Joe Marinelli, Soap Star on “General Hospital ”and “Santa Barbara”, Dead at 68

Joe Marinelli, a characteristic character champion known for his activity connected various soap operas, has died. He was 68.

Marinelli died of tummy crab connected Sunday, June 22, successful Burbank, Calif., his woman Jean Marinelli told The Hollywood Reporter. His agent, Julie Smith, told CNN that Marinelli had been diagnosed and was surviving pinch pharynx and tummy crab for a fewer years.

Marinelli was known for his roles connected NBC's Santa Barbara, CBS' Guiding Light, ABC's General Hospital, Alexander Payne's 2004 film Sideways and much precocious connected AppleTV+'s The Morning Show.

“I really loved him and what he stood for," his Morning Show castmate Mark Duplass said successful a connection to THR. “We didn’t walk 10,000 hours together, but we were spiritually aligned successful galore ways.”

“The awesome Joe Marinelli acted successful my very first movie astatine movie schoolhouse 40 years agone and again successful Sideways," Payne said of nan precocious actor. "Aside from being an bonzer artist, he was a uniquely magnificent quality being pinch a bosom arsenic large arsenic nan ocean.”

Marinelli was calved connected Jan. 21, 1957, successful Meriden, Conn., and moved to Southern California astatine 4 years old. He attended Arcadia High School successful Los Angeles and Reno High School successful Nevada. He received his higher acquisition astatine Loyola Marymount University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) successful London.

After returning to nan U.S., he performed successful section L.A. productions, each while moving arsenic a carpenter. By 1984, he landed roles in Cagney & Lacey, Paper Dolls, Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law. The second of which yet introduced him to nan executive shaper of Santa Barbara, Jill Farren Phelps, who hired him to represent cross-dressing mobster Bunny Tagliatti.

“One point I learned is that pants are a batch much comfortable than nylons. I besides learned that different group thought I was very courageous," Marinelli told Santa Barbara Online successful 2013. “While getting my constitution put connected 1 day, a woman’s sound whispered successful my ear, ‘You must beryllium very comfortable successful your sexuality.’ When I turned, they were gone. However, that stuck pinch me.”

"A sweeter man aliases a dearer friend you could not find than Joe Marinelli," Marinelli's friend and Santa Barbara castmate Leigh J. McCloskey wrote successful a tribute connected Facebook. He past referred to Marinelli arsenic "a awesome acting partner, teacher, philosophical friend, passionate believer successful people, and a storyteller extraordinaire that pinch laughter and extent revealed nan quality tone truthful beautifully and successful truthful galore different ways."

"[It] saddens maine greatly to opportunity goodbye to my aged friend and his belief successful nan goodness, and moreover nan imaginable greatness of nan quality adventure," McCloskey wrote. "I'm gladsome I walked this world pinch you Joe."

Marinelli starred connected nan bid from 1988 to 1990, until his statement was not renewed. However, he told Santa Barbara Online that he "didn’t extremity moving for a agelong time" and "the adjacent 10 years were absolute bliss.”

He would past prima arsenic slope robber Pauly Hardman on Guiding Light in 1993 and arsenic different criminal, Joseph Sorel, on General Hospital from 1999 to 2001.

Throughout his career, he accumulated complete 50 movie and TV credits, including activity on One Last Ride, Hunter, ER, The King of Queens, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, The Practice, House, Castle, Desperate Housewives, Parenthood, The Offer, Ray Donovan and galore more.

He is survived by his woman of 34 years, Jean, and sons Vincent and David.

His boy David's puerility friend, musician Finneas, told THR that erstwhile he was 14, he was “a beneficiary of nan aforesaid things anyone fortunate capable to cognize Joe was; countless awesome stories accompanied by thoughtful questions, a cardinal mini lessons and dozens of ample ones... Even astatine nan times successful my ain life erstwhile I did not afloat understand myself, Joe ever seemed to.”