Inside The Death Of NCIS Actor Vachik Mangassarian

Veteran character actor Vachik Mangassarian has died at the age of 78. He is known for his work in television series like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "NCIS," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Murder, She Wrote," and Marvel's "Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D." where he played Qasim Zaghlul, per IMDb. He was born in Iran of Armenian descent, according to People, and at the age of 23, emigrated to the United States. Working in Los Angeles as a waiter for some time, Mangassarian's Hollywood career kicked off in 1978 with a role in the crime-thriller film, "The South's Shark."

He went on to receive critical praise for his performance as a father of an Iranian woman unjustly sentenced to death in 2008's "The Stoning of Soraya M," per The Hollywood Reporter. The film also starred Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jim Caviezel. He helped make Armenian movie history by championing the creation of the 2012 film "Lost and Found in Armenia," marking a momentous collaboration of American and Armenian actors.

His most recent role was in the upcoming film "Moving On," a Paul Weitz production that also stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. He is survived by his two sisters Linda and Elda and their spouses, as well as two nephews and one niece, according to Deadline. The details of his death are being shared by his management.

Confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Vachik Mangassarian's manager, Valerie McCaffrey, shared that the actor's death was due to complications related to COVID-19. He died in Burbank, California. While it is unknown whether or not the actor was vaccinated at the time of his death, in recent months he expressed opposition to vaccines and shared a variety of anti-vax memes to Facebook, according to the Daily Beast. In October 2021, Mangassarian shared an image of a billboard that read "I am more afraid of a Democrat in the White House than I am of COVID-19." However, his work on the film "Moving On" may suggest he had to complete vaccination requirements. 

Regardless of his political viewpoints and suspicions of the pandemic, his death comes as a tragedy to fans, who have highlighted his varied character work and Armenian representation in Hollywood. Fans are sharing their condolences on Twitter; "We have sadly lost another member of your family Agents ... May his soul sleep in peace!" one person wrote, referencing his role on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Another called him "a fine actor and professional," tweeting, "His performance in [The Stoning of Soraya M] so good that people who knew him didn't realize it was him."