Brian Tarantina Passed Away at 60

Actor Brian Tarantina, who is best known for his roles in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Gilmore Girls has passed away at the age of 60. The actor was suffering from several complications due to illness lately.

His rep, Laurie Smith released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, where he said, "He was a brilliant actor and wonderful client and friend. I am sad and in shock,"

On Saturday morning at 12:40 a.m., the New York Police Department responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male in a Manhattan apartment, a spokesperson from the department confirmed to THR. 

Upon arrival, officers found Tarantina unconscious and unresponsive, fully-clothed, on his couch and emergency medical services pronounced him dead. The New York City medical examiner’s office will determine an official cause of death and the investigation remains ongoing.

On Maisel, Tarantina played the emcee of the comedy club, The Gaslight, where Rachel Brosnahan's Midge initially drunkenly performs at. Gilmore Girls creators Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino released the following statement after Tarantina's death: "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.   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."