Prolific TV actor and folk musician George Gerdes has passed away at the age of 72 after suffering a brain aneurysm on New Year's Eve.

His partner Julia Johns informed The Hollywood Reporter that Gerdes died the following day.

The actor has appeared in numerous hit television shows since starting his career in the 1980s, including Seinfeld, Miami Vice, Lost and Grey's Anatomy.

In 1994, he appeared in the first season of The X-Files, playing a Reverend in the episode titled 'Miracle Man'.

Gerdes also had guest roles on ER, True Blood and Dexter.

More recently, he appeared in Amazon drama Bosch and long-running Shona Rhimes-created medical series Grey's Anatomy - a role he nabbed in 2020.

Gerdes' Bosch co-star, Titus Welliver, called him "an actor's actor and a deeply kind man".

Gerdes released two acclaimed folk albums in the 1970s, with Joni Mitchell describing his track 'Say So What Else Is New?' as "the happiest sad song I've ever heard".