“Seinfeld” actor and New York comedian Hiram Kasten dies at the age of 71

Actor Hiram Kasten, best known for his work in “Seinfeld,” “Leave it, Larry!” and “Saved By the Bell,” has died at the age of 71.

The New York native’s wife, Diana Kisiel Kastenbaum, announced his death in a Facebook post on Sunday, revealing that the actor had been battling prostate cancer.

The actor died in his wife’s arms “just hours after their 38th wedding anniversary,” the post said.

In addition to his cancer, Kasten had also battled Crohn’s disease for seven years. He died at his home in Batavia, New York.

While Kasten’s “health had deteriorated and he stopped performing or actively pursuing his career in 2017,” “it was only in the last six months that he began to share the finality of the situation with his friends,” the post said.

His “great comedy and artist community stood by him,” and “some traveled to Batavia to visit him. Late-night Zoom meetings with friends on both coasts followed, lasting into the early hours of the morning.”

“It has extended his life by at least two more months because he can now laugh with his peers,” his wife added.

Funeral services will be held at a later date at the Schwartz Brothers-Jeffers Memorial Chapel in Forest Hills, New York.

An official memorial service will be held later this summer in Los Angeles, California.

Kasten is best known for his role as Michael in “Seinfeld” from 1993 to 1994. In this role, he was the colleague of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Elane Benes.

The actor earned his stripes in the comedy world by making a name for himself in the New York comedy scene after regularly appearing at the Comic Strip, an iconic venue where Jerry Seinfeld once performed.

Seinfeld “outperformed Hiram in his first audition and he became a regular,” and the two formed “a friendship that has lasted 45 years,” Diana wrote in the post.

Kasten also maintained friendships with Michael Richards, Paul Reiser, Larry Miller and Mark Schiff.

Kasten has also performed as a stand-up commentator at The Improv, The Comedy Cellar, Caroline’s and Dangerfield’s.

In addition to his work on “Seinfeld,” Kasten has appeared in “Saved By the Bell,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Cybill,” “Mad About You,” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

In the early 2000s, Kasten appeared in Drop It, Larry!, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Meet the Wife and Kids, and 7th Heaven.

The Bronx-born actor leaves behind his wife Diana, his daughter Millicent Jade and his brother-in-law Kevin John Kisiel.