How did Stuart Margolin die? Emmy-winning actor of 'The Rockford Files' and 'NCIS' dies at 82

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In his tribute, the ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ star didn’t shy away in admitting that he wasted a lot of time on things that never meant anything to him and realized how much he loved his step-father. He added, “The two most profound moments in my life… the birth of my kids and being bedside as my step-father passed this morning. My mother, brother, and I holding his hands. All the time between birth and death, life, is up to us to fill with equally profound moments. Anyway, it made me realize how much time I’ve wasted on things that were never going to amount to anything. Just a profound realization I thought I’d share. Love you, Stuart Margolin.”

Martini concluded his post by saying Margolin was a “profoundly-gifted stepfather” that was always there when his loved ones needed him.

“A great actor/writer/producer/director. But more importantly, a profoundly gifted stepfather that was always there with love and support for his family. RIP Pappy. Keep ‘em cold,” Martini concluded.

Margolin began his career on Television in 1961 with ‘The Gertrude Berg Show’ and made his feature film debut with ‘Women of the Prehistoric Planet’ in 1966. After getting recognition for a lot of his work, the biggest moment of his professional career came when he was cast in NBC’s blockbuster hit series ‘The Rockford Files’. The actor played the role of Evelyn Martin and became a household name. Margolin received universal acclaim for his acting and won consecutive Primetime Emmys in 1979 and 1980 for the respective fifth and sixth seasons of ‘The Rockford Files’.

The TV series turned out to become a huge hit as well and earned several trophies during its run.

Margolin would go on to reprise the character of Martin in eight ‘Rockford Files’ TV movies during 1990.

The actor continued to be a force to be reckoned with on TV throughout his career and appeared in memorable shows like ‘Ironside’, ‘The Virginian’, ‘The Monkees’, ‘Bewitched’, ‘The FBI’ and ‘The Partridge Family’.

The actor is survived by his brother, his stepson, his third wife, Pat, and her daughter, costume designer Michelle Martini.