Joe Marinelli, General Hospital and Santa Barbara Alum, Has Passed Away at 68
Joe Marinelli, who played Bunny Tagliatti on Santa Barbara from 1988-90, Pauly Hardman on Guiding Light in 1993 and Joseph Sorel on General Hospital from 1999-2001, has passed away at the age of 68.
The actor, who was born on January 21, 1957, in Meriden, Connecticut, had been struggling with his health for the past few years while also appearing on Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s Apple TV+ hit, The Morning Show, as the show-within-a-show’s director, Donny Spagnoli. In 2022, the entire cast won a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
The actor attended Loyola Marymount University and studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He appeared in many theater productions and his first prime-time appearance was on an episode of Cagney & Lacey in 1984. Two episodes of Paper Dolls soon followed that same year. Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law were next, with the latter reportedly being seen by Jill Farren Phelps, the executive producer of Santa Barbara, who brought him in for the part of gangster/cross-dresser Bunny. Bunny’s antics alongside Robin Mattson’s Gina became a fan favorite, and Marinelli would go on to win a Soap Opera Digest award in the Outstanding Comedic Performance in Daytime Television category in 1990.
Phelps would later reteam with Marinelli on both GL and GH when she was executive-producing those shows. On GL, Marinelli played the short-term role of vengeful bank robber Pauly, who had it in for Ross Marler, and on GH, his alter ego Joseph Sorel was a mobster who tangled with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and who was eventually killed by his daughter, Angel.
In addition to his work on daytime, Marinelli continued to make his mark in prime-time, appearing on shows like ER, The West Wing and Desperate Housewives, as well as theater, he was also in films like Sideways, Skylab, The Assassination of Richard Nixon and One Last Ride.
In Tribute
Leigh McCloskey, who played rapist Dr. Zach Kelton, and later Zach’s doppelganger, Ethan Asher on SB, paid tribute to his longtime friend on his Facebook account. Alongside an image of the actors with fellow SB alum A Martinez (ex-Cruz), McCloskey wrote, “A sweeter man or a dearer friend you could not find than Joe Marinelli. 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.
“He has a beautiful, incredibly talented family that reflects his love of music and art and with his amazing wife Jean, together they always radiated generous and noble hearts,” McCloskey continued. “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. My profound condolences to Jean, Vincent and David. Love, Leigh, Carla, Caytlyn and Brighton + Olandar.”
Soap Opera Digest sends our heartfelt condolences to Marinelli’s family as well as his former co-workers, friends and fans.
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