Broadway's Josh Grisetti, beloved Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor, dies at 44

Josh Grisetti, a 44-year-old Broadway performer, TV actor, and musical theatre instructor, passed away on July 10. His death was confirmed as a suicide. Mackenzie, the actor's wife, whom he wed in 2020, is the only survivor. Details about the memorial have not yet been made public.

Tributes pour in for Josh Grisetti from Broadway colleagues

Close friend and longtime collaborator Rob McClure shared the news in an Instagram post. The two had starred together as brothers in the Broadway and touring productions of Something Rotten! Rob had served as best man at Josh’s wedding. Rob described the loss as devastating and said he wasn’t yet able to process it, extending his thoughts to Josh’s wife and family.

Sierra Boggess, who co-starred with Grisetti in It Shoulda Been You, also posted remembering him as a gifted performer, writer, and director who brought humour and thoughtfulness to everyone around him.

Josh first drew attention in the York Theatre Company’s 2008 production of Enter Laughing, earning a Theatre World Award. He went on to originate roles in It Shoulda Been You on Broadway in 2015, sharing the stage with Tyne Daly, Harriet Harris, and David Burtka, and later played Nigel Bottom opposite Rob McClure’s Nick in both the Broadway and national tour productions of Something Rotten!.

Josh's most well-known television role for contemporary viewers was that of comedy writer Ralph Emerson, alongside Rachel Brosnahan in eight episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's fifth and final season. Previous credits included parts in the films The Immigrant, Revolutionary Road, and The Namesake, as well as the ABC sitcom The Knights of Prosperity.

In recent years, Josh had shifted much of his focus toward teaching. He joined California State University, Fullerton, where he served as associate professor and head of the school’s BFA Musical Theatre program, earning tenure within two years.

Just days before his death, Grisetti had posted on social media about stepping away from a production of Legally Blonde at the Trentino Music Festival for personal reasons, thanking the cast for their support as he did so.

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