Manhattan Class Company Theater founder and lauded actor Robert LuPone has died. He was 76 years old. The Brooklyn-born actor, who rose to national prominence in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line and appeared in the HBO smash hit The Sopranos, passed away Aug. 27 after a three year struggle with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement put out by the off-Broadway theater he co-founded. “Bob was a force, an advocate, complex in the richest ways, overflowing with a youthful enthusiasm, and deeply wise as he looked in to our souls,” MCC Theater wrote in a heartfelt statement of LuPone that remembered him as a nurturing and patient mentor who lovingly stitched together their community. LuPone’s success was wide and far-reaching, spanning dozens of TV and Broadway performances, earning him some of the most notable recognitions in the industry, including Daytime Emmy and Tony Award nominations.