Actor, screenwriter John Frey dies of heart failure

Washington [US], February 1 : Actor, screenwriter, and director John Frey, widely known for the 2018 film 'Cabaret Maxime', has passed away. He was 62 when he breathed his last.
As per Variety, the artist passed on January 23 due to heart failure. A representative for the William Esper Studio, where Frey graduated from, said in a statement, "An artist pure of heart and generous of spirit has been taken from us far too soon."
"John was a critically-acclaimed director, award-winning screenwriter and among the most respected acting technique teachers in the world," the rep added.
Born in the Bronx, Frey graduated from the prestigious William Esper Studio for actors and had a 25-year career in film, theater and television. Frey's early theater acting and directing credits include 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', '27 Wagons Full of Cotton', 'Miss Julie' and 'Of Mice and Men'.
The late star's most recent project was as an actor and screenwriter for Bruno de Almeida's film 'Cabaret Maxime', which won him the Portuguese Society of Authors best screenplay award.
Frey first met de Almeida in New York City, and the duo collaborated on several films including 'On the Run' (1999), 'The Collection' (2005), 'The Lovebirds' (2009), 'The Lecture' (2012), and 'Operation Autumn' (2013). In addition to acting in all of these films, Frey is also credited as a writer on 'The Collection', 'The Lovebirds' and 'Operation Autumn'.
The star's other film credits include Michael Imperioli's 'The Hungry Ghosts', '15 Months in May', 'Call Girl in Slow Motion' in Portugal, 'The Wake' in Denmark, and 'Les Taxis Rouge' with Jean Reno in France.
The artist's television acting credits include 'Rescue Me' with Dennis Leary and the TV miniseries 'Mata Hari' in Russia. Frey had an impressive resume, apart from his contribution to the film industry, he also taught acting in Lisbon, Portugal, and at the William Esper Studio in Manhattan.
In 2009, Frey moved to Lisbon, Portugal, where he opened the John Frey Studio for Actors and taught the Meisner technique to young actors. He also established the Below the Belt Theater Company in 2013, where he directed plays including John Patrick Shanley's 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea' and Stephen Adly Guirgis's 'The Motherfucker With the Hat'.
Frey returned to New York City in 2019 to join the William Esper Studio faculty and taught there until his demise. At the time of his death, he was preparing to promote a screenplay about Herman Melville, the author of 'Moby Dick'.