Al Strobel, Twin Peaks ' 'one-armed man,' dies at 83

Al Strobel, best known for playing Phillip Gerard, the "one-armed man," on Twin Peaks, has died at the age of 83.

His death was announced on Facebook by Twin Peaks: The Return producer Sabrina S. Sutherland, a frequent collaborator of filmmaker and Twin Peaks creator David Lynch. "I am sad to have to post that Al Strobel passed away last night. I loved him dearly," she wrote.

In a statement on behalf of his family, she added: "Through the darkness of future past and much sadness we say goodbye to Al Strobel. He is an irreplaceable human being and will always be an important part of our Twin Peaks family."

His cause of death is not yet known.

Twin Peaks debuted in 1989 and ran for two seasons, becoming a cultural phenomenon. It returned in 2017 for a third season on Showtime, with Strobel reprising his role.

Strobel lost his left arm in a car accident at the age of 17. He appeared in 1992's prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, as well as 2001's Ricochet River and the TV movie Child of Darkness, Child of Light, among other projects.

Many of the performer's Twin Peaks collaborators paid tribute to him on social media, including series co-creator Mark Frost.

"Oh no…Dear Al…as those of you lucky enough to have met him over the years, what a warm and wonderful gentleman he was. RIP, friend," he wrote.

Writer and producer Harley Peyton added, "As authentic an actor as I ever met. So precise so real. RIP. Al."

Kyle MacLachlan also expressed his grief, writing on Instagram: "One of the nicest guys ever. I'm so sad to hear this news. He brought a gravitas and intensity to the world of Twin Peaks that was essential."

Co-stars Dana Ashbrook and Michael Horse, who played Bobby Briggs and Deputy Hawk, respectively, also shared their condolences.

The news comes just months after the death of Lenny Von Dohlen, who played Twin Peaks' Harold Smith. This year also saw the loss of actor Kenneth Welsh, who portrayed villain Windom Earle, and singer Julee Cruise, whose gorgeous voice haunted the series.

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