Actor Willie Garson,who played the beloved pal to Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City," has died. He was 57.
"Willie Garson was in life, as on screen, a devoted friend and a bright light for everyone in his universe," the statement reads. "He created one of the most beloved characters from the HBO pantheon and was a member of our family for nearly 25 years. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones."
Variety and People also confirmed the news, saying that he died surrounded by family after a short illness.
Garson's gay talent agent character Stanford Blatch was a fan favorite throughout "Sex and the City's" six-season run on HBO from 1998 to 2004. Perpetually single but always fashion forward, with colorful suit-and-tie ensembles that rivaled Carrie's whimsical looks, Stanford was known for his quippy one-liners. ("How can you not have a shrink? This is Manhattan. Even the shrinks have shrinks. I have three.")
Everything we know about the ‘Sex and the City’ reboot: Carrie and Mr.Big get cozy in the kitchen in first footage Stanford's candid walk-and-talks with Carrie were highlights of his recurring appearances on "Sex and the City," and his opulent wedding to former rival Anthony Marantino (Mario Cantone) – complete with a Liza Minnelli performance of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" – was one of the outrageous saving graces of the "Sex and the City 2" movie in 2010.
Garson was spotted earlier this year with Parker and Cantone on the New York set of the series’ HBO reboot “And Just Like That...”teasing the show in a June interview with US Weekly.
Garson racked up well over 150 acting credits in his more than three-decade career, with roles in long-running shows including USA's “White Collar” and CBS' “Hawaii Five-O” reboot.
Garson opened up to Page Six in an interview last year about playing a gay character on "Sex and the City," despite identifying as straight.
"For years I didn’t talk about it because I found it to be offensive to gay people," Garson said. "When the question would come up (in interviews) I would say, 'When I was on 'White Collar' no one ever asked me if I was a conman, and when I was on 'NYPD Blue,' nobody ever asked me if I was a murderer. This is what we do for a living, portray people."
Garson adopted a son, Nathen, in 2009 when he was 7 years old. Nathen honored his dad in an Instagram post Tuesday night, calling him the "toughest and funniest and smartest person I've known."
"Rest In Peace and I’m so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much," Nathen wrote. "I’m so proud of you. I will always love you, but I think it’s time for you to go on an adventure of your own. You’ll always be with me. Love you more than you will ever know and I’m glad you can be at peace now."
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