Willie Garson Dies: ‘Sex and the City’ Actor Was 57

LOS ANGELES - APR 7: Willie Garson at the Alliance for Children's Rights' 22st Annual Dinner at Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 7, 2014 in Beverly Hills, CA. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Willie Garson, an actor best known for his roles on the television shows Sex and the City and White Collar has died. He was 57.

Garson passed away Tuesday afternoon after a short illness, People magazine reported.

The actor’s son Nathen confirmed his father’s death in a tribute on Instagram. “Love you more than you will ever know and I’m glad you can be at peace now. You always were the toughest and funniest and smartest person I’ve known. I’m glad you shared you’re [sic] love with me. I’ll never forget it or lose it,” Nathen shared.

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Sarah Jessica Parker and Willie Garson in Sex and the City. (Credit: HBO)
Sarah Jessica Parker and Willie Garson in Sex and the City. (Credit: HBO)

Garson was born William Garson Paszamant in Highland Park, New Jersey in 1964. He graduated from Wesleyan University and later studied at the Yale Drama School.

He gained a legion of fans for playing Carrie Bradshaw’s stylish best friend Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City. He appeared on the hit HBO comedy series from 1999 to 2004.

Garson would later land a role on the USA Network crime drama White Collar as the quirky “Mozzie,” which he portrayed from 2009 to 2014. He also directed episodes of White Collar and Girl Meets World.

Before his death, he had been filming HBO Max’s upcoming Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That…

As news of Garson’s death spread, his friends and former colleagues remembered him on social media.

“So deeply, deeply sad we have lost Willie Garson. We all loved him and adored working with him,” SATC actress Cynthia Nixon wrote on Instagram. “He was endlessly funny on-screen and in real life. He was a source of light, friendship and show business lore. He was a consummate professional— always. My heart goes out to his son, Nathen, I hope you know how much he loved you and how proud he was to be your dad.”

Added SATC actor Mario Cantone, “I couldn’t have had a more brilliant TV partner. I’m devastated and just overwhelmed with Sadness. Taken away from all of us way soon. You were a gift from the gods sweet Willie. Rest …I love you.”

USA Network also remembered Garson on Twitter. “No matter what project he was on, Willie was always a fan-favorite. Nowhere was that more true than on White Collar, where he took the character of Mozzie, an outcast conspiracy theorist, and made him lovable to the core. He will be missed,” the network wrote.

Garson worked in show business for over three decades. Among his other credits were the television shows CSI: Miami, Mr. Belvedere, NYPD Blue, Hawaii Five-0, Quantum Leap, and Supergirl, as well as the film There’s Something About Mary, and the Sex and the City movies.


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