Bunny Levine, who started her professional acting career after retiring from her work as a school librarian, has passed away at the age of 97. According to Deadline, multiple reports confirmed her death.
Bunny Levine’s acting journey began in childhood
Levine’s interest in performance reportedly started when she was very young. Her IMDb biography states that she entertained her family from the age of two. She would perform “When I Grow Too Old to Dream” whenever she got the opportunity.Her interest in acting continued throughout her school years. She participated in school and local productions and took on both lead and character roles. By third grade, she had written, directed and starred in “Debbie’s Diary”.Levine’s ambitions initially pointed towards a career in theatre. She studied theatre arts during college. However, her plans changed after she married during her sophomore year.
She spent years working as a school librarian
After completing college in 1951, Levine stepped away from professional acting. She eventually worked as a school librarian in New Jersey while raising her three children with her husband, Bernie.Although she was no longer pursuing acting professionally, Bunny Levine continued to use storytelling as part of her work.Bunny Levine eventually took early retirement and decided to revisit her long-held ambition. She enrolled in acting classes and began attending auditions. Her return to the profession gradually led to commercial work and roles in television and movies.
Bunny Levine appeared in several popular TV shows
Bunny Levine’s second career brought her appearances in a wide range of television productions. Her credits included ‘As the World Turns’, ‘Law & Order’, ‘Chappelle’s Show’, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, ‘Las Vegas’, ‘Private Practice’, ‘Ugly Betty’, ‘Community’, ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘2 Broke Girls’, ‘The Mindy Project’, ‘Fuller House’ and ‘Mayans M.C.’She was also seen in ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Shameless’. Many of her television appearances were guest roles. She frequently played older women, grandmothers and other character parts.After her husband Bernie died, Levine moved from the New York area to Los Angeles. She continued attending acting classes and auditions while pursuing opportunities in the city’s entertainment industry.Bunny Levine also worked in movies during her later acting career. One of her early film appearances came in the 1990 movie ‘Cadillac Man’, which featured Robin Williams and Tim Robbins.She later appeared alongside Adam Sandler in ‘Don’t Mess With the Zohan’. Bunny Levine played an “Older lady in the salon” in the movie. Her filmography also included Adam Sandler’s ‘Sandy Wexler’. She had an uncredited role as the grandmother of the main character.Other credits included ‘La La Land’ and ‘Let Go’. In ‘La La Land’, she played a movie theatre cashier. She portrayed Mrs. Grossman in ‘Let Go’.
Her final years included ‘Thelma’
Bunny Levine continued working on screen into her later years. Her credits included the 2024 movie ‘Thelma’, where she played Mona opposite June Squibb. Bunny Levine’s last film was the thriller ‘The Cure’.