2017 deaths
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- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Writer
William T. Marshall was born in 1939 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was a producer and writer, known for Outrageous! (1977), The Naked Country (1985) and Dr. Frankenstein on Campus (1970). He was married to Sari Ruda. He died on 1 January 2017 in Toronto, Canada.Died of a cardiac arrest in Toronto, Canada.
1939-2017 (77 years old)
1 January- Producer
- Writer
Abis Rizvi was born on 27 February 1967 in Bandra, West Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He was a producer and writer, known for T for Taj Mahal (2018), Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans (2014) and ism (2016). He died on 1 January 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey.Died of a gunshot during a terrorist attack in Istanbul, Turkey.
1968-2017 (48 years old)
1 January- Ben Forster was born in 1958 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Thomas & Friends: A Very Thomas Christmas (2012), Thomas and Friends: Curious Cargo (2012) and Thomas & Friends: Sticky Situations (2012). He died on 2 January 2017 in London, England.Died of cancer in London, England.
1958-2017 (59 years old)
2 January - Richard "Mack" Machowicz is best known as the host/producer of Discovery Channel's FutureWeapons and Weapons that Changed the World. He was also the host of Spike TV's Deadliest Warrior and History Channel's Ultimate Soldier Challenge. Mack offered his military and weapons expertise as a key contributor to two of History's mega-hit miniseries, America: The Story of Us and Mankind:The Story of All of Us.Died of brain cancer in Pearland, Texas.
1965-2017 (51 years old)
2 January - Writer
- Producer
Alan Surgal was born on 12 November 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Mickey One (1965), Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) and The Two Lives of Carol Letner (1981). He was married to Florence Small. He died on 3 January 2017 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.Died in Beverly Hills, California
1916-2017 (100 years old)
3 January- Salo Pasik was born on 11 September 1945 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He was an actor, known for The Loves of Kafka (1988), Fronteras (2011) and Amor en custodia (2005). He died on 3 January 2017 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina.Died in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1945-2017 (71 years old)
3 January - Obituary for Richard E. "Dick" Flanigan.
Richard E. "Dick" Flanigan, age 81, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, following a short illness. He was born in Rockford, Illinois, USA, on 10 December 1935, the son of Paul and Zeta ( Grady) Flanigan. Following high school, Dick served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1960. Following his discharge, Dick enrolled in Bradley University where he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. His first job after college was working for WTVO in Rockford, Illinois, USA. This is where he met his future wife, Valerie Vinet. They were married a year later, in 1968. The newlyweds made Madison their home and Dick began working at WMTV where he served as the art director. During his career, he hosted Lenny's Inferno as Mr. Mephisto from 1969-1982. Dick was an avid sports fan, especially of the St. Louis Cardinals. He loved playing baseball, and eventually coached and managed the Monona Home Talent Baseball Team. Dick enjoyed playing sports, including bowling and softball. He is survived by his wife, Valerie; son, Paul (Amy) Flanigan, their children, Haley and Trevor; son, Dan (Sarah) Flanigan and their daughter, McKenna. Dick was preceded in death by his parents. A Celebration of Dick's Life was held at the 5100 Club, 5100 Erling Avenue, McFarland, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, 10 January 2017.Died of an age-related illness in Madison, Wisconsin.
1935-2017 (81 years old)
5 January - Francine York was born in the small mining town of Aurora, Minnesota to her parents, Frank and Sophie Yerich. When Francine was five, her family (including her younger sister, Deanne) moved to Cleveland, where she began to write short stories and take an interest in acting. At age nine, Francine made her theatrical debut in the Hodge Grammar School production of Cinderella, playing Griselda. Initially quite upset that she did not get the starring role, Francine ended up stealing the show with her performance as the evil stepsister. Right after the show, Francine ran into the audience and told her mother that she wanted to be an actress.
When Francine was age 12, the family moved back to Aurora, where she continued to perform in class plays, as well as writing, producing, directing and starring in a three-act play called "Keen Teens or Campus Quarantine". Francine, displaying an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, charged five cents admission to the show, and the whole town turned out for the production.
While studying journalism and drama at Aurora High School, Francine worked as the feature editor of the school newspaper, Aurora Borealis, and she won all of the school's declamation contests with her dramatic readings. Additionally, she was the baton-twirling majorette for the school band, and active in the 4-H club, where she won several blue ribbons for cooking in both county and state fairs. This proved to be valuable experience for Francine later on, when she would not only host, but do all of the gourmet cooking for dinner parties for some of Hollywood's biggest names.
At age 17, Francine won the Miss Eveleth contest (Eveleth being a nearby town), and became a runner-up in the Miss Minnesota contest, which was hosted by former Miss America BeBe Shopp. For the talent portion of the Miss Minnesota pageant, Francine, who was not afraid to be less than glamorous during a performance, donned some old clothes, removed her makeup, grayed her hair, and performed a reading of a monologue called "The Day That Was That Day" by Amy Lowell, in which she played a dual role of two elderly Southern women. BeBe Shopp encouraged Francine in her theatrical ambitions, and predicted that she would end up in Hollywood very soon. At this point, however, Hollywood was still a dream for Francine, who wanted desperately to leave Minnesota and make her mark in show business.
Moving to Minneapolis, she got a job modeling sweaters for New York-based Jane Richards Sportswear and began traveling throughout the United States, ending up in San Francisco. After leaving Jane Richards, Francine began a modeling course at the House of Charm agency, which started her off on a very successful modeling career for all of the major department stores, including Macy's. Her modeling work got the attention of the producers of the Miss San Francisco beauty pageant, which she subsequently entered and was voted runner-up, but ended up taking over the title after the winner became too sick to participate. Soon after, Francine got a job as a showgirl at Bimbo's, a well-known San Francisco nightclub, which was highly disapproved of by Francine's modeling agency, but this turned out to be the right choice for Francine when she met Bimbo's headliner, singer Mary Meade French, who brought Francine to Hollywood and, later, got her signed with her first agent.
Arriving in Los Angeles, Francine once again found herself working as a showgirl at Frank Sennes' Moulin Rouge, a popular nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, where she performed in three shows a night, seven nights a week for six months. Tired of sharing a stage with elephants, pigeons and horses, she moved on to pursue her acting career and began study with famed actor/teacher Jeff Corey. While performing in Corey's class, Francine was spotted by a theatrical producer, who cast her in a play called "Whisper in God's Ear" at the Circle Theatre. During this time, the same producer gave Francine her very first movie role, starring in Secret File: Hollywood (1962), a film about the day-to-day operations of a sleazy Hollywood tabloid. The movie premiered in Francine's hometown of Aurora, which gave her the biggest thrill of her life as the whole town, the press, her family, friends, and even the high school band turned out at the airport to greet her with banners proclaiming, "Welcome Home, Francine!"
Francine's first big break came when Jerry Lewis cast her in his film It's Only Money (1962), in which she played a tantalizing sexpot, a role which brought her a tremendous amount of publicity. This led to Lewis hiring her for five more of his films, including The Nutty Professor (1963), The Patsy (1964), The Disorderly Orderly (1964), The Family Jewels (1965) and Cracking Up (1983), in which she played a fifteenth century marquise. Other notable film appearances include Bedtime Story (1964) (with Marlon Brando and David Niven), Tickle Me (1965) (with Elvis Presley), Cannon for Cordoba (1970) (with George Peppard), and science fiction cult films Curse of the Swamp Creature (1968), Mutiny in Outer Space (1965) and Space Probe Taurus (1965). Francine's most popular film was the cult classic The Doll Squad (1973), where she played Sabrina Kincaid, leader of an elite team of gorgeous female assassins who attempt to stop a diabolical madman from destroying the world with a deadly plague virus. Francine also delivered a stunning performance as Marilyn Monroe in an otherwise lackluster film, Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars (1992). (Film critic Tom Weaver has been quoted as saying that Francine's performances often rise above the low-budget films she has been cast in.) More recently, Francine played Nicolas Cage's mother-in-law in The Family Man (2000).
Francine has also had tremendous success in television, with appearances on Route 66 (1960), Hawaiian Eye (1959), 77 Sunset Strip (1958), My Favorite Martian (1963), Burke's Law (1963), Perry Mason (1957), Batman (1966), Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964), Lost in Space (1965), It Takes a Thief (1968), Green Acres (1965), The Wild Wild West (1965), Ironside (1967), I Dream of Jeannie (1965), Love, American Style (1969), Mannix (1967), Bewitched (1964), Adam-12 (1968), Mission: Impossible (1966), Kojak (1973), Columbo (1971), Matlock (1986), The King of Queens (1998) and Las Vegas (2003), among many others. Francine's personal favorites among her television roles include her portrayal of nineteenth century British actress Lily Langtry in the Death Valley Days (1952) episode "Picture of a Lady", and her role as the princess opposite Shirley Temple (one of Francine's childhood idols) in NBC's presentation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid". One of Francine's other favorite roles was that of high-class prostitute and blackmailer Lorraine Temple on Days of Our Lives (1965).
While Francine was enjoying great success as a film and television actress, she was also making a name for herself as a fitness/nutrition expert and gourmet cook. She made many appearances on television demonstrating her culinary skills, and many of her recipes, as well as her exercise programs, were published in national health magazines. Francine also became known as one of Hollywood's leading hostesses, cooking for such celebrities as Clint Eastwood, Rex Harrison, Vincent Price, Regis Philbin, Jean Stapleton, Neil Sedaka, James Arness, Glenn Ford and Peter Ustinov.
Francine continued to act in films and on television. Two recent television appearances include Hot in Cleveland (2010) (as British matriarch Lady Natalie), and Bucket and Skinner's Epic Adventures (2011) (as Aunt Bitsy). She was also quite busy working on her autobiography, something her fans are looking forward to with great interest. In 1996, she met director Vincent Sherman (Mr. Skeffington, The Adventures of Don Juan, The Young Philadelphians), and was his companion until his death in 2006. Francine never married - she once said, "Like Cinderella, I always wanted to marry the handsome prince...but they don't make glass slippers in size ten!" On January 6, 2017, Francine York died of cancer at age 80 in Van Nuys, California.Died of cancer in Van Nuys, California.
1936-2017 (80 years old)
6 January - Actor
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Om Puri was an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.
Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana. His father worked on the railways and served in the Indian Army. Puri graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India. He is also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National School of Drama where Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student.
Puri had worked in numerous Indian films and in many films produced in the United Kingdom and the United States. He made his film debut in the 1976 film Ghashiram Kotwal, based on a Marathi play of the same name. He has claimed that he was paid "peanuts" for his best work. He had collaborated with Amrish Puri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil in art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He had been active in cinema. He was critically acclaimed for his performances in many unconventional roles such as a victimized tribal in Aakrosh (1980) (a film in which he spoke only during flash-back sequences); Jimmy's manager in Disco Dancer (1982); a police inspector in Ardh Satya (1982), where he revolts against life-long social, cultural and political persecution and for which he got the National Film Award for Best Actor; the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996); as a tough cop again in the commercial film Gupt in 1997; and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop (2003). In 1999, Puri acted in a Kannada movie A.K. 47 as a strict police officer who tries to keep the city safe from the underworld - it became a huge commercial hit. Puri's acting in the movie is very memorable. He has rendered his own voice for the Kannada dialogues. In the same year, he starred in the successful British comedy film East is East, where he played a first-generation Pakistani immigrant in the north of England, struggling to come to terms with his far more westernized children. Om Puri had a cameo in the highly acclaimed film Gandhi (1982, directed by Richard Attenborough). In the mid-1990s, he diversified to play character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema, where his roles are more tuned to mass audiences than film critics. He became known internationally by starring in many British films such as My Son the Fanatic (1997), East Is East (1999) and The Parole Officer (2001). He appeared in Hollywood films including City of Joy (1992), opposite Patrick Swayze; Wolf (1994) alongside Jack Nicholson; and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) opposite Val Kilmer. In 2007, he appeared as General Zia-ul-Haq in Charlie Wilson's War, which stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. He has worked in Hindi television serials like Kakkaji Kaheen (1988) (roughly meaning "Uncle says") as a paan-chewing 'Kakkaji', which was a parody on politicians, and Mr. Yogi (1989) as a suave 'Sutradhaar' who enjoys pulling the protagonist's leg. These two serials underlined Om Puri's versatility as a comedian. He received critical acclaim for him performance in Govind Nihalani's television film Tamas (1987) based on a Hindi novel of the same name. He essayed comic roles in Hindi films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro which reached a cult status, followed by Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Chor Machaye Shor (2002) and Malamaal Weekly (2006). His more recent Hindi film roles include Singh Is Kinng, Mere Baap Pehle Aap and Billu. Puri was seen in the role of Mohammad Ali Kasuri in Road to Sangam (2009). In 2010, he appeared in The Hangman. In 2011 he was in the Indian action movie Don 2. He had also worked in Aahat TV Series in some episodes during second season which was aired between 2004-2005 on Sony channel.Died of a heart attack in Mumbai, India.
1950-2017 (66 years old)
6 January- Captured when he was two years old, Tilikum was a whale who spent over three decades in captivity, trained by SeaWorld to perform tricks and stunts. Controversy began to mount around him after he was involved in the death of a trainer in 2010, with much public outcry as it was revealed that he had been involved in the deaths of two other trainers earlier in his life. This controversy became the subject of the BAFTA nominated documentary _Blackfish (2013)_, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Less than four years after the movie's release, Tilikum passed away from bacterial pneumonia on January 6, 2017.Died of an bacterial infection in Orlando, Florida.
1981-2017 (35 years old)
6 January - Ming-Ming Hsiao was born on 21 December 1941 in Taiwan. She was an actress, known for The Darkest Sword (1970), Die wang nu jin gang (1967) and Tou tiao hao han (1971). She died on 7 January 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan.Died of a fall in Taipei, Taiwan.
1941-2017 (75 years old)
7 January - Producer
- Director
- Music Department
An internationally recognized producer, director, writer, composer, conductor, arranger and musical director. Since the 1950s, Bregman has worked with many of the biggest names in the business. After high school, Bregman attended the University of California. During his sophomore year, he arranged and conducted Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's hit record "Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')" for the Cheers. In 1955 he was appointed orchestra leader for the Gary Crosby Show on CBS radio. At age 19 he was a producer, and went on to arrange and conduct music for double-platinum album artists Ella Fitzgerald's Cole Porter and many others. He helped launch "the Verve", and served as the record company's head of A & R. Bregman later produced and directed television and film in Europe, for both the BBC, producing 28 shows within the first two years, and the London Weekend ITV, where he served as Head of Entertainment. Bregman passed away on the 8th of January after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.Died of Alzheimer's disease in Los Angeles, California.
1930-2017 (86 years old)
8 January- Nadezda Gajerová was born on 11 March 1928 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. She was an actress, known for Jeste svatba nebyla (1954), At' zije Republika (1965) and Neporazení (1956). She died on 8 January 2017 in Prague, Czech Republic.Died in Prague, Czech Republic.
1928-2017 (88 years old)
8 January - Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Nicolai Harry Gustav Gedda (Nikolaj Ustinov) was born on July 11, 1925, in Stockholm, Sweden. He was adopted by his Russian-Swedish aunt, named Olga Gedda, and her Russian husband, named Mikhail Ustinov; who came to Sweden after the Russian Civil War and sang with an émigré Don Cossac choir and also was a cantor in a Russian Orthodox Church.
His first voice and music teacher was his father. He took his adopted son to the Cossac choir rehearsals and to a Russian Orthodox Church services in Leipzig, where they lived from 1928-1934. The family had to flee from the tide of Nazism under Adolf Hitler. Back in Stockholm he continued singing with his father in the Russian church. Gedda initially worked as a bank teller at a local Stockholm bank, where a wealthy client overheard him speaking of his dream of becoming a professional opera singer. The sponsor paid for his studies with tenor Karl Martin Oehmann at the Stockholm Conservatory.
Gedda made his debut in April 1952 at the Stockholm Opera in the role of Chapelou in Adam's 'Postillon de Longjumeau'. After a success in Stockhiln, he was auditioned by Herbert von Karajan. He was so impressed that he took Gedda along to Italy, promoting him both in concerts and opera performances. In 1953 he was contracted by La Scala to sing Don Ottavio in "Don Giovanni" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 1954 he made his Paris Opera debut in Oberon by Carl Maria von Weber. A few months later he sang the title role in Faust by Charles Gounod. Since then Gedda had a permanent engagement with the Paris opera for several years and established himself as the leading interpreter of the French repertoire.
In 1957, Gedda made his debut at the Pittsburg Opera with the title role in 'Faust'. In November of 1957 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut with the same role. In 1958, Gedda created the role of Anatol in the premiere of 'Vanessa'. The role was specially written for him by Samuel Barber. Gedda sang with the Met for the next 26 seasons and performed 28 roles there. He also continued his voice training in New York with the international teacher Paola Novikoa. She taught Gedda a healthy technique, contributing to his long and successful career. His latest recordings were made in 2003.
Gedda's mastery of nine languages enables him to singing with total freedom the entire standard operatic repertoire. He sings with natural beauty on Italian, English, Latin, Hebrew, French, German, Pan-Scandinavian, and his native Russian and Swedish. Nicolai Gedda is arguably the most versatile of tenors in the second half of the 20th Century. Luciano Pavarotti said of him, "there is no tenor with a greater ease in the upper register than Gedda." He is equally strong in opera and song. He made over 200 recordings over the course of his career. In the autobiography 'My Life and Art' (1999), written in collaboration with his third wife, Aino Sellermark Gedda, he revealed his devotion to art and his indifference to fame.
Nicolai Gedda is living in retirement in Switzerland.Died in Switzerland.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
8 January- Teresa Ann Savoy was born on 18 July 1955 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Caligula (1979), Madam Kitty (1976) and Bambina (1974). She died on 9 January 2017 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.Died of cancer in Milan, Italy.
1955-2017 (61 years old)
9 Jan - Additional Crew
- Producer
- Writer
Patrick Henry was born on 5 November 1971 in Richmond. He was a producer and writer, known for Family Guy (1999), Kicked in the Nuts! (2003) and The Cleveland Show (2009). He died on 9 January 2017 in Richmond, Virginia, USA.Died in Richmond, Virginia.
1971-2017 (45 years old)
9 January- Zygmunt Bauman was born on 19 November 1925 in Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland. He was a writer, known for La novia de Poznan' (2014), The Swedish Theory of Love (2015) and The Trouble with Being Human These Days (2013). He was married to Aleksandra Jasinska-Kania and Janina Bauman. He died on 9 January 2017 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK.Died in Leeds, England.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
9 January - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Tony Rosato was born on 26 December 1954 in Naples, Campania, Italy. He was an actor and writer, known for Night Heat (1985), SCTV (1976) and Seeds of Doubt (1998). He was married to Leah Murray. He died on 10 January 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Died of a heart attack in Toronto, Canada.
1954-2017 (62 years old)
10 January- Actor
- Soundtrack
Singer, composer songwriter, and pianist who conducted his own trio from 1944 to 1949 and thereafter performed with, and arranged for, the Benny Goodman orchestra into 1952. He sang in theatres and night clubs, and made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1957, his popular-song compositions include "Make Up Your Mind," "El Greco," "Just Walk Away," and "Stay Warm."Died in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1926-2017 (90 years old)
10 January- Actor
- Sound Department
A.K. Qureshi was born on 8 May 1937 in East Bengal, British India. He was an actor, known for Ovishap (1967), Chetona (1989) and Neel Akasher Nichey (1969). He died on 10 January 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of natural causes in Los Angeles, California.
1937-2017 (79 years old)
10 January- Gil Roper was born on 13 October 1933 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for Blood Salvage (1990), Basket Case 3 (1991) and Pet Sematary II (1992). He died on 10 January 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.Died of cancer in Atlanta, Georgia.
1933-2017 (83 years old)
10 January - Writer
- Actor
- Director
William Peter Blatty was born on 7 January 1928 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for The Exorcist (1973), The Exorcist III (1990) and The Ninth Configuration (1980). He was married to Julie Alicia Witbrodt, Linda Blatty, Elizabeth Gilman and Mary Margaret Rigard. He died on 12 January 2017 in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.Died of multiple myeloma in Bethesda, Maryland.
1928-2017 (89 years old)
12 January- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Meir Banai was born on 5 July 1961 in Be'er Sheva, Israel. He was an actor, known for Cafe Paris (1996), Ha-Hofesh Ha'Acharon (1989) and Lo Kolel Sherut (1990). He was married to Anat Peri-Builder. He died on 12 January 2017 in Ganot, Israel.Died of cancer in Hemed, Israel.
1961-2017 (55 years old)
12 January- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Dick Gautier was born on 30 October 1931 in Culver City, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Transformers (1984), G.I. Joe (1985) and Get Smart (1965). He was married to Tess Hightower, Barbara Stuart and Beverly J. Gerber. He died on 13 January 2017 in Arcadia, California, USA.Died after a long illness in Arcadia, California.
1931-2017 (85 years old)
13 January- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Horacio Guarany was born on 15 May 1925 in Las Garzas, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. He was an actor and writer, known for El grito en la sangre (2014), Si se calla el cantor (1973) and La vuelta de Martín Fierro (1974). He died on 13 January 2017 in Luján, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.Died of a heart disease in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
13 January- Production Manager
- Producer
- Production Designer
Michel Siry was born on 7 June 1950 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was a production manager and producer, known for The Sum of All Fears (2002), Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994) and Garm Wars: The Last Druid (2014). He died on 13 January 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Died in Montreal, Canada.
1950-2017 (66 years old)
13 January- Director
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Håkon Liu was born on 26 November 1975 in Kirkenäs, Norway. He was a director and writer, known for Miss Kicki (2009), Nights in Love (2005) and Borg vs. McEnroe (2017). He died on 14 January 2017 in Sweden.Died of an illness in Sweden.
1975-2017 (41 years old)
14 January- Sam Shamshak was born on 23 May 1937. He was an actor, known for Bulworth (1998), Diff'rent Strokes (1978) and Dream Machine (1991). He died on 15 January 2017 in West Hollywood, California, USA.Died of pneumonia in West Hollywood, California.
1937-2017 (79 years old)
15 January - Jimmy Snuka is a classic example of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (formerly known as World Wrestling Federation (WWF)) bad guy who became a baby-face (a good guy) without trying. Originally a "heel", he came into the WWE under the guidance of heel manager Capt. Lou Albano. After receiving many title shots at the WWE Championship, which he never won, the final match between he and then-WWE Champion Bob Backlund was in Madison Square Garden in the famous "Steel Cage Match", in which Snuka did his trademark "Superfly Splash" off the top of the steel cage.
Snuka attracted many fans with his acrobatic wrestling style. Soon he broke away from Albano and became a face. However, this wouldn't be the last time Snuka would see Albano, who brought in Snuka's former Mid-Atlantic tag team partner Ray Stevens to feud with him. With Albano in Stevens' corner, Snuka brought in former WWE Champion and WWE competitor "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers as his manager.
At the top of his game after a year in the WWE, Snuka would face a personal crisis that haunted him for the next few years. In 1983, after he finished his last match, his girlfriend Nancy Argentino was found semi-conscious next to a sleeping Snuka. Argentino died at the nearby hospital. In court it was ruled that the death was accidental.
After recovering from his girlfriend's death, Snuka's real shot at fame was when he feuded with Don Muraco, a former WWE Champion. In another famous "Steel Cage Match", Snuka faced Muraco but lost. However, he had gotten the last laugh by dragging Muraco back inside the cage, and that's when Superfly's proudest moment came. He climbed up to the top of the 20-foot steel cage and executed his "Superfly Splash". This became one of the most memorable moments in WWE history. Both wrestling veterans Mick Foley and Tommy Dreamer were there when it happened. Both also shot to fame in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which Superfly first started and he later became the first ECW Champ (during that time it was formerly known as Eastern Championship Wrestling).
Another fan favorite highlight came along when Snuka started feuding with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, which Piper called Snuka a "big shot" and a "monkey". After Snuka came out confronting Piper, Piper smashed Superfly's head with an actual coconut. The story line went through the first WrestleMania when Snuka was managing Hulk Hogan and TV veteran Mr. T in the main even against Piper and Paul Orndorff. With Snuka in Hogan and Mr. T's corner, Piper and Orndoff had Bob Orton.
After a stint of alcohol/drugs rehab, Snuka went back into wrestling, but this time, in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) where he became a tag team partner with another wrestling veteran, Verne Gagne.
After AWA, he went back into the WWE in 1989, to help younger wrestlers who would also become legends such as "Mr. Perfect" 'Curt Cunning' and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Then 1991, he started to feud with a much younger Mark Calaway (aka "The Undertaker) and lost to 'Taker at Wrestlemania VII, marking Snuka the first victim of Undertaker's 14-0 winning streak. After leaving WWE the same year, Snuka started touring with smaller wrestling promotions and also began working again with ECW, alongside Don Muraco and wrestling legend, Terry Funk.
Then in 1996, Snuka's biggest moment of his life came. He became part of the class of 1996 to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He also was inducted with legends such as his former manager, Lou Albano, 'Killer Kowaski', and 'Pat Patterson'. He was inducted by former rival, Don Muraco.
Recently, Superfly showed up at the WWE Homecoming, and was chosen by the fans that he would team up with newcomer Eugene (Nick Dinsmore), on Taboo Tuesday in a non-title tag team match against Rob Conway and Chris Master. Both Superfly and Eugene won by pin-fall when Snuka did his signature "Superfly Splash".
When he was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame back in 1996, Snuka said that even though he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, it doesn't mean he will retire from wrestling. Today, even though in his 60s, Snuka still wrestles in the independent circuit and appears on WWE, occasionally.Died of a terminal illness in Pompano Beach, Florida.
1943-2017 (73 years old)
15 January - Additional Crew
- Writer
Cernan was born on March 14, 1934 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a Czech-American mother, Rose (Cihlar), and a Slovak-American father, Andrew Cernan. He graduated from Proviso Township High School in Maywood, Illinois. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1956 and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. He also earned an Honorary Doctorate of Law degree from Western State University College of Law in 1969, an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Purdue University in 1970, and other honors from other universities.
Cernan, a United States Navy Captain, received his commission through the Navy ROTC Program at Purdue. He entered flight training upon graduation. He was assigned to Attack Squadrons 26 and 112 at the Miramar, California, Naval Air Station, and later attended the Naval Postgraduate School.
Captain Cernan was one of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA in October, 1963.
He occupied the pilot seat alongside of command pilot Tom Stafford on the Gemini IX mission. During this three-day flight which began on June 3, 1966, the spacecraft achieved a circular orbit of 161 statute miles; the crew used three different techniques to effect rendezvous with the previously launched Augmented Target Docking Adapter. Cernan logged two hours and ten minutes outside the spacecraft in extravehicular activities. The flight ended after 72 hours and 20 minutes with a perfect re-entry and recovery -- Gemini IX landed within a mile and a half of the prime recovery ship USS WASP, and only three-eighths of a mile from the predetermined target!
Cernan subsequently served as backup pilot for Gemini 12 and as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 7.
On his second space flight, he was lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital qualification and verification flight test of an Apollo lunar module. He was accompanied on the 248,000-nautical-mile trip to the Moon by Thomas P. Stafford (spacecraft commander) and John W. Young (commander module pilot). In accomplishing all of the assigned objectives of this mission, Apollo 10 confirmed the operations performance, stability, and reliability of the command/service module and lunar module configuration during trans-lunar coast, lunar orbit insertion, and lunar module separation and descent to within 8 nautical miles of the lunar surface. The latter maneuver involved employing all but the final minutes of the technique prescribed for use in an actual lunar landing, and allowed critical evaluations of the lunar module propulsions systems and rendezvous of the landing radar devices in subsequent rendezvous and re-docking maneuvers. So close and yet so far!
In addition to demonstrating that humans could navigate safely and accurately in the Moon's gravitational fields, Apollo 10 photographed and mapped tentative landing sites for future missions.
After getting back from Apollo 10, Cernan took a gamble. He turned down the assignment as backup crew of Apollo 13, knowing that from there, he would probably rotate to Apollo 16, giving him a "potential" opportunity to walk on the Moon. He took that risk because he hoped he would get a chance to command his own crew, instead of again taking the role of lunar module pilot. Not only was he lucky to skip the ill-fated Apollo 13, his gamble worked.
Cernan's next assignment was backup spacecraft commander for Apollo 14, and he made his third space flight as spacecraft Commander of Apollo 17--the last manned mission to the Moon for the United States--on December 6, 1972, with the first manned nighttime launch; they returned home on December 19.
With him on the voyage of the command module "America" and the lunar module "Challenger" were Ronald Evans (command module pilot) and Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt (lunar module pilot. In maneuvering "Challenger" to a landing at Taurus-Littrow, located on the southeast edge of Mare Serenitatis, Cernan and Schmitt activated a base of operations from which they completed three highly successful excursions to the nearby craters and the Taurus mountains, making the Moon their home for over three days.
This last mission to the Moon established several new records for manned space flight that include: longest manned lunar landing flight (301 hours 51 minutes); longest lunar surface extravehicular activities (22 hours 6 minutes); largest lunar sample return (an estimated 115 kg (249 lbs.) of space rocks and soil); and longest time in lunar orbit (147 hours 48 minutes). While Cernan and Schmitt conducted activities on the lunar surface, Evans remained in lunar orbit aboard the "America" completing other assigned work tasks. Apollo 17 ended with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Cernan left his daughter's initials on the lunar surface (TDC, for Teresa Dawn Cernan, who was born March 4, 1963).
Captain Cernan logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space--of which more than 73 hours were spent on the surface of the Moon.
In September, 1973, Cernan assumed additional duties as Special Assistant to the Program Manager of the Apollo spacecraft Program at the Johnson Space Center. In this capacity, he assisted in the planning, development, and evaluation of the joint United States/Soviet Union Apollo-Soyuz mission, and he acted for the program manager as the senior United States negotiator in direct discussions with the USSR on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
On July 1, 1976, Captain Cernan retired after over 20 years with the U.S. Navy. At the same time, he terminated his formal association with NASA.
Cernan joined Coral Petroleum, Inc., of Houston, Texas, as Executive Vice President-International. His responsibilities were to enhance Coral's energy related programs on a worldwide basis
In September 1981, Captain Cernan started his own company, The Cernan Corporation, to pursue management and consultant interests in the energy, aerospace, and other related industries. Additionally he was involved as a co-anchorman on ABC-TV's presentations of the flight of the shuttle.
Cernan became Chairman of the Board of Johnson Engineering Corporation. Johnson Engineering provides NASA with Flight Crew Systems Development and has supported NASA in the design of crew stations for Space Shuttle, Spacelab, Space Station, Lunar Base and Mars Outpost, as well as the Weightless Environment Training Facility.
He was married to Barbara Jean Atchley from 1961-1981; their daughter, Teresa Dawn, was nicknamed Tracy. His second marriage was to Jan Nanna Cernan (of Jan Nanna Cernan Designs Inc. in Houston, Texas); they had two daughters, Kelly and Danielle. His hobbies included love for horses and all competitive sports activities, including hunting, fishing and flying.
Among his numerous honors, the most significant are the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal with Star, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the FAI International Gold Medal for Space, induction into the U.S. Space Hall of Fame, enshrinement into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Naval Aviations Hall of Honor and the International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Cernan was awarded NASAs first Ambassador of Exploration Award, the Federal Aviation Administrations prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, and the 2007 Lindbergh Spirit Award (presented only every five years). In December, 2007, The National Aeronautic Association presented Cernan with one of the most prestigious aviation trophies in the world, the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, in Washington, DC. Cernan received the 2008 Rotary National Award for Space Achievement and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Gold Air Medal, one of the most important international awards, in 2008.
Cernan wrote (with New York Times bestselling author Don Davis) the book "The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space" (1999, ISBN 0312199066).
He died at 82 on January 16, 2017 in Houston, Texas.Died in Houston, Texas.
1934-2017 (82 years old)
16 January- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Meral Sayin was born on 20 October 1936 in Ipsala, Edirne, Turkey. He was an actor and assistant director, known for Kader yollarimizi ayiriyor (1962), Siyah gül (1966) and Burçak tarlasi (1966). He died on 16 January 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey.Died in Istanbul, Turkey.
1936-2017 (80 years old)
16 January- Actor
- Writer
- Director
William Margold was born on October 2, 1943 in Washington, D.C. Margold was the son of Nathan Margold, who was a Harvard Law School graduate who served as the Solicitor General of the Department of Interior under President Harry S. Truman. William attended Alexander Hamilton High School in West Los Angeles and graduated from California State University at Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. Margold started out in the adult entertainment industry with agent 'Reb' Sawitz working in the office of the Reb's Pretty Girls modeling agency. William acted in his first hardcore movie in 1972 and worked on numerous X-rated films over the course of several decades in a variety of capacities that include actor, director, writer, and producer. Margold subsequently became the head of the trade advocacy group the Free Speech Coalition. In addition, William also either founded or co-founded the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO), Fans of X-Rated Entertainment (FOXE), and the charity group Protecting Adult Welfare Foundation (PAW). A noted porn historian and staunch advocate of free speech, Margold was interviewed in a handful of documentaries about the adult film industry. William died of a heart attack at age 73 while hosting a live radio show on January 17, 2017.Died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
1943-2017 (73 years old)
17 January- Actress
Gita Sen was born on 30 October 1930 in British india. She was an actress, known for Khandhar (1984), Mahaprithivi (1992) and Arohan (1983). She was married to Mrinal Sen. She died on 17 January 2017 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Died in Kolkata, India.
1930-2017 (86 years old)
17 January- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Art Department
Joel Schiller was born on 24 November 1930 in the USA. He was a production designer and art director, known for The Graduate (1967), Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Muppet Movie (1979). He died on 17 January 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died in Los Angeles, California.
1930-2017 (86 years old)
17. january- Actress
- Soundtrack
Roberta Peters was born on 4 May 1930 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for City Hall (1996), The Captive (2014) and Die Zauberflöte (1964). She was married to Bertram Fields and Robert Merrill. She died on 18 January 2017 in Rye, New York, USA.Died of Parkinson's disease in Rye, New York.
1930-2017 (86 years old)
18 January- Actor
- Director
- Cinematographer
Miguel Ferrer was an American actor known for playing Morton from RoboCop, Shan Yu from Mulan, Martian Manhunter from Justice League: The New Frontier, Slade Wilson from Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Death from Adventure Time, Sesa Refumee from Halo 2 and Vice President Rodriguez from Iron Man 3. He passed away in January 2017 due to throat cancer. He is survived by his wife and three children.Died of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California.
1955-2017 (61 years old)
19 January- Location Management
- Production Manager
- Actor
Michael Harm was born on 25 December 1965 in Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. He was a production manager and actor, known for World War Z (2013), Match Point (2005) and The Gunman (2015). He died on 19 January 2017 in London, England, UK.Died in London, England.
1965-2017 (51 years old)
19 January- Joy Coghill was born on 13 May 1926 in Findlater, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was an actress, known for Double Jeopardy (1999), Stargate SG-1 (1997) and The Beachcombers (1972). She was married to John Thorne. She died on 20 January 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Died of heart failure in Vancouver, Canada.
1926-2017 (90 years old)
20 January - Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Junie Morrison was born in 1954 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. Junie was a composer, known for Free Guy (2021), Charlie's Angels (2000) and Dope (2015). Junie died on 21 January 2017 in London, England, UK.Died in London, England.
1954-2017 (63 years old)
21 January- Director
- Cinematographer
- Writer
Werner Nekes was born on 29 April 1944 in Erfurt, Germany. He was a director and cinematographer, known for Hynningen (1984), Beuys (1981) and Jüm-Jüm (1967). He was married to Dore O.. He died on 22 January 2017 in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany.Died in Mülheim, Germany.
1944-2017 (72 years old)
22 January- Music Department
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Naqsh Lyallpuri was born on 24 February 1928 in Lyallpur, Punjab, British India. He was a writer, known for Deewaangee (1976), Paapi (1977) and Dil... Akhir Dil Hai (1982). He was married to Kamlesh. He died on 22 January 2017 in Andheri, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.Died of an illness in Mumbai, India.
1928-2017 (88 years old)
22 January- Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Soundtrack
Bimba Bosé was born on 1 October 1975 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for Julieta (2016), The Consul of Sodom (2009) and La que se avecina (2007). She was married to Diego Postigo. She died on 23 January 2017 in Madrid, Spain.Died of cancer in Madrid, Spain.
1975-2017 (41 years old)
23 January- Mary Webster was born on 13 March 1935 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Twilight Zone (1959), Master of the World (1961) and Everglades! (1961). She died on 23 January 2017 in Dallas, Texas, USA.Died in Dallas, Texas.
1935-2017 (81 years old)
23 January - Actor
- Soundtrack
Gorden Kaye was born on 7 April 1941 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for 'Allo 'Allo! (1982), Brazil (1985) and Born and Bred (1978). He died on 23 January 2017 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England, UK.Died of dementia in Knaresborough, England.
1941-2017 (75 years old)
23 January- Johann Ofner died on 23 January 2017 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Died of an accidental gunshot during video shoot in Brisbane, Australia.
c. 1989-2017 (28 years old)
23 January - Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Timo T.A. Mikkonen was born on 15 June 1947 in Helsinki, Finland. He was a producer and actor, known for Vuosikymmenen käännekohdat (1980), Liian iso keikka (1986) and Dispatches (1987). He was married to Nina Mikkonen and Tuire Mikkonen. He died on 24 January 2017 in Finland.Died of a long illness in Finland.
1947-2017 (69 years old)
24 January- Kevin Geer's celebrated acting career includes appearances in feature film, on television, Broadway, Off-Broadway and London's West End. He recently completed one of the lead roles in the independent feature film Bunker Hill, from director Kevin Willmott (CSA: Confederate States of America). Geer appears alongside James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) and Saeed Jaffrey (Gandhi).
His many film credits include The Pelican Brief, Arrowshot (Sundance Film Festival), Walter Foote's The Tavern and Rod Luries' The Contender opposite Joan Allen. Kevin's extensive stage career includes celebrated performances on London's West End, where he most recently played Jonesey in Side Man, the 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Play. On Broadway, he co-starred in a highly acclaimed staging of Twelve Angry Men and A Streetcar Named Desire. His Off-Broadway credits include The Foreigner at the Astor Place Theatre and Found A Peanut at The Public.
On television, Kevin has appeared on Oz, Law & Order, Homicide, China Beach, M.A.S.H., Macgyver and the TV film Sweet Bird Of Youth opposite Elizabeth Taylor.Died of a heart attack in New York, New York.
1952-2017 (64 years old)
25 January - Actor
- Soundtrack
One of stage, screen and TV's finest transatlantic talents, slight, gravel-voiced, pasty-looking John Vincent Hurt was born on January 22, 1940, in Shirebrook, a coal mining village, in Derbyshire, England. The youngest child of Phyllis (Massey), an engineer and one-time actress, and Reverend Arnould Herbert Hurt, an Anglican clergyman and mathematician, his quiet shyness betrayed an early passion for acting. First enrolled at the Grimsby Art School and St. Martin's School of Art, his focus invariably turned from painting to acting.
Accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1960, John made his stage debut in "Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger" followed by "The Dwarfs." Elsewhere, he continued to build upon his 60's theatrical career with theatre roles in "Chips with Everything" at the Vaudeville, the title role in "Hamp" at the Edinburgh Festival, "Inadmissible Evidence" at Wyndham's and "Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs" at the Garrick. His movie debut occurred that same year with a supporting role in the "angry young man" British drama Young and Willing (1962), followed by small roles in Appuntamento in Riviera (1962), A Man for All Seasons (1966) and The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967).
A somber, freckled, ravaged-looking gent, Hurt found his more compelling early work in offbeat theatrical characterizations with notable roles such as Malcolm in "Macbeth" (1967), Octavius in "Man and Superman" (1969), Peter in "Ride a Cock Horse" (1972), Mike in '"The Caretaker" (1972) and Ben in "The Dumb Waiter" (1973). At the same time he gained more prominence in a spray of film and support roles such as a junior officer in Before Winter Comes (1968), the title highwayman in Sinful Davey (1969), a morose little brother in In Search of Gregory (1969), a dim, murderous truck driver in 10 Rillington Place (1971), a skirt-chasing, penguin-studying biologist in Cry of the Penguins (1971), the unappetizing son of a baron in The Pied Piper (1972) and a repeat of his title stage role as Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs (1974).
Hurt shot to international stardom, however, on TV where he was allowed to display his true, fearless range. He reaped widespread acclaim for his embodiment of the tormented gay writer and raconteur Quentin Crisp in the landmark television play The Naked Civil Servant (1975), adapted from Crisp's autobiography. Hurt's bold, unabashed approach on the flamboyant and controversial gent who dared to be different was rewarded with the BAFTA (British TV Award). This triumph led to the equally fascinating success as the cruel and crazed Roman emperor Caligula in the epic television masterpiece I, Claudius (1976), followed by another compelling interpretation as murderous student Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment (1979).
A resurgence occurred on film as a result. Among other unsurpassed portraits on his unique pallet, the chameleon in him displayed a polar side as the gentle, pathetically disfigured title role in The Elephant Man (1980), and as a tortured Turkish prison inmate who befriends Brad Davis in the intense drama Midnight Express (1978) earning Oscar nominations for both. Mainstream box-office films were offered as well as art films. He made the most of his role as a crew member whose body becomes host to an unearthly predator in Alien (1979). With this new rush of fame came a few misguided ventures as well that were generally unworthy of his talent. Such brilliant work as his steeple chase jockey in Champions (1984) or kidnapper in The Hit (1984) was occasionally offset by such drivel as the comedy misfire Partners (1982) with Ryan O'Neal in which Hurt looked enervated and embarrassed. For the most part, the craggy-faced actor continued to draw extraordinary notices. Tops on the list includes his prurient governmental gadfly who triggers the Christine Keeler political sex scandal in the aptly-titled Scandal (1989); the cultivated gay writer aroused and obsessed with struggling "pretty-boy" actor Jason Priestley in Love and Death on Long Island (1997); and the Catholic priest embroiled in the Rwanda atrocities in Shooting Dogs (2005).
Latter parts of memorable interpretations included Dr. Iannis in Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001), the recurring role of the benign wand-maker Mr. Ollivander in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), the tyrannical dictator Adam Sutler in V for Vendetta (2005) and the voice of The Dragon in Merlin (2008). Among Hurt's final film appearances were as a terminally ill screenwriter in That Good Night (2017) and a lesser role in the mystery thriller Damascus Cover (2017). Hurt's voice was also tapped into animated features and documentaries, often serving as narrator. He also returned to the theatre performing in such shows as "The Seagull", "A Month in the Country" (1994), "Afterplay" (2002) and "Krapp's Last Tape", the latter for which he received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.
A recovered alcoholic who married four times, Hurt was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen in 2004, and Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in 2015. That same year (2015) he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In July of 2016, he was forced to bow out of the father role of Billy Rice in a then-upcoming London stage production of "The Entertainer" opposite Kenneth Branagh due to ill health that he described as an "intestinal ailment". Hurt died several months later at his home in Cromer, Norfolk, England on January 15, 2017, three days after his 77th birthday.Died of cancer in Cromer, England.
1940-2017 (77 years old)
25 January- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Mary Tyler Moore was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on December 29, 1936. Moore's family relocated to California when she was eight. Her childhood was troubled, due in part to her mother's alcoholism. The eldest of three siblings, she attended a Catholic high school and married upon her graduation, in 1955. Her only child, Richard Meeker Jr., was born soon after.
A dancer at first, Moore's first break in show business was in 1955, as a dancing kitchen appliance - Happy Hotpoint, the Hotpoint Appliance elf, in commercials generally broadcast during the popular sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952). She then shifted from dancing to acting and work soon came, at first a number of guest roles on television series, but eventually a recurring role as Sam, Richard Diamond's sultry answering service girl, on Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1956), her performance being particularly notorious because her legs (usually dangling a pump on her toe) were shown instead of her face.
Although these early roles often took advantage of her willowy charms (in particular, her famously-beautiful dancer's legs), Moore's career soon took a more substantive turn as she was cast in two of the most highly regarded comedies in television history, which would air first-run for most of the '60s and '70s. In the first of these, The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), Moore played Laura Petrie, the charmingly loopy wife of star Dick Van Dyke. The show became famous for its very clever writing and terrific comic ensemble - Moore and her fellow performers received multiple Emmy Awards for their work. Meanwhile, she had divorced her first husband, and married advertising man (and, later, network executive) Grant Tinker.
After the end of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), Moore focused on movie-making, co-starring in five between the end of the sitcom and the start of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), including Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), in which she plays a ditsy aspiring actress, and an inane Elvis Presley vehicle, Change of Habit (1969), in which she plays a nun-to-be and love interest for Presley. Also included in this mixed bag of films was a first-rate television movie, Run a Crooked Mile (1969), which was an early showcase for Moore's considerable talent at dramatic acting.
After trying her hand at movies for a few years, Moore decided, rather reluctantly, to return to television, but on her terms. The result was The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), which was produced by MTM Enterprises, a company she had formed with Tinker, and which later went on to produce scores of other television series. Moore starred as Mary Richards, who moves to Minneapolis on the heels of a failed relationship. Mary finds work at the newsroom of WJM-TV, whose news program is the lowest-rated in the city, and establishes fast friendships with her colleagues and her neighbors. The sitcom was a commercial and critical success and for years was a fixture of CBS television's unbeatable Saturday night line-up. Moore and Tinker were determined from the start to make the sitcom a cut above the average, and it certainly was - instead of going for a barrage of gags, the humor took longer to develop and arose out of the interaction between the characters in more realistic situations. This was also one of the earliest television portrayals of a woman who was happy and successful on her own rather than simply being a man's wife. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) is generally included amongst the finest television series ever produced in America.
Moore ended the sitcom in 1977, while it was still on a high point, but found it difficult to flee the beloved Mary Richards persona - her subsequent attempts at television series, variety programs, and specials (such as the mortifying disco-era Mary's Incredible Dream (1976)) usually failed, but even her dramatic work, which is generally excellent, fell under the shadow of Mary Richards. With time, however, her body of dramatic acting came to be recognized on its own, with such memorable work as in Ordinary People (1980), as an aloof WASP mother who not-so-secretly resents her younger son's survival; in Finnegan Begin Again (1985), as a middle-aged widow who finds love with a man whose wife is slowly slipping away, in Lincoln (1988), as the troubled Mary Todd Lincoln, and in Stolen Babies (1993), as an infamous baby smuggler (for which she won her sixth Emmy Award). She also inspired a new appreciation for her famed comic talents in Flirting with Disaster (1996), in which she is hilarious as the resentful adoptive mother of a son who is seeking his birth parents. Moore also acted on Broadway, and she won a Tony Award for her performance in "Whose Life Is It Anyway?"
Widely acknowledged as being much tougher and more high-strung than her iconic image would suggest, Moore had a life with more than the normal share of ups and downs. Both of her siblings predeceased her, her sister Elizabeth of a drug overdose in 1978 and her brother John of cancer in 1991 after a failed attempt at assisted suicide, Moore having been the assistant. Moore's troubled son Richie shot and killed himself in what was officially ruled an accident in 1980. Moore was diagnosed an insulin-dependent diabetic in 1969, and had a bout with alcoholism in the early 1980s. Divorced from Tinker in 1981 after repeated separations and reconciliations, she married physician Robert Levine in 1983. The union with Levine proved to be Moore's longest run in matrimony and her only marriage not to end in divorce. Despite the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), in which she throws a package of meat into her shopping cart, Moore was a vegetarian and a proponent of animal rights. She was an active spokesperson for both diabetes issues and animal rights.
On January 25, 2017, Mary Tyler Moore died at age 80 at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut, from cardiopulmonary arrest complicated by pneumonia after having been placed on a respirator the previous week. She was laid to rest during a private ceremony at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut.Died of cardiac arrest due to pneumonia in Greenwich, Connecticut.
1936-2017 (80 years old)
25 January- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
He once jokingly described himself as 'a frustrated song-and-dance man' who wound up typecast as a TV crime fighter. Tall, handsome Armenian-American Mike Connors had a minor career in the movies before becoming a star on the small screen as the impeccably dressed macho sleuth Joe Mannix. Towards the end of the series, his earnings per episode averaged a respectable $40,000. He was four times nominated for an Emmy Award and won a Golden Globe in 1969. Mannix (1967) was highly innovative in its day: among its winning combination were an upbeat jazzy score (composed by Lalo Schifrin), teasers, fast cuts from scene to scene, a car replete with a computer transmitting and receiving fingerprints and an African-American co-star (the charming Gail Fisher, who played Joe's secretary Peggy Fair). Many notable names guested in the show, some at very beginning of their careers (Diane Keaton and Martin Sheen, among others). 'Mannix' ran for eight seasons (1967-1975), a testament to its enduring popularity.
Connors was born Krekor Ohanian in Fresno, California. His mother wanted him to become an attorney. After wartime service in the Army Air Force he enrolled at UCLA on the G. I. Bill of Rights, began in law school but eventually took up theatre studies as his major. The nickname "Touch', Mike acquired on the basketball court where he first came to the attention of the director William A. Wellman who considered his features 'expressive'. He was first signed by Goldwyn studios on a 90-day contract. However, Goldwyn never took up the option and Mike never appeared in any of his films (it turned out that his signing had been no more than leverage to bring Farley Granger back in line who was causing Goldwyn some trouble). Through a talent agent, Mike got an interview at Republic to do a film with Joan Crawford called Sudden Fear (1952). That same guy also decided that his original surname Ohanian sounded too much like O'Hanlon -- George O'Hanlon was already a well-established film actor and writer -- and consequently changed his name to 'Connors'. Until 1957, Mike appeared in mainly low budget movies and TV anthologies, billed as 'Touch Connors' (an appellation he thoroughly disliked). He did several films for Roger Corman for $400 a pop. Arguably, the one highlight of his film career -- several years later -- could be said to be his role as one of a pair of American bomber crew (the other being Robert Redford) held captive in a cellar by a lonely German drug store clerk who chooses to withhold from them the trivial matter of Germany's surrender to the Allies (played with whimsical aplomb by the brilliant Alec Guinness) in the underrated and very funny black comedy Situation Hopeless -- But Not Serious (1965).
After many years as a struggling actor, Mike's first TV hit was Tightrope (1959) for CBS in which he starred as an undercover cop infiltrating an organized crime syndicate. Though the story lines became increasingly repetitive through its 37 episodes, the role pretty much defined his subsequent tough-guy image. During the original pilot for 'Mannix', which initially had Joe Mannix as the top investigator for the computerized Intertect detective agency under boss Joseph Campanella, Mike performed many of the stunts himself, in the process breaking a wrist and dislocating a shoulder. In an effort to make his character 'more real' than the traditional cynical Bogart-style gumshoe, he played Mannix as being more 'humane', often becoming emotionally involved in his cases and -- just as often -- ending up on the wrong end of a knuckle sandwich (in the course of the 194 episodes, poor old Joe was knocked unconscious on fifty-five occasions and shot seventeen times), or watching his beautiful client walk off with another man.
Another subsequent starring role as a modern-day G-Man in the short-lived Today's F.B.I. (1981) did not come close to rekindling his earlier success. Most of Mike's later appearances were as guest stars, notably a return as Joe Mannix in an episode of Diagnosis Murder (1993). Later interviews revealed him to have been acutely aware of the transitory nature of TV stardom and exceedingly grateful for his one opportunity to shine. Mike Connors was happily married to Mary Lou Willey for 67 years.Died of leukemia in Tarzana, California.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
26 January- Stephen Joyce was an American stage, television and film actor. He was born in New York City, to Stephen James Joyce and Ruth Rita Reilly. The family moved to Brooklyn, and he attended Catholic schools, Xavier High School and Fordham University (where he majored in theater). He married Billie Jean Jones; the couple had three children.
At the beginning of the Korean War he joined the Air Force and spent two years in the Far East. A few weeks after his discharge he was cast as the juvenile lead in the George Montgomery film, Street of Sinners (1957). Later movie roles would include 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' (1965), Irish Whiskey Rebellion (1972), The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978), One Police Plaza (1986), A Stranger Is Watching (1982), The Red Spider (1988), Stranger on My Land (1988), Billy Bathgate (1991), and Invasion (1997).
Joyce's first professional job was with the Irish Players. His first major role in New York City was as Romeo in the initial production of Shakespeare in the Park. In his review in the Herald Tribune, Walter Kerr wrote, "in short this Romeo must be fairly close to what Shakespeare had in mind". He appeared at the American Shakespeare Festival as well as the San Diego Festival, where he played such roles as Hotspur ('Henry IV, Part 1'), Leontes in 'The Winter's Tale' (with his son, Michael, playing the prince), and Puck ('A Midsummers Night Dream'). He played Edgar to Morris Carnovsky's titular King Lear at the Pilgrimage Theater in Hollywood directed by John Houseman. With the Seattle Repertory Theater he played Hamlet and Biff ('Death of a Salesman'). At Yale, he interpreted Caliban ('The Tempest'), Bill Cracker ('Happy End'), and Sigismund ('Life is a Dream').
Below the Mason Dixon Line, Joyce appeared in the World Premiere production of Hugh Leonard's 'Da', a role he repeated in Chicago where he was nominated for the Joseph Jefferson award. He created the role of the tormented priest Father Rivard in 'The Runner Stumbles' in Stamford, Connecticut, and repeated that role at the Little Theater on Broadway. For that portrayal, Clive Barnes, then-New York Times critic, posited that Joyce was a consummate actor and that he had been brought to tears by his performance. Joyce garnered excellent reviews for his portrayal of the violent soldier Pvt. Brown in 'Maneuvers'. He won a Theater World Award (1967-68) for his portrayal of the title role in 'Stephen D.' He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for his role as Capt. Blakely in 'The Caine Mutiny Court Martial' at the Circle in the Square in New York City, which was his last role on Broadway.
During his career, Joyce also appeared numerous times on television, including but not limited to daytime soap operas and prime-time series such as Another World (1964), The Edge of Night (1956), Search for Tomorrow (1951), All My Children (1970), General Electric Theater (1953), Bronco (1958), Texas (1980), For Richer, for Poorer (1977), Omnibus (1952), Combat! (1962), Matinee Theatre (1955), 'Studio One', Where the Heart Is (1969), Miami Vice (1984), The Equalizer (1985), Crazy Like a Fox (1984), and Spenser: For Hire (1985), as well as numerous voice-overs.Died in Arizona.
1931-2017 (85 years old)
26 January - Actress
- Soundtrack
Barbara Hale was born on April 18, 1922 in DeKalb, Illinois, to Wilma (née Colvin) and Luther Ezra Hale, a landscape gardener. She had one sister, Juanita. As a young girl, she intended to major in art and drawing but to work her way through The Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, she began her professional career as a model for a comic strip called "Ramblin' Bill."
Hale is best remembered as Della Street, long-time secretary to attorney Perry Mason on the TV series Perry Mason (1957) from 1957 to 1966 and again in over 25 Perry Mason TV movies from 1985 to 1995. She married actor Bill Williams in 1946. He was best remembered for his portrayal of Kit Carson in The Adventures of Kit Carson (1951) from 1951 to 1955. The couple had three children - two daughters: Jody (born in 1947), Juanita (born in 1953), and, in 1951, a son, William Katt (the spitting image of his father), and actor in his own right, probably best known as the titular character's ill-fated prom date in the film Carrie (1976) and, later, as Ralph Hinkley, the klutzy superhero on the quirky 1980s adventure series The Greatest American Hero (1981) (from 1981 to 1986).Died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Sherman Oaks, California.
1922-2017 (94 years old)
26 January- An only child, Emmanuelle was born Paulette Germaine Riva in Cheniménil, but eventually grew up in Remiremont. Her mother, Jeanne Fernande Nourdin, was a seamstress. Her father, René Alfred "Alfredo" Riva, was a sign writer. Her paternal grandfather was Italian. She dreamed of becoming an actress since she was six, so that the entire world would take notice of her. This ambition was, however, to be met with firm opposition from her own family. Emmanuelle's father, a strict disciplinarian to whom the word "actress" was basically a synonym for "prostitute", disapproved of her way of thinking, since it clashed with the simple values he wished to pass on to her. Emmanuelle felt great affection towards her parents, but, at the same time, was under the impression that they couldn't really understand what she wanted. A bit of a tomboy and a rebel in her schooldays, she showed little interest in studying, but always directed her passion towards acting, appearing in every year-end play. In her early 20's, Emmanuelle was to find out the true meaning of nervous depression. Having completed the seamstress apprenticeship she had started at age 15, she eventually resigned herself to take up this profession, also discouraged by the thought that, in a city like Remiremont, the only possible alternative was to become a hairdresser. The sense of boredom that was weighing her down actually got so devouring that sewing sort of became the only form of escape from the horror of her everyday reality. But luckily, things were soon to change for the better. The day Emmanuelle discovered the announcement of a contest at the Dramatic Arts Centre of Rue Blanche was the day she found the courage to stand up to her parents and state that she would have traveled to Paris to become an actress. Having finally understood the depth of her sadness, her family couldn't oppose her wishes any longer, so, on the 13th May of 1953, she arrived in Paris.
At the Rue Blanche contest, Emmanuelle auditioned in front of one of the leading actors and directors of the Comédie-Française, the great Jean Meyer. She acted one scene from "On ne badine pas avec l'Amour" by Alfred de Musset. Meyer and the other acting teachers in the jury were just mesmerized by her performance and immediately realized that they had found the next big thing. It goes without saying that Emmanuelle was awarded a scholarship and Meyer himself decided to take her as his own pupil. At 26, Riva was too old to enter the French National Academy of Dramatic Arts, but she soon got her big break anyway, since French stage pillar René Dupuy cast her in a production of George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man". Her next theatrical credits were "Mrs.Warren's Profession" (Shaw), "L'espoir" (Henri Bernstein), "Le dialogue des Carmélites" (Georges Bernanos), Britannicus (Jean Racine), "Il seduttore" (Diego Fabbri). Emmanuelle's small screen debut was in a 1957 episode of the history program Énigmes de l'histoire (1956), "Le Chevalier d'Éon". In the program, she played the Queen of England opposite Marcelle Ranson-Hervé as the cross-dressing knight in the service of the French crown. 1958, on the other hand, was the year that saw her first film appearance, an uncredited role in the Jean Gabin movie The Possessors (1958). The following year would, however, mark a turning point in her career. Emmanuelle was starring in the Dominique Rolin play "L'Epouvantail" at the "théatre de L'Oeuvre" in Paris when one night she found a visitor in her dressing room. His name was Alain Resnais and he was a young director responsible for a few shorts and documentaries (including the Holocaust-themed masterpiece Night and Fog (1956)). He was apparently looking for the female lead of his first feature film, Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), based on a script by the great author, Marguerite Duras. Having seen a picture of Riva in a playbill of the production she was starring in, Resnais had immediately urged to see her. Without promising her anything, the director just asked Emmanuelle if he could take a few photos of her, so that he would have later shown them to Duras for a response. In addition to this, he also invited her at his place where he filmed her reciting some lines from "Arms and the Man". When he brought Duras the material, the author set her eyes on Emmanuelle's melancholic, enigmatic expression and immediately realized that they had found the one they were looking for. "Hiroshima Mon Amour" turned out to be one of the most acclaimed and representative movies of the French New Wave and launched both Resnais and Riva's careers in full orbit. Being somehow familiar with a sense of captivity, Emmanuelle gave an incredibly personal and involving performance as the unnamed heroine of the movie, and it was one that came straight from her heart. Playing an actress from Nevers who develops a love affection towards a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) while filming an anti-war movie in Hiroshima, Emmanuelle helped modernizing acting and female figures in film through an intimate, almost minimalistic woman portrayal that was quite unlike anything else that had been seen on the silver screen to that moment. Speaking her character's thoughts through a great deal of voice-over that could give the viewer constant access to her mind (making for an unusual amount of psychological introspection) , she was able to masterfully translate every last one of these feelings to subtle facial expressions whose richness and eloquence made her face the mirror of the compex soul she was baring before the camera. Combining this heartfelt approach with a refined diction that could perfectly deliver Duras' deep, existentialist lines of dialogue, she gave the world a new type of heroine who, while set apart by a distinctive intellectual charm, remained very humanly relatable. This ground-breaking acting was greatly praised by the critics of the time who were most open to innovation, including some that later became masters of revolutionary cinema themselves. Jean-Luc Godard stated: "Let's take the character played by Emmanuelle Riva. If you ran into her on the street, or saw her every day, I think she would only be of interest to a very limited number of people. But in the film she interests everyone. For me, she's the kind of girl who works at the "Editions du Seuil" or for "L'Express", a kind of 1959 George Sand. A priori, she doesn't interest me, because I prefer the kind of girl you see in [Renato] Castellani's film. This said, Resnais has directed Emmanuelle Riva in such a prodigious way that now I want to read books from "Le Seuil" or "L'Express"." This was Éric Rohmer's take on Riva's 'Elle': " She isn't a classical heroine, at least not one that a certain classical cinema has habituated us to see, from David Griffith to 'Nicholas Ray'." Jacques Doniol-Valcroze summed her up this way: "She is unique. It's the first time that we've seen on the screen an adult woman with an interiority and a capacity for reasoning pushed to such a degree. Emmanuelle Riva is a modern adult woman because she is not an adult woman. She is, on the contrary, very childlike, guided by her impulses alone and not by her ideas." And Jean Domarchi commented that "In a sense, Hiroshima is a documentary on Emmanuelle Riva." The phenomenal intelligence and dramatic intensity of Emmanuelle's performance made "Elle" one of the most indelible characters in film history: however, while Duras' screenplay received an Oscar nomination, her star-making turn was sadly overlooked by the Academy. At least she won the "Étoile de Cristal" (the top film award in France between 1955 and 1975, given by the "Académie française" and later replaced by the César) for Best Actress for her work in the movie.
One year later, Emmanuelle was known as a major talent and, consequently, plenty of directors from different nationalities were knocking at her door. She followed her Hiroshima success with two acclaimed turns in Le huitième jour (1960) and Recours en grâce (1960). In addition to playing these leading roles for French cinema, a scene-stealing Riva was also seen as Simone Signoret's feisty friend in Antonio Pietrangeli's excellent Adua e le compagne (1960) and gave the standout performance in Gillo Pontecorvo's superb Kapo (1960) as a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp. Enter 1961: another year, another career highlight. Emmanuelle was cast opposite Jean-Paul Belmondo in Jean-Pierre Melville's ground-breaking (and shocking for its time) Léon Morin, Priest (1961). In the movie, Riva's Barny, an atheist widow, and Belmondo's Morin, a young and seductive priest, develop a deep, theological relationship with strong sexual implications. Melville cast Emmanuelle thinking that she possessed the kind of intellectual eroticism the character needed and decided to demean her appearance as much as possible by having her dressed in the plainest clothes, so that Barny's major appeal would have been the cultural vivacity shining through her beautiful facial features. Riva and Belmondo's performances turned out to be outstanding and the film, against all odds, ended up being a big success. Riva next appeared in Climats (1962), the first (and only) feature film of TV writer and director Stellio Lorenzi, the man behind celebrated history programs such as La caméra explore le temps (1957) and its immediate predecessor, "Énigmes de L'Histoire", where Emmanuelle had done her screen debut. Adapting André Maurois' novel, Lorenzi hired Emmanuelle seeing her great interpretative sensitivity as being close to the nature of the character she would have played in the movie, also starring Jean-Pierre Marielle and Marina Vlady. In the story, Marielle is torn between sacred and profane love, leaving Vlady's vain and frivolous Odile for Riva's kind and good-hearted Isabelle. The same year, Emmanuelle scored another huge personal triumph as the title heroine of Georges Franju's Therese (1962). Her performance as François Mauriac's ill-fated 20th century Emma Bovary was a true masterpiece of psychological introspection: she perfectly captured all the key traits of the character at once, making her vulnerability coexist with her spirit of rebellion and her desire for freedom go along with a strong sense of self-destruction. Emmanuelle's work in the movie won her enormous raves and a sacred, unanimous Volpi Cup at Venice Film Festival. For the rest of the 60's (her golden period), Emmanuelle kept playing leading roles in French and Italian movies alike and also kept expanding her work to the TV medium. She found excellent, showcasing roles both in Thomas the Impostor (1965) (where she was directed by Franju for the second and last time) and in the lovely comedy The Hours of Love (1963) where she enjoyed a very unusual kind of wedding to Ugo Tognazzi. The third segment of Io uccido, tu uccidi (1965) paired her for the first time with Jean-Louis Trintignant. In this story of "Amour Fou", Riva plays a woman willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Trintignant's character, a man undeserving of her affection. Some TV work the actress did in this decade deserves to be noted as well. She reprised the role of Thérèse Desqueyroux in La fin de la nuit (1966), a dark and crepuscular adaptation of the Mauriac novel of the same name. This sequel follows Thérèse as she relocates to Paris where she has nothing to do but waiting for death to come. The TV play La forêt noire (1968), a fictionalized retelling of the relationship between Brahms and the Schumanns, featured another remarkable Riva performance, and so did Caterina (1963), which saw her taking on the role of Caterina Cornaro.
Going into the 70's and 80's, it wasn't easy for Emmanuelle to keep replicating the impact of her early performances and, while she always played leading roles in her native France, the majority of her movies didn't have a great international resonance. Misguided productions like Fernando Arrabal's I Will Walk Like a Crazy Horse (1973) proved totally unworthy of her talent. Like her contemporaries Delphine Seyrig, Bernadette Lafont, Bulle Ogier and Edith Scob, she liked to pick alternative, anti-mainstream projects, stating that she had no interest in doing things that had already been done before. In this period, she declined countless roles because she found them too traditional and, as a direct consequence of this, most directors stopped making her any more offers. Between 1982 and 1983 she was served with another couple of meaty parts to sink her teeth into. The first was in Marco Bellocchio's The Eyes, the Mouth (1982) (an underrated sequel of sorts to Fists in the Pocket (1965)) as the mother of Lou Castel, here taking on the role of Giovanni, the actor who had supposedly played Alessandro in the classic movie. The second was in Philippe Garrel's poignant Liberté, la nuit (1984) where she was paired with the director's father, the glorious actor, Maurice Garrel. In the subsequent years, Emmanuelle always found work in respectable productions, with the great director occasionally calling her for a project of superior quality (like Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors: Blue (1993)) but the great roles seemed to be way behind her by now. In 2008, she had a nice cameo in A Man and His Dog (2008), a French remake of Umberto D. (1952) which reunited her with her "Léon Morin, prêtre" co-star, Jean-Paul Belmondo. Riva briefly appears in the movie as a gentle lady who meets Belmondo's character -not coincidentally- in a church. She was soon to enjoy, however, an incredible and unforeseen career renaissance.
In 2010, Emmanuelle was cast in Michael Haneke's latest movie, Amour (2012). The script managed as well to get Jean-Louis Trintignant out of retirement and frequent Haneke collaborator Isabelle Huppert also got on board for the ride. Haneke had written the script with precisely Trintignant in mind, but hadn't already thought of a specific actress to play the leading female role. The director had greatly admired Emmanuelle's performance in "Hiroshima Mon Amour", but wasn't much familiar with her subsequent work. Still, a recent photo of hers lead him to think that she would have been believable as Trintignant's wife and decided to audition her along with a few other actresses her age. It soon became obvious that she was the best choice in the world. The Austrian director's most recent masterpiece follows Georges (Trintignant) and Anne (Riva), a long time married couple whose life changes drastically when she suffers a stroke. An incredibly deep reflection about the two most important components of life, love and death, Haneke's heartbreaking movie took Cannes film festival by storm, making obvious from the day it was screened that no other film had the slightest possibility to win the Golden Palm. A fundamental part of "Amour"'s success were of course the immense central performances of its two leads. Jury president Nanni Moretti would have liked to give "Amour" the main festival prize along with top acting honors for its two veteran stars, but unfortunately a festival rule forbids to give any other major award to the Golden Palm winner. Moretti was displeased by this, but he still managed to find a way to recognize Trintignant and Riva's work. Although the Best Actor Award went to Mads Mikkelsen for The Hunt (2012) and the Best Actress Award was given to Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur for Beyond the Hills (2012), the Golden Palm which the director was awarded was given alongside a special mention to the film's leads for their indispensable work. All three were invited on the stage to make an acceptance speech: it was one of the highest honors a thespian could ever dream of. Although Haneke remains the only official recipient of the Palm, Riva and Trintignant were, in spirit, the big acting winners of the 65th edition of the prestigious film festival. But the love for "Amour" wasn't to end here. After it amazed the audience at Toronto film festival, it became clear that the film would have done this over and over while getting screened all around the globe. Further accolades for the movie came at the end of November, when it scored an impressive four wins at the European Film Awards (Picture, Director, Actor and Actress). In the following weeks, Emmanuelle also racked up a good share of critic awards in America, including wins from major groups such as the National Society of Film Critics. On Oscar nominations day, Emmanuelle's performance was recognized along with the movie, its director and its screenplay. Having traveled to New York to attend the 2013 National Board of Review awards (where Amour had been named "Best Foreign Language Film"), Emmanuelle was still there when, bright and early, her room neighbors' jubilation cheers told her that she had been nominated. In great humbleness, she stated that she didn't expect it because 'there's plenty of talented people everywhere'. Shortly after, she also added a BAFTA to her mantle. After her triumph, Culture and communication Minister Aurélie Filippetti complimented Emmanuelle on her charisma and on the quality of her performance and stated that she would have defended France's colors at the upcoming Oscars. Emmanuelle's next appointment was with an overdue first César. After receiving a well-deserved standing ovation, she made a very beautiful and moving speech, quoting Von Kleist and paying homage to Maurice Garrel. A couple of days later she attended the Oscars and eventually failed to win the award, but this couldn't change the fact that she had made history already. Having always been in possession of one of cinema's most expressive faces, being equally effective with her physical language and having displayed unsurpassable courage and honesty in portraying the deterioration of Anne's body and soul, Emmanuelle gave a performance that went beyond every linguistic barrier and strongly touched and affected everyone who saw it. Her stunning work is for the ages.
Having hit such a high note near the end of her film career, it seems only natural that Emmanuelle did the same thing on the Parisian stage shortly after, scoring a new triumph in Didier Bezace's production of Marguerite Duras' play "Savannah Bay", which marked her theatrical return after a 13 years absence. Acting a text of the celebrated author who had penned the movie which had simultaneously given her immediate fame and screen immortality was the most inspired way to bring her exceptional career to full circle. Duras had written the part (originally performed by Madeleine Renaud) on the condition that only an actress no longer in the spring of youth would have played it: disregarding this wish would have been a mistake, but it must be added that no other actress in the same age range and associated with the author could have been an equally perfect choice. Wearing that slightly absent look loaded with a mixture of vulnerability and melancholy that only she can do so effectively, the actress reached- for the few, privileged ones who witnessed this new achievement- some basically unmatchable levels of heartbreak, repeating several times the words 'mon amour' to such an involving and powerful effect no one else could have produced. The actress stated that she would have probably refused to ever return to the stage hadn't she been offered this part. And her choice was, once again, a winning one. Emmanuelle kept working regularly for the next two years-- shooting films and doing poetry recitals all around Europe-- until she died on the 27 January 2017 after a secret battle with cancer. As profoundly devastating as the news of this artistic and human loss were, the world had to salute with utmost admiration a woman who, true to her formidable spirit, always lived a life that was determined by the choices she wanted.
Now, considering that she won her first audience by acting one scene from "On ne badine pas avec l'Amour" in front of her future mentor, got her international consecration by playing the leading role in "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and rose from her ashes with her superlative work in "Amour", one can conclude that the word Amour is most definitely a good luck charm to Emmanuelle Riva.Died of cancer in Paris, France.
1927-2017 (89 years old)
27 January - Cinematographer
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Tidy was born on 17 May 1932 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK. He was a cinematographer and actor, known for Chain Reaction (1996), Under Siege (1992) and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992). He was married to Maureen Catherine Corcoran. He died on 27 January 2017 in Kent, England, UK.Died of dementia in Kent, England.
1932-2017 (84 years old)
27 January- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Robert Ellis Miller was born on 18 July 1927 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and writer, known for The Buttercup Chain (1970), Alcoa Premiere (1961) and Breaking Point (1963). He was married to Pola Miller. He died on 27 January 2017 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.Died in Woodland Hills, California.
1927-2017 (89 years old)
27 January- Eléonore Hirt was born on 19 December 1919 in Basel, Switzerland. She was an actress, known for A Witch's Way of Love (1997), Comédie (1966) and Le journal (1979). She was married to Michel Piccoli and André Rouyer. She died on 27 January 2017 in Longjumeau, Essonne, France.Died in Paris, France.
1919-2017 (97 years old)
27 January - Sound Department
- Actor
Portman entered the film industry in 1957, as a trainee at Columbia Pictures. In 1959 he joined the Samuel Goldwyn Studio as a junior engineer, rising to the position of Assistant Supervising Sound Recording Engineer. In 1970 he joined Robert Altman at the Lion's Gate facility, serving as Sound Director. He was instrumental in creating an entirely new approach to re-recording sound and post-production, and was the first in Hollywood to ever mix an entire feature by himself. He passed away at the age of 82 in 2017.Died of complications from a fall in Tallahassee, Florida.
1934-2017 (82 years old)
28 January- Producer
- Writer
- Editorial Department
Stanley Kallis was born on 5 September 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Police Story (1973), The Glitter Dome (1984) and Roadracers (1959). He was married to Lucetta. He died on 28 January 2017 in Laguna Beach, California, USA.Died in Laguna Beach, California.
1928-2017 (88 years old)
28 January- Sound Department
- Composer
- Music Department
Lech Branski was born on 13 January 1949 in Lódz, Lódzkie, Poland. He was a composer, known for Kochaj i rób co chcesz (1998), Girl Guide (1995) and Czule miejsca (1981). He died on 29 January 2017 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Warsaw, Poland.
1949-2017 (68 years old)
29 January- Actor
- Producer
Frank Pellegrino was born on 19 May 1944 in East Harlem, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Goodfellas (1990), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) and Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993). He was married to Josephine Nicita. He died on 31 January 2017 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.Died of lung cancer in New York, New York.
1944-2017 (72 years old)
31 January- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Rob Stewart is an award-winning biologist, photographer, conservationist and filmmaker. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Stewart began photographing underwater when he was 13. By the age of 18 he became a scuba instructor and then moved on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, studying in Ontario, Jamaica and Kenya.
Before making Sharkwater (2007), Stewart spent four years traveling the world as chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation's magazines. Leading expeditions to the most remote areas of the world, Stewart has logged thousands of hours underwater using the latest in camera and rebreather technologies. Stewart's highly sought after images have appeared in nearly every media form worldwide.
While on assignment to photograph sharks in the Galapagos Islands, Stewart discovered illegal longlining, indiscriminately killing sharks within the marine reserve. He tried promoting awareness through print media, but when the public didn't respond, Stewart decided to make a film to bring people closer to sharks. At the age of 22 he left his photography career behind and embarked on a remarkable journey over four years and 12 countries, resulting in the epic Sharkwater.
When Stewart boarded Sea Shepherd's ship, Sharkwater took a turn from a beautiful underwater film into an incredible human drama filled with corruption, espionage, attempted murder charges and mafia rings, forcing Stewart and his crew to become part of the story. During filming, Stewart encountered life threatening obstacles, including diseases such as West Nile, Tuberculosis, Dengue Fever and flesh eating disease.
Sharkwater has been hugely successful, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and winning a "Canada's Top Ten" award. Sharkwater made history with the largest opening weekend of any Canadian documentary, and was the most award-winning documentary of the year, winning over 35 awards at prestigious film festivals around the world. As of 2012 it is the third highest grossing Canadian documentary in the last ten years, next to the high budget films, Nascar and Oceans.
Stewart's hardcover book, Sharkwater: An Odyssey to Save the Planet, was released in October 2007 by Key Porter Books. His book Save the Humans will be released in the Fall of 2012 by Random House.
Stewart continues to work towards conservation and environmental education, speaking at the University of Victoria, Yale University, Vancouver Aquarium, ROM, various TEDx events, and others.
Stewart is on the board of numerous conservation groups including WildAid, Shark Savers and the Shark Research Institute, and recently founded his own charity, United Conservationists, based in Los Angeles and Toronto.
He has made featured appearances on numerous high profile TV shows including Larry King Live, The Today Show, Tonight Show, The Late Show, Nightline, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, ET Canada, Bloomberg, The Hour, BBC1, MTV and others.
In a 2011 The Grid Magazine survey, he was voted top living resident for making Toronto a better place.
Stewart is currently completing work on his second film, Revolution, due in theaters in 2013, with a companion rich digital media component, and How-to Guide to save humanity.Died in a diving accident in the Florida Keys, Florida.
1979-2017 (37 years old)
31 January- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Director
David Shepard was born on 22 October 1940 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and director, known for Monte Cristo (1922), The Age of Ballyhoo (1973) and The Moving Picture Boys in the Great War (1975). He died on 31 January 2017 in Medford, Oregon, USA.Died of cancer in Medford, Oregon.
1940-2017 (77 years old)
31 January- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Lars-Erik Berenett was born on 23 December 1942 in Skellefteå, Västerbottens län, Sweden. He was an actor and writer, known for Hassel/Förgörarna (2000), Roland Hassel (2012) and Kråsnålen (1988). He was married to Evabritt Strandberg and Maria Kulle. He died on 1 February 2017 in Värmdö, Sweden.Died in Värmdö, Sweden.
1942-2017 (74 years old)
1 February- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Stig Grybe was born on 18 July 1928 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was an actor and writer, known for 91:an Karlsson muckar (tror han) (1959), Femte generationen (1986) and Skägget i brevlådan (2008). He was married to Marie-Louise Engstrand. He died on 1 February 2017 in Sweden.Died in Sweden.
1928-2017 (88 years old)
1 February- Sandra Aranha was born on 28 January 1958 in New Delhi, India. She was an actress, known for Spice Sisters (2016) and Australia's Got Talent (2007). She died on 1 February 2017 in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.Died in Byron Bay, Australia.
1958-2017 (59 years old)
1 February - Jeanne Austin was born on 17 February 1940 in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Funhouse (1981) and Stuckey's Last Stand (1980). She died on 1 February 2017 in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA.Died of ovarian cancer in Brattleboro, Vermont.
1940-2017 (76 years old)
1 February - Satara is an actor (starting age 3 with Disney), she enjoyed indie films thus often working with smaller film companies like Fire Fuel, but also larger companies like Troma. Satara did enjoy the filmmaking process thus also working on Being Mary Jane, BET., with Tyler Perry on many shows or to full scale studios such as Universal. Satara produced a PSA for Green Energy with Kevin Richardson at 13, played soccer for the US, as well. Satara did several commercials, music videos and work on Broadway while attending AMDA, at 16. Satara went to Hollywood at 18 for directing, and sadly was abducted by human traffickers at 22. She fought, became a strong advocate for Mayor Berke in an attempt to reduce criminality and re-victimization of victims that leads to mental issues increasing the survivors risks, attacks by their captors and death if not sold. On February 04, 2017 Satara died as direct result of complications as victim to Human Trafficking. Sataras' goal to end slavery will continue through a foundation, and as a mitzvah for a Jewish library donations may go to Chabad of Chattanooga, Chattanooga TN 37403 care of Rabbi Perlstein. Judaism was Sataras' strength helping her survive years of torture and slavery.1987-2017 (29 years old)
4 February - Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
John Gay was born on 1 April 1924 in Whittier, California, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Separate Tables (1958), Lux Video Theatre (1950) and Run Silent Run Deep (1958). He was married to Barbara (Bobbie) Elizabeth Meyer. He died on 4 February 2017 in Santa Monica, California, USA.Died in Santa Monica, California.
1924-2017 (92 years old)
4 February- Georgiy Taratorkin was born on 11 January 1945 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Crime and Punishment (1970), Lyubov imperatora (2002) and Otklonenie - nol (1978). He was married to Ekaterina Markova. He died on 4 February 2017 in Moscow, Russia.Died of an illness in Moscow, Russia.
1945-2017 (72 years old)
4 February - Björn Granath was born on 5 April 1946 in Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) and Evil (2003). He was married to Annmargret Fyregård. He died on 5 February 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden.Died of an illness in Stockholm, Sweden.
1946-2017 (70 years old)
5 February - Professor Irwin Corey, "The World's Foremost Authority," was born on July 29, 1914, in Brooklyn, New York. He and his five siblings were wards of the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum, and during the Great Depression, he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corp. Possessing brawn as well as brains, Professor Irwin Corey is proud to tell anyone who will listen that he was the C.C.C.'s boxing champ in the 112-pound weight class.
Before becoming certified (as a professor purveying the surreal), the young Irwin caught the performing bug by appearing in a borscht belt show, "Pots and Pans," in a bit part. He made his debut in a musical comedy in a U.S.O. presentation of "Oklahoma" in Europe, in which he played the part of the Arab peddler Ali Hakim.
Perfecting his crazy professor shtick, who always appeared in an old-fashioned tuxedo with tails like Groucho Marx, Corey broke through as a stand-up comic at San Francisco's "hungry i" and New York City's Copacabana and Village Vanguard nightclubs. His lectures, characterized by a constant barrage of non-sequitur and double-talk, were rooted in the word-play epitomized by Groucho Marx and Chico Marx in such classic routines as "Why a Duck?" However, whatever "logic" The Marx Brothers might display (at least in exasperated double takes by Groucho) was missing in the Professor's shtick. Before the Talking Heads ever sang about it, Professor Irwin Corey made an art form out of "Stop Making Sense."
Theater critic Kenneth Tynan said of the Professor, "[Corey is] a cultural clown, a parody of literacy, a travesty of all that our civilization holds dear and one of the funniest grotesques in America. He is Chaplin's clown with a college education."
Corey thrived on the radio, memorably appearing on Edgar Bergen's radio show as a tutor to Charlie McCarthy. Television was another natural medium for the professor, and he appeared as a regular on The Jackie Gleason Show (1952) and also made the rounds of the talk show circuit of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, appearing with 'Steve Allen', Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas. He also was on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (aka The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)) as well as appeared with the new lessor of the Ed Sullivan Theater, David Letterman.
Irwin Corey also has appeared on Broadway, in "Heaven on Earth," "Happy as Larry," "Fla-hooley," and "Mrs. McThing," as well as recent productions of "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Hamlet." Off-Broadway, he appeared as the eponymous lead in "The Good Soldier Schweik" and as Marlo Thomas' father in Herb Gardner's play "Thieves," reprising the role in the film (Thieves (1977)). He also appeared in numerous episodes of series television, including The Andy Griffith Show (1960), "Doc" (with Barnard Hughes), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967), and Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour (1970).
The Professor's last film was Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001). At 91, and still going strong, Professor Irwin Corey truly is the dean of stand-up comedians, if not quite at the head of his class.Died in New York, New York.
1914-2017 (102 years old)
6 February - Ming Kao was born on 8 September 1933 in Chiayi, Taiwan. He was an actor, known for A Touch of Zen (1971), Wu lin long hu dou (1970) and Tie niang zi (1969). He died on 6 February 2017 in Wanli, New Taipei City, Taiwan.Died of suicide by hanging in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
1933-2017 (83 years old)
6 February - Alec McCowen was born Alexander Duncan McCowan on May 26, 1925 in Tunbridge Wells, England. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in 1942. He established his reputation in classical stage roles, appearing in the ensemble of Laurence Olivier's famed duo-production of William Shakespeare's "Anthony and Cleopatra" and George Bernard Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra" at the 1951 Festival of Britain. McCowen transferred with the productions to New York that same year, making his Broadway debut.
McCowen made his movie debut in The Cruel Sea (1953), but for his turn as Police Inspector Oxford in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972), his reputation is rooted in his stage work. "Frenzy" led to his one lead role in a major motion picture, that of Henry Pulling in George Cukor's adaptation of 'Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt (1972). Though the film won an Oscar for Costume Design and a Best Actress nod for co-star Maggie Smith (among its total of four nominations), the movie did not advance McCowen's career. Over a decade later, he played the title role in the Thames Television series Mr. Palfrey of Westminster (1984), which ran for two seasons on British television from 1984 to 1985. His last cinema appearance was in a small role in Gangs of New York (2002) for director Martin Scorsese; he had earlier appeared in Scorsese's The Age of Innocence (1993).
Though his services were in demand in movies and on television, McCowen remained wedded to the stage; he regards the character of "Astrov" in Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" as his favorite role. From 1967 to 1992, McCowen appeared nine times on Broadway, for which he garnered two Drama Desk Awards (out of four nominations) and three Tony Award nominations. One of his Tony Award nominations was for his magisterial solo performance in "St. Mark's Gospel", which debuted on Broadway in 1978 and had a return engagement on the Great White Way in 1981.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1972 Queen's New Years Honours and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1986 Queen's New Years Honours for his services to drama. Alec McCowan died at age 91 on February 6, 2017 in London, England.Died in London, England.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
6 February - Christine Dolce was born on 31 August 1981 in Long Beach, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Dark Forest (2014), Guys Choice (2007) and Byte Me: 20 Hottest Women of the Web (2008). She died on 6 February 2017 in Huntington Beach, California, USA.Died of liver failure in Huntington Beach, California.
1981-2017 (35 years old)
6 February - Fun Lo was born on 7 April 1954 in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. She was an actress, known for Blind Detective (2013), The Raid (1991) and Street Angels (1996). She died on 6 February 2017 in Hong Kong.Died of dermatomyositis in Hong Kong.
1954-2017 (62 years old)
6 February - John Ahrens (1963-2017) was a New York City based actor. John attended the University of New Haven and from there went on to work in the music industry. In music he worked his way up into the major A&R marketing distribution divisions at Warner, Elektra, Atlantic. After leaving the music industry John worked as a TV and film actor in New York City based productions, while raising his two children. Known for his easy going nature, his great love of sports, music, his children, his cats and acting, he lived life to the fullest. John was loved and respected by his colleagues in the film and music industries and by his family and many friends. He loved the outdoors, the New York Mets, boating, Central Park, a great script and his music loud. John loved to laugh and made the world laugh with him. A very generous soul, he was a prince among men.
When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun. - Shakespeare1963-2017 (53 years old)
6 February - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Santa Monica, California, USA, Richard Hatch was studying classical piano at the age of eight, and knew he wanted to carve out a career as a performer before he reached his teens. After attending Harbor College in San Pedro, he joined a Los Angeles repertory company with which he traveled to New York City in 1967. He performed in the plays "Song of Walt Whitman", "Young Rebels" and a production called "Exercise", which Richard directed. Richard was cast as the original "Philip Brent" in the soap All My Children (1970) in 1970. He later played "Inspector Dan Robbins" on the television series The Streets of San Francisco (1972). Richard Hatch is best remembered for his portrayal of "Apollo" on the series, Battlestar Galactica (1978).Died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles, California.
1945-2017 (71 years old)
7 February- Olive Dunbar was born on 30 March 1925 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for The Lottery (1969), Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985) and The Streets of San Francisco (1972). She was married to William Keene. She died on 8 February 2017 in Ithaca, New York, USA.Died in Ithaca, New York.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
8 February - Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, or TP-T as she had become widely recognised by the nation, first rose to fame in the 1990s when she was a budding writer and fashion enthusiast eager to share her views with the world by entering into a newly-found London lifestyle--a big change from her quintessentially English upbringing in the Hampshire countryside. Her writing career quickly progressed through a flurry of hard work mixed with an array of insights into her exceptional socialite lifestyle. The public were ensconced in the interest of this young writer and her ever-growing following quickly catapulted her into the limelight where she was even given the honour of a waxwork likeness at Madame Tussauds.
Having written for some of the nation's most prestigious publications such as Tatler, The Sunday Times, and The Mail on Sunday, TP-T had built up her reputation as an immeasurable influence in the worlds of fashion, lifestyle, and literature. Her success could also be credited to her entertaining yet endearing television persona which had consistently won the hearts of the British public on programmes such as 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' and 'Celebrity Fame Academy,' where she finished in first place. Encouraged by her success on this show, Tara, already a classically-trained musician, had continued to build upon her passion for music, and had produced a series of tracks to be released in the immediate future.
More recently, Tara's iconic status in the lifestyle and media fields had afforded her the opportunity to publish a best-selling self-help guide, 'The Naughty Girl's Guide to Life'; and two glamour-infused novels, 'Inheritance' and 'Infidelity'. The success behind these novels is fundamentally linked to the popularity that Tara had established for herself over the years and the fact that she depicted a unique insight that only TP-T herself can tell.
With upcoming television, literary, and musical projects in production, Tara's attention continued to be divided between creative and media engagements, but with her vivacious personality she was always looking to broaden her horizons. She had a strong affinity for charitable causes and an ever-increasing involvement in charity work and fundraising events.Died of perforated ulcer in London, England.
1971-2017 (45 years old)
8 February - Breck Wilson was born in Carthage, Missouri and attended college at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In 1990 he headed west on Route 66 out of Carthage and landed on the Santa Monica Pier. When confronted by the Pacific Ocean, he decided to back track briefly 22 miles to Hollywood. After regrouping with an employment stint at the Hard Rock Cafe among many other unmentionables, he finally crossed the Pacific to spend most of the early 1990's modeling between Tokyo, Milan, Paris and finally New York City. Most high-profile modeling work includes runway appearances with D & G and Versace in Milan as well as a Bugle Boy campaign and photo shoots in Vanity Fair back in the states. His first break into the film industry was acting opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins portraying a drug-addict in 1995's "Nixon". He has been working within the entertainment industry ever since and has recently launched his own production company.Died of brain damage after a fall in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
1968-2017 (48 years old)
9 February - Kazim Akboga was an actor, known for Therapie (2016) and Der Wedding kommt (2016). He died on 9 February 2017 in Berlin, Germany.Died of a suicide in Berlin, Germany.
?-2017 (age unknown)
9 February - Actor
- Stunts
Chavo Guerrero Sr. was born on 7 January 1949 in El Paso, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Streets of Rage (1993), The One and Only (1978) and Alligator II: The Mutation (1991). He was married to Nancy Vasquez. He died on 11 February 2017 in El Paso, Texas, USA.Died of liver cancer in El Paso, Texas.
1949-2017 (68 years old)
11 February- Art Department
- Writer
- Actor
Jirô Taniguchi was born on 12 August 1947 in Tottori, Japan. He was a writer and actor, known for The Solitary Gourmet (2012), Everest: The Summit of the Gods (2016) and The Summit of the Gods (2021). He died on 11 February 2017.Died in Tokyo, Japan.
1947-2017 (69 years old)
11 February- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Al Jarreau was born on 12 March 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Moonlighting (1985), Dick Tracy (1990) and Out of Africa (1985). He was married to Susan Player and Phyllis Hall. He died on 12 February 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of respiratory failure in Los Angeles, California.
1940-2017 (76 years old)
12 February- Krystyna Sienkiewicz was born on 14 February 1935 in Ostrów Mazowiecka, Mazowieckie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Zwariowana noc (1967), Lydia Ate the Apple (1958) and Motodrama (1971). She was married to Andrzej Przylubski and Wlodzimierz Rylski. She died on 12 February 2017 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Warsaw, Poland.
1935-2017 (81 years old)
12 February - Production Designer
- Art Director
- Art Department
Richard Tassé was born on 21 March 1954 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was a production designer and art director, known for Johnny Mnemonic (1995), Feardotcom (2002) and L'assassin jouait du trombone (1991). He died on 12 February 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Died of cancer in Montreal, Canada.
1954-2017 (62 years old)
12 February- Actress
- Soundtrack
Songwriter, pianist and composer, educated at the New England Conservatory. She made a USA tour with an instrumental trio, and was a pianist in night clubs and in the Broadway musical "Me and Juliet." She made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1956, her popular-song compositions include "Barbara's Carol," "Just Plain Blue," "Lost In a Crowded Place" and "Fancy Pants."Died in New York, New York.
1925-2017 (92 years old)
12 February- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Marek Serafinski was born on 12 July 1954 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. Marek was a producer and director, known for Wyscig (1990), Son of Stars (2006) and Narodziny (1995). Marek died on 12 February 2017 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Warsaw, Poland.
1954-2017 (62 years old)
12 February- Additional Crew
- Director
- Actor
Seijun Suzuki was born in Nihonbashi, Tôkyô, on May 24, 1923. In 1943, he entered the army to fight at the front. In 1946, he enrolled in the film department of the Kamakura Academy and passed the assistant director's exam. For the next few years, he worked as an assistant director at several studios. In 1958, he directed his first film, Victory Is Ours (1956), and from then on he directed three to four films each year. With Branded to Kill (1967), he came into conflict with Hori Kyusaku, who was the president of Nikkatsu Studios at the time. Because of this, he was forced to work in television the next ten years. In 1977, A Tale of Sorrow (1977), his return to theatrically-released films, was released.Died of COPD in Tokyo, Japan.
1923-2017 (93 years old)
13 February- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Gerald Hirschfeld was born on 25 April 1921 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Young Frankenstein (1974), Mr. Smith (1983) and The Car (1977). He was married to Julia Tucker and Sarnell Ogus. He died on 13 February 2017 in Ashland, Oregon, USA.Died in Ashland, Oregon.
1921-2017 (95 years old)
13 February- Actor
- Producer
Jong-Nam Kim was born on 10 May 1971 in Pyongyang, North Korea. He was an actor and producer, known for Silent Venom (2009), Geudeul-ui moseub-eseo (1985) and Frontline (1983). He was married to Hye-Kyong Lee and Jong-Hui Shin. He died on 13 February 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Assassinated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
1971-2017 (45 years old)
13 February- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Ya'akov Gross was born on 16 April 1949 in Lodzh, Poland. He was a director and writer, known for The Sun Rises Again (1990), Bonim V'Lohamim (1997) and Dreamers and Builders 1920 - 1926 (1997). He died on 15 February 2017 in Israel.Died in Israel.
1949-2017 (67 years old)
15 February- George 'The Animal' Steele ( his professional wrestling name) was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA as William James Myers. He was a wrestling superstar in the WWF. He had a public image of a wild type of creature that chewed on the turn buckles and sported a green tongue. In the 1990s he became an actor, known for Blowfish (1997) and Used Cars (1997). George was perhaps best known for playing the monstrous Tor Johnson in Ed Wood (1994). He was married to Patricia Randolph. He died on February 16, 2017 in Florida.Died of kidney failure in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
1937-2017 (79 years old)
16 February - Ben Hu Wang was born on 6 December 1953 in Tainan County, Taiwan, Republic of China. He was a writer, known for Yin jian xiang ma, Chui gu chui (1988), The Daughter-in-Law (1995) and That Vital Organ (1991). He died on 16 February 2017 in Tainan City, Taiwan, Republic of China.Died of cancer in Tainan City, Taiwan.
1953-2017 (63 years old)
16 February - Born and raised in upstate Vermont, Warren Frost left home at age 17 to enlist in the United States Navy during World War II, serving aboard the destroyer escort USS Borum (DE-790) in Europe during the Normandy landings. After his service, he worked mainly in theater. He had a doctorate in theater arts from the University of Minnesota and was a published playwright with four plays to his credit and also wrote a novel.Died of an illness in Middlebury, Vermont.
1925-2017 (91 years old)
17 February - Nicole Bass was born on 10 August 1964 in Middle Village, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Private Parts (1997), WWE Smackdown! (1999) and WWE Raw (1993). She was married to Robert Fuchs. She died on 17 February 2017 in the USA.Died of a stroke in USA.
1964-2017 (52 years old)
17 February - Writer
- Producer
- Director
Richard Schickel was born on 10 February 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Big Red One (1980), Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente (1987) and Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us (2005). He was married to Carol Rubenstein and Julia Carroll Whedon. He died on 18 February 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of a series of strokes in Los Angeles, California.
1933-2017 (84 years old)
18 February- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Witold Adamek was born on 7 November 1945 in Lódz, Lódzkie, Poland. He was a cinematographer and director, known for A Short Film About Love (1988), Yesterday (1985) and Television Theater (1953). He died on 18 February 2017 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Warsaw, Poland.
1945-2017 (71 years old)
18 February- Jen Apgar was born on 21 May 1972. She was an actress, known for Cold Mountain (2003), The Skeleton Key (2005) and Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She was married to Jiri Vala. She died on 19 February 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.Died of ovarian cancer in Atlanta, Georgia.
1972-2017 (44 years old)
19 February - Danuta Szaflarska was born on 6 February 1915 in Kosarzyska, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Kosarzyska, Piwniczna-Zdrój, Malopolskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Time to Die (2007), Diably, diably (1991) and Pozegnanie z Maria (1993). She was married to Janusz Kilanski and Jan Ekier. She died on 19 February 2017 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Warsaw, Poland.
1915-2017 (102 years old)
19 February