Overview
- Multiple family statements confirm Van Norden died peacefully in a Southern California hospice with his wife Wendy at his side, according to his son Robert and reports from The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ.
- His son Robert said in an Instagram post that Van Norden died on Thursday, July 9, and called him a great father, husband and a highly respected member of the theatre community.
- Van Norden won wide recognition on screen for playing Vinnie Schtulman in Police Academy 2 and appearing as John Sununu in The Naked Gun 2½, with a long record of guest roles on TV from the 1980s through the 2010s.
- Stage work remained central to his career: he trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse, performed on Broadway and Off‑Broadway and completed his final known stage role in Corktown '39 at the Matrix Theatre in 2025.
- Reports say he had been coping with multiple health problems before his death and the family has not yet announced funeral or estate plans, leaving the theatre community to plan private and public tributes.