Famous Men: R.I.P List...
This is my tribute list of the talented and famous gentlemen individuals that have passed away....Their legacies will forever live in our hearts for us to continue to enjoy......May the Rest in Peace.......
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- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actor
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer and social worker, and John L. Nelson, a lyricist and pianist. His father's stage name was "Prince Rogers". His parents were both from African-American families from Louisiana. They separated during his youth, which lead him to move back and forth. Prince had a troubled relationship with his step-father which lead him to run away from home. Prince was adopted by a family called the Andersons. Prince soon after became friends with the Anderson's son, Andre Anderson (Cymone) together along with Charles Smith they joined a band called Grand Central. The band later renamed themselves Champagne and were a fairly successful live band, however soon diminished.
Prince at the age of eighteen started working on high-quality demo tracks with Chris Moon. With these demo tracks Prince eventually ended up signing a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records and was the youngest producer associated with the label. Prince made his debut on the record label with his 1978 album, For You. It wasn't a strong successful album, however it was fair for a beginning artist and ranked 163 on the U.S. Pop Charts. Prince's next releases would tend to do much better on the charts with his singles, "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and I Wanna Be Your Lover in 1979. This would start to introduce Prince as a person who presented sexually explicit material into the music industry. However Prince didn't begin to attract mainstream artists until he release his single, 1999. This single began to be noticed by M.T.V. viewers and this would make him a part of the main-stream music media. Prince released two more singles called Little Red Corvette and Delirious. The album featured Prince's new band, The Revolution. In 1984 Prince would release what would be seen as an admired and profound masterpiece the feature film/sound-track album, Purple Rain in 1984. Prince's father contributed to this album, by cowriting the chord sequence for a couple of his songs. Prince continued to give cowriting credit to his father on several other albums, as his famous chord sequence would be used in several of Prince's singles and albums.
A lot of Prince's songs did not agree with listeners and one of his songs, Darling Nikki prompted a group of people to start a censorship organization called, Parents Music Resource Center (P.M.R.C.) as the track implemented grinding ludicrous acts such as masturbating, which stunned listeners. Prince however continued to release various other singles with the same platform his memorable releases being, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Love Sexy, and Batman.
Prince released a sequel to Purple Rain in 1990 called Graffiti Bridge, a soundtrack album accompanied this movie entitled, Graffiti Bridge. The film did terrible in box-office and was nominated for several Razzie awards. Many people saw the sound-track album, as the high point of the film.
In 1991, Prince assembled a new band called, The New Power Generation with this band he would release singles such as Diamond And Pearls, Cream, and Gett Off. Prince eventually changed his stage name from Prince to a symbol, which lead people to call him, "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince". Prince soon took back his old stage name.
In the 1990s, Prince continued to release singles such as Came, The Gold Experience, Chaos And Disorder, and Emancipation. With the rise of the new millennium, Prince released material such as a religious album called The Rainbow Children,One Nite Alone,The Chocolate Invasion,The Slaughter House, and had a collaboration with Stevie Wonder on Stevie's single called, What The Fuss in 2005.
Prince died on April 21, 2016 in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at his Paisley Park recording studio complex. He was 57.
Prince will be remembered as a musician and artist who inspired millions through his music, and set an inspirational platform which others still abide by.Date of Birth 7 June 1958, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Date of Death 21 April 2016, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, USA
Birth Name Prince Rogers Nelson
Nicknames The Purple One His Royal Badness Skipper The High Priest of Pop The Prince of Funk The Artist Formerly Known as Prince
Height 5' 2" (1.57 m)
Spouses: Manuela Testolini (31 December 2001 - 2006) (divorced)
Mayte Garcia (14 February 1996 - 14 February 1999) (annulled) (1 child)
One of the very few musicians who wrote, produced, and composed all of their music themselves. On most of his albums, he played all the instruments himself, except for brass instruments, which he didn't play, though he did have a backing band for concerts.
Died approximately 67 days after the death of his longtime protege and former girlfriend Vanity.
Prince was working on his memoirs with his brother when he passed away.
Prince reportedly has enough unreleased music in his Vault at Paisley Park to fill albums for the next century, but since he has no will it is unknown if any of it will ever be made public.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
David Bowie was one of the most influential and prolific writers and performers of popular music, but he was much more than that; he was also an accomplished actor, a mime and an intellectual, as well as an art lover whose appreciation and knowledge of it had led to him amassing one of the biggest collections of 20th century art.
Born David Jones, he changed his name to Bowie in the 1960s, to avoid confusion with the then well-known Davy Jones (lead singer of The Monkees). The 1960s were not a happy period for Bowie, who remained a struggling artist, awaiting his breakthrough. He dabbled in many different styles of music (without commercial success), and other art forms such as acting, mime, painting, and play-writing. He finally achieved his commercial breakthrough in 1969 with the song "Space Oddity", which was released at the time of the moon landing. Despite the fact that the literal meaning of the lyrics relates to an astronaut who is lost in space, this song was used by the BBC in their coverage of the moon landing, and this helped it become such a success. The album, which followed "Space Oddity", and the two, which followed (one of which included the song "The Man Who Sold The World", covered by Lulu and Nirvana) failed to produce another hit single, and Bowie's career appeared to be in decline.
However, he made the first of many successful "comebacks" in 1972 with "Ziggy Stardust", a concept album about a space-age rock star. This album was followed by others in a similar vein, rock albums built around a central character and concerned with futuristic themes of Armageddon, gender dysfunction/confusion, as well as more contemporary themes such as the destructiveness of success and fame, and the dangers inherent in star worship. In the mid-1970s, Bowie was a heavy cocaine abuser and sometime heroin user.
In 1975, he changed tack. Musically, he released "Young Americans", a soul (or plastic soul as he later referred to it) album. This produced his first number one hit in the US, "Fame". He also appeared in his first major film, The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). With a permanently-dilated pupil and skeletal frame, he certainly looked the part of an alien. The following year, he released "Station to Station," containing some of the material he had written for the soundtrack to this film (which was not used). As his drug problem heightened, his behavior became more erratic. Reports of his insanity started to appear, and he continued to waste away physically. He fled back to Europe, finally settling in Berlin, where he changed musical direction again and recorded three of the most influential albums of all time, an electronic trilogy with Brian Eno "Low, Heroes and Lodger". Towards the end of the 1970s, he finally kicked his drug habit, and recorded the album many of his fans consider his best, the Japanese-influenced "Scary Monsters". Around this time, he appeared in the title role of the Broadway drama The Elephant Man, and to considerable acclaim.
The next few years saw something of a drop-off in his musical output as his acting career flourished, culminating in his acclaimed performance in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983). In 1983, he released "Let's Dance," an album which proved an unexpected massive commercial success, and produced his second #1 hit single in the United States. According to producer Nile Rodgers, the album was made in just 17 days and was "the easiest album" he'd ever made in his life. The tour which followed, "Serious Moonlight", was his most successful ever. Faced with this success on a massive scale, Bowie apparently attempted to "repeat the formula" in the next two albums, with less success (and to critical scorn). Finally, in the late 1980s, he turned his back on commercial success and his solo career, forming the hard rock band, Tin Machine, who had a deliberate limited appeal. By now, his acting career was in decline. After the comparative failure of Labyrinth (1986), the movie industry appears to have decided that Bowie was not a sufficient name to be a lead actor in a major movie, and since that date, most of his roles have been cameos or glorified cameos. Tin Machine toured extensively and released two albums, with little critical or commercial success.
In 1992, Bowie again changed direction and re-launched his solo career with "Black Tie White Noise", a wedding album inspired by his recent marriage to Iman. He released three albums to considerable critical acclaim and reasonable commercial success. In 1995, he renewed his working relationship with Brian Eno to record "Outside." After an initial hostile reaction from the critics, this album has now taken its place with his classic albums. In 2003, Bowie released an album entitled 'Reality.' The Reality Tour began in November 2003 and, after great commercial success, was extended into July 2004. In June 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack and the tour did not finish its scheduled run.
After recovering, Bowie gave what turned out to be his final live performance in a three-song set with Alicia Keys at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in November 2006. He also returned to acting. He played Tesla in The Prestige (2006) and had a small cameo in the comedy David Bowie (2006) for fan Ricky Gervais. In 2007, he did a cartoon voice in SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) playing Lord Royal Highness. He had a brief cameo in the movie ''Bandslam'' released in 2009; after a ten year hiatus from recording, he released a new album called 'The Next Day', featuring a homage cover to his earlier work ''Heroes''. The music video of ''Stars are Out Tonight'' premiered on 25 February 2013. It consists of other songs like ''Where Are We Now?", "Valentine's Day", "Love is Lost", "The Next Day", etc.
In 2014, Bowie won British Male Solo Artist at the 2014 Brit Awards, 30 years since last winning it, and became the oldest ever Brit winner. Bowie wrote and recorded the opening title song to the television miniseries The Last Panthers (2015), which aired in November 2015. The theme used for The Last Panthers (2015) was also the title track for his January 2016 release, ''Blackstar" (released on 8 January 2016, Bowie's 69th birthday) was met with critical acclaim. Following Bowie's death two days later, on 10 January 2016, producer Tony Visconti revealed Bowie had planned the album to be his swan song, and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death. An EP, No Plan, was released on 8 January 2017, which would have been Bowie's 70th birthday. The day following his death, online viewing of Bowie's music skyrocketed, breaking the record for Vevo's most viewed artist in a single day.
On 15 January, "Blackstar" debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart; nineteen of his albums were in the UK Top 100 Albums Chart, and thirteen singles were in the UK Top 100 Singles Chart. The song also debuted at #1 on album charts around the world, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the US Billboard 200. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Bowie won all five nominated awards: Best Rock Performance; Best Alternative Music Album; Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Best Recording Package; and Best Rock Song. The wins marked Bowie's first ever in musical categories. David Bowie influenced the course of popular music several times and had an effect on several generations of musicians.Date of Birth 8 January 1947, Brixton, London, England, UK
Date of Death 11 January 2016, London, England, UK (cancer)
Birth Name David Robert Haywood Jones
Nicknames The Thin White Duke Ziggy Stardust
Height 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Spouse (2) Iman (6 June 1992 - his death) (1 child)
Angie Bowie (19 March 1970 - 8 February 1980) (divorced) (1 child)
Trade Marks: His constantly changing appearance His wide ranging vocals and rich baritone His one permanently dilated pupil that gives him the appearance of different colored eyes Known for having a different theme on almost every album Lyrics with science fiction or fantasy themes Highly theatrical style and performances- Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Jack Carter was born on 24 June 1922 in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for History of the World: Part I (1981), Alligator (1980) and Amazing Stories (1985). He was married to Roxanne Wander, Paula Stewart and Joan Mann. He died on 28 June 2015 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.Date of Birth
24 June 1922, New York, New York, USA
Date of Death
28 June 2015, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
(respiratory failure)
Birth Name
Jack Chakrin
Spouse (3)
Roxanne Wander
(8 October 1971 - 28 June 2015) (his death)
Paula Stewart
(30 March 1961 - 30 January 1970)
(divorced) (1 child)
Joan Mann (27 March 1949 - 1958)
(divorced)
He was a topnotch Las Vegas comedian known for his fast, irreverent and funny patter, he was once praised by the late great Fred Allen as "one of the outstanding comedians of the century."- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Pascal Chaumeil was born on 9 February 1961 in Paris, France. He was a director and assistant director, known for Heartbreaker (2010), The Fifth Element (1997) and Léon: The Professional (1994). He was married to Camille Lipmann. He died on 27 August 2015 in Paris, France.Date of Birth:
1961
Date of Death
27 August 2015, Paris, Ile-de-France, France (cancer)- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Wes Craven has become synonymous with genre bending and innovative horror, challenging audiences with his bold vision.
Wesley Earl Craven was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Caroline (Miller) and Paul Eugene Craven. He had a midwestern suburban upbringing. His first feature film was The Last House on the Left (1972), which he wrote, directed, and edited. Craven reinvented the youth horror genre again in 1984 with the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), a film he wrote and directed. And though he did not direct any of its five sequels, he deconstructed the genre a decade later, writing and directing the audacious New Nightmare (1994), which was nominated as Best Feature at the 1995 Independent Spirit Awards, and introduced the concept of self-reflexive genre films to the world.
In 1996 Craven reached a new level of success with the release of Scream (1996). The film, which sparked the phenomenal trilogy, was the winner of MTV's 1996 Best Movie Award and grossed more than $100 million domestically, as did Scream 2 (1997). Between Scream 2 and Scream 3 (2000), Craven, offered the opportunity to direct a non-genre film for Miramax, helmed Music of the Heart (1999), a film that earned Meryl Streep an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. That same year, in the midst of directing, Craven completed his first novel, "The Fountain Society," published by Simon & Shuster. Recent works include the 2005 psychological thriller Red Eye (2005), and a short rom-com segment for the ensemble product, Paris, I Love You (2006).
In later years, Craven also produced remakes of two of his earlier films for his genre fans, The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and The Last House on the Left (2009). Craven has always had an eye for discovering fresh talent, something that contributes to the success of his films. While casting A Nightmare on Elm Street, Craven discovered the then unknown Johnny Depp. Craven later cast Sharon Stone in her first starring role for his film Deadly Blessing. He even gave Bruce Willis his first featured role in an episode of TV's mid-80's edition of The Twilight Zone. In My Soul to Take (2010), Craven once again brought together a cast of up-and-coming young teens, including Max Thieriot, in whom he saw the spark of stardom. The film marked Craven's first collaboration with wife and producer Iya Labunka, who also produced with him the highly anticipated production of Scream 4.
Craven's Scream 4 (2011) reunited the director with Dimension Films and Kevin Williamson, as well as with stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, to re-boot the beloved franchise. Craven again exhibited his knack for spotting important talent, with a cast of young actors bringing us a totally new breed of Woodsboro high schoolers, including Emma Robert and Hayden Pannetierre.Date of Birth
2 August 1939, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Date of Death:
30 August 2015 (Brain Cancer)
Birth Name
Wesley Earl Craven
Spouses:
Iya Labunka
(27 November 2004 - 30 August 2015) (his death)
Mimi Craven
(25 July 1982 - 1987) (divorced)
Bonnie Broecker
(1964 - 1969) (divorced) (2 children)
Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)- Richard Dysart served for four years in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was a founding member of the American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco. He received the Drama Desk Award in 1972 and a Emmy Award in 1992. He was good friends with Diana Muldaur, who played Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law.Date of Birth
30 March 1929, Brighton, Massachusetts, USA
Date of Death
5 April 2015, Santa Monica, California, USA (cancer)
Birth Name
Richard Allen Dysart
Nickname
Dick
Height
5' 9½" (1.77 m)
Spouse:
Kathryn Marie Jacobi
(5 September 1987 - 5 April 2015) (his death) - He was born in Reykjavik, Iceland and moved to the United States at the age of 5. Gunnar lived in Maine till he was 11, his family then moving to Texas, where he went to high school before attending the University of Texas. At the university, he did some theater work and majored in English and mathematics before going on to graduate in English and Scandinavian Studies. Despite graduating in the aforementioned fields, his first job out of high school was as a computer operator.
In the summer of 1973, he heard that Tobe Hooper and others were in town to work on a movie and decided to try out for a part. After interviewing with Tobe Hooper and the writer of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Kim Henkel, he was cast in the role of the disturbed, mentally handicapped killer, Leatherface.
After Chainsaw, Hansen went on to work as a freelance writer for magazines for several years before going on to write books, one later being set in Iceland about purported serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas. He has gone on to write multiple screenplays - one co-written with his partner Gary Jones, director of Mosquito (1994)).
Gunnar also directed a documentary on Greenland and had a stint designing web pages for GTE.Date of Birth
4 March 1947, Reykjavik, Iceland
Date of Death
7 November 2015, Northeast Harbor, Maine, USA
(pancreatic cancer)
Nicknames
Gunner
Leatherface
Height
6' 4" (1.93 m)
Hansen will forever be remembered as "Leatherface" the original slasher from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). - Actor
- Additional Crew
Frank Gifford was born on 16 August 1930 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Jerry Maguire (1996), Viva Knievel! (1977) and Spin City (1996). He was married to Kathie Lee Gifford, Astrid Gifford and Maxine Avis Ewart. He died on 9 August 2015 in Riverside, Connecticut, USA.Date of Birth
16 August 1930, Santa Monica, California, USA
Date of Death
9 August 2015, Riverside, Connecticut, USA (natural causes)
Birth Name
Francis Newton Gifford
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Spouces:
Kathie Lee Gifford
(18 October 1986 - 9 August 2015) (his death) (2 children)
Astrid Gifford
(11 March 1978 - 1986) (divorced)
Maxine Ewart
(13 January 1952 - 1978) (divorced) (3 children)- Director
- Writer
- Producer
John Guillermin was born on 11 November 1925 in London, England, UK. He was a director and writer, known for The Towering Inferno (1974), Death on the Nile (1978) and King Kong (1976). He was married to Maureen Connell and Mary Guillermin. He died on 27 September 2015 in Topanga Canyon, California, USA.Date of Birth
11 November 1925, London, England, UK
Date of Death
September2015, Los Angeles, California, USA
Spouse (3)
Maureen Connell
(20 July 1956 - 28 September 2015) (his death) (2 children)
Maureen Connell (
20 January 1956 - ?) (divorced) (2 children)
Mary Guillermin
(? - 28 September 2015) (his death)
Began his career in France in 1947 as a documentary filmmaker.
Personal Quote:
You know, there's really nothing like an exciting film on a big screen. Hopefully, I've made a few in my career.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Pat Harrington Jr. was born on 13 August 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for One Day at a Time (1975), The President's Analyst (1967) and Move Over, Darling (1963). He was married to Sally Cleaver and Marjorie Ann Gortner. He died on 6 January 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Date of Birth
13 August 1929, New York City, New York, USA
Date of Death
6 January 2016, USA (Alzheimer's Disease)
Birth Name
Daniel Patrick Harrington Jr.
Spouse (1)
Marjorie Ann Gortner
(19 November 1955 - 1985) (divorced)
(4 children)
Pro wrestler The Honky Tonk Man based his gimmick on the character (Dwayne Schneider) that Harrington played on One Day at a Time (1975).- Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Born and raised in New York City, Robert Loggia studied journalism at the University of Missouri before moving back to New York to pursue acting. He trained at the Actors Studio while doing stage work. From the late 1950s he was a familiar face on TV, usually as authoritative figures. Loggia also found work in movies such as The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Scarface (1983) and Big (1988). Always in demand, Loggia worked until his death, at 85, from complications of Alzheimer's.Date of Birth
3 January 1930, New York City, New York, USA
Date of Death
4 December 2015, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name
Salvatore Loggia
Height
5' 9" (1.75 m
Spouses:
Audrey Loggia
(27 December 1982 - 4 December 2015) (his death)
Della Marjorie Sloan
(28 March 1954 - 1981) (divorced)
(3 children)
Trade Mark:
Distinctive raspy voice
His hair and eyebrows are more than often dyed a brown-like color in his movies, so often that his naturally white hair comes as a surprise when seen in real life and in films without it.- George McGovern, one of the leading liberals in U.S. politics, was born in a Republican household in a small South Dakota town. His family had some struggles during the Great Depression, but they were able to make ends meet. The young, idealistic man joined the Air Force during World War II and became a bomber pilot. He served with great bravery, flying missions over North Africa and Italy, bombing German military targets, and won citation for his duty. Upon returning home, he graduated from college and became a college teacher, teaching history. Up to that point, he had been relatively non-political, as had his parents. That changed in 1952, when he heard a speech by the Democratic nominee, Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson, and was so inspired by it that he volunteered for the Stevenson campaign. Stevenson lost to retired General Dwight D. Eisenhower, but McGovern remained active in politics, becoming Chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party. Democrats were very much the minority in the state, but McGovern pursued his duties with great zeal, and in 1956 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in an upset, helped by growing dissatisfaction with the Eisenhower administration in the rural Midwest. He was reelected in 1958 and in 1960, was an enthusiastic backer of Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. That same year, McGovern took a gamble by running against Republican U.S. Senator Karl Mundt, who had first been elected in 1948. Although he ran well ahead of what Democrats usually did in the state, he fell short, as Mundt won by a 52% to 48% margin. In 1961, Kennedy appointed McGovern Director of the Food For Peace program, and McGovern was greatly affected by his service in this capacity.
In 1962, McGovern ran for the U.S. Senate again (each state has two U.S. Senators), this time in an open race. He was considered the underdog against Republican Governor Joe Bottum, but managed to win by 597 votes, one of the closest U.S. Senate races in state history. He immediately became one of the Senate's most liberal members, enthusiastically supporting the domestic policies of Kennedy and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. His major accomplishment was creation of the Food Stamp program, which was to provide Federal food assistance to impoverished people. But he became increasingly focused on overseas and military affairs. He became an opponent of the growing American involvement in Vietnam and opposed maintaining a large military. In 1968, he was a leading supporter of Robert F. Kennedy and was horrified by the latter's assassination. He was also appalled by the Chicago Police Force's rough treatment of anti-war protesters at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that same year. He was reelected easily that year, winning 57% of the vote. After Richard Nixon took office, McGovern quickly became a proponent of immediate withdraw of all military forces form Vietnam. In 1969, he chaired the commission which instituted reforming the way the Democratic Party nominated its Presidential candidates, dramatically reducing the role of party leaders and political insiders.
In 1972, McGovern launched a campaign for President. He was given little chance of winning his party's nomination, which seemed to be united around U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine. However, Muskie's campaign foundered and McGovern ran a close second to Muskie in the Presidential primary in New Hampshire. Helped by his campaign manager, Gary Hart (later a Senator and Presidential candidate himself), McGovern won several other primaries and the nomination. His campaign theme was "America, come home." His main platform, aside from withdraw from Vietnam, was a 37% reduction in defense spending and a guaranteed minimal income for all Americans. At the convention in Miami, he initially won praise for nominating U.S. Senator 'Thomas Eagleton' of Missouri as his running mate. But his campaign was rocked when it was revealed that Eagleston had been treated for depression in a psychiatric ward many years before. McGovern initially claimed that he was "1000 percent" behind Eagleston, but later his campaign staff persuaded Eagleston to drop out of contention. This made McGovern look bad to his most idealistic supporters and haunted him throughout the campaign. Ultimately, former Peace Corps Director Sargent Shriver replaced Eagleston as his running mate, but the damage was done. Throughout the campaign, he was perceived by the public as a well-meaning but fuzzy minded radical leftist. Taking advantage of McGovern's support for amnesty for Vietnam draft dodgers, decriminalizing abortion, and ending Federal drug laws (leaving them to the individual states), Vice President Spiro Agnew labeled McGovern the candidate of "amnesty, abortion, and acid," and the label stuck. The Nixon campaign successfully portrayed McGovern as a pacifist and socialist who would endanger national security, wreck the economy, and bankrupt the government. In the election, McGovern lost overwhelmingly. Nixon out-polled him by 61% to 37%, with a plurality of 18 million votes, a record that has yet to be broken. The only state McGovern won was Massachusetts. His only consolation was that a friend and political ally, Congressman James Abourezk, was elected to the South Dakota's other U.S. Senator.
Following the loss, McGovern returned to his Senate duties. Following Nixon's resignation in disgrace in the wake of the Watergate scandal in 1974, he seemed to have been vindicated in his attacks on Nixon's ethics. However, later that year, he had a surprisingly difficult reelection bid, winning by less than expected against a former Vietnam War prisoner, who felt that McGovern had prolonged his captivity. There were many Demcorats elected that year, and McGovern worked closely with them to cut defense spending and reign in intelligence agencies. He also worked to expand government benefits. He was encouraged when Democrats won the White House with the narrow election of former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. But his friend and ally Abourezk was forced to retire in the face of impending defeat in 1978 and polls indicated that McGovern was losing support there, as well. In 1980, McGovern was challenged for reelection by Republican Congressman James Abdnor. While campaigning that year, McGovern ran into two women who angrily complained about his support for defense cuts, then bought some groceries with food stamps. He later remarked that he knew he wouldn't be reelected at that moment. He was right. On election day, Abdnor defeated McGovern by a landslide.
Following his departure from elective office, he was a professor at the University of New Orleans. In 1984, he made a whimsical, late-entering candidacy for President, and narrowly won the primary in Massachusetts, but as expected, lost the nomination to former Vice President Walter Mondale. Also a candidate, and a more successful one, was his former campaign manager, Gary Hart, who won several primaries, although losing the nomination to Mondale. That year, however, then President Ronald Reagan, whose policies McGovern fervently opposed, was reelected by a landslide, nearly as large as Nixon's 1972 margin. For many years, he largely stayed out for the limelight. He went into the motel business, but the business ultimately foundered and he was forced to fold. McGovern later admitted in late 1990, "I wish I had had a better sense of what it took to [meet a payroll] when I was in Washington." In 1991, he surprised nearly everyone when he supported President George Bush's campaign to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait, which culminated in The Persian Gulf War. McGovern defended this by claiming that Hussein was a great threat to the entire region. In 1994, he was hit with personal tragedy when one of his daughters, Teresa, died of exposure while intoxicated. She had been an alcoholic for many years who had been unable to overcome the addiction. McGovern became involved in helping the relatives of alcoholics. In 1998, President Bill Clinton as United States Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies, a post he held until 2001.
In more recent years, he has become an advocate for the withdraw of U.S. troops from Iraq.Date of Birth
19 July 1922, Avon, South Dakota, USA
Date of Death
21 October 2012, Sioux City, S.D.,USA
Birth Name
George Stanley McGovern
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Spouse
Eleanor Fay Stegeberg (31 October 1943 - 25 January 2007) (her death) 5 children:Ann, Susan, Mary, Teresa, Steven.
"I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in." - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Screen legend, superstar, and the man with the most famous blue eyes in movie history, Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second son of Arthur Sigmund Newman (died 1950) and Theresa Fetsko (died 1982). His elder brother was Arthur S. Newman Jr., named for their father, a Jewish businessman who owned a successful sporting goods store and was the son of emigrants from Poland and Hungary. Newman's mother (born Terézia Fecková, daughter of Stefan Fecko and Mária Polenak) was a Roman Catholic Slovak from Homonna, Pticie (former Austro-Hungarian Empire), who became a practicing Christian Scientist. She and her brother, Newman's uncle Joe, had an interest in the creative arts, and it rubbed off on him. He acted in grade school and high school plays. The Newmans were well-to-do and Paul Newman grew up in affluent Shaker Heights. Before he became an actor, Newman ran the family sporting goods store in Cleveland, Ohio.
By 1950, the 25-year-old Newman had been kicked out of Ohio University, where he belonged to the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, for unruly behavior (denting the college president's car with a beer keg), served three years in the United States Navy during World War II as a radio operator, graduated from Ohio's Kenyon College, married his first wife, Jacqueline "Jackie" Witte (born 1929), and had his first child, Scott. That same year, his father died. When he became successful in later years, Newman said if he had any regrets it would be that his father was not around to witness his success. He brought Jackie back to Shaker Heights and he ran his father's store for a short period. Then, knowing that wasn't the career path he wanted to take, he moved Jackie and Scott to New Haven, Connecticut, where he attended Yale University's School of Drama.
While doing a play there, Newman was spotted by two agents, who invited him to come to New York City to pursue a career as a professional actor. After moving to New York, he acted in guest spots for various television series and in 1953 came a big break. He got the part of understudy of the lead role in the successful Broadway play "Picnic". Through this play, he met actress Joanne Woodward (born 1930), who was also an understudy in the play. While they got on very well and there was a strong attraction, Newman was married and his second child, Susan, was born that year. During this time, Newman was accepted into the much admired and popular New York Actors Studio, although he did not actually audition.
In 1954, a film Newman was very reluctant to do was released, The Silver Chalice (1954). He considered his performance in this costume epic to be so bad that he took out a full-page ad in a trade paper apologizing for it to anyone who might have seen it. He had always been embarrassed about the film and reveled in making fun of it. He immediately wanted to return to the stage, and performed in "The Desperate Hours". In 1956, he got the chance to redeem himself in the film world by portraying boxer Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), and critics praised his performance. In 1957, with a handful of films to his credit, he was cast in The Long, Hot Summer (1958), co-starring Joanne Woodward.
During the shooting of this film, they realized they were meant to be together and by now, so did his then-wife Jackie, who gave Newman a divorce. He and Woodward wed in Las Vegas in January 1958. They went on to have three daughters together and raised them in Westport, Connecticut. In 1959, Newman received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). The 1960s would bring Newman into superstar status, as he became one of the most popular actors of the decade, and garnered three more Best Actor Oscar nominations, for The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967). In 1968, his debut directorial effort Rachel, Rachel (1968) was given good marks, and although the film and Woodward were nominated for Oscars, Newman was not nominated for Best Director. However, he did win a Golden Globe Award for his direction.
1969 brought the popular screen duo of Newman and Robert Redford together for the first time when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was released. It was a box office smash. Through the 1970s, Newman had hits and misses from such popular films as The Sting (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974) to lesser known films as The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) to a cult classic Slap Shot (1977). After the death of his only son, Scott, in 1978, Newman's personal life and film choices moved in a different direction. His acting work in the 1980s and on is what is often most praised by critics today. He became more at ease with himself and it was evident in The Verdict (1982) for which he received his sixth Best Actor Oscar nomination and, in 1987, finally received his first Oscar for The Color of Money (1986), almost thirty years after Woodward had won hers. Friend and director of Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Robert Wise accepted the award on Newman's behalf as the actor did not attend the ceremony.
Films were not the only thing on his mind during this period. A passionate race car driver since the early 1970s (despite being color-blind), he was co-founder of Newman-Haas racing in 1982, and also founded "Newman's Own", a successful line of food products that has earned in excess of $100 million, every penny of which Newman donated to charity. He also started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for children with serious illness. He was as well known for his philanthropic ways and highly successful business ventures as he was for his legendary actor status.
Newman's marriage to Woodward lasted a half-century. Connecticut was their primary residence after leaving Hollywood and moving East in 1960. Renowned for his sense of humor, in 1998 he quipped that he was a little embarrassed to see his salad dressing grossing more than his movies. During his later years, he still attended races, was much involved in his charitable organizations, and in 2006, he opened a restaurant called Dressing Room, which helps out the Westport Country Playhouse, a place in which Newman took great pride. In 2007, while the public was largely unaware of the serious illness from which he was suffering, Newman made some headlines when he said he was losing his invention and confidence in his acting abilities and that acting was "pretty much a closed book for me". A smoker for many years, Newman died on September 26, 2008, aged 83, from lung cancer.Date of Birth 26 January 1925, Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA
Date of Death 26 September 2008, Westport, Connecticut, USA (lung cancer)
Birth Name Paul Leonard Newman
Nicknames King Cool
Height 5' 9½" (1.77 m)
Spouses: Joanne Woodward (29 January 1958 - 26 September 2008) (his death) (3 children)
Jacqueline E. Witte (27 December 1949 - 28 January 1958) (divorced) (3 children)
Trade Marks: His movies often reflect his political views.
Often played detached yet charismatic anti-heroes and rebels He was known for his wry, puckish sense of humor, mainly off-screen.
While he played similar system-bucking, troubled young men as such near contemporaries as Marlon Brando and James Dean, Newman's characters were often more humorous, introspective and self-assured.
Newman's character's conflicts were often ironic and (intentionally) borderline-absurd.
Bright blue eyes.
Had a son and two girls with his first wife Jacqueline "Jackie" Witte. His only son, Scott Newman, died of a drug overdose in 1978.
Said he didn't want his epitaph to say two things: "Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown" and "Here lies the old man who wasn't a part of his time." -1960's.
The TV episode The Simpsons: Lost Verizon (2008), was dedicated to his memory.
Cars (2006), his last movie, was the highest-grossing film of his career.
Like his dear friend Robert Redford, both men had firstborn sons named Scott who predeceased their fathers.
I'd like to be remembered as a guy who tried - who tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being. Someone who isn't complacent, who doesn't cop out.- Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
He, along with the other members of the "Compass Players" including Elaine May, Paul Sills, Byrne Piven, Joyce Hiller Piven and Edward Asner helped start the famed "Second City Improv" company. They used the games taught to them by fellow cast mate, Paul Sills 's mother, Viola Spolin. He later worked in legitimate theater as an actor before entering into a very successful comedy duo with Elaine May. The two were known as "the world's fastest humans".Date of Birth 6 November 1931, Berlin, Germany
Date of Death 19 November 2014 (heart attack)
Birth Name Michael Igor Peschkowsky
Height 5' 11" (1.8 m)
Spouses: Diane Sawyer (29 April 1988 - 19 November 2014) (his death)
Annabel Davis-Goff (1975 - 1986) (divorced) (2 children)
Margot Callas (July 1963 - 1974) (divorced) (1 child)
Patricia Scot (4 June 1957 - 1960) (divorced)
Trade Mark: Often included extremely long starting and/or ending shots taken from high in the air, for example Working Girl (1988) and Angels in America (2003).
From the early 1960s until his death, he was a well-known figure among Arabian Horse fans - as a breeder of over 400 registered Arabians, including owning and breeding many US National Champion horses.
[Part of 2005 Tony Award acceptance speech] "God, my head is totally empty. I had a thing I was going to say, and I have forgot it, because I had given up so long ago. But the first thing to say is thank you. To the other members of my category, my friends Jack and James and Bartlett, I guess you are thinking age before beauty, me too! My congratulations to the winners. My love to those who have not won tonight. I just want to remind you of my motto: Cheer up, life isn't everything. It always stands me in good stead."
[on working with Orson Welles on Catch-22 (1970)] We were talking about Jean Renoir one day on the set and Orson said, very touchingly, that Renoir was a great man but that unfortunately Renoir didn't like his pictures. And then he said, "Of course, if I were Renoir I wouldn't like my pictures either".
[on Jack Nicholson] Jack is the sort of guy who takes parts others have turned down, might turn down, and explodes them into something nobody could have conceived of. All his brilliance of character and gesture is consumed and made invisible by the expanse of his nature.
[on Elizabeth Taylor] There are three things I never saw Elizabeth Taylor do: Tell a lie; be unkind to anyone; and be on time.
[on Stanley Kubrick] In the end, I think he began to have trouble, because if you can't leave home, you lose track of reality, and I think that happened to him. Still, he made great movies and he was a completely gifted director. If you look at 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), you suddenly realize: My God, there's nobody in this movie!
[on his experience judging a limerick contest] It was easy. We just threw out the dirty limericks and gave the prize to the one that was left.
[on developing an act with Elaine May] We were winging it, making up as it went along, It never crossed our minds that it had any value beyond the moment. We were stunned when we got to New York. Never for a moment did we consider that we would do this for living. It was just a handy way to make some money until we grew up.
[on coming to New York as a child] American society to me and my brother was thrilling because, first of all, the food made noise. We were so excited about Rice Krispies and Coca-Cola. We had only silent food in our country, and we loved listening to our lunch and breakfast.
[on firing Mandy Patinkin during making of Heartburn (1986)] I loved Mandy then, and I love him now. It was awful to have to replace him, but on film I couldn't see the chemistry I wanted. I don't know how many days it was, but to save the damn thing, I had to move fast to get Jack [Nicholson]. Mandy was, of course, devastated, and I've felt awful about it all my life.
Do you know my theory about '[Who's Afraid of] Virginia Woolf' which I think I only developed lately? It may be the only play - certainly the only play I can think of, including Shakespeare - in which every single thing that happens is in the present. Even the beautiful reminiscences of the past are traps being set in the present, sprung in the present, having violent effect in the present. It's why you can't hurt it. It's now. It's the one thing plays have the hardest time with.- Actor
- Producer
Roddy Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was a pro wrestler from 1973-1987 in the NWA, Pacific Northwest, California. He was a longtime mainstay in the WWF, and was one of the biggest "bad guys" in the WWF during the early '80s, before becoming a fan favorite in the late '80s. He became infamous for his mouth as much as his skills in the ring. He hosted Pipers Pit, which saluted the bad guys of professional wrestling, the most famous of which involved him smashing Jimmy Superfly Snuka over the head with a coconut. He was wrestling's most popular villain because of his feud with Hulk Hogan that culminated at Wrestlemania I. He went into semi-retirement after Wrestlemania III, when he beat and shaved the late Adrian Adonis.
He continued to wrestle into the '90s, but spent much of his time doing color commentary for WWF TV. In January 1992, he won the WWF Intercontinental Title from "The Mountie", the only title he would ever hold in his storied WWF career. After losing the title three months later, he left the WWF, and only made the occasional appearance in the ring over the next few years. In 1995, he had a stint as the WWF's interim president. He later resurfaced in WCW during the late '90s to continue his feud with "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, until the company's demise in 2001.
Roddy Piper appeared in many action films. He died of a heart attack on July 31, 2015, in Hollywood, California.Date of Birth
17 April 1954, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Date of Death
31 July 2015, Hollywood, California, USA
(heart attack)
Birth Name
Roderick George Toombs
Nicknames
The Rowdy Scot
Hot Rod
The Hot Scot
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Spouse:
Kitty Dittrich
(12 October 1982 - 31 July 2015)
(his death) (4 children)
Trade Marks:
Wears a kilt
Finishing move: Sleeper Hold
Trademark move: Eye Poke
[on being cast in They Live!] You know, when we did it, it was about Reaganomics, but it was also a political statement [about] where our society is headed. Right now, what they're trying to do in society is get rid of all cash money so you just have a chip and everything is on your chip. Well, that's full control. If you go on an airplane right now, they won't take cash anymore. They actually say, "We're a cashless airplane." Wait a second? You won't take cash? That's "OBEY. This is your God." I think this movie is a statement of "keep our freedom," and I believe everybody gets that from it no matter what generation.
[on co-star Keith David] Keith David, it took us 20 years to see each other after we did They Live. When we were shooting that movie, Keith came over to me and he's a schooled, Julliard actor - a professional - and he would help me with my script, while everyone else was saying, "This is just some dumb jock coming to act now." But he stood up for me, and we had such a bond.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Tough around the edges and with a handsome durability, Alabama-bred Wayne Rogers was born in Birmingham on April 7, 1933. He graduated from Princeton with a history degree in 1954 and joined the Navy before giving acting a thought. During his military service, however, he became associated with theater by happenstance and decided to give it a try after his discharge.
Studying with renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner and dancer Martha Graham at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Rogers toiled for years in off-Broadway and regional plays ("Bus Stop", "No Time for Sergeants") and had a short stint on the daytime soap The Edge of Night (1956) before making a minor dent in films, including small roles in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), The Glory Guys (1965) and Cool Hand Luke (1967). Rogers finally hit co-star status opposite Robert Bray in the short-lived TV western series Stagecoach West (1960) and co-produced and wrote the script for the cult sci-fi cheapie The Astro-Zombies (1968) in-between.
It wasn't until 1972, when the 39-year-old actor nabbed the role of "Trapper John," a Korean War surgeon, in the classic comedy series M*A*S*H (1972), that he found elusive stardom. Alongside Alan Alda's "Hawkeye Pierce", the TV show was a huge hit and the two enjoyed equal success at the beginning. Slowly, however, Wayne's character started getting the short end of the stick as the wry, sardonic, highly appealing Alda became a resounding audience favorite. Frustrated at turning second-banana to Alda, he quit the series (his character was discharged) after three seasons amid a contractual dispute. Mike Farrell replaced him in the cohort role of "B.J. Hunnicut" and the show enjoyed several more award-winning seasons
TV movies came Wayne's way throughout the late '70s and a couple more comedy series, including House Calls (1979), in which Wayne received a Golden Globe nomination, but nothing would equal the success he found during the M*A*S*H (1972) years. Sporadic filming in Once in Paris... (1978), The Hot Touch (1981), The Gig (1985) and The Killing Time (1987) also failed to raise his standard, nor did his starring work in the TV movies He's Fired, She's Hired (1984), The Lady from Yesterday (1985), One Terrific Guy (1986), American Harvest (1987), Drop-Out Mother (1988), Miracle Landing (1990).
Broaching the millennium, Rogers was lesser seen, but found some featured roles in such films as Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Love Lies Bleeding (1999), Frozen with Fear (2001) and Three Days of Rain (2002). He would be last glimpsed in the Hollywood-themed comedy Nobody Knows Anything! (2003) in which he also served as producer. Wayne found renewed respect as a businessman and investor in later years, managing the affairs of such stars as Peter Falk and James Caan, among others. He died on New Year's Eve of 2015 of complications from pneumonia. He was 82.Date of Birth
7 April 1933, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Date of Death
31 December 2015, USA (pneumonia)
Birth Name
William Wayne McMillan Rogers III
Height
6' 3" (1.91 m)
Spouse (2)
Amy H. Rogers
(8 December 1988 - 31 December 2015) (his death)
Mitzi McWhorter
(1960 - 21 October 1983) (divorced) (2 children)
When he left M*A*S*H (1972) in 1975, he was sued for breach of contract, but the case was thrown out because he had no contract. Producers wanted him to sign a morality clause, in which he could be suspended or fired at any time, and he refused because he wanted the same privilege regarding the producers. In addition to the disputes about contracts, he says he also left M*A*S*H (1972) because he felt the writers were not giving Trapper John any character development.
[on leaving the sitcom M*A*S*H (1972) in retrospect] If I had known that the show was gonna run that long, I probably would have kept my mouth shut and stayed put.- Writer
- Actor
- Cinematographer
Oliver Sacks was born on 9 July 1933 in London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Awakenings (1990), At First Sight (1999) and Wolf. He died on 30 August 2015 in New York City, New York, USA.Date of Birth
9 July 1933, London, England, UK
Date of Death
30 August 2015, New York City, New York, USA (cancer)
Birth Name
Oliver Wolf Sacks- Stuart Scott was born on 19 July 1965 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Kid (2000), The Game Plan (2007) and Drumline (2002). He was married to Kimberley Alice Emmons. He died on 4 January 2015 in Avon, Connecticut, USA.Date of Birth
19 July 1965, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Date of Death
4 January 2015, Avon, Connecticut, USA (cancer)
Nickname
Stu
Height
6' 0½" (1.84 m)
Spouse:
Kimberly
(March 1993 - 2 January 2007) (divorced) (2 children) - Fred Thompson was born on 19 August 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for The Hunt for Red October (1990), No Way Out (1987) and Baby's Day Out (1994). He was married to Jeri Kehn Thompson and Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey. He died on 1 November 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.Date of Birth
19 August 1942, Sheffield, Alabama, USA
Date of Death
1 November 2015, Nashville, Tennessee, USA (cancer)
Birth Name Freddie Dalton Thompson
Height 6' 6" (1.98 m) - Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California. He grew up together with his brothers, Caleb and Cody, and sisters, Ashlie and Amie. Their parents, Paul William Walker III, a sewer contractor, and Cheryl (Crabtree) Walker, a model, separated around September 2004. His grandfather, William Walker, was a Pearl Harbor survivor and a Navy middleweight boxing champion, while his maternal grandfather commanded a tank battalion in Italy under General Patton during World War II. Paul grew up active in sports like soccer and surfing. He had English and German ancestry.
Paul was cast for the first season of the family sitcom, Throb (1986) and began modeling until he received a script for the 1994 movie, Tammy and the T-Rex (1994). He attended high school at Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, California, graduating in 1991. With encouragement from friends and an old casting agent who remembered him as a child, he decided to try his luck again with acting shortly after returning from College.
He starred in Meet the Deedles (1998), a campy, silly but surprisingly fun film which failed to garner much attention. However, lack of attention would not be a problem for Paul Walker for long. With Pleasantville (1998), he appeared in his first hit. As the town stud (a la 1950s) who more than meets his match in modern day Reese Witherspoon, he was one of the most memorable characters of the film. That same year, Paul and his then-girlfriend Rebecca had a baby girl named Meadow Walker (Meadow Rain Walker). Even though Paul publicly admitted that Meadow was not planned, he said that she is his number one priority. Paul and Rebecca separated and Meadow lives with her mother in Hawaii. She often visited with Paul as his homes in Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach, California.
Roles in the teen hits Varsity Blues (1999), She's All That (1999) and The Skulls (2000) cemented Walker's continued rise to celebrity. He was chosen to be one of the young stars featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue in April 2000. While the other stars on the cover, brooded and tried their best to look sexy and serious, Paul smiled brightly and showed why he is not part of the norm. This is one young actor who certainly stood apart from the rest of the crowd, not only with his talent but with his attitude. The Dallas Morning News commented in March of 2000 that, "Paul is one of the rarest birds in Hollywood- a pretension free movie star." The latest blockbuster hit, The Fast and the Furious (2001), had raised his stardom to an even higher level.
His fighting scenes in movies lead to a passion for martial arts. He has studied various forms of Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do and Eskrima. Paul mentioned in a magazine interview that he had hoped enroll in the Keysi Fighting Method when it comes to the United States. Other than practicing martial arts, Paul enjoyed relaxing at home with his daughter, Meadow Rain, surfing near his Huntington Beach abode, walking his dogs and just driving.
When Paul seriously did get a break from the entertainment business, he said he loved traveling. Paul had traveled to India, Fiji, Costa Rica, Sarawak, Brunei, Borneo and other parts of the Asian continent. Tragically, Paul Walker died in a car crash on Saturday November 30, 2013, after attending a charity event for "Reach Out Worldwide".
Several of Paul's films were released after his death, include Hours (2013), Brick Mansions (2014), and his final starring role in The Fast and the Furious series, Furious 7 (2015), part of which was completed after his death. The film's closing scenes paid tribute to Walker, whose character met with a happy ending, and rode off into the sunset. He appeared archival footage in Fast X (2023).Date of Birth
12 September 1973 , Glendale, California, USA
Date of Death
30 November 2013 , Valencia, Santa Clarita, California, USA (car accident)
Birth Name
Paul William Walker IV
Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)
The driver in the fatal crash that killed Paul Walker was 38-year-old Roger Rodas. Rodas was the CEO of automotive company Always Evolving, and they were in Walker's 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when Roger lost control of the car and struck a tree. Walker was one of Always Evolving's owners, and Rodas was a former race car driver.
Personal Quotes...
You know, all that really matters is that the people you love are happy and healthy. Everything else is just sprinkles on the sundae. - in Flaunt Magazine, July 2001.
Some people say that you should go to all the parties, to the nightclubs, the Viper Room, and make contacts, and I look at them and say, 'You don't want to have contacts with those people.' Look at what happened to River Phoenix (who died in 1993 of a drug overdose outside the Viper Room). If you get caught up in that, it ruins you. Hollywood is garbage.
Surfing soothes me, it's always been a kind of zen experience for me. The ocean is so magnificent, peaceful, and awesome. The rest of the world disappears for me when I'm on a wave.
I'm into being a dad, that's where my focus is most of the time. I'm an actor that's my job, but it's not my life. I have a lot of other interests too.
I'm a dreamer. I've got this whole thing where I think I'm supposed to be a musician. I live by the seat of my pants, but I'd like to think that I'm also pretty sensible.
I want to get married. I think about it a lot. But I also think about my cars, so maybe my priorities aren't exactly in line just yet.
Life's too short. And the biggest curse is falling in love with somebody.
I'm much more likely to give myself a kick in the butt than a pat on the back.
I like low maintenance, natural, outdoor, shy girls.
I'm a Christian now. The things that drove me crazy growing up was how everyone works at fault-finding with different religions. The people I don't understand are atheists. I go surfing and snow boarding and I'm always around nature. I look at everything and think, 'Who couldn't believe there's a God? Is all this a mistake?' It just blows me away.
(2010) I'm passionate about animals and I hunt too. It's like I save and I kill. I'm a walking, talking contradiction. I'm all about preserving the environment but I'm racing cars on the weekend. I tell everyone I'm a gun-loving hippy.
[on often being asked how "Dom" - not Vin [Diesel] - is doing]: I get that a lot. I'm Brian a lot more than I'm Paul Walker, which is awesome. When I hear, "Hey, Paul Walker!" my hair stands up on the back of my neck. It's uncomfortable. But when I hear "It's Brian!" it's cool. I like Brian.
[on "The Fast & the Furious" series]: When I did the first one, it was a cool movie where I got to run around in race cars, shoot a gun and kiss a hot chick. That's where I was at in my life then. Now that I'm older, there's a reason we're still here. The themes we hit on early on, whether the audience even realized what it was that was drawing them in, is irrelevant. The second you lose the family, how significant are we? It's funny to see the people connect with it the way they do. I had no clue, I didn't get it. And now, more I get it and I see it.
[on Brian O'Conner, his character in "The Fast & the Furious" films]: The guy's a sucker for family. Brian's a heart guy, he just is. He's dealing with daddy issues and the things that most of us are that are unresolved. What he's looking for, and he wouldn't be able to articulate it, is anything that's going to allow for healing, things that he's missed out on.
What's Dom really representative of to him? He's the father and the older brother he never had. It's not a buddy. Brian doesn't even realize it. He gave up on having that kind of family or life before he even knew it was possible, and I don't think he ever thought it could be as great as what he has.
[on "The Fast & the Furious" franchise and being real and authentic]: That's what's capturing people, unless of course you're doing The Avengers (2012) where you've gotta be larger than life and you've gotta be out there and turn green and drag your arm down the side of a building, and jump all over the place. But for us, I like having (special effects) to fall back on. You allow the creative minds to get in there and figure out how to do it real, and it gives you more to be proud of.
[on working on Hours (2013)]: What I've found recently is the heart, the soul, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't differentiate: If you really live the experience making a movie, it's the same as living it in real life, as crazy as it sounds. My victory in that movie was my victory in real life. You walk away with that, walking a little taller and a pop in your collar. You learn a lot about yourself. It's heroic in a different way. We're pretty awesome when we're tested. Call it the human spirit or whatever you want, I like celebrating our victories.
[on what he hopes to achieve before he dies]: I missed out on a lot when I was younger because of this game [acting]. I think people tell you you are a certain thing and so you miss out on a lot you would have otherwise experienced. Inside I still feel certain things calling me. That's why I was doing the shark tagging recently and will be doing it again in two weeks on an island off Hawaii. I'm also going to go do the Grouper spawning. (2013)
[on the amount of films he has coming out over the next two years]: ... It's so funny, my daughter now lives with me full time and my original plan was to work up until I was 40 then reassess my life, even go in a completely different direction with things. She keeps encouraging me to do all this stuff. I thought at this point in my life I would need to be home with her, but she wants me to keep acting so she can travel around the world with me. Would that be so bad? Thing is, I went to a born-again Christian high school, was brought up in a traditional Mormon family where these ideas about parenting are of structure and sacrifice. To think outside of that idea of family and parenting that I've grown up with is tough, but also very freeing. (2013)- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
One of Hollywood's finest character / "Method" actors, Eli Wallach was in demand for over 60 years (first film/TV role was 1949) on stage and screen, and has worked alongside the world's biggest stars, including Clark Gable, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, Peter O'Toole, and Al Pacino, to name but a few.
Wallach was born on 7 December 1915 in Brooklyn, NY, to Jewish parents who emigrated from Poland, and was one of the few Jewish kids in his mostly Italian neighborhood. His parents, Bertha (Schorr) and Abraham Wallach, owned a candy store, Bertha's Candy Store. He went on to graduate with a B.A. from the University of Texas in Austin, but gained his dramatic training with the Actors Studio and the Neighborhood Playhouse. He made his debut on Broadway in 1945, and won a Tony Award in 1951 for portraying Alvaro Mangiacavallo in the Tennessee Williams play "The Rose Tattoo".
Wallach made a strong screen debut in 1956 in the film version of the Tennessee Williams play Baby Doll (1956), shined as "Dancer", the nattily dressed hitman, in director Don Siegel's film-noir classic The Lineup (1958), and co-starred in the heist film Seven Thieves (1960). Director John Sturges then cast Wallach as vicious Mexican bandit Calvera in The Magnificent Seven (1960), the western adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa epic Seven Samurai (1954). The Misfits (1961), in the star-spangled western opus How the West Was Won (1962), the underrated WW2 film The Victors (1963), as a kidnapper in The Moon-Spinners (1964), in the sea epic Lord Jim (1965) and in the romantic comedy How to Steal a Million (1966).
Looking for a third lead actor in the final episode of the "Dollars Trilogy", Italian director Sergio Leone cast the versatile Wallach as the lying, two-faced, money-hungry (but somehow lovable) bandit "Tuco" in the spectacular The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) (aka "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"), arguably his most memorable performance. Wallach kept busy throughout the remainder of the '60s and into the '70s with good roles in Mackenna's Gold (1969), Cinderella Liberty (1973), Crazy Joe (1974), The Deep (1977) and as Steve McQueen's bail buddy in The Hunter (1980).
The 1980s was an interesting period for Wallach, as he was regularly cast as an aging doctor, a Mafia figure or an over-the-hill hitman, such as in The Executioner's Song (1982), Our Family Honor (1985), Tough Guys (1986), Nuts (1987), The Two Jakes (1990) and as the candy-addicted "Don Altabello" in The Godfather Part III (1990). At 75+ years of age, Wallach's quality of work was still first class and into the 1990s and beyond, he has remained in demand. He lent fine support to Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride (1990), Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (1992), Naked City: Justice with a Bullet (1998) and Keeping the Faith (2000). Most recently Wallach showed up as a fast-talking liquor store owner in Mystic River (2003) and in the comedic drama King of the Corner (2004).
In early 2005, Eli Wallach released his much anticipated autobiography, "The Good, The Bad And Me: In My Anecdotage", an enjoyable reading from one of the screen's most inventive and enduring actors.
Eli Wallach was very much a family man who remained married to his wife Anne Jackson for 66 years. When Wallach died at 98, in 2014, in Manhattan, NY, he was survived by his wife, three children, five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.Date of Birth
7 December 1915 , Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Date of Death
24 June 2014 , New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name
Eli Herschel Wallach
Height
5' 7" (1.7 m)
Spouse:
Anne Jackson
(5 March 1948 - 24 June 2014) (his death) (3 children)
Personal Quotes:
I'd come out of the army after five years as a medic. I was a medical administrator and we ran hospitals, and I was a Captain in the army at the end, in 1945.
John Huston was a superb master. He knew how to make good films. I did three things with him. One is called Independence. It plays in Philadelphia, for free. It's been playing there for 25 years.
My wife says that stage acting is like being on a tightrope with no net, and being in the movies, there is a net - because you stop and go over it again. It's very technical and mechanical. On stage you're on your own.
So I wanted to show what I did with the money. So I got red silk shirts, beautiful hats, wonderful saddles, a great horse, and two gold teeth. So that was the way I did it.
Well, I was getting a lot of money then, and I wasn't getting any Hollywood films, so I just did those. I'd always do a play in between. Whenever I ran low on funds, I'd always rush off to do a movie somewhere.
I met my wife and, for the next ten years, we did no films at all. She did the first movie and then I did several after. My first movie was written by Tennessee Williams and directed by Kazan and was called Baby Doll.
I've learned that life is very tricky business: Each person needs to find what they want to do in life and not be dissuaded when people question them.
Well, I go to the theater today, and its curtain - there is no curtain in this play; the lights go down and go up - and we start. And I live this character for two hours. There are only two of us in the play. And It's a complete experience.
I was at the premiere of The Holiday (2006), a movie I did with Kate Winslet. Surrounded by all these beautiful young women. And after they left, [wife Anne Jackson] comes up and says to me, "Honestly, I don't know what they see in you.
The subtitle [of his memoir "The Good, the Bad and Me"] is "In My Anecdotage". Bill Clinton asked me if he could use it, and I said, "You sold two million copies of your book. How dare you try to steal my subtitle!".- J.T. Walsh was born on 28 September 1943 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Breakdown (1997), Sling Blade (1996) and Needful Things (1993). He was married to Susan West. He died on 27 February 1998 in La Mesa, California, USA.Date of Birth
28 September 1943, San Francisco, California, USA
Date of Death
27 February 1998, La Mesa, California, USA (heart attack)
Birth Name
James Thomas Patrick Walsh
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Trade Marks:
Often played cowardly, sinister villains
Deep authoritative voice
He died of a heart attack while vacationing near San Diego, CA. Walsh fell ill while staying at a resort hotel & was taken to Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, CA, where he was pronounced dead. He lived in Encino (Los Angeles) with his son, John West, at the time of his death.
Before his death, he was hoping to follow the example of Gene Hackman and get away from playing the psychopaths and cowards he had been typecast as, playing more complicated and substantial character parts.
In his last year, Walsh starred in the 1998 films Hidden Agenda, Pleasantville, and The Negotiator. All three movies, plus Outside Ozona (Walsh died shortly before production commenced) were dedicated to his memory.
His father died of brain cancer and his mother died of Alzheimer's disease.
Jack Nicholson dedicated his Best Actor Academy Award (for As Good as It Gets (1997)) to Walsh.
Personal Quotes:
I never resented being called a character actor in New York, but with the caste system they have in Hollywood, you feel the little sting of it. There is a distinction made between the person who is getting $20 million and everyone else. You're the one directors know they don't have to worry about, so they can turn their attention to more pressing problems, like finding the star a bigger trailer.
(1997) I like to read fiction because it transports me away from Hollywood, and I like travel novels. I also drive up the coast to Santa Barbara to escape and get out of town. I stay the most at the San Ysidro Ranch. It's a quiet and simple, protected village and no one bothers you. It's also very pretty. - Stunts
- Actor
- Director
Bryon Weiss was born on 12 February 1963 in Ohio, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Time Machine (2002) and Idiocracy (2006). He was married to Laura Weiss. He died on 1 March 2014 in Arlington, Texas, USA.Date of Birth
12 February 1963, Ohio, USA
Date of Death
1 March 2014, Arlington, Texas, USA (colon cancer)
Height
6' 1½" (1.87 m)
Spouse:
Laura Weiss
(2 February 2001 - his death) (2 children)- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Maurice was born in Memphis on December 19, 1941, but moved to Chicago as a teenager. His father, Verdine, was a doctor. For many years, they lived in the South Shore section on the South Side. He attended Crane Junior College and the Chicago Conservatory of Music. It was while he was at the conservatory that he got the call to fill in for a drummer a Betty Everett session. The song was "You're No Good" and it marked White's debut as a session drummer. He played on many sessions for Chicago based artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, The Impressions, The Dells, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf and Billy Stewart. Soon after, he was touring with The Dells as their drummer. Then Isaac "Red" Holt left the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Maurice replaced him. He spent three years (1966-69) with Ramsey before deciding to form his own group. Hiring a local band that included his younger brother Verdine, Maurice founded the Salty Peppers and later changed the name to Earth, Wind & Fire (in IMDb as Earth Wind & Fire) after the elements of the earth. As well as creating hits with the group, he wrote and produced such artists as the Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Deniece Williams, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Holliday, Pockets and Neil Diamond. Maurice White no longer tours full time with Earth, Wind & Fire. He started feeling the effects of Parkinson's Disease in the late 1980s, and it gradually began to escalate. He still records with the group and performs occasionally.Date of Birth
19 December 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Date of Death
3 February 2016, Los Angeles, California, USA (Parkinson's disease)
Nickname
Reese- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, a great-great-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin (née Janin), was a former model from Mississippi, and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford Motor Company executive from Indiana. Williams had English, German, French, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.
Robin briefly studied political science at Claremont Men's College and theater at College of Marin before enrolling at The Juilliard School to focus on theater. After leaving Juilliard, he performed in nightclubs where he was discovered for the role of "Mork, from Ork", in an episode of Happy Days (1974). The episode, My Favorite Orkan (1978), led to his famous spin-off weekly TV series, Mork & Mindy (1978). He made his feature starring debut playing the title role in Popeye (1980), directed by Robert Altman.
Williams' continuous comedies and wild comic talents involved a great deal of improvisation, following in the footsteps of his idol Jonathan Winters. Williams also proved to be an effective dramatic actor, receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Fisher King (1991), before winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Good Will Hunting (1997).
During the 1990s, Williams became a beloved hero to children the world over for his roles in a string of hit family-oriented films, including Hook (1991), FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), Flubber (1997), and Bicentennial Man (1999). He continued entertaining children and families into the 21st century with his work in Robots (2005), Happy Feet (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Happy Feet Two (2011), and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014). Other more adult-oriented films for which Williams received acclaim include The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Awakenings (1990), The Birdcage (1996), Insomnia (2002), One Hour Photo (2002), World's Greatest Dad (2009), and Boulevard (2014).
On Monday, August 11th, 2014, Robin Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California USA, the victim of an apparent suicide, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. A 911 call was received at 11:55 a.m. PDT, firefighters and paramedics arrived at his home at 12:00 p.m. PDT, and he was pronounced dead at 12:02 p.m. PDT.Date of Birth
21 July 1951 , Chicago, Illinois, USA
Date of Death
11 August 2014 , Tiburon, California, USA (apparent suicide)
Birth Name
Robin McLaurin Williams
Height
5' 7" (1.7 m)
Spouses:
Susan Schneider
(22 October 2011 - 11 August 2014) (his death)
Marsha Garces Williams
(30 April 1989 - 2010) (divorced) (2 children)
Valerie Velardi
(4 June 1978 - 6 December 1988) (divorced) (1 child)
Trade Marks:
Wild improvised stream-of-consciousness comedy dialogue where he will do cultural references, impersonations and one-liners with rapid switching.
Unique skill at imitating voices
Frequently plays offbeat and eccentric characters
Frequently plays fathers or family men
Often plays characters lacking in self-awareness
Often plays men who have suffered a trauma or loss
Often plays characters with mental instability and/or a deep capacity for violence (One Hour Photo, Insomnia)
Was declared dead at 12:02 PM on August 11, 2014, seven minutes after the call was received by 911 operators, and two minutes after paramedics arrived at his home in the unincorporated town of Tiburon, which is in Marin County, California, USA, just north of San Francisco. The cause was apparent suicide after a long bout with severe depression.
Upon his death, his wife, Susan Schneider said, "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our tie of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions".
As of his death in 2014, he had appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990) and Good Will Hunting (1997).
Personal Quotes:
Stand-up is the place where you can do things that you could never do in public. Once you step on stage you're licensed to do that. It's an understood relationship. You walk on stage - it's your job.
I'd play the Riddler in the next Batman, although it'd be hard to top Heath Ledger as the villain, and I'm a little hairy for tights. Plus, the Batman films have screwed me twice before: years ago they offered me the Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me the Riddler and gave it to Jim Carrey.
[While accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1997)] Most of all, I want to thank my father, up there, the man who when I said I wanted to be an actor, he said, "Wonderful. Just have a back-up profession like welding.".
[on his acting career]: All the new people you meet, it's pretty amazing. The vampire needs new blood. And there is still a lot to learn and there is always great stuff out there. Even mistakes can be wonderful.
...And now that you have a child you have to clean up your act, 'cause you can't drink anymore. You can't come home drunk and go, "Hey, here's a little switch: Daddy's gonna throw up on you!".
Everyone has these two visions when they hold their child for the first time. The first is your child as an adult saying "I want to thank the Nobel Committee for this award." The other is "You want fries with that?".