Josh Grisetti starred in the final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and the Broadway production of “Something Rotten!” and “It should have been you.”
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ actor and Broadway star Josh Grisetti dies at age 44
Josh Grisetti, widely known for his work on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and for his award-winning Broadway work, has died at the age of 44.
Broadway star and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actor Josh Grisetti has died. He was 44 years old.
The actor died by suicide on Friday, July 10, his co-star in the play Rob McClure revealed in an emotional Instagram post on Sunday.
“With a broken heart, I share that the wonderful Josh Grisetti took his own life on Friday,” McClure captioned a series of photos of the couple, including one from what appears to be Grisetti’s wedding, where McClure was an escort. “I’m not even ready to try to understand. My heart goes out to his wife and family who are trying to deal with this reality.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Grisetti’s representatives for comment.
In her last Instagram post, two days before her death, Grisetti said she had to leave the production of “Legally Blonde the Musical” at Italy’s Trentino Music Festival “for personal reasons” before it opened.
“I literally cried on the plane…When your heart is broken, small gestures go a long way…” she captioned a photo of the cast in costume, one of whom held a photo of Grisetti. In the video, the cast yelled, “Josh, we love you!”
He further added, “Love this group of misfits again!!”
Grisetti played Ralph, a comedy staff writer for The Gordon Ford Show, in Season 5 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He starred in eight episodes of the period comedy. He played Louis in the first and only season of ABC’s crime comedy Knights of Prosperity in 2007.
He also appeared in episodes of “The Good Fight” and “Nurse Jackie,” the television movies “Like Magic,” “Gates,” “Super Agent,” and the films “The Immigrant,” “Public Interest,” and “The Sandpiper,” and had uncredited appearances in “Men in Black 3” and “Revolutionary Road.”
In theater, the actor starred in the Broadway productions of “It Should Have Been You”, “Peter and the Starcatcher”, and the world premiere of “Something Rotten!”. During his nearly 20 years on stage, his other credits include Camelot, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as roles as Mark Cohen in Rent, Lumiere in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Mr. Wormwood in Matilda, and Plankton in SpongeBob SquarePants.
Grisetti is also the director of the Musical Theater Fine Arts program at California State University, Fullerton, and the author of God in My Head, a comedic spiritual memoir that tells “the true story of a former Christian who stumbled upon God.”
The theater world pays tribute to Josh Grisetti
Many of McClure’s Broadway co-stars and theater alumni, including Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose and Tony Award winner Donna Murphy, commented on McClure’s post and paid their respects. “He was a beautiful, talented human being and artist. You, your family, Josh’s family and loved ones are in my heart and in my best thoughts and prayers,” Murphy wrote.
McClure called Grisetti’s death a “catastrophe.”
“Some of my fondest memories are of playing my brother on stage for so many years alongside this man, watching him inspire students as he transformed Cal State Fullerton’s musical theater program, and being honored to receive Best Man of the Year at his wedding,” McClure wrote. “Maggie and I are truly heartbroken. Our community around the world will never be the same without him. We love Josh.”
Mr. Grisetti is survived by his wife, Mackenzie Grisetti, a real estate agent.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call 988 or chat online at any time of the day or night. The Crisis Text Line also provides free 24/7 confidential support via text message when people in crisis dial 741741.
