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1-13 of 13
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Though she was known best for drawing laughs as whiny, excitable characters throughout her raucous film and TV career, actress/comedienne Wendie Jo Sperber showed a brave, compassionate and humane side in the last years of her life.
The California girl was born on September 15, 1958, in Los Angeles and developed a driving passion for acting in her teen years. She went on to attend the Summer Drama Workshop at California State University, Northridge. Producer Allan Carr discovered this comic bundle when she invited him to see her in an L.A. stage review. He gave her an unbilled part in the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John smash musical Grease (1978) and she was off and running.
Other films quickly fell into place, notably I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) as a no-holds-barred Beatles fanatic, and the role of Linda McFly in Back to the Future (1985) and one of its sequels. Other films included Corvette Summer (1978), Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979) and Bachelor Party (1984) starring Tom Hanks. Some of her tongue-in-cheek film roles were beneath her, particularly when they used her excess poundage as the butt of a cruel joke, but the actress proved quite game in such lowbrow, youth-oriented comedies as Moving Violations (1985) and Stewardess School (1986).
It was with a then fairly unknown Hanks and Peter Scolari that she earned her biggest laughs with the two-year run of Bosom Buddies (1980), which launched a number of inferior drag film/sitcoms. She also had series co-leads in Private Benjamin (1981), Women in Prison (1987), the plus-sized Babes (1990) and Hearts Afire (1992). In between were roles on the L.A. stage, including "Pizza Man," "Isn't It Romantic," "Reality and Other Nightmares" and Shakespeare's "As You Like It" starring Ron Silver.
At age 39, Wendie was diagnosed with breast cancer. While her career momentum was certainly compromised, the comedienne continued to pursue roles. She even appeared on a poignant breast cancer episode of Murphy Brown (1988). Her cancer went into remission at one point but returned with a vengeance in 2002 and spread throughout her body.
Instead of retreating, Wendie instead reached out and founded weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks, California, in which free services, including support groups, information on the latest research and classes, provided invaluable aid to cancer patients, their families and friends. Her selfless determination throughout her illness to help others did not go unnoticed, earning several honors.
Eight years later, on November 29, 2005, Wendie lost her battle. She was survived by her parents and two children from a former marriage. Per her request, close friend, former actress Nancy Allen succeeded her as executive director of weSPARK, which continues to serve cancer patients and their families into the 2020's.- Macon McCalman was born on 30 December 1932 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Deliverance (1972). He died on 29 November 2005 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
- Lean, distinguished-looking Viennese character actor, latterly white-haired and with distinctive dark eyebrows. Though he initially studied law in Vienna, Fürst became interested in acting and was given his first opportunities on stage in Canada. He then moved to England in search of better job prospects, eventually finding his niche in British films and on television. Fürst is best remembered on screen for playing suave, villainous scientists, invariably of Eastern European, Germanic or Italian ethnicity. Arguably, as to the most prominent among those, look no further than his maniacal, power-mad Professor Hermann Zaroff in the Doctor Who (1963) episode 'The Underwater Menace' (1967); or his laser refraction specialist, Professor Dr. Metz, in the James Bond classic Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Fürst occasionally returned to his native Austria for theatrical appearances in Vienna and Salzburg. He ultimately retired to Bateau Bay, New South Wales, and made a few more appearances on Australian TV soaps and in films.
- Actor
- Writer
Ken Sharrock was born on 11 December 1950 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Living Daylights (1987), A Prayer for the Dying (1987) and EastEnders (1985). He was married to Lesley Kitto and Sally. He died on 29 November 2005 in London, England, UK.- Vic Power was born on 1 November 1927 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He died on 29 November 2005 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
- Born in Colorado, Claire Myers (sometimes erroneously spelled Meyers) and her family moved to California when she was just a toddler. Entering the film industry while still a teenager, she made uncredited appearances in titles such as "Finishing School" (1934), "Kid Millions" (1934), and "Broadway Melody of 1936" (1935). Myers appeared in other titles, as well, - well, parts of her did - as she was sometimes used as a leg double for prominent actresses, including Virginia Bruce (1909-1982) and Joan Crawford (circa 1904-1977). In 1935, Myers fell deeply in love with a man named Barton Hayes (1909-1994) and the two applied for a marriage license. Her parents disapproved of the union, however, and firmly told the press that Myers had no intention of marrying Hayes. Although they insisted that their daughter did not understand that she was signing an application for a marriage license, Hayes said that the opposite was true. "We were in love; we are in love, and we have every intention of making the intention to wed come true," he told reporters. However, her parents proved successful at stopping their marriage plans...for the time being. In 1937, Myers did make it down the aisle with MGM makeup artist Lyle Dawn Jr. (1916-1950), the nephew of head MGM makeup artist Jack Dawn (1890-1961). The couple divorced a few years later. After two additional marriages also ended in divorce, Myers married for the final time in 1953. This time without family interference, her groom was none other than Barton Hayes, the man she had loved and planned to marry nearly two decades before. Claire Myers passed away in 2005 at the age of 88.
- Deon van der Walt was born on 28 July 1958 in Cape Town, South Africa. He was an actor, known for Great Performances (1971), La belle Hélène (1996) and Die Zauberflöte (1991). He died on 29 November 2005 in Noorder-Paarl, South Africa.
- José Pontes de Medeiros was born in 1921 in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. He was an actor, known for Está com Tudo (1952), Esta é Fina (1948) and Tristezas Não Pagam Dívidas (1944). He died on 29 November 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- Frederic B. Vogel was born on 20 March 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a producer, known for A Tale of Two Pizzas (2003). He died on 29 November 2005 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Toni Grand was born on 2 February 1935 in Gallargues-le-Montueux, Gard, France. He was an actor, known for La vie chantée (1951) and Candide (1962). He was married to Amélie Vasseur. He died on 29 November 2005 in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.
- Camera and Electrical Department
Trin McQuair was born in 1985 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is known for Partition (2007), Connors' War (2006) and Nostalgia Boy (2006). He died on 29 November 2005 in Washington, USA.- Jevgeni Vlassov was born on 9 November 1926 in Koltsugino, Estonia. He was an actor, known for Perekond Männard (1960), Äratus (1989) and Ma pole turist, ma elan siin (1989). He died on 29 November 2005.
- Albert Burov was born on 27 November 1936 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR. He was an actor, known for Vrag naroda - Bukharin (1991), Ognennyy most (1976) and Gorod nevest (1985). He died on 29 November 2005 in Moscow, Russia.