Hiram Kasten, a staple of the New York City comedy circuit, who was perhaps best known for a brief yet memorable role on Seinfeld, has died following a battle with prostate cancer, his family revealed in an obituary on Sunday.
Kasten played Michael, a coworker of Elaine's (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in three episodes from 1993 to 1994. In addition to Seinfeld, Kasten appeared in dozens of popular television shows through the years, including Saved by the Bell, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Everybody Loves Raymond.
According to his obituary published in his hometown newspaper, The Batavian, Kasten set his sights on stand-up comedy after bouncing around the New York theater scene in the 1970s. He then took the leap to audition at his first comedy club, The Comic Strip, where the emcee was none other than Jerry Seinfeld, who passed him on his first try. The pair formed a friendship that would go on to last 45 years.
However, as Kasten's heath began to decline in 2017 due to a "multitude of illnesses" including prostate cancer and a lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease, he stopped performing and actively pursuing his career. It was only in the past six months that he began to share his terminal diagnosis with friends, who overwhelmed him with support in his final months.
"His great comedy and artistic community rallied to his side," his obit writes. "Some made trips to Batavia to visit him, late night Zoom meetings with friends on both coasts ensued and went into the wee hours of the morning. On his first Zoom, he held court. He loved it and was at the top of his game throwing down references of comedy history and recalling stories from the past. [His wife] said it prolonged his life for at least another two months to be able to laugh with his peers."
Kasten was said to have died in her arms of his wife, Diana Kisiel Kastenbaum, the day after their 38th wedding anniversary. He is also survived by a daughter, Millicent Jade Kastenbaum, a Manhattan district attorney.
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