Jon Miyahara, known for playing the taciturn Superstore employee Brett, has died, according to TVLine. A cause of death has not been made public. He was 83 years old.
Superstore star and comedian Colton Dunn confirmed the news on Instagram, writing that the actor “has sadly passed away. [Jon] was a really awesome guy and as a performer could speak volumes with just a look. He was such a memorable part of the Cloud 9 team. It was an honor to know him and work with him. I was lucky enough to meet some of his family and my thoughts are with them. Rest in Peace [Jon].”
The post was met with love from other Superstore alumni, including Kelly Stables (Superstore‘s Kelly) who wrote, “Oh man! He was always so sweet! Rest in peace,” and Irene White (Carol), who wrote, “What an incredible man.” Michael Bunin, who played the store’s district manager Jeff, commented, “I’m so sad to hear this news. Many fun days and many fun conversations. Very nice guy.” Amir Korangy, who played another ensemble employee Sayid, wrote, “He was such an amazing soul. Caring, smart and fun with a wonderful calming Zen demeanor. He was so sweet when I got ill and had so many positive conversations with me. R.I.P.”
Though his character was largely silent, Miyahara was a recurring member of the NBC comedy’s ensemble for all of its six seasons. Brett punctuated many of the series’ funny moments with a deadpan, thousand-yard stare, often featured in the show’s brief cutaway gags dealing with the constant chaos of working at a big box store. In the second season, it seemed his character had died when a tornado swept through the store (the scene featured one of his only lines, a comical “Oh, shit!”), leading to a third season tribute where Sandra (Kaliko Kauahi) performed “Creep” on the ukelele. However, in true Brett fashion, he survived and turned back up to work completely unruffled. Aside from a cameo appearance on the Superstore team’s follow-up comedy, American Auto, Superstore was Miyahara’s only television role.
