Harvey Atkin, the Canadian actor who played the summer camp director Morty Melnick in “Meatballs,” has died. He was 74.
Atkin’s longtime agent Larry Goldhar said Tuesday that Atkin died Monday night in Toronto following a battle with cancer.
Atkin appeared in more than 90 episodes of “Cagney & Lacey” as Sgt. Ronald Coleman, and he appeared frequently as Judge Alan Ridenour on “Law & Order.”
But many knew him best for his breakout role in Ivan Reitman’s 1979 Bill Murray comedy.
His mustached, bespectacled Morty Melnick — a heavy sleeper — was the target of numerous pranks by the counselors at Camp North Star, led by Murray.
The movie ended with Morty waking up on a raft in the middle of a lake.
Atkin’s list of credits stretched back to 1971 and continued into 2017 with “A Change of Heart,” in which he played a cardiologist.
He also appeared as a judge for two seasons on the Toronto-based USA Network legal drama “Suits.”
Atkin is survived by his wife Celia, daughter Lisa, son Danny, three sisters and five grandchildren.
