Joe E. Tata Dies: ‘Beverly Hills, 90210 Actor’ Was 85

Joe E. Tata, the actor best known for playing Nat on Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.

His longtime 90210 costar Ian Ziering announced his death Thursday on Instagram. Tata’s character was the owner of the Peach Pit.

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“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,” Ziering wrote. “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. 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.”

“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 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. My sincere condolences go out to his family and friends, and everyone else he was dear too. Rest In peace Joey.”

In 2018, Tata was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, according to.his daughter Kelly, who started a GoFundMe account to help with finances. She had served as her father’s caregiver until he “unwittingly signed documents which entered him into a conservatorship. He maintains that he agreed to this conservatorship under duress.”

Kelly Tata added she was admitted to a hospital “amid my own health struggles,” she wrote.

Born in New York City, Tata’s early career included roles on General Hospital, The Outer Limits and Mister Roberts. His career in TV flourished in the 1970s and ’80s — he appeared in multiple cop dramas like Mannix, Adam-12, The F.B.I. and The Streets of San Francisco — but he truly became a household name when he joined 90210 as the beloved owner of the Peach Pit. He was on the show for 10 seasons.

His final role on TV was in ABC Family’s Mystery Girls. That’s when his health “took a turn for the worse,” Kelly wrote.

“Nat was a loving father figure to the kids of West Beverly High,” she wrote. “In real life, my Dad, Joey, is honest, kind, and a truly incredible father.”

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