Joe Marinelli, the veteran character actor known for soap opera roles such as criminal Joseph Sorel on General Hospital and mobster Bunny Tagliatti on Santa Barbara, has died at the age of 68.
His wife of nearly 34 years, musician Jean Marinelli, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he passed away on Sunday at their home in Burbank, California, following a battle with stomach cancer. She added that the couple never fought during their long marriage.
Born on January 21, 1957, in Meriden, Connecticut, Marinelli moved to Southern California as a child. He honed his craft at Loyola Marymount University and later at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before launching his acting career in the 1980s.
Initially working as a carpenter while performing in local theater, he soon broke into television with guest roles on series like Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, and L.A. Law.
Marinelli gained a following due to his role as Bunny Tagliatti on Santa Barbara (1988–1990), which earned him a Soap Opera Digest Award.
Marinelli later appeared as Pauly Hardman in Guiding Light (1993) and as Joseph Sorel in General Hospital (1999–2001).
With over 50 credits, Marinelli’s career extended into primetime, including roles on ER, The West Wing and Desperate Housewives, as well as regular appearances as Donny Spagnoli on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show from 2019 to 2023.
His film work included parts in Alexander Payne’s Sideways and The Assassination of Richard Nixon, both in 2004.
Many of Marinelli’s colleagues remembered him on social media. The Morning Show co-star Mark Duplass tweeted Tuesday, “We lost a great one. Joe Marinelli lived in rare air. Generous performer, beautiful human, wide-eyed positivist.”
“I got to know him shooting The Morning Show. We taught classes together. We talked about nothing and everything in between takes. We cut right to the important stuff on Day 1 of meeting. I will miss him dearly. And I will try to live my life a bit more like he lived his. We all should,” Duplass concluded.
Longtime co-star Leigh J. McCloskey, of Santa Barbara, remembered Marinelli as “a great acting partner, teacher, philosophical friend, passionate believer in people, and a storyteller extraordinaire,” in a lengthy Facebook post.
“Godspeed, old friend, may your spirit soar beyond the stars and reacquaint you with the greater wonder from which you came,” McCloskey wrote.
Marinelli is survived by Jean and their two sons, Vincent and David.
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