Joe Marinelli, a longtime character actor known for his roles on soap operas such as General Hospital and Santa Barbara, has died. He was 68.
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Marinelli passed away from stomach cancer on Sunday in Burbank, California, according to his wife, Jean Marinelli, who shared the news with The Hollywood Reporter. His agent, Julie Smith, told CNN that he had been living with throat and stomach cancer for several years.
According to IMDb, Marinelli had more than 50 screen credits in film and TV. His work included roles in Guiding Light, ER, The King of Queens, and more recently, Apple TV+’s The Morning Show. He also appeared in Alexander Payne’s 2004 film Sideways.
“I really loved him and what he stood for,” Marinelli’s Morning Show co-star Mark Duplass told THR. “We didn’t spend 10,000 hours together, but we were spiritually aligned in many ways.”
“The great Joe Marinelli acted in my very first movie at film school 40 years ago and again in Sideways,” director Alexander Payne told THR. “Aside from being an extraordinary artist, he was a uniquely magnificent human being with a heart as big as the ocean.”
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Marinelli, born Jan. 21, 1957, in Meriden, Connecticut, moved to Southern California at age 4. He attended Arcadia High School, Reno High School, Loyola Marymount University, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
After returning to the U.S., he worked as a carpenter while performing in local L.A. productions. In the 1980s, he landed roles in shows like Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, and L.A. Law.
In 1988, Marinelli took on the role of Bunny Tagliatti, a cross-dressing mobster, on Santa Barbara. He appeared in over 170 episodes until 1990 and earned a Soap Opera Digest Award for his performance.
In 1993, he played bank robber Pauly Hardman on Guiding Light and later took on the role of criminal Joseph Sorel on General Hospital from 1999 to 2001.
The actor later appeared in Insecure, Hollywood, and The Offer. His most recent role was on The Morning Show, where he played show director Donny Spagnoli in 20 episodes. In 2022, Marinelli and his cast were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for best dramatic ensemble.
On Monday, Leigh J. McCloskey, Marinelli’s Santa Barbara co-star, shared a tribute to the late actor on Facebook.
“He was a great acting partner, teacher, philosophical friend, passionate believer in people, and a storyteller extraordinaire,” McCloskey wrote.
“It saddens me greatly to say goodbye to my old friend and his belief in the goodness, and even the possible greatness of the human adventure,” he added. “I’m glad I walked this earth with you, Joe.”
Marinelli is survived by his wife, Jean, of 34 years, and his two sons, Vincent and David.