This actor died at the age of 49, leaving behind a son and spouse. Perhaps best known for his role in the original 90210, he has been a familiar face over the years in many different movies and television shows. He played the role of fan-favorite, ‘Tiny’.
According to a statement from his family, Brian Turk died this past weekend after a year-long battle with cancer. He was just 49.
Turk leaves behind a wife, who is physically unable to work full time, and one son, an 8-year-old boy who has described his father as his best friend.
This actor was diagnosed with cancer last year and has spent the past year fighting for his health with a team of doctors. Only recently it was determined that his cancer was terminal, and there was nothing more they could do.
Friends of the family set up a GoFundMe page for him, which has hit $28,000 of the $50,000 goal as of now. It was for funeral and living expenses for those Turk has left behind, as well as to help cover the medical bills from his treatment.
Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of 90210, you might think Brian Turk’s face looks familiar. That’s because since the early 1990s he has been active in Hollywood, and performed in numerous television shows or movies over the years.
His biggest role was perhaps Gabriel in HBO’s Carnivale, a two-season show that ran from 2003 to 2005. When the first season aired, it set records for the number of viewers for an HBO original series.
Turk was the strong man in a traveling carnival. The series was very ‘dark fantasy’ and used Christian and Pagan mythology to showcase good versus evil, destiny, and the concept of free will. It was canceled after a lackluster second season, despite winning 5 Emmys in 2004 and being nominated for 15 total.
This star was also in movies like A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, American Pie 2, and more. His television credits are even more extensive, with roles in Boy Meets World, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, and General Hospital.
