traveled to New York, where he joined the New York City Opera. Gaynes starred for four seasons alongside Soleil Moon Frye, doling out cantankerous wisdom, one-liners, and reserved affection on a weekly basis.

Along with being a versatile actor, he was also known for his prolific voice and started his career with opera performances.

Mr Gaynes also appeared in the daytime soaps General Hospital and Search for Tomorrow.

Married to actress and singer Allyn Ann McLerie since 1953, he was, according to longtime agent Jonathan Howard, “one of the true gentlemen in this business”. His son, Matthew, died in a auto crash in 1989.