Hollywood Actor Ben Stiller's Father Jerry, Star of Seinfield, Dies Aged 92

Jerry Stiller, who played two of American television's most cantankerous fathers on the sitcoms Seinfeld and The King of Queens, has died aged 92, his son Ben Stiller said on Twitter on Monday.

"I'm sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes," wrote Ben, a Hollywood comedian who appeared with his father in Zoolander and other movies.

"He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad," he added.

Jerry Stiller was part of a 1960s comedy team with wife Anne Meara. But he was in his mid-60s when he got what would become his signature acting role - Frank Costanza, father of ne'er-do-well George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) on Seinfeld, a tense, bombastic man always on the verge of apoplexy.

In 1993, Stiller had thought his entertainment career was nearing an end when he got a phone call from Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, about joining the cast led by comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

The show, one of the most highly regarded in US TV history, was in its fourth season at the time but Stiller said he had never watched a minute of it and had to ask, "Who's Seinfeld?"