Michael McGrath, the award-winning Broadway actor known for his performances in Spamalot, Tootsie, and others, has died at the age of 65.
McGrath's publicist, Lisa Goldberg, has confirmed his passing, according to the Associated Press.
McGrath is reported to have died on Thursday at his home in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
The cause of McGrath's death, at the time of this writing, has not been disclosed. But, McGrath's publicist has described his passing as "sudden," suggesting that it was unexpected.
From Worcester, Massachusetts, McGrath would attend St. Peter's High School before going on to the Boston Conservatory. He did not, however, complete his education at the conservatory. Rather, he dropped out to pursue a career in acting.
McGrath began acting, on stage, in Worcester before moving to Boston and, ultimately, New York. There, McGrath earned his first Broadway credit in 1992 for the musical My Favorite Year.
McGrath would go on to perform in many different shows, including The Goodbye Girl, Swinging on a Star, and Little Me. But, McGrath's first major Broadway role was in 2003 in Wonderful Town. From there, McGrath would perform in Spamalot, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Memphis, The Honey Honeymooners, Tootsie, and others.
McGrath earned his first Tony Award in 2012 for his role as Cookie McGee in Nice Work If You Can Get It. Prior to this, in 2005, he was nominated for a Tony Award for the various roles that he played in Spamalot, including Patsy as well as the Mayor of Finland as well as the First Guard.
Outside of Broadway, McGrath also made some big-screen appearances, including in Changing Lanes and in The Interpreter. McGrath also appeared on television on The Martin Short Show, where he played Short's sidekick-announcer.
Many have taken to social media to pay tribute to McGrath, following the news of his passing.
Fellow actor Michael Urie wrote, "Michael McGrath was as wonderful offstage as he was on."
"Adorable, mischievous, brilliant. His loss cuts deep, but I will continue to take everything he taught me wherever I go," Urie added.
A representative of McGrath's has described to People magazine what the actor was like when he was not acting, calling him "A Red Sox fanatic, bourbon connoisseur, devoted husband, and father and friend to anyone who met him."
McGrath is survived by actress Toni Di Buono, his wife of 30 years, and actress Katie Claire McGrath, his daughter.
