LOS ANGELES, Nov 4:Rachel Broshnahan and Alex Borstein have paid tributes to their “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” co-star Brian Tarantina, who passed away at the age of 60.
Tarantina, who played Jackie, the emcee at the Gaslight comedy club where Brosnahan’s Midge performs in the Amazon series, died on Saturday.
A spokesperson with the New York Police Department said the officers received a call at about 12.40 am on Saturday morning about an unconscious person in a Manhattan apartment.
When the authorities arrived at the scene, they discovered Tarantina lying on his couch, and emergency medical services responded and officially pronounced him dead.
The New York City medical examiner’s office will determine his official cause of death but his representative said the actor had been ill lately and recuperating from a heart-related issue.
Broshnahan remembered Tarantina as the “golden weirdo” without whom the show will not be the same.
“So deeply sad to hear about the passing of Brian Tarantina. He was hilarious and talented and kind and an all around golden f***ing weirdo. Our family of weirds won’t be the same without him,” the actor wrote on Instagram alongside a still of Tarantina from the show.
Borstein also poster her tribute to the actor on Instagram, addressing directly to him as her character Susie.
“God damnit, Jackie, you f***ing f***. Thought you’d be the very last one to leave me—Susie,” she wrote.
Before Broshnahan and Borstein, the show’s creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino had mourned Tarantina’s demise.
“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,” they said in a joint statement.
The official Twitter account of the Amazon show also paid tributes to Tarantina.
“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,” the post read.
According to Hollywood website TMZ, Tarantina’s niece found him near a white powder substance that is allegedly believed to be narcotics. The publication reported the actor died of an apparent drug overdose.
Tarantina was also known for his roles in shows such as “Gilmore Girls” and “The Black Donnellys”. He also starred in “Heroes”, “Law & Order” and “The Good Wife”.
His movie credits include “Jacob’s Ladder”, “Donnie Brasco”, “Uncle Buck” and “Summer of Sam”. He most recently featured in this year’s “The Kitchen”, with Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish. (PTI)
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