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Vachik Mangassarian of 'NCIS,' 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' dies of COVID complications at 78

Vachik Mangassarian, an actor who appeared on "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," has died. He was 78.

Mangassarian's manager Valerie McCaffrey confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday that the actor died Saturday of COVID-19 complications. According to McCaffrey, Mangassarian was vaccinated for COVID-19, even though he shared memes on Facebook that appeared to oppose COVID vaccines and downplay the pandemic.

"Here’s what you can do with my dose Joe," reads one meme shared by Mangassarian in November that shows a syringe poking President Joe Biden in the backside. "Let’s Go Brandon.

Mangassarian appeared in several television shows throughout this career. On "NCIS," he played a fake Iranian president, and he played a cleric on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He also appeared in a 2013 episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." as a character named Qasim Zaghlul.

He also appeared in the 2008 film "The Stoning of Soraya M." and the 2013 film "The Book of Daniel." He recently worked in the upcoming film "Moving On" alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

According to his IMDb profile, Mangassarian was born in Iran in 1943 and died in Burbank, California. He emigrated to the United States at 23, working as a waiter in Los Angeles before forging an acting career.

"The older you get, the more you realize how precious life is," reads an image, shared by Mangassarian on Facebook last month. "You have no desire for drama, conflict or stress. You just want good friends, a cozy home, food on the table and people who make you happy."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vachik Mangassarian, star of 'NCIS,' dies of COVID-19 complications