Veteran soap actor Joe Marinelli has tragically passed away after battling with chronic stomach cancer.
The deceased actor's agent, Julie Smith, told CNN that he has been struggling with the disease for a few years.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joe peacefully died at the age of 68 on June 22, Sunday, in Burbank, Calif, as per her wife, Jean Marinelli.
The legendary actor was best known for his iconic roles in Santa Barbara, Guiding Light, General Hospital, and popular director Alexander Payne, iconic film Sideways. He recently appeared in the TV show The Morning Show.
Several celebrities pay tributes to Joe Marinelli:
As Joe's death announcement gained traction on social media, his fans and close pals poured in tributes in remembrance of the late actor.
The Morning Show co-actor castmate, Mark Duplass, said in a statement to the outlet, "I loved him and what he stood for, we didn’t spend 10,000 hours together, but we were spiritually aligned in many ways."
Sideways director Payne paid somber homage to the actor, saying, "The great Joe Marinelli acted in my very first movie at film school 40 years ago and again in Sideways."
"Aside from being an extraordinary artist, he was a uniquely magnificent human being with a heart as big as the ocean," Payne concluded.
Joe Marinelli is survived by his wife of 34 years, Jean, and their two sons, Vincent and David.
