Punky Brewster, Police Academy actor George Gaynes dies at 98

George Gaynes, a notable character actor and baritone singer, died Monday in North Bend, Washington. He was 98.

His daughter, Iya Gaynes Falcone Brown, confirmed his death to The New York Times. Born George Jongejans in Helsinki to a Russian mother and Dutch father, Gaynes was raised in France, England, and Switzerland, and enlisted in the Royal Dutch Navy during World War II, Reuters reports. After the war, he moved to the United States, where he changed his last name and joined the New York City Opera.

As an actor, he appeared in 35 films (Tootsie, Just Married) and countless television shows, including Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-0, General Hospital, Chicago Hope, and Bonanza. He starred in the 1980s sitcom Punky Brewster, portraying Henry Warnimont, a photographer who ultimately adopts the spunky Punky Brewster after she is abandoned by her mother. He also appeared in all seven Police Academy films as Commandant Lassard. Gaynes retired in 2003. He is survived by his wife, actress Allyn Ann McLerie; his daughter; one granddaughter; and two great-granddaughters. His son, Matthew, died in 1989 in a car accident.

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