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In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

Kromm

By Kromm
in Everything Else TV

Mr. Sparkle
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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UYI

UYI

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Todd may be the sole survivor of the original Diff’rent Strokes cast (except Janet Jackson—yes, THAT Janet Jackson, who’s still alive—had a recurring role as Charlene, the girlfriend to Todd Bridges’ character, Willis; Janet started out as a child actress & her 3 biggest roles were probably in Good Times, Diff’rent Strokes & Fame though the last 2 shows may not be in the order in which she did them). But, Todd (& Janet, if you include her) isn’t the only surviving cast member of Diff’rent Strokes from the whole run of the series.

During the last 3 seasons of the series, in a bid to refresh it, to improve the ratings, whatever, Philip Drummond, the white millionaire with a daughter (played by Conrad Bain) became involved with, then married, a woman named Maggie McKinney (the character was originated by Dixie Carter, & then played by actress & former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley for the last 2 seasons of the show—sadly, both Carter & Mobley [whom I had the chance to meet & work with on March of Dimes stuff] are deceased, from different types of Cancer). Anyway, Maggie had a red-headed, typically precocious since he’s a child actor, son named Sam McKinney. Sam was played by Danny Cooksey. Danny’s still alive & still acting, primarily as a voice artist in animated work.

Another of the actresses who had a (mainly recurring) role in Diff’rent Strokes is also still alive (& was still acting as recently as last year, 2017). That would be character actress Mary Jo Catlett, who played the Drummonds’ housekeeper, Pearl, in the last few seasons of the show. I think those are all of the actors who had some part in Diff’rent Strokes, in general, & are still alive.

Oh yeah, I knew all of that, but as far as the cast that was there from the very beginning in 1978, Todd is the only one left.

Dana Plato's son, Tyler, is also gone; he committed suicide in 2010, nearly 11 years to the day after Dana's death (and not very long before Gary died). 

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Bastet
Bastet

Piss up a rope, Val Kilmer.  If your physical illness got so bad that your life utterly sucked and no end to that suffering was in sight, so that suicide was or seemed to be the best of the available

wilsie
wilsie
BetterButter
BetterButter

Olivia Newton-John Has Died At 73

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ratgirlagogo

ratgirlagogo

On 8/5/2018 at 10:44 PM, Blergh said:

Agree legaleagle! And if anyone gets the chance, I urge a good look at her playing the battling Sylvia Schnauzer (the wife of Al Lewis's character) in that classic comedy, Car 54 Where Are You? However;   my first memory of her was as Molly the Mail Lady in Sesame Street who taught us how to count by telling us how many flights of stairs she had to carry packages.  Oh, and she was a friend from college with both Cloris Leachman and the late Paul Lynde!  Can I say, RIP Mrs. Schnauzer?

I never watched Diff'rent Strokes or Facts of Life.  But Car 54! yes!   MeTV has a nice article on her  work on Car 54, in addition to their general obit:

https://metv.com/stories/watch-we-first-met-brilliant-charlotte-rae-as-sylvia-schnauser-on-car-54-where-are-you

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MissAlmond

MissAlmond

Sad to hear the news about Charlotte Rae.  This one feels weird to me because of the recent discussion about rebooting (or whatever) Facts of Life.  I had forgotten Mrs. Garrett's character started on Different Strokes.  RIP Ms. Rae.   

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ShadowHunter

ShadowHunter

6 hours ago, MissAlmond said:

Sad to hear the news about Charlotte Rae.  This one feels weird to me because of the recent discussion about rebooting (or whatever) Facts of Life.  I had forgotten Mrs. Garrett's character started on Different Strokes.  RIP Ms. Rae.   

Agree. In fact I watched some old episodes only recently. 

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meep.meep

meep.meep

On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 11:11 AM, HoboClayton said:

Pancreatic Cancer takes chefs out left and right, damn! I know it's not only caused by drinking, but a lot of times it is a factor. All my working life in a kitchen and they smoke and drink like there's no tomorrow. RIP Joel. Butter more butter!!

I'm sorry but you are incorrect.  According to the Mayo Clinic:

Factors that may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer include:

Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)

Diabetes

Family history of genetic syndromes that can increase cancer risk, including a BRCA2 gene mutation, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome

Family history of pancreatic cancer

Smoking

Obesity

Older age, as most people are diagnosed after age 65

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bmasters9

bmasters9

2 hours ago, CarolinaPam said:

Oops!  My bad.

Not a problem! I looked her up on Wikipedia, and even I thought that she was a recent passing. When I discovered that it was in 2013, I was incredibly surprised!

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OtterMommy

OtterMommy

6 hours ago, HoboClayton said:

Chronic pancreatitis. Drinking. Smoking. Stress. Oh Diabetes in there too. Glug glug. And I said I know it's not only caused by drinking. It can be a factor. A hell of a lot of times. 

 

Pancreatitis, which can be caused by alcoholism (among other things)  is not the same thing as pancreatic cancer.  Chronic pancreatitis can lead to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, especially when the victim is also a smoker, but most people who have pancreatitis do not have pancreatic cancer.

I've lost a few people in my life from pancreatic cancer--and, from what I've seen, it comes on quickly, is deadly, and doesn't really have a clear cause except (maybe) genetics.  Not that any cancer is "good," but pancreatic cancer is definitely among the worst.

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HoboClayton

HoboClayton

Yeah. I do tend to lump them together. I've lost several to it, and will more than likely get it myself, I'm chronic and a filthy smoker. Scares the hell out of me. So, I'll just plead ignorance on this one. They just tend to get lumped together from what I've seen. Thanks for the response. :) 

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Mindthinkr

Mindthinkr

Karen Black. Wasn’t she the character in the diner in 5 Easy Pieces? 

I’m know that I’m getting old when too many people that I have enjoyed watching are dying. Too often. Live life well people. 

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BW Manilowe

BW Manilowe

8 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

Not a problem! I looked her up on Wikipedia, and even I thought that she was a recent passing. When I discovered that it was in 2013, I was incredibly surprised!

It actually gives a 2013 date in the upper right hand corner of the linked page.

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BW Manilowe

BW Manilowe

5 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Karen Black. Wasn’t she the character in the diner in 5 Easy Pieces? 

I’m know that I’m getting old when too many people that I have enjoyed watching are dying. Too often. Live life well people. 

She was also the stewardess (pre “flight attendant” days) who had to fly the plane (until an alternate pilot could somehow get aboard the plane) after all of the flight crew was wiped out when a Cessna, with a private pilot who was having a heart attack, flew into the cockpit & made a huge hole in it along the flight engineer’s panel/side while both planes were on descent to Salt Lake City airport where they were diverted (from LA & Boise [I think], respectively) due to fog in Airport 1975.

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spiderpig

spiderpig

6 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Karen Black. Wasn’t she the character in the diner in 5 Easy Pieces? 

I’m know that I’m getting old when too many people that I have enjoyed watching are dying. Too often. Live life well people. 

Mr. pig and I just watched her all-time greatest performance on Netflix the other night - in the 70s ABC Movie of the Week, Trilogy of Terror!

Who can forget the Zuni warrior doll?

 

Trilogy_of_Terror_Poster.jpg

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Silver Raven

Silver Raven

59 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

Mr. pig and I just watched her all-time greatest performance on Netflix the other night - in the 70s ABC Movie of the Week, Trilogy of Terror!

Who can forget the Zuni warrior doll?

 

Trilogy_of_Terror_Poster.jpg

The current Mark Trail comic strip has the Zuni doll for some reason in a Central American pyramid.

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BW Manilowe

BW Manilowe

Karen Black & Jack Nicholson, & Five Easy Pieces & Trilogy of Terror, were name checked by Linda Hunt’s Henrietta (Hetty) Lange character in a third season episode of NCIS Los Angeles, “Touch of Death”. This was the second half of a two-part crossover episode with Hawaii Five-0, during its second season.

The Hawaii Five-0 episode was titled “Pa Make Loa”, which is Hawaiian for “Touch of Death”. Except for a remake of the original Hawaii Five-O episode “Hookman”, & I think the Pilot, all the other Hawaii Five-0 episode titles in the current version have, so far, been written in the Hawaiian language.

Quote

Runner up:  Danny:  "I’m not scared of Hetty.  I think she’s a delightful lady.” (Hetty approaches from behind) “But have you ever seen ‘Trilogy of Terror’?  You know the little voodoo doll comes to life?”
Hetty:  “Starring Karen Black.  I worked with her and Nicholson on 'Five Easy Pieces’ or as I liked to call it, 'Six Hellish Weeks’.”

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Blergh

Blergh

5 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

That is so terribly sad.  Unfortunately not a big surprise, but sad because she did struggle with her illnesses and try to get better.

I'd also like to add that Miss Kidder's daughter Maggie McGuane was very generous in wanting this news  to be shared in order to help those having to deal with those horrific demons like her late mother. I truly hope that Miss McGuane has someone in her life (a close relative, friend, therapist, etc.) whom she can reach out to help her cope with her own private anguish over what happened to her mother.

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VCRTracking

VCRTracking

20 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Karen Black. Wasn’t she the character in the diner in 5 Easy Pieces? 

I’m know that I’m getting old when too many people that I have enjoyed watching are dying. Too often. Live life well people. 

I also remember her from Robert Altman's Nashville.

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Silver Raven

Silver Raven

I follow Margot Kidder's nephew, Orion, on Twitter.  He came to my attention when he went after certain celebrities for commenting on his aunt's death, who he thought should keep her name out of their mouths.  He's a professor at the University of British Columbia.

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WarnerCL45

WarnerCL45

19 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

She was also the stewardess (pre “flight attendant” days) who had to fly the plane (until an alternate pilot could somehow get aboard the plane) after all of the flight crew was wiped out when a Cessna, with a private pilot who was having a heart attack, flew into the cockpit & made a huge hole in it along the flight engineer’s panel/side while both planes were on descent to Salt Lake City airport where they were diverted (from LA & Boise [I think], respectively) due to fog in Airport 1975.

Lord, what an awful movie that was!!!  Charleton Heston was her love interest!  

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MissAlmond

MissAlmond

18 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Who can forget the Zuni warrior doll?

I can visualize that final scene right now!  

 

13 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

That is so terribly sad.  Unfortunately not a big surprise, but sad because she did struggle with her illnesses and try to get better.

Sadly, it doesn't surprise me either.  

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Blergh

Blergh

3 hours ago, WarnerCL45 said:

You devil!  If you can't say something nice, come & sit by me!

I think Alice Roosevelt Longworth would have been your bestie! She'd had a throw pillow made with that saying and she was famous for never mincing words. Oh, and since she WAS a celebrity in 1900 (thanks to being President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter) and has been dead since 1980 (at age 96!), I think she somewhat counts for a mention here! 

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DkNNy79

DkNNy79

2 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

Sports Illustrated reported that Jim the Anvil Neidhart has died. Bret Hart posted a photo of them on Twitter saying that he didn't have words right now.

Poor Nattie!  She drives me crazy on Total Divas, but you could tell she loved her parents dearly.

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MissAlmond

MissAlmond

(edited)
3 hours ago, WarnerCL45 said:

I thought she had died a few years ago, also.

I was so sure, I double checked the article's date to make sure it wasn't recycled news.  

 

5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

She was the toughest female member of the Corleone family -- which is kind of sad, when you think about it.

Fredo was done for the minute Mama Corleone died.  

Edited by MissAlmond
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roamyn

roamyn

1 minute ago, Moose135 said:

MSNBC just broke in to regular programming to report Aretha Franklin has passed away.

I just saw.  I hope she didn't suffer and is pain free.  RIP our Queen of Soul

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Mr. Sparkle
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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