Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Joe Marinelli has died at 68 His wife, Jean Marinelli, and agent Julie Smith both confirmed his death on Tuesday, June 24 He had been diagnosed with throat and stomach cancer a few years ago Joe Marinelli, a character actor best known for his work on various soap operas, has died. He was 68. Marinelli died of stomach cancer on Sunday, June 22, in Burbank, Calif., his wife Jean Marinelli toldThe Hollywood Reporter. His agent, Julie Smith, toldCNNthat Marinelli had been diagnosed and was living with throat and stomach cancer for a few years. Marinelli was known for his roles on NBC'sSanta Barbara,CBS'Guiding Light,ABC'sGeneral Hospital,Alexander Payne's 2004 filmSidewaysand more recently on AppleTV+'sThe Morning Show. "I really loved him and what he stood for," hisMorning ShowcastmateMark Duplasssaid in a statement toTHR. "We didn't spend 10,000 hours together, but we were spiritually aligned in many ways." "The great Joe Marinelli acted in my very first movie at film school 40 years ago and again inSideways,"Payne said of the late actor. "Aside from being an extraordinary artist, he was a uniquely magnificent human being with a heart as big as the ocean." NBC/Everett Marinelli was born on Jan. 21, 1957, in Meriden, Conn., and moved to Southern California at 4 years old. He attended Arcadia High School in Los Angeles and Reno High School in Nevada. He received his higher education at Loyola Marymount University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. After returning to the U.S., he performed in local L.A. productions, all while working as a carpenter. By 1984, he landed roles in Cagney & Lacey, Paper Dolls,Hill Street BluesandL.A. Law. The latter of which eventually introduced him to the executive producer ofSanta Barbara,Jill Farren Phelps, who hired him to portray cross-dressing mobster Bunny Tagliatti. "One thing I learned is that pants are a lot more comfortable than nylons. I also learned that other people thought I was very courageous," Marinelli toldSanta Barbara Onlinein 2013. "While getting my makeup put on one day, a woman's voice whispered in my ear, 'You must be very comfortable in your sexuality.' When I turned, they were gone. However, that stuck with me." "A sweeter man or a dearer friend you could not find than Joe Marinelli," Marinelli's friend andSanta Barbaracastmate Leigh J. McCloskey wrote in atribute on Facebook. He then 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." "[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," McCloskey wrote. "I'm glad I walked this earth with you Joe." Marinelli starred on the series from 1988 to 1990, until his contract was not renewed. However, he told Santa Barbara Online that he "didn't stop working for a long time" and "the next 10 years were absolute bliss." He would then star as bank robber Pauly Hardman onGuiding Lightin 1993 and as another criminal, Joseph Sorel, onGeneral Hospitalfrom 1999 to 2001. Throughout his career, he accumulated over 50 film and TV credits, including work onOne Last Ride, Hunter,ER,The King of Queens,NYPD Blue,The West Wing, The Practice, House, Castle,Desperate Housewives,Parenthood, The Offer,Ray Donovanand many more. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Jean, and sons Vincent and David. His son David's childhood friend, musicianFinneas, toldTHRthat when he was 14, he was "a beneficiary of the same things anyone lucky enough to know Joe was; countless great stories accompanied by thoughtful questions, a million small lessons and dozens of large ones... Even at the times in my own life when I did not fully understand myself, Joe always seemed to." Read the original article onPeople