Brian Tarantina, the actor best known for his roles on Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, died from acute intoxication due to overdosing on a cocktail of drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and Diazepam (valium), according to the NYC Chief Medical Examiner.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers found Tarantina dead in his West 51st Street, Manhattan apartment, after midnight on Saturday, November 2, 2019, at the age of 60. He was reportedly found fully clothed on a couch but unconscious and unresponsive. His niece reportedly found him with a white powdery substance near him.
According to a statement by NYPD :
“On Saturday, November 2, 2019, at approximately 0040 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male inside of 353 West 51 Street, apartment 11. Upon arrival, officers observed a 60-year-old male, unconscious and unresponsive, fully-clothed, on his couch.”
His manager Laurie Smith said Tarantina was recently ill and that that he was recuperating at home at the time he died. PEOPLE also reported that an unnamed representative said the illness was believed to be “heart-related.”
“He was recently in the hospital and was in the process of recuperating from what I believe to be a heart-related issue,” the representative reportedly said.
Fentanyl was also reported to have been involved in the deaths of top stars, such as Prince, Mac Miller, Lil Peep, and Tyler Skaggs, according to TMZ.
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. pic.twitter.com/J1R1ijF3tE
— The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (@MaiselTV) November 2, 2019
Brian Tarantina bio
Tarantina was known for playing Jackie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bootsy in Gilmore Girls. He was also known for roles in TV shows such as One Life to Live, NYPD Blue, The Sopranos, and Law & Order.
He appeared in films such as The Cotton Club, Summer of Sam, Knight and Day, and Uncle Buck.
Tarantina was born in New York City in March 1959. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
He was survived by his son Sean, and siblings Claire and Mark.