Actor and teacher Lew Palter, who played the ancestor of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush's wife, has died at the age of 94.
Palter rose to prominence in James Cameron's blockbuster film Titanic where he portrayed retail magnate Isidor Straus.
In the 1997 film, he was part of the iconic scene where Isidor and wife Ida held each other on the bed of the sinking ship as water slowly crept up from beneath them. Isidor and Ida Straus were the great-great-grandparents of Stockton Rush's wife, Wendy Rush.
When Palter was not on the big screen, he was working as an acting professor at director at CalArts.
He started working at the university in 1971 and taught several accomplished actors during his 42-year career at the school. He retired in 2013.
Among his noted alumni are Academy Award nominated actors Don Cheadle and Ed Harris, and former Saturday Night Live actress Cecily Strong.
Palter died on May 21 at his home in Los Angeles following a battle with lung cancer, his daughter Catherine announced in a statement on Monday.
The statement read: "As a teacher, he seemed to have truly changed people’s lives."
CalArts School of Theater Dean Travis Preston said in a statement: "Lew loved the craft of acting and taught his students to do the same. He fostered deep curiosity, care, intellect and humor in every scene, play and class.
"He had the utmost respect of his students and encouraged all to find truth in their work and lives."
The spotlight has been focused on the 1912 tragedy following the implosion of the submersible vessel on Sunday.
Five people onboard tourist vessel - named Titan - heading on an expedition to the Titanic wreck site before communications were lost to the mothership MV Polar Prince around one hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent.
Following a frantic search-and-rescue mission, debris of the sub were found around 1,600ft from the hull of the Titanic, with all five people onboard perishing.
British billionaire Hamish Harding, British-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood were joined alongside CEO of OceanGate Expeditions - the company which owns and operates the vessel - Stockton Rush and French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
Palter also starred in other films such as First Monday in October, The Flying Nun, Hill Street Blues, and L.A. Law. He is survived by his daughter and three grandchildren; Sam, Tessa, and Miranda.
*Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
