Actress and former educator Bunny Levine died in her sleep at her home in Tarzana, California, on Aug. 20. She was 97 years old, according to a statement from her manager, Brandon Kjar, provided to CBS News.
Levine was born in New Jersey in 1928 and initially pursued a career in education rather than acting. She earned master's degrees from New York University and Columbia University before spending 25 years working as a school librarian. In 1991, she and her husband, Bernie Levine, established Actors Connection in New York City, an organization intended to assist actors in developing their careers.
Following her retirement from education, Levine transitioned into professional acting. Her career included roles in television series such as "Gilmore Girls," "Law & Order," and "Raising Hope," as well as the film "La La Land." She remained active in the industry late into her life, with recent credits in the 2024 films "Sacramento" and "Thelma," and 2026 appearances in "The Cure" and "The Upshaws." According to Kjar, she last worked in June.
The scale of Levine’s career change serves as a documented example of a late-stage professional transition. After dedicating 25 years to the public school system as a librarian—a role that impacts hundreds of students per year per school—she entered a second career that spanned over 30 years and dozens of television and film productions. Viewers of major network television and Academy Award-winning films like "La La Land" would have seen her work across multiple decades of programming, illustrating the visibility possible for actors who enter the guild after traditional retirement age.
For the entertainment industry, Levine’s continued employment through age 97, including auditions and filming as recently as June, highlights the ongoing demand for senior performers in Hollywood. Her estate is survived by three children and two grandchildren. No public memorial services or specific dates for funeral arrangements were disclosed in the initial report. What happens next will involve the continued operation of Actors Connection under its current leadership and the posthumous release of any final projects recorded before June.