Willie Garson, Who Played The Beloved Stanford Blatch On Sex And The City, Has Died At 57

Willie Garson, best known for playing the beloved Standford Blatch on "Sex and the City," has passed away at the shockingly young age of 57. The cause of death is not yet confirmed, and many are left shocked as a result.

A prolific actor whose career spanned 35 years and 170 credits, Garson was beloved by everyone who knew him. The outpouring of admiration and grief from his "Sex and the City" and "White Collar" costars was immense, and the love expressed by his adopted son, Nathen, was deeply moving.

Garson had worked in television since the mid-'80s. He appeared in bit parts on some of the biggest shows of the '80s and '90s including "Friends," "Cheers," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Mad About You," "Twin Peaks," "Family Ties," "Ally McBeal," "The X-Files," "Star Trek: Voyager," and even "Melrose Place." And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

He also appeared in some incredible and deeply memorable films over the years, including, but not limited to, "Brain Dead," "Mars Attacks!," "Groundhog Day," "Freaky Friday," and "Being John Malkovich."

Garson also co-starred as Mozzie, a deceptively cunning conman in the USA series "White Collars." He worked alongside Matt Bomer on the series from 2009 to 2014. More recently, he'd lent his voice to "Big Mouth."

His most famous role was as Stanford Blatch, best friend to Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw on the hit HBO series "Sex and the City." Ever present in the show from the very beginning, Garson brought a loveable sense of joy to the part. At times somber, though often jovial, and always hilarious, Stanford was one of the series' irreplaceable heartbeats that made the show what it was.

But despite all of "Sex and the City" — through the entire series, two movies, and a revival that is still in production — and the resulting fame that came with it, that wasn't his favorite role. That was reserved for fatherhood.

Garson adopted his son, Nathen, in 2009. "He's an adult," Garson told Page Six last year, "and soon to be taking care of me which is really why I got him to be honest. He's lovely and a really special guy. He's wonderful and he's in college in Ohio." He'd always wanted to be a father and decided to become one as a single parent. "I had a long relationship off and on for like 20 years," he told Page Six, "and she never wanted to have a child, which is fine. And it was like my mid-life crisis. Like, I really wanted a child more than anything else. And I got one and we're partners, my kid and I." Nathen was seven when he was adopted.

Following the adoption of his son, Garson became quite active in the adoption community. He wound up serving as a spokesperson for National Adoption Day on two separate occasions.