Curiosidades

Won two consecutive Emmy awards (1988, 1989) for his touching portrayal of Benny, the mentally-impaired office worker on L.A. Law (1986).

Had originally studied to become a teacher.

In addition to acting, Drake has a passion for classic cinema and also enjoys big band music and reading.

Drake was proud of a career that spanned television, film and stage, including the 1990 feature film "Darkman," his manager Steven Siebert told the press. Drake earned EMMYs in 1988 and 1989 for playing office worker Benny on the "L.A. Law" dramatic television series. In a 1989 interview with The Associated Press, Drake said he portrayed Benny not as a stereotype but as a man with a full range of emotions. "And that seems to surprise people -- that (such) characters can feel as much as they feel, and note as much as they note," he said. His friend, Charles Edward Pogue, recalled, as "one of a kind" and far different from the roles in which he was often cast, including villains and, at least twice, characters named Bubba. "He was very learned, well-read and intellectual," Pogue said, and a great wit and storyteller who was often the last to leave a party. Although Drake sometimes chafed at being type-cast, Pogue said, Drake appreciated the opportunities he had. Their projects included writing a mystery-comedy play, "Whodunnit, Darling?" Drake's manager Steven Siebert said that Drake, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, recently had focused on teaching acting.

Graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

The son of Lorraine Ruth (Burns), a homemaker, and Raymond John Drake, a drafting engineer for an oil company.

Larry Drake, who earned back-to-back EMMY awards for his sensitive portrayal of mentally challenged character Benny Stulwicz in "L.A. Law," died at age 66. Drake's body was found, on a Thursday, March 17, 2016, in his Los Angeles-area home by a friend, said Charles Edward Pogue, himself a longtime friend and collaborator of Drake's. The cause of death was not immediately known. The heavyset actor had suffered from health issues related to his weight, said Steven Siebert, Drake's manager for over 30 years.