Al Onorato, co-founder of the Casting Society of America and a casting director on such series as “Bewitched,” “Police Story,” “Fame” and “The Patridge Family,” has died. He was 88.
Onorato died April 21 in Los Angeles, his nephew Chris Onorato announced.
Onorato founded the Casting Society of America (then known as the American Society of Casting Directors) with Mike Fenton and Joe Reich in 1982. He and Jerold Franks — his Onorato/Franks Independent Casting partner — won the CSA’s Artios Award for best casting for a comedy film for 1989’s “Bagdad Café.” At the 34th annual Artios Awards in 2019, Onorato received a lifetime achievement award from the organization.
“Casting Society mourns the passing of Al Onorato, whose passion and dedication and love for casting was pivotal in co-founding our organization in 1982 Al helped build what CSA is today — a global organization with over 1200 members and a resource for the entertainment industry worldwide,...
Onorato died April 21 in Los Angeles, his nephew Chris Onorato announced.
Onorato founded the Casting Society of America (then known as the American Society of Casting Directors) with Mike Fenton and Joe Reich in 1982. He and Jerold Franks — his Onorato/Franks Independent Casting partner — won the CSA’s Artios Award for best casting for a comedy film for 1989’s “Bagdad Café.” At the 34th annual Artios Awards in 2019, Onorato received a lifetime achievement award from the organization.
“Casting Society mourns the passing of Al Onorato, whose passion and dedication and love for casting was pivotal in co-founding our organization in 1982 Al helped build what CSA is today — a global organization with over 1200 members and a resource for the entertainment industry worldwide,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety Film + TV
Al Onorato, who handled casting for such TV shows as Bewitched, The Partridge Family, Police Story and Fantasy Island and represented Mark Harmon, Kristin Chenoweth and others as a talent manager, has died. He was 88.
Onorato died April 21 in Los Angeles, his nephew Chris Onorato announced.
Onorato founded the Casting Society of America (then known as the American Society of Casting Directors) with Mike Fenton and Joe Reich in 1982, and he received a lifetime achievement award from the organization in 2019.
Onorato won the CSA’s Artios Award for best casting for a comedy film for Bagdad Café (1987), sharing it with Jerold Franks, his partner in Onorato/Franks Independent Casting.
Alfred Louis Onorato was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Nov. 10, 1935. He graduated from Hackensack High School and Fairleigh Dickinson University, then worked as a page at NBC Studios in New York City.
He was a vice president in charge...
Onorato died April 21 in Los Angeles, his nephew Chris Onorato announced.
Onorato founded the Casting Society of America (then known as the American Society of Casting Directors) with Mike Fenton and Joe Reich in 1982, and he received a lifetime achievement award from the organization in 2019.
Onorato won the CSA’s Artios Award for best casting for a comedy film for Bagdad Café (1987), sharing it with Jerold Franks, his partner in Onorato/Franks Independent Casting.
Alfred Louis Onorato was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Nov. 10, 1935. He graduated from Hackensack High School and Fairleigh Dickinson University, then worked as a page at NBC Studios in New York City.
He was a vice president in charge...
- 5/12/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Susan Buckner, the actress and dancer best known for her turn as the bubbly and often-teased Rydell High cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 blockbuster musical Grease, has died. She was 72.
She died Thursday in Miami, family spokesperson Melissa Berthier announced. No cause of death was revealed.
Buckner portrayed Hollywood bad girl Jean Harlow alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the 1977 CBS telefilm The Amazing Howard Hughes and was one of the dancers/synchronized swimmers known as the Kroffettes on The Brady Bunch Hour (the 1976-77 ABC variety show was created by Sid and Marty Krofft). She also starred opposite Sharon Stone in Wes Craven’s Deadly Blessing (1981).
In Grease, directed by Randal Kleiser at Paramount, Buckner’s Patty convinces Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy Olsson, a new student, to try out for the cheerleading squad. She often is the butt of jokes from the Pink Ladies and T-Birds and called the “bad...
She died Thursday in Miami, family spokesperson Melissa Berthier announced. No cause of death was revealed.
Buckner portrayed Hollywood bad girl Jean Harlow alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the 1977 CBS telefilm The Amazing Howard Hughes and was one of the dancers/synchronized swimmers known as the Kroffettes on The Brady Bunch Hour (the 1976-77 ABC variety show was created by Sid and Marty Krofft). She also starred opposite Sharon Stone in Wes Craven’s Deadly Blessing (1981).
In Grease, directed by Randal Kleiser at Paramount, Buckner’s Patty convinces Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy Olsson, a new student, to try out for the cheerleading squad. She often is the butt of jokes from the Pink Ladies and T-Birds and called the “bad...
- 5/7/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeannie Epper, the peerless, fearless stunt performer who doubled for Lynda Carter on Wonder Woman and swung on a vine across a 350-foot gorge and propelled down an epic mudslide as Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone, has died. She was 83.
Epper died Sunday night of natural causes at her home in Simi Valley, her family told The Hollywood Reporter.
Just one member of a dynasty of stunt performers that Steven Spielberg dubbed the “Flying Wallendas of Film” — starting with her father, John Epper, there have been four generations of Eppers in show business since the 1930s — she worked on 150-plus films and TV shows during an astounding 70-year career.
In 2007, Epper received the first lifetime achievement honor given to a woman at the World Taurus Awards and ranks among the greatest stuntwomen of all time.
Known for her agility, horse-riding skills and competitiveness, the 5-foot-9 Epper also stepped in...
Epper died Sunday night of natural causes at her home in Simi Valley, her family told The Hollywood Reporter.
Just one member of a dynasty of stunt performers that Steven Spielberg dubbed the “Flying Wallendas of Film” — starting with her father, John Epper, there have been four generations of Eppers in show business since the 1930s — she worked on 150-plus films and TV shows during an astounding 70-year career.
In 2007, Epper received the first lifetime achievement honor given to a woman at the World Taurus Awards and ranks among the greatest stuntwomen of all time.
Known for her agility, horse-riding skills and competitiveness, the 5-foot-9 Epper also stepped in...
- 5/6/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lynn Loring, who appeared as a young actress on Search for Tomorrow, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and The F.B.I. before becoming one of the highest-ranking female executives in Hollywood at the time, has died. She was 80.
Loring died Dec. 23 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center after a series of chronic illnesses, her son, Chris Thinnes, told The Hollywood Reporter. Her family chose not to make public her death until now.
Loring also acted in a few movies, including Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass (1961), Pressure Point (1962) and, alongside then-husband Roy Thinnes, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969).
When she was 7, Loring joined the new CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow in September 1951 for the first of its 35 seasons. She would portray Patti Barron, daughter of Mary Stuart’s Joanne Gardner, for a decade until she graduated from the Calhoun School for Girls and entered Barnard College...
Loring died Dec. 23 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center after a series of chronic illnesses, her son, Chris Thinnes, told The Hollywood Reporter. Her family chose not to make public her death until now.
Loring also acted in a few movies, including Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass (1961), Pressure Point (1962) and, alongside then-husband Roy Thinnes, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969).
When she was 7, Loring joined the new CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow in September 1951 for the first of its 35 seasons. She would portray Patti Barron, daughter of Mary Stuart’s Joanne Gardner, for a decade until she graduated from the Calhoun School for Girls and entered Barnard College...
- 4/2/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Charles Dierkop, best known for his roles in The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Police Woman, died Sunday at a Sherman Oaks Hospital. He was 87.
He reportedly suffered from a heart attack and a case of pneumonia.
The Wisconsin-born character actor got his start in an uncredited role opposite Paul Newman in The Hustler. He reunited with him as Flat Nose Curry in the 1969 flick Butch Cassidy and as a bodyguard in the Best Picture Oscar-winning 1973 movie The Sting.
He found steady work in TV, with roles in episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Mannix, Kung Fu, The F.B.I., The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, Batman, Adam-12, It Takes a Thief, Love, American Style and Mission: Impossible.
Dierkop played Detective Pete Royston from 1974-78 as a series regular opposite Angie Dickinson on NBC’s Police Woman, a spinoff of Police Story.
He reportedly suffered from a heart attack and a case of pneumonia.
The Wisconsin-born character actor got his start in an uncredited role opposite Paul Newman in The Hustler. He reunited with him as Flat Nose Curry in the 1969 flick Butch Cassidy and as a bodyguard in the Best Picture Oscar-winning 1973 movie The Sting.
He found steady work in TV, with roles in episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Mannix, Kung Fu, The F.B.I., The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, Batman, Adam-12, It Takes a Thief, Love, American Style and Mission: Impossible.
Dierkop played Detective Pete Royston from 1974-78 as a series regular opposite Angie Dickinson on NBC’s Police Woman, a spinoff of Police Story.
- 2/28/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran actor Charles Dierkop, best known for his roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and the 1970s television series Police Woman, has died. He was 87. According to his daughter, Lynn, Dierkop passed away at Sherman Oaks Hospital on Sunday, February 25, after a recent heart attack and a bout with pneumonia, per The Hollywood Reporter. Born on September 11, 1936, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Dierkop dropped out of high school to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served during the Korean War until September 1955. Following his stint in the military, Diekop studied acting in Philadelphia and at The Actors Studio in New York. His first on-screen acting gig came in the 1960s ABC drama Naked City, where he appeared in several episodes in uncredited roles. From there, he featured in many other hit 1960s TV series, including Lost In Space, The Man from U.N.C.L.
- 2/27/2024
- TV Insider
Charles Dierkop, the busy character actor who played tough guys in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and the 1970s Angie Dickinson series Police Woman, has died. He was 87.
Dierkop died Sunday at Sherman Oaks Hospital after a recent heart attack and bout with pneumonia, his daughter, Lynn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Wisconsin native also appeared alongside Rod Steiger in Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker (1964), played the mobster Salvanti in Roger Corman’s The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967) and was a murderous Santa Claus in the cult horror movie Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).
After portraying an uncredited pool-hall hood in the Paul Newman-starring The Hustler (1961), Dierkop got to work with Newman again in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) when he was hired to play Hole in the Wall Gang outlaw George “Flat Nose” Curry.
Dierkop had broken his nose in fights several times as a kid,...
Dierkop died Sunday at Sherman Oaks Hospital after a recent heart attack and bout with pneumonia, his daughter, Lynn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Wisconsin native also appeared alongside Rod Steiger in Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker (1964), played the mobster Salvanti in Roger Corman’s The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967) and was a murderous Santa Claus in the cult horror movie Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).
After portraying an uncredited pool-hall hood in the Paul Newman-starring The Hustler (1961), Dierkop got to work with Newman again in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) when he was hired to play Hole in the Wall Gang outlaw George “Flat Nose” Curry.
Dierkop had broken his nose in fights several times as a kid,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gary Graham, the beloved film and television actor, has passed away at 73. Graham was a featured player in the Alien Nation franchise, a chameleon of numerous characters in the Star Trek universe, and motion pictures across multiple genres. His ex-wife, actress Susan Lavelle, announced his passing in a Facebook message. She did not provide a cause of death for the gifted actor.
“It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham, my ex husband, amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together, Haylee Graham, has passed away today,” wrote Lavelle. “We are completely devastated especially our daughter Haley. His wife, Becky was by his side.”
Graham got his start performing in episodic television in the mid-1970s. With his signature mop of swooping brown hair, Graham appeared in shows like Eight Is Enough, Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman, and more. When the 1980s came about, Graham contributed to shows like CHiPs,...
“It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham, my ex husband, amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together, Haylee Graham, has passed away today,” wrote Lavelle. “We are completely devastated especially our daughter Haley. His wife, Becky was by his side.”
Graham got his start performing in episodic television in the mid-1970s. With his signature mop of swooping brown hair, Graham appeared in shows like Eight Is Enough, Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman, and more. When the 1980s came about, Graham contributed to shows like CHiPs,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Gary Graham, an actor who appeared in dozens of TV roles but will be best remembered for his place in the Alien Nation and Star Trek universes, has died. He was 73.
His death was announced by his ex-wife, actress Susan Lavelle, in a Facebook message posted shortly after 1 a.m. today. She did not provide a cause of death.
“It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham, my ex husband, amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together, Haylee Graham, has passed away today,” wrote Lavelle, who met Graham when she was 20 and he was starring in Alien Nation. “We are completely devastated especially our daughter Haley. His wife, Becky was by his side.”
Born June 6, 1950, in Long Beach, CA, Graham began making appearances on episodic TV in the mid-1970s, including one-off roles in Eight Is Enough, Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman and The Incredible Hulk.
His death was announced by his ex-wife, actress Susan Lavelle, in a Facebook message posted shortly after 1 a.m. today. She did not provide a cause of death.
“It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham, my ex husband, amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together, Haylee Graham, has passed away today,” wrote Lavelle, who met Graham when she was 20 and he was starring in Alien Nation. “We are completely devastated especially our daughter Haley. His wife, Becky was by his side.”
Born June 6, 1950, in Long Beach, CA, Graham began making appearances on episodic TV in the mid-1970s, including one-off roles in Eight Is Enough, Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman and The Incredible Hulk.
- 1/23/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Gary Graham, who starred as the human detective who partners with an extraterrestrial newcomer to solve crimes on the Fox sci-fi television franchise Alien Nation, has died. He was 73.
Graham died Monday of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Spokane, Washington, his wife of nearly 25 years, Becky Graham, told The Hollywood Reporter.
In the Star Trek universe, Graham played the Ocampan community leader Tanis on Star Trek: Voyager in 1995; recurred as Ambassador Soval, a Vulcan ambassador to Earth, on Star Trek: Enterprise, from 2001-05; and portrayed the first officer Ragnar in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men (2007) and Star Trek: Renegades from 2015-17.
Graham also stood out as a sleazy dealer of porn films in the Paul Schrader thriller Hardcore (1979), starring George C. Scott, and he was the older brother of Tom Cruise’s character in Michael Chapman’s All the Right Moves (1983).
Graham starred as the L.A. detective...
Graham died Monday of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Spokane, Washington, his wife of nearly 25 years, Becky Graham, told The Hollywood Reporter.
In the Star Trek universe, Graham played the Ocampan community leader Tanis on Star Trek: Voyager in 1995; recurred as Ambassador Soval, a Vulcan ambassador to Earth, on Star Trek: Enterprise, from 2001-05; and portrayed the first officer Ragnar in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men (2007) and Star Trek: Renegades from 2015-17.
Graham also stood out as a sleazy dealer of porn films in the Paul Schrader thriller Hardcore (1979), starring George C. Scott, and he was the older brother of Tom Cruise’s character in Michael Chapman’s All the Right Moves (1983).
Graham starred as the L.A. detective...
- 1/23/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Just one year after HBO’s “Succession” broke new ground as the first drama series to ever receive four male guest acting Emmy nominations at once, the same network’s “The Last of Us” has matched the impressive feat. Included among those currently recognized for their special appearances on the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation is Lamar Johnson, who has built an extensive acting resume over the past 15 years. Having just turned 29 in July, he ranks as the fourth youngest Best Drama Guest Actor nominee ever and has a shot at becoming the category’s all-time youngest victor.
Johnson’s very first Emmy notice comes for his portrayal of Henry Burrell, a one-time government informant attempting to evade capture by ruthless resistance leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). The actor’s episode submission, “Endure and Survive,” shows that Henry never has much time to dwell on his dire situation as an apocalypse survivor...
Johnson’s very first Emmy notice comes for his portrayal of Henry Burrell, a one-time government informant attempting to evade capture by ruthless resistance leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). The actor’s episode submission, “Endure and Survive,” shows that Henry never has much time to dwell on his dire situation as an apocalypse survivor...
- 12/24/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In the world of television, first impressions are everything. A great pilot episode is a promise to the audience, telling them what the show is about and how it will go about it, in the hopes that people will be so impressed that they'll tune in every week. If you don't grab them early, you might lose them altogether.
Case in point: If you watch the first episode of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" you'll find that it is one of the most striking TV series debuts in history. The disturbing standalone tale "Where Is Everybody?" stars Earl Holliman ("Police Woman") as a man who finds himself in a town without any people in it. It's completely deserted from top to bottom, or is it? He keeps coming across signs that people were here, and he only just missed them. Trapped in a completely open world, alone in a...
Case in point: If you watch the first episode of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" you'll find that it is one of the most striking TV series debuts in history. The disturbing standalone tale "Where Is Everybody?" stars Earl Holliman ("Police Woman") as a man who finds himself in a town without any people in it. It's completely deserted from top to bottom, or is it? He keeps coming across signs that people were here, and he only just missed them. Trapped in a completely open world, alone in a...
- 11/4/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
This month has been full of sad reports of celebrity passings… and unfortunately, today is no different. It has been brought to our attention that Lara Parker, best known for starring in the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and the 1975 horror classic Race with the Devil, has passed away at the age of 84. Her daughter confirmed to Variety that she died in her sleep at her home in the Topanga Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles on October 12th.
If you’re not familiar with Parker’s work on Dark Shadows, Variety has the information: “From 1967 to 1971, the Memphis native starred in Dark Shadows as the central antagonist Angelique Bouchard. Set in the fictional setting of Collinsport, Maine, the series follows the town’s founding family, the Collins family. In the show, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) spurns the besotted Angelique after a brief dalliance with her, unaware that she is a witch.
If you’re not familiar with Parker’s work on Dark Shadows, Variety has the information: “From 1967 to 1971, the Memphis native starred in Dark Shadows as the central antagonist Angelique Bouchard. Set in the fictional setting of Collinsport, Maine, the series follows the town’s founding family, the Collins family. In the show, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) spurns the besotted Angelique after a brief dalliance with her, unaware that she is a witch.
- 10/17/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Lara Parker, who played fan-favorite witch Angelique Bouchard on “Dark Shadows,” has died at 84.
Kathryn Leigh Scott, her co-star on the 1960s gothic soap opera, posted the news to Facebook on Monday.
“I have sad news . . . my beautiful, beloved friend Lara Parker passed away Thursday, October 12. I’m heartbroken, as all of us are who knew and loved her,” Scott wrote.
“She graced our lives with her beauty and talent, and we are all richer for having had her in our lives. Family meant more than anything to Lara, and they have wanted these few days since her passing to themselves. Rest in peace, my cherished friend,” Scott concluded.
The actress died in her sleep at her home in Topanga Canyon, her daughter said.
The series ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971 and spawned several follow-up movies from creator Dan Curtis.
Parker, along with other surviving “Dark Shadows” stars, made cameos...
Kathryn Leigh Scott, her co-star on the 1960s gothic soap opera, posted the news to Facebook on Monday.
“I have sad news . . . my beautiful, beloved friend Lara Parker passed away Thursday, October 12. I’m heartbroken, as all of us are who knew and loved her,” Scott wrote.
“She graced our lives with her beauty and talent, and we are all richer for having had her in our lives. Family meant more than anything to Lara, and they have wanted these few days since her passing to themselves. Rest in peace, my cherished friend,” Scott concluded.
The actress died in her sleep at her home in Topanga Canyon, her daughter said.
The series ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971 and spawned several follow-up movies from creator Dan Curtis.
Parker, along with other surviving “Dark Shadows” stars, made cameos...
- 10/16/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Lara Parker, who found the role of a lifetime at just 28 years old when she was cast by Dark Shadows producer Dan Curtis as the beautiful, vengeful and altogether evil witch Angelique Bouchard Collins, died October 12 in her sleep in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer. She was 84.
Her death was announced by producer Jim Pierson of Dan Curtis Productions, on behalf of Parker’s family.
“I’m heartbroken, as all of us are who knew and loved her,” said her Dark Shadows co-star and longtime friend Kathryn Leigh Scott in a statement. “She graced our lives with her beauty, talent and friendship, and we are all richer for having had her in our lives.”
Parker, who also authored four popular Dark Shadows-related novels from 1998-2016, arrived on the supernatural soap opera in 1967, not long after Canadian actor Jonathan Frid had been cast as vampire Barnabas Collins. Frid...
Her death was announced by producer Jim Pierson of Dan Curtis Productions, on behalf of Parker’s family.
“I’m heartbroken, as all of us are who knew and loved her,” said her Dark Shadows co-star and longtime friend Kathryn Leigh Scott in a statement. “She graced our lives with her beauty, talent and friendship, and we are all richer for having had her in our lives.”
Parker, who also authored four popular Dark Shadows-related novels from 1998-2016, arrived on the supernatural soap opera in 1967, not long after Canadian actor Jonathan Frid had been cast as vampire Barnabas Collins. Frid...
- 10/16/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Shirley Jo Finney, a theater director and the star of Wilma (1977), has died. She was 74.
The Fountain Theatre announced Finney’s death on social media writing in an Instagram post, “With broken hearts, we share the sad news that director Shirley Jo Finney, a beloved member of our Fountain Family, passed away yesterday after a long illness.”
Some of the productions that Finney directed included Citizen: An American Lyric, Heart Song, In the Red and Brown Water, The Brothers Size, The Ballad of Emmett Till, Yellowman, Central Avenue and From the Mississippi Delta.
Finney had been battling with cancer for eight months, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
Finney starred in the television film Wilma, a biopic about track star Wilma Rudolph and the obstacles she faced to win three gold medals in the 1960 Olympics. In the television movie, Finney starred opposite Cicely Tyson, Jason Bernard, Denzel Washington and more.
The Fountain Theatre announced Finney’s death on social media writing in an Instagram post, “With broken hearts, we share the sad news that director Shirley Jo Finney, a beloved member of our Fountain Family, passed away yesterday after a long illness.”
Some of the productions that Finney directed included Citizen: An American Lyric, Heart Song, In the Red and Brown Water, The Brothers Size, The Ballad of Emmett Till, Yellowman, Central Avenue and From the Mississippi Delta.
Finney had been battling with cancer for eight months, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
Finney starred in the television film Wilma, a biopic about track star Wilma Rudolph and the obstacles she faced to win three gold medals in the 1960 Olympics. In the television movie, Finney starred opposite Cicely Tyson, Jason Bernard, Denzel Washington and more.
- 10/15/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
This post contains spoilers for the first episode of "The Twilight Zone."
The first episode of Rod Serling's anthology series "The Twilight Zone" aired on October 2, 1959. The episode was called "Where Is Everybody?," and it starred Earl Holliman as a man with no memories, walking down a dirt road. He arrives in a small town. No one is there. He cries out for anyone, but no one answers. He tries the public telephone, but there is no operator. He sees a woman in a car, but she turns out to be a mere mannequin. He helps himself to some diner food, which is still fresh. Machines seem to operate on their own, as when our hero goes to a movie theater and the picture starts automatically. What is happening? Is everyone hiding? Where is everybody? The solitude slowly begins to drive him into a panic.
The twist ending: the...
The first episode of Rod Serling's anthology series "The Twilight Zone" aired on October 2, 1959. The episode was called "Where Is Everybody?," and it starred Earl Holliman as a man with no memories, walking down a dirt road. He arrives in a small town. No one is there. He cries out for anyone, but no one answers. He tries the public telephone, but there is no operator. He sees a woman in a car, but she turns out to be a mere mannequin. He helps himself to some diner food, which is still fresh. Machines seem to operate on their own, as when our hero goes to a movie theater and the picture starts automatically. What is happening? Is everyone hiding? Where is everybody? The solitude slowly begins to drive him into a panic.
The twist ending: the...
- 9/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Peter Gonzales Falcon, the Texan who starred as a young Federico Fellini in the director’s semi-autobiographical Roma, has died, according to his friend Aurelio Montemayor. He was 75.
Gonzales Falcon got his start with a bit part in Viva Max (1969), a satirical film about a modern-day Mexican general (Peter Ustinov) who retakes the Alamo.
The actor went on to model for a year in London before he landed the role that would make his career.
In 2018, Gonzales Falcon related the story of auditioning for Fellini after being recommended by actor Eugene Walter, a friend of a friend:
I went to Cinecittà where there was a line about a block long with young men wanting to meet Fellini. I went around the line to the main door and buzzed. The door was opened by Liliana [Fellini’s longtime assistant] who looked like a little Edward G. Robinson and even had a cigar in her mouth.
Gonzales Falcon got his start with a bit part in Viva Max (1969), a satirical film about a modern-day Mexican general (Peter Ustinov) who retakes the Alamo.
The actor went on to model for a year in London before he landed the role that would make his career.
In 2018, Gonzales Falcon related the story of auditioning for Fellini after being recommended by actor Eugene Walter, a friend of a friend:
I went to Cinecittà where there was a line about a block long with young men wanting to meet Fellini. I went around the line to the main door and buzzed. The door was opened by Liliana [Fellini’s longtime assistant] who looked like a little Edward G. Robinson and even had a cigar in her mouth.
- 8/24/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Gonzales Falcon, the actor from Texas who portrayed a young Federico Fellini in Roma, the famed Italian director’s 1972 autobiographical film, has died. He was 74.
Gonzales Falcon was found dead at his home Tuesday in La Pryor, Texas, by authorities called there for a safety check, his friend Aurelio Montemayor told The Hollywood Reporter.
After dropping out of college after being cast in Viva Max (1969), a farcical present-day comedy about retaking the Alamo, Gonzales Falcon was hired by Fellini himself for Roma, which featured cameos from Anna Magnani, Marcello Mastroianni and Gore Vidal.
Segments of the film show Gonzales Falcon as Fellini during the 1930s and ’40s after the future filmmaker arrives in Rome to pursue a career as a journalist and wanders the city to experience what it has to offer. He worked on the documentary-style feature for 41 weeks, he told author Tom Lisanti during an expansive 2018 interview.
Gonzales Falcon was found dead at his home Tuesday in La Pryor, Texas, by authorities called there for a safety check, his friend Aurelio Montemayor told The Hollywood Reporter.
After dropping out of college after being cast in Viva Max (1969), a farcical present-day comedy about retaking the Alamo, Gonzales Falcon was hired by Fellini himself for Roma, which featured cameos from Anna Magnani, Marcello Mastroianni and Gore Vidal.
Segments of the film show Gonzales Falcon as Fellini during the 1930s and ’40s after the future filmmaker arrives in Rome to pursue a career as a journalist and wanders the city to experience what it has to offer. He worked on the documentary-style feature for 41 weeks, he told author Tom Lisanti during an expansive 2018 interview.
- 8/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Carol Locatell, who had a memorable turn as the foulmouthed mother Ethel Hubbard in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning and worked alongside Burt Reynolds in three films, has died. She was 82.
Locatell died April 11 at her home in Sherman Oaks after a long battle with cancer, her husband, songwriter and record producer Gregory Prestopino, told The Hollywood Reporter. They were together for 50 years.
Locatell moved from Los Angeles to New York in the mid-1980s to shake up her career, and from her first audition there she landed a part on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound, which premiered in 1986. She then appeared in The Shadow Box in 1994 and in The Rose Tattoo a year later.
She first met Reynolds when she auditioned for him for a role in Simon’s Chapter Two at his dinner theater in Jupiter, Florida. She worked with him in Paternity...
Locatell died April 11 at her home in Sherman Oaks after a long battle with cancer, her husband, songwriter and record producer Gregory Prestopino, told The Hollywood Reporter. They were together for 50 years.
Locatell moved from Los Angeles to New York in the mid-1980s to shake up her career, and from her first audition there she landed a part on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound, which premiered in 1986. She then appeared in The Shadow Box in 1994 and in The Rose Tattoo a year later.
She first met Reynolds when she auditioned for him for a role in Simon’s Chapter Two at his dinner theater in Jupiter, Florida. She worked with him in Paternity...
- 4/18/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Carol Locatell was born on December 13, 1940 – a date that happens to have been a Friday the 13th. So it seems very fitting that when she embarked on an acting career, her role in the 1985 slasher Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (watch it Here) would turn out to become the role she was best known for. Locatell delivered a hilarious performance in that film, making the foul-mouthed Ethel Hubbard someone fans have been having fun watching for nearly forty years now. Sadly, Locatell is no longer with us. She passed away recently at the age of 82. Ron Sloan, who played Ethel’s dimwitted son Junior in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, broke the news of her passing on social media last night.
Sloan wrote,
Dearest friends, fans, and Horror family,
With great sadness, it breaks my heart to announce that my Friday the 13th Part 5 Mom, (Ethel Hubbard) Carol Locatell has passed away.
Sloan wrote,
Dearest friends, fans, and Horror family,
With great sadness, it breaks my heart to announce that my Friday the 13th Part 5 Mom, (Ethel Hubbard) Carol Locatell has passed away.
- 4/18/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Michael Lerner, the character actor known from films like “Godzilla,” “Elf,” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Barton Fink,” has died, as per a report in Variety. He was 81 years old.
The news was broken by his nephew, actor Sam Lerner, a series regular on “The Goldbergs.” He wrote on his Instagram page that “it’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me. His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special.” He added, “Rip Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”
A carousel of images included pictures of Lerner on set in various costumes over the years,...
The news was broken by his nephew, actor Sam Lerner, a series regular on “The Goldbergs.” He wrote on his Instagram page that “it’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me. His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special.” He added, “Rip Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”
A carousel of images included pictures of Lerner on set in various costumes over the years,...
- 4/10/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
The Lone Ranger is one of the most iconic Western television shows ever to hit the air. However, it certainly didn’t receive the same amount of love when it came to certain audiences. The Lone Rangers only received three awards nominations over the course of its existence, starting in 1949 until its end after season 5 in 1957. The show never earned a single award, but it’ll always have the following nominations under its belt.
The plot follows a former Texas Ranger known as the Lone Ranger, played by Clayton Moore. After his brother and fellow lawmen die in an ambush, a Native American man he once saved named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) returns the favor. Wearing a piece of his brother’s clothing as a mask, the Lone Ranger fights outlaws along with Tonto across the Old West.
Primetime Emmy Awards – Best Film Made for and Viewed on Television in 1949 Clayton...
The plot follows a former Texas Ranger known as the Lone Ranger, played by Clayton Moore. After his brother and fellow lawmen die in an ambush, a Native American man he once saved named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) returns the favor. Wearing a piece of his brother’s clothing as a mask, the Lone Ranger fights outlaws along with Tonto across the Old West.
Primetime Emmy Awards – Best Film Made for and Viewed on Television in 1949 Clayton...
- 3/31/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Celebrated singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello is back with a new song, “Virgo.” The single will appear on her first album of all new material in nearly a decade, The Omnichord Real Book, out June 16 via Blue Note.
“Virgo” is a slinky, eight-minute jazz-soul epic that blends everything from disco guitar and plucky synths to atmospheric washes of sound and a bit of ethereal harp: “They’re calling me back to the stars,” Ndegeocello sings. “Deep outer space, they’re calling me.”
The Omnichord Real Book follows Ndegeocello’s 2018 covers album, Ventriloquism,...
“Virgo” is a slinky, eight-minute jazz-soul epic that blends everything from disco guitar and plucky synths to atmospheric washes of sound and a bit of ethereal harp: “They’re calling me back to the stars,” Ndegeocello sings. “Deep outer space, they’re calling me.”
The Omnichord Real Book follows Ndegeocello’s 2018 covers album, Ventriloquism,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Gerald Fried, a composer for some of television’s biggest moments in the 1960s, died Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct of pneumonia at age 95.
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Composer Gerald Fried, who won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries “Roots” and whose 1960s scores, from “Star Trek” to “Gilligan’s Island,” left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers, died of pneumonia Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct. He was 95.
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Let’s put our cards on the table: Almost three years after Peacock launched, the Comcast-owned streamer finally has a legitimate potential breakout show in Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson’s Poker Face.
Debuting with four episodes Friday and then dropping the rest of its 10-episode first season weekly, the one-hour drama could prove the dramatic reset the sports-focused Peacock has needed since day one.
Part of that is clearly the combined star power and skills of the Russian Doll star and the Knives Out director, along with a wonderfully villainous Benjamin Bratt and an old-school awards-show phalanx of guest stars. True to the talent on both sides of the camera, Poker Face’s winning hand has a lot to do with how well-crafted and constructed it is.
However, besides a beat-up Plymouth Barracuda, Rockford Files trailer home homages and all, the wider appeal of Poker Face is that...
Debuting with four episodes Friday and then dropping the rest of its 10-episode first season weekly, the one-hour drama could prove the dramatic reset the sports-focused Peacock has needed since day one.
Part of that is clearly the combined star power and skills of the Russian Doll star and the Knives Out director, along with a wonderfully villainous Benjamin Bratt and an old-school awards-show phalanx of guest stars. True to the talent on both sides of the camera, Poker Face’s winning hand has a lot to do with how well-crafted and constructed it is.
However, besides a beat-up Plymouth Barracuda, Rockford Files trailer home homages and all, the wider appeal of Poker Face is that...
- 1/25/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Earl Boen, a veteran character and voice actor best known for his role as Dr. Peter Silberman in “The Terminator” movies, died Thursday in Hawaii. He was 81.
The actor was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in the fall of 2022, according to a friend of Boen’s and his family.
Boen starred in “The Terminator,” “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” as Dr. Silberman, a criminal psychologist who was brought in to interrogate Michael Biehn’s Kyle Reese in the first film. He also appeared in archive footage in 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate.”
Born on Aug. 8, 1941, Boen worked on a slew of television series, movies and video games throughout his career. In addition to the “Terminator” franchise, his film credits include “9 to 5,” “Living in Peril,” “The Prince,” “Sioux City,” “Marked for Death,” “My Stepmother Is an Alien,” “Alien Nation,” “Touch and Go,” “The Main Event,...
The actor was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in the fall of 2022, according to a friend of Boen’s and his family.
Boen starred in “The Terminator,” “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” as Dr. Silberman, a criminal psychologist who was brought in to interrogate Michael Biehn’s Kyle Reese in the first film. He also appeared in archive footage in 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate.”
Born on Aug. 8, 1941, Boen worked on a slew of television series, movies and video games throughout his career. In addition to the “Terminator” franchise, his film credits include “9 to 5,” “Living in Peril,” “The Prince,” “Sioux City,” “Marked for Death,” “My Stepmother Is an Alien,” “Alien Nation,” “Touch and Go,” “The Main Event,...
- 1/6/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Lupita Nyong’o is opening up about how some advice from Emma Thompson helped to land her on the right track after her 2014 Oscar win for “12 Years a Slave”.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Nyong’o recalled how the lessons she learned while studying at the prestigious Yale School of Drama covered a lot of ground but left her wholly unprepared for winning an Academy Award for her film debut.
“We kept being told that it’s going to be one long, lonely, hard and fruitless journey, being an actor,” Nyong’o explained. “You’re going to be Policewoman Number Three for a long time before you can get anywhere. They helped us to mentally prepare for failure, but they did not prepare us for success.”
Read More: Lupita Nyong’o Pays Tribute To Chadwick Boseman Two Years After His Death
Winning the Oscar put her on a whole new career path,...
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Nyong’o recalled how the lessons she learned while studying at the prestigious Yale School of Drama covered a lot of ground but left her wholly unprepared for winning an Academy Award for her film debut.
“We kept being told that it’s going to be one long, lonely, hard and fruitless journey, being an actor,” Nyong’o explained. “You’re going to be Policewoman Number Three for a long time before you can get anywhere. They helped us to mentally prepare for failure, but they did not prepare us for success.”
Read More: Lupita Nyong’o Pays Tribute To Chadwick Boseman Two Years After His Death
Winning the Oscar put her on a whole new career path,...
- 10/20/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Click here to read the full article.
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.
Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.
In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.
Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.
In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...
- 7/31/2022
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mary Alice, an Emmy and Tony Award winner best known to TV viewers for her roles in A Different World and I’ll Fly Away, died on July 27in New York City, the NYPD has reported.
Alice died of natural causes, NPR reports; the actress’ precise, eightysomething age was at press time uncertain.
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Alice’s TV career began in the 1970s,...
Alice died of natural causes, NPR reports; the actress’ precise, eightysomething age was at press time uncertain.
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Alice’s TV career began in the 1970s,...
- 7/28/2022
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Click here to read the full article.
Mary Alice, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actress who starred in the original Broadway production of Fences, portrayed the mother of three singing daughters in Sparkle and appeared as The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions, has died. She was 85.
Alice died Wednesday in her Manhattan apartment, an NYPD spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1990 films, Alice played Nurse Margaret opposite Robin Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, directed by Penny Marshall; the family matriarch dealing with a disruptive guest (Danny Glover) in Charles Burnett’s To Sleep With Anger; and a woman whose son was struck by a car in the South Bronx in Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities.
The onetime Chicago schoolteacher received back-to-back Emmy nominations in 1992 and ’93 — winning in the second year — for her supporting turn as Marguerite Peck, whose child is murdered, on the Atlanta-set NBC legal drama I’ll Fly Away,...
Mary Alice, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actress who starred in the original Broadway production of Fences, portrayed the mother of three singing daughters in Sparkle and appeared as The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions, has died. She was 85.
Alice died Wednesday in her Manhattan apartment, an NYPD spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1990 films, Alice played Nurse Margaret opposite Robin Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, directed by Penny Marshall; the family matriarch dealing with a disruptive guest (Danny Glover) in Charles Burnett’s To Sleep With Anger; and a woman whose son was struck by a car in the South Bronx in Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities.
The onetime Chicago schoolteacher received back-to-back Emmy nominations in 1992 and ’93 — winning in the second year — for her supporting turn as Marguerite Peck, whose child is murdered, on the Atlanta-set NBC legal drama I’ll Fly Away,...
- 7/28/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mary Alice, an Emmy-winning actor for I’ll Fly Away and a Tony winner for her performance in 1987’s Broadway production of August Wilson’s Fences, died yesterday in New York City.
Her age has been variously reported as 80, 84 and 86. Her death was confirmed to Deadline by the New York Police Department. No additional details were immediately available.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
“A shoulder we all stood on,” tweeted actor Colman Domingo today.
A prolific character actor on screen and stage, and a pioneer in the representation of Black actors on the Off Broadway and Broadway scenes, Alice is perhaps most widely known to TV audiences for her two-season run as a main character on NBC’s Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, in which she played dorm director Leticia “Lettie” Bostic. In 2003, she featured prominently in The Matrix Revolutions, portraying The Oracle, who imparts words of wisdom to Keanu Reeves’ Neo.
Her age has been variously reported as 80, 84 and 86. Her death was confirmed to Deadline by the New York Police Department. No additional details were immediately available.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
“A shoulder we all stood on,” tweeted actor Colman Domingo today.
A prolific character actor on screen and stage, and a pioneer in the representation of Black actors on the Off Broadway and Broadway scenes, Alice is perhaps most widely known to TV audiences for her two-season run as a main character on NBC’s Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, in which she played dorm director Leticia “Lettie” Bostic. In 2003, she featured prominently in The Matrix Revolutions, portraying The Oracle, who imparts words of wisdom to Keanu Reeves’ Neo.
- 7/28/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmy-winning actress Mary Alice, known for her roles as Leticia “Lettie” Bostic on NBC‘s “A Different World” and as Effie Williams in the 1976 musical drama “Sparkle,” died Wednesday in New York City, according to the NYPD. Her birth year had been reported both as 1936 and 1941 in various sources.
In “The Matrix Revolutions,” she played the Oracle and also played the role in the video game “Enter the Matrix.”
She appeared in “A Different World” for two seasons, and also played Ellie Grant Hubbard on “All My Children” in the 1980s.
In films, she appeared in “Malcolm X,” “The Inkwell,” “Down in the Delta,” “Beat Street,” “To Sleep With Anger,” “Awakenings,” “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “Sunshine State,” among many others.
Born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Miss., she pursued acting at a very early age, starting her stage career in her hometown. After a brief stint as an elementary school teacher,...
In “The Matrix Revolutions,” she played the Oracle and also played the role in the video game “Enter the Matrix.”
She appeared in “A Different World” for two seasons, and also played Ellie Grant Hubbard on “All My Children” in the 1980s.
In films, she appeared in “Malcolm X,” “The Inkwell,” “Down in the Delta,” “Beat Street,” “To Sleep With Anger,” “Awakenings,” “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “Sunshine State,” among many others.
Born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Miss., she pursued acting at a very early age, starting her stage career in her hometown. After a brief stint as an elementary school teacher,...
- 7/28/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Adam Wade, the suave singer and actor who registered three Top 10 hits on the Billboard 100 in 1961 and appeared in films including Shaft, Crazy Joe and Claudine before making history as a game show host, has died. He was 87.
Wade died Thursday at his home in Montclair, New Jersey, after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his wife, singer Jeree Wade, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Pittsburgh crooner drew comparisons to Johnny Mathis when he scored hits in 1961 with the romantic ballads “Take Good Care of Her,” which reached No. 7 (the tune was later recorded by Elvis Presley), “The Writing on the Wall” (No. 5) and “As If I Didn’t Know” (No. 10).
In a 2014 interview, Wade said he “was trying to imitate Nat King Cole, my boyhood idol, not Johnny Mathis. So I guess that tells you how good my imitating skills were.”
In...
Adam Wade, the suave singer and actor who registered three Top 10 hits on the Billboard 100 in 1961 and appeared in films including Shaft, Crazy Joe and Claudine before making history as a game show host, has died. He was 87.
Wade died Thursday at his home in Montclair, New Jersey, after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his wife, singer Jeree Wade, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Pittsburgh crooner drew comparisons to Johnny Mathis when he scored hits in 1961 with the romantic ballads “Take Good Care of Her,” which reached No. 7 (the tune was later recorded by Elvis Presley), “The Writing on the Wall” (No. 5) and “As If I Didn’t Know” (No. 10).
In a 2014 interview, Wade said he “was trying to imitate Nat King Cole, my boyhood idol, not Johnny Mathis. So I guess that tells you how good my imitating skills were.”
In...
- 7/10/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Charles Siebert, the actor who played the pompous Dr. Stanley Riverside II on the CBS medical drama series Trapper John, M.D., died May 1 of Covid-related pneumonia at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. He was 84.
His death was confirmed in a statement on the website of the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California, where Siebert appeared frequently.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Siebert made his Broadway debut in a 1967 production of Brecht’s Galileo and would return to the Broadway stage five more times through the following decade. He began his TV career in the late 1960s on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. By the mid-1970s he had appeared in such series as Hawk, N.Y.P.D., Another World, The Adams Chronicles, Kojak, Police Woman and The Rockford Files.
In 1977 he recurred on the Norman Lear soap parody Mary Hartman,...
His death was confirmed in a statement on the website of the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California, where Siebert appeared frequently.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Siebert made his Broadway debut in a 1967 production of Brecht’s Galileo and would return to the Broadway stage five more times through the following decade. He began his TV career in the late 1960s on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. By the mid-1970s he had appeared in such series as Hawk, N.Y.P.D., Another World, The Adams Chronicles, Kojak, Police Woman and The Rockford Files.
In 1977 he recurred on the Norman Lear soap parody Mary Hartman,...
- 5/31/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jackie Chan's first credited role came in the 1962 film "Big and Little Wong Tin Bar," in which he played "Child." He was seven or eight years old. He worked as a stunt performer for the betetr part of a decade before landing his first gig as an action director on Hdeng Tsu's 1973 film "Police Woman." From then on, Chan grew to be one of Hong Kong's mot impressive action stars, featured in multiple fight films every year. Chan wasn't just a skilled martial artist either. When it came time for him to play the lead, he was keen to show off...
The post Jackie Chan Had To Master More Than Kung Fu For The Tuxedo appeared first on /Film.
The post Jackie Chan Had To Master More Than Kung Fu For The Tuxedo appeared first on /Film.
- 5/10/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
By Lee Pfeiffer
The Sony Choice Collection has rescued another long forgotten TV movie from obscurity and released it as a burn-to-order title. "Kiss Me...Kill Me" is a crime thriller that was originally telecast in 1976. Compared to similar fare from that era, the film is fairly routine, though it might well be more appreciated today than it was at the time of its original airing. This is due to the fact that it boasts a strong cast of seasoned veteran actors- something that was relatively common in the 1970s, when the concept of TV movies became very popular. Most of these productions had star power and audiences enjoyed seeing some of their favorite movie stars on the small screen. "Kiss Me...Kill Me" stars Stella Stevens as Stella Stafford, an L.A-based investigator for the District Attorney's office. She is assigned to an especially disturbing murder case involving Maureen Coyle...
The Sony Choice Collection has rescued another long forgotten TV movie from obscurity and released it as a burn-to-order title. "Kiss Me...Kill Me" is a crime thriller that was originally telecast in 1976. Compared to similar fare from that era, the film is fairly routine, though it might well be more appreciated today than it was at the time of its original airing. This is due to the fact that it boasts a strong cast of seasoned veteran actors- something that was relatively common in the 1970s, when the concept of TV movies became very popular. Most of these productions had star power and audiences enjoyed seeing some of their favorite movie stars on the small screen. "Kiss Me...Kill Me" stars Stella Stevens as Stella Stafford, an L.A-based investigator for the District Attorney's office. She is assigned to an especially disturbing murder case involving Maureen Coyle...
- 4/28/2022
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
One of the most familiar faces on daytime TV has died.
Jerry Douglas, best known for his role as John Abbott, has died.
He was 88.
According to People, Douglas passed away Tuesday after a short illness.
Douglas first appeared on the show in 1982 and remained a part of the cast for over 30 years.
His expansive TV credits include Mannix, Police Woman, Mission Impossible, The Rockford Files, Cold Case, Melrose Place, Crash, and Arrested Development.
On the movie front, he has appeared in Mommie Dearest, Avalanche, and Oliver Stone’s JFK.
"On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas," Anthony Morina, executive producer of The Young and the Restless, wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
"Jerry came to Y&r in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits."
"Our show was lucky to have...
Jerry Douglas, best known for his role as John Abbott, has died.
He was 88.
According to People, Douglas passed away Tuesday after a short illness.
Douglas first appeared on the show in 1982 and remained a part of the cast for over 30 years.
His expansive TV credits include Mannix, Police Woman, Mission Impossible, The Rockford Files, Cold Case, Melrose Place, Crash, and Arrested Development.
On the movie front, he has appeared in Mommie Dearest, Avalanche, and Oliver Stone’s JFK.
"On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas," Anthony Morina, executive producer of The Young and the Restless, wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
"Jerry came to Y&r in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits."
"Our show was lucky to have...
- 11/11/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Veteran actor Jerry Douglas, best known as patriarch John Abbott on CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, passed away on November 9 after a brief illness. He was 88. Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on November 12, 1932, Douglas started his career in show business after graduating from college, studying with Uta Hagen in New York and Jeff Corey in Los Angeles. In addition to acting, Douglas also worked as a screenwriter and playwright, developing projects alongside Josh O’Connell through their production company, O’Connell/Douglas Productions. His early credits include appearances in many classic series such as The Rockford Files, Police Story, Hunter, The Streets of San Francisco, Mannix, Barnaby Jones, Police Woman, The Rookies, Mission Impossible, among many more. Douglas joined The Young and the Restless in 1982 as John Abbott, the wealthy chairman of Jabot Cosmetics and patriarch of the Abbott family. When he first joined the series, he was a single father helping his children,...
- 11/11/2021
- TV Insider
Jerry Douglas, who played The Young & the Restless patriarch John Abbott for more than three decades, has died, TVLine has confirmed.
Douglas passed away Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 88.
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Douglas started playing the Jabot Cosmetics chairman in 1982 and stayed in the role for more than 30 years. He even continued on in the role after John Sr.’s death, appearing as...
Douglas passed away Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 88.
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Douglas started playing the Jabot Cosmetics chairman in 1982 and stayed in the role for more than 30 years. He even continued on in the role after John Sr.’s death, appearing as...
- 11/11/2021
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Jerry Douglas, who played patriarch John Abbott on CBS’ The Young and the Restless for more than 30 years, died November 9 after a brief illness, his family announced Wednesday. He was 88.
Born Jerry Rubenstein on November 12, 1932, in Chelsea, Ma, Douglas launched his acting career upon graduating from Brandeis University, studying acting with Uta Hagen in New York and Jeff Corey in Los Angeles.
He joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in March 1982 as John Abbott, patriarch of the Abbott family and wealthy chairman of Jabot Cosmetics. When viewers first met him, he was a single father helping children Jack, Ashley and Traci navigate adulthood.
In later years, John Abbott wed Jill Foster and they had a son, Billy. John also had several romantic reunions with estranged ex-wife, Dina Mergeron.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
John Abbott was a mainstay in Genoa City until the...
Born Jerry Rubenstein on November 12, 1932, in Chelsea, Ma, Douglas launched his acting career upon graduating from Brandeis University, studying acting with Uta Hagen in New York and Jeff Corey in Los Angeles.
He joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in March 1982 as John Abbott, patriarch of the Abbott family and wealthy chairman of Jabot Cosmetics. When viewers first met him, he was a single father helping children Jack, Ashley and Traci navigate adulthood.
In later years, John Abbott wed Jill Foster and they had a son, Billy. John also had several romantic reunions with estranged ex-wife, Dina Mergeron.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
John Abbott was a mainstay in Genoa City until the...
- 11/11/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Val Bisoglio, a character actor who played John Travolta’s father in Saturday Night Fever, appeared opposite Jack Klugman on all eight seasons of Quincy, M.E. and had an arc on The Sopranos has died. He was 95.
His wife Bonnie Bisoglio said the actor died October 18 of Lewy body dementia at his home near San Olivos, CA.
Born on May 7, 1926, in Manhattan, Bisoglio began his screen career with guest roles on series including Bonanza and Mayberry R.F.D. By the early 1970s, he appeared on such popular TV fare as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, The Partridge Family, Mannix and Love, American Style. He landed his first series-regular role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Roll Out in 1973.
He scored a second series-regular gig on a CBS sitcom, Working Stiffs, playing the owner of a Chicago office building where his sons — played by Michael Keaton and Jim Belushi — worked as janitors.
His wife Bonnie Bisoglio said the actor died October 18 of Lewy body dementia at his home near San Olivos, CA.
Born on May 7, 1926, in Manhattan, Bisoglio began his screen career with guest roles on series including Bonanza and Mayberry R.F.D. By the early 1970s, he appeared on such popular TV fare as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, The Partridge Family, Mannix and Love, American Style. He landed his first series-regular role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Roll Out in 1973.
He scored a second series-regular gig on a CBS sitcom, Working Stiffs, playing the owner of a Chicago office building where his sons — played by Michael Keaton and Jim Belushi — worked as janitors.
- 10/29/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
A man linked by DNA to the killing of a prominent television director slain in his Studio City home more than three decades ago pleaded guilty today to voluntary manslaughter.
Superior Court Judge Eric Harmon immediately sentenced Edwin Jerry Hiatt, now 55, to 12 years in state prison following his plea involving the July 5, 1985, killing of Barry Crane, whose directing credits include hits such as The Incredible Hulk, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Police Woman, Police Story and The Streets of San Francisco.
Hiatt pleaded not guilty in 2019 to one count of murder with a special allegation of using a heavy object during the commission of the crime. Hiatt was linked to the crime through DNA evidence decades after the crime, authorities said. The case had gone unsolved for decades when in 2006, and again in 2018, a detective from the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division requested that evidence found at the crime scene be retested.
Superior Court Judge Eric Harmon immediately sentenced Edwin Jerry Hiatt, now 55, to 12 years in state prison following his plea involving the July 5, 1985, killing of Barry Crane, whose directing credits include hits such as The Incredible Hulk, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Police Woman, Police Story and The Streets of San Francisco.
Hiatt pleaded not guilty in 2019 to one count of murder with a special allegation of using a heavy object during the commission of the crime. Hiatt was linked to the crime through DNA evidence decades after the crime, authorities said. The case had gone unsolved for decades when in 2006, and again in 2018, a detective from the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division requested that evidence found at the crime scene be retested.
- 10/7/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Alex Cord immortalized by Norman Rockwell for the marketing campaign for the 1966 version of "Stagecoach".
By Lee Pfeiffer
Actor Alex Cord has died at age 88 in Texas. Cord overcame a childhood battle with polio to become an active horseman who could perform impressive stunts. Those abilities, along with his rugged good looks and lanky build, helped him land jobs as an actor. He appeared in popular television series beginning in the early 1960s including "Ben Casey", "Laramie", "Naked City" and "Route 66" before transitioning to the big screen. He made his feature film debut in with an uncredited role in "The Chapman Report" in 1962 but it was in the all-star 1966 remake of John Ford's classic 1939 Western "Stagecoach" that Cord was cast in the star-making role of the Ringo Kid, a sympathetic outlaw on a trail of vengeance. The role had launched John Wayne's career to a new level...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Actor Alex Cord has died at age 88 in Texas. Cord overcame a childhood battle with polio to become an active horseman who could perform impressive stunts. Those abilities, along with his rugged good looks and lanky build, helped him land jobs as an actor. He appeared in popular television series beginning in the early 1960s including "Ben Casey", "Laramie", "Naked City" and "Route 66" before transitioning to the big screen. He made his feature film debut in with an uncredited role in "The Chapman Report" in 1962 but it was in the all-star 1966 remake of John Ford's classic 1939 Western "Stagecoach" that Cord was cast in the star-making role of the Ringo Kid, a sympathetic outlaw on a trail of vengeance. The role had launched John Wayne's career to a new level...
- 8/11/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Kate Winslet’s tough but tender small-town police detective Mare Sheehan of HBO’s acclaimed crime thriller “Mare of Easttown” is the latest in a long line of female TV detectives including S. Epatha Merkerson (“Law & Order”); Helen Mirren (“Prime Suspect”); Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer); Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Svu”) and Regina King (“Watchmen”).
Unfortunately, it took an inordinate amount of time for actresses to get a fair shake in police procedurals. Early TV crime dramas were inundated with the likes of taciturn toughies Lee Marvin (“M Squad”), Robert Taylor (“The Detectives”), Jack Webb (“Dragnet”) and Broderick Crawford (“Highway Patrol”). Way too much testosterone.
But slowly the dynamics began to change especially with the rise of the Women’s Movement. Here’s a look at five trailblazing female cop shows who paved the way.
Beverly Garland (“Decoy”)
After macho actor after macho actor as police detectives and cops,...
Unfortunately, it took an inordinate amount of time for actresses to get a fair shake in police procedurals. Early TV crime dramas were inundated with the likes of taciturn toughies Lee Marvin (“M Squad”), Robert Taylor (“The Detectives”), Jack Webb (“Dragnet”) and Broderick Crawford (“Highway Patrol”). Way too much testosterone.
But slowly the dynamics began to change especially with the rise of the Women’s Movement. Here’s a look at five trailblazing female cop shows who paved the way.
Beverly Garland (“Decoy”)
After macho actor after macho actor as police detectives and cops,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Rhonda Fleming, the actress who starred in films like Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound” and Jacques Tourneur’s “Out of the Past,” has died. She was 97.
Fleming’s secretary Carla Sapon confirmed the news to TheWrap, stating that she passed away on Wednesday in Santa Monica, California.
Fleming appeared in more than 40 films, which included Robert Siodmak’s “The Spiral Staircase,” the 1948 musical fantasy “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” the 1957 Western “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the noir “Slightly Scarlet.”
Over the years, she worked with people like Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan, with whom she made four films. Her other credits include “Pony Express,” “The Big Circus” and most recently, “The Nude Bomb” in 1980.
Fleming was born as Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, California, in 1923. She began working as a film actress while attending Beverly Hills High School, and was discovered by...
Fleming’s secretary Carla Sapon confirmed the news to TheWrap, stating that she passed away on Wednesday in Santa Monica, California.
Fleming appeared in more than 40 films, which included Robert Siodmak’s “The Spiral Staircase,” the 1948 musical fantasy “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” the 1957 Western “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the noir “Slightly Scarlet.”
Over the years, she worked with people like Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan, with whom she made four films. Her other credits include “Pony Express,” “The Big Circus” and most recently, “The Nude Bomb” in 1980.
Fleming was born as Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, California, in 1923. She began working as a film actress while attending Beverly Hills High School, and was discovered by...
- 10/17/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Rhonda Fleming, star of the 1940s and ’50s who was dubbed the “Queen of Technicolor” and appeared in “Out of the Past” and “Spellbound,” died Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif., according to her secretary Carla Sapon. She was 97.
Fleming appeared in more than 40 films and worked with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock on “Spellbound,” Jacques Tourneur on “Out of the Past” and Robert Siodmak on “The Spiral Staircase.”
Later in life, she became a philanthropist and supporter of numerous organizations fighting cancer, homelessness and child abuse.
Her starring roles include classics such as the 1948 musical fantasy “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” alongside Bing Crosby, 1957 Western “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the noir “Slightly Scarlet” alongside John Payne.
Her co-stars over the years included Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Burt Lancaster, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson and Ronald Reagan, with whom she made four films. Other notable roles included Fritz Lang...
Fleming appeared in more than 40 films and worked with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock on “Spellbound,” Jacques Tourneur on “Out of the Past” and Robert Siodmak on “The Spiral Staircase.”
Later in life, she became a philanthropist and supporter of numerous organizations fighting cancer, homelessness and child abuse.
Her starring roles include classics such as the 1948 musical fantasy “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” alongside Bing Crosby, 1957 Western “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the noir “Slightly Scarlet” alongside John Payne.
Her co-stars over the years included Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Burt Lancaster, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson and Ronald Reagan, with whom she made four films. Other notable roles included Fritz Lang...
- 10/17/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
Caesar Cordova, a character actor who appeared in the Brian De Palma films Scarface and Carlito’s Way, both starring Al Pacino, has died. He was 84.
A member of the Actors Studio, Cordova died Wednesday of natural causes in Atlantic City, his family announced.
Born May 16, 1936, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cordova also worked in such films as Sharks’ Treasure (1975), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) and Nighthawks (1981) and on television in Toma, Kojak, Police Woman, The A-Team and Cagney & Lacey.
He played a taco-stand cook in Scarface (1983) and a barber in Carlito’s Way (1993).
Survivors include his wife, Gladys, and children Panchito — ...
A member of the Actors Studio, Cordova died Wednesday of natural causes in Atlantic City, his family announced.
Born May 16, 1936, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cordova also worked in such films as Sharks’ Treasure (1975), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) and Nighthawks (1981) and on television in Toma, Kojak, Police Woman, The A-Team and Cagney & Lacey.
He played a taco-stand cook in Scarface (1983) and a barber in Carlito’s Way (1993).
Survivors include his wife, Gladys, and children Panchito — ...
- 8/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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