Brian Tarantina, an actor who was known for his roles on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Gilmore Girls,” was found dead on Saturday morning. He was 60.
Tarantina was found in his New York City apartment by the NYPD, a police spokesperson confirms to TheWrap. The cause of death is unknown.
“On Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 at approximately 0040 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male inside of 353 West 51 Street, apartment 11, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,” a spokesperson said. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 60-year-old male, unconscious and unresponsive, fully-clothed, on his couch. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the aided male deceased at the scene (his residence). The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation remains ongoing.”
Recently, Tarantina appeared in Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as Jackie, the emcee of the Gaslight comedy club where Rachel Brosnahan‘s Midge performs. He has also appeared on many TV series, including “Gilmore Girls,” “The Black Donnellys,” “Heroes,” “Law & Order” and “The Good Wife.”
“For over twenty five years, Brian Tarantina has been in our lives. He was in Amy’s first pilot. And he’s been in every significant thing we’ve done since,” Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “He came in with that voice and that timing and he made every scene better. And weirder. Every moment was completely unique. You can’t describe a guy like Brian, you just had to be there. And lucky for us, we were. We love him and will forever miss him.”
In addition, Tarantina’s long career in film includes “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Donnie Brasco,” “Uncle Buck” and “Summer of Sam.” He most recently appeared alongside Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish in “The Kitchen.”