Bunny Levine, Gilmore Girls and La La Land actress, dies at 97

Bunny Levine, the versatile character actress who pivoted from a decades-long career as a New Jersey school librarian to establish an industrious Hollywood presence across television and film, died on Thursday, August 20, at the age of 97, according to reporting by CBS News, aol.com, mirror.co.uk, and pagesix.com. Levine passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to her residence following a report of an unresponsive person and determined that her death appeared to be from natural causes, as detailed by mirror.co.uk and pagesix.com.

Her representatives, manager Brandon Kjar and agent Mike Eisenstadt, confirmed her death to media outlets, with Kjar noting to CBS News that Levine had maintained an active schedule and continued auditioning as recently as June. Eisenstadt remembered her to cbsnews.com as a great and fearless actress and such a nice lady who lived a full life. Born Bernice Levine on December 22, 1928, in East Orange, New Jersey, she harbored early ambitions of performing before pursuing higher education. She earned master's degrees from New York University and Columbia University, and worked as a school librarian and teacher for several years while raising three children, Marty, Francie, and Joe, with her husband, Bernard.

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That structured chapter shifted when she landed her first professional acting credit in the 1988 horror-comedy Slime City at the age of 59, according to Pagesix. Reflecting on her delayed entry into the profession in an interview reported by pagesix.com, she discussed her enduring persistence in the craft.

"I don’t know that many of us could explain why — it’s just something. Maybe it’s in the genes,"

Bunny Levine via Page Six

She added, I just plugged along, and I would go study and try to get better at my crafts. Following the death of her husband in 2003, Levine relocated from the New York area to Los Angeles, a move that accelerated her on-screen presence across network television and major studio films.

Over the next two decades, she became a recognizable face in guest and recurring roles. Her television credits included portraying Mrs. Thompson in Gilmore Girls, playing a friend of Marie's who kept dropping things while admiring Ray's bottom in Everybody Loves Raymond, and making appearances on Law & Order, Ugly Betty, Private Practice, Criminal Minds, 2 Broke Girls, Raising Hope, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Shameless, Sprung, and a 2014 episode of Friends With Better Lives starring the late James Van Der Beek, as detailed by Aol and pagesix.com. Her cinematic resume featured roles in 1990's Cadillac Man alongside Robin Williams and Tim Robbins, the six-time Academy Award-winning musical La La Land as a movie theater cashier, and several Adam Sandler projects including You Don't Mess With the Zohan, Sandy Wexler, and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.

Alongside her husband, Levine also left an institutional mark behind the scenes. In 1991, the couple co-founded Actors Connection in New York City, an organization designed to help performers build their professional networks and launch their careers. Following her passing, the organization shared a statement captured by Aol and cbsnews.com, reading, Her passion for helping actors has launched countless careers. Thank you Bunny for creating such a vibrant community to serve the fellow artists you have always loved — may you rest in sweet peace!

Her working life extended deep into her nineties, encompassing appearances in the 2023 film The Invisible Raptor, Michael Angarano's Sacramento and Thelma in 2024, the final season of The Upshaws, and her final film role in the 2026 movie The Cure, alongside a short film titled Achiever.

Quick Facts: Bunny Levine's Life and Career

• Lifespan: December 22, 1928 – August 20 (aged 97).
• Education & Early Career: Earned master's degrees from NYU and Columbia University, and worked as a school librarian and teacher for several years.
• Acting Debut: Secured her first professional screen credit at age 59 in the 1988 horror-comedy Slime City.
• Behind-the-Scenes Impact: Co-founded Actors Connection in New York City in 1991 alongside her husband Bernard to help performers launch their careers.

Family members released a statement to cbsnews.com emphasizing that she inspired affection and admiration through her combined work in education and performance. Levine is survived by her children, Marty, Francie, and Joe, and her grandchildren, Robin and Jeffrey. Expressing gratitude for her journey in her final years, she stated, I feel very blessed to have been able to get back to what I had always wanted since early memory. I wish that everyone could find that happiness. Family and friends will gather for a memorial service scheduled to take place at the Jewish Memorial Chapel in Clifton, New Jersey, on Thursday, August 27, as reported by aol.com.