Deceased Seinfeld Actors
Actors who have appeared in Seinfeld who are now deceased.
List activity
82K views
• 53 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
88 people
- Gina Mastrogiacomo was born on 5 November 1961 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Goodfellas (1990), The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Jungle Fever (1991). She died on 2 May 2001 in Oceanside, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Len Lesser was an American character actor, from the Bronx, New York City. His most famous role was that of Uncle Leo, the maternal uncle of protagonist Jerry Seinfeld in the sitcom "Seinfield". Lesser played this role from 1991 to the series finale in 1998.
Lesser was the son of a Polish-Jewish immigrant, who worked as a grocer in New York City. Lesser was educated at the City College of New York. He graduated in 1942 with a bachelor's degree, at the age of 19. Shortly after, Lesser enlisted in the United States Army which was mobilizing for World War II. He served in the China Burma India Theater of the War.
Lesser was primarily a theatrical actor until the mid-1950s. From 1955 onward, he appeared regularly on television series in minor or guest star roles. He also appeared as a character actor in films such as "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" (1965), and "Kelly's Heroes" (1970).
Lesser did not achieve a regular role until cast as Uncle Leo in "Seinfeld", at the age of 69. Afterwards he was cast in the recurring role of Garvin in the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1996-2005). Both Uncle Leo and Garvin were friendly and overly enthusiastic acquaintances of the respective protagonists of each sitcom. For the first time in his career, Lesser became a household name with these sitcom roles.
In his last years, Lesser was struggling with cancer. He died of cancer-related pneumonia in 2011, at the age of 88. His former cast-mate Jerry Seinfield mourned his death and described Lesser as "a very sweet guy".- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Barney Martin was born on 3 March 1923 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Arthur (1981), The Producers (1967) and Seinfeld (1989). He was married to Catherine Martin. He died on 21 March 2005 in Studio City, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Holly Lewis was born on December 26, 1965 in Grand Island, Nebraska. The daughter of Cortez and Rita Lewis, Holly grew up in Litchfield, Nebraska participating in such activities as speech, drama, and athletics. Lewis won the outstanding performer in a Nebraska State one-act play production in 1983. After graduating from Arizona University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Holly moved to San Francisco, California to work in commodity brokering. Lewis eventually quit that particular job and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a more fulfilling career as both an actress and a film producer. Besides acting in an assortment of movies and television shows, Holly also acted in TV commercials for Prilosec (as an obsessed football fan character who was subsequently featured in numerous print ads), Dave's Place, and American Express. In addition, Lewis wrote and produced as well as starred in the short film Oscar (2004) in collaboration with her husband Raider Rhotenacher. In her spare time Holly enjoyed taking daily strolls and climbing mountains (she scaled twelve out of thirteen of the highest peaks in Southern California including Mt. Whitney, which is the highest mountain in forty-eight contiguous states). Lewis died at the tragically young age of forty-six at her home in Murdock, Nebraska on June 22, 2012. She was survived by her husband Raider Rhotenacher, parents Cortez and Rita, brother Mark, and sister Lori.- Actor
- Producer
Character actor Paul Gleason was adept at playing tough guys and white collar sleazebags, making his film debut in Winter A-Go-Go (1965). He made a name for himself portraying these unlikeable characters. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Gleason studied extensively at the Actor's Studio in New York City in the mid-60s with Lee Strasberg (his mentor) and was seen in a handful of Roger Corman productions before landing a a three-year role on the TV soap opera All My Children (1970). He appeared in over 60 films, with key roles in Trading Places (1983), Die Hard (1988), Miami Blues (1990), Boiling Point (1993) and National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002). However, he is perhaps best remembered for his role as the no-nonsense principal "Richard Vernon" in The Breakfast Club (1985). He also guest-starred in numerous television series, including Hill Street Blues (1981), Dawson's Creek (1998) and Friends (1994). Gleason passed away of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer at a Burbank, California hospital on May 29th 2006 at the age of 67.- Kellie Waymire was born on 27 July 1967 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Playing by Heart (1998). She died on 13 November 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Oddly enough, Kellie's role on Seinfeld was that of a friend of Elaine's who had serious health problems. It has often been said that art imitates life, however, in this case it was more like life imitating art.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Bill Erwin was born on 2 December 1914 in Honey Grove, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Somewhere in Time (1980) and Home Alone (1990). He was married to Lucy Frances MacLachlan. He died on 29 December 2010 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Robert Donley was born on 26 November 1911 in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Cocktail (1988), The Rockford Files (1974) and Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989). He was married to Jane Wakefield, Dolores Lucille Toniatti (Toni) and Katherine Ellen McMullen. He died on 20 January 2004 in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Ruth Cohen was born on 28 January 1930 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Seinfeld (1989), V.I.P. (1998) and Life Among the Cannibals (1999). She died on 23 August 2008 in Panorama City, California, USA.
- Bruce Edward Morrow was born on July 25, 1940, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, USA. He attended Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) in Springfield, then earned his Master's Degree in Journalism from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He worked as a disc jockey in Los Angeles before relocating to the Washington, D. C. area in 1966. For 25 years, he worked for the Voice of America, where he wrote and narrated the "Opinion Roundup" radio show, which was broadcast worldwide, and retired from the VOA as an editor and news anchor in the English news division.
While living in the District of Columbia, he appeared in many stage productions during the 1970s and '80s. Upon his retirement from the VOA in 1990, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time acting career. He had a busy career in L. A., doing television and radio commercials, and making several supporting appearances in films and TV. His last work was a recurring role in the popular sitcom "3rd Rock From the Sun" as Father Rice; he made four appearances as this character, the last one in the episode "Proud Dick" (#2.13), which aired on January 5, 1997, approximately six weeks before his death.
Battling cancer, he returned east to be closer to his son, Christopher (who resided in Alexandria, Virginia) and his daughter, Melanie (who lived in Akron, Ohio). He entered the Hospice of Northern Virginia in Falls Church; he lost his battle with cancer on February 18, 1997. He was 56 years old. - Actress
- Writer
Patricia Place was born on 7 December 1924 in Long Beach, California, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Wedding Crashers (2005), Outbreak (1995) and An American Crime (2007). She died on 20 September 2008 in North Hollywood, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Veteran performer John Randolph was a Tony Award-winning character actor whose union and social activism in the '40s and '50s caused him to be blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The balding performer may not have been a household name, but he was a regular face in movies and TV for over four decades.
He was born Emanuel Cohen on June 1, 1915, in New York City, to Jewish immigrants from Romania and Russia, mother Dorothy (Shorr), an insurance agent, and father Louis Cohen, a hat manufacturer. When his father died and his mother remarried, his stepfather, Joseph Lippman, renamed him Mortimer.
He began his dramatic training in the '30s, studying under Stella Adler and changing his name to the less ethnic moniker of "John Randolph". He served in the Army Air Force during WWII and married actress Sarah Cunningham in Chicago in 1945 while performing in Orson Welles's stage production of "Native Son". They had two children, Martha and Harrison.
After the war, Randolph become one of the original members of the Actors Studio. After making his film debut with The Naked City (1948), his passionate, outspoken leftist views and defense of other accused figures led to Randolph and his wife being blacklisted. In 1955, they were both called before the House Un-American Activities Committee and pleaded the Fifth Amendment. Although Randolph lost many jobs during this 15-year blacklist, he continued to find work onstage, mainly in New York.
Finally, director John Frankenheimer broke the Hollywood blacklist after casting Randolph, along with fellow "marked" actors Will Geer and Jeff Corey, in Seconds (1966), in which he played a disillusioned older man surgically made to look decades younger (now played by Rock Hudson). Randolph continued to flourish in films and TV following this breakthrough with important roles in Serpico (1973), Frances (1982), Prizzi's Honor (1985) and You've Got Mail (1998), along with the TV movies The Missiles of October (1974) and "Lincoln" (1975) (mini). He also played the recurring role of Roseanne Barr's father on her popular sitcom.
In 1987, he was the recipient of both Tony and Drama Desk awards for his close-to-home portrayal of a Communist, left-wing grandfather in Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound". Randolph continued his activism into the 1980s, heading the Council of American-Soviet Friendship, a cultural exchange organization. He died of natural causes at age 88.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Fritzi Burr was born on 31 May 1924 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Chinatown (1974), 3 Ninjas (1992) and Driving Me Crazy (1991). She was married to Aaron Heyman. She died on 17 January 2003 in Fort Myers, Florida, USA.- Ina Parker was born on 31 October 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for Reflections on a Crime (1994), Trashy Ladies Wrestling (1987) and Seinfeld (1989). She died on 17 April 2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
- Laura Waterbury was born on 12 March 1947 in Bedford, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for Better Off Dead (1985), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) and Innerspace (1987). She died on 25 September 2013 in North Hollywood, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Al Ruscio was born on 2 June 1924 in Salem, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Showgirls (1995), The Phantom (1996) and The Godfather Part III (1990). He was married to Kate Williamson. He died on 12 November 2013 in Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Art Department
- Actor
Victor Wayne Harris was born on 29 December 1962 in California, USA. He was an actor, known for Seinfeld (1989), Thea (1993) and Ghost Dad (1990). He died on 28 August 1996 in California, USA.- David Graf was a Lancaster, Ohio native. He was a graduate of Lancaster High School in 1968. He went on to attend college at Otterbein University where he graduated in 1972 as a theater major. He attended Ohio State University grad school until 1975 when he dropped out to pursue an acting career in New York City. He broke into the movies with Four Friends (1981). David never forgot his roots. He always returned to Lancaster each year in October for the Fairfield County Fair. It was his way of keeping in touch. In a tragic coincidence, David passed away at the same age and condition that his father did. David is survived by his wife of 17 years, Kathryn Graf, two sons, Daniel and Sean; mother and brother who reside in Zanesville, Ohio.
- Ross Evans was born on 12 August 1923 in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for The Gallant Men (1962), Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) and The Nude Bomb (1980). He died on 15 April 2013.
- Montrose Hagins was an African-American television actress. She starred and been a guest on popular shows such as: Seinfeld, Roc, 227, The Golden Girls, Sister, Sister, The Hughleys, The Jamie Foxx Show, What's Happening Now, The Sinbad Show, The Famous Jett Jackson. She also became the replacement for Rosetta LeNoire as Leola Henderson-Forbes in the final season on Amen. Her television credits also include more guest spots on shows such as: E/R, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Hunter, Malcolm & Eddie, and Moesha. She retired from acting in 2005 and spent the last years of her live living in an antique farmhouse in Pennsylvania.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Ian Abercrombie began his theatrical career as a lad during the Blitz in World War II. After his footwork years during which he earned Bronze, Silver and Gold medals in dance for the stage, he performed in London, Holland, Ireland, and Scotland. He made his American stage debut in 1955 in a production of "Stalag 17" with Jason Robards and Jules Munshin. Many plays in summer stock, regional and off-Broadway followed in a variety of theatrical offerings, from revues to Shakespeare. During a particularly low period, he worked as a magician's assistant for $10 per performance.
In 1957, he was drafted into the Army and stationed in Germany. He was in Special Services, where he directed the Continental premiere of "Separate Tables" and toured with Olivia de Havilland in her show. Back in the USA, Ian went to California for a backers' audition. That fizzled but he began his long and successful film and television career. For four decades, his theatrical work highlights have included; "As You Like It", "Hamlet", "Misalliance", "The Good Doctor", "The Way Of The World", "Mary Stuart", "Crucifer Of Blood", "Journey's End", "The Wrong Box", "The Cocktail Party", "Bert & Maisy", "Other Places", "Bent", "Natural Causes", "The Vortex", "Rough Crossing", and "Lettice and Lovage".
He received acclaim for the one-man show "Jean Cocteau - A Mirror Image". Another highlight was playing Alfie Doolittle in "My Fair Lady". He received awards for his work in "Sweet Prince" with Keir Dullea, "Teeth N'smiles", "A Doll's House" (with Linda Purl), and "The Arcata Promise" (opposite Anthony Hopkins).- Bob Sheppard is the legendary public address announcer and "voice" of Yankee Stadium since 1951. Bob was a speech teacher in the New York City school system and at St. John's University when he joined the Yankees. Yankee officials heard him deliver a tribute to Babe Ruth at a local football game in 1948. They offered him a job on the spot which he did not accept until 3 years later when the Yankees guaranteed him an understudy so his duties with the team would not interfere with his teaching. His clear, concise, and correct speaking style has been heard during a record 52 baseball seasons, 21 World Series and two All Star Games. He's also been the voice of football's New York Giants since 1956. He's especially known for his articulate and touching tributes to baseball greats, personalties, those lost on 9/11, and to the members of our Armed Forces. He has been honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY where is microphone is enshrined. Bob is married with four adult children.
- Billye Ree Wallace was born on 17 July 1925 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for ER (1994), Seinfeld (1989) and Night Visitors (1989). She died on 3 March 1999 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
This most consummate, vibrant and versatile actress established a distinguished reputation on the stage, in films and on TV. The former Miss Chicago of 1948 beauty pageant winner and Miss America semifinalist was born in Oak Park, Illinois. Her family was impoverished and her parents divorced early on. Young Lois used make-believe to escape her reality by creating small plays in her backyard, which led to an affinity with the idea of acting. Having set her sights on the stage she joined a community theatre at the tender age of eleven and appeared on local radio and television. She later continued her training at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and then studied 'the method' at the Actors' Studio in New York City, eventually making her Broadway debut in Dalton Trumbo's "The Biggest Thief in Town" (1948) using the stage moniker "Lydia Scott" (her given name, she felt, was too plain and sounded "schoolmarmy").
Lois was understudy to Barbara Bel Geddes for the role of "Maggie the Cat" in the original 1955 Broadway production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer-Prize winning "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", staged by Elia Kazan. Occasionally, she got to play "Maggie", herself. Of her (own personal favourite) role as Blanche DuBois in the 1973 stage production of "A Streetcar Named Desire", New York Times critic Clive Barnes wrote: ""Miss Nettleton plays Blanche as a woman of nearly unshatterable courage." Williams himself called her one of the greatest actresses with whom he had ever worked. Not surprisingly then, that the self-confessed method actress went on to win the prestigious Clarence Derwent Award for her performance in "God and Kate Murphy".
Lois was married for seven years to Jean Shepherd, a radio host and television humorist. She and Shepherd clicked after she called his nightly radio show at WOR in the 1950s and the beguiled Shepherd broadcast their telephone conversations on the air. They later appeared together in Shepherd's off-Broadway play "Look Charlie" in 1959.
While her official film debut came in the 1962 adaptation of Tennessee Williams's "Period of Adjustment", Lois had previously played a bit part in Elia Kazan's classic A Face in the Crowd (1957), scripted by Budd Schulberg. She subsequently acted in many movies, but most of her best work was on stage and in television where she appeared in everything from sitcoms to soap operas. In a 1985 interview she referred to herself as 'a gypsy actress', saying "I always wanted to be as different in everything as possible". Consistently selective, on the lookout for 'interesting' characters and mature roles to play, she tackled pretty much every genre -- even playing one of Londo Mollari's bitchy wives in Babylon 5 (1993). She gave a particularly fine performances in the classic 1961 "Midnight Sun" episode of The Twilight Zone (1959). She declared her own personal favourite screen role to have been that of the Israeli prosecutor (opposite Maximilian Schell) in the American Film Theater production of The Man in the Glass Booth (1975). Roger Ebert for the New York Times wrote "She has a steadiness and intelligence and doesn't back down. She's the closest thing the film has to a moral center."
A charming and gracious actress, Lois was nominated six-times for Emmy Awards. She won twice for her TV work: for the daytime special The American Woman: Portraits of Courage (1976) and for "A Gun for Mandy" (1983), an episode of the syndicated religious anthology Insight (1960).- Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Richard Marion was born on 1 July 1949 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Child's Play 3 (1991), Jagged Edge (1985) and Operation Petticoat (1977). He was married to Ruth Silveira. He died on 19 July 1999 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Sheree North was born on 17 January 1932 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Breakout (1975), Lawman (1971) and The Shootist (1976). She was married to Phillip Alan Norman, Dr. Gerhardt Ralph Sommer, John M. "Bud" Freeman and Frederick Arnold Bessire Jr.. She died on 4 November 2005 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Edward Winter was born on 3 June 1937 in Ventura, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Porky's II: The Next Day (1983), M*A*S*H (1972) and The Greatest American Hero (1981). He was married to Linda Foster, Sandra Frances Ward and Ronda Faye Moe. He died on 8 March 2001 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Ken Kerman was born on 3 June 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Volcano (1997), Blown Away (1994) and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991). He was married to Lisa Dalton. He died on 9 September 2009 in Mena, Arkansas, USA.- Eugene Elman was born on 16 March 1926 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) and Kindergarten Cop (1990). He died on 5 January 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Barbara Pilavin was born on 27 September 1923. She was an actress, known for A League of Their Own (1992), 10 to Midnight (1983) and Constantine (2005). She died on 2 January 2005 in West Hollywood, California, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
A professional singer at the age of three, Mel Torme was a genuine musical prodigy. As a teenager, he played the drums in Chico Marx's band and earned the nickname "The Velvet Fog" because of his smooth, mellow tenor voice. In the 1940s, he formed his own group, the Mel-Tones, one of the first jazz-influenced vocal groups. As a solo musician, he had a number one hit in 1949 called "Careless Hands" and several lesser hits. He also acted in films and wrote several books, including biographies of Judy Garland and Buddy Rich. Torme's career included some songwriting, too. One of his most well-known compositions, "The Christmas Song", was written in midsummer as Torme relaxed by the pool.- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Joe Lala was born on 3 November 1947 in Tampa, Florida, USA. He was an actor, known for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), Seinfeld (1989) and Out for Justice (1991). He was married to Ginny McSwain. He died on 18 March 2014 in Tampa, Florida, USA.- Jason Beck was born on 25 April 1967 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Impostor (2001), M.D. Geist (1986) and M.D. Geist II (1996). He died on 28 March 2000 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Johnny Silver was born on 16 April 1918 in Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Guys and Dolls (1955), Spaceballs (1987) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). He was married to Gloria Manos. He died on 1 February 2003 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Marjorie Gross was born on 18 April 1956 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was a writer and producer, known for Seinfeld (1989), Hard Knocks (1987) and Square Pegs (1982). She died on 7 June 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Christmas trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, gained experience in English repertory theatre in 1936, and had a principal role in the London production of Noël Coward's "Bitter Sweet" in the 1930s. During the Second World War, he was a member of Royal Air Force production units and performed in the RAF's Gang Show. After moving to Canada in 1948, he started a long association with television comedians Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster, playing the character Madam Hooperdink. His own show "Christmas is Coming" toured Canada in the 1950s. He was artistic director at the Ottawa Repertory Company in 1954 and ran the Peterborough Summer Theatre that year. He began a long association with Canada's Stratford Festival in 1957, performing in 12 seasons and 21 Shakespearean productions until 1970. It was Christmas and a group of veteran actors like William Hutt, Tony Van Bridge, Jean Gascon, Douglas Rain, Amelia Hall, and Mervyn Blake (among others) who helped define Stratford in its early years. His final appearance at Stratford was 1987, when he played Dogberry in "Much Ado About Nothing." Christmas also had associations over the years with the Canadian Players, San Diego's Globe Theatre, and the drama department at the University of California at San Diego. He and his first wife had two children (Robin and Stephen) two children with his second wife, six grandchildren.- Paul Michael was born on 15 August 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. He was an actor, known for Dark Shadows (1966), Music Within (2007) and Hill Street Blues (1981). He died on 8 July 2011 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wayne Tippit was born on 19 December 1932 in Lubbock, Texas, USA. He was an actor and assistant director, known for JFK (1991), Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998) and Nurse Betty (2000). He was married to Carole Macho. He died on 28 August 2009 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Lewis Arquette was born on 14 December 1935 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Little Nicky (2000), Waiting for Guffman (1996) and Tango & Cash (1989). He was married to Brenda Denaut. He died on 10 February 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- David Byrd was born on 3 September 1932 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Tango & Cash (1989), Lost Highway (1997) and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). He was married to Anne Gee Byrd. He died on 26 January 2001 in Studio City, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ileen Getz was born on 7 August 1961 in Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for The Station Agent (2003), Changing Lanes (2002) and Friends with Money (2006). She was married to Mark Grinnell. She died on 4 August 2005 in New York City, New York, USA.- Sandy Ward was born on 12 July 1926 in Alamosa, Colorado, USA. He was an actor, known for The Perfect Storm (2000), Under Siege (1992) and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). He was married to Roxann Michael and Irene Krinsky. He died on 6 March 2005 in Orange County, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Lionel Mark Smith was born on 5 February 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Spartan (2004), Magnolia (1999) and State and Main (2000). He died on 13 February 2008 in Inglewood, California, USA.- Cute, tiny, and prolific little old lady character actress Frances Bay worked constantly in both films and TV shows alike after making her debut at the age of 59 in life with a small part in the comedy Foul Play (1978) in 1978.
She frequently portrayed eccentric elderly women and good-hearted grandmothers in all kinds of pictures and television programs. Frances acted several times for David Lynch: she's Kyle MacLachlan's sweet doddery aunt in Blue Velvet (1986), a gruff, profane whorehouse madam in Wild at Heart (1990), and the spooky Mrs. Tremond in the cult TV series Twin Peaks (1990) and its spin-off feature Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Frances popped up in two movies for director Stuart Gordon: she's a kind witch in The Pit and the Pendulum (1991) and a fortune teller in Edmond (2005).
Other notable film roles include a snippy librarian in The Attic (1980), a mysterious blind nun in the offbeat Nomads (1986), another librarian in In the Mouth of Madness (1994), and Adam Sandler's loving grandmother in the hit comedy Happy Gilmore (1996). Frances had the unique distinction of guesting on the final episodes of the TV shows Happy Days (1974), Who's the Boss? (1984), and Seinfeld (1989).
Among the many TV series Bay had guest spots on are Charmed (1998), ER (1994), Matlock (1986), The X-Files (1993), Murder, She Wrote (1984), The Commish (1991), L.A. Law (1986), Hill Street Blues (1981), Touched by an Angel (1994), The Golden Girls (1985), and Amazing Stories (1985).
She won a Gemini Award for her performance in the Disney TV program Avonlea (1990). Frances was also in the music video for Jimmy Fallon's "Idiot Boyfriend." In addition to her substantial movie and TV credits, Bay also acted in both Off-Broadway stage productions and regional theater; these plays include "Finnegan's Wake," "Grease," "Genuis," "The Caucasion Chalk Circle," "Number Our Days," "Uncommon Women," "Sarcophagus," and "The Pleasure of His Company." Frances won two DramaLogue Awards and was nominated for a Los Angeles Dramatic Critics' Award.
In 2002 Bay was the unfortunate victim of an automobile accident which resulted in having part of her right leg amputated. Her husband Charles sadly died in 2002 as well.
In real life Frances Bay was a very practical and unassuming woman with an avid love for jazz music. - David Richards was born on 12 June 1946 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He was an actor, known for ER (1994), The Young and the Restless (1973) and Right at Your Door (2006). He was married to Gillie Richards. He died on 11 June 2009 in Burbank, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Sandy Baron was born Sanford Beresofsky in Brooklyn, New York on May 5, 1936. Raised in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood, the young Sandy attended public schools and participated in accelerated classes. A graduate of Brooklyn College, he spent his early years working summers in the Catskill Mountain resorts that were the breeding grounds of many Jewish comedians. Baron made his Broadway debut in "Tchin-Tchin" on Oct 25, 1962. His next play, Bertolt Brecht's "Arturo Ui" with Christopher Plummer in the title role, was a flop, lasting but eight performances in November 1963. His next appearance on the Great White Way, in the comedy "Generation," was more successful, playing for over half a year in the 1965-1966 season.
In 1964, Sandy -- already a seasoned Catskill comic and nightclub performer -- released a 13-track album on Roulette Records, "The Race! Race!" The album jacket pronounced it a "rollicking comedy album about hate, prejudice, bigotry and other such nonsense." He established a national reputation that year on the television comedy series That Was the Week That Was (1963), the American version of the hit British TV show, both of which starred David Frost. He followed it up with a lead role in the TV series Hey, Landlord (1966), playing a stand-up comedian.
In the 1970s, he made regular appearances on the The Mike Douglas Show (1961) and the The Merv Griffin Show (1962). Baron played Lenny Bruce in the show "Lenny" at Hollywood's Aquarius Theater in 1972, and eventually replaced Cliff Gorman in New York in what would prove to be his last Broadway appearance.
Baron appeared as himself in Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose (1984), the director's homage to borscht-belt comedy. In the 1990s, he appeared as Jack Klompus, the nemesis of Jerry Seinfeld's father on the hit TV series Seinfeld (1989). He replaced Al Lewis as Grandpa Munster in the TV movie The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas (1996). His last movie appearance was in Stephen Frears' The Hi-Lo Country (1998).
Sandy Baron died of emphysema on January 21, 2001 in a nursing home in Van Nuys, California. A memorial celebration was held on July 22, 2001 at Hollywood's Ivar Theater.- Lovable, laid-back Jesse White made acting seem fun and easy. He was born Jesse Marc Weidenfeld in Buffalo, New York, and was raised in Akron, Ohio. He made his first amateur appearance on the local stage at age 15. Before breaking into professional theater in the 1940s, he held many different jobs, including selling beauty supplies and lingerie. Jesse got his start in vaudeville and burlesque, and eventually reached Broadway in 1943. The following year, he played the rascally, gruff-mannered asylum attendant in Harvey, starring Frank Fay. This role made him famous and he went on to appear with James Stewart in the movie version (Harvey (1950)). The 1950s was a decade of transition to the new medium of television. As a television regular, he did something that had never been done before - he appeared regularly in two series at the same time. In Private Secretary (1953) and The Danny Thomas Show (1953). This record stood for 13 years until Leo G. Carroll appeared simultaneously on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966)).
One of Jesse's earliest television appearances is a 1961 episode of the sci-fi series Once Upon a Time (1961) in which he played, prophetically enough, The Repairman. Jesse would make guest appearances on dozens of television series, and appear in 60 movies, almost always playing a lovable rascal. Some of his last movie appearances were in the sci-fi movies Pajama Party (1964) and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966). Then the 50-year-old Jesse seized a terrific career opportunity. From 1968-1989, he would be television's second and longest running Maytag Repairman in a long series of commercials. For this, he made several hundred thousand dollars a year, for just a few days filming. Even though he was semi-retired during this time, Jesse appeared in a dozen movies, his last film being Matinee (1993), which was an homage to some of the 1950s-1960s sci-fi films of which he had been a part. Jesse always seemed to be having as much fun acting as the fans did watching him.
Jesse White died of a heart attack on January 9, 1997, only six days after his 80th birthday. He was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. - George Michael Steinbrenner III, one of the most successful sports franchise owners of the modern era, was born in Rocky River, Ohio on the Fourth of July, 1930, which is fitting for the owner of the New York Yankees, the premier baseball club in what is dubbed "America's Pastime". (To fans of the Yankees' archrival, the Boston Red Sox, he is considered the Head of the "Evil Empire").
After graduating from Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana (the alma mater of cult director Budd Boetticher), Steinbrenner attended the exclusive Williams College located in western Massachusetts (the alma mater of Elia Kazan, Class of 1930). Steinbrenner's interest in sports led to stints as an assistant football coach at Northwestern University in 1955 and at Purdue University the following year. While making his fortune in the shipping industry (he had joined his father's financially ailing American Shipbuilding Co., where he helped affect a turn-around), Steinbrenner bought the Cleveland Pipers of the National Industrial Basketball League in 1960. The team joined the American Basketball League the next year, and Steinbrenner made sports history by hiring John McLendon, the first African-American head coach in professional sports.
The team won the 1962 ABL championship, and Steinbrenner then pulled off a major coup by signing Ohio State All-American Jerry Lucas, the #1 basketball prospect in the country, thus keeping him from going to the better established National Basketball Association. In fact, to get Lucas into their league, the NBA immediately made a deal with Steinbrenner to absorb the Pipers as its 10th team, but as he was unable to raise the $250,000 franchise fee and was facing a lawsuit from the ABL, the deal collapsed.
The Pipers soon went bankrupt, and Steinbrenner went back to the shipping industry, eventually buying the American Shipbuilding Co. outright. During the 1960s, Steinbrenner was a Broadway "angel" (investing in plays) and later acquired a small ownership stake in the NBA's Chicago Bulls. However, by 1971, Steinbrenner was wealthy enough to make a $9 million bid (approximately $43 million in 2005 dollars, when factored for inflation) to acquire the Cleveland Indians franchise in professional baseball's American League. However, the deal -- which was being negotiated by Indians General Manager Gabe Paul -- fell apart. When Columbia Broadcasting System Chairman William Paley decided to rid the television broadcast network of its New York Yankees subsidiary in 1972, Paul helped broker the $8.7 million deal by which Steinbrenner acquired the team. Steinbrenner then appointed him director of baseball operations for the club.
In January 1920, the Yankees -- then Gotham's also-ran baseball franchise after the fabled Giants of Coopers Bluff -- acquired the Red Sox's left-handed pitcher and star slugger Babe Ruth for $125,000 in cash and a loan to Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, a theatrical entrepreneur, who needed the loot to finance a Broadway show. During the previous season, the Bambino (a 24-game winner and E.R.A. champ as a starting pitcher, the Babe had set the World Series record by pitching 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the 1916 matchup with the Brooklyn Dodgers, which was finally broken by Whitey Ford in 1961, the same year Roger Maris broke his home run record) had set the modern home run record with 29 dingers for the Boston nine. Behind their new New York strongboy, the Yankees won the 1921, '22 and 23 AL pennants, facing the Giants in three consecutive World Series, losing the first two contests before finally beating them for the World's Championship in 1923).
By the beginning of the 1970s, the Yankees had won 29 pennants and 20 World Series, but hadn't been in the October Classic since 1964. Seeking synergy that would become common in the 1990s, the TV network CBS had bought the franchise for $11.2 million after the 1964 season, from Dan Topping and Del Webb. In the 20 years they had owned the team, Topping and Webb's Yankees had missed appearing in the World Series only five times, racking up a 10-5 record. In contrast, the CBS-owned teams never made it to the World Series, and in 1965, the Yankees finished in the second division for the first time in 40 years. The year 1965 was crucial, as the major league amateur draft was implemented, which meant that the Yankees could no longer use its financial resources to sign any player they wanted. Also, the Kansas City AL franchise that the Yankees had used as a kind of farm club, cherry-picking its best players like Maris in return for worn-out veterans, had been acquired by maverick owner Charles O. Finley, who ended the special relationship. The Yankes in the mid-1960s could not replace their aging stars with quality players, and in 1966, the team finished in 10th place (last) in the AL for the first time since 1912 (when there were only 8 teams), and ninth in 1967.
After taking over the Yankees on January 3, 1973, Steinbrenner -- who knew little about baseball but had coveted a baseball franchise, and now owned the most famous team in North American sports (which is now worth at least 100 times what Steinbreener paid for it) -- pledged that he would not be a hands-on owner. He soon won himself the sobriquet "The Boss" for his autocratic management style, characterized by his criticizing players and managers through the media and the 20 managers he had in his first 23 years owning the club. (In fact, Steinbrenner made 17 managerial changes in his first 17 seasons!).
Controversy has been part of Steinbrenner's tenure as principal owner of the ball club and stadium that Babe Ruth and other Yankee greats made famous. In 1974, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him for two years following his conviction for making illegal political campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon's reelection committee, although he bitterly protested that - a Democrat- he had been shaken down by the corrupt Nixon administration as part
Steinbrenner was has been criticized by other owners for driving up the cost of ballplayers after the advent of free agency in 1976. Steinbrenner paid Catfish Hunter, who had been freed from his contract with Charles O. Finley, owner of the Oakland A's, by an arbitrator, an unprecedented $2.85 million for four years, over $700,000 a year when top stars like Carl Yastrzemski made $100,000 a year and Dick Allen was the highest paid player in the game at $200,000 a year. He then bolstered his pennant-winning 1976 team for the following season by acquiring Reggie Jackson, the 1973 American League M.V.P. when he was with the A's., with a $3 million, 5-year contract.
Reggie, the self-described "straw that stirs the drink", and the core of the '76 A.L. champs won back-to-back World Series in 1977 and '78, the Eastern Division title in 1980 (after winning 103 games under new manager Dick Howser, who was promptly fired for losing in the playoffs and would go on to win a World Series title in Kansas City in 1985), and the A.L. pennant in the strike-shortened 1981 season.
In the 1970s, Steinbrenner relied on solid baseball people such as Al Rosen and Gabe Paul, but in the 1980s, he became erratic, promoting yes-men into high position who rubber-stamped his preference for name-players. At the beginning of the free agency era, the Yankees under Rosen and Paul were able to do what the Yankees of the mid- to late-60s were unable to do since the demise of the "special" relationship with Kansas City and the advent of the amateur draft: sign quality players to fill vital gaps in the team. However, Rosen and Paul really rebuilt the Yankees via judicious trades, acquiring players like Graig Nettles and Willie Randolph to anchor the team.
Steinbrenner went to the extreme of embracing the free agent market as a fix-all solution to build a winning team. Via free agency, the Yankees acquired stars who turned out to be either unable to handle the pressure of playing in New York (with its all-invasive media), unsuited for the uniqueness of Yankee Stadium (a right-handed hitter like Steve Kemp floundered in a stadium built to favor lefties), or who -- like two time Cy Young Award-winner Gaylord Perry -- were on the downside if not the end of their careers.
After the 1980 season, Steinbrenner offered San Diego Padres outfielder Dave Winfield, a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who led the National League with 118 runs batted in in 1979, his biggest budget-busting contract (and the biggest in history at the time, which vastly inflated superstars' future salaries): a 10-year contract worth up to $25 million, according to the New York Times (Dec. 16, 1980). It was at least twice as high as any salary enjoyed by any other superstar. Expected to take the place of Reggie Jackson, who left the team after the 1981 season, Winfield -- a future Hall of Famer who was a consistent run producer and Gold Glove-caliber outfielder -- never lived up to Steinbrenner's expectations. During the 1981 World Series in which Winfield played with Jackson and other holdovers from the 1977 and '78 teams once again faced the Los Angeles Dodgers whom they had bested in both prior Series appearances, Winfield had one hit in 22 at bats for an anemic .045 batting average. After his freshman year with the club, the Yankees never again made the playoffs during his tenure with the team (1981-1990).
Because of Steinbrenner's profligacy, the Yankees would consistently have the highest payroll in baseball, making it hard for teams from small market clubs to compete (as well as to hold on to their players, who could be wooed away by Steinbrenner's gold after they became free agents). For the period of 1982-1995, the Yankees would have nothing to show for the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on players' salaries. After the 1981 World Series, which the Yankees lost two games to four to the Dodgers, the franchise hit a 15-season dry-spell without a championship season, the first time for such a drought since the franchise's initial establishment in Manhattan from 1902 to 1921. The first 23 years of Steinbrenner's regime was characterized by a managerial merry-go-round, a constant firing, rehiring, and firing of managers, including Bob Lemon twice and Billy Martin a ridiculous five times. Steinbrenner once fired Yogi Berra, who had gone to the World Series as manager in 1964 with the Yankees and in 1973 with the Mets, after eight days in the catbird seat. Yogi deserved better.
Steinbrenner's instability reached its high point in 1990, when he accepted a ban for life from managing the Yankees' day-to-day operations levied upon him by commissioner Fay Vincent for illicit dealings with gambler Howie Spira. Steinbrenner had hired Spira to dig up dirt on his star outfielder, Dave Winfield. A contrite Steinbrenner eventually was reinstated in 1993 as his son didn't like running the business and major league baseball had no desire to see its premier franchise flounder. After his return, he seemed to have matured, and three years later, he laid the groundwork for his regime's second dynasty by hiring Joe Torre as manager. Under Torre, who has been Yankees manager for 11 seasons (an unmatched period of managerial calm under Steinbrenner), the team has won ten division titles, five pennants, and four World Series from 1996 through 2005.
Red Sox fans and other Yankee haters wish for the return of the old Steinbrenner, who would have had 10 managers in 11 seasons rather than one in 11, as in the good old days. So far, he refuses to oblige them. - Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Stuart Quan was born on 17 October 1962 in Fresno, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Licence to Kill (1989), Escape from L.A. (1996) and The Master of Disguise (2002). He was married to Debbie Vance Quan. He died on 9 January 2006 in Fresno, California, USA.- Herb Mitchell was born on 18 June 1937 in Bar Harbor, Maine, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Innerspace (1987) and Gettysburg (1993). He was married to Scarlet Kinney and Janet Ahear. He died on 4 January 2011 in Blue Hill, Maine, USA.
- Bill Gratton was born on 7 July 1939 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He was an actor, known for The Green Mile (1999), Blast from the Past (1999) and Jagged Edge (1985). He died on 23 June 2011 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Phil Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. His surname was originally "Hartmann", but he later dropped the second "n". He was one of eight children of Doris Marguerite (Wardell) and Rupert Loebig Hartmann, a salesman. He was of German, Irish, and English descent. The family moved to the United States when Phil was around ten, and he spent the majority of his childhood in Connecticut and Southern California. He later obtained his American citizenship in the early 1990s. He often would visit his homeland of Canada throughout his career, and the City of Brantford even erected a plaque on the Walk of Fame in the town in honor of Phil's career and memory. The Humber College Comedy: Writing & Performance program in Toronto, Ontario, also has an award in Phil's memory that is given out to their Post-Graduate comedy students.
Phil originally studied Graphic Design at California State University. He began to work part time as a graphic artist, designing album covers for such bands as Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (see Crosby Stills Nash & Young) and Poco. In 1975, alongside doing album work, Phil joined the California comedy troupe, The Groundlings. While in The Groundlings, Phil worked with Paul Reubens and Jon Lovitz, who became good friends of his until his death. Phil and Paul created the character Pee Wee Herman together, and Phil even had a role on Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986) as pirate Captin' Carl.
In 1986, Phil joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975) and was on the show for a record of 8 seasons (which was later broken by Tim Meadows). Phil played a wide range of characters including: Frank Sinatra, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Ed McMahon, Barbara Bush, and many others. He was known to help out other writers who wanted to get their sketches read and onto the show. He held Saturday Night Live (1975) together during his 8-year reign, thus the nickname he garnered while on the show, "The Glue." Phil was also known for his voice work on commercials and cartoons. He was probably most well known for the voices of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz on the animated comedy The Simpsons (1989). He also provided other minor voices for The Simpsons (1989). Phil left Saturday Night Live (1975) in 1994, and in 1995, was cast in the critically acclaimed NBC show NewsRadio (1995) as arrogant radio show host Bill McNeal.
After Phil's death, Phil's good friend Jon Lovitz attempted to fill the void as Max Lewis on NewsRadio (1995), but the struggling show's ratings dropped, and the show later fizzled out and ended in 1999. Phil had an interesting career in movies, mostly playing supporting characters. He was the lead in Houseguest (1995) and was also in Greedy (1994), Jingle All the Way (1996), Sgt. Bilko (1996), and his last live action film, Small Soldiers (1998). His last role was the English language dub of Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), as the quick-witted cat Jiji, which featured Small Soldiers co-star Kirsten Dunst in the lead voice role.
On May 28th, 1998, Phil was shot to death while sleeping in his Encino, California home by his wife, Brynn Hartman. Brynn left the house and later came back with a friend to show him Phil's body. When her friend went to call 911, Brynn locked herself in the bedroom with Phil's lifeless body and shot herself. It was later discovered by the coroner that Brynn had alcohol, cocaine, and the antidepressant, Zoloft, in her system. They left behind two children, Sean Edward (b. 1988) and Birgen (b. 1992). Phil and Brynn's bodies were cremated and spread upon Catalina Island, just off the coast of California, on June 4, 1998. Phil had specifically stated in his will that he wanted the ashes spread on Catalina Island because it was his favorite holiday getaway as he was an avid boater, surfer and general lover of the sea.
Phil was a very caring and sensitive person and was described as "very sweet and kind of quiet."- Composer
- Actor
Born on the island of Kyushu, Japan, Misawa had an early successful career as the baritone in a vocal quartet called "the Four Coins." The quartet toured the US for six months in the early '60s as "the Tokyo Four". After the death of a group member in the early '70s, the quartet broke up and Misawa began composing and arranging music as a new career. Concentrating primarily on commercial jingles (winning an international category for a Cleo award for a soap commercial jingle) and TV theme songs, Misawa has two gold records for the Japanese TV drama series, "Attention, Please" (about flight attendants) and "Sign wa V" (about women volleyball players). He continued his music career after his move to Hawaii in 1976. He moved to California in the early '80s, and eventually started working in film and TV.- Born in Houston, Texas just prior to the beginning of the Great Depression, Ray Stricklyn felt the urge to perform from his earliest years. From stage roles in his hometown, to parts in regional theater and Broadway, Ray made the jump from the stage to acting on both the large and small screens with some of the biggest names in the business, including Gary Cooper, Debbie Reynolds, Clifton Webb, Geraldine Page, Paul Newman, Ida Lupino, and many, many others. However, turning his talents in a different direction during the 1970s, Ray became one of the most influential publicists in Hollywood through his work with some of the biggest names in the world of entertainment. The urge to act never left and Ray made his triumphant return to the stage to become "the most award-honored L.A. stage actor of the 1980s". Among others, he was twice named Best Actor of the Year by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and twice nominated for a Golden Globe for acting. Ray has guest-starred in a number of the top television series since his return, however it was his now- legendary performance as Tennessee Williams in "Confessions of a Nightingale", which received national acclaim with his performances in Los Angeles, New York, and other major cities across North America.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Plump and personable character actress Diana Bellamy was born on September 19, 1943 in Los Angeles. She graduated with a master's degree in Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 1970.
Diana Alice Bellamy began her acting career in puppet theater in her native Los Angeles. On the big screen, she had such memorable small roles as a sassy whorehouse madam in Outrageous Fortune (1987), a sharp-tongued secretary in Outbreak (1995), and a sarcastic White House switchboard operator in Air Force One (1997). On television, Bellamy played Mrs. Pennington in The Nest (1987) and Grace Woods in Spellbinder (1988), and had recurring parts as Maggie Poole on 13 East (1989) and as Mrs. Cha-Cha Rimba Starkey on Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad (1994). Among the many series on which she made one-off appearances were "Married with Children", "Melrose Place", "Nash Bridges", "Wings", "Murphy Brown", "Baywatch", "Quantom Leap", "Alien Nation", "Family Ties", "Newhart", "Hunter", "The Fall Guy", "Hill Street Blues", and "T.J. Hooker".
Outside of her film and television credits, Bellamy did a substantial amount of stage acting: She did three seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and also acted in stage productions of "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You" (as the title character), "The House of Blue Leaves", and "The Skin of Our Teeth".
Despite suffering from cancer, diabetes, and blindness in the last five years of her life, she continued to act. Her last roles included the blind Principal Cecelia Hall on Popular (1999) and the crippled Mrs. Nichols onstage in "The Ladies of the Corridor". Bellamy died on June 17, 2001 at age 57 at her home in Valley Village, California.- Fred Pinkard was born on 25 January 1920 in Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Rocky II (1979), NYPD Blue (1993) and Homefront (1991). He died on 2 August 2004 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Kathryn is best known for her portrayals of "Karen McCluskey" on Desperate Housewives (2004) on ABC and of "Mrs. Landingham", secretary to the President (Martin Sheen), on the critically-acclaimed NBC drama, The West Wing (1999). She has also recurred on Dharma & Greg (1997), and guest-starred on many hit television series, such as Becker (1998), Arli$$ (1996), Ally McBeal (1997), Providence (1999), Scrubs (2001) and over twenty other prime-time shows. Kathryn will also be seen later this year on ABC's daytime drama, General Hospital (1963). Her credits are impressive for any actor, let alone one that only began the craft at age 42.
Although only put into action well into her middle years, Kathryn's dream began in her twenties, when her mother died of cancer in 1963. While dying in the hospital, her mother shared that her biggest regret was not following her dreams. Kathryn vowed, at that moment, that she would someday pursue her own dream of acting.
At the time, she was entering into a new career as a psychiatric nurse in a medium security wing for disturbed teenagers. Through that job, she met and married a psychiatrist, gave birth to two boys and settled down as a suburban housewife in Lake Forest, Illinois, a well-to-do suburb of Chicago. But Kathryn never forgot her dream of acting, something that she never had time to pursue in-between caring for her children and husband. In 1980, her husband's alcoholism led Kathryn to a divorce and a difficult situation; a single mother with two young sons. Rather than lose hope, she took the opportunity to change her life forever and follow her lost dream.
Kathryn took classes at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and performed at community theaters all over Northern Illinois. By day, she supported her family hanging wallpaper and painting the mansions of Lake Forest, working as a sales person for a Welcome Wagon company and using her contacts to book film and print locations in the houses she was painting. By night, Kathryn was improving her skills and moving from community theater to semi-professional theater. Her first break was in 1991. Disney held a cattle call for street performers for Disney World. After standing in line for five hours, Kathryn got the part and moved shop to Orlando, Florida. Though she was living behind an adult arcade in the "tourist unfriendly" part of Buena Vista, Kathryn was finally earning her living through performance and loving it. The part only lasted for a year and, once again, Kathryn was forced to supplement her acting income with other work -- bar-tending and catering during the day, theater at night. Though the acting gig was over, the move to Florida proved one thing to Kathryn...she had the talent to make it as an actor. She did it once and she could do it again. Unfortunately, it took her two and half years to realize it wouldn't happen in central Florida.
In December 1995, Kathryn again packed a truck and drove to Hollywood. Although she didn't have an agent and had no contacts, Kathryn never hesitated following her dream. In only five months, she landed her first part...two lines in Family Matters (1989). In the six years since then, she has appeared in over a dozen plays, six movies, eleven national television commercials, two pilots, ten drama series and over twenty sitcoms. From her many roles, Kathryn is recognized as one of Murphy Brown (1988)'s secretaries, Frasier (1993)'s agent's mother and the bingo buddy to Drew Carey's girlfriend, on The Drew Carey Show (1995). But it is her portrayal of "Mrs. Landingham", the foil, friend and secretary to Martin Sheen's "President Bartlet" on The West Wing (1999) that propelled her into the spotlight she truly deserves. She followed that up with her last huge roll as Karen McCluskey for 8 seasons on ABC's Desperate Housewives (2004), which won her two Emmy awards. Joosten made a guest appearance on CBS daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful as part of the show's 6000th episode, which featured several other real-life lung cancer survivors discussing their experiences. She was named the national spokesperson for the Lung Cancer Profiles campaign on behalf of Pfizer. Joosten died of lung cancer on the morning of June 2, 2012. Her death happened 20 days after the onscreen death of her character Karen McCluskey on the final episode of Desperate Housewives. The hit show ended its eight-year run on ABC last month with a series finale in which Joosten's character passed away. Her character's battle with brain cancer was a story line in the show. - Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
The star of many land and underwater adventures, Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was born on January 15, 1913 in San Leandro, California, to Harriet Evelyn (Brown) and Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Sr., who owned a movie theater and also worked in the hotel business. He grew up in various Northern California towns. His father wanted him to become a lawyer, but young Lloyd's interests turned to acting while at the University of California at Los Angeles. (Dorothy Dean Bridges, Bridges' wife of more than 50 years, was one of his UCLA classmates, and appeared opposite him in a romantic play called "March Hares.") He later worked on the Broadway stage, helped to found an off-Broadway theater, and acted, produced and directed at Green Mans ions, a theater in the Catskills. Bridges made his first films in 1936, and went under contract to Columbia in 1941. Allegations that Bridges had been involved with the Communist Party threatened to derail his career in the early 1950s, but he resumed work after testifying as a cooperative witness before the House Un-American Activities, admitting his past party membership and recanting. Making the transition to television, Bridges became a small screen star of giant proportions by starring in Sea Hunt (1958), the country's most successful syndicated series. Trouper Bridges worked right to the end, winning even more new fans with his spoofy portrayals in the movies Airplane! (1980) and Hot Shots! (1991), and their respective sequels. Lloyd Bridges died at age 85 of natural causes on March 10, 1998.- Actor
- Producer
Edgar Small was born on 14 August 1923 in The Bronx, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Action Jackson (1988) and Alien Nation (1988). He died on 23 December 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Terry Rhoads was born on 31 December 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He was an actor, known for The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) and Hitchcock (2012). He was married to Lise Simms and Deborah Renae Yetter. He died on 11 October 2013 in Encino, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Sid Newman was born on 18 January 1920. He was an actor, known for The Wedding Singer (1998), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) and The Larry Sanders Show (1992). He died on 10 April 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Stunts
Elizabeth Barrington was born on 25 December 1941 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. She was an actress, known for The Golden Child (1986), House (1985) and The Great Outdoors (1988). She was married to Jerry Maren. She died on 26 January 2011 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Louan Gideon was born on 12 November 1955 in Erath County, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994), Suburban Commando (1991) and Treehouse Hostage (1999). She was married to Walt Borchers. She died on 3 February 2014 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA.
- Viola Kates Stimpson was born on 25 October 1906 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) and Graduation Day (1981). She died on 14 January 2008 in Tarzana, California, USA.
- Bunny Summers was born on 23 February 1924 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Re-Animator (1985), From Beyond (1986) and The Last Starfighter (1984). She died on 9 September 2010 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Peter Dennis was born on 25 October 1933 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Shrek (2001), Ten Inch Hero (2007) and Sideways (2004). He was married to Diane Mercer and Audrey B. Cooper. He died on 18 April 2009 in Shadow Hills, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
The burly character actor Gordon Jump will probably be best remembered for the role of the radio station manager Arthur Carlson in the TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978). This is coincidental since, in the first part of his working life, he was found either behind a microphone or camera in stints with radio and TV stations in the Midwest, including producing jobs at stations in Kansas and Ohio.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1963, he quickly became involved in stage productions with Nathan Hale and Ruth Hale, a couple who had opened a small theater in Glendale, California, several years earlier, in order to make ends meet. The Hales preferred the stage to film, and they abandoned Hollywood film hopes when their theater was successful. Others developing their acting talents with the Hales included Mike Farrell and Connie Stevens. Jump always credited Ruth Hale for the real start of his career as an actor, and it has been said that Jump remained most passionate about acting in live theater.
He soon started appearing in numerous TV series, including Daniel Boone (1964), Get Smart (1965), and Green Acres (1965). Through his association with the Hale clan, he became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which led to appearances in educational and religious short films produced and directed by Judge Whitaker at Brigham Young University in the 1960s. He played a Mormon bishop in "You Make the Difference", a thoughtful husband in Marriage: What Kind for You? (1967), and even the Apostle Peter in Mormon Temple Film (1969). Ruth was instrumental in getting Jump to give up smoking, and she also admonished him to turn down offers to do beer commercials. To the end of his life, he took his membership in his faith seriously, including its health codes. He also was in other LDS church films including When Thou Art Converted 1967, What about Thad? 1969, The Guilty 1978 and Families are Forever 1982.
Gordon remained predominantly a television actor throughout a long career in the arts, but he did appear in some small parts in feature films such as Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). He also had a cameo appearance in The Singles Ward (2002), a comedy involving young Latter-Day Saint cultural experiences, which was written and directed by Kurt Hale, the grandson of Ruth and Nathan.
Beyond his acting career, Gordon produced The Tony Randall Show (1976) and directed an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati (1978). In the last years of his life, he was readily recognizable as the lonely Maytag Washer repairman in commercials that ran on television for several years starting in 1989. He effectively portrayed Ol' Lonely until retiring from the role just before his death. (The repairman was lonely because the machines never broke down.) As is often the case for actors with a flair for comedy, he was also adept at playing dramatic roles. As is also often the case with character actors, his face is recognizable to many who never knew his name.- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Everett Greenbaum was born on 20 December 1919 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Andy Griffith Show (1960) and M*A*S*H (1972). He died on 11 July 1999 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Montrose Hagins was an African-American television actress. She starred and been a guest on popular shows such as: Seinfeld, Roc, 227, The Golden Girls, Sister, Sister, The Hughleys, The Jamie Foxx Show, What's Happening Now, The Sinbad Show, The Famous Jett Jackson. She also became the replacement for Rosetta LeNoire as Leola Henderson-Forbes in the final season on Amen. Her television credits also include more guest spots on shows such as: E/R, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Hunter, Malcolm & Eddie, and Moesha. She retired from acting in 2005 and spent the last years of her live living in an antique farmhouse in Pennsylvania.
- Clement Blake was born on 2 December 1948 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Superbad (2007), Showtime (2002) and Minority Report (2002). He died on 22 June 2012 in Woodbridge, New Jersey, USA.
- Howard Mann was born on 20 June 1923 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for History of the World: Part I (1981), Malibu's Most Wanted (2003) and The Medicine Show (2001). He died on 18 September 2008 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Steve Susskind was born on 3 October 1942 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Monsters, Inc. (2001), Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982) and House (1985). He was married to Ann Patricia Walker. He died on 21 January 2005 in Tujunga, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
Genial, pleasant-voiced character actor Paul Benedict was born in New Mexico on September 17, 1938, and made hosts of stage, film and TV appearances in a career lasting five decades. The son of a doctor, he was diagnosed with acromegaly by an endocrinologist who happened to catch the nascent actor in a stage play. He underwent medical treatment that successfully prevented the advancing of the disease. Following military service with the Marine Corps., Paul went on to a highly successful entertainment career using his spade-sized jaw and large nose often to humorous effect.
Following his graduation from Suffolk University, Benedict began acting at the Theatre Company of Boston and performed with such up-and-coming hopefuls as Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino before moving to New York in 1968. Decades laterk, Pacino remembered his old colleague when he revived Eugene O'Neill's one-act, two-person drama "Hughie" on Broadway in 1996. Paul was cast as the hotel night clerk who listens patiently and endlessly to the forlorn ramblings of Pacino's hustler character. Paul made his unofficial Broadway debut in 1968 with "Leda Had a Little Swan," but it closed just before it officially opened. He then went on to appear in "Little Murders" (1969), "The White House Murder Case" (1970) and "Bad Habits" (1974).
Benedict began his on-camera career with the little seen western film spoof The Double-Barrelled Detective Story (1965) and then was seen in another spoof, the political satire The Virgin President (1968). He continued in a quirky, humorous vein in Norman Lear's Cold Turkey (1971), as well as Taking Off (1971), They Might Be Giants (1971), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), Deadhead Miles (1972), Up the Sandbox (1972) and The Front Page (1974). Lear took a liking to Paul and began using him as a guest on some of his classic TV comedies, including "Maude" and "All in the Family," before casting him as Harry Bentley, the polite but put-upon white Englishman next door neighbor to affluent black couple Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley on the decade-long comedy series The Jeffersons (1975). It remains his best known oddball comedy role. Another familiar character would be The Mad Painter on the long-running children's PBS show Sesame Street (1969).
He played an fascinating assortment of erudite, toothy and tweedy characters on film, one of his best remembered being that of Reverend Lindquist in Jeremiah Johnson (1972). He also played the emissary of the governor in The Front Page (1974), a slave trader in Mandingo (1975), an untalented Shakespearean stage director in The Goodbye Girl (1977); an eccentric butler in The Man with Two Brains (1983); another butler in Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988); a business college professor in Cocktail (1988); a warden in The Chair (1988); a film school teacher in The Freshman (1990); an irritated judge in The Addams Family (1991); and a professor in Isn't She Great (2000).
Benedict made an impression as a stage director as well, including "Any Given Day," the original production of "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," and the Obie-winning "The Kathy and Mo Show." His final Broadway appearance was as Mayor Shinn in the 2000 revival of "The Music Man" and he took his final curtain call with Pinter's "No Man's Land" at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On TV, Paul made appearances on some of TV's most popular shows, including "Sweepstakes," "Mama Malone," "Murder, She Wrote," "The New Twilight Zone," "A Different World," "Tales from the Crypt," "Seinfeld" and "The Drew Carey Show." On film, Paul became a stock player for Christopher Guest and his hilarious "mockumentary" features -- This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Waiting for Guffman (1996) (as the long-awaited guest) and A Mighty Wind (2003).
Unmarried, the 70-year-old actor died of natural causes on December 1, 2008, at his home in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.- Vic Helford was born on 13 January 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Friends (1994), Kitchen Confidential (2005) and Seinfeld (1989). He died on 16 November 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Monty Ash was born on 28 January 1909 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Blast from the Past (1999), Tough Guys (1986) and Moonlighting (1985). He died on 19 August 1998 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Sam Whipple was born on 25 September 1960 in Venice, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Rock (1996), Seven Days (1998) and The Doors (1991). He died on 3 June 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Steve Franken was born on 27 May 1932 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Westworld (1973), The Party (1968) and The Time Travelers (1964). He was married to Jean Garrett and Julia Elizabeth Carter. He died on 24 August 2012 in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Producer
Raoul N. Rizik was born in 1947 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was an actor and producer, known for Broadcast News (1987), Blow (2001) and Alias (2001). He was married to Barbary. He died on 3 October 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Bob Murphy was born on 19 September 1924 in Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Bad Lieutenant (1992), Kiner's Korner (1964) and ESPN SportsCentury (1999). He was married to Joye. He died on 3 August 2004 in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
John Pinette was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 23, 1964, the son of Robert Pinette Sr. and Louise Pitre (Petrie). His mother was of Acadian ancestry, with her parents both from the Canadian province of New Brunswick. He graduated from Malden Catholic High School in 1982. He was a practicing Catholic. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1986 with a degree in accounting. He started a six-month career in accounting but, on the advice of friends, left to pursue a career in comedy.
John Pinette was an American actor, Broadway performer, and stand-up comedian. He toured the comedy club circuit beginning in the 1980s and appeared in cinema and on television. Besides stand-up, Pinette did impressions of Michael Jackson, The Chipmunks, Elvis Presley, Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, Hervé Villechaize (Tattoo from Fantasy Island), an Ewok, actor Marlon Brando (notably Brando's role in The Godfather), as well as various ethnic accents. He occasionally sang, for example, "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "Will You Be There" from Free Willy, and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," in his stand-up routines.- James Robert Rebhorn (September 1, 1948 - March 21, 2014) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films, television series, and plays. At the time of his death, he had recurring roles in the current series White Collar and Homeland.
An early performance was in Butterflies are Free at the Peterborough Players in New Hampshire in 1974. Rebhorn played Peter Latham in Forty Carats at the GasLight Dinner Theatre in Salt Lake City in the 1970s. He was known both for portraying WASP stereotypes, lawyers, politicians, doctors, and military men, as well as portraying individuals with criminal behavior. He has delivered equally notable performances in a variety of other roles, including that of a brutal serial killer on NBC's Law & Order (he would later return to the show in the recurring role of defense attorney Charles Garnett), Ellard Muscatine in Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Fred Waters in Blank Check (1994), Clyde Frost, the father of famed bull rider Lane Frost, in 8 Seconds (1994), Lt. Tyler in White Squall (1996), and a shipping magnate in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). One of his best known performances came in the popular 1996 film Independence Day, where he played Secretary of Defense Albert Nimzicki. He acted in Scent of a Woman (1992), and also played an expert witness in My Cousin Vinny (1992). He appeared in Carlito's Way the following year. Rebhorn also played an FBI Agent in the 1994 film Guarding Tess.
Rebhorn played several roles on television, including an abusive stepfather, Bradley Raines, on the soap opera Guiding Light from 1983 to 1985, and an abusive father, Henry Lange, on sister soap As The World Turns from 1988 to 1991. An earlier daytime role was as John Brady in Texas from 1981 to 1982. In 1994 he played the role of super villain John McFlemp in the episode "Farewell, My Little Viking" of the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. In 1998, he played the District Attorney in the two-part series finale of Seinfeld. He also appeared in a supporting roles in The Game, Meet the Parents, and Regarding Henry. In 2004, he appeared in the TV miniseries Reversible Errors. His role in the short-lived and controversial NBC drama The Book of Daniel cast him as the father of the title character. More recently, he appeared in the Showtime series Homeland as Carrie's bipolar father.
Rebhorn also appeared as a judge in Baby Mama. In the 2009 movie The Box, Rebhorn portrayed a NASA scientist. He had recurring roles on the USA series White Collar as Special Agent Reese Hughes, and also as Frank Mathison, the father of the protagonist Carrie Mathison, on Homeland. Rebhorn recently co-starred in the Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake. He played Max Kenton's uncle in the 2011 movie Real Steel. He starred as Oren in the miniseries Coma. Rebhorn starred as Gary Pandamiglio in the 2012 Mike Birbiglia comedy Sleepwalk with Me. He co-starred in the 2013 romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. His stage career included seven Broadway productions, as well as numerous appearances with New York City's Roundabout Theatre Company. - Writer
- Actor
- Director
Jim Zulevic was born on 20 February 1965 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Matchstick Men (2003), The Specials (2000) and Let's Go to Prison (2006). He died on 7 January 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.- Daniel's family moved to Nashville after he was born in Colorado Springs. Both of his parents were classical music legends Roy and Johana Harris so their home was filled with music.
By the age of fourteen, he moved to California (parents taught at U.C.L.A.) and bought his first guitar in Santa Monica. Shortly, Daniel and brother Shaun formed a successful rock group.
Twenty years after his first guitar, he met his wife, a fine artist who also played bluegrass 5-string banjo and guitar. They began playing together 3 nights a week In an L.A. holistic restaurant 'for the stars'...were married after 40 days of having met on the telephone. They immediately toured Sweden for 7 years, playing on the Viking Lines and the best hotels and pubs of Stockholm.
Culture-shocked upon returning to L.A. (musicians were now paying to play), Daniel's wife became an independent muralist while Daniel backed-in to the film industry...the door was open and he walked right in. Being no stranger to "onstage", he got his SAG card within 10 months. His first big job was being chosen to be the Prison Minister in The Green Mile (1999); with three back-to-back Spielberg films as well.
David Valdes invited Daniel to his private office just to chat on the Green Mile set. Darabont gave him a callback for emotional facial close-ups during filming of Coffey's last day, but they ran out of time.
Daniel has meanwhile trained 4 years at the SAG Conservatory, as well as private coaching from John Swanbeck who has coached Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito.
Daniel passed away while working on Saving Mr. Banks (2013). - S. Marc Jordan was born on 14 January 1931 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He was an actor, known for The Transformers (1984), Babylon 5 (1993) and Hunter (1984). He died on 11 July 2014.
- Fred Pinkard was born on 25 January 1920 in Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Rocky II (1979), NYPD Blue (1993) and Homefront (1991). He died on 2 August 2004 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- George Murdock was born on 25 June 1930 in Salina, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Orange County (2002) and Breaker! Breaker! (1977). He was married to Catherine A. Miller. He died on 30 April 2012 in Burbank, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Legendary Hollywood "tough guy", on screen and off. Remembered as the title character in Dillinger (1945) and as the consummately brutal lover of Claire Trevor in Born to Kill (1947). Notorious for his frequent, well-publicized barroom brawls and the like, including being stabbed in 1973. In his later years, he continued as a screen actor projecting the hard-as-nails mien that has been ingrained since his younger days, as evidenced in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992).- Actress
- Additional Crew
Carol Ann Susi (February 2, 1952 - November 11, 2014) was an American actress best known for her portrayal of the voice of recurring unseen character Mrs. Wolowitz on the television series The Big Bang Theory (2007). Susi was born in Brooklyn and was of Italian descent. She studied acting at HB Studio in New York City before moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s. Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) was her first screen appearance. Susi also had extensive experience in live theater and voiced a character on the video game installment of CSI: NY (2008). On November 11, 2014, she died of cancer, aged 62.Lovely and talented, she is primarily known for her role as the never seen Mrs Wolowitz, Howard Wolowitz' mother, in "The Big Bang Theory", easily the funniest and most well written show on TV since Seinfeld. She's not ever seen, but she is definitely heard. She also (and the reason she is sadly on this list of deceased persons) had a very memorable role in Seinfeld as a woman that George is fixed up with. In addition to those two memorable roles, she also played the secretary of Karl Kolchak waaaaaaay back in the early 70s on "The Night Stalker".