Joe E. Tata is a character actor with a long television career, including a henchman in the original “Batman” series and a minor role in “The Rockford Files,” but he is best known as the friendly owner of the Peach Pit Diner. was known. He died Thursday in Woodland Hills, Calif., from his 1990s teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210.” He was 85 years old.
His death in a nursing home was confirmed by his attorney, Richard W. Sharpe, who did not specify a cause.
Tata’s daughter, Kelly Tata, also shared the news of his death on the GoFundMe page in a statement she started to help pay for his treatment. He said he was diagnosed with the disease.
From 1990 to 2000, Mr. Tata played Nat Busicio, the friendly owner of the fictional Peach Pit, in 238 episodes of “Beverly Hills 90210.” As Nat, he was a father figure and role model for the show’s characters, following a group of high school friends in the affluent 90210 zip code.
Debuting on the Fox network in 1990, the show got off to a sluggish start but became a hit known for crossing romantic themes, including serious issues like racism and teenage pregnancies, and became a pop star. The show’s popularity has been attributed to Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Luke Perry, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling (whose father, Aaron Spelling, He also became a household name for the telegenic young cast, which included (who produced the show).
Joseph Evan Tata was born in the Bronx on September 13, 1936. His father was a vaudeville performer known as John Lucas, sometimes known as Rosie the Singing Barber.
Complete information about Mr. Tata’s survivors was not immediately available.
Mr. Tata got his first television role in 1960, in an episode of the detective series “Peter Gunn.” He had a prolific career as a character actor, playing bit parts in dozens of shows.
Science fiction was my specialty. He provided the voices of multiple robots in ‘Lost in Space’ and played an alien in ‘Outer His Limits’. He also played several henchmen in his 1960s “Batman” series starring Adam West.
He was a familiar face on police and detective shows like “Police Story” and “The Rockford Files” in the 1960s and 70s, and appeared as three different characters in three episodes of “Mission: Impossible.” I performed.
But Mr. Tata’s most enduring role was in “Beverly Hills, 90120.” Students at West Beverly High School were often seen hanging out in the Peach Pit after school. There Mr. Nat from Tata listened to their problems and offered advice.
of Instagram post Ziering said on Thursday that Tata “could have been behind a lot of the scene” but “had a leading role, especially for us, in how we appreciate the gift 90210 has given. ‘ said.
The series ended in 2000 after almost 300 episodes. That spawned the spin-off “Melrose Place” and his 2008 reboot “90210,” in which Mr. Tata reprized his role.
His most recent acting credit from 2014 was as a high school principal in the ABC family comedy series ‘Mystery Girls’ starring Ms. Garth and Ms. Spelling.