J. Alan Thomas and every other actor from the Taxi cast who passed away

The beloved sitcom Taxi It aired its first episode more than 45 years ago, back in 1978, and in the years since, several cast members have died, including J. Alan Thomas. The series, which would run for five seasons and conclude in 1982, centered around a group of New York City taxi cab drivers and their clumsy dispatcher. Some of the main cast became huge stars, including Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Marilu Henner. A great series, Taxi Won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series for its first three seasons.

In addition to its talented main cast, Taxi Also featured many memorable guest stars, some of whom, like Ruth Gordon, would win Emmys for their roles. A-list actors like Tom Hanks and Martin Short made memorable guest appearances as Reverend Jim’s college roommate and a TV network executive, respectively, while some celebrities, like Penny Marshall, even played themselves. Whether a lead or a guest star, there was not a weak actor among them Taxi Cast, and those who passed are deeply missed.

J. Alan Thomas as Jeff Bennett

Date of birth: May 8, 1950

actor: J. Alan Thomas Died on April 15, 2007 at the age of 56. Although Taxi Was Thomas’ biggest role, he also appeared in The Tracy Ullman Show And Good luck. His film credits include playing Millington in Throw Momma off the train (1987) against his Taxi co-star, Danny DeVito, And Jim Carrey himself Man on the moonWhat was Thomas’ last role.

J. Alan Thomas’ other notable roles:

character: Alan Thomas played Jeff Bennett, Louis’ beleaguered assistant dispatcher, in Taxifor 70 of the show’s 114 episodes. Initially a background character with limited dialogue, Thomas’ role grew and he became more of a supporting player. Jeff was prominently featured in the season 5 episode, “Crime and Punishment”, in which Louis wrongly accuses him of stealing car parts and selling them on the black market, a crime Louis himself had committed.

Jeff Conaway as Bobby Wheeler

Date of birth: October 5, 1950

actor: Jeff Conaway Died on May 27, 2011 at the age of 60 Due to various reasons. Conaway’s other most notable role was bad boy Kenny In Lubricate. He also stared in Babylon 5 Like Zach Allen.

character: in TaxiJeff Conaway played Bobby Wheeler, an aspiring actor who often faced setbacks in his pursuit of stardomfor 69 episodes. Over four seasons, Conaway portrayed Bobby’s struggles with both stage and screen performances, capturing his blend of ambition and charm. Although Conaway left the series at the end of season 3, he made a final appearance in the 12th episode of season 4, “Bobby Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” providing a memorable and poignant conclusion to his character’s arc.

Jack Gilford as Joe Rigger

Date of birth: July 25, 1908

actor: Jack Gilford passed away on June 4, 1990, at the age of 81 after a long battle with stomach cancer. Gilford’s other notable roles include Phil Greene in Save the tigerFor which he earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, and Bernie in Cocoona role he reprized in the sequel, Cocoon: The Return.

character: Jack Guilford portrayed Joe Rigger, Alex’s father, on Taxi. Joe is depicted Like a strained relationship with his sonA dynamic that is explored in depth in Gilford’s two episodes, season 2, episode “Listen to Your Father” and season 4, episode 6, “Like Father, Like Son”. This complex father-son relationship added significant emotional depth to the series.

Marcia Wallace as herself

Date of birth: November 1, 1942

Actress: Marcia Wallace passed away on October 25, 2013, at the age of 70. The cause of death was pneumonia and breast cancer. Although not a household name, Wallace had a prolific television career, famously voicing elementary school teacher Edna Crabapple on The SimpsonsA role that won her an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. Wallace also starred in The Bob Newhart Show As Carol Kester and guest-starred in four episodes of Whole house Like Mrs. Carruthers.

character: Wallace did A memorable guest appearance as himself in TaxiSeason 5 premiere, “Love Un-American Style.” In the episode, Wallace goes On a blind date with Reverend Jim, a devoted fan of The Bob Newhart Show. Wallace’s appearance added a humorous crossover element to the episode.