Brian Tarantina died of an accidental drug overdose, Variety revealed, from a combination of drugs that included heroin, fentanyl cocaine and diazepam. He was 60. According to reports, Tarantina was found dead in his apartment in New York’s Hell’s kitchen as far back as Nov. 3, but the actual cause of death hadn’t been determined.
The reveal of his untimely passing may hopefully bring some sense of closure to both friends and fans of the actor and his work. Condolences have already been offered to the late Tarantina, as Marvelous Mrs. Maisel co star Alex Borstein had already given Variety a heartfelt message about her co star and the character he played on the show.
“For my character, Susie has two people in her life that she somewhat trusts, Midge and Jackiue, and that’s a huge role. That’s a huge loss. For me personally, as an actress, Brian and I were both super, super crabby, we would complain, and I’m going to miss that.” Borstein later went on to say about the possibility of the show referencing Tarantina’s death in any way, “He passed after we completed this season, so what will they do for the future? I don’t know, but this is a terrible loss for us.” Mrs. Maisel’s star Rachel Brosnahan took to Instagram to post her own tribute to the cast member. “So deeply sad to hear about the passing of Brian Tarantina.”
The show itself had also given tribute to Tarantina after news of his death with the statement, “The gaslight won’t be the same without you.”
Tarantina played comedy club emcee host Jackie in the critically acclaimed Amazon series. In addition to this, he played roles in shows such as Gilmore Girls, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, OZ and ER, building a very niche but respected legacy for himself that will continue to live on even with Tarantina no longer with us.