Veteran actor Mark Blum died of complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to his friends. He was 69.
Blum was best known for the movies Desperately Seeking Susan and Crocodile Dundee. He was also famous for television work on Law & Order, Us, and Succession.
He played the role of Gary Glass in Desperately Seeking Susan, alongside Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.
Madonna said on social media, “This is really tragic and my heart goes out to him, his family and his loved ones.”
“I remember him as funny warm, loving and professional when we made Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985!!” she added.
Union President Gabriella Carteris said, “This is a painful loss to our SAG-AFTRA family. 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.”
Executive vice president of the New York local Rebecca Damon said, “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.”
“I always appreciated Mark’s clear perception of complex situations,” she added. “Mark was smart, funny and a true actor’s actor.”
Blum recently appeared in Mozart in the Jungle, Us, and Succession. He was an American Obie Award-winning theatre actor.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Blum graduated from Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, in 1968. He was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2012. He then went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. He married actress Janet Zarish, who appeared on television as Natalie Bannon on As the World Turns.
