Jim Minjares, the comedian and character actor known for guest roles on classic TV shows like Roseanne and ER, has passed away.
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Minjares, who was also a playwright and restaurateur, died July 21 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after being hospitalized with pneumonia. He was 79.
Minjares’s passing was confirmed by his publicist and family friend, Martin Keller, who shared the news with the Minnesota Star Tribune. According to Minneapolis outlet KMSP, Minjares was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2011 and underwent a lung transplant in 2017.
The Daily Show co-creator and Lizz Winstead paid tribute to Minjares on Facebook, writing that he was a “hilarious human, a kind and generous man who took the Parkway Theater and created a comedy home for me in Minneapolis that is still where I hang my hat when I perform in town.” Winstead wrote she owed “a lot to Joe for his commitment to taking a chance on bringing edgy and innovative shows to that stage that spoke truth to power. Thanks, Joe, for your friendship and for creating such a warm space to perform.”
A Minneapolis native, Minjares began his entertainment career after serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Starting with stand-up comedy at his family’s restaurant, he was later cast in theater by Mixed Blood Theatre founder Jack Reuler. Minjares went on to write notable plays, including The King of Kosher Grocers, Minnecanos, and River Road Boogie: The Augie Garcia Story.
Joe Minjares Appeared in Films with Christian Slater, Marisa Tomei and Jim Carrey
Minjares began his on-screen career in the 1980s with a small role in the 1988 movie Patti Rocks, according to his IMDb profile. He later appeared in The Last of the Finest (1990), The Jackie Thomas Show (1992-1993), and Untamed Heart (1993), alongside Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei. In 1993, he played a cop in two episodes of Roseanne, and in 1995, he appeared as a patient named Phil on ER.
He also appeared in TV shows like NYPD Blue, Sinners and Wonders, and In an Instant, as well as films such as Wilson, Nothing to Lose, I Now Pronounce You Retro & Ellie, and 1998’s The Truman Show with Jim Carrey. As a stand-up comedian, he opened for Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Foxworthy, and Andrew Dice Clay.
Minjares is survived by his wife, Susan; his children, Lenny, Kenny, Paul, and Pamela; his siblings, Bobby Senkyr, Liz Benson, Starr Acuna, and Alycia Hausladen; as well as 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.