Deaths: December 26

1. Kushal Punjabi

Actor | Lakshya

Kushal Punjabi was born on April 23, 1977 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He was an actor and writer, known for Lakshya (2004), The Gift (2017) and Kaal (2005). He was married to Audrey Dolhen. He died on December 26, 2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

2. Aldo Berti

Actor | Un dollaro tra i denti

Aldo Berti was born on February 29, 1936 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for A Stranger in Town (1967), Born to Kill (1967) and Night of Violence (1965). He died on December 26, 2010 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

3. Ambrose Bierce

Writer | The Damned Thing Is of Such a Color!

Ambrose Bierce was born on June 24, 1842 in Meigs County, Ohio, USA. He was a writer, known for The Damned Thing is of Such a Color! (2020), The Twilight Zone (1959) and 11 O'Clock: a Sense of Imminent Calamity (2023). He was married to Mary Ellen "Mollie" Day. He died in 1914 in Mexico.

4. Aracy Cardoso

Actress | A hora do Galo

Aracy Cardoso was born on June 17, 1931 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was an actress, known for A hora do Galo (2004), A Canção de Bernadete (1957) and Capital Sin (1998). She was married to Ibanez Filho. She died on December 26, 2017 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro...

5. Barbara Tarbuck

Actress | Walking Tall

Trained on a Fulbright Grant to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Barbara's New York theatre work includes "Landscape & Silence" by Harold Pinter, "Water Engine" by David Mamet, Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound", Joseph Chaikin's production of "America Hurrah!",...

6. Brad Blaisdell

Actor | Inspector Gadget

Brad Blaisdell was born on March 15, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was an actor, known for Inspector Gadget (1999), The Negotiator (1998) and Executive Decision (1996). He was married to Merilee Magnuson and Philece Sampler. He died on December 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

7. Choly Berreteaga

Self | Videomatch

Choly Berreteaga was born on October 9, 1927 in Galicia, Spain. She died on December 26, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

8. Curtis Mayfield

Soundtrack | Armageddon

Rhythm and blues performer/songwriter credited with defining 1960's Chicago sound in hits like "It's All Right" and "Gypsy Woman." His style influenced other artists from pop to hip hop. Has been a quadriplegic ever since he was struck by lighting rig during outdoor concert in New York, 1990. ...

9. Cynthia Stone

Actress | That Wonderful Guy

Cynthia Stone was born on February 26, 1926 in Peoria, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for That Wonderful Guy (1949), Soldiers of Fortune (1955) and Cavalcade of America (1952). She was married to Robert Davis McDougal III, Cliff Robertson and Jack Lemmon. She died on December 26, 1988 in ...

10. Dian Fossey

Writer | Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey was born on January 16, 1932 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was a director and writer, known for Gorillas in the Mist (1988), The World About Us (1967) and The American Sportsman (1965). She died on December 26, 1985 in Karisoke, Rwanda.

11. Doctor Tangalanga

Actor | Cha cha cha

Doctor Tangalanga was born on November 10, 1916 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Cha cha cha (1993), El sol (2009) and Peor es nada (1990). He died on December 26, 2013.

12. Don McKay

Actor | Producers' Showcase

Don McKay was born on January 28, 1925 in Buttermilk Hill, West Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Producers' Showcase (1954), Jackanory (1965) and Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955). He died on December 26, 2018 in Manhattan, New York, New York, USA.

13. Elsa Lanchester

Actress | Witness for the Prosecution

Elsa Sullivan Lanchester was born into an unconventional a family at the turn of the 20th century. Her parents, James "Shamus" Sullivan and Edith "Biddy" Lanchester, were socialists - very active members of the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) in a rather broad sense - and did not believe in the ...

14. Fabio Carpi

Writer | Nel profondo paese straniero

Fabio Carpi was born on January 19, 1925 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. He was a writer and director, known for Nel profondo paese straniero (1997), Corpo d'amore (1973) and Il quartetto Basileus (1982). He died on December 26, 2018 in Paris, Île-de-France, France.

15. Fontella Bass

Soundtrack | I, Robot

Fontella Bass is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1965 hit, "Rescue Me."

Fontella Bass was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass, who was a member of The Clara Ward Gospel Singers, and the older sister of R&B singer David ...

16. Frank Adonis

Actor | Goodfellas

Frank Adonis was born on October 27, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Goodfellas (1990), Raging Bull (1980) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). He was married to Denise Alessi. He died on December 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

17. Fred Draper

Actor | A Woman Under the Influence

Fred Draper was born on September 2, 1923 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Faces (1968) and Opening Night (1977). He was married to Marilyn Marie Fair and Ruth Marie Ronberg. He died on December 26, 1999 in San Bernardino, California, USA.

18. Galina Volchek

Actress | Don Kikhot

Galina Volchek was born on December 19, 1933 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She was an actress and director, known for Don Kikhot (1957), Autumn Marathon (1979) and King Lear (1970). She was married to Mark Abelev and Evgeniy Evstigneev. She died on December 26, 2019 in Moscow, Russia.

19. George S. Irving

Actor | The Year Without a Santa Claus

George S. Irving was born on November 1, 1922 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), Live from Lincoln Center (1976) and Pinocchio's Christmas (1980). He was married to Maria Karnilova. He died on December 26, 2016 in Manhattan, New ...

20. Gerald Ford

Actor | Dynasty

Gerald Rudolph Ford was the 38th President of the United States from August 1974 until January 1977.

Ford was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska as Leslie Lynch King, Jr., being the son of Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner King. His parents separated two weeks after his birth and his...

21. Germán García

Self | Biografías de la Literatura

22. Gerry Anderson

Writer | Joe 90

Gerry Anderson was born on April 14, 1929 in West Hampstead, London, England, UK. He was a writer and producer, known for Joe 90 (1968), Invasion: UFO (1974) and UFO (1970). He was married to Mary Robins, Sylvia Anderson and Betty Wrightman. He died on December 26, 2012 in Henley-on-Thames, England...

23. Augusto Giustozzi

Writer | El cuento de las comadrejas

Augusto Giustozzi was born in Argentina. He was a writer, known for The Weasel's Tale (2019), Un viaje de locos (1974) and La carpa del amor (1979). He died on December 26, 2001 in Argentina.

24. Gualtiero Marchesi

Self | MasterChef Australia

Gualtiero Marchesi was born on March 19, 1930 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. He was married to Antonietta Cassisa. He died on December 26, 2017 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.

25. Guillermo Stábile

Actor | Fantoche

Guillermo Stábile was born in 1906 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Fantoche (1957) and Pelota de trapo (1949). He died on December 26, 1966.

26. Haldane Duncan

Director | Emmerdale Farm

Haldane Duncan was born on July 25, 1940 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), Snug and Cozi (1994) and Taggart (1983). He died on December 26, 2018.

27. Harry S. Truman

Self | The History of Sportfishing

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A lifetime member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a U.S. senator from the state of Missouri from 1935 to 1945. He was chosen as incumbent president Franklin D. Roosevelt's running mate for the ...

28. Herbert Ellis

Actor | The Party

Herbert Ellis was born on January 17, 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Party (1968), The Killing (1956) and Peter Gunn (1958). He was married to Sylvia Rappaport. He died on December 26, 2018 in San Gabriel, California, USA.

29. Howard Hawks

Director | Rio Bravo

What do the classic films Scarface (1932), Twentieth Century (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), His Girl Friday (1940), Sergeant York (1941), To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Red River (1948) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Rio Bravo (1959) have in...

30. Hurd Hatfield

Actor | The Picture of Dorian Gray

William Rukard Hurd Hatfield was an American leading man best known for his portrayal of the title character in the Oscar-winning movie The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). A native of New York, Hatfield came to England to study acting at the Chekhov Theatre Studio in Devonshire. He had resided in ...

31. Irv Weinstein

Actor | Hide in Plain Sight

Irv Weinstein was born on April 29, 1930 in Rochester, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Hide in Plain Sight (1980) and Chef's Cent'anni (2023). He was married to Elaine. He died on December 26, 2017 in Costa Mesa, California, USA.

32. Jack Benny

Actor | The Jack Benny Program

The son of a saloon keeper, Jack Benny (born Benny Kubelsky) began to study the violin at the age six, and his "ineptness" at it, would later become his trademark (in reality, he was a very accomplished player). When given the opportunity to play in live theatre professionally, Benny quit school ...

33. Jason Robards

Actor | All the President's Men

Powerful and highly respected American actor Jason Nelson Robards, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Hope Maxine (Glanville) and stage and film star Jason Robards Sr. He had Swedish, English, Welsh, German, and Irish ancestry. Robards was raised mostly in Los Angeles. A star athlete at ...

34. Jeff Morrow

Actor | This Island Earth

New York-born Morrow developed an interest in the theater as a result of his studies at art school. As "Irving Morrow," he was acting on stage (in Pennsylvania) as early as 1927; he later appeared in such plays as "Penal Law", "Once in a Lifetime", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Twelfth Night", "...

35. Jerry Herman

Soundtrack | Mystery Men

Grammy award-winning songwriter ("Hello Dolly!" [1965]), composer and author, educated at the University of Miami (Bachelor of Arts) and the Parsons School of Design. His stage scores include "I Feel Wonderful" and "Parade" (off-Broadway), "Night Cap" (for night clubs), and "Milk and Honey", "Mame"...

36. John Loder

Actor | How Green Was My Valley

A tall (6'3"), handsome, debonair, immaculately-groomed British leading man best known for his pipe-smoking chaps, Londoner John Loder (né John Muir Lowe), was born on January 3, 1898, the son of a British general. Attending both the Eton and the Royal Military colleges, he followed his ...

37. Joost Karhof

Self | De slimste mens ter wereld

Joost Karhof was born on February 8, 1969 in Gouda, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. He was married to Kim. He died on December 26, 2017 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

38. Jorge Grau

Writer | Noche de verano

Jorge Grau was born on October 27, 1930 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Noche de verano (1963), El espontáneo (1964) and Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974). He died on December 26, 2018 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

39. Leo Gordon

Actor | Maverick

Big, burly character actor, one of the toughest of screen heavies. New York-born Leo Gordon's combination of a powerful physique, deep, menacing voice and icy, withering glare was guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of even the bravest screen hero. Director Don Siegel, who used Gordon in his ...

40. Les Chadwick

Soundtrack | Zodiac

Les Chadwick was born on May 11, 1943 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Zodiac (2007), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) and Beast (2017). He was married to Jo Siopis. He died on December 26, 2019.

41. Mártha Eggerth

Actress | La chanson du souvenir

From the day she was born Martha lived in a world of music. For sure her father was a banker but he was also an amateur pianist. As for her mother, she was a housewife but also a very talented opera singer who had given up her career for the joys of matrimony and motherhood. It does not come as a ...

42. Nigel Hawthorne

Actor | The Madness of King George

Widely regarded as one of the greatest stage and screen actors both in his native UK and internationally, the unparalleled Nigel Hawthorne was born in Coventry, England on 5 April 1929, raised in South Africa and returned to the UK in the 1950s with his extensive work as a great gentleman of acting...

43. Nuri Montsé

Actress | Historia de crímenes

Nuri Montsé was born on December 25, 1917 in Cataluna, Spain. She was an actress, known for Historia de crímenes (1942), El hombre que se llevaron (1946) and Mi novia es un fantasma (1944). She was married to Ángel Magaña. She died on December 26, 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

44. Pedro Armendáriz Jr.

Actor | Licence to Kill

Pedro Armendáriz Jr. was born on April 6, 1940 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He was an actor and producer, known for Licence to Kill (1989), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) and The Mask of Zorro (1998). He was married to Lucía Gómez de Parada. He died on December 26, 2011 in New York ...

45. Penny Cook

Candy

Penny Cook was born on July 13, 1957. She was an actress, known for Candy (2006), A Country Practice (1981) and E Street (1989). She was married to Clive Robertson and David Lynch. She died on December 26, 2018 in Australia.

46. Rhodes Reason

Actor | Kingu Kongu no gyakushû

Rhodes Reason was born in Glendale, California on April 19, 1930. He was the younger brother of Rex Reason. Rhodes made his professional debut at the age of 18 in a stage production of 'Romeo and Juliet' under the direction of Charles Laughton. His career has spanned nearly 40 years and he appeared...

47. Ricky Harris

Actor | Heat

Ricky Harris was born October 5, 1965 in Long Beach, California as Richard George Harris II. He was an actor known for roles in Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009), Bones (2001), Moesha (1996-2001), Poetic Justice (1993), and Dope (2015). He gained fame after appearing on HBO's Def Comedy Jam in the ...

48. Robert Emhardt

Actor | 3:10 to Yuma

Robert Emhardt looked and sounded as if he had intentionally been created by some perverse god to play villains. Though rotund, he had hooded, lizard-like eyes and a drawling whine in his voice. The real Robert Emhardt, however, was a well-educated, cultured, generous man, not at all like the ...

49. Robert Lowery

Actor | House of Horrors

Robert Lowery was born Robert Larkin Hanks in Kansas City, Missouri, the only living child of Roscoe Hanks, noted Kansas City attorney and oil investor; and Leah Thompson, concert pianist and organist. He attended local Kansas City schools and graduated from Paseo High School in 1931 with a record ...

50. Roy J. Glauber

Self | Hiroshima: The Aftermath

Roy J. Glauber was born on September 1, 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Cynthia Rich. He died on December 26, 2018 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.

51. Savitri

Actress | Narthanasala

Savitri, also known as Savitri Ganesan, was an Indian film actress, director, producer, singer and race car enthusiast who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil cinema. She also worked in Malayalam, Hindi, and Kannada movies. Starring in more than 250 films. "Mahanati" (i.e.,) Greatest of all ...

52. Sleepy LaBeef

Soundtrack | Salvation Boulevard

Sleepy LaBeef was born on July 20, 1935 in Smackover, Arkansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Salvation Boulevard (2011), The Exotic Ones (1968) and Sing Country (1971). He was married to Louise Barwick, Linda Sharon Cerny and Ouita Richards. He died on December 26, 2019 in Siloam Springs, ...

53. Sono Osato

Actress | Sunday Showcase

Although she never adopted a Russian stage name, Sono Osato made her reputation as a ballerina with Wassily de Basil's Ballets Russes (nicknamed 'Nonotchka' by other members of the troupe). She was born in Omaha, of mixed ethnic parentage: her father Shoji was a Japanese photographer, her ...

54. Steven Geray

Actor | Gilda

Diminutive, gentle-featured character actor, who specialised in playing meek, reticent or kindly gentlemen, usually of Gallic, Germanic or Eastern European backgrounds. Istvan Gyergyay was born in the old Austro/Hungarian town of Ungvar (present-day Uzhgorod) and studied at Budapest University. His...

55. Sue Lyon

Actress | Lolita

Suellyn Lyon was born in Davenport, Iowa, the youngest of five siblings born to Sue Lyon (née Karr) and James Lyon. Sue Karr Lyon was 42 years old when she was widowed, when Suellyn was just 10 months old. Her mother worked in a hospital to provide for her children, and money was tight. The family ...

56. Sylva Koscina

Actress | Le fatiche di Ercole

Sylva Koscina was born on August 22, 1933 in Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia [now Zagreb, Croatia]. She was an actress, known for Hercules (1958), Hornets' Nest (1970) and Judex (1963). She was married to Raimondo Castelli. She died on December 26, 1994 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

57. Teena Marie

Soundtrack | Top Gun

Teena Marie was born on March 5, 1956 in Santa Monica, California, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), The Goonies (1985) and Maid in Manhattan (2002). She died on December 26, 2010 in Pasadena, California, USA.

58. Theodoros Antoniou

Composer | The Girl from Mani

Theodoros Antoniou was born on February 10, 1935 in Athens, Greece. He was a composer, known for The Girl from Mani (1986), The Summer of Rage (1962) and Meteorolithos (1981). He died on December 26, 2018 in Athens, Greece.

59. Vincent Schiavelli

Actor | Tomorrow Never Dies

Vincent Schiavelli, selected in 1997 by Vanity Fair as one of the best character actors in America, had made over 120 film and television appearances. He studied acting at NYU's Theatre Program. Aside from his acting career, Vincent was the author of three cookbooks, and has written numerous ...

60. Wendy Beckett

Writer | Sister Wendy's Story of Painting

Wendy Beckett was born on February 25, 1930 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was a writer, known for Sister Wendy's Story of Painting (1996), Songs of Praise (1961) and Gallery (1984). She died on December 26, 2018 in Quidenham, Norfolk, England, UK.

61. William Haines

Actor | Show People

Born in Staunton, Virginia, William Haines ran off to live life on his own terms while still in his teens, moving to New York City and becoming friends with such later Hollywood luminaries as designer Orry-Kelly and Cary Grant. His film career started slowly, but by the end of the silent era he was...