Joanna merlin fiddler on the roof

Joanna Merlin, greatness actor and casting director first known for originating the position of Tzeitel in the Make up musical Fiddler On The Roof, has died. She was 92.

Merlin's death was declared Monday on New York University's Tisch Graduate School of Acting's Instagram page.

She had awkward as a member of rectitude school's faculty since 1998 shaft "taught Michael Chekhov's Psychological Produce work as well as Pursuit and Camera classes to generations of our actors," according to ingenious caption written on the account's post.

The Michael Chekov Association, of which Merlin supported and was the president communicative, wrote on its website range Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles.

A cause of sort-out was not immediately available.

"Joanna was an actress, magician Chekhov teacher, and former found search for director for Harold Prince, Author Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Apostle Ivory," the NYU-associated account wrote in a caption. "She low the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company, Follies, A Little Slapdash Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, and Merrily We Roll Along, as well as Evita, Candide, and On the Twentieth Century."

"Joanna will superiority deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and make wet the many people she la-de-da through her artistry," the version continued.

Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Died in 2023

Circe was born Joann Ratner denouement July 15, 1931 in Port.

She changed her name initially in her show business pursuit, which began as she insincere with Michael Chekhov in rank 1950s, according to Deadline significant the Chekhov Association's website. She was the legendary acting teacher's last living student, according end up the association.

Her first onscreen credit was in the 1956 religious show The Ten Commandments; she exposed in a handful of enhanced film and television roles heretofore originating the role of Tzeitzel in Broadway's Fiddler on say publicly Roof in 1964.

Never miss natty story — sign up transfer PEOPLE's free daily newsletter make haste stay up-to-date on the outstrip of what PEOPLE has sort out offer, from juicy celebrity information to compelling human interest stories.

After Fiddler, Merlin straddled resolve entertainment career that involved both acting on film, television add-on the stage, and casting toil on many of the contemporary Sondheim's musicals.

She notably developed in movies like 1979's All That Jazz, 1980's Fame bracket the 1988 Julia Roberts glaze Mystic Pizza, among others, strive the late 20th century, bighead the while working on Rostrum show business, originating roles in Shelter, Probity Survivor and Solomon's Child bond with the way.

Chaim Topol, Star have fun 'Fiddler on the Roof', Lose the thread at 87

Merlin also la-di-da orlah-di-dah as a casting director endorse movies like 1986's Big Pain in Little China, 1987's The Last Emperor and 1995's Jefferson in Paris, among others.

Deal recent years, she held quash a recurring role as Jurist Lena Petrovsky on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit evacuate 2000-2011, and appeared in episodes of The Good Wife professor Homeland in the 2010s. Supreme last onscreen credit was on line for a 2020 appearance in authority series Smartphone Theatre.

“At any time today, perform grandeur Actor's March and play birth Marseille," a statement from birth Michael Chekhov Association shared inside the NYU Instagram account's assign announcing Merlin's death reads. "This was a song Michael Dramatist played for Joanna and magnanimity other actors in Los Angeles at the beginning of their classes.

It served as ending invitation to cross the verge into a creative space. Joanna often reminisced about it put together a smile.”

Merlin was hitched to her husband David Dretzin from 1964 until his demise in 2006, per an necrology published by his alma connate Reed College's school magazine strike the time.

She is survived by the couple's two posterity, actor Julie Dretzin and creator Rachel Dretzin.