Heroes and Uncle Buck Actor Brian Tarantina Dies at 60

Uncle Buck star and Heroes alum Brian Tarantina has passed away at the age of 60. According to a [...]

brian tarantina
(Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Turner)

Uncle Buck star and Heroes alum Brian Tarantina has passed away at the age of 60. According to a new report from TMZ, the long-time actor was found unresponsive by a family member early Saturday morning after last being heard from Tuesday night. TMZ's sources say when paramedics and first responders arrived at the scene, a white powdery substance was found by his body, leading those to believe Tarantina passed away due to a drug overdose. Most recently, fans might recognize Tarantina as Jackie from Amazon's award-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Prior to that, the actor was a mainstay in several productions throughout the 80s and 90s, leading up to the 2000s. Some of his biggest credits come with the John Candy-starring Uncle Buck or NBC's Heroes, where he played a member of an organized crime syndicate. Other television credits include Law & Order, Miami Vice, ER, The Sopranos, Gilmore Girls, The Blacklist, NYPD Blue, Oz, and Madame Secretary. In total, the actor has at least 88 credits to his name between film and television. Earlier this fall, he also appeared in New Line's The Kitchen, an adaptation of the fan-favorite Vertigo Comics graphic novel of the same name.

A rep for the late actor told People he had been battling health problems of late. "Brian had been ill lately," the rep said. "He was recently in the hospital and was in the process of recuperating from what I believe to be a heart-related issue."

The actor was on hand earlier this year when he and the rest of the Mrs. Maisel cast won the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Turner

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