'Gilmore Girls' star Bunny Levine passes away at 97

Actress Bunny Levine, who starred in Law & Order, La La Land, and Gilmore Girls, passed away at the age of 97.

Levine’s reps told NBC Los Angeles and The Hollywood Reporter that she passed away quietly in her sleep at her Tarzana, California, home on Thursday, August 20.

According to NBC L.A., the Los Angeles Police Department stated that her death appeared to be due to natural causes.

Before becoming a teacher and school librarian, Bernice Levine, who was born in Orange, New Jersey, earned master’s degrees from Columbia University and New York University.

Later, she left her education career to focus on acting.

One of Levine’s first movie roles was in the 1990 picture Cadillac Man, which starred Tim Robbins and Robin Williams.

You Wrote It, You Watch It and Law & Order were among her television credits.

In order to support performers in advancing their careers, Levine and her husband, Bernard S. Levine, co-founded Actors Connection in New York City in 1991.

In a statement following her passing, the organization paid tribute to Levine’s legacy, saying, “Actors Connection honors the life and contributions of Bunny Levine … Her passion for helping actors has launched countless careers.”

Levine relocated to Los Angeles after her husband passed away in 2003, where she carried on with her acting career.

Ugly Betty, Gilmore Girls, Criminal Minds, 2 Broke Girls, Raising Hope, New Girl, Shameless, and Sprung were among her subsequent television credits.