Actress Bunny Levine, known for appearances in Gilmore Girls and La La Land, has died at the age of 97.
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Levine's representative, Mike Eisenstadt, confirmed that she died in her sleep at her home in Tarzana, California, on Thursday, August 20.
Police said the actress's death "appeared to be from natural causes".
Levine leaves behind a remarkable career made even more unusual by the fact that she did not seriously break into the acting industry until she was in her 50s.
Actress Dies at 97 After Remarkable Late-Career Rise
Before finding success on screen, Levine spent more than two decades working as a school librarian while raising her three children.
Although she had been interested in acting from a young age, Levine largely put those ambitions on hold for her family.
However, she continued taking acting classes and auditioning for commercials and smaller roles in daytime dramas and films.
Her movie breakthrough eventually arrived in 1988 with an appearance in the horror-comedy Slime City. Two years later, she appeared in Cadillac Man.
After relocating from the East Coast to Los Angeles, Levine gradually built an extensive acting resume, with her career hitting full stride during the 2000s.
Her television credits included appearances in Everybody Loves Raymond, Gilmore Girls, Ugly Betty, and Community. She also featured in the Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess with the Zohan.
Bunny Levine Continued Acting Into Her 90s
Away from her own acting career, Levine and her late husband Bernie founded Actors Connection in 1991, creating a platform dedicated to helping other performers develop their careers.
"Her fierce passion for championing actors helped launch countless careers and built a vibrant community dedicated to serving the artists she loved so deeply," the studio said following the actress's passing.
"Thank you, Bunny, for your vision, heart, and legacy."
Levine's later career also included a small role in one of the most celebrated movies of the past decade.
In 2016, she appeared as a movie theater cashier in La La Land, which went on to win six Academy Awards.
Even as she entered her 90s, Levine's passion for acting showed little sign of fading. Eisenstadt said she continued auditioning for roles well into her 90s.
According to IMDb, Levine recorded three acting credits in 2026 alone.
She appeared as "Old Lady" in the short film Achiever and as "Old Woman" in an episode of The Upshaws.
Levine also portrayed Mrs. Polanski in The Cure this year.
