Comedian Hiram Kasten, who appeared on shows such as Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Saved By the Bell, has died at the age of 71 after a battle with prostate cancer.
An obituary for Kasten was published on Sunday afternoon in his Facebook page, noting that he died in the arms of his wife Diana Kisiel Kastenbaum “just hours after their 38th wedding anniversary.”
Kasten battled multiple ailments including prostate cancer and Crohn’s disease for the past seven years, according to the obituary, and died at his home in Batavia, New York.
Kasten had appeared in a trio of Seinfeld episodes in 1993-1994, playing Michael, a work colleague of Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
Kasten was a staple on the New York City comedy circuit and made regular appearances on The Comic Strip, where Jerry Seinfeld once served as master of ceremonies.
Comedian Hiram Kasten, who appeared on shows such as Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Saved By the Bell, has died at the age of 71 after a battle with prostate cancer. Photographed in New York in 2013.
An obituary for Kasten was posted Sunday afternoon on his Facebook page, noting that he died in the arms of his wife Diana Kisiel Kastenbaum “just hours after their 38th wedding anniversary.”
The obituary noted that while Kasten “loved show business and lived his dream of being in show business…his most satisfying and important role was that of family man” to his wife and daughter, Millicent Jade. Kastenbaum.
“He loved being a father to his beautiful, brilliant daughter,” the obituary said, as “her many accomplishments in her young life and in her career as an assistant district attorney have made him burst with pride and love.”
Kasten’s other television appearances came on ’90s sitcoms, including Saved By the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Cybill, Mad About You and Everybody Loves Raymond.
In the early 2000s, she made appearances on shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, My Wife and Kids, and 7th Heaven.
Kasten’s family said funeral services will be held at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffers Memorial Chapel in Forest Hills, New York, with a date and time to be announced; with a memorial service in Los Angeles scheduled for later this summer.
According to the obituary, Kasten’s family “has asked that if anyone wishes to make a memorial tribute, that it be made in the form of a charitable donation to” Crossroads House and Community Entertainment Fund (formerly The Actors Fund).
Kasten had appeared in a trio of Seinfeld episodes in 1993-1994, playing Michael, a work colleague of Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
Kasten’s other television appearances came in sitcoms such as Saved By the Bell in 1991, in which she appeared alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
Kasten was a staple on the New York City comedy circuit and made regular appearances on The Comic Strip, where Jerry Seinfeld once served as master of ceremonies. The two were photographed in 2013 in New York.
