Jon Miyahara, who played the enigmatic and wordlessly hilarious Brett Kobashigawa on all six seasons of NBC’s “Superstore,” has died at 83, according to reports.
His daughter, Pennie Cappasola, confirmed the news to People and TMZ on Aug. 7.
Costar Colton Dunn, who played fellow Cloud 9 associate Garrett, was the first to announce Miyahara’s death in an Instagram post.
Miyahara 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,” Dunn wrote in the caption of his Aug. 6 post.
“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 John. 💙”
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Dunn and NBCUniversal for comment.
According to Miyahara’s IMDB page, Brett, whom he portrayed from 2015 to the series finale in 2021, was his only major TV role.
Though he only had one line in the entirety of the show’s six-year run, Miyahara’s Brett gave the impression of an esteemed store associate, often seen doing actual work while his coworkers were up to their antics. This mysterious air made certain moments, including silly wardrobe choices such as Halloween costumes and an Easter bunny outfit, pack a comedic punch.
In Season 3, the Cloud 9 employees held a memorial for Brett, assuming he’d died in a tornado that tore through the store at the end of Season 2. But he was indeed alive in the break room and ready for another day on the job, having missed a few months due to emails being sent to the wrong person.
‘Superstore’ costars pay tribute to Jon Miyahara
Kelly Stables, who played employee – and Jonah’s (Ben Feldman) onetime girlfriend Kelly – reacted to the news of Miyahara’s death, writing in a comment under Dunn’s post, “Oh man! He was always so sweet! Rest in peace.”
Mark McKinney, who played store manager Glenn Sturgis, paid tribute to Miyahara and his nonverbal comedic chops by posting a behind-the-scenes photo of Miyahara posing with bikers while wearing his Cloud 9 vest and sunglasses in Season 4.