Len Lesser in a scene from "Seinfeld"

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Len Lesser, the veteran character actor best known for his scene-stealing role as Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld,” died Wednesday, Feb. 23. The cause was cancer-related pneumonia. He was 88.
“Heaven got a great comedian and actor today,” his daughter, Michele, said in the statement. “The outpouring of sympathy we’ve already received has been amazing and is so greatly appreciated.”
Lesser’s lengthy list of television credits included parts on “Get Smart,” “That Girl,” “The Munsters,” “The Monkees,” “The Rockford Files,” “Thirtysomething,” “ER,” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which featured Lesser in a recurring role as the arm-shaking Garvin. His film credits included “Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Kelly’s Heroes,” “Birdman of Alcatraz” and “Death Hunt.” He most recently appeared on the TV drama “Castle.”
He was perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jerry Seinfeld’s annoying, yet endearing, Uncle Leo, in the 1990s “Seinfeld.” He appeared in 15 episodes of the hit show, which brought him fame as far as Israel.
“I was standing there and I was quite taken with what was going on. People going up to the Wall and praying. Putting notes into the Wall. And I’m feeling very religious,” he once said in an interview with The New York Times, referring to a trip he took to Israel. “Very quiet. And all of a sudden, I hear, ‘Uncle Leo, where is the watch?,’ which is from one of the shows. It’s like sacrilege at the Wall.”
In 2002, Lesser appeared as a Holocaust survivor in an award-winning short film, “Today You Are A Fountain Pen,” in which he teaches his grandson about the true meaning of a bar mitzvah.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1922, Lesser’s immigrant father was a grocer. He had the “bar mitzvah from hell,” he once told a reporter, when he forgot the text and started singing instead.  He graduated from New York’s City College at age 15 and spent World War II in the China-Burma-India theater. When he returned from the war, he took up acting, a career he pursued until 2010.
In a comment posted on Twitter, actor Jason Alexander, who portrayed George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” said: “He was a smart actor/comedian who knew exactly what he was doing in the creation of Uncle Leo. ‘Hellooo’ Uncle Leo. And goodbye. Sleep well. Much love.”
In addition to his daughter, Michele, Lesser is survived by his son, David, his daughter-in-law, Julie, and three grandchildren.