Mark Blum: Madonna pays tribute to co-star after coronavirus death

Madonna and Mark Blum in Desperately Seeking Susan

Madonna has paid tribute to Mark Blum, a co-star in the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan, after his death from coronavirus complications.

The US singer and actress remembered Blum, who played Gary Glass and died this week at the age of 69, as "funny, warm, loving and professional".

"My heart goes out to him, his family and his loved ones,” she wrote.

Blum also appeared in the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee, playing Paul Hogan’s love rival Richard.

His other credits included the 2003 film Shattered Glass and a role in The Good Wife that he reprised in its spin-off The Good Fight.

In recent years he had a recurring role in the Netflix series You.

Blum's death was announced by Rebecca Damon, executive vice-president of the actors' union Sag-Aftra.

She remembered him as "a gifted actor, a master teacher, a loyal friend and a beautiful human".

The Playwright Horizons theatre group also paid tribute, calling Blum "a dear longtime friend and a consummate artist".

In Desperately Seeking Susan, one of Madonna's first films, Blum played the stuffy husband of Rosanna Arquette's bored housewife Roberta.

When Roberta goes missing, Gary gets in contact with Madonna's Susan character and proceeds to smoke pot with her at his suburban home.

Arquette herself remembered Blum as "a gentle man and a great actor to work with".

Blum's death follows that of playwright Terrence McNally, who died earlier this week from Covid-19 complications.