The world is still mourning the loss of Miguel Ferrer since throat cancer took his life in 2017. The actor was 61 years old. Nobody misses him more than the three sons who survive him: Lukas, the eldest, was born in 1993, Rafael (a.k.a. “Rafi”) in 1996, and Jose in 2004, but the boys carry with them the very best memento—they have grown up to look exactly like their father.
Ferrer, incidentally George Clooney’s cousin and the son of Academy Award-winning actor Jose Ferrer, is best remembered for playing NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger on crime drama NCIS: Los Angeles. He appeared in blockbusters such as Robocop, Crossing Jordan, and Iron Man 3, and branched into voice acting as the voice of “Shan Yu” in the 1998 animated adventure Mulan.
Ferrer was married twice, first to the actress Leilani Sarelle, Lukas and Rafi’s mother, from 1991 to 2003. He married entertainment executive Lori Weintraub in 2005.
Today, Ferrer’s sons are all grown up and are each vocal on social media about their enduring pride for the man who brought them up. Ferrer’s legacy is the inspiration he gave them to never give up.
“Just yesterday, we made plans to go to the beach this weekend,” Rafi posted on Facebook as part of a touching tribute the day after his father’s untimely death. “I would drive the land cruiser and you would play DJ, schooling me on Bob Dylan ... Just yesterday, I hugged you tight and told you how much I loved you,” the heartbroken son continued, “not thinking for a second that this was the last moment we would ever share.”
Ferrer was born in Santa Monica, California. Spending his adolescence on the periphery of the Hollywood milieu, he developed a deep appreciation for music and took up playing the drums. He even played on Keith Moon’s seminal solo album Two Sides of the Moon.
Ferrer’s friend Bill Mumy, hearing the album, later cast him as a drummer in the series Sunshine, and the pair joined Mac Allan Collins and Steve Leialoha to form the band “Seduction of the Innocent.”
Ferrer never completely divorced himself from music but devoted himself to acting in 1980. He took on a role playing a younger version of his father, Jose, in the cult classic TV series Magnum, P.I. in 1981. Later, he adopted starring roles in a number of TV series including Twin Peaks and NCIS: Los Angeles, the latter of which he is arguably most remembered for.
He often played a villain. “I think villainy just comes naturally to me,” the actor once said in an interview with OK!TV. “I get to work it out naturally so I can be a nice person in life.”
Ferrer even branched into theater, and made his New York stage debut in the off-Broadway play The Exonerated. He never stopped, lived a life of creative fulfillment, and paid homage to his passions. But he always made time for family.
“There would never be a perfect time to say goodbye to you, dad,” devoted son Rafi shared online after his father’s passing. “You were my best friend, my role model, and my guiding light. You will be missed and honored for many years to come.”
What do you think? How much do the grown Ferrer boys emulate their father? Only time will tell how much the family resemblance will grow.
