The Last Laugh 2021
A list of comedy veterans and legends who died in 2021. This list is specifically for individuals who are *best known* for their work in comedy.
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- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Betty White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, to Christine Tess (Cachikis), a homemaker, and Horace Logan White, a lighting company executive for the Crouse-Hinds Electric Company. She was of Danish, Greek, English, and Welsh descent.
Although she was best known as the devious Sue Ann Nivens on the classic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and the ditzy Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (1985), Betty White had been in television for a long, long time before those two shows, having had her own series, Life with Elizabeth (1952) in 1952.
She was married three times, lastly for eighteen years, until widowed, to TV game-show host Allen Ludden.
She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and she was known for her tireless efforts on behalf of animals.
Betty White died on 31 December 2021, at the age of 99.January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021
American actress, comedian, legend, television pioneer and national treasure - 'Life with Elizabeth' (1952-1955), 'Advise & Consent' (1962), 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1973-1977), 'The Golden Girls' (1985-1992), 'Lake Placid' (1999), 'The Proposal' (2009), 'Hot in Cleveland' (2010-2015)
Daytime Emmy Award winner - first woman to win for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show, 1983 ('Just Men!')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show, 1984 ('Just Men!')
Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, 2015
Golden Globe nominee - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical, 1986-89 (all four for 'The Golden Girls')
Grammy Award winner - Best Spoken Word Album, 2012 ('If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)')
Los Angeles Area Emmy Award winner - Most Outstanding Female Personality, 1952 ('Life with Elizabeth')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 1975 and 1976 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 1986 ('The Golden Girls'); Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, 1996 ('The John Larroquette Show'); Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, 2010 ('Saturday Night Live')
Nominated for another 16 Primetime Emmy Awards
First woman to host a TV talk show ('Hollywood on Television')
First woman to star in a sitcom ('Life with Elizabeth')
First woman to produce a sitcom (also 'Life with Elizabeth')
First woman to produce her own national TV show ('The Betty White Show')
First female producer to hire a female director ('The Betty White Show')
Oldest person to host 'Saturday Night Live' (she was 88 at the time)
Guinness world record holder for longest TV career for a female entertainer- Lanky, balding, intense American character actor of Puerto Rican ancestry, born in New York's Spanish Harlem. Deserted by his parents, Sierra was brought up by an aunt in a rough, predominantly Irish neighbourhood from the age of six. Though briefly tempted by gang life as a teenager, he took up acting classes after accompanying a friend to an audition and ended up playing Shakespearean roles with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival (playing, among many other parts, Macbeth and Romeo), as well as appearing off-Broadway. He later said "I would have been happy if I continued to do that for the rest of my life". However, in 1969, Sierra decided to move to Hollywood and began acting in episodic television where he was initially typecast as Latino heavies or cops.
Sierra made his breakthrough in the role of Julio Fuentes on NBC's Sanford and Son (1972), his character the perennial butt of bigoted jokes from the show's cantankerous lead, played by Redd Foxx. He then appeared in the original cast of the police sitcom Barney Miller (1975) as the passionate, proudly Puerto Rican Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale. Written out of the show at the end of season two, he had further recurring roles in serial television, frequently alternating between comedy and drama. These included the short-lived hospital sitcom A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977), the controversial but hugely popular parody Soap (1977) (as South American counter-revolutionary "El Puerco"), Hill Street Blues (1981) (as Assistant District Attorney Alvarez), Zorro and Son (1983) (as garrison commander Paco Pico, one of the hero's chief antagonists), Miami Vice (1984) (as Don Johnson's erstwhile boss Lou Rodriguez, killed off by a hitman in episode four -- in fact, Sierra opted to leave the show because he disliked Miami) and the science fiction series Something Is Out There (1988) (as Captain Victor Maldonado). His numerous, varied and often highly entertaining guest appearances have included supporting roles as a Native American renegade on Gunsmoke (1955), a mutated religious leader living underneath irradiated New York in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), a professor of anthropology helping Mulder and Scully track down the Jersey Devil in The X-Files (1993), a Cardassian member of the sinister Obsidian Order on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), an Italian priest in John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) and an Iraqi gunboat captain in the Rambo spoof Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Sierra made his home in Laguna Beach, California, where he died of cancer on January 4 2021 at the age of 84.January 25, 1937 – January 4, 2021
American actor - 'Sanford and Son' (1972-1975), 'Barney Miller' (1975-1976), 'Soap' (1980-1981), 'Deep Cover' (1992), 'John Carpenter's Vampires' (1998) - Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Soundtrack
Marion Ramsey was an American actress and singer from Philadelphia. She is primarily known for her role as the soft-spoken policewoman Laverne Hooks in the "Police Academy" film series (1984-1994). Hooks was depicted as a "diminutive, soft-spoken and unassertive woman" with a high-pitched voice. But switched to a more aggressive and authoritative tone when sufficiently frustrated.
Ramsey was born in 1947, but little is known about her early life. She started her career as a theatrical actress, and became a prominent performer for Broadway shows. She appeared in the Broadway version of the hit musical "Hello, Dolly!" (1964) by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart, and subsequently was part of the musical's touring productions. The musical was an adaptation of the farce "The Merchant of Yonkers" (1938) by Thornton Wilder (1897 -1975), but was much better received than the original work.
Ramsey made her television debut as part of the regular cast in the variety series "Keep On Truckin'" (1975). This was a summer replacement series, broadcast by ABC on Saturday nights. It only lasted four episodes. In 1976, Ramsey made a guest-star appearance in an episode of the then-popular sitcom "The Jeffersons" (1975-1985).
Also in 1976, Ramsey became part of the regular cast of the short-lived sketch comedy show "Cos". The show was named after its host, the popular comedian Bill Cosby (1937-). The series only lasted for 9 episodes, and was canceled due to low ratings. It was replaced on ABC's schedule by a new show called "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1977-1979), which was adapting mystery novels for children,. The novels were originally published by the long-running Stratemeyer Syndicate (1899-1987).
In 1977, Ramsey had a guest-star role in the short-lived sitcom "Sanford Arms" (1977). The series was intended as a sequel to the hit show "Sanford and Son" (1972-1977), but focused on a new protagonist. It failed to find an audience, and was canceled after only 4 episodes. Another 4 completed episodes, including the one featuring Ramsey, were never aired, although they became available on later reruns.
In 1978, Ramsey was one of the main performers of the revue "Eubie!" in Broadway. The revue showcased 23 songs by the popular jazz composer Eubie Blake (1887 - 1983). The show ran for 439 performances. Ramsey and the rest of the original cast participated in a recording of the show, which was released on vinyl in 1979.
Ramsey gained her first substantial film role in the police comedy "Police Academy" (1984), when she was 37-years-old. As cadet Laverne Hooks , she received enough screen time to be one of the film's memorable characters. The film was a box office hit, earning 150 million dollars at the worldwide box office. A film series featuring featuring the same cast followed. Ramsey appeared in 5 of the original film's sequels, and her character was soon depicted as a police sergeant. She made her last appearance in the film series in "Police Academy 6: City Under Siege" (1989). She did not appear in the series finale "Police Academy: Mission to Moscow" (1994), which also failed to include several other regular cast members.
In the early 1990s, Ramsey made a few appearances in then-popular television series, such as "MacGyver", "Beverly Hills, 90210", and "The Nanny". Most of her roles were minor unnamed characters. Ramsey worked as a voice actor in the animated series "The Addams Family" (1992 -1993). Her most memorable character in the series was summer camp owner D.I. Holler, who had the mentality of a drill sergeant. The character aimed to teach fitness and self-reliance to rich kids, but was unreasonably strict.
Ramsey had her next film role in the horror comedy "Maniacts" (2001) , where she played an unnamed prostitute. The film featured two serial killers who fall in love with each other, and try to settle down for a while. Ramsey next played a policewoman again in the comedy television film "Recipe for Disaster" (2003). The premise of the film is that the owners of a family restaurant have disappeared, and their underage kids try to operate the restaurant in their absence. The film is remembered for an early starring role for teenage actress Margo Harshman (1986-).
In 2006, Ramsey voiced Laverne Hooks in a comedy sketch of the animated series "Robot Chicken" (2005-). The sketch featured several characters from the "Police Academy" series being recruited as new members of the X-Men. The sketch reunited Ramsey with her former co-star Michael Winslow, an accomplished voice actor.
In 2007, Ramsey had a supporting role in the romantic comedy "Lord Help Us". The film's main plot is that the elderly preacher Henry Thomas (played by Bill Toliver) needs help to repair his reputation, after a rumor suggests that he is having an affair with a much younger woman. Also in 2007, Ramsey had a small role in the thriller film "The Stolen Moments of September". The film depicts the life of a young runaway, who befriends a suspected serial killer.
After a hiatus of a few years, Ramsey returned to film roles with the mystery comedy "Who Killed Soul Glow?" (2012). As the title suggests, it featured a murder mystery. In 2013, Ramsey appeared in the historical film "Return to Babylon", which depicted the lives of famous Hollywood actors in the 1920s. Ramsey played the maid of the famous vamp Barbara La Marr (1896 - 1926). The real life La Marr was highly popular in the 1920s, but died at the age of 29 due to tuberculosis.
In 2014, Ramsey played a supporting role in the sports film "Wal-Bob's". The film depicted the operation of an underground football league in Cincinnati. In 2015, Ramsey had a role in the science fiction horror television film "Lavalantula". The film depicted giant tarantulas unleashed in modern-day Los Angeles. The film notably reunited several veteran actors from the "Police Academy" film series, with the protagonist role reserved for Steve Guttenberg (1958-). Ramsey also appeared in the film's sequel "2 Lava 2 Lantula" (2016).
In 2016, Ramsey appeared in the comedy-drama film "DaZe: Vol. Too (sic) - NonSeNse". The film reunited several veterans of the "Police Academy" film series, and featured the last film role for Ramsey's longtime friend Bubba Smith (1945-2011). In 2018, Ramsey appeared in the biographical film "When I Sing", which was based on the life of singer-songwriter Linda Chorney (1960-). This was Ramsey's last film role.
Ramsey spend her last years in retirement.
In January she died at her residence in Los Angeles, following a short illness. Her cause of death was not announced to the public. She was 73-years-old at the time of her death. She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea. News of her death was covered by the press, as the actress was still well-known and fondly remembered. Ramsey is considered an icon of the 1980s.May 10, 1947 – January 7, 2021
American actress - 'Police Academy' movies (1984-1989), 'The Addams Family' animated series (1992-1993), 'Lavalantula' (2015)- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert F. Liu was born on 1 May 1926 in Shanghai, China. He was a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Lou Grant (1977), Family Ties (1982) and Stop Susan Williams (1979). He died on 11 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.May 1, 1926 – January 11, 2021
Chinese-American cinematographer - 'Lou Grant' (1979-1982), 'Family Ties' (1985-1989), 'The Nanny' (1998-1999)
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Cinematography for a Series, 1982 ('Lou Grant'); Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Comedy Series, 1989 ('Family Ties')- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
David Richardson was born on 24 December 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The John Larroquette Show (1993), Two and a Half Men (2003) and Grand (1990). He was married to Charleen Easton. He died on 18 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.December 24, 1955 – January 18, 2021
American TV writer and producer - 'The Simpsons' (1993-1994), 'Two and a Half Men' (2009-2012), 'F Is for Family' (2015-2020)
Humanitas Prize winner - 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television, 1995 ('The John Larroquette Show')- Actress
- Soundtrack
The legendary actress set a record when at age 82, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars (2005). Cloris Leachman was born on April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa to Berkeley Claiborne "Buck" Leachman and the former Cloris Wallace. Her father's family owned a lumber company, Leachman Lumber Co. She was of Czech (from her maternal grandmother) and English descent. After graduating from high school, Leachman attended Illinois State University and Northwestern University, where she majored in drama. After winning the title of Miss Chicago 1946 (as part of the Miss America pageant), she acted with the Des Moines Playhouse before moving to New York.
Leachman made her credited debut in 1948 in an episode of The Ford Theatre Hour (1948) and appeared in many television anthologies and series before becoming a regular on The Bob & Ray Show (1951) in 1952. Her movie debut was memorable, playing the doomed blonde femme fatale Christina Bailey in Robert Aldrich's classic noir Kiss Me Deadly (1955). Other than a role in Rod Serling's movie The Rack (1956) in support of Paul Newman, Leachman remained a television actress throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, appearing in only two movies during the latter decade, The Chapman Report (1962) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Though she would win an Oscar for Peter Bogdanovich's adaptation of Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show (1971) and appear in three Mel Brooks movies, it was in television that her career remained and her fame was assured in the 1970s and into the second decade of the new millennium.
Leachman was nominated five times for an Emmy Award playing Phyllis Lindstrom, Mary Tyler Moore's landlady and self-described best friend on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and on the spin-off series Phyllis (1975). She won twice as Best Supporting Actress in a comedy for her "Mary Tyler Moore" gig and won a Golden Globe Award as a leading performer in comedy for "Phyllis", but her first Emmy Award came in the category Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1973 for the television movie A Brand New Life (1973). She also won two Emmy Awards as a supporting player for Malcolm in the Middle (2000).
She was married to director-producer George Englund from 1953 to 1979. They had five children together. Cloris Leachman died of natural causes on January 27, 2021 in Encinitas, California.April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021
American actress - 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1975, 1977), 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), 'Young Frankenstein' (1974), 'Phyllis' (1975-1977), 'The Beverly Hillbillies' (1993), 'Malcolm in the Middle' (2001-2006)
Academy Award winner - Best Actress in a Supporting Role, 1971 ('The Last Picture Show')
BAFTA Film Award winner - Best Supporting Actress, 1972 ('The Last Picture Show')
Daytime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming, 1983 ('ABC Afterschool Specials' episode "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle")
Gemini Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series, 2001 ('Twice in a Lifetime')
Golden Globe winner - Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Television Series, 1976 ('Phyllis')
Nominated for three other Golden Globes
Primetime Emmy Awards - Winner of eight Emmy Awards out of 22 total nominations; the most Emmy-nominated actress of all time and tied with with Julia Louis-Dreyfus for most Emmy wins by an actress- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Allan Burns was born on 18 May 1935 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), Lou Grant (1977) and Rhoda (1974). He was married to Joan Irene Bailey. He died on 30 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.May 18, 1935 – January 30, 2021
American screenwriter ('A Little Romance'), TV writer ('The Bullwinkle Show,' 'Get Smart'), producer ('Room 222'), director ('Just Between Friends'), and series creator ('The Munsters,' 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' 'Lou Grant')
Academy Award nominee - Best Adapted Screenplay, 1979 ('A Little Romance')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy/a Comedy Series, 1968 ('He & She'), 1971 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show') and 1977 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Comedy Series, 1975, 1976 and 1977 (all for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show')
Nominated for another 10 Primetime Emmy Awards -- six for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' two for 'Rhoda' and two for 'Lou Grant'- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Marc Wilmore was born on 4 May 1963 in Fontana, California, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Simpsons (1989), In Living Color (1990) and The PJs (1999). He was married to Soumaya Wilmore. He died on 30 January 2021 in Pomona, California, USA.May 4, 1963 – January 30, 2021
American TV writer ('In Living Color,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'The Simpsons'), producer ('F Is for Family') and voice actor ('The PJs')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour), 2008 ('The Simpsons')
Nominated for nine other Primetime Emmy Awards- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Attended Zion Lutheran School in Anaheim, California. While in fifth grade, he portrayed 8th-grader Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), which evolved into Saved by the Bell (1989) and its various television movies and spin-offs. Also appeared in the television series The Wonder Years (1988).January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021
American actor - 'Saved by the Bell' (1988-1992), 'Saved by the Bell: The New Class' (1994-2000), 'A Dog for Christmas' (2015)- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Casting Director
Jamie Tarses was born on 16 March 1964 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She was a producer and casting director, known for The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021), Primeval (2007) and My Boys (2006). She was married to Dan McDermott. She died on 1 February 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.March 16, 1964 – February 1, 2021
American TV executive (NBC, ABC Entertainment) and producer ('My Boys,' 'Happy Endings,' 'Franklin & Bash')
As president of ABC Entertainment from 1996 to 1999, was the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network- A native of Fujian province, Ng Man Tat was a graduate of the class of 1974's TVB Television training program where he quickly showed his chops thereafter acting in the Hong Kong television variety show 'Enjoy Yourself Tonight' and onto long running serials in 'Chor Lau Heung' and 'Police Cadet 84'. It wasn't until 1990 that he elevated his stature on the big screen pairing his complementary comedic timing as sidekick to Stephen Chow in the Cantonese dialect HK blockbuster 'All for the Winner'.January 2, 1951 – February 27, 2021
Hong Kong actor - 'All for the Winner' (1990), 'A Chinese Odyssey' (1995), 'King of Comedy' (1999), 'Shaolin Soccer' (2001), 'The Wandering Earth' (2019)
Hong Kong Film Award winner - Best Supporting Actor, 1990 ('A Moment of Romance')
Hong Kong Film Award nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1990 ('All for the Winner'), 1991 ('Fight Back to School'), 2014 ('Aberdeen') and 2016 ('The Menu') - Writer
- Actor
- Music Department
Tony Hendra was born on 10 July 1941 in Willesden, Middlesex, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Lemmings (1973) and Music Scene (1969). He was married to Carla Christine Meisner and Judith Hilary Christmas. He died on 4 March 2021 in Yonkers, New York, USA.July 10, 1941 – March 4, 2021
English satirist ('This Was the Week That Was'), producer ('Splitting Image'), screenwriter ('The Great White Hype'), actor ('This Is Spinal Tap') and magazine editor ('National Lampoon')
BAFTA TV Award nominee - Best Light Entertainment Programme, 1985 ('Splitting Image')- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
George Segal was born on February 13, 1934 in New York City, New York, to Fannie Blanche (Bodkin) and George Segal Sr., a malt and hop agent. All of his grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. After a stint in the military, he made his bones as a stage actor before being cast in his first meaty film role in The Young Doctors (1961). His turns in Ship of Fools (1965) and the eponymous King Rat (1965) heralded the arrival of a major talent. He followed this up with his Oscar-nominated performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), in which he more than held his own against Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) was a cultural phenomenon, the film that wrecked the MPDDA censorship code that had been in place since 1934, and a huge box office success to boot.
By the early 1970s, appearances in such films as The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), Blume in Love (1973), Born to Win (1971) and The Hot Rock (1972) had made him a major star with an enviable reputation, just under the heights of the superstar status enjoyed by the likes of Paul Newman. He followed up A Touch of Class (1973) (a hit film for which his co-star Glenda Jackson won an Oscar) with his brilliant performance as the out-of-control gambler in Robert Altman's California Split (1974).
At one time in the early 1970s, it seemed like George Segal would have a career like that enjoyed by his contemporary Jack Nicholson, that of an actor's actor equally adept at comedy and drama. Segal never made the leap to superstar status, and surprisingly, has never won a major acting award, the latter phenomenon being particularly surprising when viewed from the period 1973-74, when he reached the height of his career. It was at this point that Segal's career went awry, when he priced himself as a superstar with a seven-figure salary, but failed to come through at the box office. For example, The Black Bird (1975) was a failure, although his subsequent starring turn opposite Jane Fonda in Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) was a big hit that revitalized her career.
The thriller Rollercoaster (1977) became a modest hit even during a summer which saw it competing with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), and he gave a adroit comic performance in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978) with Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Morley, which proved another box office success. For all practical purposes, even after the failures of The Black Bird (1975), and The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976), it seemed like Segal, with a few deft career choices, could reorient his career and deliver on the promise of his early period.
At the end of the decade, he dropped out of a movie that would have burnished his tarnished lustre as a star: Blake Edwards' 10 (1979). 10 (1979) made Dudley Moore a star, while Arthur (1981) made him a superstar in the 1980s, a lost decade for Segal. It was an example of a career burnout usually associated with the "Oscar curse" (his No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) co-star Rod Steiger, for example, was a great character actor whose career was run off the rails by the expectations raised by the Academy Award). George Segal has never won an Oscar, but more surprisingly, has only been nominated once, for Best Supporting Actor of 1966 for his role as Nick in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
That he didn't return to the promise of the early 1970s may be the unintended consequence of his focusing on comedy to the detriment of drama. The comedy A Touch of Class (1973) made him a million dollar-per-film movie star, and that's what he concentrated on. Segal began relying on his considerable charm to pull off movies that had little going for them other than their star, and it backfired on him. These films weren't infused with the outrageously funny, subversive comedy of Where's Poppa? (1970), a success from his first period that he enjoyed along with co-star Ruth Gordon and director Carl Reiner.
When Segal first made it in the mid-1960s, he established his serious actor bona fides with a deal he cut with ABC-TV that featured him in TV adaptations of Broadway plays. He also played a very memorable Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman (1966), shining in performance in counterpoint to the vital presence that was Lee J. Cobb's Willy Loman. It was a good life for an actor, and he took time to show off his banjo-playing skills by fronting the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, with which he cut several records.
While the 1980s were mostly a career wasteland for Segal, with no starring roles in hit films, he remained a popular figure on television, and appeared regularly on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), where he would routinely sing and play the banjo during interviews. After a major role in the surprise hit Look Who's Talking (1989), he co-starred with Bette Midler and James Caan in For the Boys (1991), leading to a career revival in the 1990s, using his flair for comedy as part of the ensemble cast of Just Shoot Me! (1997). In the 2010s, he co-starred as the eccentric but lovable grandfather on the hit sitcom The Goldbergs (2013). On February 14, 2017, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television on his 83rd birthday. George Segal died at age 87 of complication from bypass surgery on March 23, 2021 in Santa Rosa, California.February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021
American actor - 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' (1966), 'California Split' (1974), 'Look Who's Talking' (1989), 'Just Shoot Me!' (1997-2003), 'The Goldbergs' (2013-2021)
Academy Award nominee - Best Actor in a Supporting Role, 1966 ('Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?')
BAFTA Film Award nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1968 ('No Way to Treat a Lady')
Golden Globe winner - Most Promising Male Newcomer, 1965 ('The New Interns'); Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical ('A Touch of Class')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1967 ('Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'); Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical Television Series, 1999 and 2000 (both for 'Just Shoot Me!')- Actress
- Soundtrack
Acclaimed actress Jessica Walter was born on January 31, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Esther (Groisser), a teacher, and David Walter (his original surname was Warshawsky), a musician who was a member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the NYC Ballet Orchestra. She was of Russian Jewish descent, the sister of screenwriter and Chairman of the UCLA Screenwriting program Richard Walter. Their uncle was stage and screen actor Jerry Jarrett. Raised in Queens, Walter was a graduate of New York's High School of the Performing Arts and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She first acted in summer stock and her extensive subsequent career on the stage included productions both on- and off-Broadway.
On Broadway, Walter appeared in Peter Ustinov's "Photo Finish" (which earned her the Clarence Derwent Award as Most Promising Newcomer), "A Severed Head", "Advise and Consent", "Night Life" and Neil Simon's "Rumors". Off-Broadway, she acted in a 1986 Los Angeles Theater Center production of "Tartuffe" opposite Ron Leibman (to whom she was married from 1983 until his death in 2019).
After guesting on several TV series in the early and mid-1960s, Walter made her move to feature films where she attracted attention for her role as the brash Libby in Sidney Lumet's The Group (1966). This seemed to set the tone for her next screen personae as bitchy, difficult or dangerously vindictive women, the most memorable of which was Evelyn in Clint Eastwood's directorial debut film, Play Misty for Me (1971). This earned Walter a richly deserved Golden Globe nomination. Another stand-out role was Pat, the bored ex-glamour model wife of one racing driver (Brian Bedford) and troublesome girlfriend of another (James Garner) in Grand Prix (1966). Walter's numerous TV roles included the enchantress Morgan LeFay in the rarely seen telemovie Dr. Strange (1978). Of her many screen villainesses she later said: "those are the fun roles. They're juicy, much better than playing the vanilla ingénues".
By the 1980s, Walter had turned increasingly towards comedy, both on the big screen (The Flamingo Kid (1984)) and the small (Three's a Crowd (1984)). However, she never shied away from other genres, whether playing an EarthGov senator on the cult sci-fi series Babylon 5 (1993) or providing the voice for the leading female character in the animated sitcom Dinosaurs (1991). Walter received an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Actress in the Ironside (1967) spin-off Amy Prentiss (1974) and was nominated for guest-starring roles in episodes of Trapper John, M.D. (1979) and The Streets of San Francisco (1972). She found a new audience among younger viewers as the devious matriarch Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development (2003).
Jessica Walter died in her sleep on March 24, 2021 from undisclosed causes at the age of 80. Riverside Memorial Chapel and Funeral Home in New York City completed her final arrangements. She was cremated and her ashes are with her daughter.January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021
American actress - 'Grand Prix' (1966), 'Play Misty for Me' (1971), 'The Flamingo Kid' (1984), 'PCU' (1994), 'Arrested Development' (2003-2019)
Also known for her voice-work work on TV shows such as 'Dinosaurs' (1991-1994) and 'Archer' (2009-2020)
Golden Globe nominee - Most Promising Female Newcomer, 1967 ('Grand Prix'); Best Actress in a Motion Picture, 1972 ('Play Misty for Me')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, 1975 ('Amy Prentiss')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series, 1977 ('The Streets of San Francisco'); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, 1980 ('Trapper John, M.D.'); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 2005 ('Arrested Development')- Actor
- Writer
- Director
John Dixon Paragon was born in Alaska, but grew up and attended schools in Fort Collins, Colorado. He got his start in the Los Angeles-based improvisation group The Groundlings alongside Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman. John is best known for his work on children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse where he played Jambi the Genie and voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl. In addition to writing many of the regular season episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986), John also co-wrote with Paul Reubens the acclaimed "Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special" in 1988, for which they were nominated an Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Children's Special. He has also collaborated with fellow Groundling Cassandra Peterson on numerous projects, including the recurring role of The Breather, an annoying caller, for her first television series Movie Macabre on KHJ-TV-Los Angeles and was co-writer on her 1988 feature film, Elvira Mistress of the Dark. Some of his other memorable roles include Cedric, one half of the homosexual couple Bob and Cedric on the television series Seinfeld; the title character in the children's movie The Frog Prince; the sex shop salesman in the cult favorite Eating Raoul; and the owner of a Strip-o-gram business in the 1986 film Echo Park. In recent years, John has worked with Walt Disney Imagineering on ways to incorporate improvisational performance into attractions at Disney parks. He returned to his performance as Jambi the Genie in the Broadway outing of the new "Pee-wee Herman" stage show that began performances October 26, 2010 at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.December 9, 1954 – April 3, 2021
American actor ('Pee-wee's Playhouse'), writer ('Elvira: Mistress of the Dark') and director ('Twin Sitters')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series, 1987, 1989 and 1991 (all for 'Pee-wee's Playhouse'); Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series, 1990 and 1991 (both for 'Pee-wee's Playhouse')- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
Anne Beatts was born on 25 February 1947 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Square Pegs (1982) and Funny Boys. She died on 7 April 2021 in West Hollywood, California, USA.February 25, 1947 – April 7, 2021
American comedy writer ('Saturday Night Live'), producer ('A Different World') and series creator ('Square Pegs')
Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series, 1976 ('Saturday Night Live')
Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 (all for 'Saturday Night Live')- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Raised in Dallas, Texas, James Hampton attended John H. Reagan Elementary, N.R. Crozier Technical High School and the University of North Texas (Theatre Arts Major). He studied acting with Michael Howard in New York and Leonard Nimoy in Los Angeles. He worked with Baruch Lumet at Knox Street Theatre in Dallas and did summer stock at Casa Manana in Fort Worth (1961). He performed off-Broadway in "Easy Does It" with Tom Poston and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, and toured with Burt Reynolds in "Rainmaker". He starred in "Tender Trap" with Reynolds at Arlington Park Theatre in Chicago and played the title role in "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" at the same theatre with Mamie Van Doren and Rick Jason. Onscreen, he has played in films as diverse as The Longest Yard (1974) and Teen Wolf (1985), and is probably best remembered as the eager but inept bugler Private Hannibal Dobbs in the classic sitcom F Troop (1965). James Hampton died at age 84 of Parkinson's disease at his home in Fort Worth, Texas.July 9, 1936 – April 7, 2021
American actor ('F Troop,' 1974's 'The Longest Yard,' 1985's 'Teen Wolf') and TV director ('Evening Shade,' 'Sister, Sister')
Golden Globe nominee - Most Promising Male Newcomer, 1975 ('The Longest Yard')- Risitas was born on 5 April 1956 in Sevilla, Spain. He was an actor, known for Torrente 3: El protector (2005), Caiga quien caiga (1996) and Ratones coloraos (2002). He died on 28 April 2021 in Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain.April 5, 1956 – April 28, 2021
Spanish comedian ('Ratones coloraos') and actor - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Deadpan comedian Charles Sydney Grodin (originally Grodinsky) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of Russian/Polish ancestry and raised in a Jewish orthodox home. He attended the University of Miami but dropped out, opting instead for the life of a struggling actor. The movie A Place in the Sun (1951) was said to have steered him towards his chosen profession. In his own words: "It was two things. One is I think I developed an overwhelming crush on Elizabeth Taylor. And two, Montgomery Clift made acting look like 'Gee, well that looks pretty easy - just a guy talking.'".
After a spell with Uta Hagen (1956-59), he attended Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio before making his stage debut on Broadway in 1962. Though he appeared on screen from as early as 1954, Grodin did not make a great deal of headway in this medium until he attracted critical notice playing the small but crucial role of obstetrician Dr. C.C. Hill in Rosemary's Baby (1968). More substantial roles soon followed. His first major starring turn was in The Heartbreak Kid (1972), a black comedy written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May. Grodin managed to inject charm and humanity in what was essentially an egotistical central character. Film reviewer Roger Ebert praised his performance, describing the actor as a "kind of Dustin Hoffman-as-overachiever", an opinion which was echoed by Vincent Canby of the New York Times. Ironically, Grodin had earlier turned down the pivotal role in The Graduate (1967) which propelled Hoffman to stardom (he also -- probably unwisely -- spurned the role of oceanographer Matt Hooper in Jaws (1975) which instead went to Richard Dreyfuss).
Grodin's ultimate breakthrough came on the Broadway stage in "Same Time Next Year" (1975) (opposite Ellen Burstyn), a hugely successful romantic comedy about two people, each married to someone else, who conduct an extramarital affair for a single day over the course of 24 years in the same room of a northern Californian inn. Though the two leads left the show after seven months, Grodin was now much sought-after in Hollywood as a droll comic actor and cast in a string of hit comedies: Heaven Can Wait (1978), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Lonely Guy (1984) and Midnight Run (1988). He also appeared to sterling effect in the underrated farce The Couch Trip (1988), in which he co-starred with Walter Matthau and Dan Aykroyd as the brittle psychiatrist and radio host Dr. George Maitlin. Arguably his most popular box office success was opposite the titular Saint Bernard canine in the family-oriented comedy Beethoven (1992). Despite less than enthusiastic critical reviews, the film was a hit with audiences, grossed $147.2 million worldwide and spawned a sequel.
In the mid-1990s, Grodin reinvented himself as a television host (The Charles Grodin Show (1995)) and political commentator. He made frequent guest appearances on talk shows with Carson or Letterman, typically adopting the persona of a belligerent tongue-in-cheek character to facilitate "comically uncomfortable situations on the set". Grodin was also a prolific author, both of fiction and non-fiction. An autobiography was entitled "It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business" (1989). Charles Grodin died at age 86 of bone marrow cancer on May 18, 2021 at his home in Wilton, Connecticut.April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021
American actor - 'The Heartbreak Kid' (1972), 'Heaven Can Wait' (1978), 'Midnight Run' (1988), 'Beethoven' (1992), 'Louie' (2014-2015)
Also a talk show host ('The Charles Grodin Show'), political commentator ('60 Minutes II') and writer
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Actor in a Play, 1975 ('Same Time, Next Year')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, 1973 ('The Heartbreak Kid')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, 1978 ('The Paul Simon Special')- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Paul Mooney was born on 4 August 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Bamboozled (2000), Brewster's Millions (1985) and Pryor's Place (1984). He was married to Yvonne Mooney. He died on 19 May 2021 in Oakland, California, USA.August 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021
American comedian ('Chappelle's Show'), comedy writer (Richard Pryor) and actor ('Bamboozled')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series, 1985 ('Pryor's Place')- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gavin MacLeod's pleasing, agreeable manner on two hit TV series in the 1970s and '80s belied a number of shady villains he portrayed in his early career. Born Allan George See in Mt. Kisco, New York, on February 28, 1931, and raised in Pleasantville, he was the son of Margaret (Shea) and George See, a gas station owner who was part Chippewa Indian (Ojibwa). He followed his 1952 graduation from Ithaca College (Fine Arts major) with Air Force military duty, then moved to New York City and worked for a while as an usher and elevator operator at Radio City Music Hall. Focusing on acting, he changed his stage name to "Gavin McLeod."
A solid break on Broadway in "A Hatful of Rain" in 1956 led to a move to Los Angeles in an attempt to break into film and TV. MacLeod began to earn a minor reputation as a second-string heavy in such crime shows as "The Thin Man," "Steve Canyon," "Manhunt," "Mr. Lucky," "Peter Gunn," "Michael Shayne," "The Untouchables" and "Perry Mason." This led to a regular comedy role as part of the McHale's Navy (1962) TV series. He also managed several film roles, although far down the credits, with I Want to Live! (1958), Compulsion (1959), Pork Chop Hill (1959), Operation Petticoat (1959), Twelve Hours to Kill (1960), High Time (1960), War Hunt (1962) and McHale's Navy (1964). He was a member of the superb supporting cast of The Sand Pebbles (1966). He returned to Broadway in "The Captains and the Kings" in 1962.
MacLeod's career more or less flowed and ebbed until 1972, when his shiftless typecast was shattered forever. As Murray Slaughter, the balding, beaming, wisecracking, gleaming-toothed news writer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), MacLeod became a happy household name. From then on, he could only be envisaged as a lovable schmuck and nice guy. From there he went on to another benign starring role with the TV series, The Love Boat (1977), as the ingratiating Captain Stubing.
On the down side, "Love Boat" marred MacLeod's chances to be considered for more challenging work, and his inability to cope with success led to alcoholism and divorce from second wife Patti. However, he later turned his life around, remarried his wife, and they both wrote a book called "Back on Course" (1987). MacLeod continued sporadically on the musical stage ("Gypsy," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Gigi"), in TV reunions ("Love Boat" specials) and as a TV guest ("Murder, She Wrote," "Touched by an Angel," "The King of Queens," "Oz," "That 70s Show," "JAG" and "The Comeback Kid").February 28, 1931 – May 29, 2021
American actor -'Operation Petticoat' (1959), 'McHale's Navy' (1962-1964), 'Kelly's Heroes' (1970), 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1977), 'The Love Boat' (1977-1987)
Five-time Golden Globe nominee- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Frank Bonner was born on 28 February 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He was an actor and director, known for WKRP in Cincinnati (1978), Equinox (1970) and The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991). He was married to Gayle Hardage, Catherine Sherwood, Lillian Garrett, Mary Alice Rings and Sharon Gray. He died on 16 June 2021 in Laguna Niguel, California, USA.February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021
American actor - 'Equinox' (1970), 'WKRP in Cincinnati' (1978-1982), 'Just the Ten of Us' (1988-1990)- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Robert Downey Sr. served in the army, played minor-league baseball, was a Golden Gloves champion and off-off Broadway playwright, all before he was 22 years old.
Downey was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elizabeth (McLoughlin), a model, and Robert Elias, who worked in hotel/restaurant management. He took the surname of his stepfather, James Downey, when enlisting in the army. His father was of Lithuanian Jewish descent, while his mother was of half-Irish and half-Hungarian Jewish ancestry. In 1960, he began writing and directing basement-budgeted, absurdist films that gained an underground following: Balls Bluff (1961), Babo 73 (1964), Chafed Elbows (1966) and No More Excuses (1968). Putney Swope (1969) was the first Downey-directed film to earn a mainstream release. A devastating satire of Madison Avenue, it explored what happens when an African-American activist is given carte blanche at an advertising agency. The film was among the year's Top 10 Films in New York Magazine.
Downey thrived in the laissez-faire film world of the 1970s with such irreverent films as Pound (1970), where humans play dogs waiting to be adopted. Around this time he worked on projects for Joseph Papp and the New York Public Theatre, directing David Rabe's play "Sticks and Bones" for CBS (Sticks and Bones (1973)). The strong anti-war sentiments expressed in this live broadcast resulted in a major controversy when its sponsors pulled out at the last minute, and the network had to air the film uninterrupted because it couldn't find a sponsor. His Greaser's Palace (1972) is an outrageous restaging of the life of Christ in "spaghetti western" terms. Time Magazine put this film on its list of the year's Top 10 movies. Downey's take-no-prisoners sense of humor is also apparent in Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (1975) and Hugo Pool (1997) (world premiere at the Sundance festival in 1997), a film that examines a day in the life of a female pool cleaner in Hollywood. Rittenhouse Square (2005) was the feature presentation of the Galway Film Festival and his second teaming with Max L. Raab, having been a consultant on Raab's award-winning Strut! (2001).
From time to time, Downey acted (badly, according to him) and he can be seen in films such as Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999) and The Family Man (2000). He appeared twice on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), The Dick Cavett Show (1968), IFC's At the IFC Center (1997), Sundance Channel and countless other TV and radio shows. In addition, Downey was a guest speaker at film festivals and universities throughout the country. He developed an update of "Putney Swope." He lived in New York City with his wife, Rosemary Rogers.
Robert was the father of actors Robert Downey Jr. and Allyson Downey.June 24, 1936 – July 7, 2021
American filmmaker ('Putney Swope,' 'Greaser's Palace') and actor ('To Live and Die in L.A.')- Actor
- Director
- Casting Department
In the late 1960s, Charlie attended, and was enrolled in, Studio 7, an acting school operated by Chris Wilson at the Houston Music Theatre. He stayed with Chris when the school was moved to another location in Southwest Houston where mainly children's theater was presented. Charlie was cast in a made-for-TV production and soon moved to the Hollywood area where his career took off.November 9, 1945 – July 12, 2021
American actor - 'Sugar Hill' (1974), 'Night Court' (1984-1992), 'Set It Off' (1996), 'Home Improvement' (1995-1999), 'Hart of Dixie' (2012-2015)- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
John Cornell was born on 2 March 1941 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia. He was a producer and actor, known for Crocodile Dundee (1986), Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and The Paul Hogan Show (1973). He was married to Delvene Delaney. He died on 23 July 2021 in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.March 2, 1941 – July 23, 2021
Australian actor ('The Paul Hogan Show'), screenwriter ('Crocodile Dundee'), producer ('Crocodile Dundee II') and director ('Almost an Angel')
Academy Award nominee - Best Original Screenplay, 1986 ('Crocodile Dundee')
BAFTA Award nominee - Best Original Screenplay, 1986 ('Crocodile Dundee')- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jackie Mason was born on 9 June 1928 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Jerk (1979), History of the World: Part I (1981) and Caddyshack II (1988). He was married to Jyll Rosenfeld. He died on 24 July 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021
American stand-up comedian ('Jackie Mason's The World According to Me!'), actor ('The Jerk') and voice actor ('The Simpsons')
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Solo Performance, 2005 ('Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed')
Grammy Award nominee - Best Comedy Recording, 1987 ('The World According to Me!'); Best Comedy Album, 1991 ('Brand New')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, 1988 ('Jackie Mason: The World According to Me'); Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, 1992 ('The Simpsons')
Special Tony Award recipient, 1987 (for 'Jackie Mason's The World According to Me!')- Herbert S. Schlosser was born on 21 April 1926 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. He was married to Judith Gassner. He died on 6 August 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.April 21, 1926 – August 6, 2021
American TV executive ('The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,' 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' 'Saturday Night Live') - Actress
- Producer
- Editorial Department
Markie Post grew up in Walnut Creek, California and started her career on films and TV shows, such as Card Sharks (1978) and "The New Card Sharks" (1986) and went on to even produce such projects as Double Dare (1976) and has made appearances on such television projects as 1st to Die (2003), E! True Hollywood Story (1996) and Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (2001). Perhaps her biggest TV role was as "Christine Sullivan" on Night Court (1984). She appeared in 156 episodes of this comedy, from 1984 to 1992.November 4, 1950 – August 7, 2021
American actress - 'The Fall Guy' (1982-1985), 'Night Court' (1984-1992), 'Hearts Afire' (1992-1995), 'There's Something About Mary' (1997), 'Chicago P.D.' (2014-2017)- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Trevor Moore was born on 4 April 1980 in Montclair, New Jersey, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Whitest Kids U'Know (2007), Just Roll with It (2019) and Walk the Prank (2016). He was married to Aimee Carlson. He died on 6 August 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.April 4, 1980 – August 7, 2021
American comedian, writer, director and producer (The Whitest Kids U' Know)- Actress
- Casting Director
- Music Department
Her dancing career started in Leicestershire where her father worked in an aircraft factory. She went into pantomime as a chorus girl and eventually became known when she did a chocolate commercial which led to work on television and films, Despite what other people say she doesn't think that shes a good dancer. She met actor Peter Gilmore and became engaged to him in 1953 and married in 1958 and live in Radlett, Hertfordshire. Her ambitions are to have a family, and to pass her advanced driving test. She makes some of her own clothes,May 1, 1937 – August 12, 2021
English actress - 'Till Death Us Do Part' (1966-1975), 'Worzel Gummidge' (1979-1981), 'Sherlock' (2010-2017)- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
He was one of the funniest guys in British television, much acclaimed for his dry wit and deadpan delivery, both on and off the set. Sean Lock was a genuine comedic original. His screen persona has been described as "studiedly obtuse". Either as host or panellist, he knew how to have audiences in stitches with his unique blend of darkly absurdist humour, his material ranging from the everyday commonplace to the wholly bizarre. Lock was perhaps best known for his frequent guest appearances on Stephen Fry's QI (2003), and, more so, as a regular team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats (2005) and its sequel 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (2012) (a collective tenure which spanned almost sixteen years). Between 2007 and 2010 he was voted in a public poll conducted by Channel 4, respectively, 55th and 19th in the all-time greatest ever list of stand-up comics.
The son of Sidney Lock, a worker in the construction business, and Mary (nee McCreesh), Sean grew up in Surrey. After leaving school, his father got him a job as a labourer. For seven years, he worked on high scaffolds, stripping concrete panels from buildings. Exposed to the sun and having unwisely eschewed sunscreens, he developed a malignant melanoma at 27 which was successfully treated. Lock then tried his hand at other short-term pursuits, including as a goat herder, toilet cleaner and social security office worker. He eventually undertook studies at the Drama Centre in London, hoping to become an actor. While this did not pan out, he discovered, through frequent visits to comedy clubs studying different techniques, that humour was more his forte. He has cited Dave Allen and Alexei Sayle, among others, as having been a "massive influence". In 1988, Lock had his first 20 minute gig at a pub in Stoke Newington in north-east London which resulted in a £15 paycheque and confirmed the future course of his career.
Lock began on television in 1991. By 1998, he had his own radio sitcom, 15 Minutes of Misery, in which he starred as a resident in a high-rise tower block, eavesdropping on neighbours via hidden microphones installed by his plumber "Hot Bob". This spawned a 12-part TV series, 15 Storeys High (2002), which he also primarily scripted. In 2000, Lock was voted Best Live Comic at the British Comedy Awards (that same year, Rob Brydon was voted Best Newcomer). As a writer, Lock also regularly contributed additional material to comedy shows featuring Bill Bailey, Lee Evans, Phill Jupitus and Alan Davies. Between 2006 and 2007, he hosted and produced a panel show, TV Heaven, Telly Hell (2006), in which celebs were asked to recount and discuss their likes and dislikes in television history. In 2012, he was nominated for a Perrier Award as Best Male Television Comic.
Sean Lock once said: "I go to my office nearly every day, and I'll sit there for six or seven hours and come up with ideas, and that's the only way I can justify turning up on stage" and "the thing about comedy, there's something utterly delightful and slightly pure about a really good joke, and to create one is a great pleasure". His untimely passing at the age of 58 in August 2021 is much to be lamented.April 22, 1963 – August 16, 2021
English comedian ('8 Out of 10 Cats,' '8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'), actor and writer ('15 Storeys High')- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Edward Asner was born of Russian Jewish parentage in Kansas City, to Morris David Asner (founder and owner of the Kansas City-based Asner Iron & Metal Company) and his wife Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Seliger). After attending college, Ed worked various jobs, including in a steel mill, as a door-to-door salesman and on an assembly line for General Motors. Between 1947 and 1949, he attended the University of Chicago. The onset of the Korean War saw him drafted into the U.S. Army Signals Corps and posted to France where he was primarily assigned clerical tasks. Upon demobilization, Asner joined the Playwrights Theatre Company in Chicago but soon progressed to New York. In 1955, he appeared off-Broadway in the leading role of the beggar king Jonathan Peachum in Brecht's Threepenny Opera. Five years later, he made his debut on the Great White Way in the courtroom drama Face of a Hero, co-starring alongside Jack Lemmon. He also began regular TV work in anthology drama.
From the early '60s, Asner, now based in California, earned his living as a busy supporting actor. His many noted guest appearances included turns in Route 66 (1960), The Untouchables (1959), The Fugitive (1963), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) (sinister dictator-in-exile Brynov), The Invaders (1967) (twice -- as aliens) and How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (1998) (one of a couple of ghostly residents in a haunted mansion). Heavy-set and distinctively gravelly-voiced, Asner established his reputation as tough, robust and uncompromising (though, on occasion, good-hearted) authority figures. Excellent at conveying menace, he was memorably cast as the brutish patriarch Axel Jordache in Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) and as the slave ship's morally conflicted master, Captain Thomas Davies, in Roots (1977), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1977. The immensely prolific Asner (417 IMDB screen credits!) would receive seven Emmys in total (from 21 nominations), all Primetime, and become the only actor to win in both the comedy and drama category for the same role. That was also the part which made Asner a household name: the gruff, snarky newspaper editor Lou Grant (1977). Grant began as a mainstay on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), a 30-minute sitcom.
When the character was promoted to West Coast editor of The Los Angeles Tribune, Asner went on to star in his own much acclaimed drama series. Despite consistently high ratings, the show was axed after five seasons amid rumours of disharmony between the star and producers, possibly due to the former's outspoken political views. Indeed, Asner has been a controversial figure as an activist and campaigner, engaged in a variety of humanitarian and political issues. A self-proclaimed liberal Democrat, he published a book in 2017, amusingly titled "The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs."
Between 1981 and 1985, Asner served twice as President of the Screen Actors Guild, during which time he was critical of former SAG President Ronald Reagan -- then the president of a greater concern -- for his Central American policy. In 1996, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and in 2002 received the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award. In addition to appearing on screen and stage, he performed extensive work for radio, video games and animated TV series. He voiced the lead character Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's Oscar-winning production of Up (2009), starred as Santa in Elf (2003), and played Nicholas Drago in The Games Maker (2014). Ed passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 91 on August 29, 2021.November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021
American actor ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' 'Lou Grant,' 'Elf') and voice-over artist ('Gargoyles,' 'Up')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series, 1991 ('Captain Planet and the Planeteers'); Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, 1996 ('Spider-Man') and 2010 ('WordGirl'); Outstanding Performer in a Children's, Preschool Children's or Educational and Informational Program, 2018 ('A StoryBot's Christmas')
Golden Globe winner - Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series, 1972 and 1976 (both for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show') and 1977 ('Rich Man, Poor Man'); Best Actor in a Television Drama Series, 1978 and 1980 (both for 'Lou Grant')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series, 1974 and 1974 (both for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Best TV Actor - Musical or Comedy, 1975 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Best Actor in a Television Drama Series, 1979, 1981 and 1982 (all for 'Lou Grant')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 1971, 1972 and 1975 (all for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series, 1976 ('Rich Man, Poor Man'); Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series, 1977 ('Roots'); Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1978 and 1980 (both for 'Lou Grant')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 1973, 1974, 1976, and 1977 (all for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1979, 1981 and 1982 (all for 'Lou Grant'); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, 1992 ('The Trials of Rosie O'Neill'); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, 2007 ('The Christmas Card'); Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, 2009 ('CSI: NY')- Award-winning Greek-American actor Michael Constantine (born 22 May 1927) is best known for his portrayal of the Windex bottle-toting family patriarch "Gus Portokalos" in the sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). Before his appearance in that movie and the subsequent TV series based on it, he was primarily known for his portrayal of principal Seymour Kaufman in the series Room 222 (1969), for which he won a 1970 Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actor (in 1971, he also received a second Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination as Best Supporting Actor for the role).
Michael Constantine was born Constantine Joanides in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Greek parents, Andromache (Fotiadou) and Theoharis Ioannides, a steel worker. He made his Broadway debut as part of the ensemble of the hit play "Inherit the Wind," which made its bow at the National Theatre on April 21, 1955, and closed on June 22, 1957, after 806 performances. During the run of the play, Constantine managed to work his way up into the part of "Conklin". His next appearance on the Great White Way was in "Compulsion," a dramatization of the Leopold & Loeb trial, in which he played three parts: speakeasy owner "Al," defense attorney "Jonathan Wilk" and "Dr. Ball." The show had a modest run of 140 performances in the 1957-58 season at the Ambassador Theatre.
On October 19, 1959, Constantine was part of the opening-night cast of the hit play "The Miracle Worker," appearing in the role of "Anagnos." It ran for 719 performances at the Playhouse through July 1, 1961, but his next play, "The Egg", was a flop, lasting but one week (eight performances) at the Cort in January 1962. His last turn on Broadway was in Tony Richardson's staging of Bertolt Brecht's mediation on the rise of Adolf Hitler, "Arturo Ui" (a.k.a. "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui"). Constantine played the character "Dogsborough" in support of the great Broadway star Christopher Plummer's "Arturo Ui." It, too, was a one-week flop, lasting but eight performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in November 1963. Constantine's Broadway career was at an end.
He made his motion picture debut in The Last Mile (1959) in support of Mickey Rooney, but had already begun appearing in the medium in which he made his reputation, television, the year before. He appeared in teleplays on the omnibus television anthologies Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950) and Play of the Week (1959) and made numerous guest appearances on TV series, where his ethnic look made him valuable as heavies on such programs as The Untouchables (1959). In film, he appeared in such productions as Robert Rossen's classic The Hustler (1961), If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) and the film version of Woody Allen's play, Don't Drink the Water (1969), the latter two films revealing his flair for comedy.
Constantine was a regular on the series Hey, Landlord (1966). His stint on Room 222 (1969) was followed by his star-turn in the short-lived series Sirota's Court (1976), for which he received his second Golden Globe nomination, this time as Best Leading Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV Series, in 1976. After that, he remained steadily employed but his career remained rather quiet until cast he was cast in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002).
Michael Constantine died in August 2021. He was 94.May 22, 1927 – August 31, 2021
American actor - 'The Hustler' (1961), 'Room 222' (1969-1974), 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (2002)
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy, 1970 and 1971 (both for 'Room 222')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Supporting Actor [on] Television, 1971 ('Room 222'); Best Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical, 1977 ('Sirota's Court') - Producer
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Irma Kalish was born on 6 October 1924 in New York, New York, USA. She was a producer and writer, known for Good Times (1974), Too Close for Comfort (1980) and Good Heavens (1976). She was married to Austin Kalish. She died on 3 September 2021 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.October 6, 1924 – September 3, 2021
American TV writer and producer - 'Good Times' (1976-1978), 'Too Close for Comfort' (1980-1982), 'The Facts of Life' (1986-1988)- Art Metrano was born on 22 September 1936 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986), Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) and History of the World: Part I (1981). He was married to Rebecca Elizabeth Chute and Jamie Susan Golder. He died on 8 September 2021 in Aventura, Florida, USA.September 22, 1936 – September 8, 2021
American actor ('They Shoot Horses, Don't They?,' 1983's 'Breathless,' 'Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment') and stand-up comic ('The Tonight Show,' 'The Tim Conway Comedy Hour') - Writer
- Actor
- Producer
Ben Best was born on 13 September 1974 in the USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Land of the Lost (2009), Eastbound & Down (2009) and Observe and Report (2009). He died on 12 September 2021.September 13, 1974 – September 12, 2021
American actor ('Superbad'), writer ('The Foot Fist Way') and series creator ('Eastbound & down')- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Macdonald was born Norman Gene Macdonald in Quebec City, Quebec. He began his career in stand-up comedy. Macdonald's first job was writing for The Dennis Miller Show (1992) and then Roseanne (1988). While writing for Roseanne (1988), he was noticed by Lorne Michaels, who liked Norm's stand up, and gave him his job on Saturday Night Live (1975).
Macdonald became widely popular when he became the Weekend Update anchor with his trademark line, "And now the fake news". He lasted from September 24, 1994 until December 13, 1997, when he was fired by Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC on the west coast. His last weekend update was December 13, 1997 and he officially left the show in March 1998. His movie, Dirty Work (1998), which he began working on in the summer of 1997, came out 2 months later. In March 1999, his show, called Norm (1999), came out on ABC and had a 3-season run. During that time, he also starred in the movie Screwed (2000), opposite Dave Chappelle.October 17, 1959 – September 14, 2021
American comedian, actor and writer - 'Saturday Night Live' (1993-1998), 'Dirty Work' (1998), 'The Norm Show' (1999-2001)- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Challis is an accomplished character actor, personality and raconteur whose wide-ranging career has gone from classical roles on the stage to heavies in television drama, a multitude of policemen, sitcom stardom, pantomime performances and even a one-man show.
He wanted to act from a young age but was encouraged to get a "proper" job, so he worked as a trainee estate agent for a short time. He also had a job delivering groceries. He got into acting through a travelling children's theatre and never attended drama school. Performances in regional repertory theatre followed. He ended up in the Royal Shakespeare Company during the 1960s and made his television debut in The Newcomers (1965). His imposing physical stature helped him gain roles as police officers in Softly Softly (1966) and Crown Court (1972). He was also cast in a recurring role in the BBC's long-running police drama Z Cars (1962) as Sergeant Culshaw. He then played heavies in The Sweeney (1975) and Doctor Who (1963) (both for director Douglas Camfield, who would also later cast him in Beau Geste (1982)).
He worked with David Jason for the first time in the sitcom Open All Hours (1976). In 1980, he landed a guest role (as another policeman) in Citizen Smith (1977). His performance impressed the writer, John Sullivan, so much that he promised he would find another part for him. This led to him being cast as Boycie, the second-hand car salesman, in the first series of Only Fools and Horses (1981). It would go on to become one of the longest-running and most popular sitcoms of all time and Challis would be a regular in it. In 2005, Challis began starring in a spin-off, The Green Green Grass (2005). In 2011, he released his autobiography, "Being Boycie", which was followed by "Boycie & Beyond" in 2012. These led to Challis entertaining audiences by touring a one-man show, "Only Fools and Boycie".August 16, 1942 – September 19, 2021
English actor - 'Only Fools and Horses' (1981-2003), 'The Green Green Grass' (2005-2009), 'Benidorm' (2015-2018)- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
Jay Sandrich was born on 24 February 1932 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a director and assistant director, known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), The Cosby Show (1984) and Soap (1977). He was married to Linda Green Silverstein and Nina Kramer. He died on 22 September 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.February 24, 1932 – September 22, 2021
American TV director - 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1977), 'Soap' (1977-1980), 'The Cosby Show' (1984-1992)
Daytime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Direction in Religious Programming, 1984 ('Insight')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, 1971 and 1973 (both for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show') and 1985 and 1986 (both for 'The Cosby Show')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, 1972, 1974 and 1977 (all for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); 1978 and 1979 (both for 'Soap'); 1987 ('The Cosby Show')- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Alan Kalter was born on 21 March 1943 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Commander USA's Groovie Movies (1985), Late Show with David Letterman (1993) and USA Saturday Nightmares (1986). He was married to Margaret (Peggy) Masterson and Carol Beverly Cepler. He died on 4 October 2021 in Stamford, Connecticut, USA.March 21, 1943 – October 4, 2021
American TV announcer ('Late Show with David Letterman')- Actress
- Soundtrack
Missouri born-and-bred Betty Ann Lynn was born in Kansas City. Her name is as light, breezy and innocent as the characters she played on film and TV. She is pleasantly remembered for playing TV's sweet-as-apple-pie "Thelma Lou," who had the tough end of the bargain as the ever-patient girlfriend of Don Knotts's neurotic "Barney Fife" character on The Andy Griffith Show (1960). It took a second reunion decades later to finally get those two characters married. While Betty enjoyed other entertainment outlets such as film and the stage, it is her "Thelma Lou" character that remains indelibly etched in the minds of all her fans.
Betty came from a musical background as the daughter of a singer and began her career as a young teen performing in both supper clubs and on Broadway; in such musical productions as "Walk with Music" (1940) and "Oklahoma!," the latter as a dancing replacement. She even entertained the troops with her light soprano at USO tent shows towards the end of World War II. In the late 1940s, after being "discovered" in the short-lived Broadway production of "Park Avenue," the fresh-faced Betty was signed on as a starlet for Twentieth Century Fox and appeared in several of their popular movies, billed herself briefly as "Betty Ann Lynn" before abruptly dropping her middle name from the credits.
Betty made her movie debut in a small, sprightly role in the classic Clifton Webb comedy Sitting Pretty (1948). After another minor part in Apartment for Peggy (1948), she earned a featured part playing kid sister to Barbara Bates in June Bride (1948) starring Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery. She continued the momentum, all in a same airy vein, as the bobby-soxer daughter of stars Loretta Young in Mother Is a Freshman (1949) and Fred MacMurray and Maureen O'Hara in Father Was a Fullback (1949). After appearing again in pictures starring Clifton Webb and Bette Davis (Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) and Payment on Demand (1951), respectively), her blossoming film career lost major ground. Betty instead focused on 50s TV and also returned to the stage with a production of "The Moon Is Blue" (1954). She still appeared occasionally on the larger screen but, for the most part, was either unbilled or the pictures themselves were obscure. While on hiatus from the Disney series, "Texas John Slaughter" (1959), Betty tested and won the recurring role of Deputy Barney Fife's steady girl on Andy Griffith's homespun series. She became part of the small-town ensemble for five seasons -- until Knotts officially left the series to try out, full-time, in motion pictures. The producers were thinking of keeping her on the show but Betty felt her role was incomplete, without her connection to Don Knotts, after Barney Fife left.
TV work continued, never straying far from her wholesome image, with recurring roles on Family Affair (1966) and My Three Sons (1960) and guest parts on The Farmer's Daughter (1963), The Smith Family (1971) and Little House on the Prairie (1974). After a 1978 part on an episode of Barnaby Jones (1973), little was seen of her until she rejoined the Mayberry cast for a reunion in the TV movie Return to Mayberry (1986). In the same year, Andy Griffith hired her to play his secretary in a handful of episodes for his Matlock (1986) series. Betty's last acting role on TV occurred in 1990 and, save for a stage appearance in "Love Letters" in 2002 opposite another former Mayberry resident Howard Morris, she officially left acting.
Residing in the same West Hollywood home since 1950, she moved out of state to Mount Airy, North Carolina - the primary real-life inspiration for the fictional Mayberry. The never-married former actress lived in a retirement community there till her death on October 16, 2021 at the age of 95.August 29, 1926 – October 16, 2021
American actress - 'June Bride' (1948), 'Cheaper by the Dozen' (1950), 'The Andy Griffith Show' (1961-1966)- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Peter Scolari was born on 12 September 1955 in New Rochelle, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Newhart (1982), Girls (2012) and That Thing You Do! (1996). He was married to Tracy Shayne, Cathy Trien, Debra Steagall and Lisa Kretzschmar. He died on 22 October 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021
American actor - 'Bosom Buddies' (1980-1982), 'Newhart' (1984-1990), 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show' (1997-2000), 'Girls' (2012-2017), 'Evil' (2019-2021)
Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, 2016 ('Girls'); was the first ever (and to date only) actor to win an Emmy as a "replacement nominee," after Peter MacNicol had his nomination rescinded
Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 1987-1989 (all for 'Newhart')- Director
- Writer
- Set Decorator
Aleksandr Rogozhkin was born on 3 October 1949 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. He was a director and writer, known for Blokpost (1999), The Cuckoo (2002) and Peculiarities of the National Hunt (1995). He was married to Yuliya Rumyantseva. He died on 23 October 2021 in St. Petersburg, Russia.October 3, 1949 – October 23, 2021
Russian director and screenwriter - 'Peculiarities of the National Hunt' (1995), 'Checkpoint' (1998), 'The Cuckoo' (2002)
Nika Award winner - Best Director, 1995 ('Peculiarities of the National Hunt') and 2002 ('The Cuckoo'); Best Film, 2002 ('The Cuckoo')
Nika Award nominee - Best Screenplay, 1995 ('Peculiarities of the National Hunt') and 2002 ('The Cuckoo')- James Michael Tyler was born in Mississippi. The youngest of five children, he was raised by a retired United States Air Force captain father and a homemaker mother. At age 11, he moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister.
A Tigers fan, he enrolled at Clemson University and majored in Geology. While getting his B.S., Tyler joined the Clemson Players and found a love of theatre and started acting. He went on to receive an MFA in Acting from the University of Georgia.
After a brief stint selling cars in Olympia, WA, he moved to Los Angeles, CA. Upon arriving in Hollywood, he worked in both the service and entertainment industries. He was a bar-back at the Palace, sold keyboards at Guitar Center, and was a barista at the Bourgeois Pig. He also worked his way up as an extra and production assistant. Ultimately, Tyler gained acclaim playing the role of Gunther in "Friends".
When not acting, Tyler liked to play Rocket League on PS4 and record music in his home studio.
He was a founding member, along with Keith King, of the collaborative improvisational band "Red Felt Pig".
Tyler preferred to be called by his middle name, Michael.
He lived in Hollywood with his wife Jenn and their leopard gecko, Rodni.May 28, 1962 – October 24, 2021
American actor ('Friends') - Actor
- Soundtrack
Crowned as leading the new breed of modern comedians by Time magazine in 1960, Mort Sahl is the first entertainer ever to appear on its cover. Before comedy clubs existed, Sahl began performing at the hungry i music club in San Francisco in the early 1950s. He differed from other comedians, appearing in casual clothing rather than a suit, skewering popular politicians such as Eisenhower, Joe McCarthy and JFK. Sahl's approach is energetic, tangential, and deep and wide in both social and political scopes, inspiring Woody Allen, George Carlin and countless other comedians.
A 1955 performance with Dave Brubeck was recorded and released (without Sahl's permission), selling as Mort Sahl At Sunset, and recently recognized by the Library of Congress as the first stand-up comedy record album.
When JFK was assassinated in 1963, Sahl regularly targeted the government's official Warren Commission Report during his routines, resulting in the loss of much of Hollywood's support, while maintaining audience popularity with college tours and a best-selling book, Heartland.
Sahl is one of the longest, active, performing social satirists, spanning 60 years and 11 presidents.May 11, 1927 – October 26, 2021
American pioneering stand-up comic and social satirist- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Bert Newton was born on 23 July 1938 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was an actor, known for In Melbourne Tonight (1957), The Graham Kennedy Show (1972) and Boys from the Bush (1991). He was married to Patti Newton. He died on 30 October 2021 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.July 23, 1938 – October 30, 2021
Australian entertainer ('In Melbourne Tonight,' 'Good Morning, Australia') and actor ('Fatty Finn')- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Peter Aykroyd was born on 19 November 1955 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was a writer and producer, known for Nothing But Trouble (1991), Spies Like Us (1985) and My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988). He died on 6 November 2021 in Spokane, Washington, USA.November 19, 1955 – November 6, 2021
American actor, writer and comedian - 'Saturday Night Live' (1979-1980)
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, 1980 ('Saturday Night Live')- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Eddie Mekka was born on 14 June 1952 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Laverne & Shirley (1976), Dreamgirls (2006) and A League of Their Own (1992). He was married to Yvonne Marie Grace and DeLee Lively. He died on 27 November 2021 in Santa Clarita, California, USA.June 14, 1952 – November 27, 2021
American actor - 'Laverne & Shirley' (1976-1983), 'A League of Their Own' (1992), 'Dreamgirls' (2006)- Writer
- Director
- Additional Crew
During the 1970s, Lina Wertmüller emblazoned her name into the pantheon of Italian cinema with a series of intensely polemical, deeply controversial and wonderfully entertaining films. Among the most politically outspoken and iconoclastic members of the second generation of postwar directors - the direct heirs to the neo-realists - Wertmüller was also one of the first woman directors to be internationally recognized and acclaimed. Armed with a keenly satiric and Rabelaisian humor, Wertmüller reinvented the narrative forms and character types of Italian comedy to create one of the rare examples of a radical, politically galvanized cinema that managed to achieve widespread popularity. Indeed, the fierce invectives against social, cultural and historical inequities at the heart of Wertmüller's mid-1970s masterworks Love and Anarchy, Seven Beauties and Swept Away seemed only to help the films find an appreciative audience, especially in the United States, where they broke box office records for foreign films and even secured Wertmüller an Oscar nomination for Best Director - the very first woman named for this category. Although Wertmüller remains a well-known name, her remarkable films are strangely overlooked and only selectively revisited. And yet, the incredible energy and daring of her most popular works is equally present in lesser-known masterpieces such as All Screwed Up and The Seduction of Mimi, films that are both extremely topical and yet still totally relevant today.August 14, 1928 – December 9, 2021
Italian film director and screenwriter - 'Love and Anarchy' (1973), 'Swept Away' (1974), 'Seven Beauties' (1975)
Academy Award nominee - Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, 1976 (both for 'Seven Beauties')
First woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director
Academy Honorary Award recipient, 2020
Second female director ever to receive an Academy Honorary Award
David Special Award (or Career Award) recipient, 2010- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Verónica Forqué was born on 1 December 1955 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984), Kika (1993) and Eva y Adán, agencia matrimonial (1990). She was married to Manuel Iborra. She died on 13 December 2021 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.December 1, 1955 – December 13, 2021
Spanish actress - 'What Have I Done to Deserve This?' (1984), 'Kika' (1993), 'Queens' (2005)
Goya Award winner - Best Supporting Actress, 1986 ('Year of Enlightenment') and 1987 ('Moors and Christians'); Best Lead Actress, 1987 ('La vida alegre') and 1993 ('Kika')
Goya Award nominee - Best Lead Actress, 1989 ('Bajarse al moro')- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sally Ann Howes grew up in a show business family led by her father, famous English comedian/actor Bobby Howes, her mother Patricia Malone and grandfather, Broadway director Capt. J.A.E. Malone. She had her first screen test offer on her 12th birthday and went on to star in several films before she turned 20, including Anna Karenina (1948) with Vivien Leigh.
At 20, she received her first starring stage role in Glasgow in the Sandy Wilson musical Caprice. This led to other musicals including an 18-month run of Paint Your Wagon opposite her father Bobby Howes at Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket in 1953. This was followed by the plays Romance by Candlelight, A Hatful of Rain (non-musical) and 148 performances of the musical Summer Song. She continued to make the occasional film during the 1950's but the stage was her main focus. In 1958 she accepted the role of Eliza Doolittle in Broadway's My Fair Lady, taking over from Julie Andrews. The role had been offered to her three times previously, but film and stage commitments kept her from assuming the part that would skyrocket her fame in America.
Just before taking on My Fair Lady, she married composer Richard Adler, and he wrote the musical Gift of the Magi for her. It aired on CBS TV in December of 1958. Adler later wrote Kwamina for her, which she performed after her run in My Fair Lady. It was a short-lived run of the musical, and she went on to perform on Broadway in "Brigadoon", which earned her a Tony nomination in 1963. Afterwards she starred in the critically acclaimed musical, "What Makes Sammy Run" opposite Steven Lawrence. Soon after she landed the TV version of Brigadoon (1966) co-starring Robert Goulet and Peter Falk which went on to win seven Emmy Awards.
After she and Adler divorced in 1966, she began filming the movie that would become a mega-hit, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). Despite her large volume of work before and after the movie, she will always be most fondly remembered and loved around the world for her portrayal as the very lovely Truly Scrumptious. Producer Albert R. Broccoli wrote of her: "We wanted a typical English beauty. And to me, Sally Ann represents that ideal. She is also one of the finest musical comedy stars today, a rare combination of the right kind of beauty and the right kind of talent." Dick Van Dyke said of her in his documentary "Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang": "They couldn't have picked a better Truly Scrumptious than Sally. They came up with Sally Ann and I heard her voice, and it was the richest contralto. She auditioned with the Lovely Lonely Man, and I thought, my God, this girl is great and then she was stunningly beautiful. She loved those kids and they loved her, which I think comes across on the screen. They just thought a great deal of her, and she spent a lot of time with them, you know, between shots... telling stories and playing games during all those long waiting periods."
Filming took place in England, France and Bavaria over 14 months. Critics were mixed about the film, but children were fanatical about it. The movie spawned a mass marketing phenomenon with everything from Truly Scrumptious Barbie dolls, to Jemima dress patterns, lunch-boxes, countless toys, and many other things all of which still enjoy a thriving collectible life on the secondary market. The Truly Scrumptious costumes in the film even sparked a mini-revival in Edwardian fashions, especially reflected by designer Laura Ashley.
Unfortunately, the movie came out at a time when musicals were beginning to be box office dead weight, including Julie Andrews ' Star! (1968) and Darling Lili (1970), which nearly sank Paramount. This nailed the lid shut on filmed musicals for a long time, leaving no filmed musical outlet for performers like Howes. Her film roles became very sporadic after Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). She was a frequent and popular guest panelist on many game shows throughout the 1960s, and even up until the early 1980s, and she made several guest appearances on television series during the early 1970s. However, the theatre called her back, and with the exception of a few films, she has devoted her career almost entirely to the musical stage. Her last appearance was in 1992. She remains very active in musical theatre even today and is considered one of the grand dames of the American and British musical stage.
Other musicals and plays she has starred in Camelot; Blossom Time; The Sound of Music; King and I; Robert and Elizabeth; Man and Superman; I Do, I Do; Hans Anderson; A Little Night Music; Cinderella; Where's Charley?; James Joyce's The Dead.
She has sung at the White House for three US Presidents - Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
She is a naturalized U.S. citizen and resides in New York. She has been married for over 30 years to Douglas Rae.July 20, 1930 – December 19, 2021
English actress and singer - 'Dead of Night' (1945), 'The Admirable Crichton' (1957), 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968)
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, 2000 ('James Joyce's The Dead')
Tony Award nominee - Best Actress in a Musical, 1963 ('Brigadoon')