Mark Blum dies from Covid-19 complications

Desperately Seeking Susan actor was 69

by Anne-Katrin Titze

Mark Blum with Madonna in Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan
Mark Blum with Madonna in Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan

Mark Blum died yesterday in New York at the age of 69 from coronavirus complications. He starred opposite Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, and Madonna in Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan and had a recurring role as the character Union Bob in the series Mozart In The Jungle, created by Roman Coppola, Alex Timbers, Paul Weitz, and Jason Schwartzman. His film work includes Peter Faiman’s Crocodile Dundee and he was a constant presence on the Off Broadway stage, in plays such as Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery.

Blum was the Director of the Uta Hagen Institute’s Hagen Core Training at HB Studio and a Brooklyn College theatre professor. On Tuesday the theatre community lost four-time Tony Award winning playwright Terrence McNally to Covid-19.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio just announced at his press conference that there are now 21,873 coronavirus positives and 365 deaths reported in the city.

According to The New York Times this afternoon, the US now has the world’s most reported coronavirus cases with 81,321, and over 1,000 deaths linked to the virus.

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