Joe E. Tata, affable Peach Pit owner Nat on Beverly Hills, 90210 , dies at 85

Joe E. Tata, the actor best known for his role as the friendly Peach Pit diner owner Nat Bussichio on Beverly Hills, 90210, died Wednesday at 85.

His daughter Kelly Katharine Tata announced his passing on a GoFundMe page she set up last year to support her father's battle with Alzheimer's disease. "My father and I are forever grateful for the love and support of family, friends, and fans," she wrote.

Tata's 90210 costar Ian Ziering, who played Steve Sanders on the hit teen drama, also paid tribute to his late friend and colleague in a heartfelt Instagram post Thursday. "In the last few months we've lost Jessica Klein one of 90210's most prolific writers and producers, Denise Douse who played Mrs. Teasley, and now I'm very sad to say Joe E Tata has passed away," he wrote alongside a photo of Tata as Nat. "Joey was truly an OG."

Bobby Bank/WireImage Joe E. Tata

Ziering went on to describe Tata as "one of the happiest people I've ever worked with," adding that he was "as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness."

Tata's limitless optimism also carried over on set too. "Though the peach pit was a 90210 set, It often felt like the backdrop to the Joe E Tata show," Ziering wrote. "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. 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."

A Bronx native, Tata played Nat on Beverly Hills, 90210 for its entire run, from 1990 to 2000. He also reprised his role on the CW's 90210 reboot. His other TV credits included the Adam West Batman series, Lost in Space, Mission: Impossible, Magnum P.I., and The Rockford Files.

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