Hollywood is mourning the loss of a prolific star.
Peter Scolari, who first rose to fame starring in classic sitcoms including Newhart and Bosom Buddies, died on Friday, Oct. 22 following a two-year battle with cancer, his manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, confirmed in a statement to E! News. He was 66.
Throughout his career, Scolari accumulated an incredible résumé of credits and won an Emmy in 2016 for his portrayal of Tad Horvath, the father of main character Hannah (played by Lena Dunham) on Girls.
His longer roster of guest roles includes appearances in countless other TV shows including The Good Fight, Murphy Brown, The West Wing, ER, Gotham, Law & Order: SVU, Ally McBeal, and Honey I Shrunk The Kids: The TV Show, among many others.
Following news of his tragic passing, tributes began pouring in from those who worked alongside the late actor, including a dedication from Dunham.
"The shyest extrovert, the most dramatic comedian, the most humble icon," she captioned a series of Instagram photos featuring the late star on Oct. 22. "You had lived enough life to know that a TV show was just a TV show, but also to appreciate just what it meant to be allowed to play pretend for a living-and you never let us forget that this job was a privilege."
"I loved every second of playing your family and I couldn't have been raised up by a better TV 'papa,'" she concluded her post. "Thank you, Scolari, for every chat between set ups, every hug onscreen and off and every 'Oh, Jeez.' We will miss you so much."
Harvey Fierstein, who starred with Scolari in the musical run of Hairspray beginning in the early aughts, tweeted, "Sad to see the news that Peter Scolari lost his battle with cancer. There wasn't a sweeter man on the planet."
"We performed together in HAIRSPRAY for a time, and he was always a total delight," Fierstein added. "Farewell, dear Peter."
Robert King, a writer who worked with Scolari on the CBS drama The Good Fight, wrote that the actor was "one of the funniest—sneakily funny—actors we've worked with. He always took a nothing scene and found different ways to twist it and throw in odd pauses that made it jump. I will try to collect my thoughts more. He was just wonderful."
Scolari also had an equally impressive Broadway career, appearing on the stage starting in 2003 in productions including Hairspray, Sly Fox (2004), Magic/Bird (2012), Bronx Bombers (2014), and Wicked (2016). He and Tom Hanks, who starred together in the sitcom, Bosom Buddies, the duo shared the stage in the 2013 play, Lucky Guy.
Scolari is survived by his wife, Tracy Shayne, and four children: Nicholas, Joseph, Keaton, and Cali.