Notable Showbiz Deaths of 2021
This is a list of those notable entertainment figures who passed away in 2021. They are in order of date of death, except for the first entry, which will be the most high-profile death to date.
To see the most recent additions first, select "Date Added" in the Sort by drop-down box; to view the list in reverse chronological order, toggle the "Ascending/Descending order" button next to the drop-down box.
To see the most recent additions first, select "Date Added" in the Sort by drop-down box; to view the list in reverse chronological order, toggle the "Ascending/Descending order" button next to the drop-down box.
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Legendary actor Christopher Plummer, perhaps Canada's greatest thespian, delivered outstanding performances as Sherlock Holmes in Murder by Decree (1979), the chilling villain in The Silent Partner (1978), the iconoclastic Mike Wallace in The Insider (1999), the empathetic psychiatrist in A Beautiful Mind (2001), the kindly and clever mystery writer in Knives Out (2019), and as Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station (2009). It was this last role that finally brought him recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, when he was nominated as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, one of three Academy Award nominations he received in the 2010s, along with All the Money in the World (2017) (as J. Paul Getty) and Beginners (2010); he won for the latter role. He will also likely always be remembered as Captain Von Trapp in the atomic bomb-strength blockbuster The Sound of Music (1965), a film he publicly despised until softening his stance in his autobiography "In Spite of Me" (2008).
Christopher Plummer was born Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer on December 13, 1929 in Toronto, Ontario. He was the only child of Isabella Mary (Abbott), a secretary to the Dean of Sciences at McGill University, and John Orme Plummer, who sold securities and stocks. Christopher was a great-grandson of John Abbott, who was Canada's third Prime Minister (from 1891 to 1892), and a great-great-great-grandson of Presbyterian clergyman John Bethune. He had Scottish, English, Anglo-Irish, and Cornish ancestry. Plummer was raised in Senneville, Quebec, near Montreal, at his maternal grandparents' home.
Aside from the youngest member of the Barrymore siblings (which counted Oscar-winners Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore in their number), Plummer was the premier Shakespearean actor to come out of North America in the 20th century. He was particularly memorable as Hamlet, Iago and Lear, though his Macbeth opposite Glenda Jackson was -- and this was no surprise to him due to the famous curse attached to the "Scottish Play" -- a failure.
Like another great stage actor, Richard Burton, early in his career Plummer failed to connect with the screen in a way that would make him a star. Dynamic on stage, he didn't succeed as a younger leading man in films. Perhaps if he had been born earlier, and acted in the studio system of Hollywood's golden age, he could have been carefully groomed for stardom. As it was, he shared the English stage actors' disdain -- and he was equally at home in London as he was on the boards of Broadway or on-stage in his native Canada -- for the movies, which did not help him in that medium, as he has confessed. As he aged, Plummer excelled at character roles. He was always a good villain, this man who garnered kudos playing Lucifer on Broadway in Archibald Macleish's Pulitzer Prize-winning "J.B.".
Plummer won two Emmy Awards out of seven nominations stretching 46 years from 1959 and 2011, and one Genie Award in six nominations from 1980 to 2009. For his stage work, Plummer has racked up two Tony Awards on six nominations, the first in 1974 as Best Actor (Musical) for the title role in "Cyrano" and the second in 1997, as Best Actor (Play), in "Barrymore". Surprisingly, he did not win (though he was nominated) for his masterful 2004 performance of "King Lear", which he originated at the Stratford Festival in Ontario and brought down to Broadway for a sold-out run. His other Tony nominations show the wide range of his talent, from a 1959 nod for the Elia Kazan-directed production of Macleish's "J.B." to recognition in 1994 for Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land", with a 1982 Best Actor (Play) nomination for his "Iago" in William Shakespeare's "Othello".
Until the 2009 Academy Awards were announced, it could be said about Plummer that he was the finest actor of the post-World War II period to fail to get an Academy Award. In that, he was following in the footsteps of the late great John Barrymore, whom Plummer so memorably portrayed on Broadway in a one-man show that brought him his second Tony Award. In 2010, Plummer finally got an Oscar nod for his portrayal of another legend, Lev Tolstoy in The Last Station (2009). Two years later, the first paragraph of his obituary was written when the 82-year-old Plummer became the oldest person in Academy history to win an Oscar. He won for playing a senior citizen who comes out as gay after the death of his wife in the movie Beginners (2010). As he clutched his statuette, the debonaire thespian addressed it thus: "You're only two years older than me darling, where have you been all of my life?"
Plummer then told the audience that at birth, "I was already rehearsing my Academy acceptance speech, but it was so long ago mercifully for you I've forgotten it." The Academy Award was a long time in coming and richly deserved.
Plummer gave many other fine portrayals on film, particularly as he grew older and settled down into a comfortable marriage with his third wife Elaine. He continued to be an in-demand character actor in prestigious motion pictures. If he were English rather than Canadian, he would have been knighted. (In 1968, he was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor and one which required the approval of the sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.) If he lived in the company town of Los Angeles rather than in Connecticut, he likely would have several more Oscar nominations before winning his first for "The Last Station".
As it is, as attested to in his witty and well-written autobiography, Plummer was amply rewarded in life. In 1970, Plummer - then a self-confessed 43-year-old "bottle baby" - married his third wife Elaine Taylor, a dancer, who helped wean him off his dependency on alcohol. They lived happily with their dogs on a 30-acre estate in Weston, Connecticut. He thanked her from the stage during the 2012 Oscar telecast, quipping that she "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life." Although he spent the majority of his time in the United States, he remained a Canadian citizen. He died in his Weston, Connecticut home on February 5, 2021 at age 91.
His daughter, with actress Tammy Grimes, is actress Amanda Plummer.December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021
Canadian actor - 'The Sound of Music' (1965), 'Inside Daisy Clover' (1965), 'Waterloo' (1970), 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975), 'The Silent Partner' (1978), 'Murder by Decree' (1979), 'Somewhere in Time' (1980), 'The Thorn Birds' (1983), 'Dragnet' (1987), 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' (1991), 'Dolores Clairborne' (1995), 'The Insider' (1999), 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001), 'National Treasure' (2004), 'The New World' (2005), 'Inside Man' (2006), 'The Last Station' (2009), 'Beginners' (2011), 'All the Money in the World' (2017), 'Knives Out' (2019)
Also a voice actor - 'The World of David the Gnome' (1985-86), 'An American Tail' (1986), 'Rock-A-Doodle' (1991), 'Madeline' (1990-95), 'Up' (2009)
Academy Award winner - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, 2011 ('Beginners')
Academy Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, 2009 ('The Last Station') and 2017 ('All the Money in the World'); latter made him the oldest Academy Award nominee for acting
BAFTA Film Award winner - Best Supporting Actor, 2011 ('Beginners')
BAFTA Film Award nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 2017 ('All the Money in the World')
Canadian Film Award nominee - Best Performance by a Lead Actor (Feature), 1978 ('The Silent Partner')
Canadian Screen Award winner - Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble), 2012 ('The Tempest')
Canadian Screen Award nominee - Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, 2015 ('Remember')
Canadian Screen Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, 2017
Drama Desk Award winner - Outstanding Performance, 1973 ('Cyrano'); Outstanding Actor in a Play, 1982 ('Othello') and 1997 ('Barrymore')
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Actor in a Play, 1994 ('No Man's Land'), 2004 ('King Lear') and 2007 ('Inherit the Wind')
Gemini Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, 1992 ('Counterstrike'); Best Performance by an Actor in a [Featured] Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series, 1996 ('Harrison Bergeron') and 2010 ('The Summit'); Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series, 2009 ('Caesar and Cleopatra')
Genie Award winner - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, 1979 ('Murder by Decree')
Genie Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, 1981 ('The Amateur'), 2002 ('Ararat') and 2008 ('Emotional Arithmetic'); Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, 1992 ('Impolite') and 2003 ('Blizzard')
Golden Globe winner - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, 2012 ('Beginners')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, 2000 ('American Tragedy'); Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, 2009 ('The Last Station') and 2017 ('All the Money in the World')
Grammy Award nominee - Best Recording For Children, 1985 ('E.T.A. Hoffman / Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, 1977 ('Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers'); Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, 1994 ('The New Adventures of Madeline')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Best Single Performance by an Actor, 1959 ('Little Moon of Alban'); Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama, 1966 ('Hamlet at Elsinore'); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special, 1983 ('The Thorn Birds'); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, 2005 ('Our Father'); Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, 2011 ('Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood ')
Tony Award winner - Best Actor in a Musical, 1974 ('Cyrano'); Best Actor in Play, 1997 ('Barrymore')
Tony Award nominee - Best Actor in Play, 1959 ('J.B.'), 1982 ('Othello'), 1994 ('No Man's Land'), 2004 ('King Lear') and 2007 ('Inherit the Wind')- Actor
- Soundtrack
Carlos do Carmo was born on 21 December 1939 in Lisbon, Portugal. He was an actor, known for Fado Corrido (1964), Fados (2007) and Hovering Over the Water (1986). He was married to Maria Judite de Sousa Leal. He died on 1 January 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal.December 21, 1939 – January 1, 2021
Portuguese fado singer- Mark Eden was born on 14 February 1928 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Zhivago (1965), The Pleasure Girls (1965) and London Belongs to Me (1977). He was married to Sue Nicholls, Diana Eden and Joan Le Mesurier. He died on 1 January 2021.February 14, 1928 – January 1, 2021
English actor best known for playing antagonist Alan Bradley on the soap opera 'Coronation Street' from 1986 to 1989 and who also co-starred in films such as 'The L-Shaped Room' (1962), 'Séance on a Wet Afternoon' (1964) and 'Curse of the Crimson Altar' (1968) - George Gerdes was born on 23 February 1948 in Queens, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Bats (1999) and Hidalgo (2004). He died on 1 January 2021 in Glendale, California, USA.February 23, 1948 – January 1, 2020
American actor - 'The Squeeze' (1987), 'Iron Will' (1994), 'Hidalgo' (2004) - Writer
- Production Manager
- Producer
Oleg Danilov was born on 26 October 1949 in Leningrad, USSR. He was a writer and production manager, known for Kontrakt so smertyu (1998), Vsyo budet khorosho (1995) and Ty u menya odna (1993). He died on 2 January 2021 in Russia.October 26, 1949 – January 2, 2021
Russian playwright and screenwriter - 'Get Thee Out' (1991), 'Everything Will Be Fine!' (1995), 'From Hell to Hell' (1997)- Writer
- Producer
Through more than 100 films, TV dramas, radio shows and theatrical productions, Egyptian screenwriter Wahid Hamed carved a place for himself in the Arab world by utilizing all the dramatic tools he could get his hands on since the 1970s and over 50 years. The success of his work was reflected in the rave reviews received from audiences and critics alike for his indelible masterpieces, such as the celebrated films Al Bare'e (The Innocent), Al Le'eb Ma'a Al Kobar (Playing with Giants), Al Erhab Wal Kabab (Terrorists and Kebab), Toyour Elzalam (Birds of the Dark), Edhak El Soura Tetla'a Helwa (Smile, the Photo May Look Nicer), El Ghoul (The Ogre), Ehky Ya Shahrzad Film (Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story), Malaf Fel Adab (Vice Police), El Takhsheeba (In Prison), and Kashf El Mastour (Revelations), as well as serial dramas: Al Gama'a (The Party), Al A'aela (The Family), and Bedoun Zekr Asmaa (Without Mentioning Names).
The importance of his films was not only apparent through their ticket sales at the box office, or the number of awards that Wahid Hamed won for screenwriting, but also through the challenges his films faced in regards to censorship. The most notable film that faced similar struggles was Al Bare'e (The Innocent), but the list also includes other films, such as Al Ghoul (The Ogre), Toyour Elzalam (Birds of the Dark), Al Takhshiba (Imprisonment), Kashf El Mastour (Revelations), and El Noom Fel Asal (Sleeping in Honey).
In Egypt, which has the oldest and largest cinema industry in the Arab world, there is an unwritten rule that all writers must abide by. The rule states that writing in general, and writing dramas in particular, are all stages that precede screenwriting as the field that enjoys more attention from the public.
Throughout the years, his films remain to be highly valued by the audiences and critics alike. Hamed is one of the earliest Egyptian writers who highlighted terrorism in his work of films, TV series, and published articles, which blacklisted his name during the 1990s.
Hamed began his career as a radio scriptwriter in the 1970s with his series Ta'aer El Leil El Hazeen, which achieved massive success and attracted the attention of producers that Hamed transformed it into a film screenplay, which also gained wide acclaim. To date, Wahid Hamed remains the writer with the most works that have been transformed from radio series scripts to movie scripts and acclaimed TV dramas. Among his many successful projects are: Ana Wenty Wa Sa'at Alsafar, El-Donya A'la Genah Yamama, and Kol Haza Al Hob.
Since the mid-1980s, Hamed dedicated his attention to cinema. Therefore, he was keen on remaining up to date with the latest screenwriting trends in Egypt and around the world. Hamed insisted on being deeply acquainted with his main characters, which enabled him to present unique and unseen worlds from the top and bottom of Egyptian society equally well, form prisons and detention facilities, to camps of Central Security Forces and the halls of the ruling party, the behind-the-scenes of football matches, luxurious private parties and even thieves' dens and gypsies' hideaways.
Throughout his career, Wahid Hamed collaborated with the most prominent directors of different generations, including Samir Seif who helmed over 13 films and TV series written by Wahid, Sherif Arafa (six films), Atef El Tayeb (five films), Hussein Kamal, Yousry Nasrallah, Mohamed Yassin, Tamer Mohsen, Ali Abdel Khalek, Mohamed Abdelaziz, Nader galal, Atef Salem, Omar Abdel Aziz, Muhammad Ali, Sherif Elbendary and Marwan Hamed. Also, his films featured some of the biggest stars, including Adel Emam, Nour El Sherif, Ahmed Zaki, Yousra,Yehia El-Fakharany, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Mahmoud Morsi, Farid Shawqi, Nabila Ebeid, Madiha Kamel, Nadia El Gendy, Elham Shahin and Laila Eloui. Furthermore, his works featured prominent Arab stars, at the time, including Mahmoud Abdel Moghny, Asser Yassin and Mohamed Farrag.
In addition, Hamed produced a number of TV series, such as: Al Gawareh, El Bashayer, Eldam w Elnar and Al Gama'a, along with several films like El Lea'b Ma'a Elkobar, El-Mansy, Toyoor El-Zalam, El Noom Fi El Asal and Ma'ali Al-Wazir.
Throughout his career, Wahid received full recognition for his works, including dozens of awards and accolades, either granted by the state-run and foreign entities or voted by audience. These awards include the State Appreciation Award (2008), The Nile Prize (2012), which is the highest award granted by the country, The Golden Pyramid Award for Lifetime Achievement from the prestigious Cairo International Film Festival (2020), as well as the America Abroad Media's (AAM) Award (2018).
Furthermore, Hamed's films reaped a plethora of Best Screenplay awards, including Best Screenplay Award from the Valencia Film Festival (1991) for Al Le'eb Ma'a Al Kobar (Playing with Giants), Silver Award for Best Film at the Milano Festival for African Cinema (1993) for Al Erhab Wal Kabab (Terrorists and Kebab), and the Arab Lifetime Achievement Award at Dubai International Film Festival.July 1, 1944 – January 2, 2021
Egyptian screenwriter - 'Terrorism and Kebab' (1992), 'The Yacoubian Building' (2006), 'Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story' (2009)- Vladimir Korenev was born on 20 June 1940 in Sevastopol, Krymskaya ASSR, RSFSR, USSR [now Ukraine]. He was an actor, known for Amphibian Man (1961), Ya - aktrisa (1980) and Much Ado About Nothing (1973). He was married to Aleftina Konstantinova. He died on 2 January 2021 in Moscow, Russia.June 20, 1940 – January 2, 2021
Russian and Soviet actor best known for starring in the 1962 sci-fi romance 'Amphibian Man,' and who also had major roles in films such as 'Children of Don Quixote' (1965), 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1973), 'Rudin' (1977), and 'Criminal Talent' (1988)
Named People's Artist of Russian Federation in 1998 - Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Gerry Marsden was born on 24 September 1942 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Zodiac (2007), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) and Beast (2017). He was married to Pauline Behan. He died on 3 January 2021 in Arrowe Park, Merseyside, England, UK.September 24, 1942 – January 3, 2021
English singer-songwriter and leader of Gerry and the Pacemakers - "I Like It" (1963), "You'll Never Walk Alone" (1963), "Ferry Cross the Mersey" (1964)- Visual Effects
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Toronto-born visual effects wizard of Canadian and Irish ancestry, executive producer and general manager of the Vancouver branch of the Emmy Award winning studio Barnstorm VFX. He had previously been employed at the British visual/digital effects companies MPC and DNEG (formerly known as Double Negative) and at Method Studios in Los Angeles. Quinn established his reputation during his work on The X-Files (1993) in the 1990s. He later advanced to executive producer of digital imaging on the science fiction series Andromeda (2000) as well as on a number of high profile cinematic releases, including I, Robot (2004). He contributed to the visual effects on such Marvel blockbusters as Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Quinn died unexpectedly at his Vancouver home on January 3 2021 at the age of 63.d. January 3, 2021
Visual effects producer ('I, Robot,' 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2,' TV's 'Big Sky'), artist ('Black Panther,' 'Avengers: Infinity War') and recruiter ('Thor: Ragnarok,' 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters')- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Heung-Kam Lee was born on 13 January 1932 in Shunde District, Guangdong Province, China. She was an actress and producer, known for Yu nu shen tou (1967), Ni xi de ji (1976) and Pin fok chun kei (1984). She was married to Chung-Kwan Siu. She died on 4 January 2021 in Hong Kong, China.January 13, 1932 – January 4, 2021
Cantonese actress - 'Dances with Dragon' (1991), 'All's Well, Ends Well' (1992), 'The Bride with White Hair 2' (1993)- Actress
- Producer
The second daughter of manufacturing executive Oscar Blum and his wife Dorothy, Tanya Roberts was born 1949 in Manhattan and grew up in the elite Westchester County suburbs Scarsdale and Greenburgh. Tanya reportedly dropped out of high school, got married and hitchhiked around the country until her mother-in-law had the marriage annulled. She met psychology student Barry Roberts while waiting in line to see a movie. A few months later, she proposed to him in a subway station, and they were married. She studied acting under Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen. In her early years in New York, she supported herself as an Arthur Murray dance instructor and by modeling. She appeared in off-Broadway productions of "Picnic" and "Antigone", and in television commercials for Ultra Brite, Clairol and Cool Ray sunglasses.
In 1977, Tanya and her husband -- by then a scriptwriter -- moved to Hollywood. She began appearing in made-for-TV films including Pleasure Cove (1979), Zuma Beach (1978), and Waikiki (1980). Her film debut was in The Last Victim (1976). After appearing in several minor films, her first big break came when she was selected as the last Angel on the final season of Charlie's Angels (1976), and was featured on the cover of People magazine (02/09/1981). The attention she garnered helped secure her most significant film roles: The Beastmaster (1982) (and posed for the cover and an inside spread in Playboy magazine to promote the film), the title role in Sheena (1984) and as a Bond girl in A View to a Kill (1985). She continued to appear in films, though mainly direct-to-video and direct-to-cable features. She was featured in the CD computer game The Pandora Directive (1996) and had a recurring lead role in the television series That '70s Show (1998). Widowed in 2006, Tanya Roberts died of sepsis from a urinary tract infection in 2021.October 15, 1955 – January 4, 2021
American actress - 'Charlie's Angels' (1980-1981), 'The Beastmaster' (1982), 'Sheena' (1984), 'A View to a Kill' (1985), 'The '70s Show' (1998-2004)- The sexy Barbara Shelley was born Barbara Kowin on February 13, 1932 in London, England. With her beautiful looks and stature, she worked as a model during her salad days. Her film career began in Italy in the mid-1950s in such tempting fare as Luna nova (1955) and Nero's Mistress (1956), but when this seemed like she was going to remain in the minor ranks, she returned to England to attempt to better her career. After appearing in the minor sex farce The Little Hut (1957) with Stewart Granger, David Niven and Ava Gardner, Barbara caught notoriety in the title role of Cat Girl (1957), a low budget production in which she played a woman possessed by a family curse who develops psychic links with a leopard.
This paid off and she quickly evolved into a popular Gothic glamour woman at Hammer Studios. Starting things off with The Camp on Blood Island (1958) and Blood of the Vampire (1958), the lovely actress proceeded to stake out her own lucrative territory in the horror genres. Through the 1960s, she co-starred in the classic Village of the Damned (1960), along with The Shadow of the Cat (1961), The Gorgon (1964), The Secret of Blood Island (1965), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966) and Quatermass and the Pit (1967). However, Barbara's film career had fallen aside by the late 1960s and she turned to television.
In her retirement, she pursued interior decorating. Whether playing female monsters or their intended victims, Barbara played them straight and handled them all with requisite style and grace. For this, she was occasionally seen by motion picture fans at conventions as an integral figure of camp horror history.February 13, 1932 – January 4, 2021
English actress best known for starring in the '60s Hammer horror films 'The Gorgon' (1964), 'Dracula: Prince of Darkness' (1966), 'Rasputin the Mad Monk' (1966) and 'Quatermass and the Pit' (1967), as well as for starring opposite George Sanders in the sci-fi/horror classic 'Village of the Damned' (1960) and for playing Sorasta in the 1984 'Doctor Who' serial 'Planet of Fire' - Lanky, balding, intense American character actor of Puerto Rican ancestry, born in New York's Spanish Harlem. Deserted by his parents, Sierra was brought up by an aunt in a rough, predominantly Irish neighbourhood from the age of six. Though briefly tempted by gang life as a teenager, he took up acting classes after accompanying a friend to an audition and ended up playing Shakespearean roles with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival (playing, among many other parts, Macbeth and Romeo), as well as appearing off-Broadway. He later said "I would have been happy if I continued to do that for the rest of my life". However, in 1969, Sierra decided to move to Hollywood and began acting in episodic television where he was initially typecast as Latino heavies or cops.
Sierra made his breakthrough in the role of Julio Fuentes on NBC's Sanford and Son (1972), his character the perennial butt of bigoted jokes from the show's cantankerous lead, played by Redd Foxx. He then appeared in the original cast of the police sitcom Barney Miller (1975) as the passionate, proudly Puerto Rican Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale. Written out of the show at the end of season two, he had further recurring roles in serial television, frequently alternating between comedy and drama. These included the short-lived hospital sitcom A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977), the controversial but hugely popular parody Soap (1977) (as South American counter-revolutionary "El Puerco"), Hill Street Blues (1981) (as Assistant District Attorney Alvarez), Zorro and Son (1983) (as garrison commander Paco Pico, one of the hero's chief antagonists), Miami Vice (1984) (as Don Johnson's erstwhile boss Lou Rodriguez, killed off by a hitman in episode four -- in fact, Sierra opted to leave the show because he disliked Miami) and the science fiction series Something Is Out There (1988) (as Captain Victor Maldonado). His numerous, varied and often highly entertaining guest appearances have included supporting roles as a Native American renegade on Gunsmoke (1955), a mutated religious leader living underneath irradiated New York in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), a professor of anthropology helping Mulder and Scully track down the Jersey Devil in The X-Files (1993), a Cardassian member of the sinister Obsidian Order on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), an Italian priest in John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) and an Iraqi gunboat captain in the Rambo spoof Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Sierra made his home in Laguna Beach, California, where he died of cancer on January 4 2021 at the age of 84.January 25, 1937 – January 4, 2021
American actor - 'Sanford and Son' (1972-1975), 'Barney Miller' (1975-1976), 'Soap' (1980-1981), 'Deep Cover' (1992), 'John Carpenter's Vampires' (1998) - Actor
- Soundtrack
Karl Heinz Vosgerau was born on 16 August 1927 in Kiel, Germany. He was an actor, known for Wie ein Blitz (1970), Die Wächter (1986) and M.E.T.R.O. - Ein Team auf Leben und Tod (2006). He was married to Sabine. He died on 4 January 2021 in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, Germany.August 16, 1927 – January 4, 2021
German actor - 'World on a Wire' (1973), 'The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum' (1975), 'Patrick Pacard' (1984)- Adrien Dorval was born on 22 March 1963 in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. He was an actor, known for Shanghai Noon (2000), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). He was married to Angela Cruikshank. He died on 5 January 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.March 22, 1963 – January 5, 2021
Canadian character actor - 'Magic in the Water' (1995), 'Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning' (2004), 'Togo' (2019) - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
James Greene was born on 19 May 1931 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for What a Girl Wants (2003), Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Johnny English (2003). He died on 5 January 2021 in the UK.May 19, 1931 – c. January 5, 2021
Northern Irish actor - 'Mapp & Lucia' (1985-1986), 'William and Mary' (2003-2005), 'Albert Nobbs' (2011), 'Big School' (2013-2014), 'Born to Kill' (2017)- Classically handsome John Richardson began his career with small roles in British movies at the end of the 1950s. His first role of note was opposite Barbara Steele in the gothic horror classic Black Sunday (1960), directed by Mario Bava. His massive success was Don Chaffey's One Million Years B.C. (1966) with Raquel Welch, produced by Hammer Films. Later, following the steps of some other actors, he went on to appear in various Italian movies such as Umberto Lenzi's horror movie Eyeball (1975), Michele Soavi's The Church (1989) and many others. Richardson's great passion was collecting automobiles and he sometimes appeared in movies as long as an automobile was included in the contract. But his recent movies filmed in the 1980s convinced him to retire from acting completely. He was a noteworthy photographer with no interest whatsoever in looking back on his career in cinema. John Richardson passed away from complications of COVID-19 on January 4, 2021, only two weeks away from his 87th birthday.January 19, 1934 – January 5, 2021
English actor - 'Black Sunday' (1960), 'One Million Years B.C.' (1966), 'Torso' (1973) - Gerald Hiken was born on 23 May 1927 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for Crossings (1986), The Three Sisters (1966) and Play of the Week (1959). He was married to Barbara Hiken. He died on 6 January 2021 in San Francisco, California, USA.May 27, 1927 - January 6, 2021
American actor - 'The Goddess' (1958), 'The Three Sisters' (1966), 'Reds' (1981), 'Blackout' (1985), 'Fat Man and Little Boy' (1989)
Tony Award nominee - Best Actor in Play, 1980 ('Strider')
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Actor in a Play, 1980 ('Strider') - Actor
- Additional Crew
Rugged Sicilian-born actor who came to international notice after playing Ferrari racing ace Nino Barlini in John Frankenheimer's high octane blockbuster Grand Prix (1966). His charismatic performance saw Sabato nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Newcomer. During the 1970s, he starred in a slew of low-budget Italian language productions, predominantly spaghetti westerns and crime thrillers, essaying villains (Crime Boss (1972)), heroes (Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972)) and anti-heroes (Thunder Over El Paso (1972)) with equal verve. By the mid-80s, Sabato and his family had relocated to California where he devoted more time to painting and family life while continuing to star in international co-productions, typically action films like the futuristic Escape from the Bronx (1983), The Wild Team (1985) and High Voltage (1998). His last work on screen consisted of several appearances in the soap The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) , which also featured his son Antonio Sabato Jr...April 2, 1943 – January 6, 2021
Italian actor - 'Grand Prix' (1966), 'Beyond the Law' (1968), 'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' (1971)- The Bulgarian actor Filip Trifonov was born on May 4, 1947. From 1969 to 1973 he studied acting at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in the class of Apostol Karamitev. Even before he finished his education in 1971 Filip Trifonov made his cinema debut in the film "The Test" (directed by Georgi Djulgerov). He played the main role - character Lio. Then he played the title role in "The Boy goes" (directed by Lyudmil Kirkov). Philip Trifonov has participated in over then 30 films, including "The Hare Census" (directed by Eduard Sachariev), "As a Song" (directed by Irina Aktasheva and Hristo Piskov), "Wardrobe" (based on the novel of Stanislav Stratiev; directed by Georgi Djulgerov), "Tool Is Bagpipe?" (directed by Asen Shopov), "Orchestra without a Name" (directed by Lyudmil Kirkov), "Avalanche"(directed by Irina Aktasheva and Hristo Piskov),"Forget this Case" (directed by Krasimir Spasov), "Echelons" (directed by Borislav Punchev), "Life on Demand" (directed by Kosta Bikov), "Protect Small Animals" (directed by Haim Koen),"AkaDaMuS" (directed by Georgi Djulgerov),"Rio Adio" (directed by Ivan Andonov), "Ivan and Alexandra" (directed by Ivan Nichev), "Walking with the Angel" (directed by Ivan Pavlov), "Madame Bovary from Sliven" (directed by Emil Tzanev), "Rhapsody in White" (directed by Tedi Moskov), "Bay Ganyo goes through Europe" (directed by Ivan Nichev). On stage, Philip Trifonov's debut was in the role of Andzor in "The process will take place" by A. Chheidze In Blagoevgrad Theatre in 1973. He worked in Blagoevgrad Theatre, Theatre "Sofia", "Boyana studios 2;. In 1992 he created together with director Nikolai Gunderov Natural Theatre "Trifonof & Gunderov." His performances are "Opening" and "Audience" by V. Havel and "Second Hand", "West Germany - my fatherland", "She", written by him.May 4, 1947 – January 6, 2021
Bulgarian actor - 'The Boy Turns Man' (1972), 'A Nameless Band' (1982), 'Monkeys in Winter' (2006) - Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Michael Apted was born on 10 February 1941 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Amazing Grace (2006), Rome (2005) and Gorillas in the Mist (1988). He was married to Paige Simpson, Dana Stevens and Jo Apted. He died on 7 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.February 10, 1941 – January 7, 2021
British director ('Up' series, 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' 'The World Is Not Enough') and producer ('Bram Stoker's Dracula,' 'Masters of Sex')
BAFTA TV Award winner - Best Single Play, 1974 ('Kisses at Fifty' for 'Play for Today')
BAFTA TV Award nominee - Best Single Drama, 1983 ('P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang'); Best Factual Series, 2006 ('49 Up')
BAFTA Flaherty Documentary Award winner, 1985 ('28 Up') and 1992 ('35 Up')
BAFTA Flaherty Documentary Award nominee, 1999 ('42 Up')
Grammy Award winner - Best Long Form Music Video, 1986 (Sting's "Bring on the Night")
News & Documentary Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Informational or Cultural Programming - Programs, 2001 ('Me & Isaac Newton'); Outstanding Interview, 2008 ('49 Up') and 2014 ('56 Up')- Biserka Cvejic was born on 5 November 1923 in Krilo-Jesenice near Split, Croatia, Yugoslavia. She was an actress, known for Der Zigeunerbaron (1975), Zlatni vek - 100 godina opere (2020) and Das gläserne Wappen (1983). She died on 7 January 2021 in Belgrade, Serbia.November 5, 1923 – January 7, 2021
Serbian opera singer - Composer
- Soundtrack
Jamie O'Hara was born on 8 August 1950 in Toledo, Ohio, USA. He was a composer, known for An Unfinished Life (2005), Lucky You (2007) and Two If by Sea (1996). He was married to Lola White. He died on 7 January 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.August 8, 1950 – January 7, 2021
American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist - The O'Kanes (1986-1990), "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)" (1986), "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You" (1987)
Grammy Award winner - Best Country Song, 1986 ("Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)")
Grammy Award nominee - Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, 1987 ("Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You")- Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Soundtrack
Marion Ramsey was an American actress and singer from Philadelphia. She is primarily known for her role as the soft-spoken policewoman Laverne Hooks in the "Police Academy" film series (1984-1994). Hooks was depicted as a "diminutive, soft-spoken and unassertive woman" with a high-pitched voice. But switched to a more aggressive and authoritative tone when sufficiently frustrated.
Ramsey was born in 1947, but little is known about her early life. She started her career as a theatrical actress, and became a prominent performer for Broadway shows. She appeared in the Broadway version of the hit musical "Hello, Dolly!" (1964) by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart, and subsequently was part of the musical's touring productions. The musical was an adaptation of the farce "The Merchant of Yonkers" (1938) by Thornton Wilder (1897 -1975), but was much better received than the original work.
Ramsey made her television debut as part of the regular cast in the variety series "Keep On Truckin'" (1975). This was a summer replacement series, broadcast by ABC on Saturday nights. It only lasted four episodes. In 1976, Ramsey made a guest-star appearance in an episode of the then-popular sitcom "The Jeffersons" (1975-1985).
Also in 1976, Ramsey became part of the regular cast of the short-lived sketch comedy show "Cos". The show was named after its host, the popular comedian Bill Cosby (1937-). The series only lasted for 9 episodes, and was canceled due to low ratings. It was replaced on ABC's schedule by a new show called "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1977-1979), which was adapting mystery novels for children,. The novels were originally published by the long-running Stratemeyer Syndicate (1899-1987).
In 1977, Ramsey had a guest-star role in the short-lived sitcom "Sanford Arms" (1977). The series was intended as a sequel to the hit show "Sanford and Son" (1972-1977), but focused on a new protagonist. It failed to find an audience, and was canceled after only 4 episodes. Another 4 completed episodes, including the one featuring Ramsey, were never aired, although they became available on later reruns.
In 1978, Ramsey was one of the main performers of the revue "Eubie!" in Broadway. The revue showcased 23 songs by the popular jazz composer Eubie Blake (1887 - 1983). The show ran for 439 performances. Ramsey and the rest of the original cast participated in a recording of the show, which was released on vinyl in 1979.
Ramsey gained her first substantial film role in the police comedy "Police Academy" (1984), when she was 37-years-old. As cadet Laverne Hooks , she received enough screen time to be one of the film's memorable characters. The film was a box office hit, earning 150 million dollars at the worldwide box office. A film series featuring featuring the same cast followed. Ramsey appeared in 5 of the original film's sequels, and her character was soon depicted as a police sergeant. She made her last appearance in the film series in "Police Academy 6: City Under Siege" (1989). She did not appear in the series finale "Police Academy: Mission to Moscow" (1994), which also failed to include several other regular cast members.
In the early 1990s, Ramsey made a few appearances in then-popular television series, such as "MacGyver", "Beverly Hills, 90210", and "The Nanny". Most of her roles were minor unnamed characters. Ramsey worked as a voice actor in the animated series "The Addams Family" (1992 -1993). Her most memorable character in the series was summer camp owner D.I. Holler, who had the mentality of a drill sergeant. The character aimed to teach fitness and self-reliance to rich kids, but was unreasonably strict.
Ramsey had her next film role in the horror comedy "Maniacts" (2001) , where she played an unnamed prostitute. The film featured two serial killers who fall in love with each other, and try to settle down for a while. Ramsey next played a policewoman again in the comedy television film "Recipe for Disaster" (2003). The premise of the film is that the owners of a family restaurant have disappeared, and their underage kids try to operate the restaurant in their absence. The film is remembered for an early starring role for teenage actress Margo Harshman (1986-).
In 2006, Ramsey voiced Laverne Hooks in a comedy sketch of the animated series "Robot Chicken" (2005-). The sketch featured several characters from the "Police Academy" series being recruited as new members of the X-Men. The sketch reunited Ramsey with her former co-star Michael Winslow, an accomplished voice actor.
In 2007, Ramsey had a supporting role in the romantic comedy "Lord Help Us". The film's main plot is that the elderly preacher Henry Thomas (played by Bill Toliver) needs help to repair his reputation, after a rumor suggests that he is having an affair with a much younger woman. Also in 2007, Ramsey had a small role in the thriller film "The Stolen Moments of September". The film depicts the life of a young runaway, who befriends a suspected serial killer.
After a hiatus of a few years, Ramsey returned to film roles with the mystery comedy "Who Killed Soul Glow?" (2012). As the title suggests, it featured a murder mystery. In 2013, Ramsey appeared in the historical film "Return to Babylon", which depicted the lives of famous Hollywood actors in the 1920s. Ramsey played the maid of the famous vamp Barbara La Marr (1896 - 1926). The real life La Marr was highly popular in the 1920s, but died at the age of 29 due to tuberculosis.
In 2014, Ramsey played a supporting role in the sports film "Wal-Bob's". The film depicted the operation of an underground football league in Cincinnati. In 2015, Ramsey had a role in the science fiction horror television film "Lavalantula". The film depicted giant tarantulas unleashed in modern-day Los Angeles. The film notably reunited several veteran actors from the "Police Academy" film series, with the protagonist role reserved for Steve Guttenberg (1958-). Ramsey also appeared in the film's sequel "2 Lava 2 Lantula" (2016).
In 2016, Ramsey appeared in the comedy-drama film "DaZe: Vol. Too (sic) - NonSeNse". The film reunited several veterans of the "Police Academy" film series, and featured the last film role for Ramsey's longtime friend Bubba Smith (1945-2011). In 2018, Ramsey appeared in the biographical film "When I Sing", which was based on the life of singer-songwriter Linda Chorney (1960-). This was Ramsey's last film role.
Ramsey spend her last years in retirement.
In January she died at her residence in Los Angeles, following a short illness. Her cause of death was not announced to the public. She was 73-years-old at the time of her death. She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea. News of her death was covered by the press, as the actress was still well-known and fondly remembered. Ramsey is considered an icon of the 1980s.May 10, 1947 – January 7, 2021
American actress - 'Police Academy' movies (1984-1989), 'The Addams Family' animated series (1992-1993), 'Lavalantula' (2015)- Actor
- Soundtrack
Deezer D was born in 1965 in Los Angeles, California. He is not only an actor but a popular performer in the Christian and underground hip hop communities. His latest release is titled "Unpredictable". He also briefly hosted a Christian Rap radio show in Los Angeles on station 96.3 KFSG.Real name: Dearon Thompson; March 10, 1965 – January 7, 2021
American actor and rapper - 'Cool as Ice' (1991), 'CB4' (1993), 'ER' (1994-2009)- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ed Bruce was born on 29 December 1939 in Keiser, Arkansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Public Enemies (2009), American Honey (2016) and Catch and Release (2006). He was married to Patsy Bruce and Judith Woodlee. He died on 8 January 2021 in Clarksville, Tennessee, USA.December 29, 1939 – January 8, 2021
American country music songwriter ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys") and singer ("You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had") and actor ('Bret Maverick')- Director
- Cinematographer
- Producer
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Steve Carver received his first camera when he was eight years old. At 13 he began his formal education in photography, attending the High School of Music & Arts in Manhattan where he received training in art and music. Fascinated by techniques of creating imagery, he experimented with situations to maximize his learning experience--testing and exploring the creative limitations of the mediums.
Attending the University of Buffalo in New York on a Regents Scholarship, Carver developed an interest in photography while studying commercial art and illustration. Determined to learn the entire photographic process, he served an apprenticeship under several professional photographers and gained invaluable technical knowledge. It was his willingness to explore ideas and adapt his skills to new situations that resulted in an impressive portfolio of work.
Following the completion of his undergraduate studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Carver accepted a fellowship to study classical arts at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Inspired by insightful portrait photography, he attempted to broaden the scope of his study by serious practice. Establishing himself as a freelance portraitist, he began his career with limited success and encouragement. Determined to work as a photographer, Carver undertook a photojournalist assignment on a documentary film. By learning the flexibility and immediacy that the work required, he gained valuable experience that contributed to his artistic vision of observed life. The experience also sowed the seed for Carver's interest in storytelling. He spent increasing amounts of time studying the creative process of filmmaking. In his final year at graduate school, Carver was a mature artist who had a passion for the visual arts and whose goals were vividly conceived. He rejected a conventional presentation of his thesis in favor of creating a film as a deliberate aesthetic choice to enhance the collective nature of his artwork with visual excitement and inventiveness. Working feverishly, Carver prepared a scenario that incorporated an assemblage of images derived from his photographs, paintings, drawings and etchings. While he labored with the arduous and complicated process, the single-minded intensity and pure ambition that he brought to the task ultimately motivated the completion of his first film. The achievement earned Carver a Master of Fine Arts degree and reinforced a new objectivity. During the next two years, Carver devoted himself to studying filmmaking while concentrating primarily on photography and art.
Resuming his freelance career, he worked as a conceptual artist, contract photographer, lecturer, film consultant and sometimes journalist. He accepted an invitation to attend a special postgraduate program in photojournalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Under a core group of staff photographers from "Life" magazine, Carver began studying the techniques of pictorial journalism. By drawing upon his unique vision and the imagery of culture, he built a portfolio of photographs that explored the interstices connecting culture, art and the artist. Returning to St. Louis, he exhibited his work at a fine-arts gallery and enjoyed both critical and commercial success. That success earned Carver a teaching position at Florissant Valley College and offers of employment.
Dividing his time between working as a photography instructor and freelance photojournalist, he contributed to the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch", ABC-TV's Wide World of Sports (1981), "Architectural Digest", "National Geographic" and "Time-Life". He later became a staff photographer for United Press International, where he developed a documentary portrait style producing a significant body of work. While photojournalism inspired his creativity, Carver maintained his fascination with filmmaking. On weekends he enjoyed the challenge of experimenting and exploring its technical process by shooting and editing thousands of feet of 16mm film. For inspiration he turned to the work of documentary filmmakers and the intellectual stimulation provided by friends. Mainly self-taught, he began taking on assignments as a cameraman and film editor. While teaching photography and filmmaking at the Metropolitan Education Council in the Arts in St. Louis, he began producing educational films that documented urban life and attitudes under the auspices of the St. Louis Mayor's Council on the Arts. Subsequently, the photo-documentaries created collections of images, dramatically increasing his productivity as well as his profitability. Despite his best efforts, however, the work exhausted Carver's interests in art and photography of all kinds. At the invitation of the American Film Institute in Beverly Hills, California, he shifted the focus of his efforts and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a formal education in filmmaking.
Over the next 20 years he gradually gave up professional photography and rarely used a still camera. While attending the fellowship program at the Center for Advanced Film Studies, Carver studied screenwriting, film directing and editing, exclusively as a student. His principal mentors were great directors, producers and actors. Their counsel contributed enormously to his education in film and provided an outstanding professional atmosphere. Through the apprenticeship program at the Directors Guild of America (DGA), Carver gained employment as an assistant director and developed a technical aptitude for the craft. As a result, he got a foothold in the movie industry and received his first directorial assignment, establishing himself as a feature film director. Directing feature films and TV-movies throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, he made good use of the creative vision he developed through photography. While working on location in Moscow he receiving a still camera as a gift, and he renewed his interest in photography by undertaking a series of photographic expeditions throughout Russia. After his return to Los Angeles he was offered a partnership in a business, but decided to take a break from directing and turned his attention to a different kind of creative enterprise--establishing a photography business he named The Darkroom, located in Venice Beach. Its opening, however, coincided with the demise of the partnership, and Carver ran the business himself for five years--he was not only the owner but the operator, technician, educator and photographer, even doing the rentals and services that helped to support the facility. Largely self-taught, he quickly came to terms with the arduous business process. Since his technical skills relied heavily on the precepts and techniques that he learned over the previous 20 years, he began to focus his efforts on encompassing new photographic technology to stimulate diversity in his work. To maximize production, he practiced, concentrating more and more on photography, adapting his idiosyncratic working methods. Working independently, he explored the boundaries of his classical photographic vision in black-and-white, and by using applications of early chemical processes as a means of documenting the evolving ideas and facets of his work, he liberally incorporated the technology from his explorations into his photography as a means of expression. Gradually, it allowed him to produce photographs of exceptional depth and quality. As a result, The Darkroom gained popularity and increasingly attracted a core group of photographic artists and serious students.
While his techniques and methods became the subject and inspiration of a diverse body of photographs, as a portraitist Carver began creating sensuous and moody figure studies that he considered being among his highest artistic achievements. As expressive formalism incorporating a traditional classic sensibility, his portraiture provided a stylish and diverse cultural document, serving to chronicle life and culture while conveying the emotional, psychological, and spiritual as opposed to merely rendering a likeness. He also produced photo-transformations of people in motion, isolating successive stages of rapid movement by using long exposures to permit the intrusion of motion into the image, as both a means of expression and transformation. These images typically included insightful psychological compositions, involving precise staging, elaborate props, and direction. Psychologically probing and surreal, the images often involved the use of light abstractions, color-frequency alteration, long-exposure techniques, split-filter printing, solarization, and archival chemical toning. Carver became affiliated with conservators and scientists in an effort to interact with private collectors, archivists, and curators, to further the development of his work in archival preservation of historical prints and negatives. He appropriated images from archives and private collections in order to raise issues of cultural heritage. Primarily produced and used as source material for scholars and as telling documentation to ensure the preservation of cultural heritages, he created replicas and duplicates of photographs that characteristically challenged perception of its originality. While the closing of the lab allowed Carver to resume his career as a director, his ambition now is to create exceptional collections of formal portraiture for wide publication. It is his hope that these informative photographic studies will offer new interpretations and contribute to the necessary preservation of cultural heritages.April 5, 1945 – January 8, 2021
American film director - 'Big Bad Mama' (1974), 'An Eye for an Eye' (1981), 'Lone Wolf McQuade' (1983)- Art Department
- Art Director
- Production Designer
Tony Curtis was born on 25 January 1937. He was an art director and production designer, known for Krull (1983), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) and Tales from the Crypt (1972). He was married to Yutte Stensgaard. He died on 8 January 2021.January 25, 1937 – January 8, 2021
British art director (1970's 'Tales from the Crypt,' 1983's 'Krull') and production designer ('The Monster Club,' 1982's 'The Scarlet Pimpernel,' 'Half Moon Street')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special, 1983 ('The Scarlet Pimpernel')- Music Artist
- Composer
- Music Department
David Darling (March 4, 1941 - January 8, 2021) was an American cellist and composer. In 2010, he won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. He performed and recorded with Bobby McFerrin, Paul Winter Consort, Ralph Towner and Spyro Gyra and released many solo albums. Among these were 15 recordings for ECM.March 4, 1941 – January 8, 2021
American cellist ('Journal October,' 'Prayer for Compassion,' Ketil Bjørnstad's 'The Sea') and composer ('One Eight Seven,' '12th & Delaware')
Grammy Award winner - Best New Age Album, 2009 ('Prayer for Compassion')
Grammy Award nominee - Best New Age Album, 2001 ('Cello Blue'), 2014 ('In Love and Longing') and 2019 ('Homage to Kindness')- Actor
- Additional Crew
Michael Dennis Henry was born August 15th, 1936. He was an athletic professional football player at the time he entered the movies. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1958-61) and the Los Angeles Rams (1962-64). During part of that time (1961-64) he was under contract with Warner Brothers and played a variety of bit parts (TV's Surfside 6 (1960), Hawaiian Eye (1959), Cheyenne (1955) & the movie, Spencer's Mountain (1963)). He earned the role of Tarzan when series producer, Sy Weintraub began looking for a "younger Burt Lancaster" type, anticipating not only more Tarzan movies but a TV series as well. Weintraub was a Rams fan and had seen a TV documentary about them called Men from the Boys, produced by and featuring Mike Henry. Mike only made three Tarzan movies. He suffered animal bites, food poisoning, infections, and impossible work schedules in Mexico and especially Brazil. He wound up suing Weintraub for "maltreatment, abuse, and working conditions detrimental to my health and welfare." Just before his second Tarzan release in 1967 he was signed as Sgt. Kowalski in John Wayne's The Green Berets (1968). He made more movies, including the part of "Junior", as a naive son of Jackie Gleason, with the role of Buford T. Justice! in the Smokey and the Bandit (1977) movie set there were three.August 15, 1936 – January 8, 2021
American football player (Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams) and actor ('Tarzan and the Valley of Gold,' 'Soylent Green,' 'Smokey and the Bandit')- Editor
- Producer
- Director
Neil Mahoney was born on 7 March 1977 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. He was an editor and producer, known for Freak Dance (2010), Funny or Die Presents... (2007) and Key and Peele (2012). He died on 8 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.March 7, 1977 – January 8, 2021
American editor ('Drunk History,' 'Comrade Detective') and director ('Freak Dance')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming, 2016 ('Key and Peele')- Diana became involved in show business at a very early age, tap dancing at seven and winning a beauty contest three years later. This led to modeling sun suits for Sears Department Stores, and, eventually, to becoming a Conover model for the John Robert Powers Agency in New York. She also acquired plenty of acting practice during seven seasons of summer stock, playing assorted leads in classic plays like The Little Foxes, The Seven Year Itch (the role immortalized by Marilyn Monroe on screen!), Tobacco Road and Life With Father. From the mid-50s, she appeared on numerous live TV shows in New York and even enjoyed a second-billed leading role in a 1955 episode of Star Tonight (1955). This did not lead anywhere career-wise, so the blonde, comely-looking Diana took on further acting studies and got herself noticed with covers in popular contemporary magazines. Alas, it took a move to Hollywood for her career to really gain some traction, then, before long, she became a much-in-demand guest actress for prime-time TV shows. So much so, where by 1962, she was given the sobriquet 'Miss Emmy'.
Diana also appeared thrice on Broadway, culminating in a leading role in the comedy play Boeing-Boeing in 1962. That same year, she toured the U.S. and Canada in a National Theatre Company Production of The Seven Year Itch, opposite Eddie Bracken.
During her prolific TV appearances in the 60s, Diana accumulated screen credits on some of the most popular shows of the day, including Maverick (1957), Gunsmoke (1955), Route 66 (1960), Rawhide (1959), Perry Mason (1957), 77 Sunset Strip (1958), The Virginian (1962) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964).
However, her undoubted career highlight came near the end of her life as an actress when producer/creator Dan Curtis offered her the juicy role of Laura Collins (an immortal Phoenix-like entity) in his cult supernatural day time series Dark Shadows (1966). Between 1966 and 1969, Diana lived and breathed this character in 62 episodes and a subsequent spin-off movie release, Night of Dark Shadows (1971). After that, her acting career ended somewhat inconspicuously.
In later years, she moved back to New York where she reinvented herself as an author of several books, including "The Power of Halloween" (dealing with supernatural themes, such as witchcraft), "How to Create Good Luck" and "I'd Rather Eat Than Act".
Between 1966 and 1968, Diana Claire Millay was married to Geoffrey Montgomery Talbot Jones, a Broadway producer, Princeton alumnus and former wartime OSS officer. Sometime during the 1990s, she worked as a promoter for Microhydrin, an antioxidant and nutritional supplement.
Diana passed away in New York on 8 January 2021 at the age of 86.June 7, 1935 – January 8, 2021
American actress - 'Street of Sinners' (1957), 'Tarzan and the Great River' (1967), 'Dark Shadows' (1966-1969) - Ivo Niederle was born on 26 December 1929 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He was an actor, known for xXx (2002), Die Tigerin (1992) and Sanitka (1984). He was married to Vera Kríbková. He died on 8 January 2021 in Prague, Czech Republic.December 26, 1929 – January 8, 2021
Czech actor - 'Coach to Vienna' (1966), 'Burning Secret' (1988), 'Close to Heaven' (2005) - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Carmine Capobianco was born September 19, 1958 in Waterbury, Ct. He attended St. Mary's School (Alma Mater of Dylan McDermott), Sacred Heart High School and then graduated Western Connecticut State University with a degree in Photography, Film and Television. His film career began upon meeting Gorman Bechard and they raised money to shoot their first low-budget feature, Disconnected (1984). Shortly after making a video feature, Carmine and Gorman co-wrote the script and filmed Psychos in Love (1987). Charles Band, now of Full Moon Entertainment, purchased the rights and signed their film production company, Generic Films, to a four picture deal. They made two more before Charlie's company went under and Generic Films disbanded: Galactic Gigolo (1987) and Cemetery High (1988). Carmine went off on his own and dabbled for the next few years with small parts working on or in One Life to Live, an MTV video, a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie, commercials (ESPN), award-winning host of his own cable show and some small independent films such as Everything Moves Alone (2001) and The White Car. Carmine runs two video stores in Connecticut, has a few websites and is President of a non-profit organization called The Classic Movie Cinema. Carmine is married and has three beatiful daughters, Emily, Annie and Molly who share his enthusiasm for movies.September 19, 1958 – January 9, 2021
American actor ('Disconnected,' 'Psychos in Love,' 'Galactic Gigolo') and screenwriter- Director
- Writer
Frantisek Filip was born on 26 October 1930 in Písek, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He was a director and writer, known for Hrdina má strach (1966), Rozpaky kuchare Svatopluka (1985) and Utrpení mladého Bohácka (1969). He died on 9 January 2021 in Bratislava, Slovakia.December 26, 1930 – January 9, 2021
Czech director for film ('Utrpení mladého Boháčka') and television ('Chalupáři,' 'Cirkus Humberto')- John Reilly was born on 11 November 1934 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for General Hospital (1963), Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982) and Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998). He was married to Lily Beth (Liz) Janred and Donna Reilly . He died on 9 January 2021 in the USA.November 11, 1936 – January 9, 2021
American actor - 'General Hospital' (1984-2013), 'Beverly Hills, 90210' (1996-1998), 'Passions' (2000-2008) - Additional Crew
- Actress
- Art Department
Caroly Wilcox was born on 16 May 1931 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for The Muppet Movie (1979), Sesame Street (1969) and The Muppet Show (1976). She died on 9 January 2021.May 16, 1931 – January 9, 2021
American Muppet designer, builder and performer - 'Sesame Street' (1969-2012), 'The Muppet Show' (1976-1981), 'The Muppet Movie' (1979), 'The Muppets Take Manhattan' (1984), 'Fraggle Rock' (1983-1987)
Daytime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Any Area of Creative Technical Crafts, 1976 ('Sesame Street'); Special Classification of Outstanding Individual Achievement - Puppet Design, Construction and Costuming, 1981 ('Sesame Street'); Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, 1986 and 1990 (both for 'Sesame Street')
Nominated for five other Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, all for 'Sesame Street'
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Individual Achievement [in] Creative Technical Crafts, 1980 (two nominations, both for 'The Muppet Show')- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
- Visual Effects
Owen Marsh was born and raised in the Hollywood film industry. His father was Oliver T. Marsh, cinematographer and his mother a studio mood music violinist from the silent days. Aunts included Mildred and Mae Marsh, both actresses. Small acting roles as a child, the service (1950-52), 7 years (1952-59) in the film labs then on to production as an assistant cameraman. A 7-year (1963-70) stint in the Special visual effects dept. at MGM then back on production until retirement in 1990. Various jobs as a director of photography but mostly operating cameraman for the last 20 years of his career. Married to Evelyn Hadlock (1950). Currently lives in Oregon.May 29, 1930 – January 10, 2021
American camera operator - 'Ben-Hur' (1959), 'How the West Was Won' (1962), 'The Brady Bunch' (1972-1973), 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' (1974), 'North & South' (1985 miniseries)
Founding member of the Society of Camera Operators- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Julie Strain was born in Concord, California, as Julie Ann Strain. She was an actress, known for Sex Court, (1998), Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) and Double Impact (1991), and Battle Queen 2020. She grew up in Pleasant Hill California and graduated from Diablo Valley College, in that town. Appeared in over 100 movies, was one of the tallest actresses in Hollywood, and performed all her own stunts. Julie was crowned the Queen of the B-movies.February 18, 1962 – January 10, 2021
American actress ('Psycho Cop 2,' 'Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult,' 'Heavy Metal 2000,' 'How to Make a Monster') and model ('Penthouse')- Etienne Draber was born on 26 March 1939 in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, France. He was an actor, known for Madame Bovary (1991), Le fou du roi (1984) and Plus belle la vie (2004). He died on 11 January 2021 in Paris, France.March 26, 1939 – January 11, 2021
French actor - 'Profs' (1985), 'Ridicule' (1996), 'J'ai perdu Albert' (2018) - Sound Department
- Music Department
Les Fresholtz was born on 21 December 1931 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), All the President's Men (1976) and Lethal Weapon (1987). He died in March 2021.December 21, 1931 – January 11, 2021
American re-recording mixer - 'Head' (1968), 'Blazing Saddles' (1974), 'All the President's Men' (1976), 'Star Wars' (1977), 'Altered States' (1980), 'Tootsie' (1982), 'Ghostbusters' (1984), 'Lethal Weapon' (1987), 'Bird' (1988), 'Unforgiven' (1992)
Academy Award winner - Best Sound, 1976 ('All the President's Men') and 1988 ('Bird')
Academy Award nominee - Best Sound, 1969 ('Marooned'), 1973 ('Paper Moon'), 1975 ('Bite the Bullet'), 1979 ('The Electric Horseman'), 1980 ('Altered States'), 1982 ('Tootsie'), 1985 ('Ladyhawke'), 1986 ('Heartbreak Ridge'), 1987 ('Lethal Weapon'), 1992 ('Unforgiven')
BAFTA Film Award winner - Best Sound, 1977 ('Star Wars')
BAFTA Film Award nominee - Best Sound, 1976 ('All the President's Men'), 1988 ('Bird') and 1992 ('Unforgiven')- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert F. Liu was born on 1 May 1926 in Shanghai, China. He was a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Lou Grant (1977), Family Ties (1982) and Stop Susan Williams (1979). He died on 11 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.May 1, 1926 – January 11, 2021
Chinese-American cinematographer - 'Lou Grant' (1979-1982), 'Family Ties' (1985-1989), 'The Nanny' (1998-1999)
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Cinematography for a Series, 1982 ('Lou Grant'); Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Comedy Series, 1989 ('Family Ties')- Tord Peterson was born on 21 April 1926 in Danderyd, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Änglagård - Andra sommaren (1994), House of Angels (1992) and Änglagård - Tredje gången gillt (2010). He was married to Ulla Blomstrand. He died on 11 January 2021 in Sweden.April 21, 1926 – January 11, 2021
Swedish actor - 'Grisjakten: The Pig Hunt' (1970), 'House of Angels' (1992), 'Pettson and Findus' films (1999-2009), 'Dragonsly' (2001), 'Echoes from the Dead' (2013)
Guldbagge Award nominee - Best Actor, 1994 ('House of Angels – The Second Summer') - Director
- Producer
- Writer
Stacy Title was born on 21 February 1964 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was a director and producer, known for Let the Devil Wear Black (1999), The Last Supper (1995) and The Bye Bye Man (2017). She was married to Jonathan Penner. She died on 11 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.February 21, 1964 – January 11, 2021
American film director - 'The Last Supper' (1995), 'Hood of Horror' (2006), 'The Bye Bye Man' (2017)- Mona Malm got her breakthrough at the Royal Dramatic Theater in 1957 as "Tintomara" in Almqvist's 'Drottningens juvelsmycke', directed by Alf Sjöberg. She played "Martha" in Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' (1985) and the title role in Hjalmar Bergman's 'Chefen fru Ingeborg' (1993). She appeared in such films as Fanny and Alexander (1982) (as Jarl Kulle's tolerant wife) and The Best Intentions (1992).January 24, 1935 – January 12, 2021
Swedish actress - 'Fanny and Alexander' (1982), 'The Best Intentions' (1992), 'After the Wedding' (2006) - Tim Bogert was born on 27 August 1944 in Ridgefield, New Jersey, USA. He died on 13 January 2021 in the USA.August 27, 1944 – January 13, 2021
American bassist, singer and songwriter - Vanilla Fudge (1966–1970, 1982–1984, 1987–1988, 1999–2002, 2003–2008, 2009–2010), Cactus (1969-1973, 2006-2009), Beck, Bogert & Appice (1972-1974) - Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Siegfried Fischbacher was born on 13 June 1939 in Rosenheim, Germany. He was a producer and actor, known for Vegas Vacation (1997), Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Father of the Pride (2004). He died on 13 January 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.June 13, 1939 – January 13, 2021
German-American illusionist and entertainer - Siegfried & Roy (1990-2003)- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Sylvain Sylvain was born on 14 February 1951 in Cairo, Egypt. He was an actor and composer, known for Kick-Ass (2010), The Three Stooges (2012) and Up the Academy (1980). He was married to Wanda O'Kelley . He died on 13 January 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.February 14, 1951 – January 13, 2021
American rock guitarist - New York Dolls (1971–1976, 2004–2011)- This durable, granite-faced actor with the matching steel-edged voice was one of the most interesting and recognisable leads in 1950s and 1960s television. He was born Marvin Jack Richman in South Philadelphia to paper and roofing contractor Benjamin Richman and his wife Yetta Dora (née Peck), the youngest of five siblings. His childhood was -- by his own account -- 'horrendous'. The family was not well off and money was hard to come by. For two years he played football until sidelined by a knee injury. Richman also studied at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, from which he graduated in 1951 as a fully qualified pharmacist. He briefly worked in that field, though his interest had always been in the performing arts, spurred on by regular childhood visits to the nearby Alhambra Theater and performances in high school dramatics. Between 1952 and 1954, Richman trained at the Actor's Studio in New York under Lee Strasberg, having already made his stage debut in 1947. Until 1996, he acted on and off-Broadway and on the West Coast, as well as touring nationally in seminal plays like Mister Roberts, The Rainmaker and A Hatful of Rain. For most of his early career he was billed as 'Mark Richman' but in 1971 changed his moniker to Peter Mark Richman because of his abiding belief in Subud, an Eastern spiritualist philosophy.
An amazingly prolific screen actor, Richman was first brought to Hollywood by famed director William Wyler to appear in Friendly Persuasion (1956). There were a few subsequent big screen outings, but the lean, edgy and coldly handsome actor reserved his best for the small screen. By the early 60s, he starred in his own series at NBC, Cain's Hundred (1961). His character was a former syndicate lawyer, Nick Cain, who, after wanting to 'go straight' is targeted for a hit. When his fiancée gets killed in the crosshairs instead, Cain swears revenge and joins an FBI task force to bring down the top 100 mobsters by various legal means. While the series only ran to 30 episodes, it firmly established Richman in the medium. He was henceforth to alternate between nasty villains, stern authority figures and stoic heroes and become one of the most often killed guys on TV. His numerous roles have included appearances in The Twilight Zone (1959), The Fugitive (1963), The Virginian (1962), Mission: Impossible (1966), Longstreet (1971) (as James Franciscus' cynical boss, Duke Paige), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) (as a rather camp THRUSH operative) and -- having lost none of his edge -- in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). Standouts have included The Probe (1965) in which Richman plays a scientist determined to explore another dimension at any cost, and the first of two guest spots on The Invaders (1967) as an ally of the chief protagonist David Vincent. Richman was almost clipped by a helicopter blade during this episode and lucky to survive the experience. He continued to perform on screen well until his late eighties.
In addition to his work on front of the camera, Richman was something of a Renaissance man: a noted humanitarian (for which he was awarded a Silver Medallion from The Motion Picture and Television Fund) and an accomplished painter from an early age, trained at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. Describing himself as a 'figurative expressionist', Richman has had at least seventeen successful one-man exhibitions on the West Coast and in New York (primarily portraits of oil on canvas). He has also written two novels and several stage plays, of which his solo show 4 Faces and the one act play A Medal for Murray were the most acclaimed. His wife of 67 years was the actress Helen Richman (née Landess).April 16, 1927 – January 14, 2021
American actor - 'Friendly Persuasion' (1956), 'Dynasty' (1981-1984), 'Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan' (1989), 'The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear' (1991), 'Poolhall Junkies' (2002) - Animation Department
- Art Department
- Additional Crew
Dale Baer was born on 15 June 1950 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He is known for The Emperor's New Groove (2000), Species (1995) and Robin Hood (2010). He was married to Jane Baer and Teddy. He died on 15 January 2021 in Irvine, California, USA.June 15, 1950 – January 15, 2021
American animator ('The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,' 'Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!),' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'The Princess and the Frog') and story director ('The Smurfs')- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Juan Carlos Copes was born on 31 May 1931 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Happy Together (1997), Tango (1998) and La sonrisa de mamá (1972). He was married to Myriam Albuernez and Maria Nieves. He died on 16 January 2021 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.May 31, 1931 – January 16, 2021
Argentine tango dancer and choreographer
Tony Award nominee - Best Choreography, 1986 ('Tango Argentino')- Actress
- Additional Crew
Londoner Charlotte Elizabeth Cornwell was born on April 26 1949, the younger half-sister of novelist John le Carré -- whose real name was David Cornwell -- and his novel, 'The Little Drummer Girl', had a leading character based on her. Le Carré was disappointed that in the film version the star was not Charlotte but the more bankable Diane Keaton.
Charlotte studied drama at London's Webber Douglas School and made her professional debut at the Bristol Old Vic and has since performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre both in Britain and overseas. To many of a certain age, however, she will be affectionately associated with the television series of 'Rock Follies' in the late 1970s where she was an original member of singing group "The Little Ladies", performing on the accompanying soundtrack albums. She taught acting at the University of Southern California (USC) but later returned to England, where she died at age 71 in 2021, from cancer.April 26, 1949 – January 16, 2021
English actress - 'Rock Follies' (1976-77), 'The Krays' (1990), 'White Hunter Black Heart' (1990)- Jim MacGeorge was born on 9 October 1928 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Teenagers from Outer Space (1959), Get Smart (1965) and Bionic Six (1987). He was married to Victoria Utica Loranger. He died on 16 January 2021 in the USA.October 15, 1928 – January 16, 2021
American voice actor - 'Laurel and Hardy' (1966-1967), 'Beany and Cecil' (1959-1962, 1988), 'Bionic Six' (1987) - Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Pave Maijanen was born on 4 September 1950 in Lappeenranta, Finland. He was a composer and actor, known for Ajolähtö (1982), They Have Escaped (2014) and The Woodcutter Story (2022). He was married to Liisa Maijasen. He died on 16 January 2021 in Helsinki, Finland.September 3, 1950 – January 16, 2021
Finnish musician, singer, songwriter and producer - Wigwam (1975, 2018), The Royals (1975-1978), Dingo (1984–1994),- Producer
- Executive
Anthony Rhulen was born on 27 September 1969 in Monticello, New York, USA. He was a producer and executive, known for The Butterfly Effect (2004), Lucky Number Slevin (2006) and Killing Season (2013). He was married to Ashley Scott. He died on 15 January 2021 in Pasadena, California, USA.September 27, 1969 – January 16, 2021
American producer - 'The Butterfly Effect' (2004), 'Lucky Number Slevin' (2006), 'The Rum Diary' (2011)- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Phil Spector was born on 26 December 1939 in The Bronx, New York, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Top Gun (1986), Mean Streets (1973) and Dirty Dancing (1987). He was married to Rachelle Marie Short , Janis Lynn Zavala, Ronnie Spector and Annette Lee Merar. He died on 16 January 2021 in French Camp, California, USA.December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021
American convicted murderer who first gained fame as a record producer and songwriter; developed the Wall of Sound formula of music production and co-wrote and/or produced iconic singles and albums such as Gene Pitney's "He's a Rebel," the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Unchained Melody," George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," and John Lennon's 'Imagine'; regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of pop music and the music industry's first auteur--a legacy he destroyed when he murdered actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, a crime for which he was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2009
Grammy Award nominee - Album Of The Year, 1971 ('George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass'); Record Of The Year, 1971 (Harrison's "My Sweet Lord")
Grammy Award winner - Album Of The Year, 1972 (George Harrison's 'The Concert For Bangla Desh')
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 1989
Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, 1997
Grammy National Trustees Award recipient, 2000
Nineteen-year prison sentence recipient, 2009
R.I.P. Lana Clarkson April 5, 1962 – February 3, 2003- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Sam Nestico was born on 6 February 1924 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a composer, known for Little Children (2006), The Color Purple (1985) and The Wrecking Crew! (2008). He was married to Shirley Frazier and Marge. He died on 17 January 2021 in the USA.February 6, 1924 – January 17, 2021
American composer and arranger (Count Basie)- Actor
- Writer
Jean-Pierre Bacri was born on 24 May 1951 in Castiglione, Alger, France [now Bou Ismail, Algeria]. He was an actor and writer, known for Look at Me (2004), The Taste of Others (2000) and Family Resemblances (1996). He was married to Agnès Jaoui. He died on 18 January 2021 in Paris, France.May 24, 1951 – January 18, 2021
French actor and screenwriter who co-wrote (with Agnès Jaoui) and starred in such films as 'Same Old Song' (1997), 'The Taste of Others' (2000), and 'Look at Me' (2004); also starred in many notable films written by others, including Diane Kurys's 'Entre Nous' (1983), Luc Besson's 'Subway' (1985), Alain Chabat's 'Didier' (1997), Nicole Garcia's 'Place Vendôme' (1998) and Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano's 'C'est la vie!' (2017)
Cannes Film Festival prize winner - Best Screenplay, 2004 ('Look at Me')
César Award winner - Best Screenplay, 1993 ('Smoking/No Smoking'), 1996 ('Family Resemblances'), 1997 ('Same Old Song') and 2000 ('The Taste of Others'); Best Supporting Actor, 1997 ('Same Old Song')
César Award nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1985 ('Subway'); Best Actor, 1999 ('Kennedy et moi'), 2000 'The Taste of Others'), 2003 ('Les sentiments'), 2012 ('Looking for Hortense'), 2015 ('The Very Private Life of Mister Sim'), and 2017 ('C'est la vie!'); Best Screenplay, 2004 ('Look at Me')- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Perry Botkin Jr. was born on 16 April 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Baby Driver (2017), Honey (2003) and Bless the Beasts & Children (1971). He was married to Liza Kevin Hennessey and Sondra J Keyes. He died on 18 January 2021 in Burbank, California, USA.April 16, 1933 – January 18, 2021
American composer for television ('The Young and the Restless,' 'Mork & Mindy') and film ('Bless the Beasts & Children,' 'Goin' South,' 'Silent Night, Deadly Night'), arranger ("Wichita Lineman," "Rhythm of the Rain") and musician
Academy Award nomination - Best Original Song, 1971 ("Bless the Beasts and the Children")
Grammy Award winner - Best Instrumental Arrangement, 1977 ("Nadia's Theme (The Young And The Restless)")
Grammy Award nominee - Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, 1971 ('Bless the Beasts & Children')- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Juan Carlos Tabío was born on 3 September 1943 in Havana, Cuba. He was a director and writer, known for Guantanamera (1995), El cuerno de la abundancia (2008) and Strawberry & Chocolate (1993). He died on 18 January 2021 in Havana, Cuba.c. 1943 – January 18, 2021
Cuban film director and screenwriter - 'Strawberry and Chocolate' (1993), 'Guantanamera' (1995), 'Waiting List' (2000)
Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear winner - Special Jury Prize, 1994 ('Strawberry and Chocolate')
Berlin International Film Festival Teddy winner - Best Feature Film, 1994 ('Strawberry and Chocolate')
Goya Award nominee - Best Spanish Language Foreign Film, 2000 ('Waiting List')- Writer
- Producer
Richard Lindheim was born on 15 May 1939 in New York, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Equalizer (2014), The Equalizer 3 (2023) and The Equalizer 2 (2018). He died on 18 January 2021 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.c. 1940 – January 18, 2021
American TV executive ('Miami Vice,' 'Frasier,' 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'), writer-producer ('B.J. and the Bear') and series creator ('The Equalizer')- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
David Richardson was born on 24 December 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The John Larroquette Show (1993), Two and a Half Men (2003) and Grand (1990). He was married to Charleen Easton. He died on 18 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.December 24, 1955 – January 18, 2021
American TV writer and producer - 'The Simpsons' (1993-1994), 'Two and a Half Men' (2009-2012), 'F Is for Family' (2015-2020)
Humanitas Prize winner - 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television, 1995 ('The John Larroquette Show')- Music Department
- Actor
- Director
With over 40 top ten hits in the late '50s and '60s, smooth, folksy, honey-voiced singer Jimmie Rodgers was one of the early superstars of Rock & Roll. His biggest #1 hits include "Honeycomb", "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine", "It's Over", "Child of Clay", Oh Oh I'm Falling In Love Again" and "The Long Hot Summer", which had nominated Jimmie for an Oscar. You also know him from commercial singles taken from his songs-- Honeycomb was used for the cereal, Honeycomb; and Oh Oh Spaghetti-O's came from Oh Oh I'm Falling in Love Again. His career would never be the same after a December 1, 1967 altercation left him partially disabled. Remembered for a few singing hits of the late '50s and early '60s, Jimmie managed to prevail but at a much slower pace.
He was born September 18, 1933 in Camas, Washington, a few months after beloved Country Music Hall of Fame singer Jimmie Rodgers (known as "The Singing Brakeman") died of consumption. They were not related but perhaps Jimmie's mother, a piano teacher who often played for silent movie houses, was inspired to name her son after the country legend as the same exact spelling of the first name occurred. His mother taught the musically-inclined Jimmie the piano and guitar. He formed bands and served at one time with the U.S. Air Force. He later was discovered on Arthur Godfrey's talent show and was signed by Roulette Records, an offshoot of RCA. In the late 50s, Jimmie's easy folk-pop style and melodic renderings caught on fast. A wonderful alternative to the rock-and-roll, he found a #1 overnight hit with the song "Honeycomb" in 1957 and followed things up with a handful of "top 10" singles including "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again," "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Secretly," "Waltzing Matilda" and "Are You Really Mine."
Signed by Roulette Records, he severed ties with the record company in 1960 after a money dispute and signed with Dot Records the following year. Jimmie became a popular commodity during these years, touring with the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Frankie Avalon. He made TV appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "American Bandstand" to the delight of his fans, and even parlayed his singing fame into a brief movie career with lead performances in the remake of The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1961), in which he co-starred with Disney's Luana Patten, and the war drama Back Door to Hell (1964). Both were only mildly received. Things looked very promising with a TV summer series "The Jimmie Rodgers Show." Not an electric performer by any stretch, the good-looking singer with the trademark cleft chin had a natural and easygoing charm that appealed to the masses. In 1967, however, right after signing with A&M, Jimmie's life and career changed forever.
In December of 1967, he was stopped by an off-duty police officer on the freeway after leaving a party. The details are sketchy and the incident remains a mystery, but Jimmie somehow suffered a severe skull fracture as a result of the encounter and claims the police brutally attacked him. The police report maintains that Rodgers was intoxicated and hurt himself when he stumbled and fell. Jimmie later sued the City of Los Angeles and settled out of court. His life, however, would never be the same. Jimmie attempted a comeback of sorts, appearing regularly on "The Joey Bishop Show" in 1969, but after three brain surgeries he still suffered from convulsions and had trouble with balance. A portion of his face also sagged and he did not like appearing on camera for that reason.
Forced into retirement in later years, he devoted himself to religion and performed only on occasion in the concert venue. Some of his more popular songs can still be heard on commercials. He wrote a biography, "Dancing On The Moon," and also worked on children's animation projects and "Seven Horsemen." He loved to speak at events with an uplifting story of his recovery.
Jimmie was married three times and had five children. He died in January 2021.September 18, 1933 – January 18, 2021
American singer and musician who achieved crossover chart success with hits such as "Honeycomb" (1957), "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" (1957) and "Secretly" (1958), each of which ranked in the top ten on Billboard's pop, country and R&B charts; also had brief stints as an actor ('Back Door to Hell') and as a TV host ('Carol Burnett Presents the Jimmie Rodgers Show')- A leading actress of theatre, film and TV in the former Yugoslavia, Mira Furlan emigrated to the U.S. with her husband, Goran Gajic, in November 1991, due to the intolerable political circumstances in her homeland. Ms. Furlan starred in the Warner Brothers TV series Babylon 5 (1993) as "Ambassador Delenn" (Sci-Fi Universe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Genre TV-series 1996 and 1997).
Her other American credits included the TV movie My Antonia (1995) directed by Joseph Sargent, the title roles in "Sophocles Antigone" at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Los Angeles (Dramalogue Theatre Award for Outstanding Performance in 1995) and Lorca's "Yerma" at The Indiana Repertory Theatre. She also appeared in Brecht's "Baal" at The Second Stage in Los Angeles and Shaw's "Don Juan In Hell" in which she co-starred with Edward Asner and Rene Auberjonois. Ms. Furlan was a member of The Actor's Studio.
Ms. Furlan's film credits include leading roles in over 25 films. She co-starred in Emir Kusturica's Cannes award-winning and Oscar-nominated film When Father Was Away On Business (2000). Films include: Three For Happiness, (Grand Prix, Valencia Film Festival), Beauty Of Vice, In The Jaws Of Life, The Loves Of Blanka Kolak, and Dear Video. In addition, Ms Furlan has appeared regularly on Yugoslav television, playing leading roles in numerous series and TV films. She received all the highest awards in her former country, both for her stage and film work, including two Golden Arenas (Yugoslav Oscars) for Best Actress.
In the former Yugoslavia, Furlan was a member of the Croatian National Theatre and a frequent guest star at major theatres in the whole country. Her favorite roles include: 'Natalya' in "A Month In The Country", 'Mrs. Elliot' in "Alpha-Beta", 'Celimene' in "The Misanthrope", 'Judith' in "The Devil's Disciple", 'Annabella' in "Tis Pity She's A Whore", the title role in Euripides' "Helen", 'Lea' in "Dybbuk", 'Isabelle' in Corneille's "L'Illusion Comique", 'Yvette' in "Mother Courage", 'Natasha' in "Three Sisters" and 'Ophelia' in Jiri Menzel's production of "Hamlet".September 7, 1955 – January 20, 2021
Croatian actress - 'When Father Was Away on Business' (1985), 'The Beauty of Vice' (1986), 'Babylon 5' (1993-1998), 'Lost' (2004-2010), 'The Abandoned' (2010) - Additional Crew
- Music Department
Bob Avian was born on 26 December 1937 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He is known for A Chorus Line (2016), Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh (1998) and Putting It Together (2010). He was married to Peter Pileski. He died on 21 January 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.December 26, 1937 - January 21, 2021
American theatre choreographer ('A Chorus Line,' 'Miss Saigon') and producer ('Dreamgirls')
Drama Desk Award winner - Outstanding Choreography, 1976 ('A Chorus Line') and 1979 ('Ballroom')
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Musical, 1982 ('Dreamgirls')
Laurence Olivier Award winner - Best Choreography, 1997 ('Martin Guerre')
Tony Award winner - Best Choreography, 1976 ('A Chorus Line') and 1979 ('Ballroom')
Tony Award nominee - Best Musical, 1979 ('Ballroom') and 1982 ('Dreamgirls'); Best Cinematography, 1991 ('Miss Saigon') and 1995 ('Sunset Boulevard')- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Nathalie Delon was born on 1 August 1941 in Oujda, French Protectorate Morocco [now Morocco]. She was an actress and writer, known for The Samurai (1967), They Call It an Accident (1982) and The French Dispatch (2021). She was married to Alain Delon and Guy Barthelemy. She died on 21 January 2021 in Paris, France.August 1, 1941 – January 21, 2021
French actress - 'Le Samouraï' (1967), 'When Eight Bells Toll' (1971), 'The Romantic Englishwoman' (1975)- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rémy Julienne was born on 17 April 1930 in Cepoy, Loiret, France. He was an actor and assistant director, known for GoldenEye (1995), Double Team (1997) and Octopussy (1983). He was married to Antonie Pedrocchi. He died on 21 January 2021 in Amilly, Loiret, France.April 17, 1930 – January 21, 2021
French stunt driver and coordinator - 'The Italian Job' (1969), 'Watch Out, We're Mad!' (1974), 'The Professional' (1981), James Bond (1981-1995), 'The Da Vinci Code' (2006)- Writer
- Director
- Actress
Cecilia Mangini was born on 31 July 1927 in Mola di Bari, Apulia, Italy. She was a writer and director, known for All'armi siam fascisti! (1962), Klon (1992) and Antonio Gramsci: i giorni del carcere (1977). She was married to Lino Del Fra. She died on 21 January 2021 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.July 31, 1927 – January 21, 2021
Italian director ('Unknown To The City') and writer ('Black Holiday,' 'Antonio Gramsci: The Days of Prison'); considered to be Italy's first female documentary filmmaker- Art Department
- Animation Department
- Director
Ron Campbell was born on 26 December 1939 in Seymour, Victoria, Australia. He was a director, known for Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994), Bionic Six (1987) and The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (1972). He was married to Engelina Koopman. He died on 22 January 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.December 26, 1939 – January 22, 2021
Australian-born animation director ('The Beatles'), story director ('The Smurfs') and storyboard artist ('Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,' 'Rugrats')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Achievement in Animation, 1995 ('Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,')- Director
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José Ángel García was born on 30 October 1950 in Huetamo, Michoacan, Mexico. He was a director and actor, known for El diario de una señorita decente (1969), Mujeres engañadas (1999) and Wooden Woman (2004). He was married to Patricia Bernal. He died on 22 January 2021 in Mexico City.October 30, 1950 – January 22, 2021
Mexican telenovela actor ('El premio mayor,' 'Tú y yo') and director ('Amigas y rivales,' 'La fuerza del destino,' 'La rosa de Guadalupe')- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Blacklisted writer in the 1950s, a victim of the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee), he still continued to write under pseudonyms as did many other blacklisted writers such as Ring Lardner Jr. and Dalton Trumbo, and his biggest contribution during that time was probably his writing work with other blacklisted writers Arnold Manoff & Abraham Polonsky on the You Are There (1953) TV segments starring Walter Cronkite. Of large importance is his screenplay for the dark comedy about blacklisted screenwriters, The Front (1976) starring Woody Allen. The blacklisted writers in the deli are based on a composite of him, Manoff & Polonsky. After he graduated from Dartmouth, he wrote for The New Yorker magazine and also the G.I. weekly "Yank" during World War II. He had barely started working in Hollywood when he was blacklisted. He is a recipient of The Writers Guild of America East Lifetime Achievement Award and he also wrote the book "Inside Out: A Memoir of the Blacklist". Though unfairly blacklisted by Hollywood for his political alliances, luckily he recovered to have a long remarkable career.August 20, 1919 – January 23, 2021
American screenwriter ('Fail Safe,' 'The Front,' 'Miss Evers' Boys'), producer ('The Molly Maguires'), director ('Little Miss Marker')
Academy Award nominee - Best Original Screenplay, 1976 ('The Front')
BAFTA Award nominee - Best Screenplay, 1979 ('Yanks')
Humanitas Prize winner - PBS/Cable Category, 1997 ('Miss Evers' Boys')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special, 1997 ('Miss Evers' Boys')- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Tony Ferrer was born on 12 June 1934 in Macabebe, Pampanga, Philippines. He was an actor and producer, known for Sabotage (1966), Ang agila at ang falcon (1980) and Blackmail (1966). He was married to Imelda Ilanan. He died on 23 January 2021 in the Philippines.June 12, 1934 – January 23, 2021
Filipino actor - Agent X-44 film series (1965-1980), 'The Vengeance of Fu Manchu' (1967), 'Blind Rage' (1978)
FAMAS Award nominee - Best Actor, 1966 ('Sabotage') and 1971 ('I Love Mama, I Love Papa')- Actor
- Writer
- Director
John Frey worked internationally as an actor, screenwriter, and teacher in theater, film, and television for over 25 years.
John's screenwriting credits include "Cabaret Maxime" (dir. Bruno de Almeida), opened in February 2020 at the Metrograph Theater in NYC (Best Film Award and Best Screenplay Nominee - Portuguese Society of Authors, Portugal, 2019), "Operação Outono" (dir. Bruno de Almeida, Best Adapted Screenplay Award - Academy of Portuguese Cinema, Portugal, 2013), "The Lovebirds" (dir. Bruno de Almeida, Best Screenplay Award - Festival de Cine de Ourense, Spain, 2009), "The Collection" (dir. Bruno de Almeida, New York City, 2005).
Film acting credits include "The Hungry Ghosts" (dir. Michael Imperioli), "On the Run" (dir. Bruno de Almeida), "The Collection" (dir. Bruno de Almeida), "15 Months in May" (dir. Anja Murmann) (all USA); "Call Girl" (dir. António-Pedro vasconcelos), "Em Câmara Lenta" (dir. Fernando Lopes), "The Lovebirds" (dir. Bruno de Almeida), "Operação Outono" (dir. Bruno de Almeida), "A Palestra" (dir. Bruno de Almeida, produced by Guimarães European Capital of Culture) and "Cabaret Maxime" (dir. Bruno de Almeida) (all Portugal); "The Wake" (dir. Michael Kvium, Christian Lemmerz, Denmark); "Benoît Brisefer: Les Taxis Rouges" (dir. Manuel Pradal) with Jean Reno (France). Television acting credits include "Rescue Me", with Dennis Leary (USA), and the TV miniseries "Mata Hari", with Rutger Hauer and Gérard Depardieu (Russia). Theater acting credits include "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "27 Wagons Full of Cotton", "Miss Julie", "Of Mice and Men", and the Bruce Nauman Retrospective at DIA Center for the Arts, written and directed by Tate Award winner Mark Wallinger.
He established the John Frey Studio for Actors in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2009 (Meisner Technique Acting School). He was the artistic director of Below The Belt Theatre Company in Lisbon. He directed critically acclaimed productions of "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" and "The MotherF**ker with the Hat" in Lisbon with Below the Belt, as well as various staged readings including Denis Johnson's "Love's Debris" in conjunction with the Disquiet International Literary Program. In New York City, John Frey directed "Summer and Smoke", "Talk to Me Like the Rain" and "Let Me Listen and Call it Clover" on Theater Row. John Frey was an acting teacher at the William Esper Studio in NYC.April 30, 1958 – January 23, 2021
American actor ('On the Run') and screenwriter ('The Lovebirds,' 'Operation Autumn')- Producer
- Additional Crew
Alberto Grimaldi is a fine example of a lawyer who become film producer. His first contacts with cinema were of a legal nature, but these slowly led to production. By the early 1960s he had created his company Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA), and was very successful when he distributed Joaquín Luis Romero Marchant's «La venganza del Zorro» (1962), the second European western shot in Almería, Spain, where Sergio Leone had also made his first western, «Per un pugno di dollari». The filmmaker was having trouble with his producers for its sequel, he sought legal advice, and met Grimaldi, who became the majority investor in «Per qualche dollaro in più». With the following success and a third western, Leone turned into one of the greatest European filmmakers and PEA became a significant production company.
In 1967 another encounter and litigation diversified Grimaldi's profession. When Federico Fellini collapsed, after meeting many obstacles to do «Il viaggio di G. Mastorna» for producer Dino de Laurentiis, Grimaldi freed the maestro from the contract and produced him the short «Toby Dammit», for the film «Histoires extraordinaires». Thenceforth, while still producing more commercial films, Grimaldi became associated with several Italian filmmakers who also had artistic aspirations. He produced Gillo Pontecorvo's «Queimada», Elio Petri's «Un tranquillo posto di campagna», Pier Paolo Pasolini's 'Trilogy of Life' and «Salò o Le 120 giornate di Sodoma», Bernardo Bertolucci's «Ultimo tango a Parigi» and Francesco Rosi's «Cadaveri eccellenti»...
In the 1970s Grimaldi had different setbacks and his production activities decreased. First, «Il Casanova di Federico Fellini» was a financial failure, and the «Novecento» proved too problematic, although the cast and production values were attractive for the international markets. Bertolucci proposed a cut of 375 minutes and wanted to release the film in two parts, but Grimaldi had to deliver a 195-minute version to Paramount for the American market. When the producer decided to make the contractual version without the filmmaker and they ended in court, Bertolucci finally agreed and made a 280-minute version, but for Twentieth Century Fox. Then, in the next decade Grimaldi and Leone were reunited for «Once Upon a Time in America», but fearing a five-hour film after reading the final script, he stepped back and impresario Arnon Milchan took charge. Grimaldi only produced Fellini's nostalgic comedy «Ginger and Fred» in the 1980s.
Sixteen years passed until Grimaldi released a new production, when «Gangs of New York» opened in 2002. Under Martin Scorsese's direction, it was shot -like in the old times- in the Cinecittà studios in Rome, but it also had problems: a few months before shooting, Grimaldi sued Universal, Walt Disney, executive producer Michael Ovitz and other persons related to the film, claiming they had denied him the producer credit of a project he had planned for 20 years.
In 2007 the Valladolid International Film Festival honored Grimaldi with a retrospective of his more significant films, and the book dedicated to his work «The Art of Producing with Success» by José María Otero and Paola Savino, was launched on the occasion. Alberto Grimaldi was also awarded for the body of his work by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.March 28, 1925 – January 23, 2021
Italian film producer - 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966), 'Last Tango in Paris' (1972), 'Gangs of New York' (2002)
Academy Award nominee - Best Picture, 2002 ('Gangs of New York')
BAFTA Film Award nominee - Best Foreign Language Film, 1986 ('Ginger and Fred'); Best Film, 2002 ('Gangs of New York')
David di Donatello Award nominee - Best Producer, 1986 ('Ginger and Fred')- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Larry King was born on 19 November 1933 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Ghostbusters (1984), Enemy of the State (1998) and Bee Movie (2007). He was married to Shawn Ora Engemann, Julie Alexander, Sharon Lepore, Alene Akins, Mickey Sutphin, Annette Kaye and Freda Miller. He died on 23 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021
Legendary radio and television host, interviewer and producer - 'Larry King Show' (1978-1994), 'Larry King Live' (1985-2010), 'Larry King Now' (2012-2020)
News & Documentary Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Interview/Interviewer, 1999 ('Larry King Live' with Karla Faye Tucker)
Nominated for three other News & Documentary Emmy Award as well as four Daytime Emmy Awards
News & Documentary Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award recipient, 2011
Winner of four CableACE Awards out seven total nominations, all for 'Larry King Live'
Peabody Award winner for both his radio program (1982) and his television show (1992)
Also provided the voice of Doris the ugly stepsister in each of the three 'Shrek' sequels (2004-2010) and appeared (most often as himself) in dozens of films and television shows, including 'Ghostbusters' (1984), 'Murphy Brown' (1990, 1996), 'Dave' (1993), 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' (1996), 'Contact' (1997), 'The Practice' (2002), 'Boston Legal' (2005) and 'American Crime Story' (2016)- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Hal Holbrook was an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor who was one of the great craftsmen of stage and screen. He was best known for his performance as Mark Twain, for which he won a Tony and the first of his ten Emmy Award nominations. Aside from the stage, Holbrook made his reputation primarily on television, and was memorable as Abraham Lincoln, as Senator Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator (1970) and as Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo (1973). All of these roles brought him Emmy Awards, with Pueblo (1973) bringing him two, as Best Lead Actor in a Drama and Actor of the Year - Special. On January 22, 2008, he became the oldest male performer ever nominated for an Academy Award, for his supporting turn in Into the Wild (2007).
He was born Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr. on February 17, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Eileen (Davenport), a vaudeville dancer, and Harold Rowe Holbrook, Sr. Raised primarily in South Weymouth, Massachusetts by his paternal grandparents, Holbrook attended the Culver Academies. During World War II, Holbrook served in the Army in Newfoundland. After the war, he attended Denison University, graduating in 1948. While at Denison, Holbrook's senior honors project concerned Mark Twain.
He later developed "Mark Twain Tonight!," the one-man show in which he impersonates the great American writer Mark Twain, aka Samuel Clemens. Holbrook learned his craft on the boards and by appearing in the TV soap opera The Brighter Day (1954). He first played Mark Twain as a solo act in 1954, at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania. The show was a success that created a buzz. After seeing the performance, Ed Sullivan, the host of TV's premier variety show, featured him on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) on February 12, 1956. This lead to an international tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, which included appearances in Iron Curtain countries. Holbrook brought the show to Off-Broadway in 1959. He even played Mark Twain for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 1966 "Mark Twain Tonight" Broadway production brought Holbrook even more acclaim, and the Tony Award. The show was taped and Holbrook won an Emmy nomination. He reprised the show on Broadway in 1977 and in 2005. By that time, he had played Samuel Clemens on stage over 2,000 times.
Among Holbrook's more famous roles was "The Major" in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's "Incident at Vichy", as Martin Sheen's significant other in the controversial and acclaimed TV movie That Certain Summer (1972), the first TV movie to sympathetically portray homosexuality, and as Abraham Lincoln in Carl Sandburg's acclaimed TV biography of the 16th President Lincoln (1974), a role he also portrayed in excellent performances too in North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985) and North & South: Book 2, Love & War (1986). He also is known for his portrayal of the enigmatic "Deep Throat" in All the President's Men (1976), one of the major cinema events of the mid-'70s. In the 1990s, he had a regular supporting role in the TV series Evening Shade (1990), playing Burt Reynolds' character's father-in-law.
Hal Holbrook died on January 23, 2021, at 95 years, in Beverly Hills. He was buried in McLemoresville Cemetery in Tennessee with his wife Dixie Carter.February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021
American actor of film ('All the President's Men,' 'Into the Wild'), television ('North & South,' 'Evening Shade') and stage ('Mark Twain Tonight!')
Academy Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, 2008 ('Into the Wild')
Drama Desk Vernon Rice Award recipient, 1959 (for 'Mark Twain Tonight!')
Grammy Award nominee - Best Performance - Documentary Or Spoken Word (Other Than Comedy), 1959 ('Mark Twain Tonight!'); Best Documentary Or Spoken Word Recording (Other Than Comedy), 1961 ('More Of Hal Holbrook In Mark Twain Tonight!'); Best Spoken Word, Documentary Or Drama Recording, 1967 ('Mark Twain Tonight!, Vol. 3')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series, 1971 ('The Bold Ones: The Senator'); Best Lead Actor in a Drama and Actor of the Year, 1974 (both for 'Pueblo'); Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, 1976 ('Lincoln); Outstanding Performance in Informational Programming, 1989 ('Portrait of America')
Nominated for another seven Primetime Emmy Awards
Tony Award winner - Best Actor in Play, 1966 ('Mark Twain Tonight!')
National Humanities Medal recipient, 2003- Actress
- Soundtrack
Patricia Ann Ruth Noble was born on February 3, 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales to a popular Australian theater family. Her father, Buster Noble, was a well-known comedian, singer and dancer, and her mother, Helen de Paul, was a noted choreographer and producer. At the age of six, Patsy Ann, as she was known, performed on the Saturday radio program, "Anthony Horden's Children's Party". She also worked in her parents' stage productions and variety show. At age 14, Patsy Ann became one of the youngest qualified ballet teachers in Australia. In 1960, at age 16, she made her first television appearance as a guest on Keith Walshe's Youth Show (1959). Impressed with the youngster, Brian Henderson, the Australian equivalent of Dick Clark, immediately signed her as a regular on Bandstand (1958).
Around that time, Patsy Ann signed a deal with the HMV record label and issued her debut single, "I Love You So Much It Hurts", in November 1960. She released three more singles on HMV, of which "Good Looking Boy" became her biggest hit when it reached #6 in Melbourne and #16 in Sydney. In 1961, she was the winner of the first Logie Award for the Best Female Singer on Australian Television. She followed that with a successful acting debut at the Independent Theatre, Sydney, playing the lead role of Carmel in 'The Grotto'. Shortly thereafter, Patsy Ann and her mother left for London to further her career. She launched her British career in 1963 and shared her first BBC radio show with The Beatles, with whom she also appeared on British television. During this period, she recorded for EMI (England and France) with some chart success and performed at the London Palladium and at the Olympia Theatre in Paris.
By 1965, she had turned to acting, taking the role of Francesca in the British thriller Love Is a Woman (1966). She toured England with Cliff Richard and began to work on English television in dramatic and variety shows. In 1967, she married law student Allan Sharpe. During that year, she changed her stage name from Patsy Ann to Trisha and continued to work in British television and film. In her early 20s, she appeared on an Engelbert Humperdinck musical special and was seen by an American producer, who signed her to star in revue at the Las Vegas Sands Hotel. After a six-month engagement, she moved to Los Angeles and made her home there, making guest appearances on various television series. Trisha returned to Australia briefly in the early 1970s and starred in the stage musical 'Sweet Charity'. After seven years of marriage, she and Allan divorced and she threw herself into her work. Upon her return to the United States, she worked extensively in television series, miniseries and feature films. In 1976, she wed American model Scott MacKenzie and the following year gave birth to their son, Patrick. However, after four years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1980.
Despite personal setbacks, Trisha's acting career continued to thrive as she co-starred with Don Knotts and Tim Conway in The Private Eyes (1980) and she landed the role of Detective Rosie Johnson in the Aaron Spelling/Robert Stack police drama Strike Force (1981). In 1983, her father, Buster, had a heart attack and was not expected to live long. She decided to leave her successful acting career in Hollywood to return home to Australia to be with her family. She enjoyed seven years with her father before his death in July 1990. In 1985, Trisha married pharmaceutical scientist Peter Field and started a mineral-water business, Noble Beverages. Several years later, though, her third marriage ended in divorce and the business fell on hard times. At that point, she decided to sell the business and get back to her first love, show business.
In 1997, a 25-song CD collection of her early 1960s recordings was released: "The Story of Patsy Ann Noble: Hits & Rarities". In August 1997, she filmed a small role in the CBS miniseries Blonde (2001) and was cast in a secret role in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). Shortly thereafter, Trisha was cast to co-star with David Campbell in the musical 'Shout!' as Thelma O'Keefe, mother of Australian rock 'n' roll star, Johnny O'Keefe. The musical opened on January 4, 2001, in Melbourne, and a cast recording followed in March. To top it all, she was nominated in May for an Australian Entertainment MO Award in the category: Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year for her role in 'Shout!' Her last film credit was Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). One of her most recent roles was playing Miss Jacobs/Mrs Crown in the Australian stage production of 'Ladies in Black' in 2017.
Trisha Noble died after an 18 month battle with mesothelioma on January 23, 2021, aged 76. The location of her death has not been revealed.February 3, 1944 – January 23, 2021; a.k.a. Patsy Ann Noble
Australian singer ("Good Looking Boy," "Accidents Will Happen") and actress ('The Private Eyes,' 'Strike Force,' 'Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith')- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sumiko Sakamoto was born on 25 November 1936 in Osaka, Japan. She was an actress, known for The Pornographers (1966), The Ballad of Narayama (1983) and Watashi wa makenai (1966). She was married to Keijiro Ishii. She died on 23 January 2021 in Kumamoto City, Japan.November 26, 1936 – January 23, 2021
Japanese actress - 'The Pornographers' (1966), 'The Ballad of Narayama' (1983), 'Warm Water Under a Red Bridge' (2001)- Writer
- Composer
- Actor
Arik Brauer was born on 4 January 1929 in Vienna, Austria. He was a writer and composer, known for Sieben auf einen Streich (1978), Weltberühmt in Österreich - 50 Jahre Austropop (2006) and Hundertwassers Regentag (1971). He was married to Naomi Dahabani. He died on 24 January 2021 in Vienna, Austria.January 4, 1929 – January 24, 2021
Austrian artist, poet, dancer, singer-songwriter, stage designer, architect and academic- One of those hard-working supporting actors whose face you know but whose name might not ring any bells. Italian-American Bruce Kirby (real name Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu) was steadily employed--primarily on the small screen--to play a gallery of often likeable, mainly unimposing characters in a career that spanned more than 50 years. He began at the Actor's Studio in New York, having studied under Lee Strasberg, debuting on stage in or around 1950. His television work commenced in 1955 with anthology dramas. Kirby had a recurring role as Officer Kissel in Car 54, Where Are You? (1961) and was from then on frequently cast as police officers, notably in Kojak (1973) (Sgt. Al Vine), Columbo (1971) (perhaps best remembered as the ineffectual, perennially-bewildered Sgt. Kramer), Holmes and Yoyo (1976) (Captain Harry Sedford), and in the short-lived crime series Shannon (1981) (Det. George Schmidt). He enjoyed a lengthier run as District Attorney Bruce Rogoff in the multiple Emmy Award-winning legal drama L.A. Law (1986). Kirby showed up in numerous guest spots on top-rating shows across diverse genres, including Hogan's Heroes (1965), Bonanza (1959), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), The Streets of San Francisco (1972), M*A*S*H (1972), The Rockford Files (1974), The West Wing (1999) and The Sopranos (1999).
Kirby appeared as Alfieri on stage in Los Angeles in A View from the Bridge, using his real name. He made his bow on Broadway in Diamond Orchid (1965) and was understudy to Dustin Hoffman for the role of Willy Loman in a 1984 production of Arthur Miller's Death of A Salesman. He retired from acting in 2009. Kirby died on January 24, 2021 in Los Angeles.April 28, 1925 – January 24, 2021
American character actor - 'Columbo' (1973-1995), 'Throw Momma from the Train' (1987), 'Stand by Me' (1988)
Father of actor Bruno Kirby - Actress
- Director
- Writer
After acting studies at the Gothenburg City Theatre from 1950-52, she made her breakthrough debut in Gustaf Molander's Kärlek (1952). When Ingmar Bergman became head of the Malmö City Theatre he asked her to join him there and with him as a director she played the role of Margareta in Goethe's 'Faust'. Bergman also gave her supporting roles in his movies, most notably the mute woman in The Seventh Seal (1957). She followed up on a few offers from abroad but the roles wasted her screen presence. Bergman once again gave her an offer she couldn't refuse, to direct a movie. Paradistorg (1977) received a lot of praise from all over the world. Time Magazine considered it one of the four best non-US movies of 1978. Her appearances in movies has been rare but she gave a wonderful appearance in the children's TV show Kaspar i Nudådalen (2001). Lindblom has for many years worked for The Royal Dramatic Theatre, appearing in plays by August Strindberg or William Shakespeare. In 2002 she received a Guldbagge award for her lifetime achievements in movies.December 18, 1931 – January 24, 2021
Swedish actress - 'The Seventh Seal' (1957), 'The Virgin Spring' (1960), 'Winter Light' (1963), 'Hunger' (1966), 'The Girls' (1968)
Honorary Guldbagge Award recipient, 2002- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Tseng Chang was born on 18 May 1930 in Beijing, China. He was an actor and assistant director, known for 2012 (2009), Shanghai Noon (2000) and Romeo Must Die (2000). He died on 25 January 2021.May 18, 1930 – January 25, 2021
Chinese-American actor - 'Bullet in the Head' (1990), 'Shanghai Noon' (2000), 'They Wait' (2007), '2012' (2009), 'Final Recipe' (2013)- Hana Maciuchová was born on 29 November 1945 in Sternberk, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Hospital at the End of the City - The New Generation (2008), Hospital at the End of the City (1977) and The Three Musketeers (1983). She was married to Jirí Adamíra. She died on 26 January 2021 in Olomouc, Czech Republic.November 25, 1945 – January 26, 2021
Czech actress - 'Hospital at the End of the City' (1978-1981), 'Loners' (2000), 'Ulice' (2002-2015) - Writer
- Director
- Visual Effects
Before his breakthrough as a playwright in the early 1980s, one of the most innovative and productive poets in Swedish letters. Debut book at 19: Syrener, snö ("Lilacs, snow", 1963). Norén was one of the first authors in Sweden to describe and portray drug addicts and the experience of tripping, or mental patients and prostitutes without aiming at sensation or indignant reportage (the novels "The Beekeepers" (1970) and "In the subterranean sky" (1972); those preoccupations turn up again in his dramatic work.May 9, 1944 – January 26, 2021
Swedish playwright - 'Natten är dagens mor' ('The Night Is the Mother of the Day,' 1982), '7: 3' (1999), 'Detaljer' ('Details,' 2001)- Peter Vere-Jones was born on 21 October 1939 in Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Dead Alive (1992), Bad Taste (1987) and Meet the Feebles (1989). He died on 26 January 2021 in New Zealand.c. 1938 – c. January 26, 2021
New Zealand actor - 'Children of Fire Mountain' (1979), 'Bad Taste' (1987), 'Meet the Feebles' (1989) - Actress
- Soundtrack
The legendary actress set a record when at age 82, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars (2005). Cloris Leachman was born on April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa to Berkeley Claiborne "Buck" Leachman and the former Cloris Wallace. Her father's family owned a lumber company, Leachman Lumber Co. She was of Czech (from her maternal grandmother) and English descent. After graduating from high school, Leachman attended Illinois State University and Northwestern University, where she majored in drama. After winning the title of Miss Chicago 1946 (as part of the Miss America pageant), she acted with the Des Moines Playhouse before moving to New York.
Leachman made her credited debut in 1948 in an episode of The Ford Theatre Hour (1948) and appeared in many television anthologies and series before becoming a regular on The Bob & Ray Show (1951) in 1952. Her movie debut was memorable, playing the doomed blonde femme fatale Christina Bailey in Robert Aldrich's classic noir Kiss Me Deadly (1955). Other than a role in Rod Serling's movie The Rack (1956) in support of Paul Newman, Leachman remained a television actress throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, appearing in only two movies during the latter decade, The Chapman Report (1962) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Though she would win an Oscar for Peter Bogdanovich's adaptation of Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show (1971) and appear in three Mel Brooks movies, it was in television that her career remained and her fame was assured in the 1970s and into the second decade of the new millennium.
Leachman was nominated five times for an Emmy Award playing Phyllis Lindstrom, Mary Tyler Moore's landlady and self-described best friend on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and on the spin-off series Phyllis (1975). She won twice as Best Supporting Actress in a comedy for her "Mary Tyler Moore" gig and won a Golden Globe Award as a leading performer in comedy for "Phyllis", but her first Emmy Award came in the category Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1973 for the television movie A Brand New Life (1973). She also won two Emmy Awards as a supporting player for Malcolm in the Middle (2000).
She was married to director-producer George Englund from 1953 to 1979. They had five children together. Cloris Leachman died of natural causes on January 27, 2021 in Encinitas, California.April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021
American actress - 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1975, 1977), 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), 'Young Frankenstein' (1974), 'Phyllis' (1975-1977), 'The Beverly Hillbillies' (1993), 'Malcolm in the Middle' (2001-2006)
Academy Award winner - Best Actress in a Supporting Role, 1971 ('The Last Picture Show')
BAFTA Film Award winner - Best Supporting Actress, 1972 ('The Last Picture Show')
Daytime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming, 1983 ('ABC Afterschool Specials' episode "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle")
Gemini Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series, 2001 ('Twice in a Lifetime')
Golden Globe winner - Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Television Series, 1976 ('Phyllis')
Nominated for three other Golden Globes
Primetime Emmy Awards - Winner of eight Emmy Awards out of 22 total nominations; the most Emmy-nominated actress of all time and tied with with Julia Louis-Dreyfus for most Emmy wins by an actress- Sibongile Khumalo was born on 24 September 1957 in Soweto, South Africa. She died on 28 January 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa.September 24, 1957 – January 28, 2021
Legendary South African singer - Ryszard Kotys was a Polish actor, director, and writer. He graduated from the National Academy of Theatre Arts in Krakow in 1953 and made his theatrical debut at the Stefan Zeromski Theater in Kielce. Over his career, he performed in various theaters across Poland, including in Gdansk, Wroclaw, Tarnow, Bialystok, and Lodz. He also directed theatrical productions. In his more than 65-year-long career, Kotys appeared in over 150 productions. He gained popularity for his role as Marian Pazdzioch in the TV series Swiat wedlug Kiepskich (1999), which he played for over 20 years. His contributions to Polish cinema and theater were recognized when he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1999.March 20, 1932 – January 28, 2021
Polish actor - 'A Generation' (1955), 'A Lonely Woman' (1981), 'Świat według Kiepskich' (1999-2017) - Actor
- Additional Crew
Vasili Lanovoy was a notable Russian actor best known as Captain Grey in Alye parusa (1961) and as Anatol Kuragin in War and Peace (1965).
He was born Vasili Semenovich Lanovoy on January 16, 1934, in Moscow, Russia, USSR. His parents were Ukrainian peasants from Odessa region. They escaped from death in the famine of 1931 and survived by moving to Moscow. At the age of 7, Lanovoy went to visit his relatives near Odessa, but there he was caught by the advancing Nazi Armies during the Second World War. Young Lanovoy was abused by the Nazis who fired machine guns above his head to scare him, so he stammered for several years as a consequence. However, he had a dream of being an actor, regardless of his stammer and his heavy Ukrainian accent. He attended the acting class of Sergei Lvovich Stein at Moscow ZIL club, and made his stage debut in a play by Lev Kassil.
Young Lanovoy was torn between two professions, acting and journalism, and entered to study both. In 1953, at age 18, while a Journalism student of Moscow University, he was cast in Problem Child (1954), making his film debut. From 1953 - 1957 he studied acting at Shchukin Theatrical School of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There his classmate was Tatyana Samoylova, and they married in 1955, and later became co-stars in Anna Karenina (1967) by director Aleksandr Zarkhi. He also appeared as Anatol Kuragin in War and Peace (1965) by director Sergey Bondarchuk.
Since 1957 Vasili Lanovoy has been member of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There his stage partners were such actors as Mikhail Ulyanov, Ruben Simonov, Boris Zakhava, Mikhail Astangov, Varvara Popova, Irina Kupchenko, Natalya Tenyakova, Yuliya Borisova, Lyudmila Maksakova, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Marianna Vertinskaya, Nina Ruslanova, Nikolai Plotnikov, Yuriy Yakovlev, Vladimir Etush, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Andrei Abrikosov, Grigori Abrikosov, Boris Babochkin, Nikolai Gritsenko, Nikolai Timofeyev, Aleksandr Grave, Evgeniy Karelskikh, Sergey Makovetskiy, and Ruben Simonov, among others. His most memorable stage performances were as Protasov in 'Deti Solntsa' (1968), as Oktavian in 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1975), and the title role in 'Kasanova' (1985). Since taking the role as Prince Calaf in 1963, Lanovoy has been delivering acclaimed performances in the legendary Vakhtangov's production of Carlo Gozzi's comedy 'Princess Turandot'.
Vasili Lanovoy was designated People's Actor of the USSR, was awarded Lenin's Prize (1980), and received numerous awards and decorations for his works on stage and in film. Outside of his acting profession Lanovoy was fond of classical music and Ukrainian songs together with his friends and family. In his 70s and 80s, he was maintaining a good physical form through sports and pesco-vegetarian diet. He was married three times, and had two sons with actress Irina Kupchenko. Lanovoy was prominent member of the Communist Party of USSR and Russia, he also supported president Putin and Moscow mayor Sobyanin in their re-elections. He died of Covid-19 complications 12 days after his 87th birthday, on the 28th of January 2021 in Moscow, Russia.January 16, 1934 – January 28, 2021
Soviet and Russian actor - 'Scarlet Sails' (1961), 'War and Peace' (1965), 'Officers' (1971)
Named People's Artist of the Republic in 1978 and People's Artist of the USSR in 1985- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, who had come from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother Theodosia was a domestic worker and her her father William was a carpenter and painter. Tyson was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony Magazine, and with her stunning looks she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). Four years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically-acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which earned her two Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the television miniseries Roots (1977), King (1978), and A Woman Called Moses (1978). While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to solely portraying strong, positive images of Black women, she is definitely one of the most talented, beautiful actresses who ever graced stage or screen.December 19, 1924 – January 28, 2021
American actress - 'Sounder' (1972), 'The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman' (1974), 'Bustin' Loose' (1981), 'Fried Green Tomatoes' (1991), 'The Help' (2011), 'How to Get Away with Murder' (2015-2020)
Academy Award nominee - Best Actress in a Leading Role, 1972 ('Sounder')
Honorary Academy Award recipient, 2019; the first Black woman to receive this honor
BAFTA TV Award nominee - Best Actress, 1975 ('The Autobiography of Miss Jean Pittman')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming, 1982 ('The Human Body: Becoming a Woman')
Drama Desk Award winner - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, 2013 ('The Trip to Bountiful')
Drama Desk Vernon Rice Award recipient, 1962 (Performance, "Moon on a Rainbow Shawl")
Kennedy Center honoree, 2015
Peabody Career Achievement Award recipient, 2020
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, 2016
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Best Lead Actress in a Drama and Actress of the Year, 1974 ('The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special, 1994 ('Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All')
First Black winner of the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama
Nominated for another 13 Primetime Emmy Awards
Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2020
Inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2018
Tony Award winner - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, 2013 ('The Trip to Bountiful')- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Jeremy Lubbock was born on 4 June 1931 in Kensington, London, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for The Color Purple (1985), Twister (1996) and Dick Tracy (1990). He died on 29 January 2021 in Oxfordshire, England, UK.June 4, 1931 – January 29, 2021
English pianist, conductor, orchestrator, music producer, arranger, composer, and songwriter
Academy Award nominee - Best Original Score, 1985 ('The Color Purple')
Grammy Award winner - Best Arrangement On An Instrumental, 1984 ("Grace"); Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s), 1984 ("Hard Habit to Break") and 1993 ("When I Fall in Love")
Nominated for another 13 Grammy Awards- Hilton Valentine was born on 21 May 1943 in North Shields, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1965), M.U.G.E.N (1999) and The Animals: The House of the Rising Sun (1965). He was married to Germaine. He died on 29 January 2021 in Wallingford, Connecticut, USA.May 21, 1943 – January 29, 2021
English musician; original guitarist for The Animals (1965-66, 1968, 1975-76, 1983, 1992-2001)
Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1994 - Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Allan Burns was born on 18 May 1935 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), Lou Grant (1977) and Rhoda (1974). He was married to Joan Irene Bailey. He died on 30 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.May 18, 1935 – January 30, 2021
American screenwriter ('A Little Romance'), TV writer ('The Bullwinkle Show,' 'Get Smart'), producer ('Room 222'), director ('Just Between Friends'), and series creator ('The Munsters,' 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' 'Lou Grant')
Academy Award nominee - Best Adapted Screenplay, 1979 ('A Little Romance')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy/a Comedy Series, 1968 ('He & She'), 1971 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show') and 1977 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Comedy Series, 1975, 1976 and 1977 (all for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show')
Nominated for another 10 Primetime Emmy Awards -- six for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' two for 'Rhoda' and two for 'Lou Grant'- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Marc Wilmore was born on 4 May 1963 in Fontana, California, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Simpsons (1989), In Living Color (1990) and The PJs (1999). He was married to Soumaya Wilmore. He died on 30 January 2021 in Pomona, California, USA.May 4, 1963 – January 30, 2021
American TV writer ('In Living Color,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'The Simpsons'), producer ('F Is for Family') and voice actor ('The PJs')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour), 2008 ('The Simpsons')
Nominated for nine other Primetime Emmy Awards- Director
- Actress
- Composer
Sophie was an experimental pop artist and producer and trans rights activist. Sophie's debut 2018 debut album "Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides" earned the musician a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album. She worked with Madonna in 2015 to co-produce the single "Bitch, I'm Madonna" and collaborated with Charli XCX on the EP Vroom Vroom.Full name: Sophie Xeon; September 17, 1986 – January 30, 2021
Scottish music producer, DJ and recording artist - "Bipp" (2013), "Lemonade" (2014), 'Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides' (2018)
Groundbreaking producer who molded electronic music into an original form of avant-garde pop that came to be called hyperpop
Grammy Award nominee - Best Dance/Electronic Album, 2018 ( 'Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides')- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Attended Zion Lutheran School in Anaheim, California. While in fifth grade, he portrayed 8th-grader Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), which evolved into Saved by the Bell (1989) and its various television movies and spin-offs. Also appeared in the television series The Wonder Years (1988).January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021
American actor - 'Saved by the Bell' (1988-1992), 'Saved by the Bell: The New Class' (1994-2000), 'A Dog for Christmas' (2015)- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Casting Director
Jamie Tarses was born on 16 March 1964 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She was a producer and casting director, known for The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021), Primeval (2007) and My Boys (2006). She was married to Dan McDermott. She died on 1 February 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.March 16, 1964 – February 1, 2021
American TV executive (NBC, ABC Entertainment) and producer ('My Boys,' 'Happy Endings,' 'Franklin & Bash')
As president of ABC Entertainment from 1996 to 1999, was the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network- Editor
- Writer
- Editorial Department
Robert C. Jones was born on 30 March 1936 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an editor and writer, known for It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), Coming Home (1978) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). He was married to Sylvia Lee Hirsch and Jean Joyce Lunkley. He died on 1 February 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.March 30, 1936 – February 2, 2021
American film editor ('Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,' 'Love Story,' 'The Last Detail,' 'Bulworth') and screenwriter ('Coming Home')
Academy Award winner - Best Original Screenplay, 1978 ('Coming Home')
Academy Award nominee - Best Film Editing, 1963 ('It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'), 1967 ('Guess Who's Coming to Dinner') and 1976 ('Bound for Glory')- Actress
- Writer
Born in Palestine before the inception of the Israeli state in the city of Haifa, she first distinguished herself by winning one of the first beauty contests in the nascent Israel. Haya Harareet (also spelled Hararit) made her debut in Thorold Dickinson's film Hill 24 Doesn't Answer (1955) ("Hill 24 Doesn't Answer"). The landmark Israeli film, mostly in English, is also the first feature-length production to be shot and processed entirely in Israel, and made for international distribution. The film was an official selection at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival and Harareet won an award for her role in the film. She plays Miriam Mizrahi, a fourth generation, dark-eyed and beautiful Sabra, working for the underground.
Best-known for her role as Esther, opposite Charlton Heston in William Wyler's film classic Ben-Hur (1959), she also played in Francesco Maselli's The Doll That Took the Town (1957) ("The Doll that Took the Town") with Virna Lisi, _Edgar G. Ulmer''s Journey Beneath the Desert (1961) ("Journey Beneath The Desert", AKA "The Lost Kingdom")with Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Basil Dearden's The Secret Partner (1961) with Stewart Granger. She cowrote the screenplay for Our Mother's House (1967) which starred Dirk Bogarde.
Ms. Harareet was also credited as a presenter for 'Best Special Effects' at the 32nd Annual Academy Awards in 1960.
She was married to the British film director Jack Clayton until his death in 1995.September 20, 1931 – February 3, 2021
Israeli actress - 'Ben-Hur' (1959), 'The Secret Partner' (1961), 'The Interns' (1962)
Also starred in 'Hill 24 Doesn't Answer' (1955), the very first feature film produced in Israel, and co-wrote the screenplay for the Jack Clayton-directed 'Our Mother's House' (1967)- Margreth Weivers was born on 24 July 1926 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. She was an actress, known for Lotta på Bråkmakargatan (1995), Lotta på Bråkmakargatan (1992) and Chock (1997). She was married to Bertil Norström. She died on 3 February 2021 in Sweden.July 24, 1926 – February 3, 2021
Swedish actress - 'A Swedish Love Story' (1970), 'Lotta på Bråkmakargatan' (1992), 'Jönssonligan spelar högt' (2000)