Prolific television actor Willie Garson has passed away. Garson was likely best known for his role as Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City as well as the movies to follow, but also played a part in the success of USA's White Collar among other projects. The actor was 57-years-old at the time of his death.
Willie Garson died on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 21, with People reporting his death coming after a short illness, and his family was present with him at the time of his passing. According to TMZ, Garson was battling cancer, although it has not been confirmed at the time of writing that cancer was the cause of his death.
Although probably most recognized for his roles in Sex and the City and White Collar, Willie Garson showed a great deal of versatility in his projects over the years, ranging from John from Cincinnati to Hawaii Five-0 to Supergirl, as well as voice work on Netflix's popular Big Mouth just last year.
Willie Garson had some experience on the big screen as well, notably appearing in both of the Sex and the City movies that released following the end of the original series. He was also attached to appear in the upcoming And Just Like That... revival of Sex and the City. It's not clear at this time whether or not he had already filmed for the series or will appear in any of the new episodes.
The actor is survived by his son, Nathen Garson, who confirmed his father's passing with a touching message and selection of photos posted to Instagram:
Willie Garson was active on social media as recently as September 4, when he posted a message on Twitter asking people to always "BE KIND TO EACH OTHER" and show "LOVE TO ALL." Social media is already being flooded with messages paying tribute to Willie Garson, both as a person and for his many contributions in acting.
Mario Cantone, who played Garson's love interest and eventual husband on Sex and the City, took to Twitter to express his sadness and post some kind words to Garson:
Jason Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza on Seinfeld, referred to Willie Garson as "wonderful" and a "dear, funny, kind man" in his tribute, which is a sentiment that seems to be popular in the wake of Garson's passing:
Julie Bowen of Modern Family fame posted some deeply personal messages in honor of Willie Garson, who she clearly considered a dear friend. In one Instagram post, she expressed that his death "breaks my heart" and commended him as a friend who "loved me at my worst," saying that she will love him "always." In another, she shared a photo of her wedding as well as an anecdote worth a smile despite the tragedy:
Supernatural fan-favorite Jim Beaver was another TV star who could count Willie Garson as a friend, as he too shared on social media:
Other posts on social media prove that Willie Garson didn't have to be a close personal friend or frequent co-star to have made an impact on those who he encountered, as proven by former CSI star Marg Helgenberger, who shared on Twitter:
Heart breaking! I can't believe this hilarious, talented, & kind soul has left this world. God I had a blast working with Willie Garson on an episode of #CSI Rest in peace sweet Willie.
Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with the family, friends, and loved ones of Willie Garson in this difficult time. Whether he frequently appeared on a series, had a one-off guest shot, or just turned up for those who cared about him when they needed him most, Garson is clearly going to be missed.
