With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this beloved actress who graced our screens for decades

The performance apparently created some confusion among people who knew Levine personally because her real-life husband was very much alive.

It was exactly the sort of unconventional part Levine would continue embracing.

Rather than allowing Hollywood’s obsession with youth to discourage her, she turned her age into an advantage. She appeared in comedies, dramas, films, and television shows, frequently portraying characters who could steal a scene with only a few lines.

Her television résumé eventually included Everybody Loves Raymond, Gilmore Girls, Criminal Minds, Ugly Betty, Raising Hope, Shameless, and Chappelle’s Show. Movie audiences could also spot her in projects including You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and the Oscar-winning La La Land.

Levine herself seemed slightly mystified by her ability to make audiences laugh.

“I guess I am funny on camera, but I have no idea why.”

Whatever the reason, filmmakers kept calling.

Her career continued long past the point when most performers would have retired. Even in her 90s, Levine remained active and interested in working.

She appeared in the 2024 film Thelma, starring June Squibb, and her later credits included The Upshaws and The Cure. According to her manager, Levine was still auditioning and pursuing acting work as recently as June.

That longevity made her career particularly remarkable. She didn’t spend her youth becoming famous and then continue working into old age. She essentially began her professional acting journey when she was approaching 60 and built decades of credits afterward.

Yet acting in front of the camera represented only one part of Levine’s contribution to the entertainment industry.

In 1991, she and her husband, Bernie Levine, founded Actors Connection in New York City. The organization was created to give aspiring performers access to coaching, professional guidance, casting information, and networking opportunities.

In other words, after finding the courage to pursue her own dream later in life, Levine helped create opportunities for other people chasing theirs.

She and Bernie were married for 53 years before his death in 2003.

Following Levine’s passing, Actors Connection honored its co-founder and reflected on the impact she had on generations of performers.

“Her passion for helping actors has launched countless careers.”

The organization continued:

“Thank you Bunny for creating such a vibrant community to serve the fellow artists you have always loved — may you rest in sweet peace!”

Her family also remembered the two worlds that defined so much of her life — education and entertainment.

“Bunny inspired affection and admiration in many people with her work in education and performance.”

Levine is survived by her children, Marty, Francie and Joe, as well as her grandchildren, Robin and Jeffrey.

Her story stands apart from the traditional Hollywood narrative.

There was no childhood breakthrough followed by decades of celebrity. No teenage discovery or overnight rise to stardom. Instead, Levine spent a quarter-century working in education before deciding that the dream she’d carried since childhood still deserved a chance.

She took that chance when she was nearly 60.

Then she kept going.

She worked through her 60s, 70s, 80s, and well into her 90s, accumulating appearances in some of television’s most recognizable shows while helping other actors find opportunities of their own.

Bunny Levine’s career is a powerful reminder that there isn’t necessarily an expiration date on ambition. A dream postponed for decades doesn’t always have to become a dream abandoned.

Sometimes retirement can actually become a beginning.

For Bunny Levine, walking away from one 25-year career opened the door to another that lasted for decades — one that ultimately brought her distinctive presence to millions of viewers.

She was 97.

Rest in peace, Bunny Levine.