Director Mark Piznarski dies at 71

Television director Mark Piznarski has died at the age of 71. His passing was noted in the ‘In Memoriam’ section of the Directors Guild of America’s latest monthly publication, with a spokesperson confirming he passed away on April 4, 2026.

Piznarski was a prominent director specializing in teen dramas and pilot episodes. He is most notably recognized for his work on ‘Gossip Girl’, where he directed 14 episodes across all six seasons, including the original 2007 pilot, the 100th episode, and the series finale.

His extensive career also included directing the pilot episodes for ‘Veronica Mars’, ‘Everwood’, ‘90210’, ‘In Plain Sight’, and ‘The Lying Game’. He contributed to various other series such as ‘My So-Called Life’, ‘NYPD Blue’, ‘Friday Night Lights’, and ‘Riverdale’. In film, he directed ‘Here on Earth’ and co-wrote ‘Looking for Sunday’.