Joe Minjares, the actor best known for his role as a bartender opposite Jim Carrey in the 1998 film The Truman Show, has died at the age of 79. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, he died after being hospitalised for pneumonia and lung-related issues.
Minjares, a stand-up comic and restaurateur, also appeared in the sitcom Roseanne and the medical drama ER. His other screen credits include the film Patti Rocks (1988), NYPD Blue, and the Woody Harrelson film Wilson.
Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show, paid tribute on Facebook, calling Minjares “a hilarious human, a kind and generous man” who created a comedy home for her at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. “I owe a lot to Joe for his commitment to taking a chance on bringing edgy and innovative shows to that stage,” she wrote.
Outside of acting, Minjares co-owned the Tex-Mex restaurant Pepitos in Minnesota with his wife Sue, and operated several other restaurants in the Twin Cities, including the Parkway Theatre. Jack Reuler, a community theatre owner, told the Minnesota Star Tribune: “For all his success in show business and in restaurants, Joe was all about his love for family.”
Born in Minnesota, Minjares graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis before serving in the US Army’s intelligence division during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. After leaving the army, he began a stand-up comedy career, opening for legends such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Foxworthy, and Andrew Dice Clay.
Minjares is survived by five of his children, 11 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. His publicist and family friend Martin Keller said: “Joe had a natural writing gift and he really leveraged it in his plays. He had a look that Hollywood liked.”
