Actor James Rebhorn wrote his own obituary and it is one heartwarming read

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Actor James Rebhorn wrote his own obituary and it is one heartwarming read
(Image credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

When searching for his name during movie trivia, you might have called James Rebhorn "that guy from that thing." Which is fair, but only skims the surface.

Rebhorn — who died on March 21 at the age of 65 — appeared in more than 100 films, television shows, and plays during his decades-long career. Most recently, Rebhorn played the bipolar father of Carrie Mathison on Homeland. His long career also included small but pivotal roles in Scent of a Woman, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and most memorably (at least for this writer) the prosecutor who put the Seinfeld cast away in the series finale.

Before he died, however, Rebhorn made one final curtain call — He wrote his own touching obituary, which was posted on the website of his church in New Jersey. And it's clear from these final words that for all the parts we may recognize him for, Rebhorn's longtime roles as father, husband, and son may be his most cherished.

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He is also survived by his wife, Rebecca Fulton Linn, and his two daughters, Emma Rebecca Rebhorn and Hannah Linn Rebhorn. They anchored his life and gave him the freedom to live it. Without them, always at the center of his being, his life would have been little more than a vapor. Rebecca loved him with all his flaws, and in her the concept of ceaseless love could find no better example. [St. Paul Jersey City]

Click here to read Rebhorn's obituary in full.

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Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.