Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies host, dies at 84

Robert Osborne, the film historian and former actor who became beloved as the affable host of Turner Classic Movies, has died, the network announced Monday. He was 84.

The cable network announced his death in a tweet, but did not disclose a cause. The network told The Associated Press he died Monday in New York.

Jennifer Dorian, TCM's general manager, said in a statement on Twitter that he was a "beloved member of the Turner family for more than 23 years."

"He joined us as an expert on classic film and grew to be our cherished colleague and esteemed ambassador for TCM," the tweet said.

Osborne was embraced by "devoted fans" as a trusted expert and a calming presence, with a gentlemanly style, encyclopedic knowledge of film history and personal interviewing style. He also was a fervent support for film preservation, her statement said.

"(It) all combined to make him a truly world-class host," she wrote. "Robert's contributions were fundamental in shaping TCM into what it is today."

Osborne hosted four prime-time movies every night, seven days a week. He also hosted one-on-one Private Screening interviews with numerous stars and filmmakers such as Lauren Bacall, Angela Lansbury, Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Quinn, Jack Lemmon and Robert Mitchum.

He co-hosted The Essentials with Alec Baldwin, a series of films considered to be "essential viewing" for anyone seeking a well-rounded knowledge of the best films ever made.

Baldwin got a little choked up talking about Osborne to USA TODAY on Monday. He said Osborne was warm, funny, kind, smart, loving and "irreplaceable."

"There are people who make films, and those films drive people's passion for films and inspire people to love films as the great art form that it is," he said. "And there are people like Bob, whose appreciation of those films, drives people to watch films ... I had a ball when I worked with him. ... I loved Bob. I am so, so sorry."

Prior to joining TCM in 1994, he had been a host on The Movie Channel, and worked as a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. In 1988, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences commissioned him to write an official history of the Academy Awards, 60 Years of the Oscar.

The latest update of the book, 85 Years of the Oscar, was published in 2013.

According to his IMDb page, Osborne got his start working for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, but appeared as an actor in such TV series as Death Valley Days and The Beverly Hillbillies.

Eventually, Ball suggested he combine his interest in classic film and his journalism training at the University of Washington to become a writer, which led to his first book, 1965's Academy Awards Illustrated, his column for THR and his role as the official Oscars biographer.

Between 2006 and 2010, he even served as the official red carpet greeter for the academy at the Oscars ceremony, according to his website.

An elegant and unassuming man, Osborne had a remarkable memory for movie names, dates and facts and a storytelling gift that made him perfect as a host.

Osborne's celebrity fans began tweeting condolences and memories almost immediately.

"Pure class and one of the first people in Hollywood who supported my breaking barriers. RIP," tweeted Oscar winner Marlee Matlin.

"A good & true gent, unique and irreplaceable," tweeted Mitzi Gaynor.

Osborne was especially hailed as "an exceptionally charming" man, as one admirer put it in a tweet.

"A special man," tweeted Pat Sajak.

He was a "class act"  whose "historical nuggets" made watching old movies even more fun, tweeted Larry King.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander