'Wonderful Story Teller': Twin Peaks Actor Dies at 83

By Ryan Ledendecker December 5, 2022 at 3:24pm

Over the weekend, the world of television entertainment lost a fan favorite of the popular 1990s series “Twin Peaks.”

Al Strobel, who played Phillip Gerard in the hit show, passed away on Friday, according to “Twin Peaks” producer Sabrina Sutherland, who announced the saddening news in a statement on behalf of the actor’s family, TVLine reported.

Strobel, remembered as “The One-Armed Man” in the David Lynch series, was 83.

“Through the darkness of future past and much sadness we say goodbye to Al Strobel,” Sutherland’s statement read. “He is an irreplaceable human being and will always be an important part of our Twin Peaks family.”

“Sad , sad news…love Al. He was the sweetest of men. A wonderful story teller…:)💔 and to watch him roll a one handed cigarette- pure magic:)” tweeted Dana Ashbrook, who played Bobby Biggs on the show.

Sad , sad news…love Al. He was the sweetest of men. A wonderful story teller…:)💔 and to watch him roll a one handed cigarette- pure magic:) https://t.co/2WDSHRzrj0

— Dana Ashbrook (@DanaAshbrook) December 3, 2022

Ashbrook’s post was in response to “Twin Peaks” co-creator Mark Frost, who expressed his feelings about Strobel, calling him a “warm and wonderful gentleman.”

“Oh no…. Dear Al… as those of you lucky enough to have met him over the years, what a warm and wonderful gentleman he was. RIP, friend,” Frost tweeted.

Another former “Peaks” producer, Harley Peyton, tweeted, “As authentic an actor as I ever met. So precise so real. RIP. Al.”

“Peaks” made its debut on ABC in 1990. While it only ran for 30 episodes across two seasons, it became a cult television classic with a dedicated and passionate following.

Many fans of both the show and Strobel posted tributes to the late actor on Twitter over the weekend.

RIP Al Strobel! 😪 pic.twitter.com/GzLNOVBjqB

— Mya McBriar (@TwinPeaksBlog) December 3, 2022

“Al Strobel’s performance in this scene made it one of the best in Twin Peaks history. RIP” another Twitter user wrote.

Al Strobel’s performance in this scene made it one of the best in Twin Peaks history. RIP pic.twitter.com/lY4XJyg6K2

— laura 🦠 (@ecto_fun) December 3, 2022

Notably, Strobel lost his left arm in a terrible car accident when he was a teenager. But that didn’t stop him from leveraging the situation in Hollywood.

According to Fox News, Strobel’s character in “Twin Peaks” cut off his own arm to block evil spirits from taking over his body.

While Strobel’s primary success and recognition came as a result of his “Peaks” character, he also has several film credits, including roles in “Megaville,” “Ricochet River,” and “Sitting Target.” In television, he also appeared in the 1991 movie “Child of Darkness, Child of Light.”

As of this writing, Strobel’s cause of death has not yet been made public.

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