Deaths: May 1

1. Olympia Dukakis

Long a vital, respected thespian of the classic and contemporary stage, this grand lady did not become a household name and sought-after film actress until age 56 when she turned in a glorious, Oscar-winning performance as Cher's sardonic mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987). Movie (and ...

2. Alessandra Panaro

Actress | Ercole contro Moloch

Alessandra Panaro was born on December 14, 1939 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for Conquest of Mycene (1963), Poor But Beautiful (1957) and Treasure of the Aztecs (1965). She was married to Giancarlo Sbragia and Jean-Pierre Sabet. She died on May 1, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.

3. Anatoli Aleksin

Writer | Nakanune premiery

Anatoli Aleksin was born on August 3, 1924 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was a writer and actor, known for Nakanune premiery (1978), Ya vam pishu... (1959) and Sestra muzykanta (1972). He was married to Tatiana Evseevna Alexina Feinberg. He died on May 1, 2017 in Luxembourg.

4. Andrew Colmar

Actor | It's a Man's World

Andrew Colmar was born on June 23, 1939. He was an actor, known for It's a Man's World (1962), Shannon (1961) and Ensign O'Toole (1962). He died on May 1, 1983 in New York City, New York, USA.

5. Anne Heaton

Actress | SpotlightON Unique Music Television

Anne Heaton is known for SpotlightON Unique Music Television (2004) and Indie Kindred (2014).

6. Ayrton Senna

Self | Formula 1

Ayrton Senna da Silva was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil to a wealthy family. When he was four years old his father Milton bought him a go-kart, and by age eight Ayrton was regularly competing in karting events. His career progressed quickly, and in 1982 he moved to England to pursue his racing. In 1984...

7. Barry Jones

Actor | Brigadoon

Barry Jones was born on March 6, 1893 in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK. He was an actor, known for Brigadoon (1954), Prince Valiant (1954) and Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954). He died on May 1, 1981 in Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK.

8. Bernard Archard

Actor | Krull

Tall, incisive, aquiline-featured British character actor. Born in Fulham, London, Archard won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1938. The following year, he made his stage debut opposite Jessica Tandy in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, at the Regent's Park Theatre. A ...

9. Betsy Jones-Moreland

Actress | Last Woman on Earth

Betsy Jones-Moreland once said that she never decided to be an actress, it just happened, one step after the other, and that she resisted all the way. She started out doing office work in New York, working for the organization that owned TV shows like Gabby Hayes and Howdy Doody. To overcome ...

10. Bo Widerberg

Director | Ådalen 31

Bo Widerberg was born on June 8, 1930 in Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for Adalen 31 (1969), All Things Fair (1995) and Joe Hill (1971). He was married to Vanja Nettelbladt and Ann-Mari Björklund. He died on May 1, 1997 in Ängelholm, Skåne län, Sweden.

11. Bob Woffinden

Writer | Quiz

Bob Woffinden was born on January 31, 1948 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Quiz (2020), True Stories (1988) and First Tuesday (1983). He was previously married to Anne.

12. Bruce Hampton

Actor | Sling Blade

Bruce Hampton was born on April 30, 1947. He was an actor, known for Sling Blade (1996), Here Comes Rusty (2016) and Gilda Sue Rosenstern: The Motion Picture! (2018). He died on May 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

13. Charles Siebert

Actor | ...And Justice for All

One of acting's more reliable performers from the 1970s through the early 1990s, Charles Siebert alternated between the live theater and film/television as both an actor and director. Born the eldest of four children in 1938 in Wisconsin, he started his career following journalism school at ...

14. Chris Kelly

Soundtrack | Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

Chris Kelly was born on August 11, 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005), A Different World (1987) and Kris Kross: The Way of the Rhyme (1992). He died on May 1, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

15. Colomba

Actress | Canuto Cañete y los 40 ladrones

Colomba was born on October 24, 1931 in Córdoba, Argentina. She was an actress, known for Canuto Cañete y los 40 ladrones (1964), La toma (2000) and Tocá para mí (2001). She died on May 1, 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

16. Danny Aiello III

Actor | The Natural

Danny Aiello was an accomplished producer and director with twenty-five years experience in the industry, receiving considerable notice as one of New York's finest up-and-coming filmmakers. He most recently produced and directed: 18 Shades of Dust (1999), a feature film nominated at the London Film...

17. Danny Gans

Actor | Bull Durham

Danny's childhood dream was to play third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After high school, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. The Chicago White Sox drafted Danny after college, where he was an All-American at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His professional baseball player until an injury ...

18. Douglass Watson

Actor | Another World

Douglass Watson was born on February 24, 1921 in Jackson, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Another World (1964), Julius Caesar (1953) and The Money Pit (1986). He was married to Eugenia Laring-Clark. He died on May 1, 1989 in Arizona, USA.

19. Eli Woods

Actor | Mr. H Is Late

Eli Woods was born on January 11, 1923 in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Mr. H Is Late (1988), Little Dorrit (1987) and Spender (1991). He was married to Pamela. He died on May 1, 2014 in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, UK.

20. Else Blangsted

Music_department | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Else Blangsted was born on May 22, 1920 in Würzburg, Germany. She is known for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), The Man with Two Brains (1983) and And Justice for All (1979). She was married to Folmar Blangsted and Eric Seelig. She died on May 1, 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

21. Francis Megahy

Director | Freelance

Francis Megahy was born on March 18, 1935 in Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He was a director and writer, known for Freelance (1970), The Great Riviera Bank Robbery (1979) and Minder (1979). He died on May 1, 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

22. Gene Sheldon

Actor | Babes in Toyland

Gene Sheldon was born on February 1, 1908 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Babes in Toyland (1961), Susie's Affairs (1934) and Zorro (1957). He was married to Margaret McCann. He died on May 1, 1982 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

23. Glenda Farrell

Actress | Girl Missing

Glenda Farrell began as the archetypal wisecracking blonde in 1930s gangland films like Little Caesar (1931) and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932). Diminutive, grey-eyed and undeniably sassy, she was a seasoned performer long before Warner Brothers snapped her up as a contract player in 1929...

24. Gogó Andreu

Actor | Vidas robadas

Gogó Andreu was born on July 27, 1919 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and composer, known for Vidas robadas (2008), La mano que aprieta (1953) and P'al otro lado (1942). He was married to Rosita Gamas. He died on May 1, 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

25. Grace Lee Whitney

Actress | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Grace Lee Whitney was a versatile actress and vocalist born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Beginning as a "girl singer" on Detroit's WJR radio, she soon opened in nightclubs for Billie Holiday and Buddy Rich, and toured with the Spike Jones and Fred Waring Bands. Grace debuted on Broadway in "Top Banana",...

26. Grant Mitchell

Actor | Arsenic and Old Lace

You would think stage and film veteran Grant Mitchell was born to play stern authoritarians; his father after all was General John Grant Mitchell. But Mitchell would actually be better known for his portrayals of harangued husbands, bemused dads and bilious executives in 30s and 40s films. Born in ...

27. Guy Williams

Actor | Lost in Space

An exceptionally handsome and charismatic performer with a serene baritone voice, Guy Williams was born Armand Joseph Catalano (nicknamed "Armando" by his family) of Italian parentage in New York City on January 14, 1924. The elder child of an insurance broker (he had a younger sister, Valerie), he...

28. Helen Wagner

Actress | As the World Turns

Helen Wagner was born on September 3, 1918 in Lubbock, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for As the World Turns (1956), The World of Mr. Sweeney (1954) and Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951). She was married to Robert Willey. She died on May 1, 2010 in Mount Kisco, New York, USA.

29. Henry Levin

Director | April Love

A former stage actor and director, Henry Levin had a long and prolific career in films. Entering the business in 1943 as a dialogue director, he graduated to directing features the next year, and turned out films in just about every genre over the next 36 years. His heyday was in the 1960s, when he...

30. Hugo Peretti

Soundtrack | Crazy Rich Asians

Hugo Peretti was born on December 6, 1916. He was a writer and composer, known for Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). He died on May 1, 1986.

31. Hylda Baker

Actress | Oliver!

This dark-haired barrel-shaped comedienne and character actress was the daughter of a Lancashire comedian. She made her professional stage debut in 1915 aged 10 and toured for decades in variety and second-rank revues, several of which she produced herself. She had a reputation for being difficult ...

32. Iris Alonso

Actress | Un idilio de estación

Iris Alonso was born on September 18, 1928 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is an actress, known for Un idilio de estación (1978), Un día 32 en San Telmo (1980) and Abuso de confianza (1950). She was previously married to Ernesto Bianco.

33. Javier Aller

Mama

Javier Aller was born on April 20, 1972 in Madrid, Spain. He was an actor, known for Mama (2013), Kibris: La ley del equilibrio (2005) and Miguel and William (2007). He died on May 1, 2018 in Madrid, Spain.

34. Jerry verDorn

Actor | One Life to Live

Jerry verDorn was born on November 23, 1949 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. He was an actor, known for One Life to Live (1968), Guiding Light (1952) and One Life to Live (2013). He was married to Bethea Stewart. He died on May 1, 2022 in Sparta, New Jersey, USA.

35. Jim Hager

Self | Hee Haw

Jim Hager was born on August 30, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Hee Haw (1969), The Bionic Woman (1976) and Twin Detectives (1976). He was married to Betty Hager Rivero. He died on May 1, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

36. John Starks

Soundtrack | Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

JOHN "JABO" STARKS is perhaps best known in his role as drummer of The James Brown Band for many years.He was one of the key figures in the creation of Funk music, and had played on many of James Brown's hit records in the 1960's and 1970's . Prior to playing for Brown, he was the drummer for ...

37. Juan Formell

Soundtrack | Lantana

Juan Formell was born on August 2, 1942 in Havana, Cuba. He was a composer, known for Lantana (2001), Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta (1984) and El Benny (2006). He died on May 1, 2014 in Havana, Cuba.

38. Juan Vattuone

Actor | Extermineitors 3: La gran pelea final

Juan Vattuone was born in 1949 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Extermineitors 3: La gran pelea final (1991) and Nunca es tarde (2015). He died on May 1, 2022 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

39. Luana Patten

Actress | Fun & Fancy Free

One of the first two contract players for Walt Disney Studios, she made her debut in Song of the South (1946) as a poor white child fascinated by the stories told by Uncle Remus. She made several more films as a child star, then left film for 8 years. She returned as an ingénue in Rock, Pretty Baby!...

40. Mabel Karr

Actress | La lengua asesina

Mabel Campolongo Jaime, artistically known as Mabel Karr, was an Argentinian actress with resident in Spain. She was born in Buenos Aires, where she worked as a model, actress of photo stories and in the Argentinian TV. In 1958, she moved to Spain to participate in the movie Las chicas de la Cruz ...

41. Madeleine Lebeau

Actress | Casablanca

Madeleine Lebeau was born on June 10, 1923 in Antony, Seine [now Hauts-de-Seine], France. She was an actress, known for Casablanca (1942), 8½ (1963) and Gentleman Jim (1942). She was married to Tullio Pinelli and Marcel Dalio. She died on May 1, 2016 in Estepona, Malaga, Spain.

42. Marc Dudicourt

Actor | Frantic

Marc Dudicourt was born on May 6, 1932 in Amiens, France. He was an actor, known for Frantic (1988), Émile Zola ou La conscience humaine (1978) and Beaumarchais the Scoundrel (1996). He died on May 1, 2021 in Paris, France.

43. Marc Rocco

Producer | The Jacket

Marc Rocco was born on June 19, 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a producer and director, known for The Jacket (2005), Where the Day Takes You (1992) and Murder in the First (1995). He was married to Lisa Rocco. He died on May 1, 2009 in Northridge, California, USA.

44. Margaret Sheridan

Actress | The Thing from Another World

Margaret Sheridan was born on October 29, 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Thing from Another World (1951), I, the Jury (1953) and The Diamond Wizard (1954). She was married to Paul Wellington Wildman and William F. Pattison. She died on May 1, 1982 in Orange,...

45. María Elena Velasco

Actress | ¡El que no corre... vuela!

Multitalented María Elena Velasco is Mexico's greatest comedienne. La India María, the hilarious, likable indigenous woman she created and played, is the most successful female movie character in the history of Mexican cinema; her comedies broke box office records and remain widely popular. She ...

46. Matt Keough

Self | 1981 American League Championship Series

Matt Keough was born on July 3, 1955 in Pomona, California, USA. He was married to Jeana Keough. He died on May 2, 2020 in California, USA.

47. Max Berru

Actor | Inti-Illimani: Medianoche

Max Berru is known for Inti-Illimani: Medianoche (1996), The Resurrection of Victor Jara (2015) and Doremix (2012).

48. Melissa DiNicola

Writer | Grace and Frankie

Melissa DiNicola was born on February 3, 1992. Melissa was a writer, known for Grace and Frankie (2015) and Seeking: the Web Series (2013). Melissa died on May 1, 2018.

49. Nancy Stark Smith

Editorial_department | Contact Improvisation at 36

Nancy Stark Smith was born on February 11, 1952 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was a producer, known for Contact Improvisation at 36 (2012). She died on May 1, 2020 in Florence, Massachusetts, USA.

50. Nelson Gidding

Writer | The Andromeda Strain

Born in New York and educated at Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard, Nelson Gidding said that he had been interested in writing ever since he was a child and had a poem published in the Boy Scouts magazine ("That was as recently as the mid-'20s!" he laughed). A POW during World War II, Gidding ...

51. Nito Mores

Actor | Claudia y yo

Nito Mores was born on August 11, 1944 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was an actor, known for Claudia y yo (1973), Sucedió en el fantástico circo Tihany (1981) and La Familia Mores (1967). He was married to Claudia Mores. He died on May 1, 1984 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

52. Paolo Stoppa

Actor | Il gattopardo

Paolo Stoppa was born on June 16, 1906 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for The Leopard (1963), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and Rocco and His Brothers (1960). He died on May 1, 1988 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

53. Pierre Gaspard-Huit

Writer | Shéhérazade

Pierre Gaspard-Huit was born on November 29, 1917 in Libourne, Gironde, France. He was a writer and director, known for Scorching Sands (1963), Le capitaine Fracasse (1961) and The Leatherstocking Tales (1969). He was married to Claudine Auger. He died on May 1, 2017 in Paris, France.

54. R.J. Parnell

Actor | This Is Spinal Tap

R.J. Parnell was born on August 13, 1951 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Saving for the Day (2023) and Un (pequeño) Paseo por Japón (2017). He died on May 1, 2022 in Missoula, Montana, USA.

55. Régine

Actress | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution

Régine was born on December 26, 1929 in Etterbeek, Belgium. She was an actress and writer, known for The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), The Last Train (1973) and My New Partner (1984). She was married to Roger Choukroun and Paul Rotcage. She died on May 1, 2022 in Paris, France.

56. Richard Thorpe

Director | Knights of the Round Table

After working in vaudeville, on the stage and in early movies, Richard Thorpe launched his directing career in 1923. After directing dozens of low-budget comedies and westerns, his talents were recognized in the mid-'30s when he went to work for MGM. Studio chief Louis B. Mayer valued efficiency in...

57. Rob McConnell

Music_department | Hot Money

Rob McConnell was born on February 14, 1935 in London, Ontario, Canada. He is known for Hot Money (1986), Talk to Me (2007) and Nightcap (1963). He was married to Anne Gibson and Margaret Bowman McConnell. He died on May 1, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

58. Ryan Wetnight

Self | The NFL on CBS

Ryan Wetnight was born on November 5, 1970 in Fresno, California, USA. He was married to Stacey. He died on May 1, 2020 in Simi Valley, California, USA.

59. Sabine Zimmermann

Producer | Verbrechen, die Geschichte machten

Sabine Zimmermann was born on July 22, 1951 in Hannover, Lower Saxony, West Germany. She was an assistant director and producer, known for Verbrechen, die Geschichte machten (1995), K - Verbrechen im Fadenkreuz (1992) and Natascha Kampusch - 3096 Tage Gefangenschaft (2010). She died on May 1, 2020 ...

60. Salvador Striano

Actor | Al toque de clarín

Salvador Striano was born in 1899. He was an actor, known for Al toque de clarín (1942). He died in May 1993 in Argentina.

61. Silvia Legrand

Actress | Caer en la tentación

Silvia Legrand was born on February 23, 1927 in Villa Cañás, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. She was an actress, known for Caer en la tentación (1963), Su hermana menor (1943) and Silvia muere mañana (1962). She was married to Eduardo Lópina. She died on May 1, 2020 in Buenos Aires, ...

62. Spike Jones

Soundtrack | Mr. Nobody

Spike Jones was born on December 14, 1911 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Mr. Nobody (2009), I.Q. (1994) and Fireman Save My Child (1954). He was married to Helen Grayco and Patricia Middleton. He died on May 1, 1965 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California,...

63. Steve Reeves

Actor | Le fatiche di Ercole

Handsome bodybuilder Steve Reeves certainly had an enviable Herculean physique, and made plenty good use of it in Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s portraying some of filmdom's most famous bronzed gods. Reeves was originally a Montana boy born on a cattle ranch in 1926. His destiny was ...

64. Tandarica

Actor | Mesa de noticias

Tandarica is known for Mesa de noticias (1983).

65. Tom Hickey

Actor | Possession

Tom Hickey was born in 1944 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor, known for Possession (2002), My Left Foot (1989) and An Awfully Big Adventure (1995). He was married to Jeanne Neylin. He died on May 1, 2021 in Ireland.

66. Universo 2000

Actor | AAA Sin Límite

Universo 2000 is known for AAA Sin Límite (1992), Octagon and Mascara Sagrada in Fight to the Death (1992) and Consejo mundial de lucha libre (2014).

67. Willy Kurant

Cinematographer | Sous le soleil de Satan

Willy Kurant was born on February 15, 1934 in Liege, Belgium. He was a cinematographer, known for Under the Sun of Satan (1987), Pootie Tang (2001) and The Mafia Wants Blood (1970). He died on May 1, 2021 in Paris, France.

68. Yueh Sun

Actor | Lung foo fung wan

Yueh Sun was born on October 26, 1930 in Yuyao, Zhejiang, China. He was an actor and assistant director, known for City on Fire (1987), Storm Over the Yangtse River (1969) and Old Mao's Second Spring (1984). He was married to You Jingying. He died on May 1, 2018 in Taipei, Taiwan.

69. Yusuf Khan

Actor | Karz

Yusuf Khan was born on May 1, 1940 in Egypt. He was an actor, known for Karz (1980), Naseeb (1981) and Don (1978). He died in 1985 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.