(ReliableNews.org) – Hiram Kasten was a native New Yorker who started his career in theater and then moved to comedy, before settling on acting. He landed roles on some of the biggest television series in American history, including “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Sadly, he has now passed away.
On June 16, an obituary appeared on Kasten’s Facebook page. It stated that the actor lost his battle with prostate cancer. He’d been fighting a multitude of illnesses since 2017 which forced him to stop acting.
Kasten was born in the Bronx in 1952. He went to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) Lehman College and majored in theater. After he graduated in 1974, he landed a role in a theater production. He spent a few years in the theater scene, then he decided to be a stand-up comedian. He met Jerry Seinfeld in the early days and the two became lifelong friends.
In 1986, Kasten married Diana Kisiel in New York City. She pushed him to move to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of acting. That’s what they did the following year. Soon after moving, Kasten landed a role in “Dr. Paradise,” a pilot for CBS. Later he starred as Michael, a co-worker of Elaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on “Seinfeld.”
Kasten had guest roles on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Saved by the Bell,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “7th Heaven,” Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and many others. Later in his career, he became known as a roast comedian. He also performed in Las Vegas, headlining a David Cassidy production of “The Rat Pack is Back.”
The actor had one child, Millicent Kastenbaum, whom he stayed home with for the first few years after her birth. According to his obituary, he loved being a stay-at-home dad and always found something new for the two of them to do. She grew up to be an accomplished attorney and works as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. Kasten remained married to Diana until the end, dying in her arms on June 16, one day after their 38th wedding anniversary.
Kasten’s funeral took place in New York. He was laid to rest at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing.
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