Steve Levy, Actor in ‘Shameless,’ ‘Ray Donovan,’ Dies at 58

Variety Staff

Actor and comedian Steven Levy, aka Steve Bean, died Jan. 21 after a battle with cancer. He was 58 years old.

Born in Lynn, Mass. and raised in Providence, R.I, Levy attended Carnegie Mellon University and cut his theatrical teeth performing stand-up at local Pittsburgh area nightclubs. In 1980, Levy teamed up with comic Chris Zito, a duo that became known as Zito and Bean. In Boston, Zito and Bean garnered an enthusiastic following. They became mainstays of the Boston comedy scene and enjoyed a three-year run with their own show at a popular club, Play It Again Sam’s. After about a decade, Levy split from the duo to move to Los Angeles, where he joined the Groundlings Improv Group and wrote for such shows as the “Tim Conway Show” and ABC’s “Dot Comedy.” As an actor he landed roles on such series as “Quantum Leap,” “Murder She Wrote,” “Married with Children” and “Monk,” and the Bobcat Goldthwait comedy “Shakes the Clown.” Most recently, Levy appeared on episodes of “Shameless” and “Ray Donovan.”

In late 2016, Bean was diagnosed with sino-squamous cell carcinoma (nose cancer), one of the rarest forms of cancer. Levy chronicled his subsequent treatment in the essay “My Year Without A Nose” for Mel Magazine.

Levy is survived by his wife, Caroline Carrigan; his son, Jacob Randall Levy; parents, Irwin and Dorothy Levy; sisters, Lauren Levy Brodie and her husband Todd and Jill Levy Sorota; nieces and nephews, Michael Miller, Allison Miller, Lindsey Sorota and Andrew Sorota; and great niece, Amelia Wilcox.

Donations may be made to Cancer Support Community Pasadena at 76 E. Del Mar Blvd. #215, Pasadena, CA 91105.

Related stories:

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!