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Beloved Hollywood star with link to Anne Frank dies as family share sad message

A well-known Hollywood star has sadly died after a long and successful career as his heartbroken loved ones were forced to share the news with his devastated fans

[Peter Lassally in beige suit at TCA Winter Press Tour]

Lassally joined the NBC page program when he was 19(Image: Getty)

A beloved Hollywood TV star has died. 93-year-old producer Peter Lassally was often dubbed the 'host whisperer' and earned praise for producing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Lassally's son Tom revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that his father had died from natural causes on July 19. He had been living in a memory care facility in LA.

In a statement released by his family via Deadline, Lassally's loved ones said: "Peter built a life defined not by the horrors he endured as a child, but by resilience, generosity, curiosity, and optimism. Friends often remarked on his wit, humility, and remarkable ability to make others feel at ease."

[THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON -- Pictured: Executive Producer Peter Lassally -- (Photo by: Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)]

Producer Peter Lassally has died aged 93(Image: NBC, NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

"His life stood as a testament to both survival and reinvention-an immigrant who escaped unimaginable persecution and went on to influence one of America's most beloved cultural institutions."

Lassally's ex-colleague Craig Ferguson wrote online: "Peter Lassally was the best boss I ever had. His kindness, generosity and skill were incredible. He taught me how to do a job I was deeply unqualified for and he changed my life beyond measure. I will always be grateful for what he did for my family and me. Thank you, Peter."

Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1932, Lassally and his family, who were Jewish, fled to the Netherlands to escape Nazi Germany, reports the Express. During the early period of their relocation Lassally's sister attended school alongside Anne Frank but Lassally, his mother and sister were later transported to Westerbork transit camp and then to Theresienstadt concentration camp.

[Peter Lassally at CBS Television City in Los Angeles]

Peter Lassally worked on some of the biggest Hollywood talk shows(Image: Getty)

After the Holocaust ended, Lassally and his family ultimately made their way to New York where the aspiring TV executive, who was just 19, enrolled in the NBC page programme and began working as a Radio City Music Hall usher.

Following his transition into radio, Lassally joined The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 70s, where he was later promoted to executive producer.

He retired in 2015. Lassally is survived by his two children, Andrea and Tom, and four grandchildren.

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