Brian Tarantina

Encyclopedia

Brian Tarantina (March 27, 1959 – c. November 2, 2019) was an American stage, screen, and television character actor born in New York City. He was known for his roles on such shows as One Life to Live, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Gilmore Girls.

Personal life

Brian Tarantina was born in New York City on March 27, 1959, to father Frank William Tarantina and an unknown mother. He attended what is now the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where he then began to pursue an acting career.

Shortly after midnight on November 2, 2019, Tarantina was found dead at his home in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. At the time of his death, his publicist attributed the cause to “complications from a severe health crisis he experienced a few months .” A New York City Chief Medical Examiner report, however, released in December 2019, stated that Tarantina died from an accidental “acute intoxication” (an overdose) of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and diazepam, the latter is otherwise known as Valium. He is survived by a son, Sean; a sister, Claire; and a brother, Mark.

Stage appearances

Off-Broadway

  • Innocent Thoughts, Harmless Intentions (March 6, 1980 – March 30, 1980) – “Enzio ‘Spats’ Spadanti”
  • Angels Fall (October 17, 1982 – November 28, 1982) – “Salvatore (Zappy) Zappala”; written by Lanford Wilson
  • Young Playwrights Festival (April 13, 1983 – May 1, 1983) – “Frank” (Third Street) / “TV Host” (The Birthday Present)
  • Balm in Gilead (May 31, 1984 – January 6, 1985) – “David”; written by Lanford Wilson
  • V & V Only (May 25, 1988 – July 3, 1988) – “Donny”

Source

Broadway

  • Angels Fall (January 22, 1983 – March 13, 1983) – “Salvatore (Zappy) Zappala”; written by Lanford Wilson
  • Biloxi Blues (March 28, 1985 – June 28, 1986) – “Roy Selridge”; written by Neil Simon
  • The Boys of Winter (December 1, 1985 – December 8, 1985) – “Prick”
  • Sacrilege (November 2, 1995 – November 19, 1995) – “Crackerjack”

Source

Filmography

Film

  • The Cotton Club (1984) – Vince Hood
  • Critical Condition (1987) – Tommy Pinto
  • The January Man (1989) – Cone
  • Uncle Buck (1989) – E. Roger Coswell
  • Runaway Dreams (1989) – Jay Carver
  • Born on the Fourth of July (1989) – Vet #2
  • Jacob’s Ladder (1990) – Doug
  • The Saint of Fort Washington (1993) – Fred
  • Carlito’s Way (1993) – Speller
  • The Jerky Boys: The Movie (1995) – Geno
  • Sweet Nothing (1995) – Dee Dee
  • Bed of Roses (1996) – Randy
  • The Associate (1996) – Eddie
  • Donnie Brasco (1997) – Bruno
  • Walking to the Waterline (1998) – Lucy ‘Replacement’
  • Better Living (1998) – Danny
  • Roberta (1999) – Donald
  • Summer of Sam (1999) – Bobby Del Fiore
  • The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) – Fighting Neighbor
  • The Photographer (2000) – Camera Salesman
  • Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002) – Pete Shunt
  • City by the Sea (2002) – Snake
  • Duane Hopwood (2005) – Mr. Alonso
  • Trust the Man (2005) – Crazy Hair Driver
  • Unconscious (2006) – Morelli
  • A Crime (2006) – Joe
  • The Brave One (2007) – Gun Store Clerk
  • Ghost Town (2008) – Ghost Cop
  • Motherhood (2009) – Opera Lover in Car
  • Knight and Day (2010) – Scrap Yard Man
  • Rob the Mob (2014) – Ronnie
  • Zarra’s Law (2014) – Frankie Andreoli
  • #Lucky Number (2015) – Blue Collar Mafia
  • BlacKkKlansman (2018) – Officer Clay Mulaney
  • Breaking Brooklyn (2018) – Randy Davis
  • Ask for Jane (2018) – Angry Doctor
  • The Kitchen (2019) – Burns (final film role)

Television

  • Miami Vice (1988) – Rickman
  • One Life to Live (1968) – Lucky Lippman (1990–1991) / Ray Castillo (2004)
  • Oz (1997) – Ronald Poklewaldt
  • NYPD Blue (1997) – Darin Gammel
  • Third Watch (1999) – James French
  • The Sopranos (2001) – Mustang Sally
  • Gilmore Girls (2001–2002) – Bootsy
  • The Black Donnellys (2007) – Vinnie Culiari
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2008) – Bill Jensen
  • Person of Interest (2013) – Seamus Yorke
  • The Blacklist (2013) – The Courier’s Brother
  • Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016) – Bootsy
  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2019) – Jackie

Video games

  • Ripper (1996) – Addict
  • Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) – The Crowd of Liberty City
  • Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned (2009) – Angus Martin