Hollywood has lost one of its most remarkable late-blooming stars.
Bunny Levine, the veteran character actress who appeared in Gilmore Girls, La La Land, Law & Order and dozens of other productions, has died at 97.
Her manager, Brandon Kjar, confirmed to CBS News that Levine died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Tarzana, California, on August 20.
There is something especially fitting about the fact that Levine was still chasing new roles until the end. Kjar said she continued auditioning at 97 and last worked in June—just two months before her death.
Her family remembered a woman who drew affection and admiration in two very different worlds: education and performance. They also pointed to the lives she shaped as a school librarian, the actors she helped through Actors Connection and a screen career that refused to obey Hollywood’s usual timetable.
Levine’s agent, Mike Eisenstadt, called her fearless and kind.
She reached Hollywood late in life, then kept working there for nearly four decades.
Bunny Levine, a librarian-turned actress known for her roles in "Gilmore Girls" and "La La Land," dies at 97. https://t.co/A5fRTNBVPd
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 23, 2026
A Hollywood career that began after retirement
Levine’s path to the screen was anything but conventional.
Born in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1928, she wanted to perform from a young age. Life took her somewhere else first. She earned master’s degrees from New York University and Columbia University, raised three children and spent roughly 25 years working as a school librarian.
Then, at an age when most people are winding down their careers, Levine finally began the one she had imagined as a girl.
She retired from education, started taking acting classes and went to auditions. After her husband Bernard died in 2003, she moved to Los Angeles and kept building momentum in an industry notorious for shutting older performers out.
Levine was no novelty act. She became a working character actress with a résumé that stretched across decades.
The Hollywood Reporter documented television appearances on Everybody Loves Raymond, Ugly Betty, Criminal Minds, 2 Broke Girls, Raising Hope, Southland, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Fuller House, Shameless and Dave.
That list barely scratches the surface. Levine moved easily between police procedurals, sitcoms and prestige comedies while directors kept finding new ways to use her unmistakable presence.
Her first professional screen credit came in the late 1980s, when she was already nearing 60. She later played Mrs. Thompson on Gilmore Girls and found a durable niche as the sharp, funny older woman who could steal a scene in a matter of seconds.
She worked on network dramas, broad comedies, prestige films and commercials. The parts were often small, but the career was enormous: more than 100 screen credits built one audition at a time.
Even after turning 90, Levine kept adding new films and television shows to that list. Her final stretch included work released in 2026, and her manager said she was still going out for new parts.
Bunny Levine, Actress Known for ‘Gilmore Girls,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Law & Order,’ Dies at 97 https://t.co/X1hr7plkhF
— People (@people) August 23, 2026
From Adam Sandler comedies to one of 2024’s most beloved films
On the big screen, Levine appeared in A Thousand Words and the Oscar-winning La La Land. She also worked with Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Sandy Wexler and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.
Her career did not fade as she entered her 90s.
Levine appeared in The Invisible Raptor in 2023, followed by Sacramento and Thelma in 2024. She also had credits in 2026 projects, including the final season of The Upshaws and The Cure.
That longevity was not an accident. She kept showing up, kept auditioning and kept treating the next role as something worth pursuing.
Her agent, Mike Eisenstadt, remembered her to CBS News as fearless, kind and a performer who lived an exceptionally full life.
Levine’s family said her work in both education and entertainment inspired affection and admiration. It is hard to imagine a cleaner description of a woman who spent one career helping children learn and another proving that reinvention does not come with an expiration date.
Bunny Levine, an actress who appeared in Gilmore Girls, You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Thelma and numerous other TV shows and films, has died. She was 97. https://t.co/xaUcFVgA2K
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 23, 2026
A legacy that reached far beyond the screen
Levine also helped create opportunities for performers who came after her.
In 1991, she and her husband founded Actors Connection in New York City. The organization became a place where actors could meet industry professionals, develop their craft and find a way forward in a difficult business.
Actors Connection credited Levine’s passion with helping launch countless careers and remembered the vibrant community she built for fellow artists.
That may be the most complete picture of Bunny Levine: librarian, mother, actress, mentor and proof that a deferred dream does not have to become an abandoned one.
She is survived by her children, Marty, Francie and Joe, and her grandchildren, Robin and Jeffrey.
Levine waited decades to pursue Hollywood. Once she arrived, she never really stopped.
What a life—and what an encore.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
