Further details have emerged about the death of Bunny Levine, the character actress known for supporting roles in "Gilmore Girls," "Shameless" and "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," who died aged 97. Her manager confirmed she passed away peacefully in her sleep, with NBC Los Angeles reporting she died on Thursday at her home in Tarzana, California, and additional reporting has now clarified fuller details of her career and personal life.

Born on 22 December 1928 in East Orange, New Jersey, Levine set aside acting ambitions for 25 years to work as a school librarian while raising three children, before her husband Bernard Levine's death in 2003 prompted her move to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She went on to build an extensive résumé spanning "Law & Order," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Ugly Betty," "Criminal Minds," "New Girl" and "La La Land," alongside several collaborations with Adam Sandler including "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," "Sandy Wexler" and "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah." She kept working into her 90s, with recent roles in "Thelma" alongside June Squibb, "Sacramento" with Kristen Stewart and Michael Cera, and 2026 projects including the final season of "The Upshaws" and "The Cure."