National Nitwit

(New York)Actor Al Lewis, best known for his role as Grandpa in 1960s TV comedy "The Munsters," denied rumors that he died yesterday at the reported age of 82.

"Listen, brother - I'm a freaking vampire, OK?" he said. "If you've ever watched a B flick on cable you know that we are immortal."

Lewis became a familiar face on US television for his role as the irascible Grandpa Munster in the 1960s sitcom, which saw him sporting an elaborate Dracula costume.

"That was no costume - those were my real clothes," he said, drawing a black cape around himself. "One of the untold stories about that series is that most of the actors were, indeed, otherworldly, undead freaks who couldn't get work anyplace else."

Lewis worked as a basketball scout, a restaurateur and ran for governor of New York at the age of 75, but nothing ever surpassed his role in "The Munsters."

"Yeah it was a great show, but too many people mistook it for comedy," he said. "We were deadly serious. The studio used to send someone to blood banks for me, which was one of the best things about that gig."