Cheers to you, Willie Garson

A tribute to the actor and human being, taken by cancer at 57

Willie Garson’s final tweet: “BE KIND TO EACH OTHER…ALWAYS. LOVE TO ALL. APRROACH KINDNESS.”

To many people Willie Garson is “that guy,” as in “hey, I’ve seen that guy in something before.” Unsurprising since, as a character actor, Garson appeared in more than 300 episodes of television and 70 movies in his lifetime.

I first really learned his name when he portrayed Teddy “Mozzie” Winters in White Collar. After the series ended, Garson showed up in other shows I watched, including Supergirl and (the reboot of) Hawaii Five-0.

A look back at his career revealed that he’d been popping in and out of shows, as well as some films, I liked for decades…(TV’s) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, Pushing Daisies, Groundhog Day, Being John Malkovich, There’s Something About Mary…and going all the way back to NYPD Blue, Cheers, and Family Ties. Of course, a lot of people also know him from Sex and the City, though I have to admit that I never watched the show, myself.

I only follow a handful of actors on social media, sometimes to keep up with their upcoming projects but more often because they support causes that I believe in (and enjoy their off-screen personality as well). When I discovered Garson on Twitter, I started following him not for his White Collar role (since the show had already ended) or other acting news, but because I learned how active he was in addressing a number of human/civil rights and political issues that aligned with my own beliefs.

Using the public platform of Twitter (and to a lesser extent Instagram), Garson promoted human and voting rights and called for accountability from public servants who hold office or police our streets. He condemned stupidity, arrogance, cruelty, indifference, and hypocrisy, calling a spade-a-spade (or a president a liar). Frequently he encouraged followers to take positive actions for political change, civil rights, and the protection of lives in general — such as reminding people to vote, inviting them to sign petitions, and encouraging the public to get vaccinated.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights, amfAR, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and Camp Joslin for Diabetes are some of the charities he supported, and I understand that he was twice the official spokesperson for National Adoption Day — having adopted his own son Nathen from foster care and as a single parent.

At one point when people were tweeting to, at, and with him about his roles and acting chops, I took the opportunity to tell Garson that, while I admired him as an actor (Mozzie being my favorite of his characters), I followed him because of who he was a human being. He “liked” the tweet, and it made my day, if not my week…and I hope maybe my comment made him smile too since that was my intent in writing it.

Today, I’m glad that I took the time to express how much I thought of him as both a professional and person…because I have learned that Willie Garson, 57, died from pancreatic cancer on September 21st.

Son of b*tch! That news cut deep.

Upon hearing it, I teared up for his son, his loved ones and friends, and because yet another honest, loving, and kind light in a too-often dark world was snuffed out far too soon. Our country and the world needs smart, kind people like Willie Garson, who was not what you’d call “super famous” but who used what fame he had acquired as well as his personal power as an American to promote change.

I don’t pretend to know him personally (or at all), but he made an impression on me nonetheless. And, the part of him that he shared publicly on social media or in the press as well as the reaction of those who knew him intimately to his passing makes it obvious that he was a damn good human being.

Shortly before his passing, Willie Garson left us a beautiful and poignant message in his final tweet on September 4th (emphasis his):

“BE KIND TO EACH OTHER……ALWAYS. LOVE TO ALL. APRROACH [sic] KINDNESS.”

It’s hard to say goodbye to a soul trying to make a difference in the world — to a life taken far too soon — so instead this fan will just say thank you, Willie Garson, for everything you did on and off the screen. May your son and loved ones find peace and comfort in their memories of you, and may your friends, fans, and followers carry on where you left off — making positive efforts for change in their communities, our country, and the world.

Post Script: Of course, I had no intention of following a poem about a conservation with Death by paying tribute to someone who had died, but I guess (not to be trite about it) that’s life. I wanted to share my thoughts on the passing of this actor and fellow human being, so I did.

I hope that if you don’t know who Willie Garson was, this will inspire you to learn more about him, check out some of his work, and explore the ideas and causes he supported.

And on one final note, as someone who volunteers and raises funds for the American Cancer Society, specifically their Hope Lodge and Road to Recovery programs, through an annual cycling event, I would be remiss if I didn’t add… F*CK YOU, CANCER.