Bunny Levine, a former school librarian who launched a second career as a character actress in television and film during her later years, died at the age of 97, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Levine passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Tarzana, California, on Thursday, as reported by NBCLA. Police responded to her residence after receiving a report of an unresponsive person and stated that her death appeared to be from natural causes, according to The Independent.
From Teaneck Classrooms to Hollywood Sets
Born Dec. 22, 1928, in East Orange, New Jersey, Levine grew up attending East Orange High School where she performed in local and school productions. After graduating from Washington State University in 1951, she returned to New Jersey, married her husband Bernard, and raised three children while working for about 25 years as a school librarian and teacher in Teaneck, New Jersey. Living in the Pacific Northwest during her university years was an initial culture shock after growing up on the East Coast, she recalled in a 2013 interview with Washington State Magazine. Following the death of her husband in 2003, Levine relocated from the New York area to Los Angeles, embarking on an acting career in her late 50s after dreaming of the profession since childhood.
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A Prolific Television and Film Career
Levine’s first professional acting credit was the 1988 horror-comedy Slime City. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, she built an extensive resume as a character actress, appearing in prominent television shows such as Gilmore Girls, where she played Mrs. Thompson, and Everybody Loves Raymond, where she portrayed a friend of Ray’s mother Marie. In 2014, she starred alongside James Van Der Beek in an episode of the short-lived CBS series Friends With Better Lives. On the big screen, Levine appeared as a movie theater cashier in Damien Chazelle’s 2016 musical La La Land starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and featured in Adam Sandler films including You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Sandy Wexler, and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. Continuing to work into her mid-90s, her final screen appearances included the final season of The Upshaws and a role as Mrs. Polanski in the 2026 independent horror film The Cure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bunny Levine?
Bunny Levine was an American character actress and former school librarian who began her Hollywood career in her late 50s and appeared in dozens of television shows and films, including Gilmore Girls and La La Land, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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What were Bunny Levine’s most famous roles?
How old was Bunny Levine when she passed away?
Bunny Levine died at the age of 97 at her home in Tarzana, California, from what police indicated were natural causes, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The Independent.
Did you know? Bunny Levine spent approximately 25 years working as a school librarian and teacher in Teaneck, New Jersey, before officially launching her professional acting career in her late 50s.
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