Hollywood actor Joe E. Tata, 85, has passed away
His daughter confirmed that Joe E. Tata, who played Nat, the affable owner of the Peach Pit on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” has passed away. His age was 85.
Kelly Tata announced the news on a GoFundMe page she created earlier this year for her father’s care on Thursday.
“I am devastated to report that my father Joe E. Tata passed away peacefully last night,” Tata wrote. My family and I will always appreciate all of the support we have received from our friends, fans, and extended family.
Her father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, according to Tata, though the cause of death was not disclosed.
Joe E. Tata’s longtime “90210” co-star, Ian Ziering, paid tribute to him on Instagram.
“Joey was truly an OG, I remember seeing him on the Rockford files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210,” Ziering wrote. “He was often one of the background villains in the original Batman series. One of the happiest people I’ve ever worked with, he was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness. Though the peach pit was a 90210 set, It often felt like the backdrop to the Joe E Tata show. “
In addition to his work on “Batman,” “Lost In Space,” “The Outer Limits,” and most recently, “Mystery Girls” in 2014, Tata has acted in numerous other television shows throughout the course of his long career.
He played Nat on “Beverly Hills, 90210” for a total of ten seasons, from 1990 to 2000, and then returned to the role for the 2008 CW spin-off series.
Kelly Tata described her father as a “Nat was a loving father figure to the kids of West Beverly High,” in an essay she wrote. “In real life, my Dad, Joey, is honest, kind, and a truly incredible father.”