Brian Tarantina, 60, who most recently played Jackie in Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, was found dead in the early morning hours of Nov. 2 after suffering an illness. The actor was found unconscious on his couch in his Hell’s Kitchen area apartment by his niece, who went over to check on him, at around 12:30 AM, according to TMZ and after calling 911, paramedics arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene. She reportedly told police that she hadn’t talked to Brian since last Tuesday night and although no cause of death has yet been confirmed, Brian’s rep Laurie Smith told TMZ that he was recently ill and went home to recuperate so she believes his death was brought on by complications from the illness.
Here are five things you should know about Brian.
1.) He’s best known for his tough guy acting roles. Brian has been working as an actor for decades and played memorable roles in various films throughout the years, including Uncle Buck, The Jerky Boys, Summer of Sam, and Donnie Brasco.
2.) In addition to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which he started in Jan., Brian’s acted in many popular television series. Some of them include Gilmore Girls (he played Bootsy, the newsstand owner), NYPD Blue, Spin City, and Oz.
3.) He’s originally from New York. He was born in the city and is of half Italian and half Irish descent.
4.) Tributes quickly flooded social media after his shocking death. “The Gaslight won’t be the same without you. Thank you Brian Tarantina for sharing in all of the laughs. Sending love to his family and friends in this difficult time,” read a tweet from the official Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Twitter account.
5.) He won a Screen Actors Guild Award with his co-stars. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series at the 2019 ceremony and Brian was happily part of the win.
We are sending comfort and healing to all those affected by Brian’s passing.