Joe Marinelli, ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Santa Barbara’ star, dead at 68

Actor Joe Marinelli, best known for his roles in “General Hospital,” “Santa Barbara” and Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” has died at age 68.

The soap star died in Burbank, Calif., on June 22, his wife Jean Marinelli confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

Marinelli’s agent, Julie Smith, told CNN that he had been battling throat and stomach cancer at the time of his death, having been diagnosed a few years ago.

The actor was known for his colorful roles in a wide range of shows, including “General Hospital,” “Santa Barbara,” “Guiding Light” and more recently on AppleTV+’s “The Morning Show,” which stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

“I really loved him and what he stood for,” Marinelli’s “Morning Show” castmate Mark Duplass told the outlet. “We didn’t spend 10,000 hours together, but we were spiritually aligned in many ways.”

Director Alexander Payne, whose 2004 film “Sideways” starred Marinelli, mourned the late actor as an “extraordinary artist.”

“The great Joe Marinelli acted in my very first movie at film school 40 years ago and again in Sideways,” Payne said. “Aside from being an extraordinary artist, he was a uniquely magnificent human being with a heart as big as the ocean.”

Following the news of his death, Marinelli’s “Santa Barbara” castmate and longtime friend Leigh J. McCloskey took to social media to pay her respects.

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

In his poignant tribute, McCloskey described 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.”

“[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,” he added. “I’m glad I walked this earth with you Joe.”

Born on Jan. 21, 1957, in Meriden, Conn., Marinelli moved to California at the age of 4.

After attending Arcadia High School in Los Angeles and Reno High School in Nevada, he went on to study at Loyola Marymount University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.

He later returned to the US and pursued an acting career in various LA productions while maintaining a full-time job as a carpenter.

After landing roles in “Cagney & Lacey,” “Paper Dolls,” “Hill Street Blues” and “L.A. Law,” the actor was hired as part of the “Santa Barbara” cast.

In the hit NBC series, Marinelli played cross-dressing mobster Bunny Tagliatti from 1988 to 1990.

In 1993, he starred as bank robber Pauly Hardman on CBS’ “Guiding Light,” before landing a recurring role on “General Hospital” from 1999 to 2001 as criminal Joseph Sorel.

Throughout his career, Marinelli racked up more than 50 film and TV credits, most recently appearing in the Paramount+ show “The Offer,” “Reboot” and “The Morning Show.”

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Jean, as well as sons Vincent and David.