Soap Star Joe Marinelli Dead at 68: A Life of Character Acting and Inspiration

Published: June 25, 2025

Character actor Joe Marinelli, best known for his roles on various soap operas, has passed away at the age of 68. The news was confirmed by his wife, Jean Marinelli, and agent, Julie Smith, on Tuesday, June 24.

Marinelli died of stomach cancer on Sunday, June 22, in Burbank, California. He had been diagnosed with throat and stomach cancer a few years ago and had been living with the condition.

A Career of Memorable Roles

Marinelli was known for his roles on NBC's Santa Barbara, CBS' Guiding Light, ABC's General Hospital, and AppleTV+'s The Morning Show. He also appeared in films such as Sideways and had over 50 film and TV credits to his name.

His co-star on The Morning Show, Mark Duplass, remembered Marinelli as a kind and spiritually aligned person. "I really loved him and what he stood for," Duplass said in a statement. "We didn't spend 10,000 hours together, but we were spiritually aligned in many ways."

Alexander Payne, who directed Marinelli in Sideways, praised the actor as an "extraordinary artist" and a "uniquely magnificent human being with a heart as big as the ocean."

A Life of Inspiration

Marinelli's friends and co-stars remembered him as a kind and inspiring person. His friend and Santa Barbara castmate, Leigh J. McCloskey, wrote a tribute to Marinelli on Facebook, calling him "a sweeter man or a dearer friend" and "a great acting partner, teacher, philosophical friend, passionate believer in people, and a storyteller extraordinaire."

Musician Finneas, who was a childhood friend of Marinelli's son David, remembered the actor as a kind and thoughtful person who always seemed to understand him.

Marinelli is survived by his wife of 34 years, Jean, and their sons Vincent and David.

A Career of Memorable Roles

A Life of Inspiration

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