Josh Grisetti, who appeared in the Broadway musical “Something Rotten” and Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has died, his agent confirmed.
He was 44.
Grisetti died by suicide on Friday, according to his friends and co-stars.
“I’m shocked and devastated,” his agent, Rick Ferrari, told NBC News in a statement Tuesday. “That’s all I’ve got.”
Grisetti’s “Something Rotten” co-star, Broadway actor Rob McClure, paid tribute to the actor on Instagram.
“It is with a shattered heart that I share that the brilliant Josh Grisetti took his own life on Friday. I’m not ready to even attempt to understand,” he wrote. “My heart is with his wife and family as they try to deal with the reality of this.”
“Some of my all-time favorite memories were by this man’s side, playing his brother onstage for years, watching him inspire students while transforming the Musical Theatre program at Cal State Fullerton …and having the honor of being the best man at his wedding,” McClure wrote.
“Maggie and I are beyond heartbroken. Communities around the world will never be the same without him. We love you Josh. Just a cataclysmic loss. Memorial info to come in time.”
Broadway star Sierra Boggess also paid tribute to Grisetti, saying her co-star in “It Shoulda Been You” was a “beloved friend.”
“Nothing I can say will make this hurt any less,” Boggess wrote on Instagram. “We all loved him so unbelievably much. He created light and thought and humor everywhere he went.”
“He was a BRILLIANT actor and director and writer,” she wrote. “His students are so lucky they had him as their teacher. I loved the way he looked at the world and how he challenged ideals and norms. I loved his humor and his brain and deep deep philosophical conversations.”
Grisetti portrayed Nigel Bottom in “Something Rotten.” On screen, he starred as Ralph Emerson in the final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” He was also a professor of musical theater at Cal State University, Fullerton.
Days before his death, the actor announced on Instagram that he was stepping away from his directorial duties for “Legally Blonde: The Musical” due to “personal reasons.”
“When you have to leave a production for personal reasons before getting to see the show open, and the cast and team do stuff like this,” he captioned a series of photos showing the cast posing for a group photo. One star held up a photo of Grisetti on a cellphone. In a video, the cast yelled: “We love you, Josh.”
“Literally cried on the plane… little gestures go a long way when your heart is hurting... Love this group of misfits right back!! Happy opening, LEGALLY BLONDE — @trentinomusicfestival!! I’m so proud of you all,” he wrote. “Knock their pink socks off!!”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
