Chicago – On September 9th 2024, the world lost an icon of acting, voice work and pop culture stardom. The great James Earl Jones passed away at age 93, after a career of prominent statute, memorable characters and a voice to a generation through Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King” (both versions). Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com took an Exclusive Portrait of Jones in 1993 during a Chicago book tour.
Jones was born in Mississippi, and was raised in Michigan by his maternal grandparents. His estranged father became an film actor, and they reconciled in the 1950s. Jones graduated from the University of Michigan as a drama major, and after a stint in the military made his major Broadway debut in 1958 as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s butler in “Sunrise at Campobello.”
James Earl Jones in Chicago, 1993
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
He shifted to Shakespearian roles thereafter,...
Jones was born in Mississippi, and was raised in Michigan by his maternal grandparents. His estranged father became an film actor, and they reconciled in the 1950s. Jones graduated from the University of Michigan as a drama major, and after a stint in the military made his major Broadway debut in 1958 as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s butler in “Sunrise at Campobello.”
James Earl Jones in Chicago, 1993
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
He shifted to Shakespearian roles thereafter,...
- 9/21/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Remember who you are. Remember.” This is one of the most iconic lines coming from one of the most iconic voices in pop culture. For nearly 70 years, James Earl Jones made a mark on the screen, stage, and television. Many know him as the iconic voice behind Darth Vader of the Star Wars saga and Mufasa of The Lion King franchise.
But there is a lot more storied history from the world-famous gravel voice that brought the entire galaxy to its knees and that led a boy to be king.
Humble Beginnings
Born on the 17th of January 1931 in Mississippi, James Earl Jones found his passion in poetry and acting to overcome his stutter, making him embrace his deep voice. It is truly amazing how overcoming a disability led him to be one of the most recognizable voices in film.
He then ventured into theater, eventually debuting in 1957 on Broadway...
But there is a lot more storied history from the world-famous gravel voice that brought the entire galaxy to its knees and that led a boy to be king.
Humble Beginnings
Born on the 17th of January 1931 in Mississippi, James Earl Jones found his passion in poetry and acting to overcome his stutter, making him embrace his deep voice. It is truly amazing how overcoming a disability led him to be one of the most recognizable voices in film.
He then ventured into theater, eventually debuting in 1957 on Broadway...
- 9/11/2024
- by Ramon Paolo Alfar
- Along Main Street
The late, great James Earl Jones passed away on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93, leaving behind a massive artistic legacy, not to mention shelves and shelves full of acting awards. Jones began acting professionally in the late 1950s, appearing on stage in a production of "Sunrise at Campobello," moving to film in 1964 with Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." Jones continued to act on stage, on TV, and in movies all the way through 2021, when he made his final film appearance in Craig Brewer's "Coming 2 America."
A sequel to John Landis' 1988 comedy "Coming to America," "Coming 2 America" returned to the fictional country of Zamunda, which was overseen by the wealthy and intense King Jaffe Joffer (Jones). The comedy was derived from Zamunda's prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) going to New York City to look for a potential bride; the women in Zamunda,...
A sequel to John Landis' 1988 comedy "Coming to America," "Coming 2 America" returned to the fictional country of Zamunda, which was overseen by the wealthy and intense King Jaffe Joffer (Jones). The comedy was derived from Zamunda's prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) going to New York City to look for a potential bride; the women in Zamunda,...
- 9/10/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
James Earl Jones is dead at the age of 93. Deadline first reported he died the morning of September 9, which IndieWire has confirmed. The distinguished Egot winner, esteemed star of stage and screen, and iconic basso profondo voice of Darth Vader enjoyed a remarkable, decade-spanning career that found him playing a slew of iconic characters in film, TV, and theater. Jones’ credits ranged from Othello to Malcolm X, Santa Claus, Ebenezer Scrooge, King Lear, and one of the famous villains of all time in “Star Wars.”
While he did not win a competitive Academy Award during his career, he received an Honorary Academy Award in 2011, granting him vaunted “Egot” status. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, was presented with the National Medal of the Arts by President George H. W. Bush in 1992, and received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002.
In 2009, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
While he did not win a competitive Academy Award during his career, he received an Honorary Academy Award in 2011, granting him vaunted “Egot” status. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, was presented with the National Medal of the Arts by President George H. W. Bush in 1992, and received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002.
In 2009, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
- 9/9/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
James Earl Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died Monday. He was 93.
Jones, who burst into national prominence in 1970 with his powerful Oscar-nominated performance as America’s first Black heavyweight champion in The Great White Hope, died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, Independent Artist Group announced.
The distinguished star made his big-screen debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and was noteworthy in many other films, including Claudine (1974) opposite Diahann Carroll; Field of Dreams (1989), as the reclusive author Terence Mann; and The Sandlot (1993), as the intimidating neighborhood guy Mr. Mertle.
For his work on the stage, Jones earned two best actor Tony Awards: for originating the role of Jack Jefferson — who was...
Jones, who burst into national prominence in 1970 with his powerful Oscar-nominated performance as America’s first Black heavyweight champion in The Great White Hope, died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, Independent Artist Group announced.
The distinguished star made his big-screen debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and was noteworthy in many other films, including Claudine (1974) opposite Diahann Carroll; Field of Dreams (1989), as the reclusive author Terence Mann; and The Sandlot (1993), as the intimidating neighborhood guy Mr. Mertle.
For his work on the stage, Jones earned two best actor Tony Awards: for originating the role of Jack Jefferson — who was...
- 9/9/2024
- by Jacqueline Mansky and Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
James Earl Jones, the revered actor who voiced Star Wars villain Darth Vader, starred in Field of Dreams and many other films and Broadway shows and is an Egot winner, died this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 93.
His reps at Independent Artist Group confirmed the news to Deadline.
Widely regarded as among the world’s great stage and screen actors Jones is one of the few entertainers to have won the Egot, though his Academy Award was Honorary. Jones has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977 and three Tony Awards.
The actor amassed nearly 200 screen credits during his brilliant 60-year career, starting some early-’60s TV guest roles and Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He probably is best known for his voice...
His reps at Independent Artist Group confirmed the news to Deadline.
Widely regarded as among the world’s great stage and screen actors Jones is one of the few entertainers to have won the Egot, though his Academy Award was Honorary. Jones has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977 and three Tony Awards.
The actor amassed nearly 200 screen credits during his brilliant 60-year career, starting some early-’60s TV guest roles and Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He probably is best known for his voice...
- 9/9/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Jill Schary Robinson, the memoirist, journalist and novelist whose father, Dore Schary, headed MGM in the 1950s and son, Jeremy Zimmer, is the founder and CEO of the United Talent Agency, has died. She was 88.
Schary Robinson died Saturday at her home in Beverly Hills, her family announced.
She wrote her first memoir, 1963’s With a Cast of Thousands, which chronicled her experiences growing up in Hollywood during the Golden Age, then followed with 1972’s Thanks for the Rubies, Now Please Pass the Moon and 1974’s Bed/Time/Story.
Bed/Time/Story won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and became the 1980 NBC telefilm A Cry for Love, starring Susan Blakely and Powers Boothe in a moving story about love and addiction.
“No one has written better than she of the bewitching and distorting power the dream factory can have over our lives,” The New York Times once wrote.
Schary Robinson died Saturday at her home in Beverly Hills, her family announced.
She wrote her first memoir, 1963’s With a Cast of Thousands, which chronicled her experiences growing up in Hollywood during the Golden Age, then followed with 1972’s Thanks for the Rubies, Now Please Pass the Moon and 1974’s Bed/Time/Story.
Bed/Time/Story won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and became the 1980 NBC telefilm A Cry for Love, starring Susan Blakely and Powers Boothe in a moving story about love and addiction.
“No one has written better than she of the bewitching and distorting power the dream factory can have over our lives,” The New York Times once wrote.
- 7/22/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Upon securing a spot in the 2024 Best Supporting Actress Oscar lineup, Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) officially shattered the Academy Awards record for longest span between fourth and fifth acting nominations. Following her two Best Actress wins for “The Accused” (1989) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1992), she had last been recognized in that category for “Nell” (1995), making for a general nomination gap of 29 years. Coincidentally, she took this particular distinction from fellow “Silence of the Lambs” winner Anthony Hopkins, who waited 22 years between his supporting bids for “Amistad” (1998) and “The Two Popes” (2020).
Previously, the female record for longest wait for a fifth nomination was 12 years, as shared by Julianne Moore and Frances McDormand. Considering gaps between any two consecutive acting nominations, Foster ranks well behind overall record holder Judd Hirsch, whose first and second career notices for “Ordinary People” (1981) and “The Fabelmans” (2023) came 42 years apart. His female counterpart is Helen Hayes (39 years...
Previously, the female record for longest wait for a fifth nomination was 12 years, as shared by Julianne Moore and Frances McDormand. Considering gaps between any two consecutive acting nominations, Foster ranks well behind overall record holder Judd Hirsch, whose first and second career notices for “Ordinary People” (1981) and “The Fabelmans” (2023) came 42 years apart. His female counterpart is Helen Hayes (39 years...
- 2/6/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
On 4 March 1943, Greer Garson stepped behind a lectern at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub inside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Garson, 38, was accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work inMrs Miniver, a romantic war drama directed by William Wyle. She was only the 15th actor in the history of Hollywood to take home the trophy. That was an achievement in itself, but Garson made history in another, more unexpected way that night.
Her acceptance speech remains, to this day, the longest in the history of the Academy Awards. While today’s winners are asked to keep to 45 seconds, Garson spoke for a comparatively generous seven minutes.
The speech, sadly, wasn’t preserved in full. Even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which organises the Oscars each year, says it has newsreel footage of “only portions” of Garson’s address – for a total of three minutes and 56 seconds.
Her acceptance speech remains, to this day, the longest in the history of the Academy Awards. While today’s winners are asked to keep to 45 seconds, Garson spoke for a comparatively generous seven minutes.
The speech, sadly, wasn’t preserved in full. Even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which organises the Oscars each year, says it has newsreel footage of “only portions” of Garson’s address – for a total of three minutes and 56 seconds.
- 2/14/2023
- by Clémence Michallon
- The Independent - Film
On 4 March 1943, Greer Garson stepped behind a lectern at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub inside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Garson, 38, was accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work inMrs Miniver, a romantic war drama directed by William Wyle. She was only the 15th actor in the history of Hollywood to take home the trophy. That was an achievement in itself, but Garson made history in another, more unexpected way that night.
Her acceptance speech remains, to this day, the longest in the history of the Academy Awards. While today’s winners are asked to keep to 45 seconds, Garson spoke for a comparatively generous seven minutes.
The speech, sadly, wasn’t preserved in full. Even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which organises the Oscars each year, says it has newsreel footage of “only portions” of Garson’s address – for a total of three minutes and 56 seconds.
Her acceptance speech remains, to this day, the longest in the history of the Academy Awards. While today’s winners are asked to keep to 45 seconds, Garson spoke for a comparatively generous seven minutes.
The speech, sadly, wasn’t preserved in full. Even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which organises the Oscars each year, says it has newsreel footage of “only portions” of Garson’s address – for a total of three minutes and 56 seconds.
- 2/14/2023
- by Clémence Michallon
- The Independent - Film
Broadway’s Cort Theatre will officially become the James Earl Jones Theatre in an official renaming and dedication ceremony on Monday, Sept. 12, the Shubert Organization announced today.
The ceremony follows a 47 million restoration and expansion of the 110-year-old building on West 48th Street in Manhattan’s Theater District. The dedication ceremony will be open to invited guests and members of the press, and will include special performances, tours of the venue and the unveiling of a new marquee.
Shubert, which owns the theater, commissioned extensive renovations and construction work on the venue over the course of the Covid pandemic years and under the guidance of Francesca Russo Architect. A new contemporary annex, designed by Kostow Greenwood Architects, expands accessibility, increases public space, adds dressing rooms and rehearsal space.
The venue’s name change to honor the venerable actor was previously announced, and followed a pledge by Shubert and other Broadway...
The ceremony follows a 47 million restoration and expansion of the 110-year-old building on West 48th Street in Manhattan’s Theater District. The dedication ceremony will be open to invited guests and members of the press, and will include special performances, tours of the venue and the unveiling of a new marquee.
Shubert, which owns the theater, commissioned extensive renovations and construction work on the venue over the course of the Covid pandemic years and under the guidance of Francesca Russo Architect. A new contemporary annex, designed by Kostow Greenwood Architects, expands accessibility, increases public space, adds dressing rooms and rehearsal space.
The venue’s name change to honor the venerable actor was previously announced, and followed a pledge by Shubert and other Broadway...
- 9/1/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to this week’s Nxt review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Samoa Joe returned last week to become William Regal’s enforcer. I had an enforcer once…Timmy The Crippled Cub Scout. Timmy took a bullet for me…after getting smashed with a hammer, hit by a truck, smacked by an elephant, shot out of a cannon and set on fire…by me, after I found out that the little bastard was lying about being crippled just so he could get free money out of me! That little son of a bitch! Anyway, my son is fine now…asleep in his grave. Well, this took a dark turn. I made that all up, by the way…I think I did. Okay. I have to get back to being in prison for murder. Excuse me… Jack-Knife: Hey muthafugga! Y’all gettin’ ovah heeyah so we can shiv this white boy?...
- 6/23/2021
- by Nathan Favel
- Nerdly
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“A Good Starting Point—Part Two”
By Raymond Benson
With the publication of Jeremy Arnold’s new lavishly illustrated and intelligently written TCM (Turner Classic Movies) coffee-table paperback, The Essentials, Volume 2: 52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter, I find myself going back to my review of the original Volume 1 of The Essentials and am tempted to repeat much of what was said there.
“The Essentials” is a weekly Saturday night event on TCM in which a guest host introduces a picture he or she believes is an Essential, i.e., a title “film lovers need to know,” as film historian Ben Mankiewicz explains in the forward. The number 52 is used because there are 52 weeks in a year. Unlike in Volume One, the new book contains an Appendix listing all the Essentials that TCM has aired, indicating the ones chosen for both...
“A Good Starting Point—Part Two”
By Raymond Benson
With the publication of Jeremy Arnold’s new lavishly illustrated and intelligently written TCM (Turner Classic Movies) coffee-table paperback, The Essentials, Volume 2: 52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter, I find myself going back to my review of the original Volume 1 of The Essentials and am tempted to repeat much of what was said there.
“The Essentials” is a weekly Saturday night event on TCM in which a guest host introduces a picture he or she believes is an Essential, i.e., a title “film lovers need to know,” as film historian Ben Mankiewicz explains in the forward. The number 52 is used because there are 52 weeks in a year. Unlike in Volume One, the new book contains an Appendix listing all the Essentials that TCM has aired, indicating the ones chosen for both...
- 10/24/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
For a Valentine’s trip to the movies, you couldn’t wish for a hotter and more talented pair of lovers than Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield. He’s Mike, a New York journalist working for The Republic, an online publication that allows him the time and space and support to feel his way through stories (The Republic doesn’t exist, so don’t send in applications). She’s Mae, a curator at the Queens Museum who’s still smarting over her mother’s death from cancer, and adding bricks...
- 2/14/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
1916 Happy Centennial to Best Actor winner Peter Finch (Network), one of only two posthumous acting winners in Oscar history. The other is Heath Ledger. (Curiously they were both Australian)
1924 Marcello Mastroianni (La Dolce Vita, 8½) is born in Italy. Becomes one of the all time great movie stars by his mid 30s. His career spans over 50 years of cinema.
1933 Greer Garson weds Edward Snelson, first of three husbands, though the cohabitation is brief. Ten years later she famously marries her screen son in Mrs Miniver.
1934 ...And God Created Brigitte Bardot in Paris
1945 Mildred Pierce opens. Joan Crawford will win Best Actress for this fabulous noir melodrama
1949 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis first film together My Friend Irma
1950 American indie icon John Sayles is born in New York. Among his most famous films: Return of the Secaucus 7, Passion Fish, and Lone Star
1951 Franchot Tone marries Barbara Payton, his third wife, a disastrous marriage for both.
1924 Marcello Mastroianni (La Dolce Vita, 8½) is born in Italy. Becomes one of the all time great movie stars by his mid 30s. His career spans over 50 years of cinema.
1933 Greer Garson weds Edward Snelson, first of three husbands, though the cohabitation is brief. Ten years later she famously marries her screen son in Mrs Miniver.
1934 ...And God Created Brigitte Bardot in Paris
1945 Mildred Pierce opens. Joan Crawford will win Best Actress for this fabulous noir melodrama
1949 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis first film together My Friend Irma
1950 American indie icon John Sayles is born in New York. Among his most famous films: Return of the Secaucus 7, Passion Fish, and Lone Star
1951 Franchot Tone marries Barbara Payton, his third wife, a disastrous marriage for both.
- 9/28/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Teresa Wright and Matt Damon in 'The Rainmaker' Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright vs. Samuel Goldwyn: Nasty Falling Out.") "I'd rather have luck than brains!" Teresa Wright was quoted as saying in the early 1950s. That's understandable, considering her post-Samuel Goldwyn choice of movie roles, some of which may have seemed promising on paper.[1] Wright was Marlon Brando's first Hollywood leading lady, but that didn't help her to bounce back following the very public spat with her former boss. After all, The Men was released before Elia Kazan's film version of A Streetcar Named Desire turned Brando into a major international star. Chances are that good film offers were scarce. After Wright's brief 1950 comeback, for the third time in less than a decade she would be gone from the big screen for more than a year.
- 3/11/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Being an election year, it’s appropriate that 2012 has been a presidential year in Hollywood, too. The season would be remarkable for Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of Abraham Lincoln alone, but this weekend, Bill Murray tackled an equally iconic American president, playing Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park on Hudson. Roosevelt took office in the midst of the Great Depression, was re-elected an unprecedented three times, and prepared the nation for World War II and successfully waged it — all the while being crippled by polio and anchored to a wheelchair.
Although Fdr was famously charming, he was equally manipulative, a trait...
Although Fdr was famously charming, he was equally manipulative, a trait...
- 12/9/2012
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW.com - PopWatch
Eiji Okada, Emmanuelle Riva in DGA (but not Oscar) nominee Alain Resnais' Hiroshima, mon amour (top); Melina Mercouri, Jules Dassin in Dassin's Oscar- (but not DGA-) nominated Never on Sunday (bottom) DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards 1953-1959: Odd Men Out Jack Clayton, David Lean, Stanley Donen 1960 DGA (14)Vincente Minnelli, Bells Are RingingWalter Lang, Can-CanDelbert Mann, The Dark at the Top of the StairsRichard Brooks, Elmer GantryAlain Resnais, Hiroshima, mon amourVincente Minnelli, Home from the HillCarol Reed, Our Man in HavanaCharles Walters, Please Don't Eat the DaisiesLewis Gilbert, Sink the Bismarck!Vincent J. Donehue, Sunrise at Campobello AMPASJules Dassin, Never on Sunday DGA/AMPASBilly Wilder, The ApartmentJack Cardiff, Sons and LoversAlfred Hitchcock, PsychoFred Zinnemann, The Sundowners 1961 DGA (21)Robert Stevenson, The Absent Minded ProfessorBlake Edwards, Breakfast at Tiffany'sWilliam Wyler, The Children's HourAnthony Mann, El CidJoshua Logan, FannyHenry Koster, Flower Drum SongRobert Mulligan, The Great ImpostorPhilip Leacock, Hand in HandJack Clayton,...
- 1/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Almost as soon as it was announced that J. Edgar Hoover would be getting a new biopic, speculation has been rife over how his relationship with Clyde Tolson would be portrayed.
Although there's no definitive proof either way, it's widely assumed that Hoover, long-term director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tolson, his assistant director, were lovers. Director Clint Eastwood sparked concern that Hoover's story would be “straightwashed” when he told The Wall Street Journal that the script “didn't quite go down [the] road” of addressing rumors of Hoover's being closeted and a cross-dresser. (Eastwood later confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that he included a scene showing Hoover wearing his mother's dress.)
Meanwhile, out J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black assured AfterElton that Hoover and Tolson would not be “de-gayed,” saying “To think that somehow you’re going to make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and...
Although there's no definitive proof either way, it's widely assumed that Hoover, long-term director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tolson, his assistant director, were lovers. Director Clint Eastwood sparked concern that Hoover's story would be “straightwashed” when he told The Wall Street Journal that the script “didn't quite go down [the] road” of addressing rumors of Hoover's being closeted and a cross-dresser. (Eastwood later confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that he included a scene showing Hoover wearing his mother's dress.)
Meanwhile, out J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black assured AfterElton that Hoover and Tolson would not be “de-gayed,” saying “To think that somehow you’re going to make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and...
- 11/7/2011
- by John
- The Backlot
Mary Fickett, who played compassionate nurse Ruth Martin on ABC's "All My Children," has died at age 83.
The veteran daytime drama star died Thursday at her home in Virginia, the network said.
Fickett was an original cast member of "All My Children," which premiered in 1970, and for decades she appeared alongside Ray MacDonnell, who played her on-screen husband, Dr. Joe Martin, in the fictional town of Pine Valley, Pa. She retired from the show in 2000.
In 1973, she became the first performer to receive an Emmy for work on a daytime soap opera. As the mother of a young man who was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, Ruth Martin gave an impassioned anti-war speech that won Fickett the award.
A native of Bronxville, N.Y., she was a seasoned stage, film and TV actress before "All My Children."
Her first feature was "Man on Fire" with Bing Crosby...
The veteran daytime drama star died Thursday at her home in Virginia, the network said.
Fickett was an original cast member of "All My Children," which premiered in 1970, and for decades she appeared alongside Ray MacDonnell, who played her on-screen husband, Dr. Joe Martin, in the fictional town of Pine Valley, Pa. She retired from the show in 2000.
In 1973, she became the first performer to receive an Emmy for work on a daytime soap opera. As the mother of a young man who was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, Ruth Martin gave an impassioned anti-war speech that won Fickett the award.
A native of Bronxville, N.Y., she was a seasoned stage, film and TV actress before "All My Children."
Her first feature was "Man on Fire" with Bing Crosby...
- 9/12/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Filed under: TV News
Mary Fickett, an original cast member of 'All My Children,' has died. She was 83, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Fickett won the first Emmy given to a daytime actress for her role as nurse Ruth Brent Martin.
Fickett played the character from 1970-1996. She left the series and was replaced by veteran actress Lee Meriwether. After departing the series, Fickett only returned to 'All My Children' once in 2000.
Aside from 'All My Children,' Fickett is known for her roles on 'The Edge of Night' and her Broadway work. She appeared in 'Tea & Sympathy' and was nominated for a Tony in 1958 for playing Eleanor Roosevelt in 'Sunrise at Campobello.'
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
Mary Fickett, an original cast member of 'All My Children,' has died. She was 83, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Fickett won the first Emmy given to a daytime actress for her role as nurse Ruth Brent Martin.
Fickett played the character from 1970-1996. She left the series and was replaced by veteran actress Lee Meriwether. After departing the series, Fickett only returned to 'All My Children' once in 2000.
Aside from 'All My Children,' Fickett is known for her roles on 'The Edge of Night' and her Broadway work. She appeared in 'Tea & Sympathy' and was nominated for a Tony in 1958 for playing Eleanor Roosevelt in 'Sunrise at Campobello.'
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 9/12/2011
- by Chris Harnick
- Aol TV.
All My Children Star Fickett Dies
Beloved U.S. TV soap star Mary Fickett has died at her home in Virginia. She was 83.
The actress was an original All My Children cast member - she played Ruth Brent Martin and became the only star ever to win an Emmy Award for her work on a soap opera.
Also a regular on Broadway, Fickett appeared in plays like Love & Kisses and Tea & Sympathy.
She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1958 for her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello.
Producers of All My Children are planning to dedicate the 21 September episode to Fickett.
The long-running series will air its final episode two days later.
The actress was an original All My Children cast member - she played Ruth Brent Martin and became the only star ever to win an Emmy Award for her work on a soap opera.
Also a regular on Broadway, Fickett appeared in plays like Love & Kisses and Tea & Sympathy.
She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1958 for her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello.
Producers of All My Children are planning to dedicate the 21 September episode to Fickett.
The long-running series will air its final episode two days later.
- 9/11/2011
- WENN
Ralph Bellamy on TCM: Sunrise At Campobello, The Awful Truth Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am Carefree (1938) A psychiatrist falls in love with the woman he's supposed to be nudging into marriage with someone else. Dir: Mark Sandrich. Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ralph Bellamy. Bw-83 mins. 7:30 Am The Secret Six (1931) A secret society funds the investigation of a bootlegging gang. Dir: George Hill. Cast: Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, John Mack Brown. Bw-84 mins. 9:00 Am Headline Shooter (1933) A newsreel photographer neglects his love life to get the perfect shot. Dir: Otto Brower. Cast: William Gargan, Frances Dee, Ralph Bellamy. Bw-61 mins. 10:15 Am Picture Snatcher (1933) An ex-con brings his crooked ways to a job as a news photographer. Dir: Lloyd Bacon. Cast: James Cagney, Ralph Bellamy, Patricia Ellis. Bw-77 mins. 11:45 Am The Wedding Night (1935) A married author falls for the beautiful farm girl...
- 8/14/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Ralph Bellamy, Greer Garson, Sunrise at Campobello Ralph Bellamy was what many would call a "dependable" player: always there (nearly 100 movies), always capable, (almost) always losing the girl. Why Bellamy never became a major movie star is beyond me — especially considering that guys like James Stewart, Fred MacMurray, Dick Powell, Don Ameche, Joseph Cotten, etc. were top leading men of that era. Perhaps Bellamy was just both too good-looking and too intelligent-looking to keep Ginger Rogers from Fred Astaire (Carefree), Irene Dunne and Rosalind Russell from Cary Grant (The Awful Truth and His Girl Friday, respectively), and Anna Sten from Gary Cooper (The Wedding Night). All four films — in addition to 11 other Ralph Bellamy movies — will be presented on Turner Classic Movies on Sunday, August 14, as part of TCM's "Summer Under the Stars" film series. [Ralph Bellamy Movie Schedule.] Unfortunately, there are no TCM premieres, but included are a few lesser-known titles, e.g.
- 8/14/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Ed Asner defies all Hollywood rules about aging — specifically the one that says age and the ability to snag roles are inversely proportional. At 81, he’s working enough to make even his former Mary Tyler Moore co-star Betty White a little envious (and he’s hoping to reunite with the equally prolific senior citizen sometime soon as well). To wit: He’s spending this summer appearing as investment guru (and Office finale star) Warren Buffett in HBO’s movie Too Big to Fail (airing Monday at 9 p.m.), shooting a guest arc on USA’s guilty-pleasure hit Royal Pains, prepping a half dozen other movies,...
- 5/20/2011
- by Jennifer Armstrong
- EW - Inside TV
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