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In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths


Message added by Mr. Sparkle,

Reminder:

This thread is for deaths of celebrities in the entertainment business only. No notices about politicians, please. 

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On 6/29/2021 at 2:51 PM, Popples said:

Soap operas are taking another hit

 

Man, two soap legends on the same day.  I found this tribute from Amber Tamblyn who portrayed Damon's adopted daughter on General Hospital.   R.I.P. Mr. Damon. 

 

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(edited)
2 hours ago, BetterButter said:

I just saw this that says chest trauma from the fireworks that actually caused the death. They originally thought it was due to head trauma from slipping.   Shocking and sad, regardless of the cause.  
 

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-24-dies-in-accident/19758105/

 

 

Edited by SunnyBeBe
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Richard Donner did some of the best movies ever: Goonies, Scrooged, Ladyhawke, The Omen…Sure I’m forgetting others, but it must be said: his first Superman movie was the best Superman movie ever, period. No contest. Bite me, Zack Snyder and Bryan Singer (who is a garbage person anyway).

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1 hour ago, letter8358 said:

Sad, but it was expected. He lived through 91 and that was a good life. So that means no Lethal Weapon 5 unless his children or grandchildren take over or are interested in carrying the legacy. I don't know why Corey Feldman was pushing that Goonies sequel at all. I still don't.

Corey Feldman is looking for a payday.

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1 hour ago, BetterButter said:

Richard Donner Dies: ‘Superman’, ‘Lethal Weapon’ And ‘The Goonies’ Director Was 91

Sad, sad news.  

49 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

but it must be said: his first Superman movie was the best Superman movie ever, period. No contest.

And I'll stand with you.  

47 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Also just remembered he directed the original classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" written by Richard Mathson and starring William Shatner:

A great thing watching old TV shows/movies and paying attention to credits is being able to spot the early works of those both in front and behind the camera.  In addition to Twilight Zone, I've also seen Donner's name pop up on Perry Mason and The Wild Wild West

But the Donner story I remember the most is about Lethal Weapon and how the great casting director, Marion Dougherty, opened Donner's eyes to his own prejudices.  When Dougherty suggested then struggling actor Danny Glover for Roger Murtaugh,  Donner admitted his immediate response was "But he's black!" Dougherty in turn snapped back "So what?  He can act!"  Donner, who always thought of himself as liberal, later said Dougherty's blunt words changed his life.  And, of course as we know, Glover indeed got the part. 

So R.I.P. Mr. Donner and say hello to Mr. Reeve and Ms. Dougherty (who, in case you didn't know, was a casting genius).   

 

 

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This is kind of a random story, but a few years ago, I was having dinner with some relatives who ran in very different circles than I do.  It must have been about five years ago, because one of them became ill and passed before I saw him again.  They mentioned having dinner with Richard Donner and that the conversation had turned to TV shows.  Let's just say he was NOT a fan of The Big Bang Theory!  My relatives quickly changed the subject (they had just gotten into the show and the reason this came up with me was because they thought I hated it when I had no real opinion, only watched occasionally).

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It should be noted that Mr. Donner was born Richard Schwartzberg  ( the surname means 'black mountain' in German) in the Bronx back in 1930 and, for whatever reasons, he would not marry until his mid-50's (  c. 1985). Interestingly he married one of the first  and most successful fully credited female movie producers- Lauren Shuler and the two would stay married until his death at age 91.  Anyway, one can't say that he wasn't creative and imaginative in his movie making. RIP, Mr. Donner. 

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22 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

At least he lived long enough to see his son happy and sober and in a way better place than he was 20 years ago. I wonder if for a while he was afraid he was going to outlive him.

I only hope Mr. Downey, Sr. lived long enough to do a sincere mea culpa to his namesake son for having introduced him to drugs when the latter was six as a 'bonding experience'. 

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19 hours ago, Blergh said:

I only hope Mr. Downey, Sr. lived long enough to do a sincere mea culpa to his namesake son for having introduced him to drugs when the latter was six as a 'bonding experience'. 

Robert Downey Jr wrote on Insta: "...Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s..." (instagram.com/p/CRCJHb3FKvR/).
I watched Mom go through that until she passed last August, a proud woman who slowly lost entire control of her body--eventually including speech--while being acutely aware of everything. 
IMO, any wrongs she did have been atoned for.
Perhaps RDJr feels the same about his dad.

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2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Robert Downey Jr wrote on Insta: "...Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s..." (instagram.com/p/CRCJHb3FKvR/).
I watched Mom go through that until she passed last August, a proud woman who slowly lost entire control of her body--eventually including speech--while being acutely aware of everything. 
IMO, any wrongs she did have been atoned for.
Perhaps RDJr feels the same about his dad.

I'm very sorry that your mother (or anyone ) had to go through that horrific condition and I'm truly sorry for your loss and I get what you're saying. It's every individual's call re how (or even if) to address any wrong their parents had done. 

Still, I can't help but think there would have been some satisfaction for his son  if the senior Mr. Downey DID address and apologize for his earlier wrong/s- even considering his latter state. 

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7 minutes ago, MissAlmond said:

The Golden Girls and Thank God It's Friday actor Chick Vennera has died, age 74.

From the Deadline obituary:

Quote

Vennera, who ... appeared during the late 1980s in the recurring role of Enrique on the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls ...

No, no, no - his GG role cannot simply be listed as Enrique, it must be Enrique Mas, with a mental exclamation point added.

(He had previously appeared on the show in another role, Pepe, but that one is best left forgotten.)

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12 hours ago, dalek said:

Actor Will Smith, who starred in Laredo, has died.  

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/william-smith-dead-laredo-rich-man-poor-man-1234979961/

He had a long career, although I mostly recognized him from the Laredo and Hawaii Five-O reruns I saw as a kid.

This makes me very sad. Laredo was one of my first TV loves, along with Daktari and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. When I was at a conference in Waco, my hotel room faced the back of the Texas Rangers Museum (Hall of Fame? Something like that) across a creek and I was briefly tempted to go pay homage to Joe, Chad, and Reese. Time was short, though, and I didn't fancy my chances walking along the 8 lane highway.

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On 7/9/2021 at 9:36 PM, dalek said:

Actor William Smith, who starred in Laredo, has died.  

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/william-smith-dead-laredo-rich-man-poor-man-1234979961/

He had a long career, although I mostly recognized him from the Laredo and Hawaii Five-O reruns I saw as a kid.

I must be aging myself then, because NOBODY from the 70s should forget his classic role as Falconetti in Rich Man, Poor Man.

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On 7/9/2021 at 10:55 PM, Bastet said:

No, no, no - his GG role cannot simply be listed as Enrique, it must be Enrique Mas, with a mental exclamation point added.

Except now it's Enrique no mas.

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(edited)
44 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Loved Charlie on Mom.  

Me too, even though I am annoyed by sighted actors being cast as blind characters.  I loved his interaction with Bonnie, how he always had her number and that made her like him.

Edited by Bastet
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Very sad to see that Charlie Robinson passed away.  I absolutely loved Night Court and will still seek out the reruns.

Paul Orndorf was one of the big names back when I actually watched wrestling.  I didn't like his character, but as I've come to find out, so many of the heel wrestlers were the nicest guys in real life.

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Boo me but I loathed Night Court and bailed on it after a few years. 

 

However, Mr. Robinson did play what wound up being the last vaguely likable character on the show and, as long as I was able to endure the show, I DID enjoy his performance as Mac on the show so that counts for something even though, in the end, that one tiny credit wasn't enough to erase the show's many debits before I bailed.

 

In any case, RIP, Mr. Robinson! 

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Every time I see Charlie Robinson, I think of his sleazy character Nate in Set It Off, who had a crush on Jada Pinkett Smith's Stoney and made her sleep with him for a cash advance.

He was also good in the classic blaxploitation movie Sugar Hill.

RIP, sir.

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13 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

I think this is the first time I've seen someone's dog included in the list of survivors.

We had an obituary in our local paper recently where his dog was the FIRST survivor listed, even before his kids!  I wondered if he pre-wrote it and thought to himself,"There you go, you ungrateful little bastards."

Edited by Angeltoes
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5 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Given that he was a pro wrestler, he lived a relatively long life.   That hasn't turned out to be the case for a lot of pro wrestlers.

Unless you count Captain Lou Albano, who was 76 years old when he passed on. Was there any wrestler that ever reached 80? It seems like it was 60s or 70s that most leave this earth.

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