Movies

The Truman Show actor who also appeared in Roseanne and ER dies aged 79

BBG News

A restaurant owner and actor from Minnesota, who had roles in The Truman Show and Roseanne, has sadly died following a long struggle with respiratory problems.

79-year-old Joe Minjares passed away on Monday following a hospitalization due to pneumonia and lung complications, as reported by The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Over time, Minjares had multiple businesses in the Twin Cities area under his ownership, and he also landed acting gigs as recently as this year.

In 1998, he starred as a bartender in the popular movie “The Truman Show.” Additionally, he had guest roles as a police officer on “Roseanne” and a character on “ER,” as per his IMDb profile.

Originating from Minnesota, he completed his education at Central High School in Minneapolis. Following this, he served in the U.S. Army’s Intelligence Division during the Vietnam War, from 1964 to 1968.

In the year 1971, Minjares, together with his spouse Sue, acquired the Colonial Inn and transformed it into a family-operated Tex-Mex eatery named Pepitos.

I had the privilege of witnessing the acquisition of the theater adjacent to Pepitos, which later transformed into a vibrant hub for the performing arts.

In the 1980s and 90s, Lizz Winstead, a key figure behind ‘The Daily Show,’ reminisced about collaborating with Minjares and embarking on stand-up comedy tours together.

In simple terms, Winstead expressed to the local paper that he considers this individual as an exceptional community leader, who is both humorous and intelligent, with an incredibly big heart.

Jack Reuler, a fellow proprietor of community theaters and the creator of the Mixed Blood Theatre, frequently put Minjares in his productions and even motivated the performer to attempt writing his own plays.

According to Reuler, despite his numerous achievements in the entertainment industry and dining establishments, what truly mattered most to Joe was his deep affection for his family.

Afterward, Minjares penned numerous plays, such as ‘The Monarch of Kosher Markets,’ ‘Native American Tales,’ and ‘River Road Rhythm: The Story of Augie Garcia.’

Martin Keller, Minjares’ long-term publicist and close friend, commented, ‘Joe possessed an innate talent for writing and effectively utilized it in his plays. His appearance was appealing to Hollywood.’

Minjares had struggled with lung problems for several decades, although the exact cause of his death remains undetermined.

Since his diagnosis with pulmonary fibrosis in 2011, he underwent a lung transplant in the year 2017, as reported by Bring Me The News.

He is survived by five of his children, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Read More

2025-07-24 17:18

Previous post Honor of Kings: Here’s how to get the Romantic Prelude Liu Bei skin for free
Next post Charlotte Dawson opens up about her post-partum weight gain as she shares before and after clips of her changing figure