‘General Hospital’ actor was 68

Joe Marinelli, a veteran TV actor perhaps best known for his roles on soap operas General Hospital and Santa Barbara, as well as on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, has died, his agent Julie Smith confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. He was 68.

Musician Jean Marinelli, the actor’s wife of nearly 34 years, told THR that he died Sunday, June 22 in Burbank following a stomach cancer battle.

Marinelli memorably portrayed cross-dressing gangster Bunny Tagliatti, between 1988 and 1990, on Santa Barbara. He was Joseph Sorel on General Hospital, between 1999 and 2001, and also worked on Guiding Light.

But his 50-plus credits extended to primetime, too.

He did 22 episodes of The Morning Show, the Apple TV+ series starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as TV anchors. Marinelli played the titular news program’s director, Donny Spagnoli, between its first season in 2019 and its third in 2023. The cast was nominated for the ensemble honor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2022.

Beginning in 1984, Marinelli appeared on a long list of popular series including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, ER, The King of Queens, The West Wing, The Practice, Desperate Housewives, House, Insecure, and The Offer. He also appeared in films Sideways and The Assassination of Richard Nixon.

His friend and fellow actor, Leigh J. McCloskey, shared a tribute on Facebook.

“A sweeter man or a dearer friend you could not find than Joe Marinelli,” McCloskey began. “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.”

McCloskey referred to Marinelli as “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.”

He said that it “saddens me greatly to say goodbye to my old friend and his belief in the goodness, and even the possible greatness of the human adventure. I’m glad I walked this earth with you Joe. Godspeed old friend, may your spirit soar beyond the stars and reacquaint you with the greater wonder from which you came. You shared your de-light with us, and now return home. We’ll see you on the other side of forever, in Light and with your Legacy in our hearts.”