Nearly two weeks after the death of Denise Dowse, the Beverly Hills, 90210 family has lost another beloved member.
Joe E. Tata, who portrayed Peach Pit owner Nat on the TV series, has died, co-star Ian Ziering shared. Tata was 85.
“In the last few months we’ve lost Jessica Klein one of 90210‘s most prolific writers and producers, Denise Douse [sic] who played Mrs. Teasley, and now I’m very sad to say Joe E Tata has passed away,” Ziering wrote on Instagram Aug. 25. “Joey was truly an OG, I remember seeing him on the Rockford files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210. He was often one of the background villains in the original Batman series.”
Ziering, who played Steve Sanders on Beverly Hills, 90210, went on to note that Tata was one of the happiest people he’s ever worked with. “He was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness,” Ziering added. “Though the peach pit was a 90210 set, It often felt like the backdrop to the Joe E Tata show.”
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“The stories of days gone by that he would share, incredible experiences in the entertainment industry that he was a part of would keep us all captivated,” Ziering continued. “He may have been in the back of many scenes, but he was a leading force, especially to us guys, on how to appreciate the gift that 90210 was. My smile dims today but basking in fond memories moves him from my eyes to my heart where he will always be.”
While a cause of death has not been publicly announced, Deadline reports that Tata was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2018.
As Ziering’s tribute mentioned, Tata’s passing comes shortly after the deaths of fellow 90210 family members Klein and Dowse, who passed away on Aug. 13, days after she was hospitalized with severe meningitis.
“Throughout all my years working on Beverly Hills 90210, my scenes with Denise will always be remembered with the utmost in respect for her talent, and fondness for the loving soul she was,” Ziering wrote on Instagram Aug. 14. “Some of my heartiest off camera laughs were between she and I hammering out the discipline her Mrs. Teasley would dish out to my Steve Sanders.”
