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Born in Japan, Makoto Iwamatsu was living there with his grandparents while his parents studied art in the United States, when Japan and the U.S. went to war in 1941. His parents remained in the U.S., working for the Office of War Information, and, at the cessation of the conflict, were granted U.S. residency by Congress. "Mako", as he became known, joined his parents in New York and studied architecture.

He entered the U.S. Army in the early 1950s and acted in shows for military personnel, discovering a talent and love for the theatre. He abandoned his plans to become an architect and instead enrolled at the famed Pasadena Community Playhouse. Following his studies there, he appeared in many stage productions and on television. In 1966, he won an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his first film role, as the coolie "Po-Han" in The Sand Pebbles (1966). He worked steadily in feature films since.

He appeared on Broadway in the leading role in Stephen Sondheim's "Pacific Overtures", and co-founded and served as artistic director for the highly-acclaimed East-West Players theatre company in Los Angeles.

Following a long battle with cancer, Mako passed away on July 21, 2006, at the age of 72. He was survived by his wife, Shizuko Hoshi (who co-starred in episodes of M*A*S*H (1972)) as well, and his children and grandchildren.

Jessica Madison Wright was born in Cincinnati on July 29th 1984, the eldest of four children. A pretty youngster who enjoyed dressing up and was very much a 'girlie' child, Madison began modeling at the age of five. Her interest in modeling and acting - something she shared with her younger sister Victoria - led the Wright family to relocate to Los Angeles and, in 1994, Madison had her acting debut aged nine in the comedy Grace Under Fire (1993), where she ironically played a small role as a snotty child model. Madison's big break came a few months later when she won the role of ten-year-old True Danziger in the science-fiction show Earth 2 (1994). Although the show was short-lived, Madison thoroughly enjoyed the chance of playing such an interesting character (and try her hand at being a tomboy!) and it also led to a friendship between her mother and the mother of her eight-year-old co-star Joey Zimmerman.

After 'Earth 2', Madison went on to portray a sick child in an Emmy-nominated episode of ER (1994) as well as have a co-starring role in the family film Shiloh (1996). She also had a role in the science-fiction film The Osiris Chronicles (1998), which was the pilot of a possible series that was never picked up.

By 1999, Madison was losing her interest in acting as she entered her mid-teens, and her family decided to move to Kentucky for a fresh start away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, it was then it was discovered she was suffering from cardiomyopathy, a very severe condition that leads to degeneration of the heart muscles, and the only hope of recovery was a heart transplant. Madison and her family were then forced to spend long periods of time in Cleveland where she was being treated although their travelling expenses were eased when they were offered a room at a Ronald McDonald house (a charity which provides a home away from home for families of seriously ill, hospitalized children) near the hospital.

Luckily, after a few months on the donor waiting list, she was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic where she received a heart transplant in March 2000, at the age of fifteen. Clancy Brown, the actor who played the screen father of Madison's character in Earth 2 (1994), led an appeal to raise money to cover the hefty medical bills and to support Madison and her family. He also bought her a laptop for her Christmas in 1999.

Sadly, on 21st July 2006, only a few days after marrying medical student Brent Morris, she died of a heart attack.

Pierre Rey was born on 27 April 1930 in Courthézon, Vaucluse, France. He was a writer, known for Les apôtres ne font pas crédit, Vertige pour un tueur (1970) and Regina Roma (1983). He was married to Pascale Roberts. He died on 21 July 2006 in Paris, France.

Ralph Gary was born on 2 June 1919 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Everglades! (1961), Peter Gunn (1958) and Route 66 (1960). He died on 21 July 2006 in Ceres, California, USA.

Jorge Ordaz was an actor, known for Penthouse (1973) and La traición (1984). He died on 21 July 2006 in Mexico.

Héctor Lastra was a writer, known for Dale nomás (1974). He died on 21 July 2006 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Liz Clefberg was born on 11 September 1961 in Nacka, Sweden. She is known for Att stjäla en tjuv (1996), 27 sekundmeter snö (2005) and Fatimas tredje hemlighet (1999). She died on 21 July 2006.

József Forgách was born on 11 September 1941 in Ózd, Hungary. He was an actor, known for Musical TV Theater (1970) and A fából faragott királyfi (1970). He died on 21 July 2006 in Budapest, Hungary.