Willie Garson of 'Sex and the City' Dies at 57 — Castmates Mourn 'Source of Light'

Willie Garson, the actor known as Carrie Bradshaw's best friend Stanford Blatch on HBO's iconic series "Sex and the City," and in the same franchise's feature films, has died. He was 57.

A family member confirmed Garson’s death to Variety, but did not reveal a cause. TMZ reports Garson had been battling cancer, but could not confirm it as the cause of death.

At the time of his death, Garson was busy reprising his role in the “Sex and the City” reboot series “And Just Like That...” That series is expected to premiere on HBO Max this fall.

Garson's final tweet, from earlier this month, reads as parting words of wisdom:

After the surprising news broke of Garson's passing, his adopted son Nathen mourned his loss on Instagram, writing, “I love you so much papa. Rest In Peace and I’m so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much. I’m so proud of you. I will always love you, but I think it’s time for you to go on an adventure of your own. You’ll always be with me. Love you more than you will ever know and I’m glad you can be at peace now. You always were the toughest and funniest and smartest person I’ve known. I’m glad you shared you’re love with me. I’ll never forget it or lose it.”

Born February 20, 1964, in Highland Park, New Jersey, Garson had a prolific career as a character actor, most prominently his 27 episodes of "Sex and the City" (1998-2004). Other memorable TV roles included playing Mozzie on TV's "White Collar" (2009-2014) and recurring roles on both "Hawaii Five-0" (2015-2019) and "Supergirl" (2019-2020).

Episodic TV work included "Family Ties" (1986), "Cheers" (1986), "Newhart" (1986 & 1987), "Twin Peaks" (1991), four episodes of "Boy Meets World" (1993-1999), "Mad About You" (1995), "Melrose Place" (1997 & 1998), "Ally McBeal" (1997 & 1998), "Monk" (2004), "Wizards of Waverly Place" (2009), "Hot in Cleveland" (2012), "Girl Meets World" (2014), and "Magnum P.I." (2019).

Among his many film roles, Garson appeared in "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989), "Soapdish" (1991), "Mars Attacks!" (1996), "There's Something About Mary" (1998), "Being John Malkovich" (1999), "Freaky Friday" (2003), "Little Manhattan" (2005) with his "SATC" co-star Cynthia Nixon, and both "Sex and the City" films (2008 & 2010).

Social media rushed to remember Garson, including a heartfelt tweet from "SATC" castmate Cynthia Nixon, who posted a photo of the two together, writing, "So deeply, deeply sad we have lost @WillieGarson. We all loved him and adored working with him. He was endlessly funny on-screen and and in real life. He was a source of light, friendship and show business lore. He was a consummate professional— always. My heart goes out to his son, Nathen Garson. Nathen, I hope you know how much he loved you and how proud he was to be your dad."

"SATC's" Kristin Davis remembered Willie early Wednesday on Instagram, writing, "I first met Willie in 1995 on the spooky nighttime set of the X-files. He immediately made me laugh. Little did I know that we would have the joy of sharing Sex and the City + And Just Like That together. Willie is beloved by our entire community. He was smarter and funnier than you ever would have imagined. We are bereft without him. But I really want to pay tribute to his fearless commitment to single fatherhood. We spoke about being single parents through adoption often. And nothing gave him more joy and pride than his son Nathen. Nathen’s strength and wisdom beyond his years are evident in his beautiful tribute to his dad. The outpouring of love is earned dear Willie. I am thankful for all of the time we had and grateful that so much of your bright light is on film forever. Maybe we can do our pod cast the next time around ? We love you forever xoxo."

Kim Cattrall, who won't be participating in "And Just Like That...," tweeted, "Such sad news and a terribly sad loss to the SATC family. Our condolences and RIP dear Willie xo."

"SATC" co-star Mario Cantone tweeted, "I couldn’t have had a more brilliant TV partner. I’m devastated and just overwhelmed with Sadness. Taken away from all of us way soon. You were a gift from the gods. Rest my sweet friend. I love you."

Rob Morrow tweeted, "Our sweet pal #WillieGarson has passed on. Dear soul, rest easy."

Julie Bowen wrote on Instagram, "This breaks my heart. Willie Garson, a friend who loved me at my worst, (and always let me know it) is gone. Goodbye, Fatty. I love you always."