Bunny Levine, known for her appearance as Mrs Thompson on Gilmore Girls, died of natural causes at her home in Tarzana, California. She was 97.Levine’s representative, Mike Eisenstadt, has confirmed the news. Police responded to a report of an unresponsive person and determined the death appeared natural. She continued acting in her 90s.She was married to Bernard Levine. The couple tied the knot on August 21, 1949, and they were together until he passed away in February 2003 of pancreatic cancer. He was a math professor at William Patterson University in New Jersey and co-founder of The Actors Connection in New York, along with Bunny Levine.Levine embarked on her acting career at the age of 60 after working as a school librarian for over 20 years. Her first professional screen credit was the 1988 independent horror-comedy Slime City, where she played the character of Ruby.Continue reading for more details.Everything we need to know about Bunny Levine’s familyBunny Levine’s life has sparked interest in the media after her demise at the age of 97. Besides her role in Gilmore Girls, she played Mona in Thelma (2024), a character with dementia opposite June Squibb. She also made a brief appearance in La La Land (2016).Born on December 22, 1928, in the city of East Orange in New Jersey. She had a sister, whom she described as the “pretty one.” She entertained the family from the age of two and participated in school and local productions throughout elementary and high school.Levine initially studied theater arts in college but later switched to a different degree. She graduated from college in 1951. After graduation, she paused professional acting ambitions for about 25 years and focused on raising her children.She and her husband, Bernard Levine, lived in married student housing and an apartment in Pullman, Washington. Levine called the move a “culture shock” after East Coast city life. The couple welcomed three children – Marty, Francie and Joe.Bernard Levine passed away on February 22, 2003, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was the father-in-law of Judy Forrest Levine and Jay Lubin and grandfather to Robin Emily Levine and Jeffrey Robert Lubin. He has been described as an avid tennis player and a supporter of the arts, especially of developing actors.Bunny Levine started her career by working as a librarian and a teacher in Teaneck, New Jersey, before transitioning into acting in the later years of her life, particularly in 80s. She retired from her job as a school librarian in the late 1980s. Her obituary noted:“In both careers, she inspired affection and admiration in her students and colleagues.”Los Angeles Premiere Of "Thelma" - Source: GettyBunny made her professional acting debut in 1988 after she began taking film classes and started auditioning for roles. Through The Actors Connection Bunny and her husband supported numerous actors in advancing their careers.Following her husband's death, Bunny Levine moved to Los Angeles and built her career in the entertainment industry. She continued working and studying into her 90s, describing herself as energetic, agile, and a lifelong student of the craft. Speaking about her time in the industry, she told Metro:“Acting is always what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t practical. I don’t know if you’ve seen a picture of me, but I wasn’t a good young leading lady. I’m short and a little character-y. I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t beautiful either, so acting just wasn’t practical.”Everybody Loves Raymond, Law & Order, Criminal Minds and 2 Broke Girls are some of the television series where she appeared. Her film credits include You Don’t Mess With the Zohan and other Adam Sandler projects including Sandy Wexler and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.Bunny Levine appeared in over 100 roles and worked with performers including Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle. Levine’s last film role was in 2026 horror thriller The Cure. According to Levine’s obituary, her funeral services are scheduled to be held at the Jewish Memorial Chapel in Clifton, New Jersey, on August 27, 2026 at 1pm.