In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[navelgazer]

On 6/27/2017 at 1:58 PM, BetterButter said:

Michael Nyqvist, ‘Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ Star, Dies at 56

I loved him in the Millennium series/movies.  Daniel Craig was too buff and cut to be Mikael Blomqvist.  I also liked Nyqvist in Abduction, a starring vehicle for then-hot Twilighter Taylor Lautner.  

My dad, aged 73, is now fighting lymphoma, so joining in the Fuck Cancer chorus.  

[merylinkid]

12 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Uh-huh. I really didn't want to get this personal, nor am I looking for sympathy, but it got my Dad too, Friday night of Memorial Day weekend. The upside is he lived, I think, at least 5-6 years after diagnosis.

My sympathies.   I lost my grandfather, stepbrother and stepfather to cancer.  

[riley702]

13 hours ago, navelgazer said:

I loved him in the Millennium series/movies.  Daniel Craig was too buff and cut to be Mikael Blomqvist.  I also liked Nyqvist in Abduction, a starring vehicle for then-hot Twilighter Taylor Lautner.  

My dad, aged 73, is now fighting lymphoma, so joining in the Fuck Cancer chorus.  

Oh, the mini-series! Had to look that up because I was positive it was Lance Henriksen. Different tv series.

[BW Manilowe]

Simone Veil, French feminist politician & Nazi death camp survivor, dead at age 89.

[dalek]

Some Simone Veil career highlights:

Here is her speech in favor of abortion being legal:
 

 

Her answer to Le Pen (père) and the FN/far right in 1979:

[legaleagle53]

Sorry -- wrong thread!

Edited July 1, 2017 by legaleagle53

[BW Manilowe]

British film critic & BBC TV host Barry Norman dies.

[Blergh]

Mary Valastro, mother of "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro has died at 69. At least she's no longer suffering.

 

http://idahonews.com/news/entertainment/mary-valastro-mother-of-cake-boss-star-dies-at-69

[BW Manilowe]

YouTube & VH1 star Stevie Ryan dead at 33--suicide.

[BW Manilowe]

Theatrical Producer Libby Adler Mages dead at 93 of a heart attack.

Actor Skip Homeier dead at 86.

[Ohwell]

I remember Skip Homeier from so many westerns.  Kinda lanky and a really good actor.  RIP

[Silver Raven]

Skip (Skippy) Homeier was a child star who got his start in radio sitcoms, but his first claim to fame was as the creepy little Nazi boy who comes to live with his American relatives in Tomorrow, the World.

[bmasters9]

Former legendary news anchor of KGO (ABC7 S.F.), Van Amburg, has passed on at 86-- what he has passed from is yet undetermined.

http://abc7news.com/news/legendary-kgo-anchorman-van-amburg-passes-away-at-86/2169199/

[spiderpig]

3 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

Former legendary news anchor of KGO (ABC7 S.F.), Van Amburg, has passed on at 86-- what he has passed from is yet undetermined.

http://abc7news.com/news/legendary-kgo-anchorman-van-amburg-passes-away-at-86/2169199/

Hard to believe he left KGO 30 years ago, when he was only 56!  I remember him well.

[2727]

RIP, Van. I'm not sure young people today derive the same sort of comfort from local news anchors the way many of us did in the 70s and 80s. 

It also puts me in mind of Joe Carcione the Greengrocer and his veja-tobbles. I think I sometimes watched the news just for his segments.

Edited July 10, 2017 by 2727

[BW Manilowe]

Prince's former drummer, John Blackwell Jr., dead at age 43 of a brain tumor.

[BW Manilowe]

Film Director & Editor Carolyn Cronenberg, Wife of Director David Cronenberg, Dead at 66.

[BW Manilowe]

Former Purdue Quarterback Eric Hunter Killed in Virginia

[BetterButter]

Joan Lee, Wife of Marvel Comics Legend Stan Lee, Dies at 93

[Spartan Girl]

Poor Stan Lee. But 93 is pretty good, he's lucky had had her for as long as he did.

[VCRTracking]

[VCRTracking]

[BW Manilowe]

Miriam Marx Allen, daughter of Groucho Marx, dies at age 90.

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Miriam Marx Allen, daughter of Groucho Marx, dies at age 90.

90 is a very good age to reach- especially since she had substance abuse issues for a good part of her young adulthood and middle age. I wonder if she got with Joan Howard Mauer ( Moe Howard's daughter who's still with us) and compared notes on famous sibling comedy acts? I mean the two ladies both wrote very telling and humorous books about their respective fathers and uncles. BTW, Mrs. Allen was among the last folks around who could verify firsthand that her uncle Harpo (born Adolph [!]) COULD speak-and, in fact had a richer, lower tone than even her father Groucho (born Julius).

[BW Manilowe]

Italian actress Elsa Martinelli dead at 82

And...

True Blood star Nelsan Ellis dies at age 39 from complications of heart failure

Edited July 8, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To add a link.

[merylinkid]

39 is far, far, far too young.  Condoliences to his friends and family.

[FormerMod-a1]

Yes, that's way too young.  FYI, he also played Shinwell on Elementary.  But holy smokes!

[legaleagle53]

45 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

39 is far, far, far too young.  Condoliences to his friends and family.

The same age my youngest brother was when pneumonia took him unexpectedly.  And yes, FAR too young!

[DollEyes]

Condolences to Stan Lee. He may have created Marvel Comics, but Joan-his wife of 69 years-was the real superhero. 

RIP, Joan.

Nelsan Ellis is a shock. So talented, too soon. As True Blood's Lafayette might say, "RIP, hooker. RIP."

Edited July 8, 2017 by DollEyes

[DearEvette]

34 minutes ago, DollEyes said:

Nelsan Ellis is a shock. So talented, too soon. As True Blood's Lafayette might say, "RIP, hooker. RIP."

So true! This makes me so sad. 

He was a case where the tv version of a character was 10000x better than the book version of the character. And it was all because of him.  I mean, he was so good they extended his life beyond what is was in the books. 

[festivus]

1 hour ago, DollEyes said:

Nelsan Ellis is a shock. So talented, too soon. As True Blood's Lafayette might say, "RIP, hooker. RIP."

I am so sad. I was just watching him last night in an episode of Elementary(I'm a season behind) and I was going to look him up on IMDB and see if he was in any shows now. 39 is just way too young. 

[slf]

Nelsan Ellis' passing is so sad. He was a fantastic actor, easily my favorite on True Blood. So charismatic with perfect comedic timing and he could bring so much depth to dramatic moments. He had striking eyes, too, the man was downright beautiful. RIP.

[Silver Raven]

All of the people on True Blood are reacting to the news of the death of Nelsan Ellis, and they all have only good things to say about him.

[Dee]

Nelsan and Rutina WERE True Blood for me. RIP.

[Macbeth]

17 hours ago, slf said:

Nelsan Ellis' passing is so sad. He was a fantastic actor, easily my favorite on True Blood. So charismatic with perfect comedic timing and he could bring so much depth to dramatic moments. He had striking eyes, too, the man was downright beautiful. RIP.

He was fantastic.  How did he die so young of heart failure?  Such a loss.

[BW Manilowe]

Character actor Ji-Tu Cumbuka ("Roots" & "Harlem Nights", among other works) dead at age 77

[VCRTracking]

One more post about Joan Lee. Stan tells how they met and how when he wanted to quit comics she encouraged him to write one more book but the kind he wanted to. Both great stories:

[Spartan Girl]

16 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Character actor Ji-Tu Cumbuka ("Roots" & "Harlem Nights", among other works) dead at age 77

Aw, I loved his character. His and Kunta's failed attempt to take over the slave ship and escape was one of the saddest parts on the show -- and that says something when you remember that it got even more heartwrenching ahead.

[BW Manilowe]

Fear the Walking Dead voiceover actor Randy Schell dead in skydiving accident

[BW Manilowe]

From The Hollywood Reporter: Nelsan Ellis' family shares circumstances of True Blood Actor's death

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, BW Manilowe said:

From The Hollywood Reporter: Nelsan Ellis' family shares circumstances of True Blood Actor's death

Thank you for posting the clickable link. I'm grateful to be able to still see him on reruns of True Blood. He was a standout on that show. 

[BW Manilowe]

Tiger Joe Robinson, actor in Diamonds Are Forever, dead at age 90.

[Enero]

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

From The Hollywood Reporter: Nelsan Ellis' family shares circumstances of True Blood Actor's death

I feared this was the reason. So sad. We are losing too many talents to the demons that are alcohol and drugs. I'm sure it's always been bad, but lately it seems the untimely deaths of these celebrities are worse than ever and always due to the same thing.

Edited July 10, 2017 by Enero

[BW Manilowe]

Sheila Michaels, feminist who coined the use of "Ms.", dead at age 78 from acute leukemia

[BW Manilowe]

From Variety: An appreciation of True Blood actor Nelsan Ellis

Entertainment Weekly: Rutina Wesley pens touching tribute to True Blood co-star Nelsan Ellis

Edited July 11, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To add a link.

[BW Manilowe]

Imprisoned Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo dies at age 61

[Mindthinkr]

Sad that he died in prison and it probably wasn't a painless death (or fast) with multiple organ failure. There's also so much that probably has never been published. Thx for all the clickable links @BW Manilowe. 

[BW Manilowe]

Fresh Kid Ice, a founding member of 2 Live Crew, dead at 53

[BW Manilowe]

True Blood star Nelsan Ellis' funeral (in Chicago) will be open to the public

[BW Manilowe]

Ray Phiri, guitarist on Paul Simon's Graceland album, dead at age 70 from lung cancer