Broadway Star and “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Actor Josh Grisetti Dies by Suicide at 44
Josh Grisetti, the Broadway actor and theater educator best known for his stage roles in Something Rotten! and It Shoulda Been You, as well as a recurring role in the fifth and final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, died by suicide on July 10. He was 44.
His death was confirmed by close friend and Something Rotten! co-star Rob McClure in an emotional Instagram post Sunday. "It is with a shattered heart that I share that the brilliant Josh Grisetti took his own life on Friday," McClure wrote. "I'm not ready to even attempt to understand. My heart is with his wife and family as they try to deal with the reality of this." McClure, who also served as best man at Grisetti's wedding, added, "Communities around the world will never be the same without him. We love you Josh. Just a cataclysmic loss. Memorial info to come in time."
A Career Built on the Stage
Born Dec. 1, 1981, in Washington, D.C., Grisetti earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory. He built his career primarily in theater, winning the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance for his 2008 off-Broadway role in Enter Laughing and earning nominations from the Drama Desk Awards, the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama League.
Grisetti made his Broadway debut in 2015 in the original musical It Shoulda Been You, playing Marty Kaufman alongside Sierra Boggess and Tyne Daly. He returned to Broadway in 2016, taking over the role of Nigel Bottom in Something Rotten! from John Cariani and continuing with the production through its national tour, where he starred alongside McClure. On television, Grisetti appeared in the 2007 ABC sitcom The Knights of Prosperity and pilots for NBC's The Gates and Like Magic, before landing his best-known screen role as comedy writer Ralph Emerson in the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, opposite Rachel Brosnahan.
In recent years, Grisetti also served as a professor in California State University, Fullerton's BFA musical theater program, a role colleagues say was deeply important to him.
Tributes From the Theater Community
Sierra Boggess, his former It Shoulda Been You co-star, wrote in her own tribute that Grisetti "created light and thought and humor everywhere he went," adding, "I loved the way he looked at the world and how he challenged ideals and norms." Grisetti's agent, Rick Ferrari, told E! News he was "the man of a thousand faces," noting that "his students at Cal State Fullerton's theater program cherished him. He shared his gift with everyone who wanted it. We are stunned and heartbroken." Tony winner Donna Murphy and actresses Lea Salonga and Rachel Zegler were among the other performers who shared condolences following the news.
Grisetti's final Instagram post, shared July 8, announced that he had to step away from directing a production of Legally Blonde: The Musical at the Trentino Music Festival for personal reasons, alongside a video of the show's cast expressing their support for him. "Little gestures go a long way when your heart is hurting," he wrote at the time.
Grisetti is survived by his wife of six years, Mackenzie Grisetti.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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