Willie Garson, the actor best known for his role as Carrie Bradshaw's best male friend, Stanford Blatch, in Sex and the City, has died. He was 57. His death was confirmed on Tuesday by his son, Nathen Garson, in a post on Instagram. The cause was not immediately disclosed.
Garson, who was also known for his role as the con man Mozzie in the TV show White Collar, is credited with appearing in 30 movies, including the 2008 film Sex and the City and its 2010 sequel, Sex and the City 2.
Garson, whose birth name was William Paszamant, was born on February 20th, 1964, in New Jersey to Muriel Paszamant and Donald M Paszamant. At 13 he started training at the Actor's Institute in New York, and graduated in 1985 from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he majored in psychology and theatre, according to the university.
So deeply, deeply sad we have lost @WillieGarson. We all loved him and adored working with him. He was endlessly funny on-screen and and in real life. He was a source of light, friendship and show business lore. He was a consummate professional— always. pic.twitter.com/G63EJIj8lG
— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) September 22, 2021
I couldn’t have had a more brilliant TV partner. I’m devastated and just overwhelmed with Sadness. Taken away from all of us way soon. You were a gift from the gods. Rest my sweet friend. I love you. pic.twitter.com/Ia4tg1VK1Y
— Mario Cantone (@macantone) September 22, 2021
After graduating from Wesleyan, Garson landed guest roles on several television shows, including Family Ties and Cheers. He also worked with the Farrelly brothers in some of their films, including Kingpin (1996), There’s Something About Mary (1998) and Fever Pitch (2005). He played Lee Harvey Oswald three times, including in the film Ruby (1992), and on the TV shows Quantum Leap and MADtv. Garson also served on the advisory board for You Gotta Believe, an American organisation that helps find youth permanent families.
Garson became a parent in 2010, when he adopted Nathen, who was seven at the time. “As a narcissist actor – and I was the definition – I immediately became responsible for taking care of someone else,” Garson said in an interview shared on Medium last year. “It is a really, special feeling to say that. It is such an important job and makes you grow in so many different ways.”
As the news of Garson's death spread on Tuesday night, actors and performers shared their memories and praise on social media. The comic actor Mario Cantone, who played Garson's partner in Sex and the City, said on Twitter that he was "devastated and just overwhelmed with sadness." "Taken away from all of us way soon," he said. "You were a gift from the gods."
Cynthia Nixon, who played Miranda Hobbes in Sex and the City, said on Twitter that Garson was "endlessly funny on-screen and in real life". "We all loved him and adored working with him," she said. "He was a source of light, friendship and show business lore. He was a consummate professional – always." – This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
