A guest star from The Office US, Mark York, has very sadly died aged 55 in Miami Valley Hospital after a "brief and unexpected illness" - and The Office stars took to Twitter to pay tribute.
Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight on the hit show. He wrote: "R.I.P. Mark York, AKA BILLY MERCHANT from The Office... He was a terrific human, a positive force and a dynamic actor. You will be missed." Jenna Fischer, who played Pam, added: "Mark was a lovely man and a pleasure to work with. Very funny every time. Much love to his family."
Mark played Billy Merchant on the show
Mark played Billy Merchant in the hit comedy show in seasons two and six. In season two, he appears in the office for a disability-awareness meeting, and in season six, it is revealed that he is the property manager of Scranton Business Park.
In a statement, his family wrote: "Even though he has been paraplegic since 1988, he had such an outgoing, uplifting, positive attitude and personality. He always tried to look at what he could accomplish and do, not what he couldn’t do.
"Mark could quote so many lines from movies and tell you who particular actors were in most movies. He spent many years living in California where he had many exciting moments pursuing his acting opportunities.
The Office cast paid tribute
They concluded: "Mark also loved coming home to his mom’s house and playing numerous table games with her and his brother Brian for hours on end. He was a competitive spirit that kept them laughing throughout their time together. He will be deeply missed by all the lives he has touched."
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