David Gerber
July 25, 1923-January 2, 2010
David Gerber, an Emmy-winning producer and executive behind series such as Batman and thirtysomething, has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 86.
Gerber's work on the small screen dates back to the '70s in the TV division of 20th Century Fox. Gerber's producing credits include Police Story and Police Woman as well as TV movies as recent as 2006's Flight 93.
During his lengthy career, Gerber received a Peabody and Golden Globe as well as accolades from the American Film Institute and the Caucus of Producers, Writers and Directors. Following his tenure as president of the TV division at 20th Century Fox, Gerber also served as president of the TV divisions at Columbia Pictures and MGM. He was responsible for notable programs such as In the Heat of the Night and Room 222, too.
Gerber — who died Saturday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center — hailed from Brooklyn and graduated from the University of the Pacific. Before making a name for himself in Hollywood, Gerber served in World War II in the U.S. Air Corps and was held as a prisoner of war for 13 months.
Gerber is survived by his wife, Laraine.
Casey Johnson
September 24, 1979-January 4, 2010
Casey Johnson, the heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune to whom internet celebrity Tila Tequila claimed to be engaged, has died, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
The Los Angeles County Police and Fire Departments both responded to what they call an "ambulance death investigation" at 11:51am. The LAFD pronounced Johnson dead at her home on Monday morning.
"It appears to be a natural death," said Officer Sara Faden of the LAPD. "There's no evidence of foul play. Of course, there will be a toxicology report from the coroner's office." Johnson's body is currently at the coroner's office.
Johnson, 30, was the openly gay daughter of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and the great-granddaughter of the founder of the pharmaceutical giant. "The Johnson family is mourning its tragic loss, and asks for privacy during this very difficult time," a family spokesperson said in a statement.
At the age of 8, Johnson was diagnosed with diabetes. At 14, she co-wrote a book with her father called Managing Your Child's Diabetes. Johnson later appeared in shows like The Fabulous Life of... and E! True Hollywood Story. More recently, Johnson was arrested on charges of grand theft auto. In December, Tequila, whose real name is Tina Nguyen, said that she was engaged to Johnson.
Johnson is survived by a daughter, Ava, whom she adopted from Kazakhstan in 2007.
Jay Reatard
May 1, 1980-Jaunary 13, 2010
Garage-punk musician Jay Reatard was found dead at his Memphis home Wednesday. He was 29.
"It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our good friend Jay Reatard," read a statement from his record label, Goner Records. "Jay died in his sleep last night. We will pass along information about funeral arrangements when they are made public."
A cause of death not yet been determined.
Born Jimmy Lindsey Jr. and raised in Memphis' garage-rock scene, Reatard started his recording career in his teens, releasing several records with the bands The Reatards and the Lost Sounds, in the late 1990s. He also spent time with other side project bands, including Nervous Patterns, The Final Solutions, Bad Times and Digital Terror Visions, giving him a prolific output of 22 full-length albums and over 100 releases, according to his website.
In 2006, Reatard, who was known for his eccentric stage antics, released Blood Visions to critical acclaim. Pitchfork magazine named it No. 200 on its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.
His final album, Watch Me Fall, was released in August 2009 under his new label, Matador Records, and earned rave reviews.
"We are devastated by the death of Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., aka Jay Reatard," Matador Records said in a statement. "Jay was as full of life as anyone we've ever met, and responsible for so many memorable moments as a person and artist. We're honored to have known and worked with him, and we will miss him terribly."
Reatard is survived by his mother, Devonna May; his father, Jimmy Lindsey; and his sisters Leslie Lindsey, Stephanie Duncan and Gara May.
Teddy Pendergrass
March 26, 1950-Jaunary 13, 2010
Teddy Pendergrass, the soul and R&B icon behind such hits as "Love TKO" and "Joy" who continued a thriving musical career after a car accident that left him paralyzed, has died. He was 59.
Pendergrass died Wednesday from colon cancer at Bryn Mawr Hospital near Philadelphia, his son, Teddy Pendergrass II, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pendergrass underwent colon cancer surgery eight months ago and had a difficult recovery, his son said.
"To all his fans who loved his music, thank you," he said. "He will live on through his music."
A Philadelphia native, Pendergrass started his career as a drummer for The Cadillacs in the 1970s, but first found fame as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, belting out such hits as "I Miss You" and "If You Don't Know Me By Now."
After leaving the Blue Notes in 1976, Pendergrass embarked on a successful solo career, releasing a string of hit albums and love ballads, including "Close the Door," Love TKO" and "I Don't Love You Anymore."
In 1982, Pendergrass crashed his Rolls-Royce in Philadelphia and suffered spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He later established the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to help those with spinal cord injuries.
He resumed his career after completing physical therapy to record the album Love Language — which features "Hold Me," a duet with Whitney Houston — and returned to the stage at Live Aid in 1985, performing in his wheelchair.
Pendergrass, who steadily recorded through the 1980s and 1990s, released his last album, Love Songs Collection in 2004.
Gaines Adams
June 8, 1983-January 17, 2010
Gaines Adams, a defensive end with the Chicago Bears, died Sunday after he was taken to a Greenwood, S.C., emergency room, the county coroner told ESPN.
Greenwood County Coroner James T. Coursey said Adams was taken to the regional hospital, where he was pronounced dead at Sunday morning.
Coursey said the preliminary autopsy indicated Adams died of cardiac arrest caused by an enlarged heart.
Adams, 26, listed at 6-foot-5 and 256 pounds, played in college at Clemson and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. He was traded to the Bears in October.
"I remember him at the 2007 draft as a fine young man," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Our condolences to Gaines' family, his teammates on the Bears and Buccaneers, and their organizations on their loss."
Jennifer Lyon
February 27, 1972-January 19, 2010
Jennifer "Jenn" Lyon, a finalist on Survivor: Palau, died Tuesday after her battle with cancer, CBS said. Lyon was 37.
"Jenn died at home in Oregon at 11:19 p.m. on Jan. 19. She had been battling breast cancer for the last five plus years," Survivor: Vanautu and Survivor: Micronesia Fans vs. Favorite cast member Eliza Orlins told TVGuide.com. "She had beaten it into remission once, but then it came back and was in her bones."
Lyon, who finished in fourth place during the tenth season of the CBS reality show in 2005, was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer two months after the show wrapped.
"In the summer of 2004, I felt something in my right breast that didn't feel normal," Lyon told People in Oct. 2005. "I thought it was probably scar tissue related to my breast implants. So I let it go—for a long time."
Lyon said she opted to get a modified, radical bilateral mastectomy that summer, removing both breasts and 29 lymph nodes.
"The whole time she maintained a positive attitude. She was truly an amazing girl and I was lucky to know her," Orlins said. "Even just last week when I saw her at the 10-year reunion, we were all laughing and she had her same glowing smile on her face."
Orlins also said that despite Lyon's condition, she was still actively involved in the fight against breast cancer and hosted several fundraising events. She recently opened a Christmas tree lot in Los Angeles that promised 10 percent of its proceeds would go to breast cancer research.
"She was an inspiration," said Orlins. "Jenn brought more good to this world in her almost 38 years than most will in a lifetime."
James Mitchell
February 29, 1920-January 22, 2010
All My Children actor James Mitchell died Friday of lung disease complicated by pneumonia, ABC announced. He was 89.
A Sacramento, Calif., native, Mitchell played patriarch Palmer Cortlandt on the ABC soap opera for three decades. Mitchell had most recently appeared on the series' 40th anniversary special on Jan. 5.
Before moving to Pine Valley, Mitchell spent many years on Broadway as a trained dancer. He starred in musicals such as Billion Dollar Baby, Carousel, Funny Girl and The King and I, in addition to performing with the American Ballet Theater. Mitchell's other screen work included films such as The Turning Point, The Band Wagon, and Oklahoma! and other TV series like Charlie's Angels.
Outside of his work on All My Children from 1979 to 2009, Mitchell taught theater students and actors at Yale and Drake Universities. Mitchell is survived by his longtime partner, Albert Wolsky.
Jean Simmons
January 31, 1929-Jaunary 22, 2010
Jean Simmons, whose film career spanned from 1944 to 2008, died Friday after battling lung cancer, the Los Angeles Times reported. She was 80.
Originally from London, Simmons shared the screen with many of Hollywood's leading men, including Gregory Peck, Spencer Tracy, Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier.
The actress played Ophelia opposite Olivier in his 1948 adaptation of Hamlet and she famously starred alongside Marlon Brando in the 1955 musical Guys and Dolls, for which she won a Golden Globe. Simmons' work in Hamlet earned her an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. She received a second Oscar nomination (for best actress) for 1969's The Happy Ending. Simmons' other film work included The Robe, The Actress and Spartacus.
Beyond the big screen, Simmons starred in the Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music, with which she toured across the country and also brought the production to London.
Later in her career, she appeared on TV shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Star Trek: The Next Generation following her Emmy-winning turn in the 1983 TV miniseries The Thorn Birds. She had recently voiced the grandmother character in Howl's Moving Castle.
Simmons married Stewart Granger in 1950 and they had a daughter in 1956. After divorcing in 1960, she married director Richard Brooks the same year. They also had a daughter before divorcing in 1977.
In 1987, Brooks told People magazine, "Every man I would meet would say to me, 'I have always loved your wife,'" who was considered one of the great screen beauties of her generation.
Simmons is survived by her daughters, Tracy Granger and Kate Brooks.
Pernell Roberts
May 18, 1928-January 24, 2010
Pernell Roberts, the last surviving member of Bonanza's cast, has died of cancer, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was 81.
He died Sunday at his Malibu home, wife Eleanor Criswell told the paper.
He played the eldest son of the ranching family headed by Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene). But he left the top-rated series because he didn't like the development — or lack thereof — of his character.
"They told me the four characters (Greene, himself and Dan Blocker and Michael Landon as his brothers) would be carefully defined and the scripts carefully prepared," he told The Associated Press in 1964. "None of it ever happened."
It bothered him that a man in his 30s had to be so deferential to his widowed father. Roberts fulfilled his six-year contract, then left the series in 1965.
Bonanza, which started in 1959, continued until 1973, making it second to Gunsmoke as the longest-running Western on network television. (Blocker died in 1972, Greene in 1987 and Landon in 1991.)
After appearing for years as guests on other series, Roberts eventually got another TV series: Trapper John, M.D. in 1979. His title role was a much older version of the M*A*S*H character played by Wayne Rogers. It aired until 1986.
Zelda Rubinstein
May 28, 1933-Jaunary 27, 2010
Zelda Rubinstein — famous for her role as the psychic in 1982's Poltergeist — has died, according to her agent, Eric Stevens. She was 76.
Rubinstein died Wednesday at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Times reported. Rubinstein was hospitalized about two months ago after suffering a mild heart attack "She had ongoing health issues and unfortunately they finally overtook her," Stevens told the paper.
The Pittsburgh native made her film debut in the 1981 Chevy Chase film Under the Rainbow. A year later, the 4-foot-3 actress broke through in Poltergeist. In the horror film — and its two sequels — Rubinstein played a spiritual medium who comes to help push demonic forces out of a suburban family home.
Other notable roles included films such as Sixteen Candles, Teen Witch and Southland Tales. On the small screen, Rubinstein guest-starred on sitcoms like Caroline in the City and starred on the David E. Kelley drama Picket Fences in the mid '90s. She most recently made a cameo in the 2007 horror film Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.
Beyond her acting career, Rubinstein was known for her activism. In 1985, she appeared in a series of Los Angeles-based TV and print ads directed toward gay men about promoting safe sex and AIDS awareness. Rubinstein also fought for little people looking to break into show business and formed the Michael Dunn Memorial Repertory Theater Company, named after the Oscar nominee of the same name. (Dunn made a splash on television as a recurring villain, Dr. Miguelito Loveless, on the 1960s series The Wild Wild West.)
Rubinstein has no immediate surviving family members.
J. D. Salinger
January 1, 1919-January 27, 2010
J.D. Salinger, the enigmatic, reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, has died. He was 91.
Salinger died Wednesday of natural causes at his Cornish, N.H., home, his son said, according to The Associated Press.
Published in 1951, Catcher became one of the most influential novels in modern American literature for its disaffected tale of teenage angst, seen through the eyes of protagonist Holden Caulfield, the anti-hero who despised "phonies" in an adult world and subsequently became an icon of teen rebellion.
Born Jan. 1, 1919 in Manhattan, the son of a Jewish cheese salesman and an Irish-Scottish mother, Salinger grew up in the city before attending Valley Forge Military Academy at age 15, where he wrote stories at night under the covers. In 1940, he published his first story, "The Young Folks," about selfish young adults, in Whit Burnett's Story magazine after impressing Burnett in his Columbia University writing class. After publishing several more stories, he served in the Army from 1942-1946, during which he continued to write and submit stories.
One of the stories, "Slight Rebellion Off Madison," published by The New Yorker in 1946, introduced the restless and skeptic Holden Caulfield, and became the basis for Catcher. The novel quickly became a bestseller, spending 30 weeks on The New York Times' bestseller list.
Salinger followed it up with Nine Stories, a collection of short stories, in 1953. Franny and Zooey, which was originally published in The New Yorker as a short story and a novella, hit shelves in 1961. His final book, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction, which combined two New Yorker stories, was published in 1963.
Weary of the fame following the success of Catcher, Salinger withdrew from the public eye and spent the last few decades in seclusion at his New Hampshire home, where he shunned interaction with the outside world, including his literary agents. His last published work, "Hapworth16, 1924," appeared in The New Yorker in 1965.
"He was famous for not wanting to be famous," wrote Ian Hamilton in his book In Search of J.D. Salinger.
After divorcing Sylvia Welter in the mid-1940s, Salinger married Claire Douglas in 1955 and had two children, Margaret and Matthew. The pair divorced in 1967 after Salinger, according to Margaret, made her mother "a virtual prisoner" by isolating her from family and friends.
Salinger married a third time in the late 1980s to Colleen O'Neill, a woman he met in New Hampshire.
Salinger's struggle with the limelight continued when he sued Hamilton over the publication of his biography and with the 1999 publication of At Home in the World, Joyce Maynard's memoir detailing her relationship with Salinger in the 1970s.
In 2000, Margaret published Dream Catcher, in which she paints her father as a neurotic recluse who drank his own urine.
Last year, Salinger sued to stop the publication of John David California's 60 Years Later, an unauthorized sequel to Catcher that describes a 76-year-old Holden.
Salinger, who continued to write, granted few interviews in the last half-century — the most recent was in 1980.
"There is a marvelous peace in not publishing," he told The New York Times in 1974. "I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure."
Justin Mentell
December 16, 1982-February 1, 2010
Former Boston Legal actor Justin Mentell has died following a car crash in rural Wisconsin, the Iowa County Sheriff's Department said. He was 27.
Mentell died Monday after driving his Jeep off a steep embankment, striking two trees, according to the accident report. The actor, who was alone and not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene around 8:30 a.m. after a call came in. The accident is believed to have occurred around 3 a.m., Chief Deputy Jon Pepper told the Wisconsin State Journal.
"The family and friends of Justin Mentell thank you for visiting his site," read a statement on his website. "Memorial services are being planned."
Born in Texas and raised in Illinois, Mentell was a speed skater in his youth, having been a member of the U.S. Speed Skating's junior national long track team. After making his acting debut in 2004's Gotham, IL, he portrayed attorney Garrett Wells on Boston Legal from 2005-2006. Mentell most recently starred in last summer's G-Force.
Frances Reid
December 9, 1914-February 3, 2010
Frances Reid, best known as Days of Our Lives matriarch Alice Horton, died Wednesday. She was 95.
"NBC is deeply saddened by the passing of Frances Reid. She was a true icon of the daytime genre and while we mourn her passing, we also celebrate her long life and the tremendous talent she shared with her generations of fans," NBC said in a statement. "She will be sorely missed."
A theater veteran, the Texas-born actress portrayed Alice for 42 years — from the soap opera's Nov. 8, 1965 debut until her final appearance on Dec. 26, 2007. Reid, who appeared on the soaps Portia Faces Life, As the World Turns and The Edge of Night prior to Days, initially turned down the role of the Horton family matriarch.
"I'm so sad to hear the news about Frances Reid," Days star and Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney tweeted. "She was a truly talented actress and we are all lucky and proud to have known her."
Nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards in 1979 and 1987, Reid received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Daytime Emmys.
Her other credits include the film Seconds, opposite Rock Hudson, and guest spots on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Dr. Kildare and American Dreams.
Reid was married to actor Philip Bourneuf for 39 years, until his death in 1979. They had no children.
John Murtha
June 17, 1932-February 8, 2010
John Murtha, an influential congressman and Iraq war critic who drew scrutiny for his wheeler-dealer ways, died Monday after suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. He was 77.
Spokesman Matthew Mazonkey said he died in an Arlington, Va., hospital with his family at his bedside.
Although Murtha initially supported President George W. Bush's use of the military in Iraq in 2002, the Pennsylvania Democrat soon grew frustrated with the war.
By November 2005, Murtha called for U.S. troops to be withdrawn. "The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion," he said.
In 1974, Murtha became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress. He was considered a hawkish Democrat, so his coming out against the Iraq war got special notice.
Murtha, chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees Defense Department spending, was targeted by critics of pork-barrel and pay-to-play politics. He attracted the attention of ethics watchdogs because of his entanglement in the Abscam scandal three decades ago. He was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator, but he was never charged and maintained he had done nothing wrong.
More recently, he was investigated for expenditures known as earmarks. But the Office of Congressional Ethics said it had no reason to continue its probe.
Murtha defended the practice of earmarking, saying the money helped his constituents.
Critics called him the "King of Pork" for the amount of federal money he shepherded to his southwestern Pennsylvania district, which had been wracked by widespread losses in the coal and steel industries.
He was unapologetic about his deal-making, once saying, "deal-making is what Congress is all about."
Phil Harris
December 19, 1956-February 9, 2010
Fishing boat captain and star of Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch Phil Harris has died after suffering from a stroke last month, the network announced. He was 53.
"It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad - Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end," sons Josh and Jake Harris said in a statement released by the network on Tuesday. "For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down."
Harris suffered a stroke during a fishing trip on a vessel named Cornelia Marie at the end of January. He died on Tuesday.
Harris' popular reality series, which filmed five seasons, follows the captain's adventures working in the crab and fishing industry in the dangerous waters off the Alaskan coast.
Charlie Wilson
June 1, 1933-February 10, 2010
Charlie Wilson, a former congressman whose efforts to arm Afghanistan against the Soviet Union were dramatized in the 2007 film Charlie Wilson's War, has died. He was 76.
Wilson died Wednesday of cardiopulmonary arrest at Texas' Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin, hospital spokeswoman Yana Ogletree told The Associated Press. Wilson, who had trouble breathing while attending a meeting, was pronounced dead on arrival, she said.
From 1973 to 1996, Wilson represented the 2nd District in east Texas in the House of Representatives and was known as "Good-Time Charlie" for his party-loving ways. In the opening of Charlie Wilson's War, Tom Hanks as Wilson is in a hot tub with some beautiful naked women and another guy while keeping an eye on a 60 Minutes report about Afghanistan.
Hanks earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Wilson. The film — directed by Mike Nichols and written by Aaron Sorkin — chronicled Wilson's funding of the Afghan mujahedeen in their resistance during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s.
Alexander McQueen
March 17, 1969-February 11, 2010
Top British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home Thursday morning, his family said. He was 40.
"On behalf of Lee [Alexander] McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand, has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family," said a statement released by McQueen's office.
A Scotland Yard spokesman, who asked that his name not be used, declined to comment on the cause of death until a post-mortem exam can be completed.
One of McQueen's contemporary lines, McQ, was scheduled to be shown at New York Fashion Week, People reports. McQueen's New York store was set to be closed Thursday and Friday in rememberance, CNN reports.
McQueen was one of the youngest designers to earn the title of British Designer of the Year, which he won four times. His unconventional early runway collections earned him the nickname "the hooligan of English fashion."
Celebrities including Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Sarah Jessica Parker often wore McQueen's pieces.
"I am shocked and overcome with grief upon learning about the untimely death of the quiet genius Alexander McQueen. My heart goes out to his family and all those who worked for and with him," Parker said in a statement. "There has never been anyone like him. And there simply never will be."
"It's an incredible loss to the fashion world," said Project Runway Season 4 contestant Chris March. March said McQueen had a "fantastic vision and workmanship ... He's one of the most influential designers."
Caroline McWilliams
April 4, 1945-February 11, 2010
Actress Caroline McWilliams died last week. She was 64 years old.
McWilliams, whose film and TV career spanned decades, died from complications of multiple myeloma, her family told the Los Angeles Times.
The actress is perhaps best known for playing Marcy opposite Robert Guillaume on the long-running sitcom Benson. She also appeared in recurring roles on Soap, Judging Amy and Beverly Hills, 90210. She began her career on Guiding Light.
McWilliams is survived by her son, Sean Douglas, from her marriage to actor Michael Keaton. The couple divorced in 1990.
Nodar Kumaritashvili
November 25, 1988-February 12, 2010
A men's Olympic luger competing for the Republic of Georgia died Friday after a crash during a training run, hours before the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Games. He was 21.
Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled near the end of his run at the Whistler Sliding Center and flipped over the track wall into a steel pole, German IOC official Thomas Bach told The Agence France-Presse.
"It is a tragedy for his family and the team," Bach, the IOC vice president, said. "It casts a shadow over the opening ceremony."
Medical staff performed chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the scene before Kumaritashvili was airlifted to a hospital.
Training was canceled for the rest of the day. The men's luge is scheduled to take place Saturday.
Kumaritashvili was estimated to be going 88 miles per hour, Brian Williams reported before NBC's coverage of the Opening Ceremonies. Some lugers have exceeded that on the track, considered to be the world's fastest. More than a dozen athletes have crashed during training, including Italy's Armin Zoeggeler, a favorite for the gold, who came off his sled earlier in the day.
"I think they are pushing it a little too much,'' Australian luger Hannah Campbell-Pegg, who has also crashed on the track, said Thursday. "To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies?"
A native of Borjomi, Kumaritashvili competed in five World Cups this season and was ranked 44th in the world.
Doug Fieger
August 20, 1952-February 14, 2010
Doug Fieger, The Knack lead singer who co-wrote the new-wave band's biggest hit, "My Sharona," has died. He was 57.
Fieger died Sunday at his Woodland Hills, Calif., home after a battle with cancer.
"Our hearts are broken, we will miss you, Doug," the band wrote on its website.
A year after forming The Knack, Fieger co-wrote and sang lead vocals on the group's 1979 international smash "My Sharona." The riff-heavy tune, from the album Get the Knack, was inspired by Fieger's then-girlfriend, Sharona Alperin, and spent six weeks atop the Billboard pop chart.
"I had never met a girl like her — ever," he told The Associated Press in 1994. "She induced madness. She was a very powerful presence. She had an insouciance that wouldn't quit. She was very self-assured. ... She also had an overpowering scent, and it drove me crazy."
Fifteen years later, the song re-entered the Billboard chart and pop-culture consciousness when it was released as a single from Ben Stiller's film Reality Bites, which featured a gas station dance party scene to the song.
The song has been parodied by Weird Al Yankovic and was revealed to be on George W. Bush's presidential iPod.
Releasing albums through 2003, The Knack also produced the hits "Good Girls Don't" and "She's So Selfish," but never duplicated the success of "My Sharona."
A Detroit native, Fieger had been battling cancer since 2005. In 2006, he had two tumors removed from his brain.
Former Knack member Bruce Gary died of cancer in 2006, while Berton Averre and Prescott Niles continue to perform as The Knack.
Andrew Koenig
August 17, 1968-February 25, 2010
The body of Growing Pains star Andrew Koenig, who had been missing for nearly two weeks, was discovered in a Vancouver park Thursday. He committed suicide, his father said.
Koenig's body was found in Stanley Park about noon, Vancouver police said. Friends of Koenig initiated their own search of the park and invited his father, Star Trek alumnus Walter Koenig, along. His body was found in a densely wooded area where it initially was unseen from the path.
Search and rescue teams had scoured the park Wednesday and found no evidence that Koenig had been there recently. The park was known to be one of the actor's favorite spots when he lived in the city in the early '90s.
"My son took his own life," Walter Koenig said, trying to keep his composure at a news conference Thursday night. "The only other thing I want to say — I've already said what a great guy he was, and good human being — he was obviously in a lot of pain."
The Vancouver police would not give details on cause of death but "have no reason to believe that foul play was involved at all," Constable Jana McGuinness said. The case has been turned over to the British Colombia coroner's office.
Koenig's father went on to mention "hundreds of e-mails" he had received from depressed people and their loved ones and express hope this tragedy would help them.
"If you're one of those people who ... can't handle it anymore," he said, breaking down in tears, "if you can learn anything from this is that there are people out there that really care. You may not think so, and ... ultimately, it may not be enough. But there are people who really, really care. And before you make that final decision, check it out again. Talk to somebody. And to families who have members who they fear are susceptible to this kind of behavior, don't ignore it, don't rationalize it. Extend a hand."
Koenig's mother, Judy Levin-Koenig , echoed those sentiments: "There is love out there."
The 41-year-old Venice, Calif., resident was last seen by friends Feb. 14 during a visit to Vancouver. Friends and family reported him missing Feb. 16, when he did not return to Los Angeles as scheduled.
The Koenigs previously held a news conference at the Vancouver Police Department on Wednesday afternoon. They were later scheduled to appear on Larry King Live to discuss their missing son, but walked off the set moments before their segment because of "personal reasons," according to Walter Koenig's website.
Koenig is best known for his role as Boner, the best friend of Kirk Cameron's Mike Seaver, on Growing Pains and appeared frequently from 1985 to 1989. During the search for Koenig, Cameron told People he was "praying for his family during this time of distress and for his safe return."
Koenig also appeared in various TV shows, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, My Two Dads and 21 Jump Street. He dabbled in directing and writing as well, with a 2004 short called Woman in a Green Dress.
Mark Linkous
September 9, 1962-March 6, 2010
Singer-songwriter Mark Linkous, leader of the indie rock band Sparklehorse, committed suicide over the weekend, his family said. He was 47.
"We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There's a heaven and there's a star for you," Linkous' family said on Sparklehorse's site.
Linkous died Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., after he shot himself in the heart in an alley outside a friend's home, manager Shelby Meade told The New York Times.
The multi-instrumentalist was also known for his collaborations with P.J. Harvey and Tom Waits. His recent work with director David Lynch and Danger Mouse will be seen in the forthcoming album Dark Night of Soul.
Linkous had also recently completed his most of his work for the new Sparklehorse album and was moving to Knoxville and setting up a new studio to complete the album, Meade told the Times.
His survivors include wife Teresa Linkous; his mother, Gloria Hughes Thacker; his father, Frederick Linkous; and three brothers.
Corey Haim
December 23, 1971-March 10, 2010
Actor Corey Haim died early Wednesday morning of an apparent drug overdose, a source told TVGuide.com. He was 38.
Haim, who had long struggled with drugs, was taken to a Burbank hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 3:30 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Haim's numerous collaborations with fellow teen idol Corey Feldman, including The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream earned the pair the nickname "The Two Coreys." They starred in the television reality show The Two Coreys, which aired on A&E for two seasons in 2007 and 2008. On the show, Feldman settled into domestic life while Haim continued his struggles. Both appeared in Lost Boys: The Tribe which was released in 2008.
"I was awakened at 8:30 this morning by my brother and sister knocking on my bedroom door. They informed me of the loss of my brother Corey Haim. My eyes weren't even open all the way when the tears started streaming down my face," Feldman said in a statement. "I am so sorry for Corey, his mother Judy, his family, my family, all of our fans, and of course my son who I will have to find a way to explain this to when he gets home from school. This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend. We must all take this as a lesson in how we treat the people we share this world with while they are still here to make a difference. Please respect our families as we struggle and grieve through this difficult time. I hope the art Corey has left behind will be remembered as the passion of that for which he truly lived."
Haim told The Sun in 2004 that at one point he took 85 Valium a day.
"I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck," he told the paper. "But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day. ... The doctors could not believe I was taking that much. And that was just the Valium. I'm not talking about the other pills I went through."
The Canadian-born Haim made his first feature film appearance was in 1984 in Firstborn, but his major break came in 1986 with his starring role in Lucas alongside Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, and Winona Ryder. Following the film's success, Haim starred in the 1987 television series Roomies.
Merlin Olsen
September 15, 1940-March 11, 2010
Merlin Olsen, the Hall of Fame football star-turned-actor and commentator, has died. He was 69.
Olsen died Thursday of mesothelioma at City of Hope hospital outside of Los Angeles, Utah State University, his alma mater, said.
A three-time academic All-American at Utah State, Olsen signed with the Los Angeles Rams after college in 1962, where he became a star defensive tackle. In 1963, he was joined on the line by Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy to form the Fearsome Foursome, a powerhouse defensive lineup that terrorized offenses with strength and nimbleness.
During his 15-year career, Olsen missed only two games and was named to the Pro Bowl team every year except for his last season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.
Following retirement, Olsen joined NBC as a color commentator alongside Dick Enberg and co-starred on the network's Little House on the Prairie as Jonathan Garvey, Michael Landon's sidekick. In 1981, Landon tapped Olsen to headline his own series, Father Murphy, in which the former NFL star played a masked priest who helps a group of orphans find a home. His last acting role was on NBC's short-lived 1988 drama Aaron's Way.
Olsen was also a spokesman for FTD Florists for several years.
He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009 and underwent several courses of chemotherapy. Late last year, he sued NBC and 20th Century Fox, claiming they exposed him to asbestos, which resulted in mesothelioma.
Olsen is survived by his brothers, Phil, Orrin and Clark; his wife, Susan; their children Nathan, Jill and Kelly; his sisters Colleen, Lorraine, Gwen, Winona and Ramona; and several grandchildren.
Peter Graves
March 18, 1926-March 14, 2010
Golden Globe-winning actor Peter Graves, best known for his roles in the TV series Mission: Impossible and the film Airplane!, has died, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was 83.
Graves was found dead in his home on Sunday, and he died of natural causes, police sources told the newspaper.
Graves made appearances in several movies, including Stalag 17 and The Night of the Hunter, before landing the lead in CBS' Mission: Impossible. From 1967 to 1973, Graves played the iconic role of James Phelps, and he later reprised his role for the revival in the late '80s. His work during the show's initial run earned him an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win.
Graves turned to comedy in the cult classic film Airplane in 1980, starring opposite Leslie Nielson, Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges. He also appeared in Airplane II: The Sequel once again as Captain Clarence Oveur.
Graves also appeared in television series including The Love Boat, 7th Heaven and Cold Case.
Graves is survived by his wife, Joan Endress, three daughters and six grandchildren.
Alex Chilton
December 28, 1950-March 17, 2010
Alex Chilton, the Box Tops and Big Star lead singer who served as an inspiration for generations of indie rock bands, has died. He was 59.
Chilton died Wednesday at a New Orleans hospital, where he was taken after complaining about health problems earlier in the day, John Fry, a longtime friend and owner of Memphis' Ardent Studios, told The Commercial Appeal. Chilton could not be revived in the emergency room, Fry said.
"I'm crushed. We're all just crushed," he said.
Big Star was scheduled to perform Saturday at the South by Southwest Festival.
"Alex Chilton was an artist of the very highest caliber," SXSW Creative Director Brent Grulke said in a statement. "It's too early to do much but cry about our loss right now, but he'll be missed, and missed more as the ages pass and his myth continues to expand — that music isn't going anywhere. R.I.P. and thank you, friend."
A Memphis native, Chilton rose to fame at age 16 as the lead singer and guitarist for the Box Tops, scoring a No. 1 hit with "The Letter" in 1967. The band was also known for such songs as "Cry Like a Baby" and "Neon Rainbow."
After Box Tops disbanded in 1970, Chilton formed Big Star with Jody Stephens, Chris Bell, and Andy Hummel. Though the four never found much tremendous commercial success despite rave reviews — their first album was ironically titled #1 Record — their introspective alternative-pop tunes are credited for inspiring subsequent indie acts, including R.E.M., Primal Scream and The Replacements.
The Replacements paid homage to Chilton with its 1987 song "Alex Chilton," which contains the lyrics: "Children by the million / Sing for Alex Chilton / When he comes 'round / They sing, 'I'm in love / What's that song? / I'm in love with that song.'"
A whole new generation of viewers was exposed to Big Star's music when That '70s Show used a Cheap Trick cover of the band's "In the Street" as its theme song. Chilton told Rolling Stone in 2000 that he had not heard the new version, but received $70 in royalties per airing. "It's actually ironic that the amount is $70. To me it's That $70 Show," he said.
In the mid-'70s, Chilton embarked on a solo career, releasing several albums through the '80s, including Like Flies on Sherbert, Live in London and High Priest. In 1993, he reunited with Big Star, which continued to perform regularly over the last 16 years. Last September, the band issued a four-box CD set with material recorded between 1968 and 1975 called Keep an Eye on the Sky.
Chilton is survived by his wife, Laura, a son, Timothy, and a sister, Cecilia.
Fess Parker
August 16, 1924-March 18, 2010
Fess Parker, who starred as Davy Crockett on the wildly popular 1950s TV series of the same name, died Thursday of natural causes, The Associated Press reported. He was 85.
Parker died at his Santa Ynez Valley home in California, on his wife Marcella's 84th birthday, family spokeswoman Sao Anash told the news service. Anash also said Parker was coherent and speaking with family minutes before he died.
Parker rose to national fame when Davy Crockett debuted as part of an early Walt Disney anthology TV show in 1954. He was also widely known for his portrayal of another famous historical figure in Daniel Boone, a TV series that ran from 1964 to '70.
During its heyday, Davy Crockett inspired a national craze for coonskin caps and the hit song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." At the peak of the coonskin craze, 5,000 caps were sold a day.
Crockett was killed off in 1955 in the third episode, "Davy Crockett at the Alamo," but due to popular demand, the series was quickly brought back for two more episodes.
"Like many kids growing up in the 50's, Davy Crockett was my first hero, and I had the coonskin cap to prove it," said Disney CEO Bob Iger. "Fess Parker's unforgettable, exciting and admirable performance as this American icon has remained with me all these years, as it has for his millions of fans around the world. Fess is truly a Disney Legend, as is the heroic character he portrayed, and while he will certainly be missed, he will never be forgotten."
After the series went off the air in 1955, Parker worked regularly in both TV and films. He starred as the father in Old Yeller and starred in the TV version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
After Daniel Boone ended in 1970, Parker largely retired from acting. He went into real estate and opened a vineyard on California's Central Coast with his wife in 1989 — the Fess Parker Winery. A Texas native, he graduated from the University of Texas.
Parker is survived by his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren.
Robert Culp
August 16, 1930-March 24, 2010
Robert Culp, best known for his role in the pioneering TV series I Spy opposite Bill Cosby, has died. He was 79.
Culp died Wednesday after collapsing, or possibly tripping, on a sidewalk outside of his Hollywood home, his agent, Hillard Elkins, told TVGuide.com. He additionally suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, but paramedics were unable to revive him, Elkins said.
Appearing in more than 100 films and TV series, Culp's career spanned more than a half-century. Perhaps his most notable movie was the provocative 1969 sex comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.
His first starring role came on CBS' Western series Trackdown, in which he played a gun-slinging Texas Ranger. Culp went on to play Kelly Robinson in the NBC series I Spy from 1965 to 1968 with Cosby. It was the first prime-time series with a black actor in a lead role.
After several smaller roles, he returned to television in 1981 as the lead in The Greatest American Hero. He also had a multi-episode arc on Everybody Loves Raymond and bit parts on shows such as Lois & Clark and Wings.
Married five times, Culp is survived by wife Candace Falkner, three sons and two daughters, four of whom are from a previous marriage.
June Havoc
November 8, 1912-March 28, 2010
June Havoc, whose childhood in vaudeville as Baby June was fictionalized in the musical Gypsy, died Sunday of natural causes at 97.
The actress-writer — the younger sister of Gypsy Rose Lee — died at her home in Stamford, Conn., her publicist and friend, Shirley Herz, said Monday.
Havoc had a successful acting career, though mostly in supporting roles. Her breakout Broadway role was Gladys Bumps, the scheming chorus girl, in the original 1940 production of Pal Joey.
Perhaps her most notable movie role was as Gregory Peck's secretary — a Jew passing for a gentile — in 1947's Gentleman's Agreement.
Her other film credits included 1942's My Sister Eileen and 1948's When My Baby Smiles at Me. Among her movies as a lead: the crime drama Intrigue (1947) and romantic thriller Lady Possessed (1952).
In 1963, Havoc wrote and directed Marathon '33, a Broadway play about her Depression era experiences as marathon dancer. She also wrote three other plays and two memoirs.
Gypsy (music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Arthur Laurents) is considered one of the best musicals ever written. The original 1959 production starred Ethel Merman, and it has been revived several times since. It also became a 1962 movie starring Rosalind Russell.
Havoc's final appearances came in 1990 on television, in several episodes of the soap General Hospital.
Sam Menning
January 5, 1925-March 29, 2010
Sam Menning, a photographer-turned-character actor best known for his portrayal of lowlifes, has died. He was 85.
Menning died March 31 of emphysema at a Burbank, Calif., medical center, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A professional photographer in the 1950s, Menning had his own business. His agent, Bonnie Howard, said he was the last person to shoot a pinup of Bettie Page before he moved into the film industry, working as a still photographer, gaffer, electrician and grip.
He started acting regularly by the '80s, frequently playing such characters as Homeless Man, Old Wino, Old Geezer, Hobo No. 2, Toothless Guy and Drunk, according to his IMDb page.
Menning most recently played a homeless man and the Pickled Egg Guy in three episodes of My Name Is Earl. He made other TV guest appearances on Gilmore Girls, ER, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Scrubs and Carnivale.
Film credits include The Butcher's Wife, Life Stinks, The Onion Movie and The Prestige.
Menning is survived by his companion of 48 years, Karina Von Wattidel; his brother, Rod Menning; his daughter, Sherree Casusol; and four grandchildren.
Jaime Escalante
December 31, 1930-March 30, 2010
Jaime Escalante, the math teacher who inspired the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, died Tuesday. He was 79.
Escalante died at his son's home after battling bladder cancer for several years, family friend Keith Miller told The Associated Press.
As a math teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, Escalante completely transformed the school's mathematics curriculum and pushed his struggling students to master advanced math and science courses. At one point, Garfield High School had the fifth-highest number of advanced placement calculus students in the country.
"Teaching is an art form. There's a lot of practitioners and very few artists. He was a master artist," one of Escalante's former students, Elsa Bolado, told the AP.
Escalante's story inspired the film Stand and Deliver. Edward James Olmos' portrayal of Escalante garnered an Academy Award nomination for best actor. "Jaime exposed one of the most dangerous myths of our time — that inner city students can't be expected to perform at the highest levels," Olmos told the AP. "Because of him, that destructive idea has been shattered forever."
The cast of Stand and Deliver recently tried to raise donations to help Escalante pay for his alternative cancer treatments.
Escalante left Garfield High School in 1991 and taught at schools in Sacramento before retiring to his native Bolivia in 2001.
Escalante is survived by his wife, two sons and six grandchildren.
David Mills
November 30, 1961-March 30, 2010
David Mills, an Emmy-award-winning writer for HBO's The Wire and co-executive producer of the upcoming drama Treme, died on Tuesday in New Orleans, an HBO rep said. He was 48.
David Simon, the creator of The Wire and Treme, told the The Washington Post that Mills collapsed on the set of Treme and died of an apparent brain aneurysm. The two men worked together for years, first at the University of Maryland student newspaper, The Diamondback.
HBO did not comment on the cause of death.
"HBO is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague David Mills," the network said in a statement. "He was a gracious and humble man, and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who were aware of his immense talent. David has left us too soon, but his brilliant work will live on."
Mills made his television writing debut with NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, based on Simon's book. Before working in television, Mills was a reporter for the Post, while Simon worked for the Baltimore Sun. Among Mills' stories was one on rapper Sistah Souljah in which she made statements that became an issue in the 1992 presidential campaign.
Mills, who won Emmys for his work on the miniseries The Corner, also wrote for NYPD Blue, ER, and The Wire. He also authored the brilliant pop-culture blog Undercover Black Man, where he wrote about Treme on Monday.
The show is scheduled to air April 11.
John Forsythe
January 29, 1918-April 1, 2010
John Forsythe, best known for his roles as the conniving patriarch Blake Carrington on Dynasty and as the voice of mysterious millionaire Charles Townsend on Charlie's Angels, has died. He was 92.
Forsythe died late on Thursday from complications of pneumonia in his home in Santa Ynez, Calif., his rep told TVGuide.com. Before the pneumonia, Forsythe's health had improved following a yearlong battle with cancer. His wife and daughter were with him when he suddenly slumped over. Forsythe had already passed away when paramedics arrived.
Forsythe began his career in theater, appearing in such Broadway shows as Around the World, Mister Roberts and The Teahouse of the August Moon.
He found his greatest success in television. Early in his career he guest-starred on several series, including an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents opposite Cloris Leachman. In 1957, he headlined CBS' Bachelor Father, wooing the likes of Mary Tyler Moore and Linda Evans.
In 1976, Aaron Spelling cast Forsythe on Charlie's Angels. Forsythe re-teamed with Spelling in 1981 for Dynasty. His work on the prime-time soap earned him three Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe wins.
Corin Redgrave
July 16, 1939-April 6, 2010
British actor and activist Corin Redgrave, a member of the famous Redgrave acting dynasty, has died. He was 70.
Redgrave died Tuesday, his widow, Kika Markham, and his family said in a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "He was taken ill at home in the early hours of Sunday morning," the statement said. "He died very peacefully surrounded by his family. We will miss him so very much."
Redgrave, the brother of Vanessa and a third generation member of the famous Redgrave family, got his start on stage in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is best known for his roles in the films Excalibur, Four Weddings and a Funeral and A Man for All Seasons, as well as his work promoting human rights
His death comes just over a year after his niece, Natasha Richardson, died in a skiing accident.
Redgrave was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000 and suffered a heart attack in 2005. He is survived by his second wife, Kika, and four children.
Christopher Cazenove
December 17, 1943-April 7, 2010
Christopher Cazenove, best known as Ben Carrington on the 1980s drama Dynasty, has died. He was 64.
Cazenove died Wednesday at London's St. Thomas' Hospital after a battle with septicemia, his agent, Lesley Duff, said in a statement. The British actor contracted septicemia, a massive bacterial infection of the blood, at the end of February.
"Despite a valiant fight and the untiring efforts of the wonderful team at St Thomas', he was overwhelmed," the statement said. "All who knew and loved him will be devastated by the loss of this incredible man who touched so many lives."
Cazenove's death comes six days after the death of his Dynasty co-star, John Forsythe, who portrayed his half-brother, Blake Carrington, on the prime-time soap.
A theater vet, Cazenove first found screen success on 1970s British series The Regiment and The Duchess of Duke Street before landing the role of scheming brother Ben on Dynasty. Cazenove appeared in 36 episodes between 1986-87.
Film credits include 3 Men and a Little Lady and A Knight's Tale, in which he played Heath Ledger's father.
Cazenove is survived by a son, Rhys, from his marriage to actress Angharad Rees. The couple's oldest son, Linford, died in a car crash in 1999. Cazenove had been in a relationship with Isabel Davies since 2003.
Malcolm McLaren
January 22, 1946-April 8, 2010
Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols, died Thursday of cancer at a Swiss hospital. He was 64.
His longtime companion, Young Kim, confirmed his death to The New York Times.
The 1970s band was fronted by Johnny Rotten (real name: John Lydon), with Steve Jones on guitar, Paul Cook on drums and Sid Vicious as the bassist. The group's songs included "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen." Their one album, released in 1977, was titled Never Mind the Bollocks: Here's the Sex Pistols.
McLaren also briefly managed the New York Dolls and Adam and the Ants, and he created Bow Wow Wow.
He was a denizen of the art and fashion worlds. In the '70s, he teamed with then-business partner and girlfriend, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, on a clothing shop they at one point called SEX.
He also had a solo music career, putting out albums that were an eclectic blend of genres — Duck Rock in 1983, mixing hip-hop and elements of world music, and Waltz Darling in 1989, introducing voguing.
Filmmaker Edgar Wright suggested a fitting way to remember McLaren on Twitter: "I think playing Never Mind The Bollocks very loud as soon as possible would be a worthy tribute."
McLaren is survived by Joe Corre — his son with Westwood and founder of the lingerie firm Agent Provocateur — and Kim.
Meinhardt Raabe
September 2, 1915-April 9, 2010
Meinhardt Raabe, who played the Munchkin coroner who proclaimed the Wicked Witch of the East dead in The Wizard of Oz, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 94.
Raabe, one of the few surviving Munchkins from the film, died Friday morning at Orange Park Medical Center in Florida, his caregiver, Cindy Bosnyak, told the AP. Bosnyak said he complained of a sore throat at his retirement community before collapsing and going into cardiac arrest. He later died at the hospital.
Raabe was one of 124 Munchkins in the film and one of only nine with speaking roles. He famously pronounced the witch dead after Dorothy's farmhouse landed on her: "As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her, and she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead."
Born in Watertown, Wis. in 1915, Raabe performed at world fairs such as the Chicago World's Fair and the San Diego Exposition before The Wizard of Oz began shooting in 1938. He was 22 at the time of shooting and earned money for college by performing.
Raabe was 3 1/2 feet tall in Oz and grew to about 4 1/2 feet. He toured the country in the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile for 30 years as "Little Oscar, the World's Smallest Chef."
Raabe regularly attended the annual OzFest in Chittenango, N.Y., and co-authored a book in 2005, Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road. He was one of seven surviving Munchkins present when the Munchkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.
"There is nothing in the picture that dates it," he told the AP in 1988 of The Wizard of Oz's success. "It's a fantasy picture that will be fantasy for generations to come."
Raabe's wife of more than 50 years, Marie Hartline, died in a car crash in 1997.
Dixie Carter
May 25, 1939-April 10, 2010
Dixie Carter, best known as the outspoken Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women, has died, TVGuide.com has confirmed. She was 70.
Her publicist, Steve Rohr, said Carter died Saturday morning of complications airisng from endometrial cancer.
"This has been a terrible blow to our family," her husband, Hal Holbrook, said in a written statement. "We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy."
Designing Women ran on CBS from 1986 to 1993.
Carter starred on the drama Family Law from 1999 to 2002, and appeared in seven episodes of Desperate Housewives in 2007, for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She is also well-known for her work on Broadway.
Carter is survived by Holbrook, her husband of 25 years.
Guru
July 17, 1961-April 19, 2010
Guru, the pioneering hip-hop legend who united jazz and hip-hop as a solo artist and half of the influential duo Gang Starr, has died. He was 43.
Guru, whose real name was Keith Elam, died Monday after a battle with cancer, his producer, Solar, told MTV. Guru was hospitalized late February after suffering cardiac arrest and was briefly in a coma.
During his final days, Guru penned a farewell letter to his fans to be released upon his death, Solar said.
"I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease," the letter read. "I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting."
Those mourning Guru included Ice-T, who tweeted Monday that he was "paralyzed with sorrow."
"Guru... Rest In Peace O.G." he added. "I miss you."
Guru first found fame in the late '80s when he partnered with DJ Premier to form Gang Starr, releasing such classic albums as No More Mr. Nice Guy and Step in the Arena. Though Guru was rooted in Boston and Premier in Houston, their sound came to define the dense New York underground rap sound — one characterized by jazz loops and complex rhymes.
In 1993, Guru released his first solo album, Jazzmatazz Vol. 1, the first of his four-volume Jazzmatazz series. The disc featured collaborations with such notable jazz musicians as Donald Byrd and Roy Ayers.
Guru reteamed with DJ Premier to release three more Gang Starr albums, the last of which, The Ownerz, hit shelves in 2003. But the two had a falling out, and Guru wrote in his letter that he didn't want Premier to participate in any tributes following his death.
In recent years, Guru worked with Solar, who produced Guru's final Jazzmatazz installment and two other solo albums.
Guru is survived by a son, KC.
Myles Wilder
January 28, 1933-April 20, 2010
Myles Wilder, the prolific TV comedy screenwriter whose resume includes such classics as McHale's Navy and The Dukes of Hazzard, has died. He was 77.
Wilder died April 20 from complications of diverticulitis in Temecula, Calif., according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The son of director W. Lee Wilder and the nephew of Oscar-winning writer-director Billy Wilder, Wilder got his start by developing, writing and producing the 1956 NBC series The Adventures of Marco Polo. He joined the Ernest Borgnine comedy McHale's Navy in 1963, penning 28 episodes and earning two Emmy nominations during his three-year tenure. Other credits during that time include The Patty Duke Show, Get Smart, The Flying Nun and My Three Sons.
In the '70s and '80s, Wilder wrote and produced The Dukes of Hazzard, and also wrote for The Doris Day Show, The Brady Bunch, The Addams Family, Welcome Back, Kotter, and Diff'rent Strokes.
Wilder was also in charge of daytime TV at Hanna-Barbera Studios and developed such animated shows as Inch High, Private Eye and Hong Kong Phooey.
After retiring in 1989, Wilder moved to Temecula to raise avocados.
He is survived by his wife, Bobbe; their daughter, Kimberly, and her husband Brynley; grandchildren Olivia and Morgan; and godson Matthew McGinnis.
Juan Antonio Samaranch
July 17, 1920-April 21, 2010
Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former president of the International Olympic Committee, died Wednesday from cardiac arrest. He was 89.
Samaranch spent his final moments at home watching tennis before being taken to the hospital in Barcelona, his son, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., told The Associated Press.
"He watched [Rafael] Nadal's match — he loved tennis — and after the game he wasn't feeling great, so we decided to come [to the hospital] around six or seven at night," he said. "Then he collapsed. They stabilized him but he never came out. And that was the last time he was conscious."
Samaranch, who headed the IOC from 1980-2001 and is considered a great innovator and landmark figure of international sports, was taken to the hospital three days prior to his death. He was sedated and put on a respirator, but his organs quickly shut down.
Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, released a statement remembering the many accomplishments of Samaranch.
"When Juan Antonio Samaranch began his IOC presidency, the Olympic Movement was beset with immense financial problems and a string of devastating political boycotts. In the decade that followed, he proceeded to bring the Olympics to absolute preeminence among international sports events and build a solid economic base for the future," Ebersol said of his good friend and partner. "He was a towering figure in the world of sport and a diplomat of consummate skill who navigated through turmoil to reunite the Olympic Movement."
Samaranch's successor, IOC president Jacques Rogge, also expressed his grief.
"I cannot find the words to express the distress of the Olympic family," Rogge said. "I am personally deeply saddened by the death of the man who built up the Olympic Games of the modern era, a man who inspired me, and whose knowledge of sport was truly exceptional."
Samaranch's funeral is scheduled for Thursday in Barcelona.
Helen Wagner
September 3, 1918-May 1, 2010
Helen Wagner, best known for playing Nancy Hughes on As the World Turns for more than a half-century, has died. She was 91.
Wagner, who acted up until her death, died Saturday, the show's New York-based production company, TeleNext Media Inc., announced. She spoke the first words on As the World Turns when it premiered in 1956, and holds the Guinness World Record for playing the same role on television for the longest time (54 years). She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2004.
"All of us at As The World Turns are deeply saddened by Helen's passing," executive producer Christopher Goutman said. "She is loved by generations of fans and, while we will miss her greatly, Helen will always remain the heart and soul of As The World Turns."
On Nov. 22, 1963, Wagner's character was saying her lines when the broadcast was interrupted with a "CBS News Bulletin" sign and Walter Cronkite announced that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.
Before joining the CBS soap opera, Wagner appeared on TV programs including Studio One, Philco Television Playhouse and The World of Mr. Sweeney.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, she also starred in several Broadway productions including Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Bad Seed, My Name Is Acquilon and Love of Four Colonels.
Wagner was married to Broadway producer Robert Willey from 1954 until his death in May 2009.
Lynn Redgrave
March 8, 1943-May 2, 2010
Lynn Redgrave, best known for her roles in the film Georgy Girl and Broadway shows Shakespeare for My Father and Nightingale, has died after battling breast cancer. She was 67.
The actress died Sunday night at her Connecticut home, her publicist Rick Miramontez said. She was treated for breast cancer in 2003.
"Our beloved mother Lynn Rachel passed away peacefully after a seven-year journey with breast cancer," Redgrave's children — Ben, Pema and Annabel — said in a statement Monday. "She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before. The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives."
Born in London, Redgrave was a member of the illustrious Redgrave family of actors. She was the youngest child of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. Her older siblings were Vanessa Redgrave and Corin Redgrave, who died early last month at 70. The actress was also the aunt to Joely Richardson, Carlo Gabriel Nero, Jemma Redgrave and Natasha Richardson, who died last year from head injuries sustained in a skiing accident.
Redgrave received Oscar nominations for Georgy Girl and God and Monsters, as well as Tony nominations for Mrs. Warren's Profession, Shakespeare for My Father and The Constant Wife. She also appeared in TV shows including Ugly Betty, Law & Order and Desperate Housewives in recent years.
In interviews, the actress — who was married more than 30 years to actor-director John Clark until they divorced in 2000 — acknowledged that she suffered from bulimia in the past and became the spokeswoman for Weight Watchers. She also published a book with daughter Annabel Clark in 2004, Journal: A Mother and Daughter's Recovery From Breast Cancer.
Redgrave is survived by her three children, six grandchildren, sister Vanessa, and four nieces and nephews.
Lena Horne
June 30, 1917-May 9, 2010
Lena Horne, the jazz singer, actress and civil rights activist who became the first African-American performer to be put under contract by a major movie studio in 1942, has died. She was 92.
Horne died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. No details of her death have been released.
She was one of the first black performers hired to sing with a major white band, the first to play the Copacabana nightclub and among the few to earn a Hollywood contract.
Horne's career highlights included collaborations with Tony Bennett, as well as Grammy-winning recordings of her Vegas nightclub act The Lady and Her Music, Live on Broadway (for which she won an honorary Tony) and An Evening With Lena Horne. She was also nominated for a Tony for her performance in Calypso.
Horne acknowledged that her beauty and sex appeal helped contribute to her success. "I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could accept," she said. "I was their daydream. I had the worst kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. It was because of the way I looked."
Over her six-decade career, Horne starred in films including Stormy Weather (1943), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), and Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). She starred in recurring roles on television's The Muppet Show and The Cosby Show.
Despite some criticism that Horne used her light complexion to "pass" in a white world, Horne often spoke out about racism and was dedicated to her advocacy for civil rights.
"I was always battling the system to try to get to be with my people. Finally, I wouldn't work for places that kept us out ... it was a damn fight everywhere I was, every place I worked, in New York, in Hollywood, all over the world," Horne said in Brian Lanker's book I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America.
She fought for desegregation alongside such legends of the civil rights movement as Paul Robeson and Medgar Evers, and fought with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching laws.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in an upper-middle-class black community of Pittsburgh, Horne joined the chorus line of the Cotton Club at 16 and toured with Noble Sissle's Orchestra a few years later.
Horne is survived by daughter Gail Lumet Buckley and granddaughter Jenny Lumet, who wrote the screenplay for Rachel Getting Married. Horne's husband, arranger-conductor Lennie Hayton, and her son died in the early 1970s.
Ronnie James Dio
July 10, 1942-May 16, 2010
Ronnie James Dio, the lead singer for Black Sabbath and Rainbow, has died following his battle with stomach cancer. He was 67.
"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away," wife and manager Wendy Dio wrote in a statement on the heavy metal star's official site. "Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. ... Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."
Dio, who revealed he was suffering from stomach cancer last year, became the first lead singer of heavy metal band Rainbow, which was formed by Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. After recording three albums with the group, Dio left the band and joined Black Sabbath following Ozzy Osbourne's departure in 1980. The singer and the band then created the extremely popular Heaven And Hell album. In between his stints with Black Sabbath (1980-82, 1992, and 2007-09), Dio went the solo route with his self-titled band, with hits including "Rainbow In The Dark," "The Last In Line" and "Holy Diver."
The rocker, who grew up in upstate New York, also was known for popularizing the devil horns hand gesture in heavy metal culture during his time with Black Sabbath — a gesture that he said his grandmother used to ward off the evil eye. Dio even managed to flash the devil horns symbol as he lay in his hospital bed, according to The Associated Press.
His last album, The Devil You Know, was released in April 2009 and was a collaboration with Black Sabbath members under the band name Heaven & Hell.
Dio is survived by his wife Wendy, son Daniel, grandchildren Julie and Joey and father Pat.
Simon Monjack
March 9, 1970-May 23, 2010
The husband of actress Brittany Murphy was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home just five months after Murphy's death, according to the Los Angeles Times.
British screenwriter Simon Monjack, 39, died at his home on Sunday, according to Los Angeles Police Sgt. Louie Lozano. The cause of death is unknown.
"We have detectives at scene," Lozano told the Times. "They are conducting their investigation. Once we have further information, we will provide it."
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 911 call for an "unspecified medical aid request" Sunday night, according to spokesman Brian Humphrey. Fire Department workers provided medical attention, but Monjack was pronounced dead late Sunday at the Hollywood police station, police told the Times.
Murphy died Dec. 20 at age 32 after collapsing in her bathroom. Authorities recovered a large amount of prescription drugs at Murphy's home, some of which were prescribed to her mother, Sharon, and Monjack, according to the autopsy report. Monjack and Sharon Murphy previously denied that Murphy abused illegal drugs.
In February, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office ruled Murphy's death accidental and said it was caused by pneumonia with multiple drug intoxication and anemia as contributing factors. An autopsy later that month showed the 32-year-old actress had no signs of illegal drug use at the time of her death.
Monjack's credits include the film Factory Girl starring Sienna Miller and Two Days, Nine Lives. Murphy was best known for her roles in Clueless, Girl, Interrupted, Don't Say a Word, and 8 Mile. She also lent her voice to the show King of the Hill for 12 years as Luanne Platter.
Paul Gray
April 8, 1972-May 24, 2010
Slipknot bassist Paul Gray was found dead Monday, according to The Associated Press. He was 38.
Gray, who formed the band with Shawn "Clown" Crahan and Anders Colsefini in 1995, was found dead in a Des Moines hotel room on Monday. Police do not suspect foul play, and an autopsy is expected on Tuesday.
Slipknot, best known for wearing outlandish clown masks and espousing an ultra-violent rhetoric, won a best metal performance Grammy in 1996 for the song "Before I Forget."
Art Linkletter
July 17, 1912-May 26, 2010
Art Linkletter, who hosted popular TV shows People Are Funny and House Party in the 1950s and 1960s, has died. He was 97.
Linkletter died Wednesday at his Bel-Air home in Los Angeles, his son-in-law, Art Hershey, told the Los Angeles Times.
Art Linkletter's House Party, which debuted on radio in 1944 and aired on CBS from 1952 to 1969, was one of television's longest-running variety shows. One of the show's features was daily interviews with schoolchildren, which Linkletter collected and used to create the best-selling book, Kids Say the Darndest Things.
Linkletter's other well-known series, People Are Funny — which started out on radio in 1942 and ran on TV from 1954 to 1961 — centered on pie-in-the-face slapstick humor and audience participation.
After retiring from daily broadcasting in 1969, Linkletter continued to write, make public appearances and appear in television commercials.
Linkletter and his wife, Lois, had five children together, but in 1969, their 20-year-old daughter, Diane, jumped to her death from her sixth-floor Hollywood apartment. Not long before her death, Linkletter made a recording with his daughter, "We Love You, Call Collect," which won a Grammy for best spoken word recording after she died.
In 1980, one of Linkletter's sons, Robert, died in a car accident, and another son, Jack, died of lymphoma in 2007 at age 70.
Linkletter is survived by his wife of 75 years and daughters Dawn and Sharon.
Peter Keefe
November 16, 1952-May 27, 2010
Peter Keefe, best known for his work with the children's series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, has died from throat cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Keefe, 57, created Voltron in the '80s by adapting two Japanese animated series "Go Lion" and "Dierugger." The animated show went on to become the No. 1 children's series in syndication in 1984 and '85.
Beginning his career as a movie critic for PBS, Keefe later went on to develop such animated series as Denver, the Last Dinosaur, Widget, Twinkle and The Mr. Bogus Show.
He is survived by his wife, Pamela Mills Keefe, and a stepson.
Gary Coleman
February 8, 1968-May 28, 2010
Gary Coleman, the child star who anchored the classic, racial barrier-battering sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, has died. He was 42.
Coleman suffered an intracranial hemorrhage at his home in Utah Wednesday and was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah. Family and friends were at his side when his life support was terminated, and he died at the hospital at 12:05 p.m. local time Friday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Coleman starred as Arnold Jackson, an African-American child adopted along with his older brother, Willis, by a wealthy white widower, Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain). Coleman mugged and charmed his way into audiences' hearts with a persona that mixed knowing wisecracks and vulnerability. Arnold's catchphrase — "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis" — became a pop culture staple.
Coleman's brother-in-law, Shawn Price, expressed gratitude for "all the wonderful support everyone has been extending to Gary's family."
At a news conference Friday on behalf of his sister and Coleman's wife, Shannon Price, he added: "Thousands of e-mails have poured into the hospital. This has been so comforting to the family to know how beloved he still is."
Though it didn't aspire to the groundbreaking social commentary of All in the Family, the show sensitively examined such issues as adoption, racism, drug abuse, coping with a parent's death and child molestation. It epitomized the 1980s trend of "special episodes," including one in which then first lady Nancy Reagan encouraged kids to say no to drugs, and another in which guest star Gordon Jump played a bike store owner who took a predatory interest in Arnold and his friend Dudley.
But for all the lessons they taught on-screen, the show's child stars had tragic personal lives. Dana Plato, who played Arnold and Willis' adopted sister, Kimberly Drummond, suffered through drug addiction and died from an overdose of prescription medication in 1999 at age 34. Her son, Tyler Lambert, recently committed suicide at 25.
Todd Bridges, who played Willis, also battled with drug addiction and faced several legal problems, including a charge of attempted murder. He was acquitted.
Spinoffs of the sitcom included the NBC hit series The Facts of Life, which followed Mr. Drummond's former maid, Mrs. Garrett, as the house-mother at an all-girls school dorm. Another Diff'rent Strokes spinoff was NBC's short-lived series Hello, Larry, which centered on Philip Drummond's friend Larry Alder (McLean Stevenson), who was a radio show host.
Coleman also did crossover episodes as Arnold in Silver Spoons, The Facts of Life and Amazing Stories. He also reprised his role for the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1996.
Coleman's later work included mostly endorsement deals and odd one-off jobs, such as his coverage of Michael Jackson's child molestation trial for a comedy radio station.
Janet Jackson tweeted about Coleman's death: "I want to remember him as the fun, playful, adorable and affectionate man he was. He has left a lasting legacy. I know he is finally at peace."
The actor was also among 135 candidates who ran for California governor to replace Gray Davis — a race won by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He came in eighth place with 12,488 votes, or 0.2 percent, just behind Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, according to The Associated Press.
Colman had at least two kidney transplants and ongoing dialysis treatments for a kidney disease he suffered as a child that led to his small stature. He was hospitalized twice this year, most recently after suffering a seizure on the set of The Insider.
The Illinois-born actor has also faced a slew of financial and legal woes besides medical problems. In 1999, he filed for bankruptcy. In February 2010, he pled guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief in conjunction with a domestic violence charge involving wife Shannon Price. The two married in 2007 and appeared on Divorce Court the following year.
Dennis Hopper
May 17, 1936-May 29, 2010
Dennis Hopper, the Easy Rider director best remembered for playing whacked-out characters during an acting career that spanned six decades, died from complications of prostate cancer. He was 74.
Hopper died Saturday at 8:15 a.m. in his Venice, Calif., home surrounded by family and friends, the Hopper family said in a statement.
Critics and fans often said no one did crazy roles better than Hopper. For a long time, those roles reflected how he was living.
The Dodge City, Kan., native was a bit of prodigy, appearing in feature films such as Rebel Without a Cause, Giant and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral by the time he was 21.
After making Rebel and Giant together, James Dean and Hopper became fast friends. When Dean was killed in his Porsche in September 1955, Hopper was devastated.
Much of the work he did in the '60s was generally undistinguished — until he directed 1969's low-budget Easy Rider, in which he co-starred with Peter Fonda and a still upcoming Jack Nicholson. It was a huge success — both at the box office and as a talisman for the turbulent times, leading to other anti-war, anti-establishment films. The movie was nominated for the top honor at the Cannes Film Festival, (where it won "best first work") and Hopper received an Academy Award nomination for original screenplay.
Hopper's next directing effort, however, 1971's The Last Movie, bombed.
Hopper then went on a colossal bender that he subsequently wasn't shy about discussing.
In 2001, the actor/filmmaker/artist talked about being sober for 18 years — and not only from booze. He did various hallucinogens and narcotics. "I only used to do cocaine so I could sober up and drink more. My last five years of drinking was a nightmare. I was drinking a half-gallon of rum with a fifth of rum on the side, in case I ran out, 28 beers a day, and three grams of cocaine just to keep me moving around. And I thought I was doing fine because I wasn't crawling around drunk on the floor."
In the wake of that, he was quoted as saying: "I should have been dead 10 times over. I've thought about that a lot. I believe in miracles. It's an absolute miracle that I'm still around."
Before he kicked his habits, Hopper offered a memorable performance as a nutty photographer in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.
The 1980s saw a comeback by a clean and sober Hopper — culminating with David Lynch's Blue Velvet, in which he played an off-the-deep-end criminal. In 1986, he played a sad alcoholic in Hoosiers, offering a performance that brought him an Oscar nomination for supporting actor.
In his limited TV work, Hopper received an Emmy nomination for the 1991 HBO film Paris Trout, an adaptation of a Pete Dexter novel. More recently, he played Serbian warlord Victor Drazen on the first season of 24 and a drug-addled music producer in the Starz premium channel's spinoff of the Oscar-winning movie Crash.
Hopper also made a name for himself as a photographer and artist, and his works were exhibited around the world.
Married five times, he recently filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 14 years, Victoria, with whom he had a 7-year-old daughter, Galen. He had three grown children from his previous marriages. One of those marriages, to Michelle Phillips, lasted eight days.
Rue McClanahan
February 21, 1934-June 3, 2010
Rue McClanahan, best known as Golden Girls' man-hungry Southern debutante Blanche Devereaux and Maude's scatterbrained Vivian Harmon, has died. She was 76.
McClanahan suffered a cerebral hemorrhage Monday and died at 1 a.m. Thursday with family at her side at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the actress' manager, Barbara Lawrence said in a statement.
McClanahan had been in ill health as of late. She suffered a stroke in January, two months after undergoing a cardial bypass.
Her death follows those of her Golden Girls co-stars, Estelle Getty, who died in July 2008, and Bea Arthur, who died in April 2009. Betty White is the sole surviving cast member of the iconic '80s NBC hit.
"Rue was a close and dear friend. I treasure our relationship," White said in a statement. "It hurts more than I ever thought it would, if that's even possible."
An Oklahoma native, McClanahan started acting off-Broadway in 1957 and made her Broadway debut 12 years later in the musical Jimmy Shine with Dustin Hoffman. She moved into television the following year, when she joined on the NBC soap Another World.
She found prime-time success in 1972, when she was cast on the groundbreaking All in the Family spin-off, Maude, opposite Arthur's titular feminist character. She played Maude's sweet and clueless best friend.
"I saw her off-Broadway and I brought her out here for Maude. This was one of the loveliest, funniest, most grounded...I don't have good enough words for her," Family and Maude creator Norman Lear said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. "There are wonderful actors who can do comedy, and there are wonderful actors who can do comedy who are also funny. Rue was funny walking into a room. Her earlobes were funny. Her knuckles were funny. She was just funny."
But Golden Girls is where McClanahan's legacy rests. She won an Emmy for her portrayal of the man-crazed Blanche. McClanahan was originally cast as the dim Rose, while White — who played the sex-obsessed Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show — was tapped for Blanche, but the actresses requested to swap roles to avoid being typecast. McClanahan reprised the role on the Golden Girls' spin-off, The Golden Palace, which lasted for one season.
Seldom appearing in feature films, McClanahan continued to be a TV presence in her later years, starring in TV movies and guest-starring on such shows as Boy Meets World, Hope & Faith, King of the Hill and Law & Order. Her last role as a series regular was on Logo's 2008 sitcom Sordid Lives: The Series and her screen appearance was on a 2009 episode of Meet the Browns.
A breast cancer survivor, McClanahan was married six times. She is survived by her husband, Morrow Wilson, whom she married in 1997; her son, Mark Bish, from her first marriage; and her sister, Dr. Melinda L. McClanahan.
John Wooden
October 14, 1910-June 4, 2010
John Wooden, one of the most successful college basketball coaches in history, has died, according to officials at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he coached for 27 years. He was 99.
Wooden, who was admitted to Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA on May 26, died Friday night from natural causes.
"We want to thank everyone for their love and support for our father. We will miss him more than words can express," Wooden's children, Nan and Jim, said in a statement. "He has been, and always will be, the guiding light for our family. The love, guidance and support he has given us will never be forgotten."
During his tenure at UCLA, Wooden led the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships and was often referred to as the "Wizard of Westwood," in reference to the university's college town. Over the years, Wooden coached future NBA stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. His UCLA teams still hold the NCAA record for winning 88 consecutive games between 1971 and 1974.
An Indiana native, Wooden was well known for his "pyramid of success" motivational program and was thought of by many as one of the greatest collegiate basketball coaches of all time. Wooden's era of success was most recently the subject of the HBO documentary, The UCLA Dynasty, in 2007.
A private funeral service will be held for family and a public memorial will be announced at a later date.
Robert Wussler
September 8, 1936-June 5, 2010
Robert Wussler, one of CNN's co-founders and a former president of CBS, has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 73.
Wussler, a seven-time Emmy winner, died on June 5 at his Westport, Conn., home after battling a long illness, spokesman Arthur Sando told THR.
Wussler got his start working in the mailroom at CBS. He eventually became executive producer of CBS News, where he worked on such specials as the network's coverage of the moon landing. At age 39, he became the youngest network president in CBS history.
In 1980, Wussler was recruited by Ted Turner to join Turner Broadcasting Services. During the next decade, Wussler helped manage CNN as well as Headline News, and served as the president of TBS. He also helped launch TNT in 1988.
Wussler is survived by his six children and six grandchildren.
Marvin Isley
August 18, 1953-June 6, 2010
Marvin Isley, the bassist and youngest member of the hit-making soul and funk band Isley Brothers, has died. He was 56.
Isley died at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Chicago's Weiss Memorial Hospital from complications of diabetes, Weiss spokeswoman Catherine Gianaro said.
Isley retired in 1997 because of his battle with diabetes, which resulted in a double amputation of his legs.
A Cincinnati native, Isley was not an original member of The Isley Brothers, which first consisted of his older brothers, O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald. The trio was known as a vocal group, which scored such hits as 1959's "Shout," 1962's "Twist and Shout" and 1969's "It's Your Thing."
Isley joined in 1973, along with brother Ernie and brother-in-law Chris Jasper, infusing the group with a funkier sound that led to a string of hits. 3+3, the group's debut album as a sextet, became The Isley Brothers' first album to receive a gold certification and contained the classics "That Lady, Pt. 1 & 2" and "What It Comes Down To."
The Isley Brothers found continued success throughout the decade with "Fight the Power," "For the Love of You" and "Between the Sheets."
In 1984, Marvin Isley, Ernie Isley and Jasper split off to form Isley-Jasper-Isley, earning a No. 1 R&B hit with "Caravan of Love." Marvin Isley returned to The Isley Brothers in 1991.
In 2000, the Isleys won $7 million from a plagiarism award against Michael Bolton over the group's 1966 song "Love Is A Wonderful Thing." The Supreme Court upheld a federal appeals court ruling that Bolton's 1991 hit of the same name infringed on the copyright of The Isley Brothers' tune.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Jimmy Dean
August 10, 1928-June 13, 2010
Country music legend Jimmy Dean, who sang the country crossover hit "Big Bad John" and later became known for his sausage brand, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 81.
Dean died Sunday at his home on his 200-acre estate near Richmond, Va., wife Donna Meade Dean told the AP. Though he had health problems, she said his death came as a shock because he was still functioning well. She said Dean was eating in front of the television and she found him unresponsive when she returned in to the room.
A Texas native, Dean, who dropped out of school after ninth grade, experienced great success in the entertainment industry in the 1950s and '60s, including his nationally televised The Jimmy Dean Show.
Dean, who fronted his Texas Wildcats band, had his first national hit in the early 1950s, "Bummin' Around" and earned a Grammy for "Big Bad John" in 1961. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame earlier this year and was to be inducted in October.
Dean became a headliner at such places as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the Las Vegas strip. He served as a guest host on The Tonight Show, and acted in various TV and film roles, including 1971's Diamonds Are Forever — as James Bond's ally, reclusive billionaire Willard Whyte.
He started the Jimmy Dean Meat Co. in 1969 and sold it to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984.
His fortune was estimated at $75 million in the early '90s, and Dean said he learned to be smart with his finances.
"I've seen so many people in this business that made a fortune," he told the AP in 2004. "They get old and broke and can't make any money. ... I tell you something ... no one's going to play a benefit for Jimmy Dean."
Dean is survived by his wife, three children, and two grandchildren.
Ronald Neame
April 23, 1911-June 16, 2010
Ronald Neame, the Oscar-nominated British filmmaker whose credits include The Poseidon Adventure and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, has died. He was 99.
Neame died Wednesday at a Los Angeles hospital, his wife, Donna, told The Associated Press. He had suffered a fall six weeks ago.
The son of photographer Edwin Neame and actress Ivy Close, Neame first broke into the business as a cinematographer on Alfred Hitchock's 1929 film, Blackmail, the first British movie made with sound.
Neame eventually segued into producing, directing and screenwriting. He earned three Oscar nominations: one for special effects on 1942's One of Our Aircraft Is Missing and two for co-writing Brief Encounter (1945) and Great Expectations (1946). Both screenwriting nominations were shared with director David Lean and producer Anthony Havelock-Allan.
He went on to direct 1969's critically acclaimed The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which won Maggie Smith her first Oscar, but he enjoyed his greatest box-office success with the 1972 disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. Neame named the film his favorite because it gave him enough "F.U. money" to retire, he told the British Film Institute in 2003.
Neame's last full-length film, Foreign Body, was released in 1986.
Neame is survived by his second wife, Donna; a son from his first marriage, Christopher Neame, a film producer; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Manute Bol
October 16, 1962-June 19, 2010
Manute Bol, a former professional basketball star and humanitarian has died, according to The Washington Post. He was 47.
Bol died Saturday at the University of Virginia Medical Center after suffering internal bleeding and other complications from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare skin disease, his cousin, George Bol, told the Post. He had suffered kidney failure on his way back to the U.S. from his native Sudan on May 12, according to a message written on his Facebook page.
Standing at 7 feet, 7 inches tall, Bol remains the second-tallest player in National Basketball Association history. During his ten years in the NBA, he played with the Washington Bullets, the Golden State Warriors, the Phildelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.
Following his retirement from basketball, Bol became an activist focused on improving the lives of other Sudan natives. He tried to promote peace in the war-torn nation through both frequent visits to local refugee camps and the creation of the Sundan Sunrise foundation.
Harvey Pekar
October 8, 1939-July 12, 2010
Underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar, best known as the inspiration for the film American Splendor, died Monday morning in his Cleveland Heights home, according to WTAM 1100 news radio station. He was 70.
Although the cause of Pekar's death is not yet known, Cleveland Heights Police Capt. Michael Cannon said the writer had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression.
Pekar's American Splendor comic book series, which followed the writer's everyday life Cleveland as a file clerk at the Veteran's Administration, inspired the 2003 film adaptation of the same name. Paul Giamatti played a fictional version of Pekar, though Pekar also appeared in the film as himself. The movie, which co-starred Hope Davis as Pekar's wife, Joyce Brabner, earned an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay.
The comic book, which published at irregular intervals between 1976 and 2008, was not only published by Pekar, but also by Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics imprint Vertigo. Pekar worked with famed illustrator and underground comix movement Robert Crumb on the comic.
Pekar was also a freelance jazz and book critic and won awards for his essays that were broadcast on public radio.
George Steinbrenner
July 4, 1930-July 13, 2010
Longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who transformed the dormant franchise into a dynasty, has died. He was 80.
Steinbrenner died Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. in Tampa, Fla., his spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, said in a statement from the Steinbrenner family.
"He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports," the statement read. "He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again."
A moment of silence — accompanied by a montage of photos — was held for Steinbrenner before the start of major league baseball's all-star game Tuesday.
Steinbrenner turned 80 on July 4.
Steinbrenner, whose health had been fragile in recent years, suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to Tampa's St. Joseph's Hospital Monday night, according to New York ABC affiliate WABC.
His death comes two days after the team's public-address announcer Bob Sheppard died at 99.
Under Steinbrenner's ownership since 1973 — the longest tenure in MLB history — the Yankees won seven World Series trophies, most recently in 2009, and 11 American League pennants.
A Cleveland native, Steinbrenner, then chairman of a shipping company, bought the Yankees from CBS for $8.8 million on Jan. 3, 1973, saying he intended to be an absentee owner.
But he soon emerged as "The Boss." With his win-at-all-costs style, he aggressively molded the struggling team into a World Series champion in four years through the free-agent market.
Living up to his nickname, the bombastic Steinbrenner famously clashed with general managers and players, including Yogi Berra, and notoriously rotated his staff with ease.
Still, he was not afraid to laugh at himself: With his permission, Steinbrenner was parodied on Seinfeld — though his face was never seen — when George Costanza (Jason Alexander) worked for the Yankees. Lee Bear portrayed the character, while Larry David voiced him.
"No one knows what this guy's capable of; he fires people like it's a bodily function!" George once said of Steinbrenner.
Steinbrenner also hosted Saturday Night Live in 1990 and appeared as himself on Arli$$ and The Apprentice.
He was portrayed by Oliver Platt in the 2007 ESPN miniseries The Bronx Is Burning, which chronicled the road to the Yankees' first World Series title under Steinbrenner.
Steinbrenner's reign was not without controversy: He served two suspensions, the first in 1974 after pleading guilty to making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon's presidential campaign, and the second in 1990 for paying gambler Howie Spira in exchange for damaging information on Dave Winfield.
In 2007, Steinbrenner gave day-to-day control of the Yankees to his sons, Hal and Hank.
Steinbrenner made infrequent public appearances in recent years. He attended the opening game at the team's new stadium in 2009 and made his final appearance at the 2010 home opener.
The Yankees today are valued at $1.6 billion, according to Forbes.
Steinbrenner is survived by his wife, Joan; his sisters, Susan Norpell and Judy Kamm; his children, Hank, Jennifer, Jessica and Hal; and several grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements will be private. A public service will be announced at a later date.
James Gammon
April 20, 1940-July 16, 2010
James Gammon, who played Don Johnson's father in Nash Bridges, has died of cancer, The Associated Press reports. He was 70.
A character actor, Gammon got his start in the NBC series The Road West in 1966. He's well remembered for his roles in Major League, as the manager of the Cleveland Indians, and for Nash Bridges, in which he played patriarch Nick Bridges.
Among his myriad credits, Gammon most recently appeared in the films In the Electric Mist and Appaloosa, as well as the TV series Grey's Anatomy and Monk.
Gammon is survived by a wife and two daughters.
Patricia Neal
January 20, 1926-August 8, 2010
Patricia Neal, the Oscar- and Tony-winning actress who overcame three strokes to continue her career, has died. She was 84.
Neal died Sunday in her home in Edgartown, Mass., after a battle with lung cancer, her family said in a statement.
"She faced her final illness as she had all of the many trials she endured: with indomitable grace, good humor and a great deal of her self-described stubbornness," the statement read.
In 1965 — a year after winning a best-actress Oscar for her tough housekeeper Alma who stood up to Paul Newman's brash cowboy in Hud — Neal suffered a series of strokes at age 39 that left her semi-paralyzed and unable to speak. She learned to walk and talk again before returning to the screen in 1968's The Subject Was Roses, for which she earned another Oscar nomination.
In Knoxville, Tenn., where she grew up, a rehabilitation center that helps people recover from strokes as well as spinal cord and brain injuries is named for her.
A Kentucky native, Neal first made her name on Broadway after winning the first featured-actress-in-a-play Tony in 1947 for her work in Another Part of the Forest. Two years later, she made her film debut in John Loves Mary and starred in film version of Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead, opposite Gary Cooper, with whom she had an affair. The affair ended in 1950 when Cooper, who was 25 years her senior, refused to leave his wife and his daughter. Neal also underwent an abortion while with Cooper.
"I've wept and wept over that," she told People in 1988. "That abortion is my greatest regret, but I wasn't as gutsy as Ingrid Bergman [who gave birth out of wedlock to Italian film director Roberto Rossellini's son]. That I, this little Southern girl, should have had the guts to do that ... nevah, nevah."
Throughout the 1950s and '60s, Neal starred in The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Breaking Point, A Face in the Crowd, Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Harm's Way.
Neal was offered the role of Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, which came out in 1967, but turned it down as she was still recovering from her strokes.
Following her triumphant return, Neal turned to television, receiving the first of her three Emmy nominations for The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, the 1971 TV movie that served as the pilot for The Waltons.
In 1953, Neal married author Roald Dahl, who wrote James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. They had five children, one of whom — daughter Olivia — died in 1962 at the age 7 of measles encephalitis. Their infant son, Theo, also suffered brain damage in 1957 when a taxi struck his stroller.
Neal and Dahl, who died in 1990, divorced in 1983 after he had an affair with her best friend.
"You can't give up," Neal said in a 1999 interview. "You sure want to, sometimes."
Neal is survived by her three daughters, Ophelia, writer Tessa Dahl (whose daughter is model Sophie Dahl), screenwriter Lucy Dahl, and son Theo.
David L. Wolper
January 11, 1928-August 10, 2010
David Wolper, producer of the celebrated miniseries Roots, has died of congestive heart disease and complications of Parkinson's disease, according to The Associated Press. He was 82.
Wolper is perhaps best known for his work on the 1977 ABC miniseries that followed Kunta Kinte, an African boy captured and sold into slavery in America. Roots, starring LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr., received 36 Emmy nominations, winning nine, along with a Golden Globe and Peabody Award. Wolper produced a special for NBC in 2002, marking the miniseries' 25th anniversary.
Wolper directed the 1959 documentary The Race for Space, which was nominated for an Academy Award. The 1971 film The Hellstrom Chronicle — about the possibility of insects taking over the world — was executive-produced by Wolper and won the Oscar for documentaries.
Wolper was also attached to such documentaries as Biography, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Appointment with Destiny, This is Elvis, Four Days in November and Imagine: John Lennon.
Among his other projects, he produced The Thorn Birds, North and South for television and the feature films Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and L.A. Confidential.
Wolper is survived by his wife, Gloria, three children from a previous marriage, and 10 grandchildren.
Harold Dow
September 28, 1947-August 21, 2010
Longtime CBS News correspondent Harold Dow died suddenly Saturday morning, according to the network's website. He was 62.
The five-time Emmy Award winner was best known for his work on 48 Hours, to which he contributed since the program's launch in January 1988. He was also a contributor to the critically acclaimed 1986 documentary, 48 Hours on Crack Street, which led to the creation of the weekly news magazine.
"CBS News is deeply saddened by this sudden loss," CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus said in a statement. "The CBS News family has lost one of its oldest and most talented members, whose absence will be felt by many and whose on-air presence and reporting skills touched nearly all of our broadcasts. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Kathy and their children Joelle, Danica and David."
Dow covered many of the most important stories of his time, including 9/11, where he barely escaped one of the falling Twin Towers. He also covered the return of prisoners of war from Vietnam, the movement of American troops into Bosnia, the Pan Am Flight 103 disaster, and the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst, who he interviewed exclusively in 1976. He also conducted the first network TV interview with O. J. Simpson after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
In addition to his five Emmys, Dow was honored with a Peabody Award for his 48 Hours report on runaways and a Robert F. Kennedy Award for a report on public housing. He was also recently recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists for his report about civil rights activist Medgar Evers, which was featured in a CBS News special about the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Prior to beginning his work for CBS News in 1972, Dow was an anchor at Theta Cable TV in Santa Monica, Calif. He was also the first African American television reporter in Omaha, Neb., where he served as co-anchor and talk-show host for KETV Omaha.
Dow's cause of death was not immediately released.
Nancy Dolman
September 26, 1951-August 21, 2010
Martin Short's wife, former actress Nancy Dolman, has died, Short's rep tells TVGuide.com. She was 58.
Dolman died Saturday, but no cause of death or any additional details have been released. According to Lt. Fred Corral of the L.A County coroner's office, Dolman was under a private doctor's care and there was no need for the coroner's involvement.
The Saturday Night Live and Father of the Bride star, 60, married Dolman in 1980. The couple met in 1972 while working together in a Toronto production of Godspell.
Dolman appeared in a recurring role on the prime-time TV series Soap in 1981 and retired in 1985 to raise her family.
The couple had three children: Katherine, 26; Oliver, 24; and Henry, 21.
An e-mail to Short's rep was not immediately returned.
Short is up for an Emmy for his role in Damages.
Robert Schimmel
January 16, 1950-September 3, 2010
Comedian Robert Schimmel, best known for his frequent appearances on Howard Stern's radio show, died after suffering serious injuries in a car accident, according to The Associated Press. He was 60.
Schimmel died Friday evening in a Phoenix hospital, his spokesman Howard Bragman told the AP. He was a passenger in a car driven by his 19-year-old daughter Aliyah whose vehicle rolled to the side of the freeway after she swerved to avoid another vehicle. Aliyah is currently in stable condition, Bragman said.
In addition to his often foulmouthed routines on Stern, Schimmel appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, was named one of Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Comics, and had his own stand-up specials on HBO and Showtime.
In 2008, he wrote Cancer on $5 a Day, a memoir chronicling his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
David Dortort
October 23, 1916-September 5, 2010
David Dortort, creator of the long-running hit Western Bonanza, has died. He was 93.
Dortort died Sunday at his Westwood, Calif., apartment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A three-time Emmy nominee, Dortort got his start writing for such series as The Restless Gun, Lassie and Waterfront. In 1959, he launched Bonanza, featuring then-unknown talents Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts.
The series, which deviated from the usual Western fare by focusing on a family as opposed to drifters, became a ratings smash in 1961 when NBC changed its timeslot from Saturdays to Sundays. It was the nation's top-rated prime-time network series for three seasons, starting in 1964.
Capitalizing on the introduction of color television, Bonanza was the first American Western series to film all its episodes in color.
Dortort also created The High Chaparral, which originally followed Bonanza and ran for four seasons from 1967-71.
Bonanza was canceled in 1973 after 14 seasons after Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, died unexpectedly after complications from gallbladder surgery.
Dortort went to produce several Bonanza TV movies, including Bonanza: The Next Generation, Bonanza: The Return and Bonanza: Under Attack.
He is survived by daughter Wendy, son Fred, brother Elliot and granddaughter Tracy.
Rich Cronin
August 30, 1974-September 8, 2010
Rich Cronin, part of the pop music trio LFO, died Wednesday, according to E! Online. He was 35.
The singer wrote LFO's 1999 break-out hit "Summer Girls," which infamously gave a shout-out to "girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch."
He had been battling myelogenous leukemia since 2005.
Cronin also starred on the VH1 series Mission: Man Band, where former boy band members tried to hit it big a second time around.
"Rip to a great friend rich c," Mission co-star Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC said on his Facebook page Wednesday.
Cronin created the Cronin Hope Foundation to raise awareness about the disease and encourage others to become bone marrow donors.
Kevin McCarthy
February 15, 1914-September 11, 2010
Golden Globe-winning actor Kevin McCarthy, who played the doctor trying to save his neighbors in the sci-fi film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, has died. He was 96.
McCarthy died Saturday, a Cape Cod Hospital spokesman told The Associated Press. The cause of death or any other details were not released.
McCarthy's career began on the stage. His 1938 Broadway debut in Abe Lincoln in Illinois earned him membership in the Actors Studio. McCarthy was chosen to play Willy Loman's son, Biff, in the London production of Death of a Salesman, a role which McCarthy also played in the 1951 film, earning a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. He was named New Star of the Year by the Golden Globes in 1952.
McCarthy's best-known role, however, was that of the frantic doctor who tried in vain to warn his neighbors that pod people from space were taking over the people of Earth. The film was a box-office flop, but it has earned cult status since. It has been remade several times, most notably in 1978 starring Donald Sutherland and again in 2007 as The Invasion starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.
McCarthy's other film roles included Gathering of Eagles, The Best Man, Mirage, Hotel, The Howling, and Twilight Zone: The Movie, He also appeared as Marilyn Monroe's estranged husband in the 1961 classic The Misfits, Monroe's last film.
McCarthy also appeared on such TV shows as ABC medical drama Breaking Point, The Survivors, The Fugitive, and The A-Team. In 1978, he played Harry Truman in the touring one-man show "Give 'em Hell, Harry," He performed the role in more than 350 venues, according to the AP.
He is survived by his second wife, Kate Crane, with whom he had two children. He also had three children from his first marriage to Augusta Dabney.
Eddie Fisher
August 10, 1928-September 22, 2010
Eddie Fisher, the 1950s pop singer and father of Carrie Fisher known for his high-profile Hollywood romances, has died. He was 82.
Fisher died Wednesday in his Berkely, Calif., home, from complications from hip surgery, his daughter, actress and singer Tricia Leigh Fisher, told The Associated Press.
"Late last evening the world lost a true America icon," the family said in a statement Thursday. "One of the greatest voices of the century passed away. He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch."
A Philadelphia native, Fisher rose to fame in the early '50s with hit songs like "Thinking of You" and "Wish You Were Here." He also headlined his own variety series, Coke Time with Eddie Fisher and The Eddie Fisher Show, both on NBC.
In 1955, he married film actress Debbie Reynolds, and the couple had two children, Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher and son Todd.
In 1959, Fisher created a tabloid scanal when he left Reynolds to marry his BUtterfield 8 co-star, Elizabeth Taylor. Five years later, Taylor left Fisher for her Cleopatra co-star, Richard Burton. Fisher went on to marry Connie Stevens, with whom he had two daughters, Tricia Leigh and actress Joely Fisher. Fisher and Stevens divorced in 1969, and he married two more times.
Fisher continued to record throughout the '60s. His last album, After All, was released in 1984.
In 1981, Fisher released an autobiography, Eddie: My Life, My Loves. In the book he wrote that he had been bullied into marrying Reynolds, became a nursemaid to Taylor, and only married Stevens because he got her pregnant. He followed up with another autobiography in 1999 called Been There, Done That, which was further damaging to his exes.
Gloria Stuart
July 4, 1910-September 26, 2010
Gloria Stuart, the 1930s starlet who became the oldest person ever to be nominated for an Academy Award with her career-making turn in Titanic, has died. She was 100.
Stuart died Sunday night at her West Los Angeles home, her daughter, Sylvia Thompson, told The Los Angeles Times. Stuart was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago.
"She also was a breast cancer survivor," Thompson said, "but she just paid no attention to illness. She was a very strong woman and had other fish to fry."
Stuart turned 100 on July 4 and celebrated with Titanic director James Cameron and his wife, Titanic co-star Suzy Amis, at the "Academy Centennial Celebration with Gloria Stuart."
The actress was 87 when she starred as the 101-year-old version of Kate Winslet's Titanic survivor Rose Dawson Calvert, who dropped the "Heart of the Ocean" diamond into the water in the 1997 blockbuster. She became the oldest person nominated for an Oscar, but lost the supporting actress award to Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential).
A glamorous blonde and one of the founders of the Screen Actors Guild, Stuart got her start in the 1930s, making more than 40 films by the end of the decade while under contract at Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox. Among her credits are The Invisible Man with Claude Rains, John Ford's The Prisoner of Shark Island, Roman Scandals, Gold Diggers of 1935 and Here Comes the Navy with James Cagney. She also starred opposite Shirley Temple in Poor Little Rich Girl and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
Stuart's latest contract with 20th Century Fox was not renewed at the turn of the decade, and she only made four films in the '40s, falling further away from achieving A-list status. She retired from acting in 1946 and took up art, becoming an accomplished painter and printer.
After 30 years, Stuart returned to acting, taking bit parts in films, including 1982's My Favorite Year, in which she had no lines, but danced with Peter O'Toole. More than a decade later, she was asked to audition for Titanic.
In her 1999 autobiography, Gloria Stuart: I Just Kept Hoping, Stuart said that after reading the script, "I knew the role I had wanted and waited for all these many years had arrived! I could taste the role of Old Rose!"
Her last screen appearance was in the 2004 Michelle Williams drama Land of Plenty.
Stuart was married twice, first to sculptor Blair Gordon Newell from 1930-34, and then to screenwriter Arthur Sheekman, who penned Roman Scandals, from 1934 until his death in 1978.
In addition to her daughter, from her marriage to Sheekman, Stuart is survived by four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Sally Menke
December 17, 1953-September 27, 2010
Film editor Sally Menke, best known for her work with Quentin Tarantino, was found dead in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported. She was 56.
Friends contacted the police on Monday when Menke didn't return home from hiking with her dog.
Her body was found early Tuesday at the bottom of a ravine, not far from where her car was parked. The Los Angeles County coroner's office was determining whether the record-breaking heat was a factor in her death. Monday's 113 degrees was the hottest day ever recorded in downtown Los Angeles.
Her dog was sitting next to her body, which was about a football field's length from nearby homes, the Times said.
Menke and Tarantino worked together on his first feature, 1992's Reservoir Dogs. In an 2009 essay for the Guardian, Menkin said the script "was amazing. It floored me."
They continued their professional relationship on the films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Vol 1 and 2. Menke also edited last year's Inglourious Basterds.
Arthur Penn
September 27, 1922-September 28, 2010
Arthur Penn, the stage and film director whose iconic Bonnie and Clyde ushered in the post-classical age of Hollywood, has died. He was 88.
Penn died Tuesday — the day after his 88th birthday — his friend and accountant, Evan Bell, told The New York Times. Bell said Penn had been sick for a year, but did not disclose the cause of death.
A Philadelphia native and brother of the late still photographer Irving Penn, Penn first made his name directing television dramas and Broadway plays in the 1950s and '60s. He earned Tony nominations for his stage productions of Two for the Seesaw, The Miracle Worker and All the Way Home, winning for The Miracle Worker. Star Anne Bancroft also won a Tony.
Penn first directed The Miracle Worker for the CBS series Playhouse 90 and then brought it to the big screen in 1962 with Bancroft. The film won best actress and supporting actress awards for Bancroft and Patty Duke, respectively, while Penn was nominated for best director.
In 1967, he helmed Bonnie and Clyde, the rural crime drama starring Warren Beatty — who worked with Penn in 1965's Mickey One — and Faye Dunaway that encouraged audiences to side with the bad guys. The landmark film, an homage to French New Wave films and in line with the counterculture spirit, broke the mold in Hollywood, as it was sexually explicit and violent in ways not yet portrayed on celluloid stateside.
The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including director for Penn, but won only two: supporting actress for Estelle Parsons and cinematography for Burnett Guffney.
Penn reunited with Dunaway for the critically acclaimed 1970 western Little Big Man, in which Dustin Hoffman starred as a white man accepted by the Cheyenne Native American tribe.
His other credits include 1975's Night Moves starring Gene Hackman and 1976's The Missouri Breaks with Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando.
Penn is survived by wife Peggy Maurer and two children, Molly and Matthew.
Greg Giraldo
December 10, 1965-September 29, 2010
Comedian and Last Comic Standing judge Greg Giraldo died Wednesday following a drug overdose, TMZ reported. He was 44.
"Greg was one of the most talented comedians of our time," Last Comic Standing producers said in a statement obtained by TVGuide.com. "His work will surely continue to influence and inspire us. We will miss our friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Friend and fellow comedian Jim Norton posted the last picture he and Giraldo took together on his Twitter: "Greg Giraldo passed away today ... RIP, buddy."
The report of Giraldo's death comes just days after he was hospitalized for what his management called an "accidental overdose." He was listed in critical condition afterwards.
The New York native was a regular on The Howard Stern Show and was known for his appearances on many of Comedy Central's roasts, including most recently The Roast of David Hasselhoff. He joined Last Comic Standing this past season.
Giraldo, who worked as a lawyer before turning to comedy, is survived by his three children.
A representative at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., declined to comment. Giraldo's agent and manager also declined to comment.
Tony Curtis
June 3, 1925-September 29, 2010
Tony Curtis, the Oscar-nominated heartthrob and father of Jamie Lee Curtis best known for such hits as Sweet Smell of Success and Some Like It Hot, has died. He was 85.
Curtis died Wednesday night at his Las Vegas home of cardiac arrest, the Clark County coroner told The Associated Press.
Curtis, who had heart bypass surgery in 1994, suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was hospitalized in July after he had trouble breathing. The actor almost died in 2006, when he contracted pneumonia and was in a coma for several days.
Born Bernard Schwartz, Curtis, who joined the Navy during World War II, signed a contract with Universal Pictures in 1948 at age 23 and made his film debut a year later in Criss Cross.
Handsome and athletic, Curtis admitted that he banked on his looks early in his career, but he became a respected actor with a trio of acclaimed hits: 1957's Sweet Smell of Success, in which he played a conniving press agent; 1958's The Defiant Ones, in which he was a bigoted convict opposite Sidney Poitier; and 1959's slapstick hit Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon. Curtis and Poiter both earned best actor Oscar nominations for The Defiant Ones, but they both lost to Separate Tables' David Niven.
Curtis continued to act well into the 2000s, extending his career to seven decades. Other credits include the historical epic Spartacus, Houdini and a voice role in Rosemary's Baby. His last film was the 2008 drama David & Fatima.
His personal life was filled with turmoil. Once arrested on a marijuana possession charge, he did a stint at the Betty Ford Clinic. He was married six times. His first and most famous union was with Janet Leigh, a marriage that produced actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis. The couple divorced in 1962 after 11 years. Curtis had four more children, including son Nicholas, who died in 1994 at age 23 of a heroin overdose. Curtis had difficult relationships with all of his kids and was notoriously estranged from Jamie Lee until about 30 years ago.
"I understand him better now," she told People in 1980, "perhaps not as a father but as a man."
Curtis is survived by his wife, equestrian Jill Vandenburg, whom he wed in 1998, and his five children.
Stephen J. Cannell
February 5, 1941-September 30, 2010
Prolific writer and producer Stephen J. Cannell, who created such shows as The Rockford Files and The A-Team, has died. He was 69.
Cannell died from complications associated with melanoma in his Pasadena, Calif., home on Thursday, The Associated Press reports.
Cannell got his start as a story editor on the cop drama Adam-12. He went on to create and co-create nearly 40 television series, including The Rockford Files, The A-Team, 21 Jump Street and The Commish.
In recent years, Cannell turned his focus from television to novels and published 16 books.
The Los Angeles native was also an occasional actor and had a recurring role on ABC's Castle.
Cannell was married to his high school sweetheart, Marcia. The couple had two daughters, Tawnia and Chelsea, and a son, Cody. Their firsborn, Derek, died at the age of 15 in 1981.
Solomon Burke
March 21, 1940-October 10, 2010
Solomon Burke, a soul music pioneer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee whose songs blended soul, gospel, country and R&B, has died. He was 70.
Burke died early Sunday at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, according to The Associated Press. He was scheduled to perform in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Burke's family said in a statement on the singer's website that he died of natural causes.
Burke's biggest hits include his first single, "Cry to Me," and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," the latter of which he wrote in 1964. The song was recorded by the Rolling Stones, but it is perhaps most famous for its use in The Blues Brothers, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.
Dirty Dancing also popularized "Cry to Me," which was featured in the background as stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced seductively in one of the film's most memorable scenes.
"This is a time of great sorrow for our entire family," the family's statement read. "We truly appreciate all of the support and well wishes from his friends and fans. Although our hearts and lives will never be the same, his love, life and music will continue to live within us forever."
Although his popularity never matched that of contemporaries James Brown or Marvin Gaye, Burke was acknowledged as one of the 1960s' greatest soul singers. Jerry Wexler, a producer for Atlantic Records, Burke's label, once called Burke "the best soul singer of all time," according to the AP.
Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and won a Grammy the following year for his contemporary blues album, Don't Give Up on Me. Those recent honors created new interest in Burke's music, and he had toured the world in recent years, often playing songs by request rather than following a set list, according to his website.
Burke fathered 21 children, and had scores of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Simon MacCorkindale
February 12, 1952-October 14, 2010
Manimal star Simon MacCorkindale has died. He was 58.
MacCorkindale died Thursday night in the arms of his wife, actress Susan George, at a London clinic, the BBC reported. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006, which spread to his lungs a year later.
Born in England, MacCorkindale acted in the West End production of Pygmalion. He later moved to the U.S. where he appeared on the TV series Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Hart to Hart and The Dukes of Hazard. In 1983, he was cast in the lead role on NBC's Manimal. In 2002, he joined the cast of BBC's Casualty.
"No one could have fought this disease any harder than he did since being diagnosed four years ago," George said. "To me, he was simply the best of everything, and I loved him with all my heart. He will live on in me forever."
Barbara Billingsley
December 22, 1915-October 16, 2010
Barbara Billingsley, best known as Leave It to Beaver's picture-perfect matriarch June Cleaver, has died. She was 94.
Billingsley died early Saturday at her Santa Monica, Calif., home, family spokeswoman Judy Twersky said. The actress had suffered from a rheumatoid disease.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and lifetime mentor Barbara Billingsley. She will live in the hearts of her fans as a wonderful actress and be remembered by her friends as a gracious lady," Beaver co-star Jerry Mathers, who played Billingsley's mischievous son, Theodore "Beaver," told TMZ. "She will be deeply missed by all of her family, friends, fans and most especially by me."
A former fashion model, Billingsley started acting in the 1940s, appearing in such films as Three Guys Named Mike, Invaders from Mars and The Careless Years. She made her TV debut in a 1952 episode of The Abbott and Costello Show and later appeared on The Lone Wolf, City Detective and Schlitz Playhouse of Stars.
But Billingsley didn't become a star until 1957 when she signed on to play the quintessential TV mom, June Cleaver, on CBS' family sitcom Leave It to Beaver, alongside Mathers, Hugh Beaumont and Tony Dow. CBS canceled the series after one season due to poor ratings. The show then moved to ABC, where it remained for five more years, achieving iconic status for its portrayal of an idealized American family in suburbia.
Impeccably dressed with her trademark pearls and high heels, stay-at-home mom June was dutifully devoted to her husband, Ward (Beaumont), and regularly dispensed advice to her sons, "Beaver" and Wally (Dow).
"Barbara was a patient advisor and teacher," Mathers said. "She helped me along this challenging journey through life by showing me the importance of manners, and respect for others."
Typecast as the perfect mother, Billingsley took a break from acting after the show ended. She poked fun her wholesome image in the 1980 satire Airplane!, playing a passenger who could speak jive.
Billingsley subsequently starred in the 1983 Beaver reunion TV movie, Still the Beaver, and the revival series, The New Leave It to Beaver, which lasted four seasons. In the 1997 film version of Beaver, Billingsley played Aunt Martha. Other credits include Mork & Mindy, Roseanne, Empty Nest and Muppet Babies, on which she voiced Nanny and The Little Train.
Billingsley was married three times, and her last husband died in 1981. She is survived by two sons, three stepchildren and several grandchildren.
Tom Bosley
October 1, 1927-October 19, 2010
Tom Bosley, who played the gruff but lovable Mr. C on Happy Days, and whose stable demeanor made him one of TV's ultimate father figures, has died. He was 83.
Bosley had been battling lung cancer but died of heart failure at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., early Tuesday, his agent, Sheryl Abrams,
told TVGuide.com.
Bosley's Happy Days character, Howard Cunningham, was constantly distracted from life's simple pleasures — his couch, meetings of the Leopard Club, chats with his wife, Marion — by problems and misunderstandings almost always brought on by his kids. He was a surrogate father to everyone in the Happy Days gang, including Arthur "Fonz" Fonzarelli, who dubbed him "Mr. C" out of respect.
"I'm so saddened by the loss of our wonderful Tom Bosley. Remarkable on so many levels, Tom's insight, talent, strength of character and comic timing made him a vital central figure in the Happy Days experience. A great father and husband, and a wonderful artist, Tom lead by example, and made us all laugh while he was doing it," Bosley's TV son, Ron Howard, said in a statement. "I miss him already."
He followed Happy Days by playing another reassuring character, Murder She Wrote's Sheriff Amos Tupper, and then with another fatherly turn as a crime-solving priest on Father Dowling Mysteries. (Unlike his very Catholic character, Bosley was Jewish.)
His death came just three days after the death of another iconic TV parent, Leave it to Beaver mom Barbara Billingsley. Since both shows were set in the 1950s and '60s, both stars came to be equated with nostalgia for a supposedly simpler time.
Happy Days lasted from 1974 to 1984 and spawned a slew of spin-offs: Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi. Its influence is obvious on countless sitcoms, most notably That ' 70s Show, another nostalgic Wisconsin-based sitcom.
"Tom was a family member, both on and off the sound stage. We acted together, traveled together and played charades together," Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler said in a statement. "He was a loving husband, a doting father and a fantastic grandfather. He will be so missed but never forgotten by the Winkler family or the world."
Bosley's aura of stability made him not only a perfect dad, but also an ideal pitchman. His ads for Glad Trash Bags were a perfect mix of product and celebrity endorser: Trash bags need to be reliable, and who was more reliable than Mr. C?
Bosley, born Oct. 1, 1927, had his big breakthrough playing New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia in the long-running Broadway musical Fiorello!, for which he won a Tony in 1960.
TV Guide Network will air The Cast of Happy Days: Where Are They Now on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET/PT.
Bob Guccione
December 17, 1930-October 20, 2010
Penthouse magazine founder Bob Guccione has died. He was 79.
Guccione died at Plano Specialty Hospital in Plano, Texas, his family said in a statement to The Associate Press. He battled lung cancer for several years.
Guccione started his magazine in England in 1965 in order to pay for his art career. He brought the magazine to the U.S. four years later, hoping to one-up Playboy by focusing on voyeurism. "To see her as if she doesn't know she's being seen. That was the sexy part, Guccione told The Independent in London, in 2004. "That was the part that none of our competition understood."
In 1984, Penthouse published nude pictures of Vanessa Williams after she was chosen as Miss America. She was famously forced to relinquish her crown due to the nature of the photos.
Guccione also made waves with one his largest business failures, an investment in the 1979 X-rated film, Caligula. The film, which starred Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, and Peter O'Toole was a box-office bomb that critics panned it for its gratuitous sex scenes.
Guccione married four times. He has a daughter, Tonina, from his first marriage, and three sons, Bob Jr., Tony, and Nick, and daughter, Nina, from his second marriage. He married his fourth wife, April, in 2006.
Lisa Blount
July 1, 1957-c. October 25, 2010
Lisa Blount, an Oscar-winning producer and an actress best known for her co-starring role in An Officer and a Gentleman, has died. She was 53.
Blount was found dead in her Little Rock, Ark., home Wednesday by her mother, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Though a statement by her publicist did not provide a cause of death, Pulaski County coroner Garland Camper told TVGuide.com that there were no signs of foul play. Her husband, director-producer Ray McKinnon (Apollo 13, The Bind Side), was out of town at the time.
Blount earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Debra Winger's friend, Lynette Pomeroy, in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. In 2001, she won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film as the producer of that year's The Accountant, in which she and her husband co-starred.
Blount's other film credits include Needful Things, Great Balls of Fire, Box of Moonlight, Prince of Darkness and Chrystal. She also co-starred with Heroes' Adrian Pasdar in the short-lived Fox series Profit in 1996.
Paul the Octopus
January 2008-October 26, 2010
Paul the Octopus, the German sea creature who correctly predicted the results of eight World Cup matches this summer, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 2 years old.
The seemingly psychic octopus died of natural causes Tuesday morning in his tank at the Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. "We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds, and erect a modest permanent shrine," Sea Life manager Stefan Porwoll said in a statement.
Paul correctly forecasted the results of all seven of Germany's World Cup matches and Spain's final victory over The Netherlands by opening the lid of one of two clear plastic boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a country's flag.
Following his rise to stardom as a sports soothsayer, Paul was appointed as an ambassador to England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
The English-born octopus retired from the psychic business after the final match to return to his former job of making children laugh.
James Wall
December 12, 1917-October 27, 2010
James Wall, a longtime CBS stage manager and actor best known as Captain Kangaroo's neighbor, Mr. Baxter, on the network's children's show, has died. He was 92.
Wall died in his sleep Wednesday in New York City after a short illness, CBS News reports.
A former vaudevillian, Wall — who was credited as Larry Wall — joined Captain Kangaroo as a stage manager in 1962 before convincing producers to create the show's first black character, the knowledgeable Mr. Baxter, in 1968. Wall played the role and another recurring part on the series for 10 years.
In addition to Captain Kangaroo, Wall was also the stage manager for a plethora of CBS, CBS News and CBS Sports programs, including the CBS Evening News, Face the Nation, 60 Minutes and NFL Today. In 2008, he was recognized on the air for his 41st straight year as stage manager of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
Wall semi-retired in 1988, but continued to work as a fill-in stage manager for the CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes until last year.
In 1994, the Director's Guild of America honored Wall with its Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.
Wall is survived by his wife, Dolly Wall, whom he married in 1942.
Denise Borino-Quinn
January 6, 1964-October 27, 2010
Denise Borino-Quinn, best known for playing mafia wife Ginny Sacramoni on The Sopranos, has died, according to The Associated Press. She was 46.
Borino-Quinn died Wednesday after a long battle with liver cancer, according to the Farmer Funeral Home in Roseland, N.J. Her husband, Luke Quinn Jr., passed away in March.
A Roseland native, Borino-Quinn was hired for The Sopranos after attending an open casting call with a friend in 2000. She had no previous acting experience before playing the role of Ginny Sacramoni, the wife of mobster John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni who struggled with a weight problem.
Aside from acting, Borino-Quinn worked at a New Brunswick, N.J., law firm.
James MacArthur
December 8, 1937-October 28, 2010
James MacArthur, best known for his role as Danno on the original Hawaii Five-0, died of natural causes in Florida on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. He was 72.
MacArthur was most recognized for his role as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams on Hawaii Five-0, which aired from 1968 to 1980 — one of the longest-running crime shows in television history. "Book em, Danno," the catchphrase said by Danno's partner Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) in many episodes, became a pop culture staple.
A remake of Hawaii Five-0 debuted in the fall on CBS with Scott Cann taking over the role made famous by MacArthur.
MacArthur attended Harvard University, but dropped out to pursue an acting career. Some of his early credits include the Disney films Swiss Family Robinson and Kidnapped. He also appeared in The Battle of the Bulge, The Truth About Spring, Cry of Battle, Spencer's Mountain and The Interns.
Charlie O'Donnell
August 12, 1932-November 1, 2010
Charlie O'Donnell, the original announcer of Wheel of Fortune, has died. He was 78.
O'Donnell died late Sunday in his Los Angeles home, his agent told The Associated Press. The cause of death is unclear.
O'Donnell began his career with Dick Clark on American Bandstand. He started voicing Wheel of Fortune in 1975 when Chuck Woolery was host. He remained there until 1980, when he took a hiatus and later worked as an announcer for The Joker's Wild. O'Donnell returned to Fortune in 1988, where he worked until his death. O'Donnell also lent his voice to the Emmys, American Music Awards and Academy Awards throughout his career.
Andy Irons
July 24, 1978-November 2, 2010
Former three-time world surfing champion Andy Irons has died. He was 32.
Irons was found dead Tuesday morning in his Dallas hotel room, The Associated Press reports. The cause of death was not immediately known.
Irons was on a layover en route to his home in Hawaii. The surfer was returning from Puerto Rico, where he was supposed to have competed in the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search. He had withdrawn on Sunday, citing an illness he contracted at an earlier event in Portugal.
The Kauai native became a surfing icon after he won the world championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He was scheduled to compete next week in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which he had won four times.
"The thing that I think many of us appreciated the most about Andy was that he was an incredibly real person," Jodi Wilmot, a spokeswoman for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, said. "He reveled in competition and in stepping up to the plate and I think that's something in sport that anybody can admire."
Irons is survived by his wife, Lyndie, who is pregnant with their first child.
Michelle Nicastro
March 31, 1960-November 4, 2010
Michelle Nicastro, an actress and singer best known for introducing the titular characters in When Harry Met Sally..., has died. She was 50.
Nicastro died Nov. 4 after a 10-year battle with cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A Washington, D.C., native, Nicastro got her start in theater, originating the roles of Ariadne in the 1983 Broadway musical Merlin and Eponine in the original 1988 Los Angeles production of Les Misérables, respectively. She won the DramaLogue Critics Award and the Robby Award for her work in Les Misérables.
After making her film debut in 1984's Body Rock, Nicastro co-starred in 1989's When Harry Met Sally... as Amanda Reese, Harry's college sweetheart who introduces him to her friend, Sally. Nicastro also voiced Princess Odette in The Swan Princess and its two sequels.
On television, Nicastro starred on the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara for two years and won ACE and BMI awards for an original song she co-wrote and performed on It's Garry Shandling's Show. She also guest-starred on such series as Airwolf, Charles in Charge, Who's the Boss?, Knight Rider, Murder, She Wrote, Full House, Beverly Hills, 90210, Wings and Coach.
Nicastro released four albums, including Toonful and Toonful Too, which featured songs from animated musicals.
Nicastro is survived by her husband of 24 years, Event producer Steve Stark; daughters Callie and Cady; and sisters Beth Ann and Kristin.
Jill Clayburgh
April 30, 1944-November 5, 2010
Oscar-nominated actress Jill Clayburgh, who recently appeared in ABC's Dirty Sexy Money, died Friday, The New York Times reports. She was 66.
Clayburgh passed away at her home in Lakeville, Conn. after a 21-year battle with chronic leukemia, her husband told the newspaper.
Clayburgh got her start in theater, appearing in shows including the original Broadway run of Pippin, before moving to the big screen. She is best known for her starring roles in An Unmarried Woman and Starting Over, both of which earned her Academy Award nominations for best actress.
Other notable roles include Gene Wilder's love interest in the 1976 comedy Silver Streak, and screen siren Carole Lombard in Gable and Lombard, which came out the same year.
Clayburgh was also nominated for two Emmy awards, for the TV movie Hustling and a guest appearance on Nip/Tuck. Her most memorable small screen roles include playing Ally McBeal's mother, and Darling family matriarch on the 2007 drama Dirty Sexy Money.
She appears in the Anne Hathaway-Jake Gyllenhaal drama Love and Other Drugs, which comes out Nov. 24, and the upcoming Judd Apatow comedy Bridesmaids.
Clayburgh is survived by her husband, playwright David Rabe, her daughter, Broadway actress Lily Rabe, her son, Michael, and her stepson, Jason.
Dino De Laurentiis
August 8, 1919-November 10, 2010
Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis died in Los Angeles on Friday, The New York Times reports. He was 91.
"Cinema has lost one of its greats," Walter Veltroni, former mayor of Rome and the founder of the Rome Film Festival, said in a statement. "The name of Dino De Laurentiis is tied to the history of cinema."
De Laurentiis got his start in 1940 on the film L'ultimo Combattimento and in 1946 started his company, the Dino De Laurentiis Cinemotografica. He went on to produce more than 500 films and won an Academy Award in 1956 for Federico Fellini's La Strada and in 1957 for Nights of Cabiria. It was on his 1949 film Bitter Rice that he met his first wife, actress Silvana Mangano.
In the 1970s, De Laurentiis moved to the United States, where he produced, among other films, Serpico, Death Wish, Three Days of the Condor and a 1976 remake of King Kong. Other films include the Conan the Barbarian and Hannibal Lecter series, including 2001's Hannibal. Other business endeavors, including a hotel in Bora Bora, an upscale deli in New York City and a studio complex in North Carolina, were less successful for De Laurentiis.
De Laurentiis had four children with Mangano, who died in 1989: Veronica, Raffaella, Federico and Francesca. He later married producer Martha Schumacher, with whom he had two daughters, Carolyna and Dina. One of his granddaughters is the Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis, who said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: "My grandfather was a true inspiration. He was my biggest champion in life and a constant source for wisdom and advice. I will miss him dearly."
Ronni Chasen
October 17, 1946-November 16, 2010
Noted publicist Ronni Chasen died after being shot several times and crashing her vehicle into a light pole in Beverly Hills, Calif., early Tuesday morning, authorities said.
While police have not yet named the victim officially, the coroner's office spokesman Ed Winter identified Chasen to TVGuide.com.
Authorities released a statement saying that the victim had multiple gunshot wounds to her chest and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
"At this time there is no suspect, info or motive for this crime," police Lt. Tony Lee said in the statement.
Chasen, who owned her own public relations firm Chasen & Co., was earlier attending a premiere of Burlesque, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A call to Chasen's firm was not immediately returned.
Chasen, began her career as a publicist in 1973 and worked on films including 1989's Driving Miss Daisy and 1994's Lolita.
She was named senior vice president of worldwide publicity at MGM in 1993 and worked for Rogers and Cowan for several years.
Chasen, who was 64, was most recently working on Sony Pictures' awards campaigns on behalf of The Social Network, Burlesque and Country Strong. Her clients included producers Richard and Lili Zanuck and Irwin Winkler as well as composer Hans Zimmer and songwriter Diane Warren. Warren has a song in Burlesque.
Isabelle Caro
September 12, 1982-November 17, 2010
Isabelle Caro, a French model and actress whose anorexia-stricken body was used in a shock Italian ad in 2007, has died. She was 28.
Daniele Dubreuil-Prevot, Caro's acting coach, told The Associated Press that Caro died Nov. 17 after returning to France from a job in Tokyo.
Dubreuil-Prevot said she did not know the cause of death, but said Caro "had been sick for a long time" from anorexia, which she had battled since she was 13.
Caro made headlines in 2007 when her skeletal frame was featured in an anti-anorexia fashion ad by Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani under the headline "No Anorexia." Caro said later that she weighed 59 pounds at the time of the shoot.
In 2008, she wrote a book, published in France, titled The Little Girl Who Didn't Want to Get Fat. Earlier this year, she appeared on Jessica Simpson's VH1 series The Price of Beauty to discuss body image issues and her struggle to overcome anorexia.
Irvin Kershner
April 29, 1923-November 27, 2010
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner has died, according to the Agence France-Presse. He was 87.
Kershner died at his Los Angeles home after a long illness, his goddaughter Adriana Santini told AFP.
Kershner was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and trained as a musician and photographer before he began directing feature films.
In addition to helming the Star Wars sequel, Kershner directed Sean Connery as James Bond in Never Say Never Again in 1983 and Peter Weller in Robocop 2 in 1990.
Leslie Nielsen
February 11, 1926-November 28, 2010
Leslie Nielsen, whose career went from officious and villainous types to the hilariously buffoony roles in Airplane! and the Naked Gun movies, died Sunday of complications from pneumonia, his agent told TVGuide.com. He was 84.
He was surrounded by family when he died in a hospital near his Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home.
The actor had a whole career before becoming one of the funniest guys in movies. He typically played people who were quite humorless.
Before his starring roles in The Poseidon Adventure and Forbidden Planet, he appeared in several live television series such as Lights Out, Tales of Tomorrow and Armstrong Circle Theatre.
A student of the Actors Studio, the Canadian-born Nielsen went on to appear in innumerable episodes of various TV series, spanning the Golden Age of Television and its anthologies including Playhouse 90 to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Fugitive, Peyton Place and The Wild Wild West — and beyond.
He starred in a 1961-62 TV series titled The New Breed, and appeared in the 1968 pilot of the original Hawaii Five-0, the reboot of which has been the current season's most successful new network prime-time show.
A stunning turning point in his career came with 1980's Airplane!
Nielsen portrayed Dr. Rumack, a passenger who's one of the few crewmen or passengers not suffering from food poisoning. During the chaos, the doctor delivers more bad news, to which Ted Striker (Robert Hays) says, "Surely, you can't be serious." His deadpan response: "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley."
Long a serious actor, he's known by two generations of fans only as a lovable goofball. It was fitting since he had always been a cut-up and prankster off-screen. In interviews, he said he never went anywhere without his Whoopee cushion.
Following the film's success, Nielsen starred in the ABC series Police Squad! Though the 1982 cop drama satire was short-lived, Nielsen got an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Detective Frank Drebin.
The series inspired 1988's The Naked Gun, a film which brought Nielsen back as Drebin, who attempted to stop the assassination of Queen Elizabeth II. The film was followed by two sequels, Naked Gun 2½ and Naked Gun 33 1/3. A fourth installment of the series was announced in 2009.
Nielsen went on to star in such parodies as Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Spy Hard and 2001: A Space Travesty. He also appeared in the spoofs Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4 as well as An American Carol and Superhero Movie.
More recently, Nielsen narrated the comedic documentary Doctor*Ology for the Discovery Channel. He also appeared in commercials and lent his voice to animated series.
Nielsen is survived by his fourth wife, Barbaree, and two children from a previous marriage.
Elaine Kaufman
February 10, 1929-December 3, 2010
Elaine Kaufman, the well-known owner of legendary New York City restaurant Elaine's, has died, according to The New York Post. She was 81 years old.
Kaufman, who had been in failing health, died at 12:20 p.m. at Lenox Hill Hospital, a spokeswoman for the restaurant told the paper. She died from complications tied to emphysema.
Born in 1929, Kaufman grew up in Queens and spent her early years hanging out backstage at theaters around the city. She opened Elaine's in 1963 with just $12,000 and the restaurant quickly became a go-to spot for writers in the area. Kaufman was known for taking care of a group of writers and reporters that included Norman Mailer, Kurt Vonnegut, Gay Talese, Nora Ephron and David Halberstam.
"Elaine was a New York institution," New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said.
Until her hospitalization last month, she was worked seven days a week, greeting customers and working until close.
Kaufman made appearances as herself in several movies, most recently the Rachel McAdams comedy Morning Glory.
A memorial service is expected to take place sometime next year.
Don Meredith
April 10, 1938-December 5, 2010
"Dandy" Don Meredith, who supplied the cornpone counterpoint to Howard Cosell's polysyllabic patter and helped make ABC's Monday Night Football a TV phenomenon in the 1970s, has died. He was 72.
He also did Lipton tea commercials for years (in which he called himself "Jeff and Hazel's baby boy") and forged a creditable career as an actor, particularly with a recurring role in the NBC anthology series Police Story, which ran from 1973 to 1977. Among other roles, he also lent his voice to a 1999 King of the Hill episode in which Hank competes for big money in a beer promotion at a football game.
His wife of 38 years, Susan, told The Associated Press on Monday that her husband died in Santa Fe, N.M., after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma.
Meredith brought humor into the broadcast booth that he shared with Cosell and play-by-play men Keith Jackson and then Frank Gifford. One of his best lines came when a camera caught a glimpse of a fan who was so disgusted by watching his team get shellacked that he flashed a middle finger — Meredith joked the guy simply meant his team was No. 1. Another of his lines: "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, wouldn't it be a Merry Christmas?"
He was honest too, as he never tried to bamboozle viewers into sticking around once the game was out of hand. He would sing Willie Nelson's lyrics, "Turn out the lights, the party's over ..." whenever the outcome was a fait accompli.
Before his TV career, Meredith was a star quarterback — first with Southern Methodist University, where he became a two-time All-American, then with the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1968. He became the Cowboys starter in 1965 and led them to their first winning season in 1966.
Unfortunately, he's also remembered for losing back-to-back NFL championship games to Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers — most famously, the 1967 Ice Bowl. He retired — in his prime — at 31.
By 1970, he was on MNF, helping to make pro football's historic move to prime time a hit. Meredith left ABC after the 1973 season for his gig at NBC, returning in 1977 before retiring in 1984, one year after Cosell (who died in 1995) left the booth.
Alan Armer
July 7, 1922-December 5, 2010
Alan A. Armer, who produced the Emmy-winning television show The Fugitive, has died of colon cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 88.
Armer died Dec. 5 in his Los Angeles home.
From 1949-51, Armer produced one of TV's first shows, Lights, Camera, Action. He went on to produce 20th Century Fox's first show, My Friend Flicka, in 1955, followed by Broken Arrow (1956) and Man Without a Gun (1958).
Armer produced 90 episodes of The Fugitive, which ran on ABC from 1963-67. The series won an Emmy for best drama in 1966. He continued his career throughout the '70s and penned three books about writing and directing for television. Armer was also a professor for two decades at Cal State Northridge. In 2000, he donated $1 million to the university to fund the Alan and Elaine Armer Theater.
Armer is survived by his children, Ellen, Michael, David and Aimee; his grandchildren Rachel, Taylor, Spencer, Leah, Hanna and Ethan; and his great-grandsons, Ford and Cole.
Elizabeth Edwards
July 3, 1949-December 7, 2010
Elizabeth Edwards, political wife and author, died Tuesday morning after a six-year battle with breast cancer, CNN.com reports. She was 61.
Edwards, who was legally separated from former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She passed away in her Chapel Hill, N.C. home, surrounded by family.
"Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth's presence but she remains the heart of this family. We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life," her family said in a statement. "On behalf of Elizabeth we want to express our gratitude to the thousands of kindred spirits who moved and inspired her along the way. Your support and prayers touched our entire family."
Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and had been in remission until 2007, when she announced the disease had spread. On Monday, the Edwards family announced that her cancer had further spread to her liver, and that doctors had advised her to cease treatment because it would be "unproductive."
"She is resting at home with family and friends," the family said in a statement Monday.
Despite the return of her cancer, Edwards stood by husband John Edwards, then a North Carolina senator, in support of his bid to run for president. He withdrew from the race in 2008 after Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton had taken the clear lead for the Democratic ticket.
Several months later, additional reports surfaced alleging that John had had an affair with and fathered a love child by Rielle Hunter, a videographer for his 2008 presidential campaign. The National Enquirer first broke the story in October 2007.
He denied the reports for several months, but in August 2008 admitted to the affair. In January 2010, he also admitted he was the father of Hunter's 2-year-old-daughter.
John and Elizabeth announced their separation less than a week later.
Edwards wrote autobiographical books about her struggle with cancer and the death of her son eldest son, Wade, who died in a car accident in 1996. Her latest book, Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities, went on sale in June.
On Monday, she took to her Facebook to share her appreciation for those who had supported her through her battle with cancer.
"I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope," Edwards wrote. "These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that."
Edwards is survived by her three children with John: Cate, 27; Emma Claire, 11, and Jack, 9.
Reps for the Edwards did not immediately respond to TVGuide.com's request for comment.
James Moody
March 26, 1925-December 9, 2010
James Moody, the jazz saxophonist best known for his hit "Moody's Mood for Love," has died. He was 85.
Moody died Thursday from pancreatic cancer at a hospice in San Diego, Calif., The Associated Press reports.
A native of Savannah, Ga., Moody got his start in 1946, playing with Dizzy Gillespie. He did his first recording in 1948 and a year later reinterpreted the 1935 classic "I'm in the Mood for Love" with "Moody's Mood for Love."
The song became a jazz and pop standard, having been recorded by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse, and was elected into the Grammy Awards' Hall of Fame in 2001.
Moody's other honors include being named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998 and receiving the 2007 Kennedy Center Living Jazz Legend award. He has also been inducted into the International Jazz Hall of Fame.
His last album, Moody 4B, recorded in 2008 and released this year, earned him a Grammy nomination earlier this month for best jazz instrumental album.
In his later years, Moody performed with the James Moody Quartet and regularly played with the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars and the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars Big Band.
He is survived by his third wife, Linda; daughter Michelle Bagdanove; sons Patrick, Regan, and Danny McGowan; brother Lou Watters; four grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Richard Holbrooke
April 24, 1941-December 13, 2010
Richard C. Holbrooke, a diplomatic troubleshooter in the Obama administration, has died, according to The New York Times. He was 69.
Holbrooke was taken to the hospital Friday after falling ill during a meeting with Hillary Rodham Clinton. Holbrooke underwent a 21-hour surgery for a tear in his aorta and remained in critical condition until his passing Monday at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Holbrooke, who had worked for every Democratic president since the late '60s, was most recently a special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was also the chief architect of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia.
He is survived by his third wife, Kati Marton, who was previously married to ABC anchorman Peter Jennings, and two sons from a previous marriage.
Blake Edwards
July 26, 1922-December 15, 2010
Blake Edwards, the director and writer of the Pink Panther series and Breakfast at Tiffany's, died Thursday morning. He was 88.
Edwards died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., from complications of pneumonia.
Best known for his comedic work, Edwards began his career as an actor before moving behind the camera. After creating the Emmy-nominated spy series Peter Gunn in 1959, he got his major film break when he was chosen to direct the Audrey Hepburn classic Breakfast at Tiffany's after John Frankenheimer dropped out. He followed it up with another hit, 1962's Days of Wine and Roses, a drama about alcoholism.
Two years later, he created the Pink Panther series of films, which starred Peter Sellers as bumbling police inspector Jacques Clouseau. He went on to direct such comedies as 10, Victor/Victoria and S.O.B., the latter two of which starred his wife Julie Andrews. His last film was 1993's Son of the Pink Panther, the ninth film in the series.
In 2004, Edwards received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of his writing, directing and producing throughout the years.
Edwards married Andrews in 1969. They had five children together.
Captain Beefheart
January 15, 1941-December 17, 2010
Musician and artist Don Van Vliet, who performed experimental rock under the name Captain Beefheart, died Friday, according to The Associated Press. He was 69.
Van Vliet died in California from complications stemming from multiple sclerosis, according to the Michael Werner Gallery in New York. The gallery exhibits his paintings.
Van Vliet's best known work was his 1969 album, Trout Mask Replica. Rolling Stone recently ranked the album as number 58 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
He served as a role model for other musicians because he shunned commercial success and is cited as an influence on the rise of punk, post-punk and new wave.
Van Vliet turned full-time to art in the 1980s, painting acclaimed expressionistic works.
He is survived by his wife of more than 40 years.
Steve Landesberg
November 23, 1936-December 20, 2010
Steve Landesberg, who starred in ABC's Barney Miller, has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 65.
Landesberg died Friday morning of cancer. "I'm sorry to report the loss of Steve," Landesberg's agent said in a statement.
Landesberg was best known for his role in Barney Miller, where he played Detective Arthur P. Dietrich. He went on to appear in such films as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Wild Hogs and Leader of the Band.
Among his television work: The Rockford Files, Law & Order, Saturday Night Live, and The Golden Girls. He most recently starred in Head Case, a Starz original series that featured celebrities going through faux-therapy sessions.
Reps for the actor did not immediately respond to TVGuide.com's request for comment.
Fred Foy
March 27, 1921-December 22, 2010
Fred Foy, an announcer best known for his work on The Long Ranger radio and TV series, died Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. He was 89.
Foy died of natural causes at his home in Woburn, Mass., his daughter told the news agency.
A Detroit native, Foy began his radio career in 1942 before he was drafted into Army later that year. He served in the Armed Forces Radio unit during World War II.
Foy landed the job on The Long Ranger in 1948, leading in every show with: "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-Yo Silver!' ... The Lone Ranger!"
Radio historian Jim Harmon called Foy "perhaps the greatest announcer-narrator in the history of radio drama." In his book, Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media, Harmon said Foy "pronounced words like no one else ever had — 'SIL-ver,' 'hiss-TOR-ee.' But hearing him, you realized everyone else had been wrong."
Foy also performed on radio series such as The Green Hornet, and later worked for ABC as the announcer on The Dick Cavett Show and narrating documentaries.
Foy is survived by his wife of 63 years, Francis, their three children and three grandchildren.
Bud Greenspan
September 18, 1926-December 25, 2010
Bud Greenspan, the Emmy winning documentary filmmaker who chronicled the journeys of Olympic athletes for six decades, has died. He was 84.
Greenspan died Saturday in his New York City home from complications of Parkinson's disease, according to The Associated Press.
Greenspan first garnered attention in 1964 with Jesse Owens Returns to Berlin, which followed the Olympian back to the location where he won his first gold medal 30 years earlier. That film and 21 others were part of Greenspan's most famous work, The Olympiad, a 10-part series that won Greenspan his first Emmy in 1976.
Greenspan remained committed to highlighting uplifting stories. "I spend my time on about the 99 percent of what's good about the Olympics and most people spend 100 percent of their time on the one percent that's negative," he once told ESPN.com. "I've been criticized for seeing things through rose-colored glasses, but the percentages are with me."
In 1985, Greenspan received the Olympic Order award. Former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch called him "the foremost producer, writer and director of Olympic films; more than that, he is an everlasting friend of the Olympic family."
Greenspan also received a lifetime achievement award from the Directors Guild of America in 1995 and a George Foster Peabody Award in 1996. In 2006, he received the lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Greenspan also wrote books and produced nearly 20 spoken-word albums. Most recently, he was working on rough cuts of films from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.
He is survived by his partner Nancy Beffa.
Teena Marie
March 5, 1956-December 26, 2010
Teena Marie, a Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter and producer, has died. She was 54.
Marie was found dead Sunday in her Los Angeles home, her manager told CNN.com.
Teena Marie, who was born Marie Christine Brockert, was best known for her work with the late R&B legend Rick James. Marie was signed to Motown Records in 1976 and released 13 studio albums — six of which went platinum on the US R&B chart.
Marie's biggest hit was her 1984 single "Lovergirl," which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Billy Taylor
July 24, 1921-December 28, 2010
Billy Taylor, the noted jazz pianist and educator who enjoyed tremendous success on television, has died. He was 89.
Taylor died Tuesday of heart failure in New York, his daughter, Kim Taylor-Thompson, told The New York Times.
A longtime fixture on television unlike many of his contemporaries, Taylor served as cultural correspondent on CBS News' Sunday Morning and was the first African-American to lead a talk-show band when he was bandleader for The David Frost Show from 1969 to '72.
He first made his mark on TV in 1958 as the musical director of NBC's The Subject Is Jazz, the first TV series that covered jazz.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Washington, D.C., Taylor earned a doctorate in music education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and preferred to be called Doctor Taylor.
He got his start playing with Ben Webster's Quartet in 1943 in New York's Three Deuces, where he performed for years afterward. He formed his own trio in 1951 and started lecturing at jazz music schools.
A year after The Subject Is Jazz launched, Taylor was hired as a DJ at WLIB, a Harlem-based radio station, before moving on to NPR, at which he worked for more than two decades. There, he hosted Jazz Alive and Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center.
Taylor also taught jazz at Long Island University, the Manhattan School of Music and other institutions. Among his 300-plus compositions was the gospel theme "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," which became an unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
A recipient of more than 20 honorary doctorates, Taylor also won two Peabodys, an Emmy for his work on Sunday Morning, a Grammy, and was elected into the Hall of Fame for the International Association for Jazz Education.
In addition to his daughter, Taylor is survived by his wife, Theodora. His son, Duane, died in 1988.
