‘The Sopranos’ actor Robert LuPone, Patti LuPone’s brother, dies at 76

NEW YORK — Robert LuPone, known for roles in TV series like “The Sopranos” and his career in the theater, died at 76 after a battle with cancer.

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LuPone, whose sister is Broadway icon Patti LuPone, died Saturday after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer, Matt Ross Public Relations told The Associated Press.

“The MCC Theater community mourns the loss of our much loved and uniquely inspiring partner, colleague and dear friend, Bob LuPone, who lived fearlessly and with great curiosity, good humor, a boundless passion for connection, and a whole lot of heart. We will miss him deeply and always,” the theater company said in a statement.

LuPone was a leader of the off-Broadway theater company, which he founded with his then-acting student in 1986 under the name “Manhattan Class Company,” NBC News reported. Over the course of 40 years, the company produced several shows that made their way to Broadway, including “Frozen,” “Wit,” and “Reasons to Be Pretty.”

LuPone was born in Brooklyn in 1946, and studied at the Juilliard School before taking his first professional job in the ensemble of Westbury Music Fair’s production of “The Pajama Game,” starring Liza Minnelli, in 1966, CNN reported. Lupone’s debut on Broadway came in 1968′s “Sweet Potato.”

LuPone appeared in several popular series on television, including “Sex and the City” and the soap operas “Guiding Light” and “All My Children,” the latter earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination, the AP reported.

LuPone was possibly best known for his role in “The Sopranos,” where he played Dr. Bruce Cusamano, the neighbor and family doctor to mobster Tony Soprano, CNN reported. In a podcast last August, LuPone said he based the character on a doctor he had previously played in a theater production.

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