Posted on 03/09/2004 12:48:15 PM PST by Hillary's Lovely Legs
LOS ANGELES - Robert Pastorelli, who played the oddball housepainter and confidante to "Murphy Brown," was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home in what could be a drug-related death, the coroner's office said Tuesday. He was 49.
Coroner's office Lt. Ed Winter said Pastorelli's body was found by his assistant shortly before 3 p.m. Monday in a bathroom of the Hollyridge Drive home. An autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death.
"It's a possible accidental death," Winter said, adding, "There was drug paraphernalia found."
An employee at the Abrams Artists Agency, which represented Pastorelli, said no further information was available.
Pastorelli finished work last month on "Be Cool," the sequel to the crime comedy "Get Shorty." He plays a hit man, Joe Loop, in the movie starring John Travolta and based on novelist Elmore Leonard's work.
"I am still unable to grasp this tragic news," said "Be Cool" director F. Gary Gray. "Robert was a true professional and a total delight to work with. My heart goes out to his family, and he will be sorely missed."
Pastorelli, born in New Brunswick, N.J., was an aspiring boxer in his youth. But a near-fatal car crash on his 19th birthday ended his dreams of a pro sports career.
Turning to acting, he appeared in plays including "Rebel Without a Cause," "The Rainmaker," and "Death of a Salesman." He started working in film and TV in the 1980s, often playing tough, savvy guys.
After roles in "Outrageous Fortune" (1987), "Beverly Hills Cop II" (1987), "Dances With Wolves" (1990) and other movies, Pastorelli landed the part of Eldin Bernecky in CBS' "Murphy Brown."
He was the ever-present, ever-helpful housepainter for series star Candice Bergen, who played TV journalist Brown. Pastorelli stayed with the show from 1988-1994, dropping out when the sitcom's creator, Diane English, left.
"The fourth and fifth year were different," he told Parade magazine in 1997. "It stopped being fun, so I knew I had to move on. If I had stayed, it would have been only for the money, and that's not what acting is all about."
Pastorelli had a brief run as a drama series star: He played a police psychologist in the ABC series "Cracker," based on a British series of the same name, in 1997-98.
In 2001, he appeared with Glenn Close in the TV remake of "South Pacific" as wheeler-dealer seaman Luther Billis. He and Close costarred again, on the London stage in "A Streetcar Named Desire."
The two were seen in each other's company but Close said they were just good friends.
Tragedy had visited the Pastorelli home before. In 1999, his girlfriend, Charemon Jonovich, 25, was found fatally shot and her death was investigated by police as an accident. The couple had a daughter together.
Details on survivors and services for Pastorelli were not immediately available.
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AP Writer Jeff Wilson contributed to this report.
Agreed.
R.I.P. Robert.
We were just talking about him the other day. Enjoyed his role in Eraser and Dances with Wolves.
Phil Spector killed stactress Lana Clarkson.
Say what? What's a stactress? An actress who gets small roles in low-budget movies primarily because she's stacked, and is willing to wear either next-to-nothing or nothing.
If you still don't get it, here's a link to the late Lana's website (all images not work-safe).
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