Joe Marinelli, Santa Barbara And The Morning Show Actor, Dead At 68

Veteran character actor Joe Marinelli, who played the cross-dressing mobster Bunny Tagliatti in 171 episodes of NBC soap opera Santa Barbara, died Sunday. He was 68 years old.

His death, which was caused by a battle with stomach cancer, was confirmed by his wife Jean Marinelli to THR.

Leigh McCloskey, who played Ethan Asher on Santa Barbara, paid tribute to his co-star on Facebook. "A sweeter man or a dearer friend you could not find than Joe Marinelli," he wrote. "I knew Joe was sick and so admired his indefatigable spirit throughout what sounded like a very difficult, if not impossible, ordeal. Joe was a champion. He was a great acting partner, teacher, philosophical friend, passionate believer in people and a storyteller extraordinaire that with laughter and depth revealed the human spirit so beautifully and in so many different ways."

After playing Santa Barbara's Bunny from 1988-1990, Marinelli portrayed thieves in a couple other soap operas. First, he played bank robber Pauly Hardman on CBS' Guiding Light in 1993, and later, he took on the role of Joseph Sorel in ABC's General Hospital from 1999-2001.

More recently, the actor held a recurring role on The Morning Show as UBA director Donny Spagnoli, appearing in 22 episodes of the Apple TV+ drama.

Marinelli's other TV credits include NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Parenthood, House, Castle and more. He also appeared in the 2004 Alexander Payne film Sideways.