With just seven months until the newGhostbustershits the big screen, a star from the belovedoriginal movieshas passed away.Entertainment Weeklyis reporting that actorDavid Margulies, who played New York City Mayor Lenny Clotch in both 1984’sGhostbustersand the 1989 sequelGhostbusters 2, has passed away at the age of 78 in New York City. The actor’s agentMary Hardenconfirmed the news, revealing that he passed from a lengthy battle with an undisclosed illness.
David Margulieswas born August 07, 2025 in Brooklyn, and after graduating from City College, he made his off-Broadway debut in 1958 with a role in the productionGolden 6. His first film appearance came in 1971’s A New Leaf, and he would go on to star in films like All That Jazz, Dressed to Kill, and Times Square before landing the role of New York Mayor Lenny Clotch in the originalGhostbusters. He delivered the memorable line, “Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker’s God-given right!” in the 1984 classic, later reprising his role in the 1989sequel.
Other notable film credits include Nine 1/2 Weeks, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Ishtar,Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Ira & Abby andAll Good Things. Most recently, he starred inFading Gigolo,A Most Violent Yearand the upcomingLicense Plates. On the TV side, he had a recurring role as Neil Mink, Tony Soprano’s lawyer onThe Sopranosand he stars in the upcoming ABC miniseriesMadoffas Elie Wiesel.
He also recently appeared on the small screen in Happyish,Law & Order: Special Victims Unitand Political Animals. The actor also had a flourishing career on the stage, making his Broadway debut in 1973 with a revival ofThe Iceman Cometh. He also appeared inConversations With My Father,Angels in America: PerestroikaandWonderful Town, among many others. The actor was also a founding member of the San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater.
TheGhostbusters rebootfeatures cameo performances from many of the franchise’s original stars, such asBill Murray,Dan Aykroyd,Sigourney Weaver,Annie PottsandErnie Hudson. It isn’t known ifDavid Marguliesfilmed a cameo role before his death, or if he was even approached to come back, but we’ll keep you posted if any updates surface. Will you be watching the originalGhostbusterstonight to pay tribute to the lateDavid Margulies?
