Prior to "Gilligan's Island," Natalie Schafer had a professional acting career that lasted for decades. When she was still in her 20s, Schafer began appearing in numerous Broadway productions, often in smaller roles, and rarely in a play that ran for a very long time. She was an expert in playing a certain kind of high-society bourgeoisie biddy, and tended to play comedically clueless archetypes. Beginning in the 1940s, Schafer started to appear in films as well, appearing in multiple features a year. In the 1950s, she stretched into television, and was soon playing guest characters on many of the hottest anthology shows of the day.
At some point along the way, Shafer began telling people that she was 12 years younger than she actually was, likely hoping to avoid a stubborn, unjust stigma in Hollywood against older women. She had a stipulation in her contract that she receive no extreme closeups,...
At some point along the way, Shafer began telling people that she was 12 years younger than she actually was, likely hoping to avoid a stubborn, unjust stigma in Hollywood against older women. She had a stipulation in her contract that she receive no extreme closeups,...
- 10/20/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
John Lasell, a character actor known for his television portrayals in Perry Mason (1957), The Twilight Zone (1959) and Dark Shadows (1966), has died in Los Angeles at the age of 95.
The news was confirmed by an obituary notice, which listed the death date as Oct. 4.
His last screen credit dates back to 1985, with the Emmy-nominated TV miniseries A Death in California, opposite Cheryl Ladd and Sam Elliott. He appeared in a handful of episodes in the aforementioned television classic Perry Mason (three in total), as well as one guest spot on The Twilight Zone. His most regular appearance was on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, where he portrayed vampire hunter Dr. Peter Guthrie across 25 episodes.
Other notable TV appearances include Dallas, Falcon Crest, Lassie, Mannix, The Streets of San Francisco, The Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible (in 1972) and Gunsmoke. He was also in two episodes of Wagon Train and four episodes of the Emmy-winning show The Fugitive.
The news was confirmed by an obituary notice, which listed the death date as Oct. 4.
His last screen credit dates back to 1985, with the Emmy-nominated TV miniseries A Death in California, opposite Cheryl Ladd and Sam Elliott. He appeared in a handful of episodes in the aforementioned television classic Perry Mason (three in total), as well as one guest spot on The Twilight Zone. His most regular appearance was on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, where he portrayed vampire hunter Dr. Peter Guthrie across 25 episodes.
Other notable TV appearances include Dallas, Falcon Crest, Lassie, Mannix, The Streets of San Francisco, The Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible (in 1972) and Gunsmoke. He was also in two episodes of Wagon Train and four episodes of the Emmy-winning show The Fugitive.
- 10/13/2024
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Deadline Film + TV
John Lasell, a character actor known for roles on Dark Shadows and The Twilight Zone, has died. He was 95.
Lasell, of Los Angeles, died Oct. 4, according to a family notice.
Lasell appeared regularly on the 1960s camp horror soap Dark Shadows. He played Dr. Peter Guthrie, a vampire hunter. Jonathan Frid played vampire Barnabus Collins in the show that over the course of its four-year run developed a cult teenage following.
Lasell also played John Wilkes Booth in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone. He also held roles in two 1961 episodes of Wagon Train, and an episode of Hazel that same year. He appeared in a 1962 episode of Route 66, a 1964 episode of Flipper, and 1966 episodes of As the World Turns and Perry Mason. In 1972, he appeared in the television Mission: Impossible series, as well as an episode of Night Gallery and Mannix. He also showed up in an episode...
Lasell, of Los Angeles, died Oct. 4, according to a family notice.
Lasell appeared regularly on the 1960s camp horror soap Dark Shadows. He played Dr. Peter Guthrie, a vampire hunter. Jonathan Frid played vampire Barnabus Collins in the show that over the course of its four-year run developed a cult teenage following.
Lasell also played John Wilkes Booth in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone. He also held roles in two 1961 episodes of Wagon Train, and an episode of Hazel that same year. He appeared in a 1962 episode of Route 66, a 1964 episode of Flipper, and 1966 episodes of As the World Turns and Perry Mason. In 1972, he appeared in the television Mission: Impossible series, as well as an episode of Night Gallery and Mannix. He also showed up in an episode...
- 10/13/2024
- by Zoe G. Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Prior to "Gilligan's Island" in 1964, Tina Louise was already a long-working actress. Indeed, Louise worked her first modeling gig at the age of two, appearing in an ad campaign for her father's candy store. In high school, she started studying acting, and landed her first professional gig in 1956, appearing in an episode of the TV series "Studio One." She made her feature film debut in Anthony Mann's celebrated drama "God's Little Acre," in which Louise played Griselda, the wife of a character played by Jack Lord. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
Louise went on to star in other high-profile film projects, including Michael Curtiz's "The Hangman," and the 1960 Italian historical epic "The Siege of Syracuse," in which she played three different roles. Louise also played the poet Sappho in a film called "The Warrior Empress." In 1964, she appeared in a film called "For Those Who Think Young,...
Louise went on to star in other high-profile film projects, including Michael Curtiz's "The Hangman," and the 1960 Italian historical epic "The Siege of Syracuse," in which she played three different roles. Louise also played the poet Sappho in a film called "The Warrior Empress." In 1964, she appeared in a film called "For Those Who Think Young,...
- 10/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Sam Strangis, an Emmy-nominated CSI and CSI: Miami producer and Paramount exec and whose career dates back to classic 1960s and ’70s TV shows including Batman, The Brady Bunch and Happy Days, has died. He was 95.
His family told Deadline that Strangis died July 23 of kidney failure at Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, CA, but the news had not been reported.
Strangis’ TV career spanned six decades, from directing NBC’s 1957-59 antebellum western The Restless Gun through the wildly successful first two seasons of CBS’ Crime Scene Investigation and spinoff CSI: Miami. He racked up dozens of credits along the way, also serving as Paramount’s VP of TV Production in the mid-’70s.
Born on June 19, 1929, in Tacoma, Wa, Strangis began his career as a script supervisor at Revue Studios, leading his directing multiple episodes The Restless Gun. He went on to serve as production...
His family told Deadline that Strangis died July 23 of kidney failure at Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, CA, but the news had not been reported.
Strangis’ TV career spanned six decades, from directing NBC’s 1957-59 antebellum western The Restless Gun through the wildly successful first two seasons of CBS’ Crime Scene Investigation and spinoff CSI: Miami. He racked up dozens of credits along the way, also serving as Paramount’s VP of TV Production in the mid-’70s.
Born on June 19, 1929, in Tacoma, Wa, Strangis began his career as a script supervisor at Revue Studios, leading his directing multiple episodes The Restless Gun. He went on to serve as production...
- 10/2/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Sam Strangis, the director, producer and production executive behind shows such as “CSI,” “The Brady Bunch,” and “Happy Days,” died of kidney failure on July 23 at Providence Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, Calif., a family spokesperson confirmed. He was 95.
Strangis began his career as a script supervisor at Revue Studios before directing several episodes of “The Restless Gun,” which ran from 1957 to 1959. He went on to serve as a production manager for the 1966 film “Batman: The Movie” and later made the transition to head of production at Paramount Studios.
At Paramount, Strangis oversaw television shows such as “The Odd Couple,” “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Love,” “American Style,” and “Mannix.”
Strangis, along with his producing partner, Don Boyle, eventually left Paramount to work on the iconic series “Six Million Dollar Man” for Universal Studios. He then went on to produce a number of television films...
Strangis began his career as a script supervisor at Revue Studios before directing several episodes of “The Restless Gun,” which ran from 1957 to 1959. He went on to serve as a production manager for the 1966 film “Batman: The Movie” and later made the transition to head of production at Paramount Studios.
At Paramount, Strangis oversaw television shows such as “The Odd Couple,” “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Love,” “American Style,” and “Mannix.”
Strangis, along with his producing partner, Don Boyle, eventually left Paramount to work on the iconic series “Six Million Dollar Man” for Universal Studios. He then went on to produce a number of television films...
- 10/2/2024
- by Andrés Buenahora
- Variety Film + TV
Sam Strangis, the Emmy-nominated producer, director and studio executive who worked on Batman, The Six Million Dollar Man and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation during his five-decade career, has died. He was 95.
Strangis died July 23 of kidney failure at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California, a family spokesperson announced.
As head of production at Paramount Studios starting in the late 1960s, Strangis guided such memorable series as Mannix, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Brady Bunch, Love, American Style and Mission: Impossible.
With then-producing partner Don Boyle, he exited Paramount in 1974 to produce ABC’s new The Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors, for Universal Television. He followed by shepherding telefilms before returning to Paramount as vice president of TV production.
He would leave the studio again, this time to launch Ten-Four Productions, an independent production company that made such TV movies as...
Strangis died July 23 of kidney failure at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California, a family spokesperson announced.
As head of production at Paramount Studios starting in the late 1960s, Strangis guided such memorable series as Mannix, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Brady Bunch, Love, American Style and Mission: Impossible.
With then-producing partner Don Boyle, he exited Paramount in 1974 to produce ABC’s new The Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors, for Universal Television. He followed by shepherding telefilms before returning to Paramount as vice president of TV production.
He would leave the studio again, this time to launch Ten-Four Productions, an independent production company that made such TV movies as...
- 10/1/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The late great Peter Falk was born on September 16, 1927, and his detective drama “Columbo” is as timeless as it is entertaining. In the whole of television history, few actors have been as identified with a single character than was Falk with Lieutenant Columbo, the eccentric, rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-clad, implausibly wily Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who always got his man. In the process, Falk and the producers revolutionized what a cop show could be.
It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys..
SEE30 best TV detectives ranked
From the first official installment of “Columbo” – entitled “Murder by the Book” and featuring Jack Cassidy as the...
It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys..
SEE30 best TV detectives ranked
From the first official installment of “Columbo” – entitled “Murder by the Book” and featuring Jack Cassidy as the...
- 9/12/2024
- by Chris Beachum and Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Prior to "Gilligan's Island," actor Natalie Schafer had a massive career on stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in the play "Trigger" in 1927 and would appear regularly on stage throughout the '20s and '30s. She made her feature film debut in 1941 in the invisible man comedy "The Body Disappears" and continued to act in movies throughout the '40s. Schafer added TV acting to her resume starting in 1948. Appearing in most of the hit variety shows of the 1950s, she was a reliable comedienne of the first order, showing up in "77 Sunset Strip," "Mannix," and "The Beverly Hillbillies." Schafer, it seemed, never stopped working.
When Shafer was 64, she was offered the role of Lovey Howell, the millionaire, on Sherwood Schwartz's sitcom "Gilligan's Island." Despite decades of work, "Gilligan's Island" would become the feather in Schafer's cap -- the show she would become best known for.
When Shafer was 64, she was offered the role of Lovey Howell, the millionaire, on Sherwood Schwartz's sitcom "Gilligan's Island." Despite decades of work, "Gilligan's Island" would become the feather in Schafer's cap -- the show she would become best known for.
- 8/31/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
John Aprea has died. An actor on screens big and small since the late ‘60s, Aprea died with family by his side at his home in Los Angeles on Monday, August 5, Deadline confirmed via Aprea’s manager, Will Levine. He was 83.Born on March 4, 1941, in Englewood, N.J., Jonathan Aprea...
- 8/18/2024
- by Matt Schimkowitz
- avclub.com
John Aprea, whose acting career landed him roles on “Godfather Part II” and “Full House,” died on Aug. 5 of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 83.
His death was confirmed by Will Levine, Aprea’s manager.
Born in 1941 to Italian immigrants in Englewood, N.J., Aprea spent part of his early years in Italy before his family resettled back in the States. In the early 1960s, he set out to pursue his passion, acting, enrolling in Joshua Shelley’s acting classes (who also taught Mia Farrow and Jon Voight) in New York. Eventually, he would land a role in the 1968 Steve McQueen classic film Bullitt, playing Killer.
After his splashy debut, Aprea found acting work on sets for the 1970s TV series “Mannix,” the 1970s film “The Grasshopper,” and Jonathan Demme’s 1974 feature, “Caged Heat.”
John’s career took off when he was cast as the young Tessio in Francis Ford Coppola...
His death was confirmed by Will Levine, Aprea’s manager.
Born in 1941 to Italian immigrants in Englewood, N.J., Aprea spent part of his early years in Italy before his family resettled back in the States. In the early 1960s, he set out to pursue his passion, acting, enrolling in Joshua Shelley’s acting classes (who also taught Mia Farrow and Jon Voight) in New York. Eventually, he would land a role in the 1968 Steve McQueen classic film Bullitt, playing Killer.
After his splashy debut, Aprea found acting work on sets for the 1970s TV series “Mannix,” the 1970s film “The Grasshopper,” and Jonathan Demme’s 1974 feature, “Caged Heat.”
John’s career took off when he was cast as the young Tessio in Francis Ford Coppola...
- 8/18/2024
- by Meredith Woerner
- Variety Film + TV
John Aprea, the charismatic character actor who portrayed the young Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II and the father of John Stamos’ character on Full House, has died. He was 83.
Aprea died Aug. 5 of natural causes in Los Angeles, his manager, Will Levine, announced.
The New Jersey native appeared for director Jonathan Demme in Caged Heat (1974), Crazy Mama (1975) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004), played the brother of Ray Sharkey’s up-and-coming music promoter in Taylor Hackford’s The Idolmaker (1980) and was a mob guy in Mario Van Peebles’ New Jack City (1991).
Aprea also played another crook, Lucas Castigliano, as well as a multimillionaire shipping magnate, Alexander Nikos, during two stints on the NBC soap opera Another World over a course of a decade (1989-98). Both characters ended up getting shot to death by women.
He starred as the patriarch of a multi-generational Italian American family on NBC’s The Montefuscos,...
Aprea died Aug. 5 of natural causes in Los Angeles, his manager, Will Levine, announced.
The New Jersey native appeared for director Jonathan Demme in Caged Heat (1974), Crazy Mama (1975) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004), played the brother of Ray Sharkey’s up-and-coming music promoter in Taylor Hackford’s The Idolmaker (1980) and was a mob guy in Mario Van Peebles’ New Jack City (1991).
Aprea also played another crook, Lucas Castigliano, as well as a multimillionaire shipping magnate, Alexander Nikos, during two stints on the NBC soap opera Another World over a course of a decade (1989-98). Both characters ended up getting shot to death by women.
He starred as the patriarch of a multi-generational Italian American family on NBC’s The Montefuscos,...
- 8/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John Aprea, an actor whose extensive TV résumé included parts on Another World and Full House, has died at age 83. Aprea died of natural causes on August 7 while surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles, manager Will Levine told TMZ. The actor got his start in the 1968 film Bullitt, playing a killer opposite Steve McQueen’s title detective. After guest-starring roles in the TV series Mannix and The FBI, Aprea played young Salvatore Tessio in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II. Aprea had previously auditioned for the role of The Godfather’s Michael Corleone, a role that went to Al Pacino, but considered playing young Sal his greatest achievement, according to TMZ. “The Godfather Part II just stays with you, it’s a part of who you are. It is one of the best films ever made,” Aprea told Digital Journal in 2020. “Each time it comes on television, I tell myself,...
- 8/18/2024
- TV Insider
If you needed yet another reason to love Lucy, here's one — courtesy of Hocus Pocus and King of the Hill star Kathy Najimy. The prolific actress and activist shared a video on her Instagram page of the legendary Lucille Ball schooling a man on America Alive!, admonishing him for getting handsy with female audience members during the Q&a portion of her appearance.
That “man” was longtime entertainment newscaster for CBS, David Sheehan, and those audience members he was grabbing were young women likely studying at UCLA where the show was being taped.
Although the audience giggled at every one of Ball’s reproaches — “Will you take your hands off, David?” and “Take your hands off her, David” — Ball’s face was stern the whole time she scolded Sheehan. While everyone thought she was kidding around and perhaps thought it was part of a bit, Ball meant business.
Ball may...
That “man” was longtime entertainment newscaster for CBS, David Sheehan, and those audience members he was grabbing were young women likely studying at UCLA where the show was being taped.
Although the audience giggled at every one of Ball’s reproaches — “Will you take your hands off, David?” and “Take your hands off her, David” — Ball’s face was stern the whole time she scolded Sheehan. While everyone thought she was kidding around and perhaps thought it was part of a bit, Ball meant business.
Ball may...
- 8/10/2024
- Cracked
According to The Hollywood Reporter, television vet and character actor James B. Sikking was announced by his publicist, Cynthia Snyder, to have passed away this Saturday at his Los Angeles home due to complications with dementia. Sikking was a regular and a frequent collaborator of Steven Bochco shows. The actor is known for portraying the stern Lt. Howard Hunter on the cop series, Hill Street Blues, as well as playing the dad to the titular teenage doctor character played by Neil Patrick Harris on the drama Doogie Howser M.D. Sikking was 90 at the time of his passing.
In addition to being known for television, Sikking can also be seen in a bevy of notable film roles. He played a mocking hitman in the John Boorman film Point Blank (1967). He was also the stuffy Captain Styles who James T. Kirk would defy in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), directed by Leonard Nimoy.
In addition to being known for television, Sikking can also be seen in a bevy of notable film roles. He played a mocking hitman in the John Boorman film Point Blank (1967). He was also the stuffy Captain Styles who James T. Kirk would defy in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), directed by Leonard Nimoy.
- 7/15/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
James B. Sikking, the Steven Bochco favorite who portrayed the no-nonsense Lt. Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues and the good-hearted doctor dad on Doogie Howser, M.D., has died. He was 90.
Sikking died Saturday at his Los Angeles home of complications from dementia, publicist Cynthia Snyder announced.
Although best known for his TV work, Sikking did have notable turns on the big screen as a mocking hitman in John Boorman’s Point Blank (1967), as the stuffy Captain Styles in Leonard Nimoy‘s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and as the director of the FBI in Alan J. Pakula’s The Pelican Brief (1993).
After spending the better part of two decades showing up on such shows as The Outer Limits, Honey West, The Fugitive, Hogan’s Heroes and Mannix, Sikking was cast as the pipe-smoking Hunter, leader of the Swat-like Emergency Action Team, on NBC’s Hill Street Blues.
Sikking died Saturday at his Los Angeles home of complications from dementia, publicist Cynthia Snyder announced.
Although best known for his TV work, Sikking did have notable turns on the big screen as a mocking hitman in John Boorman’s Point Blank (1967), as the stuffy Captain Styles in Leonard Nimoy‘s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and as the director of the FBI in Alan J. Pakula’s The Pelican Brief (1993).
After spending the better part of two decades showing up on such shows as The Outer Limits, Honey West, The Fugitive, Hogan’s Heroes and Mannix, Sikking was cast as the pipe-smoking Hunter, leader of the Swat-like Emergency Action Team, on NBC’s Hill Street Blues.
- 7/15/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Armando Silvestre, a busy actor in the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema who appeared with Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine in Two Mules for Sister Sara, with Yul Brynner in Kings of the Sun and with Burt Lancaster in The Scalphunters, has died. He was 98.
Silvestre died June 2 in Coronado, California, a representative from the Aztlan Mortuary in nearby La Mesa told The Hollywood Reporter.
The powerfully built Silvestre made scores of films in Mexico, among them Here Comes Martin Corona (1952), Rossana (1953), Story of a Mink Coat (1955) with Silvia Pinal, La Sombra Vengadora (1956), The Miracle Roses (1960), Neutrón Contra el Dr. Caronte (1963), La Choca (1974) and Faith, Hope and Charity (1974).
He excelled in Westerns and action adventure movies early in his career en route to compiling more than 200 credits on IMDb.
Armando Silvestre Carrascosa was born in San Diego on Jan. 28, 1926, and raised in Tijuana. His younger brother was Eduardo Silvestre, winner of the Mr.
Silvestre died June 2 in Coronado, California, a representative from the Aztlan Mortuary in nearby La Mesa told The Hollywood Reporter.
The powerfully built Silvestre made scores of films in Mexico, among them Here Comes Martin Corona (1952), Rossana (1953), Story of a Mink Coat (1955) with Silvia Pinal, La Sombra Vengadora (1956), The Miracle Roses (1960), Neutrón Contra el Dr. Caronte (1963), La Choca (1974) and Faith, Hope and Charity (1974).
He excelled in Westerns and action adventure movies early in his career en route to compiling more than 200 credits on IMDb.
Armando Silvestre Carrascosa was born in San Diego on Jan. 28, 1926, and raised in Tijuana. His younger brother was Eduardo Silvestre, winner of the Mr.
- 6/12/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
General Hospital (Gh) fans are mourning the death of another alum. Betty Ann Rees passed away this past Monday, June 3 at the age of 81.
She had been in a number of movies, appeared on several primetime television shows, and did a couple of soaps, including Gh.
An actress, as well as an entrepreneur, Betty Anne had multiple sclerosis (Ms) and had a “possible stroke” before passing away.
General Hospital Alum Betty Anne Rees – Her Acting Legacy
Rees was famous for her role on the sitcom My Three Sons, playing Fred MacMurray’s secretary in the show’s final 12th season from 1971 to 1972.
She was also well known for her appearances in movies like The Unholy Rollers in 1972, as well as The Photographer and Sugar Hill in 1974.
In addition, Betty Anne guest starred on primetime television shows like the Mod Squad, Mannix, The F.B.I., The Incredible Hulk, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco,...
She had been in a number of movies, appeared on several primetime television shows, and did a couple of soaps, including Gh.
An actress, as well as an entrepreneur, Betty Anne had multiple sclerosis (Ms) and had a “possible stroke” before passing away.
General Hospital Alum Betty Anne Rees – Her Acting Legacy
Rees was famous for her role on the sitcom My Three Sons, playing Fred MacMurray’s secretary in the show’s final 12th season from 1971 to 1972.
She was also well known for her appearances in movies like The Unholy Rollers in 1972, as well as The Photographer and Sugar Hill in 1974.
In addition, Betty Anne guest starred on primetime television shows like the Mod Squad, Mannix, The F.B.I., The Incredible Hulk, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco,...
- 6/11/2024
- by Dorathy Gass
- Celebrating The Soaps
Betty Anne Rees, who appeared on My Three Sons but was better known for the films The Unholy Rollers and Sugar Hill, has died at age 81. Rees died on June 3 at home in Hemet, California, niece Kathleen Loucks told The Hollywood Reporter. The retired actor had suffered a series of falls recently and had possibly endured a stroke, and she was also living with multiple sclerosis. Born Elizabeth Anne Rees in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on April 14, 1943 — and educated at Shaker Heights High School, the University of Miami, and the Pasadena Playhouse — the actor made early appearances on the daytime soaps General Hospital and The Doctors, per THR. In the early 1970s, Rees guest-starred on the TV shows The F.B.I., Adam-12, Mannix, and Mod Squad. Then came her role in the ABC-turned-CBS sitcom My Three Sons. Rees played Janet Ingram, the secretary of Fred MacMurray’s character, in the final season.
- 6/8/2024
- TV Insider
Betty Anne Rees, who portrayed tough women who weren’t very nice in The Unholy Rollers and Sugar Hill, two 1970s offerings from the B-movie factory American International Pictures, has died. She was 81.
Rees died Monday at her home in Hemet, California, after a series of falls and a possible stroke, her niece, Kathleen Loucks, told The Hollywood Reporter. She also was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s.
The Ohio native played Janet Ingram, the secretary for Fred MacMurray’s Steve Douglas, on the last of My Three Sons’ 12 seasons in 1971-72. (Abby Dalton was Janet on an episode three years earlier.)
In The Unholy Rollers (1972), directed by Vernon Zimmerman, Rees portrayed Mickey Martinez, a star of the Los Angeles Avengers roller derby team who does not get along with popular new player Karen Walker (1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings).
The film, executive produced by Roger Corman...
Rees died Monday at her home in Hemet, California, after a series of falls and a possible stroke, her niece, Kathleen Loucks, told The Hollywood Reporter. She also was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s.
The Ohio native played Janet Ingram, the secretary for Fred MacMurray’s Steve Douglas, on the last of My Three Sons’ 12 seasons in 1971-72. (Abby Dalton was Janet on an episode three years earlier.)
In The Unholy Rollers (1972), directed by Vernon Zimmerman, Rees portrayed Mickey Martinez, a star of the Los Angeles Avengers roller derby team who does not get along with popular new player Karen Walker (1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings).
The film, executive produced by Roger Corman...
- 6/8/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George Maksian, who spent 44 years as a film and TV columnist for the New York Daily News at a time when it had the largest circulation in the U.S., died at 94 on May 23. No cause was given.
Working out of the newspaper’s former home on E. 42nd St. in Manhattan, Maksian covered the celebrity beat and was widely syndicated.
His interview list included Ed Sullivan, Howard Stern, Johnny Carson, Barbara Walters, David Letterman and Bette Midler.
But Maksian held a special reverence for Mike Connors of TV’s Mannix, a fellow Armenian-American. Both were born of parents who escaped the Armenian genocide.
Maksian once said sportscaster Howard Cosell wrote a four-page letter to the editors complaining about his boxing coverage.
Maksian reported that Cosell had complained about being forced by ABC to continue covering boxing, objecting to the brutality. But Maksian found out that Cosell’s contract allowed...
Working out of the newspaper’s former home on E. 42nd St. in Manhattan, Maksian covered the celebrity beat and was widely syndicated.
His interview list included Ed Sullivan, Howard Stern, Johnny Carson, Barbara Walters, David Letterman and Bette Midler.
But Maksian held a special reverence for Mike Connors of TV’s Mannix, a fellow Armenian-American. Both were born of parents who escaped the Armenian genocide.
Maksian once said sportscaster Howard Cosell wrote a four-page letter to the editors complaining about his boxing coverage.
Maksian reported that Cosell had complained about being forced by ABC to continue covering boxing, objecting to the brutality. But Maksian found out that Cosell’s contract allowed...
- 5/29/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Elizabeth MacRae, who played girlfriends of Gomer Pyle and Festus Haggen on television and a woman who seduces Gene Hackman’s surveillance expert in The Conversation, has died. She was 88.
MacRae died Monday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she was raised, her family announced.
MacRae showed up as Lou-Ann Poovie on 15 episodes of the CBS comedy Gomer Pyle: Usmc during its final three seasons (1966-69). She was signed to work just one episode, “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” on the Jim Nabors starrer but impressed producers enough to stick around for more.
Earlier, she portrayed April Clomley, the girlfriend of deputy marshal Festus (Ken Curtis), on CBS’ Gunsmoke on four installments from 1962-64.
In The Conversation (1974), written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, MacRae played Meredith, who dances with Hackman’s Harry Caul in his apartment, sleeps with him and then swipes one of his audiotapes. The actress was among...
MacRae died Monday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she was raised, her family announced.
MacRae showed up as Lou-Ann Poovie on 15 episodes of the CBS comedy Gomer Pyle: Usmc during its final three seasons (1966-69). She was signed to work just one episode, “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” on the Jim Nabors starrer but impressed producers enough to stick around for more.
Earlier, she portrayed April Clomley, the girlfriend of deputy marshal Festus (Ken Curtis), on CBS’ Gunsmoke on four installments from 1962-64.
In The Conversation (1974), written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, MacRae played Meredith, who dances with Hackman’s Harry Caul in his apartment, sleeps with him and then swipes one of his audiotapes. The actress was among...
- 5/29/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Terry Carter, who portrayed Pvt. Sugie Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show, the sidekick of Dennis Weaver’s character on McCloud and Colonel Tigh on the original version of Battlestar Galactica, has died. He was 95.
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
- 4/23/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ron Thompson, the unheralded actor who starred on Broadway for Charles Gordone in the Pulitzer Prize-winning No Place to Be Somebody and played father and son musicians for Ralph Bakshi in the animated cult classic American Pop, has died. He was 83.
Filmmaker Joe Black told The Hollywood Reporter that he found Thompson in his Van Nuys apartment on Saturday afternoon. The two had worked together in eight features, including Hate Horses (2017), Chicks, Man (2018) and Suffrage (2023), and Black visited him a couple times a week to help him out.
“For a man of his age, he was so full of life, he had such a presence,” Black said. He called Thompson “the Sam Jackson to my Tarantino.”
In 1969, Thompson originated off-Broadway the role of Shanty Mulligan in the Joseph Papp-produced No Place to Be Somebody, starring Ron O’Neal, then accompanied the drama to Broadway and on a tour around the country.
Filmmaker Joe Black told The Hollywood Reporter that he found Thompson in his Van Nuys apartment on Saturday afternoon. The two had worked together in eight features, including Hate Horses (2017), Chicks, Man (2018) and Suffrage (2023), and Black visited him a couple times a week to help him out.
“For a man of his age, he was so full of life, he had such a presence,” Black said. He called Thompson “the Sam Jackson to my Tarantino.”
In 1969, Thompson originated off-Broadway the role of Shanty Mulligan in the Joseph Papp-produced No Place to Be Somebody, starring Ron O’Neal, then accompanied the drama to Broadway and on a tour around the country.
- 4/16/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Charles Dierkop, best known for his roles in The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Police Woman, died Sunday at a Sherman Oaks Hospital. He was 87.
He reportedly suffered from a heart attack and a case of pneumonia.
The Wisconsin-born character actor got his start in an uncredited role opposite Paul Newman in The Hustler. He reunited with him as Flat Nose Curry in the 1969 flick Butch Cassidy and as a bodyguard in the Best Picture Oscar-winning 1973 movie The Sting.
He found steady work in TV, with roles in episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Mannix, Kung Fu, The F.B.I., The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, Batman, Adam-12, It Takes a Thief, Love, American Style and Mission: Impossible.
Dierkop played Detective Pete Royston from 1974-78 as a series regular opposite Angie Dickinson on NBC’s Police Woman, a spinoff of Police Story.
He reportedly suffered from a heart attack and a case of pneumonia.
The Wisconsin-born character actor got his start in an uncredited role opposite Paul Newman in The Hustler. He reunited with him as Flat Nose Curry in the 1969 flick Butch Cassidy and as a bodyguard in the Best Picture Oscar-winning 1973 movie The Sting.
He found steady work in TV, with roles in episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Mannix, Kung Fu, The F.B.I., The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, Batman, Adam-12, It Takes a Thief, Love, American Style and Mission: Impossible.
Dierkop played Detective Pete Royston from 1974-78 as a series regular opposite Angie Dickinson on NBC’s Police Woman, a spinoff of Police Story.
- 2/28/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Charles Dierkop, the busy character actor who played tough guys in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and the 1970s Angie Dickinson series Police Woman, has died. He was 87.
Dierkop died Sunday at Sherman Oaks Hospital after a recent heart attack and bout with pneumonia, his daughter, Lynn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Wisconsin native also appeared alongside Rod Steiger in Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker (1964), played the mobster Salvanti in Roger Corman’s The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967) and was a murderous Santa Claus in the cult horror movie Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).
After portraying an uncredited pool-hall hood in the Paul Newman-starring The Hustler (1961), Dierkop got to work with Newman again in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) when he was hired to play Hole in the Wall Gang outlaw George “Flat Nose” Curry.
Dierkop had broken his nose in fights several times as a kid,...
Dierkop died Sunday at Sherman Oaks Hospital after a recent heart attack and bout with pneumonia, his daughter, Lynn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Wisconsin native also appeared alongside Rod Steiger in Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker (1964), played the mobster Salvanti in Roger Corman’s The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967) and was a murderous Santa Claus in the cult horror movie Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).
After portraying an uncredited pool-hall hood in the Paul Newman-starring The Hustler (1961), Dierkop got to work with Newman again in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) when he was hired to play Hole in the Wall Gang outlaw George “Flat Nose” Curry.
Dierkop had broken his nose in fights several times as a kid,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Francis Ford Coppola's bleak Vietnam War picture "Apocalypse Now" is not only one of the best films of 1979, but is handily one of the finest, most important films of its decade. Using Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella "Heart of Darkness" as a template, Copolla transposed the book's action from the late 1800s Congo to the jungles of Cambodia, and, in so doing, exposed the madness and horror of the Vietnam War in harrowing, soul-hollowing terms. As Captain Willars (Martin Sheen) treks deeper and deeper into the chaos of the natural world -- drifting ever closer to the insane, cult-founding rogue Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) -- reality begins to dissipate. Eventually, madness and violence are all that remain, and war is reduced to its base function: brazen, meaningless destruction and cruelty. "Apocalypse Now" is a great, great film.
Curiously, a lot of war enthusiasts love "Apocalypse Now," seemingly ignoring the film's...
Curiously, a lot of war enthusiasts love "Apocalypse Now," seemingly ignoring the film's...
- 12/18/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Saturday marks 96 years since the great Peter Falk was born (9-16-27), which strikes us as a great reason to revisit a detective drama as timeless as it is entertaining. In the whole of television history, few actors have been as identified with a single character than was Falk with Lieutenant Columbo, the eccentric, rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-clad, implausibly wily Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who always got his man. In the process, Falk and the producers revolutionized what a cop show could be. We’re wishing him a Happy Birthday, even though he left us on June 23, 2011.
It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys.
It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys.
- 9/14/2023
- by Ray Richmond and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Hersha Parady, whose three-season run as Walnut Grove schoolteacher Alice Garvey on Little House on the Prairie came to an unforgettable, dark end for fans of the beloved NBC drama, has died. She was 78.
Parady died Wednesday in the Norfolk, Virginia, home of her son, Jonathan Peverall, he told The Hollywood Reporter. She had been dealing with a brain tumor, and he had set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.
Parady and former NFL star Merlin Olsen were introduced as wife and husband Alice and Jonathan Garvey on the Michael Landon-created Little House on the Prairie during the season-four opening episode, “Castoffs,” in September 1977.
On the sixth-season installment “May We Make Them Proud,” which aired as a two-hour episode during a sweeps ratings period in February 1980, Alice races into the School for the Blind, which has caught fire, to save some children inside, including Mary and Adam’s (Melissa Sue Anderson,...
Parady died Wednesday in the Norfolk, Virginia, home of her son, Jonathan Peverall, he told The Hollywood Reporter. She had been dealing with a brain tumor, and he had set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.
Parady and former NFL star Merlin Olsen were introduced as wife and husband Alice and Jonathan Garvey on the Michael Landon-created Little House on the Prairie during the season-four opening episode, “Castoffs,” in September 1977.
On the sixth-season installment “May We Make Them Proud,” which aired as a two-hour episode during a sweeps ratings period in February 1980, Alice races into the School for the Blind, which has caught fire, to save some children inside, including Mary and Adam’s (Melissa Sue Anderson,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When HBO scored four slots on this year’s list of outstanding drama Emmy nominees, it wasn’t quite a huge surprise. The pay cabler is holding a hot hand at the moment — and I said as much in my February Variety magazine cover story of HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys. With “Succession,” “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon” and “The White Lotus” among the biggest shows of the year, and eight available slots in the category, of course HBO would land those four.
And yet, let’s give credit where credit is due. It is extremely impressive. And it has only happened twice before: In 1992, when NBC scored four of five slots, with “I’ll Fly Away,” “L.A. Law,” “Law & Order” and “Quantum Leap”; and 1973, when CBS landed four of six with “The Waltons,” “Cannon,” “Hawaii Five-o” and “Mannix.”
It’s hard to believe...
And yet, let’s give credit where credit is due. It is extremely impressive. And it has only happened twice before: In 1992, when NBC scored four of five slots, with “I’ll Fly Away,” “L.A. Law,” “Law & Order” and “Quantum Leap”; and 1973, when CBS landed four of six with “The Waltons,” “Cannon,” “Hawaii Five-o” and “Mannix.”
It’s hard to believe...
- 8/18/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Clarence Avant, the beloved recording industry insider whose work as an executive, label owner, dealmaker and mentor earned him the nickname the “Godfather of Black Music,” has died. He was 92.
Avant died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced in a statement. His death came 20 months after his wife of 54 years, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, was shot and killed by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, 2021.
Survivors include their daughter, Nicole Avant, a producer, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, and their son, Alexander, a producer (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!) and talent rep.
“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” the Avant/Sarandos family said.
Avant died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced in a statement. His death came 20 months after his wife of 54 years, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, was shot and killed by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, 2021.
Survivors include their daughter, Nicole Avant, a producer, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, and their son, Alexander, a producer (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!) and talent rep.
“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” the Avant/Sarandos family said.
- 8/14/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The TV studio Desilu was founded in 1950 by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, which you can probably tell by the name. The famous performing couple initially pitched a TV adaptation of the marriage-based radio sitcom "My Favorite Husband" to the execs at CBS, but that show eventually mutated into "I Love Lucy," more explicitly sold as a vehicle for Ball. To this day, "I Love Lucy" remains one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, and every modern comedy show contains traces of its DNA. The series ran for 180 episodes over six seasons, ending its run in 1957. Lucy and Desi divorced a few years later, and Ball became the sole owner of Desilu.
Desilu oversaw a wide spectrum of shows, from sitcoms like "Our Miss Brooks" and variety shows like "Shower of Stars," but also Westerns like "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" and adventure programs like "Whirlybirds.
Desilu oversaw a wide spectrum of shows, from sitcoms like "Our Miss Brooks" and variety shows like "Shower of Stars," but also Westerns like "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" and adventure programs like "Whirlybirds.
- 8/13/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Along with rival NBC, CBS found success in radio before adding on the new medium of television in the 1940s. With the creation of ABC a few years later, the “Big Three” networks dominated the small screen for half a century before receiving competition from Fox network, cable stations and, later, streaming services. In the earliest days of TV, CBS and NBC vied for top spots in the ratings; by the mid-1950s, CBS commanded the lead with pioneering and groundbreaking programs across multiple genres — a trend that would continue for decades.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
- 6/14/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Along with rival NBC, CBS found success in radio before adding on the new medium of television in the 1940s. With the creation of ABC a few years later, the “Big Three” networks dominated the small screen for half a century before receiving competition from Fox network, cable stations and, later, streaming services. In the earliest days of TV, CBS and NBC vied for top spots in the ratings; by the mid-1950s, CBS commanded the lead with pioneering and groundbreaking programs across multiple genres — a trend that would continue for decades.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
- 6/13/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
With its list of new releases for June 2023, Prime is bringing a handful of Amazon Originals and many recent movie hits to the fold.
It’s actually quite a busy month for non-American programming in Amazon Originals department. Shows and movies like Deadloch, My Fault, and Medellín all originate from outside the U.S. and U.K. For the American and British crowd, however, the streamer is debuting two big tentpoles.
The first is I’m a Virgo on June 23. Acclaimed director Boots Riley’s TV followup to Sorry to Bother You will tale the surreal and satirical tale of a giant in Oakland. That will be followed by the more conventional (assumedly) fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on June 30.
The real fireworks this month come from a ludicrously deep bench of library TV and movie titles. Give them a look for yourself below but if we were to highlight just a few,...
It’s actually quite a busy month for non-American programming in Amazon Originals department. Shows and movies like Deadloch, My Fault, and Medellín all originate from outside the U.S. and U.K. For the American and British crowd, however, the streamer is debuting two big tentpoles.
The first is I’m a Virgo on June 23. Acclaimed director Boots Riley’s TV followup to Sorry to Bother You will tale the surreal and satirical tale of a giant in Oakland. That will be followed by the more conventional (assumedly) fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on June 30.
The real fireworks this month come from a ludicrously deep bench of library TV and movie titles. Give them a look for yourself below but if we were to highlight just a few,...
- 6/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
More than 50 years ago, a lovely lady and a man named Brady fell in love and got married. The result was The Brady Bunch, the beloved 1970s sitcom about a big blended family. The show aired for five seasons on ABC and earned a second life in syndication. In the process, it made stars of its cast, including Eve Plumb as put-upon middle sister Jan Brady and Barry Williams as oldest Brady son Greg. But what have Plumb, Willams, and the rest of the cast been up to since the show ended? Keep reading for an update on the surviving Brady Bunch cast members and what they’re doing now.
Maureen McCormick Maureen McCormick | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images); Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
Maureen McCormick played the eldest Brady family daughter Marcia in The Brady Bunch and several spinoffs and sequels, including The Brady Bunch...
Maureen McCormick Maureen McCormick | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images); Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
Maureen McCormick played the eldest Brady family daughter Marcia in The Brady Bunch and several spinoffs and sequels, including The Brady Bunch...
- 5/20/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Carol Locatell, who had a memorable turn as the foulmouthed mother Ethel Hubbard in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning and worked alongside Burt Reynolds in three films, has died. She was 82.
Locatell died April 11 at her home in Sherman Oaks after a long battle with cancer, her husband, songwriter and record producer Gregory Prestopino, told The Hollywood Reporter. They were together for 50 years.
Locatell moved from Los Angeles to New York in the mid-1980s to shake up her career, and from her first audition there she landed a part on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound, which premiered in 1986. She then appeared in The Shadow Box in 1994 and in The Rose Tattoo a year later.
She first met Reynolds when she auditioned for him for a role in Simon’s Chapter Two at his dinner theater in Jupiter, Florida. She worked with him in Paternity...
Locatell died April 11 at her home in Sherman Oaks after a long battle with cancer, her husband, songwriter and record producer Gregory Prestopino, told The Hollywood Reporter. They were together for 50 years.
Locatell moved from Los Angeles to New York in the mid-1980s to shake up her career, and from her first audition there she landed a part on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound, which premiered in 1986. She then appeared in The Shadow Box in 1994 and in The Rose Tattoo a year later.
She first met Reynolds when she auditioned for him for a role in Simon’s Chapter Two at his dinner theater in Jupiter, Florida. She worked with him in Paternity...
- 4/18/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Known to horror fans for her role in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Bloody Disgusting has learned the sad news this week that Carol Locatell has passed away at the age of 82.
Alongside Ron Sloan’s character Junior, Carol Locatell played Ethel (aka Ma) in the Friday the 13th franchise’s fifth installment back in 1985, delivering a scene-stealing performance that helped make her a fan favorite star on the horror convention circuit in recent years.
Sean Clark writes on Instagram, “Just got a call from Ron Sloan letting me know that our friend Carol Locatell who most of the fans know as Ethel aka Ma in Friday the 13th Part 5 A New Beginning has lost her battle with cancer. My heart goes out to her husband Greg and their entire family.
Clark’s tribute continues, “I had the great fortune of working with her for 15+ years and she was an amazing person.
Alongside Ron Sloan’s character Junior, Carol Locatell played Ethel (aka Ma) in the Friday the 13th franchise’s fifth installment back in 1985, delivering a scene-stealing performance that helped make her a fan favorite star on the horror convention circuit in recent years.
Sean Clark writes on Instagram, “Just got a call from Ron Sloan letting me know that our friend Carol Locatell who most of the fans know as Ethel aka Ma in Friday the 13th Part 5 A New Beginning has lost her battle with cancer. My heart goes out to her husband Greg and their entire family.
Clark’s tribute continues, “I had the great fortune of working with her for 15+ years and she was an amazing person.
- 4/18/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams are looking to make some Emmy history this year as the current comedy supporting actor/actress category frontrunners for their performances in the ABC comedy hit “Abbott Elementary.” Ralph of course memorably won last year – complete with a powerful singing acceptance speech – and is going for two in a row after also taking the comedy supporting actress trophy at the Critics Choice Awards in January. Williams, who won a Golden Globe earlier this year, is looking to keep Brett Goldstein from pulling off an Emmy three-peat for “Ted Lasso” after being nominated a year ago.
Should both Ralph and Williams triumph, it would be the first time that performers of color won in the comedy supporting categories in the same year. In fact, it would be the first time African Americans took home an Emmy statue in the same year in any supporting series category – drama included.
Should both Ralph and Williams triumph, it would be the first time that performers of color won in the comedy supporting categories in the same year. In fact, it would be the first time African Americans took home an Emmy statue in the same year in any supporting series category – drama included.
- 4/10/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Sad news today as it has been reported that Barbara Basson died on Saturday at the age of 83. The actress is best known for playing Fay Furillo on Hill Street Blues, which was co-created by her then-husband, Steven Bochco. Basson’s son, Jesse Bochco, announced her death on social media. “More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at,” Bochco wrote. “When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama.“
Barbara Basson appeared in many of her husband’s productions, including Capt. Celeste “C.Z.” Stern, the divorced boss of John Ritter’s police inspector, in Hooperman, as Los Angeles mayor Louise Plank in Cop Rock, and as prosecutor Miriam Grasso in Murder One. Basson also appeared in TV shows such as Mannix, Emergency!, McMillan & Wife,...
Barbara Basson appeared in many of her husband’s productions, including Capt. Celeste “C.Z.” Stern, the divorced boss of John Ritter’s police inspector, in Hooperman, as Los Angeles mayor Louise Plank in Cop Rock, and as prosecutor Miriam Grasso in Murder One. Basson also appeared in TV shows such as Mannix, Emergency!, McMillan & Wife,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Barbara Bosson, an Emmy-nominated actor known for her role as Fay Furillo on “Hill Street Blues,” died Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 83 years old.
Bosson’s death was confirmed by her son, Jesse Bochco.
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt,” Bochco said in an Instagram tribute. “If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama.”
From 1981 to 1986, Bosson was a main cast member on “Hill Street Blues,” portraying Fay Furillo, the ex-wife to police captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti). She received five Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series throughout her tenure on the series. She was nominated in the same category in 1995 for “Murder One,” which shows the life of prominent attorney Theodore Hoffman at a Los Angeles firm,...
Bosson’s death was confirmed by her son, Jesse Bochco.
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt,” Bochco said in an Instagram tribute. “If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama.”
From 1981 to 1986, Bosson was a main cast member on “Hill Street Blues,” portraying Fay Furillo, the ex-wife to police captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti). She received five Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series throughout her tenure on the series. She was nominated in the same category in 1995 for “Murder One,” which shows the life of prominent attorney Theodore Hoffman at a Los Angeles firm,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
Barbara Bosson, the Emmy-nominated actor best known for her work on the acclaimed police drama “Hill Street Blues,” died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 83.
Bosson’s son, director and producer Jesse Bochco, confirmed the news via a tribute on Instagram.
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too,” Boncho wrote in his post. “Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama. Barbara “Babs” Bosson Bochco 1939-2023.”
Bosson married “Hill Street Blues” co-creator Steven Bochco in 1970, after the two met while attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Over the course of her career, Bosson starred in multiple series created by Bochco, including “Hooperman,” “Cop Rock,” and “Murder One.” The two divorced in 1997, and Bochco died in 2018 at age 74 from leukemia.
Born in 1939 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania,...
Bosson’s son, director and producer Jesse Bochco, confirmed the news via a tribute on Instagram.
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too,” Boncho wrote in his post. “Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama. Barbara “Babs” Bosson Bochco 1939-2023.”
Bosson married “Hill Street Blues” co-creator Steven Bochco in 1970, after the two met while attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Over the course of her career, Bosson starred in multiple series created by Bochco, including “Hooperman,” “Cop Rock,” and “Murder One.” The two divorced in 1997, and Bochco died in 2018 at age 74 from leukemia.
Born in 1939 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Barbara Bosson, a staple of primetime television dramas for decades (including many created or produced by her former husband Steven Bochco), has died at the age of 83. Her son Jesse Bochco announced the news via his Instagram.
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too,” Bochco wrote. “Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @jessebochco
Bosson is perhaps best known for her starring role in “Hill Street Blues,” the game-changing cop drama created by Steven Bochco. (The two married in 1970 and the series ran 1981–1987.) Bosson portrayed Fay Furillo in the first six seasons of the show, appearing in 100 episodes and garnering five consecutive Emmy nominations for her role.
Also Read:
Why ‘Babylon’ Composer Justin Hurwitz...
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too,” Bochco wrote. “Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @jessebochco
Bosson is perhaps best known for her starring role in “Hill Street Blues,” the game-changing cop drama created by Steven Bochco. (The two married in 1970 and the series ran 1981–1987.) Bosson portrayed Fay Furillo in the first six seasons of the show, appearing in 100 episodes and garnering five consecutive Emmy nominations for her role.
Also Read:
Why ‘Babylon’ Composer Justin Hurwitz...
- 2/20/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Barbara Bosson, who was nominated for five Emmys for her role as Fay Furrillo on Hill Street Blues, died February 18 at 83.
Her death was announced by her director son, Jesse Bochco, on social media.
She is best known as starring as Fay Furillo during the first six seasons of NBC’s Hill Street Blues, which was created by her then husband Steven Bochco.
Bosson was also Emmy nominated for her role as prosecutor Miriam Grasso on ABC’s Murder One.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama,” wrote Jesse Bochco.
Bosson got her start in Steve McQueen film Bullitt and CBS detective series Mannix before becoming one...
Her death was announced by her director son, Jesse Bochco, on social media.
She is best known as starring as Fay Furillo during the first six seasons of NBC’s Hill Street Blues, which was created by her then husband Steven Bochco.
Bosson was also Emmy nominated for her role as prosecutor Miriam Grasso on ABC’s Murder One.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries
“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama,” wrote Jesse Bochco.
Bosson got her start in Steve McQueen film Bullitt and CBS detective series Mannix before becoming one...
- 2/20/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Barbara Bosson, who received Emmy nominations in five consecutive years for her turn as the divorcee Fay Furillo on the acclaimed NBC drama Hill Street Blues, co-created by her then-husband Steven Bochco, has died. She was 83.
Bosson died Saturday in Los Angeles, her son, director-producer Jesse Bochco, announced.
The actress also was known for her work on three ABC series: as the divorced boss of John Ritter’s San Francisco police inspector on the 1987-89 comedy-drama Hooperman, as the mayor of Los Angeles on the 1990 musical drama Cop Rock and as prosecutor Miriam Grasso on the 1995-97 legal drama Murder One. All three shows were co-created by Bochco, too.
She and Bochco first met when they attended Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the 1960s, and they were married from 1970 until their 1997 divorce. He died in April 2018 at age 74 after a battle with leukemia.
Bosson sparked as the needy Fay, the ex-wife of Capt.
Bosson died Saturday in Los Angeles, her son, director-producer Jesse Bochco, announced.
The actress also was known for her work on three ABC series: as the divorced boss of John Ritter’s San Francisco police inspector on the 1987-89 comedy-drama Hooperman, as the mayor of Los Angeles on the 1990 musical drama Cop Rock and as prosecutor Miriam Grasso on the 1995-97 legal drama Murder One. All three shows were co-created by Bochco, too.
She and Bochco first met when they attended Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the 1960s, and they were married from 1970 until their 1997 divorce. He died in April 2018 at age 74 after a battle with leukemia.
Bosson sparked as the needy Fay, the ex-wife of Capt.
- 2/20/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gerald Fried, a composer for some of television’s biggest moments in the 1960s, died Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct of pneumonia at age 95.
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Composer Gerald Fried, who won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries “Roots” and whose 1960s scores, from “Star Trek” to “Gilligan’s Island,” left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers, died of pneumonia Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct. He was 95.
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
On Dec. 20, 2022, the acting world lost a star whose career lasted over 50 years. Quinn K. Redeker was best known for his work on two big daytime dramas, One Life to Live and The Young and the Restless. However, his career was far more diverse than many realize. Although he was a celebrated actor, there were other things he did in Hollywood that meant even more to him. Here are some facts you may not know about Redeker and everything he achieved.
Quinn Redeker became a daytime drama star
The Y&r Family sends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Quinn Redeker who blessed Y&r with his talents in two memorable roles. pic.twitter.com/EFe7Prf5WX
— Young & The Restless (@YRInsider) January 9, 2023
According to Deadline, Quinn Redeker died of natural causes on Dec. 20, 2022, at the age of 86. His daughter, Arianne Raser, announced his death in January.
Quinn Redeker became a daytime drama star
The Y&r Family sends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Quinn Redeker who blessed Y&r with his talents in two memorable roles. pic.twitter.com/EFe7Prf5WX
— Young & The Restless (@YRInsider) January 9, 2023
According to Deadline, Quinn Redeker died of natural causes on Dec. 20, 2022, at the age of 86. His daughter, Arianne Raser, announced his death in January.
- 2/12/2023
- by Kira Martin
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Quinn Redeker, who came up with the original script and Russian roulette idea for The Deer Hunter before starring as shady characters on the soap operas Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless, has died. He was 86.
Redeker died Dec. 20 of natural causes in Camarillo, California, his daughter, Arianne Raser, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Early in his career, Redeker appeared in The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) and Jack Hill’s Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told (1967), then graduated to more prestige fare, working with Robert Redford in The Candidate (1972), The Electric Horseman (1979) and Ordinary People (1980).
Inspired by a Life magazine article about a man who played Russian roulette for the camera, Redeker contacted screenwriter Louis Garfinkle in 1974 about teaming on a movie script about a guy in the Bahamas who made a living at the hazardous game.
Garfinkle saw Russian roulette as “a perfect metaphor for the war in Vietnam,...
Redeker died Dec. 20 of natural causes in Camarillo, California, his daughter, Arianne Raser, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Early in his career, Redeker appeared in The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) and Jack Hill’s Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told (1967), then graduated to more prestige fare, working with Robert Redford in The Candidate (1972), The Electric Horseman (1979) and Ordinary People (1980).
Inspired by a Life magazine article about a man who played Russian roulette for the camera, Redeker contacted screenwriter Louis Garfinkle in 1974 about teaming on a movie script about a guy in the Bahamas who made a living at the hazardous game.
Garfinkle saw Russian roulette as “a perfect metaphor for the war in Vietnam,...
- 1/9/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Quinn K. Redeker, a prolific television and film actor whose career spanned more than 50 years and included fan-favorite stints on NBC’s Days of Our Lives and CBS’ The Young and The Restless, died in Los Angeles of natural causes on Dec. 20. He was 86.
His death was announced by his family.
Related Story Entertainment & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story 'Days Of Our Lives' Bids Farewell To John Aniston Related Story Tamara Braun Exits 'Days Of Our Lives' & Ends Latest Stint As Ava Vitali
Redeker was probably best known for his portrayal of the villainous Alex Marshall on Days of Our Lives from 1979 to 1987, and, from 1987 to 1994, as wealthy businessman Rex Sterling on The Young and the Restless (Redeker had briefly played two other characters on Restless prior to his casting as Sterling).
His performance in the Rex Sterling role earned Redeker two nominations for Daytime Emmy...
His death was announced by his family.
Related Story Entertainment & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story 'Days Of Our Lives' Bids Farewell To John Aniston Related Story Tamara Braun Exits 'Days Of Our Lives' & Ends Latest Stint As Ava Vitali
Redeker was probably best known for his portrayal of the villainous Alex Marshall on Days of Our Lives from 1979 to 1987, and, from 1987 to 1994, as wealthy businessman Rex Sterling on The Young and the Restless (Redeker had briefly played two other characters on Restless prior to his casting as Sterling).
His performance in the Rex Sterling role earned Redeker two nominations for Daytime Emmy...
- 1/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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