Al Strobel was the “one-armed man”

Al Strobel, best known for starring in David Lynch’s cult classic Twin Peaks, died on Friday. He was 83 years old.

Peaks producer and longtime Lynch collaborator Sabrina Sutherland confirmed the actor’s death in a statement.

“Through the darkness of the future past and much sadness, we say goodbye to Al Strobel,” she wrote in a statement on behalf of his family, according to TVLine. “He is an irreplaceable person and will always be an important part of our Twin Peaks family.”

So far, Strobel’s official cause of death has not been announced.

Born in Seattle, Washington in 1939, the playwright is best known for playing Phillip Gerard (aka The One-Armed Man) on David Lynch’s legendary ABC fantasy series Twin Peaks.

Strobel’s character was a traveling shoe seller who was possessed by an evil entity that made him commit evil deeds. To exorcise the demon, Gerard cut off his own arm, earning the aforementioned nickname. Interestingly, Strobel lost his own arm in a car accident when he was just 17 years old.

The Seattle native has appeared in all iterations of Twin Peaks,‘, including the series’ original run from 1990, the 1992 film adaptation ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’, and the 2017 Showtime series revival.

Strobel’s former employees and fans were devastated by his loss.

“Oh no…Dear Al…than those of you lucky enough to have met him over the years what a warm and wonderful gentleman he was. RIP friend,” wrote Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost in one touching Twitter tribute.

Dana Ashbrook who played Bobby Briggs in the series, tweeted: “Sad, sad news… dear Al. He was the sweetest of all men. A wonderful storyteller…:) and watching him roll a one-handed cigarette – pure magic :)”

“As authentic an actor as I have ever met. So precise, so real. REST IN PEACE. Al”, Added “Peaks” producer Harley Peyton.

Aside from his storied performance in Twin Peaks, Strobel has also appeared in the films Shadow Play, Sitting Target, Richochet River, and the 1991 TV movie Child of Darkness, Child of Light.