Bunny Levine, ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘La La Land’ actress, dies at 97

Sr Digital Curator

Bunny Levine, a librarian-turned-actress known for her roles in “Gilmore Girls,” “Shameless” and “La La Land,” has died. She was 97 years old.

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Levine died in her sleep on Aug. 20, her manager, Brandon Kjar, confirmed to CBS News and other media outlets.

“She was a great and fearless actress and such a nice lady,” Kjar told The Hollywood Reporter.

Levine, who had dreams of acting from the time she was young, worked as a school librarian for several years while raising her three children before pursuing an acting career, PEOPLE reported.

“She held master’s degrees from NYU and Columbia. Bunny inspired affection and admiration in many people with her work in education and performance,” a statement from Levine’s family to The Hollywood Reporter said.

In Levine’s “Gilmore Girls” appearance as Mrs. Thompson, she asked diner owner Luke Danes, played by Scott Patterson, to move his boat. She played a movie theater cashier in the 2016 film “La La Land,” and she played Mrs. McCurdy for two episodes in “Shameless,” according to IMDb.

With her husband, she also co-founded the organization Actors Connection, which provides networking seminars and classes for actors who want to advance their careers.

“Her passion for helping actors has launched countless careers,” according to a social media statement from the group.