The Last Laugh 2021
A list of comedy veterans and legends who died in 2021. This list is specifically for individuals who are *best known* for their work in comedy.
List activity
36 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
51 people
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Betty White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, to Christine Tess (Cachikis), a homemaker, and Horace Logan White, a lighting company executive for the Crouse-Hinds Electric Company. She was of Danish, Greek, English, and Welsh descent.
Although she was best known as the devious Sue Ann Nivens on the classic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and the ditzy Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (1985), Betty White had been in television for a long, long time before those two shows, having had her own series, Life with Elizabeth (1952) in 1952.
She was married three times, lastly for eighteen years, until widowed, to TV game-show host Allen Ludden.
She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and she was known for her tireless efforts on behalf of animals.
Betty White died on 31 December 2021, at the age of 99.January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021
American actress, comedian, legend, television pioneer and national treasure - 'Life with Elizabeth' (1952-1955), 'Advise & Consent' (1962), 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1973-1977), 'The Golden Girls' (1985-1992), 'Lake Placid' (1999), 'The Proposal' (2009), 'Hot in Cleveland' (2010-2015)
Daytime Emmy Award winner - first woman to win for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show, 1983 ('Just Men!')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show, 1984 ('Just Men!')
Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, 2015
Golden Globe nominee - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical, 1986-89 (all four for 'The Golden Girls')
Grammy Award winner - Best Spoken Word Album, 2012 ('If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)')
Los Angeles Area Emmy Award winner - Most Outstanding Female Personality, 1952 ('Life with Elizabeth')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 1975 and 1976 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 1986 ('The Golden Girls'); Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, 1996 ('The John Larroquette Show'); Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, 2010 ('Saturday Night Live')
Nominated for another 16 Primetime Emmy Awards
First woman to host a TV talk show ('Hollywood on Television')
First woman to star in a sitcom ('Life with Elizabeth')
First woman to produce a sitcom (also 'Life with Elizabeth')
First woman to produce her own national TV show ('The Betty White Show')
First female producer to hire a female director ('The Betty White Show')
Oldest person to host 'Saturday Night Live' (she was 88 at the time)
Guinness world record holder for longest TV career for a female entertainer- Lanky, balding, intense American character actor of Puerto Rican ancestry, born in New York's Spanish Harlem. Deserted by his parents, Sierra was brought up by an aunt in a rough, predominantly Irish neighbourhood from the age of six. Though briefly tempted by gang life as a teenager, he took up acting classes after accompanying a friend to an audition and ended up playing Shakespearean roles with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival (playing, among many other parts, Macbeth and Romeo), as well as appearing off-Broadway. He later said "I would have been happy if I continued to do that for the rest of my life". However, in 1969, Sierra decided to move to Hollywood and began acting in episodic television where he was initially typecast as Latino heavies or cops.
Sierra made his breakthrough in the role of Julio Fuentes on NBC's Sanford and Son (1972), his character the perennial butt of bigoted jokes from the show's cantankerous lead, played by Redd Foxx. He then appeared in the original cast of the police sitcom Barney Miller (1975) as the passionate, proudly Puerto Rican Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale. Written out of the show at the end of season two, he had further recurring roles in serial television, frequently alternating between comedy and drama. These included the short-lived hospital sitcom A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977), the controversial but hugely popular parody Soap (1977) (as South American counter-revolutionary "El Puerco"), Hill Street Blues (1981) (as Assistant District Attorney Alvarez), Zorro and Son (1983) (as garrison commander Paco Pico, one of the hero's chief antagonists), Miami Vice (1984) (as Don Johnson's erstwhile boss Lou Rodriguez, killed off by a hitman in episode four -- in fact, Sierra opted to leave the show because he disliked Miami) and the science fiction series Something Is Out There (1988) (as Captain Victor Maldonado). His numerous, varied and often highly entertaining guest appearances have included supporting roles as a Native American renegade on Gunsmoke (1955), a mutated religious leader living underneath irradiated New York in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), a professor of anthropology helping Mulder and Scully track down the Jersey Devil in The X-Files (1993), a Cardassian member of the sinister Obsidian Order on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), an Italian priest in John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) and an Iraqi gunboat captain in the Rambo spoof Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Sierra made his home in Laguna Beach, California, where he died of cancer on January 4 2021 at the age of 84.January 25, 1937 – January 4, 2021
American actor - 'Sanford and Son' (1972-1975), 'Barney Miller' (1975-1976), 'Soap' (1980-1981), 'Deep Cover' (1992), 'John Carpenter's Vampires' (1998) - Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Soundtrack
Marion Ramsey was an American actress and singer from Philadelphia. She is primarily known for her role as the soft-spoken policewoman Laverne Hooks in the "Police Academy" film series (1984-1994). Hooks was depicted as a "diminutive, soft-spoken and unassertive woman" with a high-pitched voice. But switched to a more aggressive and authoritative tone when sufficiently frustrated.
Ramsey was born in 1947, but little is known about her early life. She started her career as a theatrical actress, and became a prominent performer for Broadway shows. She appeared in the Broadway version of the hit musical "Hello, Dolly!" (1964) by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart, and subsequently was part of the musical's touring productions. The musical was an adaptation of the farce "The Merchant of Yonkers" (1938) by Thornton Wilder (1897 -1975), but was much better received than the original work.
Ramsey made her television debut as part of the regular cast in the variety series "Keep On Truckin'" (1975). This was a summer replacement series, broadcast by ABC on Saturday nights. It only lasted four episodes. In 1976, Ramsey made a guest-star appearance in an episode of the then-popular sitcom "The Jeffersons" (1975-1985).
Also in 1976, Ramsey became part of the regular cast of the short-lived sketch comedy show "Cos". The show was named after its host, the popular comedian Bill Cosby (1937-). The series only lasted for 9 episodes, and was canceled due to low ratings. It was replaced on ABC's schedule by a new show called "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1977-1979), which was adapting mystery novels for children,. The novels were originally published by the long-running Stratemeyer Syndicate (1899-1987).
In 1977, Ramsey had a guest-star role in the short-lived sitcom "Sanford Arms" (1977). The series was intended as a sequel to the hit show "Sanford and Son" (1972-1977), but focused on a new protagonist. It failed to find an audience, and was canceled after only 4 episodes. Another 4 completed episodes, including the one featuring Ramsey, were never aired, although they became available on later reruns.
In 1978, Ramsey was one of the main performers of the revue "Eubie!" in Broadway. The revue showcased 23 songs by the popular jazz composer Eubie Blake (1887 - 1983). The show ran for 439 performances. Ramsey and the rest of the original cast participated in a recording of the show, which was released on vinyl in 1979.
Ramsey gained her first substantial film role in the police comedy "Police Academy" (1984), when she was 37-years-old. As cadet Laverne Hooks , she received enough screen time to be one of the film's memorable characters. The film was a box office hit, earning 150 million dollars at the worldwide box office. A film series featuring featuring the same cast followed. Ramsey appeared in 5 of the original film's sequels, and her character was soon depicted as a police sergeant. She made her last appearance in the film series in "Police Academy 6: City Under Siege" (1989). She did not appear in the series finale "Police Academy: Mission to Moscow" (1994), which also failed to include several other regular cast members.
In the early 1990s, Ramsey made a few appearances in then-popular television series, such as "MacGyver", "Beverly Hills, 90210", and "The Nanny". Most of her roles were minor unnamed characters. Ramsey worked as a voice actor in the animated series "The Addams Family" (1992 -1993). Her most memorable character in the series was summer camp owner D.I. Holler, who had the mentality of a drill sergeant. The character aimed to teach fitness and self-reliance to rich kids, but was unreasonably strict.
Ramsey had her next film role in the horror comedy "Maniacts" (2001) , where she played an unnamed prostitute. The film featured two serial killers who fall in love with each other, and try to settle down for a while. Ramsey next played a policewoman again in the comedy television film "Recipe for Disaster" (2003). The premise of the film is that the owners of a family restaurant have disappeared, and their underage kids try to operate the restaurant in their absence. The film is remembered for an early starring role for teenage actress Margo Harshman (1986-).
In 2006, Ramsey voiced Laverne Hooks in a comedy sketch of the animated series "Robot Chicken" (2005-). The sketch featured several characters from the "Police Academy" series being recruited as new members of the X-Men. The sketch reunited Ramsey with her former co-star Michael Winslow, an accomplished voice actor.
In 2007, Ramsey had a supporting role in the romantic comedy "Lord Help Us". The film's main plot is that the elderly preacher Henry Thomas (played by Bill Toliver) needs help to repair his reputation, after a rumor suggests that he is having an affair with a much younger woman. Also in 2007, Ramsey had a small role in the thriller film "The Stolen Moments of September". The film depicts the life of a young runaway, who befriends a suspected serial killer.
After a hiatus of a few years, Ramsey returned to film roles with the mystery comedy "Who Killed Soul Glow?" (2012). As the title suggests, it featured a murder mystery. In 2013, Ramsey appeared in the historical film "Return to Babylon", which depicted the lives of famous Hollywood actors in the 1920s. Ramsey played the maid of the famous vamp Barbara La Marr (1896 - 1926). The real life La Marr was highly popular in the 1920s, but died at the age of 29 due to tuberculosis.
In 2014, Ramsey played a supporting role in the sports film "Wal-Bob's". The film depicted the operation of an underground football league in Cincinnati. In 2015, Ramsey had a role in the science fiction horror television film "Lavalantula". The film depicted giant tarantulas unleashed in modern-day Los Angeles. The film notably reunited several veteran actors from the "Police Academy" film series, with the protagonist role reserved for Steve Guttenberg (1958-). Ramsey also appeared in the film's sequel "2 Lava 2 Lantula" (2016).
In 2016, Ramsey appeared in the comedy-drama film "DaZe: Vol. Too (sic) - NonSeNse". The film reunited several veterans of the "Police Academy" film series, and featured the last film role for Ramsey's longtime friend Bubba Smith (1945-2011). In 2018, Ramsey appeared in the biographical film "When I Sing", which was based on the life of singer-songwriter Linda Chorney (1960-). This was Ramsey's last film role.
Ramsey spend her last years in retirement.
In January she died at her residence in Los Angeles, following a short illness. Her cause of death was not announced to the public. She was 73-years-old at the time of her death. She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea. News of her death was covered by the press, as the actress was still well-known and fondly remembered. Ramsey is considered an icon of the 1980s.May 10, 1947 – January 7, 2021
American actress - 'Police Academy' movies (1984-1989), 'The Addams Family' animated series (1992-1993), 'Lavalantula' (2015)- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert F. Liu was born on 1 May 1926 in Shanghai, China. He was a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Lou Grant (1977), Family Ties (1982) and Stop Susan Williams (1979). He died on 11 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.May 1, 1926 – January 11, 2021
Chinese-American cinematographer - 'Lou Grant' (1979-1982), 'Family Ties' (1985-1989), 'The Nanny' (1998-1999)
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Cinematography for a Series, 1982 ('Lou Grant'); Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Comedy Series, 1989 ('Family Ties')- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
David Richardson was born on 24 December 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The John Larroquette Show (1993), Two and a Half Men (2003) and Grand (1990). He was married to Charleen Easton. He died on 18 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.December 24, 1955 – January 18, 2021
American TV writer and producer - 'The Simpsons' (1993-1994), 'Two and a Half Men' (2009-2012), 'F Is for Family' (2015-2020)
Humanitas Prize winner - 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television, 1995 ('The John Larroquette Show')- Actress
- Soundtrack
The legendary actress set a record when at age 82, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars (2005). Cloris Leachman was born on April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa to Berkeley Claiborne "Buck" Leachman and the former Cloris Wallace. Her father's family owned a lumber company, Leachman Lumber Co. She was of Czech (from her maternal grandmother) and English descent. After graduating from high school, Leachman attended Illinois State University and Northwestern University, where she majored in drama. After winning the title of Miss Chicago 1946 (as part of the Miss America pageant), she acted with the Des Moines Playhouse before moving to New York.
Leachman made her credited debut in 1948 in an episode of The Ford Theatre Hour (1948) and appeared in many television anthologies and series before becoming a regular on The Bob & Ray Show (1951) in 1952. Her movie debut was memorable, playing the doomed blonde femme fatale Christina Bailey in Robert Aldrich's classic noir Kiss Me Deadly (1955). Other than a role in Rod Serling's movie The Rack (1956) in support of Paul Newman, Leachman remained a television actress throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, appearing in only two movies during the latter decade, The Chapman Report (1962) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Though she would win an Oscar for Peter Bogdanovich's adaptation of Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show (1971) and appear in three Mel Brooks movies, it was in television that her career remained and her fame was assured in the 1970s and into the second decade of the new millennium.
Leachman was nominated five times for an Emmy Award playing Phyllis Lindstrom, Mary Tyler Moore's landlady and self-described best friend on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and on the spin-off series Phyllis (1975). She won twice as Best Supporting Actress in a comedy for her "Mary Tyler Moore" gig and won a Golden Globe Award as a leading performer in comedy for "Phyllis", but her first Emmy Award came in the category Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1973 for the television movie A Brand New Life (1973). She also won two Emmy Awards as a supporting player for Malcolm in the Middle (2000).
She was married to director-producer George Englund from 1953 to 1979. They had five children together. Cloris Leachman died of natural causes on January 27, 2021 in Encinitas, California.April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021
American actress - 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1975, 1977), 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), 'Young Frankenstein' (1974), 'Phyllis' (1975-1977), 'The Beverly Hillbillies' (1993), 'Malcolm in the Middle' (2001-2006)
Academy Award winner - Best Actress in a Supporting Role, 1971 ('The Last Picture Show')
BAFTA Film Award winner - Best Supporting Actress, 1972 ('The Last Picture Show')
Daytime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming, 1983 ('ABC Afterschool Specials' episode "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle")
Gemini Award nominee - Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series, 2001 ('Twice in a Lifetime')
Golden Globe winner - Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Television Series, 1976 ('Phyllis')
Nominated for three other Golden Globes
Primetime Emmy Awards - Winner of eight Emmy Awards out of 22 total nominations; the most Emmy-nominated actress of all time and tied with with Julia Louis-Dreyfus for most Emmy wins by an actress- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Allan Burns was born on 18 May 1935 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), Lou Grant (1977) and Rhoda (1974). He was married to Joan Irene Bailey. He died on 30 January 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.May 18, 1935 – January 30, 2021
American screenwriter ('A Little Romance'), TV writer ('The Bullwinkle Show,' 'Get Smart'), producer ('Room 222'), director ('Just Between Friends'), and series creator ('The Munsters,' 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' 'Lou Grant')
Academy Award nominee - Best Adapted Screenplay, 1979 ('A Little Romance')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy/a Comedy Series, 1968 ('He & She'), 1971 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show') and 1977 ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'); Outstanding Comedy Series, 1975, 1976 and 1977 (all for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show')
Nominated for another 10 Primetime Emmy Awards -- six for 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' two for 'Rhoda' and two for 'Lou Grant'- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Marc Wilmore was born on 4 May 1963 in Fontana, California, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Simpsons (1989), In Living Color (1990) and The PJs (1999). He was married to Soumaya Wilmore. He died on 30 January 2021 in Pomona, California, USA.May 4, 1963 – January 30, 2021
American TV writer ('In Living Color,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'The Simpsons'), producer ('F Is for Family') and voice actor ('The PJs')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour), 2008 ('The Simpsons')
Nominated for nine other Primetime Emmy Awards- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Attended Zion Lutheran School in Anaheim, California. While in fifth grade, he portrayed 8th-grader Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), which evolved into Saved by the Bell (1989) and its various television movies and spin-offs. Also appeared in the television series The Wonder Years (1988).January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021
American actor - 'Saved by the Bell' (1988-1992), 'Saved by the Bell: The New Class' (1994-2000), 'A Dog for Christmas' (2015)- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Casting Director
Jamie Tarses was born on 16 March 1964 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She was a producer and casting director, known for The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021), Primeval (2007) and My Boys (2006). She was married to Dan McDermott. She died on 1 February 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.March 16, 1964 – February 1, 2021
American TV executive (NBC, ABC Entertainment) and producer ('My Boys,' 'Happy Endings,' 'Franklin & Bash')
As president of ABC Entertainment from 1996 to 1999, was the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network- A native of Fujian province, Ng Man Tat was a graduate of the class of 1974's TVB Television training program where he quickly showed his chops thereafter acting in the Hong Kong television variety show 'Enjoy Yourself Tonight' and onto long running serials in 'Chor Lau Heung' and 'Police Cadet 84'. It wasn't until 1990 that he elevated his stature on the big screen pairing his complementary comedic timing as sidekick to Stephen Chow in the Cantonese dialect HK blockbuster 'All for the Winner'.January 2, 1951 – February 27, 2021
Hong Kong actor - 'All for the Winner' (1990), 'A Chinese Odyssey' (1995), 'King of Comedy' (1999), 'Shaolin Soccer' (2001), 'The Wandering Earth' (2019)
Hong Kong Film Award winner - Best Supporting Actor, 1990 ('A Moment of Romance')
Hong Kong Film Award nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1990 ('All for the Winner'), 1991 ('Fight Back to School'), 2014 ('Aberdeen') and 2016 ('The Menu') - Writer
- Actor
- Music Department
Tony Hendra was born on 10 July 1941 in Willesden, Middlesex, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Lemmings (1973) and Music Scene (1969). He was married to Carla Christine Meisner and Judith Hilary Christmas. He died on 4 March 2021 in Yonkers, New York, USA.July 10, 1941 – March 4, 2021
English satirist ('This Was the Week That Was'), producer ('Splitting Image'), screenwriter ('The Great White Hype'), actor ('This Is Spinal Tap') and magazine editor ('National Lampoon')
BAFTA TV Award nominee - Best Light Entertainment Programme, 1985 ('Splitting Image')- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
George Segal was born on February 13, 1934 in New York City, New York, to Fannie Blanche (Bodkin) and George Segal Sr., a malt and hop agent. All of his grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. After a stint in the military, he made his bones as a stage actor before being cast in his first meaty film role in The Young Doctors (1961). His turns in Ship of Fools (1965) and the eponymous King Rat (1965) heralded the arrival of a major talent. He followed this up with his Oscar-nominated performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), in which he more than held his own against Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) was a cultural phenomenon, the film that wrecked the MPDDA censorship code that had been in place since 1934, and a huge box office success to boot.
By the early 1970s, appearances in such films as The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), Blume in Love (1973), Born to Win (1971) and The Hot Rock (1972) had made him a major star with an enviable reputation, just under the heights of the superstar status enjoyed by the likes of Paul Newman. He followed up A Touch of Class (1973) (a hit film for which his co-star Glenda Jackson won an Oscar) with his brilliant performance as the out-of-control gambler in Robert Altman's California Split (1974).
At one time in the early 1970s, it seemed like George Segal would have a career like that enjoyed by his contemporary Jack Nicholson, that of an actor's actor equally adept at comedy and drama. Segal never made the leap to superstar status, and surprisingly, has never won a major acting award, the latter phenomenon being particularly surprising when viewed from the period 1973-74, when he reached the height of his career. It was at this point that Segal's career went awry, when he priced himself as a superstar with a seven-figure salary, but failed to come through at the box office. For example, The Black Bird (1975) was a failure, although his subsequent starring turn opposite Jane Fonda in Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) was a big hit that revitalized her career.
The thriller Rollercoaster (1977) became a modest hit even during a summer which saw it competing with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), and he gave a adroit comic performance in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978) with Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Morley, which proved another box office success. For all practical purposes, even after the failures of The Black Bird (1975), and The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976), it seemed like Segal, with a few deft career choices, could reorient his career and deliver on the promise of his early period.
At the end of the decade, he dropped out of a movie that would have burnished his tarnished lustre as a star: Blake Edwards' 10 (1979). 10 (1979) made Dudley Moore a star, while Arthur (1981) made him a superstar in the 1980s, a lost decade for Segal. It was an example of a career burnout usually associated with the "Oscar curse" (his No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) co-star Rod Steiger, for example, was a great character actor whose career was run off the rails by the expectations raised by the Academy Award). George Segal has never won an Oscar, but more surprisingly, has only been nominated once, for Best Supporting Actor of 1966 for his role as Nick in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
That he didn't return to the promise of the early 1970s may be the unintended consequence of his focusing on comedy to the detriment of drama. The comedy A Touch of Class (1973) made him a million dollar-per-film movie star, and that's what he concentrated on. Segal began relying on his considerable charm to pull off movies that had little going for them other than their star, and it backfired on him. These films weren't infused with the outrageously funny, subversive comedy of Where's Poppa? (1970), a success from his first period that he enjoyed along with co-star Ruth Gordon and director Carl Reiner.
When Segal first made it in the mid-1960s, he established his serious actor bona fides with a deal he cut with ABC-TV that featured him in TV adaptations of Broadway plays. He also played a very memorable Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman (1966), shining in performance in counterpoint to the vital presence that was Lee J. Cobb's Willy Loman. It was a good life for an actor, and he took time to show off his banjo-playing skills by fronting the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, with which he cut several records.
While the 1980s were mostly a career wasteland for Segal, with no starring roles in hit films, he remained a popular figure on television, and appeared regularly on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), where he would routinely sing and play the banjo during interviews. After a major role in the surprise hit Look Who's Talking (1989), he co-starred with Bette Midler and James Caan in For the Boys (1991), leading to a career revival in the 1990s, using his flair for comedy as part of the ensemble cast of Just Shoot Me! (1997). In the 2010s, he co-starred as the eccentric but lovable grandfather on the hit sitcom The Goldbergs (2013). On February 14, 2017, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television on his 83rd birthday. George Segal died at age 87 of complication from bypass surgery on March 23, 2021 in Santa Rosa, California.February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021
American actor - 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' (1966), 'California Split' (1974), 'Look Who's Talking' (1989), 'Just Shoot Me!' (1997-2003), 'The Goldbergs' (2013-2021)
Academy Award nominee - Best Actor in a Supporting Role, 1966 ('Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?')
BAFTA Film Award nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1968 ('No Way to Treat a Lady')
Golden Globe winner - Most Promising Male Newcomer, 1965 ('The New Interns'); Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical ('A Touch of Class')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Supporting Actor, 1967 ('Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'); Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical Television Series, 1999 and 2000 (both for 'Just Shoot Me!')- Actress
- Soundtrack
Acclaimed actress Jessica Walter was born on January 31, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Esther (Groisser), a teacher, and David Walter (his original surname was Warshawsky), a musician who was a member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the NYC Ballet Orchestra. She was of Russian Jewish descent, the sister of screenwriter and Chairman of the UCLA Screenwriting program Richard Walter. Their uncle was stage and screen actor Jerry Jarrett. Raised in Queens, Walter was a graduate of New York's High School of the Performing Arts and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She first acted in summer stock and her extensive subsequent career on the stage included productions both on- and off-Broadway.
On Broadway, Walter appeared in Peter Ustinov's "Photo Finish" (which earned her the Clarence Derwent Award as Most Promising Newcomer), "A Severed Head", "Advise and Consent", "Night Life" and Neil Simon's "Rumors". Off-Broadway, she acted in a 1986 Los Angeles Theater Center production of "Tartuffe" opposite Ron Leibman (to whom she was married from 1983 until his death in 2019).
After guesting on several TV series in the early and mid-1960s, Walter made her move to feature films where she attracted attention for her role as the brash Libby in Sidney Lumet's The Group (1966). This seemed to set the tone for her next screen personae as bitchy, difficult or dangerously vindictive women, the most memorable of which was Evelyn in Clint Eastwood's directorial debut film, Play Misty for Me (1971). This earned Walter a richly deserved Golden Globe nomination. Another stand-out role was Pat, the bored ex-glamour model wife of one racing driver (Brian Bedford) and troublesome girlfriend of another (James Garner) in Grand Prix (1966). Walter's numerous TV roles included the enchantress Morgan LeFay in the rarely seen telemovie Dr. Strange (1978). Of her many screen villainesses she later said: "those are the fun roles. They're juicy, much better than playing the vanilla ingénues".
By the 1980s, Walter had turned increasingly towards comedy, both on the big screen (The Flamingo Kid (1984)) and the small (Three's a Crowd (1984)). However, she never shied away from other genres, whether playing an EarthGov senator on the cult sci-fi series Babylon 5 (1993) or providing the voice for the leading female character in the animated sitcom Dinosaurs (1991). Walter received an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Actress in the Ironside (1967) spin-off Amy Prentiss (1974) and was nominated for guest-starring roles in episodes of Trapper John, M.D. (1979) and The Streets of San Francisco (1972). She found a new audience among younger viewers as the devious matriarch Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development (2003).
Jessica Walter died in her sleep on March 24, 2021 from undisclosed causes at the age of 80. Riverside Memorial Chapel and Funeral Home in New York City completed her final arrangements. She was cremated and her ashes are with her daughter.January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021
American actress - 'Grand Prix' (1966), 'Play Misty for Me' (1971), 'The Flamingo Kid' (1984), 'PCU' (1994), 'Arrested Development' (2003-2019)
Also known for her voice-work work on TV shows such as 'Dinosaurs' (1991-1994) and 'Archer' (2009-2020)
Golden Globe nominee - Most Promising Female Newcomer, 1967 ('Grand Prix'); Best Actress in a Motion Picture, 1972 ('Play Misty for Me')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, 1975 ('Amy Prentiss')
Primetime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series, 1977 ('The Streets of San Francisco'); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, 1980 ('Trapper John, M.D.'); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 2005 ('Arrested Development')- Actor
- Writer
- Director
John Dixon Paragon was born in Alaska, but grew up and attended schools in Fort Collins, Colorado. He got his start in the Los Angeles-based improvisation group The Groundlings alongside Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman. John is best known for his work on children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse where he played Jambi the Genie and voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl. In addition to writing many of the regular season episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986), John also co-wrote with Paul Reubens the acclaimed "Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special" in 1988, for which they were nominated an Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Children's Special. He has also collaborated with fellow Groundling Cassandra Peterson on numerous projects, including the recurring role of The Breather, an annoying caller, for her first television series Movie Macabre on KHJ-TV-Los Angeles and was co-writer on her 1988 feature film, Elvira Mistress of the Dark. Some of his other memorable roles include Cedric, one half of the homosexual couple Bob and Cedric on the television series Seinfeld; the title character in the children's movie The Frog Prince; the sex shop salesman in the cult favorite Eating Raoul; and the owner of a Strip-o-gram business in the 1986 film Echo Park. In recent years, John has worked with Walt Disney Imagineering on ways to incorporate improvisational performance into attractions at Disney parks. He returned to his performance as Jambi the Genie in the Broadway outing of the new "Pee-wee Herman" stage show that began performances October 26, 2010 at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.December 9, 1954 – April 3, 2021
American actor ('Pee-wee's Playhouse'), writer ('Elvira: Mistress of the Dark') and director ('Twin Sitters')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series, 1987, 1989 and 1991 (all for 'Pee-wee's Playhouse'); Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series, 1990 and 1991 (both for 'Pee-wee's Playhouse')- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
Anne Beatts was born on 25 February 1947 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Square Pegs (1982) and Funny Boys. She died on 7 April 2021 in West Hollywood, California, USA.February 25, 1947 – April 7, 2021
American comedy writer ('Saturday Night Live'), producer ('A Different World') and series creator ('Square Pegs')
Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series, 1976 ('Saturday Night Live')
Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 (all for 'Saturday Night Live')- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Raised in Dallas, Texas, James Hampton attended John H. Reagan Elementary, N.R. Crozier Technical High School and the University of North Texas (Theatre Arts Major). He studied acting with Michael Howard in New York and Leonard Nimoy in Los Angeles. He worked with Baruch Lumet at Knox Street Theatre in Dallas and did summer stock at Casa Manana in Fort Worth (1961). He performed off-Broadway in "Easy Does It" with Tom Poston and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, and toured with Burt Reynolds in "Rainmaker". He starred in "Tender Trap" with Reynolds at Arlington Park Theatre in Chicago and played the title role in "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" at the same theatre with Mamie Van Doren and Rick Jason. Onscreen, he has played in films as diverse as The Longest Yard (1974) and Teen Wolf (1985), and is probably best remembered as the eager but inept bugler Private Hannibal Dobbs in the classic sitcom F Troop (1965). James Hampton died at age 84 of Parkinson's disease at his home in Fort Worth, Texas.July 9, 1936 – April 7, 2021
American actor ('F Troop,' 1974's 'The Longest Yard,' 1985's 'Teen Wolf') and TV director ('Evening Shade,' 'Sister, Sister')
Golden Globe nominee - Most Promising Male Newcomer, 1975 ('The Longest Yard')- Risitas was born on 5 April 1956 in Sevilla, Spain. He was an actor, known for Torrente 3: El protector (2005), Caiga quien caiga (1996) and Ratones coloraos (2002). He died on 28 April 2021 in Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain.April 5, 1956 – April 28, 2021
Spanish comedian ('Ratones coloraos') and actor - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Deadpan comedian Charles Sydney Grodin (originally Grodinsky) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of Russian/Polish ancestry and raised in a Jewish orthodox home. He attended the University of Miami but dropped out, opting instead for the life of a struggling actor. The movie A Place in the Sun (1951) was said to have steered him towards his chosen profession. In his own words: "It was two things. One is I think I developed an overwhelming crush on Elizabeth Taylor. And two, Montgomery Clift made acting look like 'Gee, well that looks pretty easy - just a guy talking.'".
After a spell with Uta Hagen (1956-59), he attended Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio before making his stage debut on Broadway in 1962. Though he appeared on screen from as early as 1954, Grodin did not make a great deal of headway in this medium until he attracted critical notice playing the small but crucial role of obstetrician Dr. C.C. Hill in Rosemary's Baby (1968). More substantial roles soon followed. His first major starring turn was in The Heartbreak Kid (1972), a black comedy written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May. Grodin managed to inject charm and humanity in what was essentially an egotistical central character. Film reviewer Roger Ebert praised his performance, describing the actor as a "kind of Dustin Hoffman-as-overachiever", an opinion which was echoed by Vincent Canby of the New York Times. Ironically, Grodin had earlier turned down the pivotal role in The Graduate (1967) which propelled Hoffman to stardom (he also -- probably unwisely -- spurned the role of oceanographer Matt Hooper in Jaws (1975) which instead went to Richard Dreyfuss).
Grodin's ultimate breakthrough came on the Broadway stage in "Same Time Next Year" (1975) (opposite Ellen Burstyn), a hugely successful romantic comedy about two people, each married to someone else, who conduct an extramarital affair for a single day over the course of 24 years in the same room of a northern Californian inn. Though the two leads left the show after seven months, Grodin was now much sought-after in Hollywood as a droll comic actor and cast in a string of hit comedies: Heaven Can Wait (1978), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Lonely Guy (1984) and Midnight Run (1988). He also appeared to sterling effect in the underrated farce The Couch Trip (1988), in which he co-starred with Walter Matthau and Dan Aykroyd as the brittle psychiatrist and radio host Dr. George Maitlin. Arguably his most popular box office success was opposite the titular Saint Bernard canine in the family-oriented comedy Beethoven (1992). Despite less than enthusiastic critical reviews, the film was a hit with audiences, grossed $147.2 million worldwide and spawned a sequel.
In the mid-1990s, Grodin reinvented himself as a television host (The Charles Grodin Show (1995)) and political commentator. He made frequent guest appearances on talk shows with Carson or Letterman, typically adopting the persona of a belligerent tongue-in-cheek character to facilitate "comically uncomfortable situations on the set". Grodin was also a prolific author, both of fiction and non-fiction. An autobiography was entitled "It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business" (1989). Charles Grodin died at age 86 of bone marrow cancer on May 18, 2021 at his home in Wilton, Connecticut.April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021
American actor - 'The Heartbreak Kid' (1972), 'Heaven Can Wait' (1978), 'Midnight Run' (1988), 'Beethoven' (1992), 'Louie' (2014-2015)
Also a talk show host ('The Charles Grodin Show'), political commentator ('60 Minutes II') and writer
Drama Desk Award nominee - Outstanding Actor in a Play, 1975 ('Same Time, Next Year')
Golden Globe nominee - Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, 1973 ('The Heartbreak Kid')
Primetime Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, 1978 ('The Paul Simon Special')- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Paul Mooney was born on 4 August 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Bamboozled (2000), Brewster's Millions (1985) and Pryor's Place (1984). He was married to Yvonne Mooney. He died on 19 May 2021 in Oakland, California, USA.August 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021
American comedian ('Chappelle's Show'), comedy writer (Richard Pryor) and actor ('Bamboozled')
Daytime Emmy Award nominee - Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series, 1985 ('Pryor's Place')- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gavin MacLeod's pleasing, agreeable manner on two hit TV series in the 1970s and '80s belied a number of shady villains he portrayed in his early career. Born Allan George See in Mt. Kisco, New York, on February 28, 1931, and raised in Pleasantville, he was the son of Margaret (Shea) and George See, a gas station owner who was part Chippewa Indian (Ojibwa). He followed his 1952 graduation from Ithaca College (Fine Arts major) with Air Force military duty, then moved to New York City and worked for a while as an usher and elevator operator at Radio City Music Hall. Focusing on acting, he changed his stage name to "Gavin McLeod."
A solid break on Broadway in "A Hatful of Rain" in 1956 led to a move to Los Angeles in an attempt to break into film and TV. MacLeod began to earn a minor reputation as a second-string heavy in such crime shows as "The Thin Man," "Steve Canyon," "Manhunt," "Mr. Lucky," "Peter Gunn," "Michael Shayne," "The Untouchables" and "Perry Mason." This led to a regular comedy role as part of the McHale's Navy (1962) TV series. He also managed several film roles, although far down the credits, with I Want to Live! (1958), Compulsion (1959), Pork Chop Hill (1959), Operation Petticoat (1959), Twelve Hours to Kill (1960), High Time (1960), War Hunt (1962) and McHale's Navy (1964). He was a member of the superb supporting cast of The Sand Pebbles (1966). He returned to Broadway in "The Captains and the Kings" in 1962.
MacLeod's career more or less flowed and ebbed until 1972, when his shiftless typecast was shattered forever. As Murray Slaughter, the balding, beaming, wisecracking, gleaming-toothed news writer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), MacLeod became a happy household name. From then on, he could only be envisaged as a lovable schmuck and nice guy. From there he went on to another benign starring role with the TV series, The Love Boat (1977), as the ingratiating Captain Stubing.
On the down side, "Love Boat" marred MacLeod's chances to be considered for more challenging work, and his inability to cope with success led to alcoholism and divorce from second wife Patti. However, he later turned his life around, remarried his wife, and they both wrote a book called "Back on Course" (1987). MacLeod continued sporadically on the musical stage ("Gypsy," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Gigi"), in TV reunions ("Love Boat" specials) and as a TV guest ("Murder, She Wrote," "Touched by an Angel," "The King of Queens," "Oz," "That 70s Show," "JAG" and "The Comeback Kid").February 28, 1931 – May 29, 2021
American actor -'Operation Petticoat' (1959), 'McHale's Navy' (1962-1964), 'Kelly's Heroes' (1970), 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1977), 'The Love Boat' (1977-1987)
Five-time Golden Globe nominee- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Frank Bonner was born on 28 February 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He was an actor and director, known for WKRP in Cincinnati (1978), Equinox (1970) and The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991). He was married to Gayle Hardage, Catherine Sherwood, Lillian Garrett, Mary Alice Rings and Sharon Gray. He died on 16 June 2021 in Laguna Niguel, California, USA.February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021
American actor - 'Equinox' (1970), 'WKRP in Cincinnati' (1978-1982), 'Just the Ten of Us' (1988-1990)- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Robert Downey Sr. served in the army, played minor-league baseball, was a Golden Gloves champion and off-off Broadway playwright, all before he was 22 years old.
Downey was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elizabeth (McLoughlin), a model, and Robert Elias, who worked in hotel/restaurant management. He took the surname of his stepfather, James Downey, when enlisting in the army. His father was of Lithuanian Jewish descent, while his mother was of half-Irish and half-Hungarian Jewish ancestry. In 1960, he began writing and directing basement-budgeted, absurdist films that gained an underground following: Balls Bluff (1961), Babo 73 (1964), Chafed Elbows (1966) and No More Excuses (1968). Putney Swope (1969) was the first Downey-directed film to earn a mainstream release. A devastating satire of Madison Avenue, it explored what happens when an African-American activist is given carte blanche at an advertising agency. The film was among the year's Top 10 Films in New York Magazine.
Downey thrived in the laissez-faire film world of the 1970s with such irreverent films as Pound (1970), where humans play dogs waiting to be adopted. Around this time he worked on projects for Joseph Papp and the New York Public Theatre, directing David Rabe's play "Sticks and Bones" for CBS (Sticks and Bones (1973)). The strong anti-war sentiments expressed in this live broadcast resulted in a major controversy when its sponsors pulled out at the last minute, and the network had to air the film uninterrupted because it couldn't find a sponsor. His Greaser's Palace (1972) is an outrageous restaging of the life of Christ in "spaghetti western" terms. Time Magazine put this film on its list of the year's Top 10 movies. Downey's take-no-prisoners sense of humor is also apparent in Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (1975) and Hugo Pool (1997) (world premiere at the Sundance festival in 1997), a film that examines a day in the life of a female pool cleaner in Hollywood. Rittenhouse Square (2005) was the feature presentation of the Galway Film Festival and his second teaming with Max L. Raab, having been a consultant on Raab's award-winning Strut! (2001).
From time to time, Downey acted (badly, according to him) and he can be seen in films such as Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999) and The Family Man (2000). He appeared twice on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), The Dick Cavett Show (1968), IFC's At the IFC Center (1997), Sundance Channel and countless other TV and radio shows. In addition, Downey was a guest speaker at film festivals and universities throughout the country. He developed an update of "Putney Swope." He lived in New York City with his wife, Rosemary Rogers.
Robert was the father of actors Robert Downey Jr. and Allyson Downey.June 24, 1936 – July 7, 2021
American filmmaker ('Putney Swope,' 'Greaser's Palace') and actor ('To Live and Die in L.A.')- Actor
- Director
- Casting Department
In the late 1960s, Charlie attended, and was enrolled in, Studio 7, an acting school operated by Chris Wilson at the Houston Music Theatre. He stayed with Chris when the school was moved to another location in Southwest Houston where mainly children's theater was presented. Charlie was cast in a made-for-TV production and soon moved to the Hollywood area where his career took off.November 9, 1945 – July 12, 2021
American actor - 'Sugar Hill' (1974), 'Night Court' (1984-1992), 'Set It Off' (1996), 'Home Improvement' (1995-1999), 'Hart of Dixie' (2012-2015)- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
John Cornell was born on 2 March 1941 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia. He was a producer and actor, known for Crocodile Dundee (1986), Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and The Paul Hogan Show (1973). He was married to Delvene Delaney. He died on 23 July 2021 in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.March 2, 1941 – July 23, 2021
Australian actor ('The Paul Hogan Show'), screenwriter ('Crocodile Dundee'), producer ('Crocodile Dundee II') and director ('Almost an Angel')
Academy Award nominee - Best Original Screenplay, 1986 ('Crocodile Dundee')
BAFTA Award nominee - Best Original Screenplay, 1986 ('Crocodile Dundee')