Mark Blum, best known for his roles in "Desperately Seeking Susan" and "Crocodile Dundee," has died at age 69 due to complications from the coronavirus.
The Screen Actors Guild, which the actor joined in 1978, confirmed the news on Thursday in a statement.
"This is a painful loss to our SAG-AFTRA family," said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. "Mark Blum understood that all performers working in this industry share the same employers and that our strength depends on our unity. He was a visionary. Mark will be deeply missed, and our hearts go out to his wife, Janet Zarish, his friends and all of his loved ones."
Blum achieved fame in 1985, when he appeared alongside Madonna and Rosanna Arquette in "Desperately Seeking Susan." He made dozens of TV appearances, appeared on Broadway and was also well known behind the scenes for his involvement with the theater community.
"Thank you, Mark, for all you brought to our theater, and to theaters and audiences across the world," Playwrights Horizons wrote in a tweet. "We will miss you."
Rebecca Damon, executive vice president for SAG, remembered Blum for his passion.
"Those of us lucky enough to have known him will treasure our memories of a gifted actor, a master teacher, a loyal friend and a beautiful human," she said. "I always appreciated Mark’s clear perception of complex situations. Mark was smart, funny and a true actor’s actor."
Fellow theater member, Terrence McNally, also
died due to complications from the coronavirus. The 81-year-old playwright passed away on Tuesday at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida. McNally was a lung cancer survivor who lived with chronic inflammatory lung disease.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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