James Karen, best known for Poltergeist and Night of the Living Dead, is no more. He was 94. According to variety.com, he died on Tuesday. His friend Leonard Maltin confirmed the news of his demise.

Born Jacob Karnovsky in 1923, the actor later changed his last name to Karen after setting out to pursue a career in New York in the 1940s as a professional actor. Under his new name, he went on to garner appearances spanning both film and television for more than 70 years.