2024 Deaths
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- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Producer
Mickey Cottrell was born on 4 November 1944 in Springfield, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for My Own Private Idaho (1991), Volcano (1997) and Shortbus (2006). He died on 1 January 2024 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.Died in Woodland Hills, California.
1944-2024 (79 years old)
1 January- Writer
- Director
- Producer
American film historian and documentary writer-producer; frequent on-camera commentator and occasional bit-part actor. Author of the books 'Hollywood Gothic', the definitive chronicle of Bram Stoker's Dracula in its journey from page to stage to screen; 'The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror'; 'Screams of Reason: Mad Science and Modern Culture'; 'V Is for Vampire' and many others. With Elias Savada, co-author of 'Dark Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning'. Documentary projects include The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale (1999), a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the Academy Award-winning biopic 'Gods And Monsters', and 11 DVD documentaries for Universal Studio Home Video's classic horror and science fiction films. He resided in Los Angeles.Died in a car accident in Los Angeles, California.
1952-2024 (71 years old)
1 January- Connie Madigan was born on 4 October 1934 in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for Winterhawks (1997) and Kings of the Road: The Story of the Portland Buckaroos (2010). He died on 2 January 2024 in Canada.Died in Canada.
1934-2024 (89 years old)
2 January - Actor
- Additional Crew
For well over thirty years, Harry Johnson's voice was heard in over 2,000 television episodes, especially all the Law & Order shows and Wolf Films' Chicago shows, along with dozens of feature films, commercials and video games, mostly uncredited. His voice work continued for years.
Harry's extensive career began as a contract player for Universal Studios, leading to a starring role in the sci-fi classic Time Warp, opposite Adam West, followed by guest star roles in over four decades of TV shows and feature films.
Harry wrote books under the name Harry Castle. His first novel was Fugitive Romance: The Fictional Memoir of a Hollywood Screenwriter. His second book was a short story collection called Miracles & Misfits.Died of an illness in Los Angeles, California.
1942-2024 (81 years old)
2 January- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Arévalo was born on 2 September 1947 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. He was an actor and producer, known for Blown Away. Enchufados (2017), Ekipo Ja (2007) and El oro de Moscú (2003). He was married to Elena. He died on 3 January 2024 in Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain.Died of natural causes in Valencia, Spain.
1947-2024 (76 years old)
3 January- David E. Hoffman was a writer, known for The Billion Dollar Spy, Frontline (1983) and The Eighties (2016). He died on 3 January 2024 in West Hollywood, California, USA.Died in West Hollywood, California.
?-2024 (age unknown)
3 January - Konstantin Zheldin was born on 5 October 1933 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was an actor, known for Liquidation (2007), Brat 2 (2000) and Isaev (2009). He died on 4 January 2024 in Moscow, Russia.Died in Moscow, Russia.
1933-2024 (90 years old)
4 January - Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
Ayla Algan was born on 29 October 1937 in Istanbul, Turkey. She was an actress and assistant director, known for O da Beni Seviyor (2001), Harem Suare (1999) and Son Söz Benim (1970). She was married to Beklan Algan. She died on 4 January 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey.Died of cerebral hemorrhage in Istanbul, Turkey.
1937-2024 (86 years old)
4 January- Actress
- Soundtrack
Glynis Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1971). She was probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999). Johns died in 2024, aged 100, having never received the damehood she had richly deserved for decades. Predeceased by her only son, she was survived by a grandson,Thomas Forwood, and three great-grandchildren.Died of natural causes in West Hollywood, California.
1923-2024 (100 years old)
4 January- Actor
- Director
- Producer
David Soul achieved pop icon status as handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed Detective Kenneth Hutchinson on the cult "buddy cop" TV series Starsky and Hutch (1975), Soul also had a very successful singing career recording several albums, with worldwide number one hit singles including "Silver Lady" & "Don't Give Up on Us Baby".
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, David Soul is the son of a minister who was at one time serving as the religious affairs advisor to the U.S. High Commission in Berlin. At 24 years of age, young Soul joined a North Dakota musical revue, was noticed by a keen-eyed talent scout, and signed to a studio contract. He went on to study acting with the Irene Daly School of The Actors Company, and with the Columbia Workshop in Hollywood. He first appeared on TV in small roles in shows including I Dream of Jeannie (1965), Flipper (1964) and All in the Family (1971). Regular TV work kept coming in for Soul including making masked appearances on The Merv Griffin Show (1962), as the popular singer known only as "The Covered Man."
In 1973, Soul was fortunate enough to be cast as one of the corrupt motorcycle cops in the Clint Eastwood thriller Magnum Force (1973), where his talents came to the attention of several TV execs who were looking for someone to play one of the lead roles in the upcoming Starsky and Hutch (1975) TV series. After four seasons, the show came to an end, yet Soul's talents were still in demand. He quickly went on to appear as the meek writer turned terrified vampire hunter Ben Mears in the chilling television mini-series Salem's Lot (1979), and then as Jake in the interesting television movie Homeward Bound (1980).
Several undemanding movies and TV series appearances followed for Soul. However in 1988 he scored rave reviews for his portrayal of real life, cold-blooded cop killer Michael Lee Platt in In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988). It was considered highly controversial for its intense level of violence in a made for TV production.
David Soul remained very busy throughout the 1990s and beyond, in both film and on stage productions. He has toured internationally in several theater productions, including playing the narrator in the critically-acclaimed production of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, plus a successful UK tour performing in Ira Levin's Deathtrap. Fans of the original TV series were glad to see Soul back with Paul Michael Glaser doing a cameo appearance in the big-budget movie version of Starsky & Hutch (2004).
Throughout his life, Soul has continually championed social causes often utilizing his own funds to raise awareness on issues including the impact of the Vietnam War, the shutdowns in the US steel industry, animal welfare, world hunger and HIV education. Soul has for several years made his home in the United Kingdom, where he has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, on several British TV shows and has become a keen soccer fan supporting English club, Arsenal FC.Died in London, England.
1943-2024 (80 years old)
4 January- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
German actor Christian Oliver worked in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years, with, among others, Steven Soderbergh in The Good German; with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise in Valkyrie; and with the Wachowski sisters in Speed Racer. He also starred in Europe's Number One action series Alarm for Cobra 11 (RTL) for two years and had numerous other TV appearances in the US and Germany.Died in a plane crash outside Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
1972-2024 (51 years old)
4 January- Actress
- Soundtrack
Georgina Hale was an accomplished stage actress who made many memorable forays in cinema, most notably in the films of Ken Russell, especially her performance as Alma Mahler, in a wonderful and visually rich biopic on composer Mahler (1974) which she won a BAFTA (British Academy Award) for. Two other standout performances were in Russell's notorious The Devils (1971) and the Twiggy musical "The Boyfriend" in which she played Fay, camping it up, in a backstage lesbian sub plot. She made in-joke cameos in two further Russell films: Lisztomania (1975) and Valentino (1977). Unfortunately, roles dwindled after her BAFTA win, for some reason, and she made some bad movie choices such as The World Is Full of Married Men (1979) (the film version of Jackie Collins's novel of the same name) and McVicar (1980), as well as the occasional stunner such as Butley (1974), written by playwright Simon Gray.
She appeared in many of Gray's stage plays (many were filmed for British television with her in starring roles) and she continued to work in British theatre. She made many guest appearances in UK television series including: Upstairs, Downstairs (1971), The Protectors (1972), Lady Killers (1980), Minder (1979), Boon (1986), One Foot in the Grave (1990), Murder Most Horrid (1991), The Vicar of Dibley (1994), three episodes of Doctor Who (1963) and many many others. She starred in two television series: Budgie (1971) (a successful series in the 1970s) and, in the early 1990s, a cult children's series based around a witch-like figure called "T. Bag".
Most recently, she had appeared in a comic role in Preaching to the Perverted (1997) in which her character pointed out that sometimes one has to debase one's self to further one's career. This film didn't much further her career (at age 55, she did a Sharon Stone under-table leg trick) but it added to her growing reputation as one of the UK's favorite cult actresses. She died in 2024, aged 80.Died in Luxor, Egypt.
1943-2024 (80 years old)
4 January- Producer
- Actor
- Executive
Charles Mattingly was a producer and actor, known for Murder by Association, The Wrestling Movie and Unnatural II: The Gates of Hell. He died on 4 January 2024 in Bardstown Kentucky, USA.Died of pneumonia in Bardstown, Kentucky.
?-2024 (age unknown)
4 January- Pat McNamara was born on 22 July 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Instinct (1999). He died on 5 January 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.Died in Santa Monica, California.
1933-2024 (90 years old)
5 January - Mário Zagallo is a Brazilian former football player and manager, who played as a forward.
He holds the record for World Cup titles in general with 4 titles in total. He was the first person to win the FIFA World Cup as both a manager and as a player, winning the competition in 1958 and 1962 as a player, in 1970 as manager and in 1994 as assistant manager. Zagallo also coached Brazil National Football Team in 1974 (obtaining 4th place) and in 1998 (obtaining a runner-up) and was a technical assistant in 2006 reaching the quarterfinal.
He is one of three men, along with Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and France's Didier Deschamps to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager and the only one that has done it 4 times.
In 1992 Zagallo received the FIFA Order of Merit, the highest honor awarded by FIFA, for his contributions to football.Died of multiple organ failure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1931-2024 (92 years old)
5 January - Anna Strasberg was born on 16 April 1939 in Caracas, Venezuela. She was an actress, known for Stay Tuned for Terror (1965), The Rat Patrol (1966) and Riot on Sunset Strip (1967). She was married to Lee Strasberg. She died on 6 January 2024 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.Died in Manhattan, New York.
1939-2024 (84 years old)
6 January - Special Effects
- Make-Up Department
- Production Designer
John Harris was born on 27 July 1964 in Fort Benning, Georgia, USA [now Fort Moore, Georgia, USA]. John was a production designer, known for Zombieland: Double Tap (2019), Wrong Place (2022) and Black Water (2018). John was married to Alyce O'Sullivan. John died on 6 January 2024 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.Died in Huntsville, Alabama.
1964-2024 (59 years old)
6 January- Actor
- Producer
Leander Marxer was an actor and producer, known for Simplify Your Soul (2014), Der Liechtenstein (2018) and Adam Meets Eve (2005). He died on 6 January 2024.?-2024 (age unknown)
6 January- Richard Dubé was a writer, known for Indéfendable (2022), L'indice Mc$ween (2017) and Tout le monde en parle (2004). He was married to Izabel Chevrier. He died on 6 January 2024 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.Died in Montreal, Canada.
?-2024 (age unknown)
6 January - Franz Beckenbauer is probably Germany's most popular soccer player, coach and manager ever, known as the "Kaiser". Born and bred in Munich, he joined Bayern Munich at the age of 14. In 1965, he debuted in the German Bundesliga and became famous in the role of the team's sweeper. The following years, he won four league championships and four European cups (1966 Cup Winners' Cup, 1972-74 Champions' Cup). During that period, Beckenbauer also joined Germany's national side and had 103 caps in total. He led the team to the historic victories at the 1972 European Championships and the 1974 World Cup. After personal and professional problems, he accepted a contract to play in the North American Soccer Leauge with Cosmos New York. The team won the US championships on three occasions, but Beckenbauer returned to Germany and retired in 1984 after playing a season with Hamburger SV. Some months later, he was appointed manager of the German national team and coached the team until its final victory at the World Cup in 1990. He became one of two men, winning the cup as player and coach. In the 1990s, he returned to Bayern Munich and coached the team for one season, but finally became the club's president. More recently, Beckenbauer has headed Germany's bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2006 and is now chairman of the organization committee. Although the tabloids have always been interested in his turbulent private life, Franz Beckenbauer is considered "unassailable" in the public's eye.Died of an illness in Salzburg, Austria.
1945-2024 (78 years old)
7 January - Actor
- Music Department
Tony Clarkin was born on 24 November 1946 in Birmingham, England. He was an actor, known for Magnum: Just Like an Arrow (1985), Magnum: When the World Comes Down (1986) and Magnum: Midnight (You Won't Be Sleeping) (1986). He died on 7 January 2024.1946-2024 (77 years old)
7 January- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Ventura Pons was born on 25 July 1945 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a director and producer, known for Anita no perd el tren (2001), To Die (or Not) (2000) and What's It All About (1995). He died on 8 January 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.Died in Barcelona, Spain.
1945-2024 (78 years old)
8 January- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Adan Canto is a Mexican-American actor and director. He left home at the age of 16 to pursue a career as a musician. Canto wrote for and produced several songs for film and television while living in Mexico City. He began acting in a handful of commercials in Mexico City and was soon cast in a television series called Estado de Gracia. Canto eventually turned to the stage after being cast as a lead for the adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother.
In 2013, Canto made his debut in American television, playing the role of Paul Torres on the Fox drama series, The Following. In 2015 Canto played real life politician Rodrigo Lara Bonia in Netflix drama series Narcos. In 2016, he was cast in the ABC political drama series, Designated Survivor, playing White House Chief of Staff Aaron Shore opposite Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone, and Maggie Q. Canto wrote and directed his first short film Before Tomorrow in 2014. His short film The Shot earned several festival awards for Best Narrative Short Film in 2020.Died of appendiceal cancer in Los Angeles, California.
1981-2024 (42 years old)
8 January- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Janusz Majewski was born on 5 August 1931 in Lwów, Lwowskie, Poland [now Lviv, Ukraine]. He was a director and writer, known for Mala matura 1947 (2010), Sublokator (1966) and Excentrycy, czyli po slonecznej stronie ulicy (2015). He was married to Zofia Nasierowska. He died on 10 January 2024 in Poland.Died in Poland.
1931-2024 (92 years old)
10 January- Attractive, willowy brunette Tisa Farrow was born Theresa Magdalena Farrow on July 22, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of writer/director John Farrow and Maureen O'Sullivan and the sister of Mia Farrow. Tisa made her film debut in the obscure hippie counterculture drama Homer (1970). She gave an especially charming performance as sweet innocent "Jennifer" in the marvelously offbeat Some Call It Loving (1973). Farrow was impressive as the timid "Mouse" in the fun made-for-TV Carrie (1976) clone The Initiation of Sarah (1978) and solid as the spaced-out "Carol" in James Toback's fabulously gritty Fingers (1978). Tisa had small parts in both Manhattan (1979) and Winter Kills (1979). She ended her acting career with starring roles in three entertainingly trashy Italian exploitation features: feisty heroine "Anne Bowles" in Lucio Fulci's excellent horror classic Zombie (1979), spunky photojournalist "Jane Foster" in Antonio Margheriti's Vietnam action / adventure The Last Hunter (1980) and a standard woman-in-peril part in The Grim Reaper (1980).
Tisa Farrow called it a day as an actress after 1980, and went on to a successful career as a nurse in Vermont.Died in Rutland, Vermont.
1951-2024 (72 years old)
10 January - Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Conrad began his film career in 1970 as a stuntman. Since 1980, he has become one of the most sought after Second-Unit Directors, with scores of top films to his credit. Known to his friends and co-workers as Connie, he has endeavored to give back to the industry by serving as the President of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures for four terms, serving on the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild. During his five-year term was instrumental in forming the National Stunt and Safety Committee, which he chaired for several years. He was also among the first stunt coordinators invited into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. Additionally, Conrad serves on the Blue Ribbon Committee of the World Stunt Awards.1948-2024 (75 years old)
10 January- Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Crombie was born on 26 June 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Se7en (1995), My Dog Skip (2000) and The Blob (1988). He was married to Nadine Kijner. He died on 10 January 2024 in Palm Springs, California, USA.Died of an illness in Palm Springs, California.
1952-2024 (71 years old)
10 January- Actor
- Director
Yuri Solomin is an acclaimed Russian stage and film actor and director, internationally best known for his work with director Akira Kurosawa in the leading role as Arseniev in Russian-Japanese film Dersu Uzala (1975).
He was born Yuri Mefodievich Solomin on June 18, 1935, in Chita, Siberian Russia, Soviet Union. His father, Mefodi Viktorovich, was a cellist and violinist, his mother, Zinaida Ananievna, was a mezzo-soprano; both parents taught classical music at the House of Pioneers in Chita. In 1953, after graduating from Chita high school, young Yuri Solomin moved to Moscow. There he attended Shchepkin Theatrical School, studied acting under Vera Pashennaya, graduating in 1957 as an actor. That same year he became permanent member of the troupe at the Academic Maly Theatre in Moscow. Since 1988, Solomin has been Artistic Director of the Maly Theatre. He also was Russian Minister of Culture from 1990 to 1992.
Yuri Solomin played over 50 roles in films and on television, and also played about 60 roles in stage productions. He was elected president of Association of Russian Theatres, was designated People's Actor of the USSR, and received numerous awards and decorations from both the Soviet and Russian governments. He is living in Moscow, Russia.Died in Moscow, Russia.
1935-2024 (88 years old)
11 January- Actress
- Additional Crew
Laurence Badie was born on 15 June 1928 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France. She was an actress, known for A Flea in Her Ear (1968), My American Uncle (1980) and Au théâtre ce soir (1966). She died on 11 January 2024 in Morlaix, Finistère, France.Died in Morlaix, France.
1928-2024 (95 years old)
11 January- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Lynne Marta was born on 30 October 1945 in Somerville, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Footloose (1984), Joe Kidd (1972) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). She was married to Brick Huston. She died on 11 January 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of cancer in Los Angeles, California.
1945-2024 (78 years old)
11 January- Producer
- Actor
- Casting Director
Dyson Lovell was born on 28 August 1936 in Rhodesia. He was a producer and actor, known for Romeo and Juliet (1968), Merlin (1998) and Endless Love (1981). He died on 11 January 2024.Died of cancer.
1936-2024 (87 years old)
11 January- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actress
April Ferry was born on 31 October 1932 in North Carolina, USA. She was a costume designer and actress, known for Maverick (1994), Elysium (2013) and Rome (2005). She was married to Stephen Robertson Ferry. She died on 11 January 2024.1932-2024 (91 years old)
11 January- Marek Litewka was born on 6 August 1948 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Camera Buff (1979), The Constant Factor (1980) and Milosc na wybiegu (2009). He died on 12 January 2024.1948-2024 (75 years old)
12 January - Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Throughout the 1970s and a good part of the 1980s, Bill Hayes and his second wife, Emmy-winning Susan Seaforth Hayes, reigned as the Lunt and Fontanne of daytime soaps. Prior to this he had become a noted singer/actor on the Broadway stage and in night clubs. Born William Foster Hayes III in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925, and raised in the Midwest, his father was a bookseller (for 41 years). He got his talent from his dad who enjoyed singing and local community theater performing on the sly. Bill entered WWII as a naval airman, then studied at De Pauw University, where he met and married first wife Mary. They went on to have five children. He later received his master's degree at Northwestern. Blessed with a sturdy tenor, his interest in a professional career was piqued after happening upon a tour of "Carousel" in 1947. From singing telegrams to barbershop quartets to choir directing to jazz group vocals, Bill persevered musically until earning his first big break on TV. A lead singing/stooge role in Olsen & Johnson's zany burlesque revue "Funzapoppin'" in 1949 led to him joining the pair on their short-lived TV show and, ultimately, his resident crooning on Your Show of Shows (1950) starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. In the meantime he also performed in vaudeville and broke into films with a supporting role in Stop, You're Killing Me (1952). Despite a wife and family to support, he left the show on his own volition for the chance to star in a new Broadway musical. "Me and Juliet" opened with moderate success in 1953 and lasted over a year, touring with the show in its aftermath. Bill also happened to record "The Ballad of Davey Crockett," which became a surprise #1 Billboard hit and sold over three million copies. A nightclub and TV-variety fixture in the late 1950s, he later managed to flex his vocal chords in such musicals as "Bye Bye Birdie" (national tour), "Brigadoon," "The Pajama Game" and "George M!" The 1960s were a slow, difficult time for Bill professionally and personally, which culminated in the breakup of his marriage. Luck and talent played a part when he was hired to join the cast of Days of Our Lives (1965) playing the role of Doug Williams. The character was originally a louse and con artist, but grew more reputable after his character fell in love with feisty troublemaker Julie Olson, played by Susan Seaforth. Their seesaw romantic relationship became one of daytime's top story lines of the 1970s. Off-screen the couple also ignited sparks and, despite their major age difference (she is 18 years his junior), they married on October 12, 1974. In 1984, after 14 years and two daytime Emmy nominations, he and Susan left the show due to their dwindling status. While Susan went on to join the cast of The Young and the Restless (1973) the following year, Bill refocused on his singing by performing on the cabaret circuit and recording a few albums. The couple returned on and off to their soap opera alma mater over the years, but in 1999 they became part of the regular cast again with a stronger story line. Bill is still performing on stage, more recently playing Beauregard in "Mame" and with his wife in productions of "A Christmas Carol," "Love Letters" and "Same Time, Another Year," which is a sequel to "Same Time, Next Year."Died in Studio City, California.
1925-2024 (98 years old)
12 January- Actor
- Producer
Alec Musser joined the cast of All My Children (1970) in July 2005, playing the role of Del Henry. He won this role after emerging the winner of the second season of the SOAPnet original series I Wanna Be a Soap Star (2004).
Musser was born in New York City but grew up in New Jersey and other places. He graduated from the University of San Diego. Musser had a passion for sports and was an avid athlete. After college, he worked with the professional ski patrol at Mammoth Mountain, which is a ski resort in North America that is located in the eastern Sierra Mountains. When he was not working during the off-season, he worked as a lifeguard. During his third season, he was discovered by a modeling agent, which led to his first modeling job with Abercrombie and Fitch. He modeled for Gianfranco Ferre, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Speedo and Target.
While modeling, Musser started booking national commercials. It was at this time that he auditioned for I Wanna Be a Soap Star (2004), which landed him the role that brought him back to live in New York City.
Alec died 13 Jan 2024 of a self- inflicted gunshot wound.Died of suicide in Del Mar, California.
1973-2024 (50 years old)
12 January- Writer
- Producer
Playwright and screenwriter, born in Devon, England, to Dudley Payne and his wife Joan (née Landamore) and educated at Denstone College and the (now defunct) Hornsey College of Art in London. Following his graduation in 1972, Payne began as a screen printer before moving up the ladder to writing scripts for BBC4. His predilection for crime stories resulted in his contributing episodic screenplays for Lovejoy (1986), Midsomer Murders (1997) and DCI Banks (2010). He also wrote twelve instalments of Minder (1979) and adapted two Dick Francis novels into made-for- television movies.
Payne became best known as the creator and principal writer of Pie in the Sky (1994), a popular, feel-good detective series, starring Richard Griffiths as Henry Crabbe. It aired for five seasons, from 1994 to 1997. The main story-line revolved around a reluctant, semi-retired policeman, who much preferred cooking and running his own restaurant to sleuthing, but found himself invariably blackmailed into solving cases by his politically-motivated, self-serving superior, Assistant Chief Constable Freddy Fisher (ably portrayed by Malcolm Sinclair ).
More recently, Payne authored several plays which were particularly well-received in France, translated into French by the actor and theatre producer Robert Plagnol and staged at the Theatre de Montparnasse (2007), the Theatre des Champs-Elysees (2008) and the Avignon Festival (2018).1949-2024 (74 years old)
12 January- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Gonzalo Lira was born on 29 February 1968 in Burbank, California, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Secuestro (2005), Soldier of Fortune (2000) and The Ralph Retort Killstream Postmortem (2018). He died on 12 January 2024 in Ukraine.Died in Ukraine.
1968-2024 (55 years old)
12 January- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jana Hlavácová was born on 26 March 1938 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Ucitel tance (1995), Konec básníku v Cechách (1993) and Veronika (1986). She was married to Ludek Munzar and Jirí Michný. She died on 13 January 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic.Died of Parkinson's disease in Prague, Czech Republic.
1938-2024 (85 years old)
13 January- Lovely, sweet-natured Joyce Randolph will forever be etched in the minds of "Golden Age" television viewers as the Bowery-like fourth party of the classic husband/wife quartet on the enduring TV family comedy The Honeymooners (1955) starring Jackie Gleason as the irrepressible hothead bus driver Ralph Kramden. As Thelma ("Trixie") Norton, the dressed-down, beleaguered wife of sewer worker Ed Norton (played by the adorably goofy Art Carney) and best friend to equally stern realist Alice Kramden (played by equally lovely Audrey Meadows), Joyce participated in nearly 100 episodes of the beloved show before it left the air in 1957.
Randolph's real last name was Sirola, being of Finnish descent. As a teenager, her interest in acting grew and she eventually found her way to become a part of the Wayne University Workshop. After high school graduation, Joyce found employment in retail at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Detroit. Auditioning for a Workshop tour of the play "Stage Door" in Detroit, she won the part and traveled with the company. She followed that tour with another tour, a revival of "Abie's Irish Rose" that ran for a year.
At age 18, Joyce moved to New York City during war-time (1943) to try her luck. She made her Broadway debut in 1945 in the short-lived comedy "A Goose for the Gander" starring Gloria Swanson and Conrad Nagel at the Playhouse Theatre. She returned to Broadway with "Ladies Night at a Turkish Bath" in 1950. She also appeared in summer stock and once performed in the musical "No, No, Nanette" with Ms. Meadows.
She began on TV as early as 1946 at General Electric's experimental laboratory in Schenectady, NY. Having now changed her stage name from her christened name to the more inviting "Joyce Randolph," the actress began appearing on TV in 1950, finding parts on such regular programs as "The Colgate Comedy Hour," "Rocky King, Detective," "Buck Rogers," "The Clock," "I Cover Times Square" and "Famous Jury Trials." By sheer luck, Joyce was spotted in a Clorets chewing gum commercial by Gleason himself the following year and was asked to appear in a skit on the "Cavalcade of Stars," Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Network. He liked her, he cast her then as Trixie, and the rest is TV history.
Taking over the role played originally, and only once, by Elaine Stritch, when the part of Trixie was thought of as a burlesque girl, the skit format was changed to series form with The Honeymooners (1955). Caught in a terrible typecasting, Joyce would find it extremely hard obtaining other roles after the demise of the show. Interestingly, when "The Honeymooners" sketches were revived on a revamped Gleason variety show in the 1960s, the roles of Alice and Trixie were taken over by Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean. Only Carney remained. Joyce would later say she did not revive her Trixie role due to "personal and geographic reasons." Gleason had moved his company to Miami, Florida.
Joyce maintained her career for awhile on the musical stage, in commercials, and with a few solo appearances on such shows as "The Jack Benny Show," and "The Doctors and the Nurses," but eventually retired from acting altogether. She married Richard Lincoln Charles, a wealthy entrepreneur and marketing executive, on October 2, 1955, the day after The Honeymooners premiered. He died at age 74 in 1997. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles, born in 1960, followed in his father's, not his mother's, footsteps after attending Yale University. He became a marketing executive before taking over his father's business. Joyce is also the grand aunt of former Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Redding.Died of natural causes in Manhattan, New York.
1924-2024 (99 years old)
13 January - Elisa Briganti was a writer, known for Zombie (1979), Hands of Steel (1986) and I guerrieri dell'anno 2072 (1984). She was married to Dardano Sacchetti. She died on 13 January 2024 in Italy.Died in Italy.
?-2024 (age unknown)
13 January - Tom Shales was born on 3 November 1944 in Elgin, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun, The Larry Sanders Show (1992) and This Is MST3K (1992). He died on 13 January 2024 in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.Died of covid-19 and renal failure in Alexandria, Virginia.
1944-2024 (79 years old)
13 January - Elisabeth Trissenaar was born on 13 April 1944 in Vienna, Austria. She was an actress and writer, known for The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), Angry Harvest (1985) and Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980). She was married to Hans Neuenfels. She died on 14 January 2024 in Berlin, Berlin. Germany.Died in Berlin, Germany.
1944-2024 (79 years old)
14 January - Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Tom Johnson, who has already spent a full year using Zoom (remotely) to supervise the comedy writing staff on a daily, live show - yep - 365 days in a row, is an Emmy winning writer/producer/creative showrunner best known for The Jeselnik Offensive, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Talkshow with Spike Feresten, Stand-Up Nation with Greg Giraldo, Lopez Tonight, the Comedy Central Roasts of both David Hasselhoff and Roseanne, and run-on sentences. He is also a seasoned awards show writer, having run the writers rooms on The MTV Movie Awards, The MTV Video Music Awards, 6 Guys Choice Awards, The Scream Awards and The Video Game Awards. He has written and/or produced pilots for Marc Maron, Dan Savage, Nikki Glaser, Jim Norton, Anjelah Johnson and Joan Rivers. Tom has also had extensive experience in reality, sketch, prank, game, hidden camera and app-based live trivia shows. He was also a stand-up comic who was passed (approved) at the Comedy Cellar in '94 - - because that seems important now.Died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, California.
1968-2024 (55 years old)
14 January- Michelle LaFrance was most known for her role as Misty on HBO's Entourage and a former Miss Connecticut USA. While growing up on the East Coast, Michelle realized her dreams to make a difference in this world through business, art, storytelling and service. When she won the prestigious title of Miss Connecticut USA 2003 and represented the state at the Nationally televised MISS USA pageant on NBC, Michelle studied acting in New York City and served with the Children's National Literary Program, Ronald McDonald House, Juvenile Diabetes research Foundation, and the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. After shooting her very first film Loverboy with Kevin Bacon and earning her SAG card, Michelle moved from New York to Los Angeles to immerse herself fully in the Entertainment industry. Along with her HBO's Entourage credit, Michelle booked several Independent Films building a massive interest in the collaborative creative process. She teamed up with award winning writers creating stories to share with the world. Michelle's Passions went beyond film and Television, She loved all Art, Fashion, Travel and Adventure. She was an advocate for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).Died in Ave Maria, Florida.
1978-2024 (45 years old)
14 January - Dana Ghia was born on 13 July 1932 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. She was an actress, known for So Young, So Lovely, So Vicious... (1975), Burn! (1969) and Smile Before Death (1972). She died on 15 January 2024 in Mori, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.Died in Mori, Italy.
1932-2024 (91 years old)
15 January - Actor
- Soundtrack
William O'Connell was born on 12 May 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Paint Your Wagon (1969), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). He died on 15 January 2024 in Sherman Oaks, California, USA.Died in Sherman Oaks, California.
1929-2024 (94 years old)
15 January- Buzz Martin was born on 25 June 1939 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Kraft Theatre (1947), Bachelor Father (1957) and The Twilight Zone (1959). He was married to Paula J. Mainwaring. He died on 15 January 2024 in Sonora, California, USA.Died in Sonora, California.
1939-2024 (84 years old)
15 January - José Lifante was born on 3 June 1943 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Tiempos duros para Drácula (1976) and Estudio 1 (1965). He was married to Elisenda Ribas. He died on 16 January 2024 in Madrid, Spain.Died of thrombosis in Madrid, Spain.
1943-2024 (80 years old)
16 January - Torsten Wahlund was born on 10 February 1938 in Engelbrekt, Stockholm, Uppland, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Storstad (1990), Varuhuset (1987) and Slagskämpen (1984). He was married to Lena Madsén. He died on 16 January 2024 in Gustav Vasa, Stockholm, Uppland, Sweden.Died in Stockholm, Sweden.
1938-2024 (85 years old)
16 January - Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Norbert Lichý was born on 29 December 1964 in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He was an actor and composer, known for Circus Bukowsky (2013), The Adventurers (2017) and Kajínek (2010). He died on 16 January 2024 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.Died in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
1964-2024 (59 years old)
16 January- Music Department
- Composer
- Producer
Prolific British composer who has written scores for over four hundred film and television series. Very much of the old school of film composers, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and his scores reflect this classical training in their complexity. The trademark Johnson sound is the unusual use of strings with interesting chord combinations in frequent use. Perhaps the most famous themes that Laurie Johnson is best known for is The Professionals (1977) (1977-83) and The Avengers (1961) and The New Avengers (1976) soundtracks. These works combined classical orchestration with the "funky" sound of the time, often using wah-wah guitar and "walking" funk bass lines with a full orchestra playing along. Since 1974, Laurie Johnson has also jointly-owned the production companies that produced these programmes, the most famous being "Avengers Mark One Productions Ltd", who produced the shows mentioned earlier. Still working hard into his Seventies, Laurie Johnson lives in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, UK.Died in the UK.
1927-2024 (96 years old)
16 January- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Peter Schickele is a renowned American composer. Inspired by the music of Spike Jones, as a young teenager, he also studied composition and music history at Juilliard. After graduating from Juilliard he asked himself what in the world he was going to do with a PhD in music history, and proceeded to rewrite it (history, that is) by discovering works by Johann Sebastian Bach's heretofore unknown 21st child, "last and by far the least", "a pimple on the face of music", P.D.Q. Bach. PDQ's music had its first public performance in 1965, and lectures by "Professor Schickele" (of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, or "U of SND at H" for short) have delighted audiences ever since. Although the first ten PDQ Bach albums on Vanguard hold his most inspired work, only his latest five albums (on Telarc) have earned him proper recognition, with four of the five winning Grammy Awards in comedy. In 1993 he stopped touring with PDQ Bach to devote himself more fully to 'real' composing (which he's done all along, in spite of the spectre of PDQ Bach which often resulted in even his most serious work eliciting laughter) and his radio show "Schickele Mix". His weekly show (of which there have been 168 episodes) features an eclectic mix of music from many cultures and centuries; he's perfectly happy to illustrate a musical point using a "suite" that combines music of seeming opposites: Bach and the Beatles; Heavy Metal bands and Classical string quartets. You can find him on the radio or in New York City every week after Christmas performing P.D.Q. Bach at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center.Died in Bearsville, New York.
1935-2024 (88 years old)
16 January- Gastón Santos was born on 12 July 1931 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Los diablos del terror (1959), El silencioso (1967) and La flecha envenenada (1957). He died on 17 January 2024 in La Jarilla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.Died of colon cancer in La Jarilla, Mexico.
1931-2024 (92 years old)
17 January - Additional Crew
- Production Manager
Linda Keyworth was born on 23 November 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was a production manager, known for Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001), Queer as Folk (2000) and Creeped Out (2017). She died on 17 January 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Died in Toronto, Canada.
1960-2024 (63 years old)
17 January- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Romy Vitug was born on 27 January 1937 in Floridablanca, Pampanga. He was a cinematographer, known for Bakit may kahapon pa? (1996), The Captive Virgins (1977) and Second Chances (1995). He died on 18 January 2024 in the Philippines.Died in the Philippines.
1937-2024 (86 years old)
18 January- Héctor Bidonde was born on 2 March 1937 in La Plata, Argentina. He was an actor, known for 1000 millones (2002), Gasoleros (1998) and You Don't Know Who You're Talking To (2016). He died on 19 January 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Died in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1937-2024 (86 years old)
19 January - Keith, a distinguished alumnus of NIDA (class of 1986), left an indelible mark in the world of acting, directing, and producing, both in Australia and internationally. His exceptional talent was recognized when he was nominated for the Green Room Awards as the Outstanding Male Actor in 2014 for his role in "Henry V" (Bell Shakespeare), and again in 2016 for the Sydney Theatre Awards as the Best Male Actor in a Leading Role for "The Whale" (Red Line).
His contributions to film and television were significant, with notable roles in Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014), Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo (2011), Crownies (2011), Home and Away (1988), Fireflies (2004), All Saints (1998), White Collar Blue (2002), State Coroner (1997), Blue Heelers (1994), Phoenix (1992), and Embassy (1990).
Keith's theatre credits are extensive and diverse. He performed in "The Whale" (Red Line - Old Fitz), toured the UAE with "Mr Stink" (CDP), and graced the stage in productions of "Twelfth Night", "Henry V", "Julius Caesar" & "King Lear" (all Bell Shakespeare), "Macbeth", "The Comedy of Errors", "The Tempest" & "Twelfth Night" (all Sport for Jove), and "Emily Eye-Finger" (Monkey Baa). He also appeared in "Homebody/Kabul" & "Whore" (B- Sharp - Belvoir St), "The Herbal Bed" (New Theatre), "Much Ado About Nothing", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Night Sky), "Alive At Williamstown Pier" (Griffin), and "Often I Find That I Am Naked" (National & International tour - Savage Wit).
Further credits include "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Hamlet" & "After Liverpool" (Theatre UpNorth), "Because You Are Mine" (Red Shed), "Ginger Meggs & the Missing Link" (Vic Arts Centre), "The Adman" & "Heroic Measures" (Playbox - Malthouse), "Wogs Out Of Work" (Australian tour), "Noel Coward in Two Keys" & "A Small Family Business" (Marian St), "Woman In Mind" (STC), and "Hamlet" (Q Theatre).
Keith's legacy continues to inspire and influence the world of performing arts.1963-2024 (60 years old)
19 January - Actor
- Additional Crew
David Emge was born in 1946 in Evansville, Indiana. Emge studied drama at the University of Evansville and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending college David got drafted and served in the army during the Vietnam war. He began his acting career on stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1971. Emge made his film debut in the lowbrow comedy "The Booby Hatch." In addition, he briefly lived in Washington, D.C., where he performed in dinner theater. Emge moved to New York City in 1976. David was working as a chef at a New York City restaurant when he was cast as the meek and bumbling helicopter pilot Stephen in George Romero's outstanding "Dawn of the Dead." Emge went back to acting in live theater following his "Dawn of the Dead" stint. David Emge has acted in only two other movies to date: he's grotesquely malformed freak Half Moon in "Basket Case 2" and activist reporter Robert in "Hellmaster."Died in Evansville, Indiana.
1946-2024 (77 years old)
20 January- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Norman Jewison was an award-winning, internationally acclaimed filmmaker who produced and directed some of the world's most memorable, entertaining and socially important films, exploring controversial and complicated subjects and giving them a universal accessibility. Some of his most well-known works include the pre-glasnost political satire The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, the original The Thomas Crown Affair, the groundbreaking civil rights-era drama In the Heat of the Night (winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture), the first rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, the futuristic cult hit Rollerball, hit musical comedy-drama Fiddler on the Roof, the romantic comedy Moonstruck, the courtroom drama ...And Justice For All, the military drama A Soldier's Story, the labor movement picture F.I.S.T., the war dramas The Statement and In Country, and the masterfully told story of Reuben 'Hurricane' Carter, The Hurricane, among many others.
Jewison was personally nominated for four Oscars and received three Emmy Awards; his films received 46 nominations and won 12 Academy Awards. In 1999, Jewison received the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Academy Awards.
In Canada, his life's work has been recognized with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, and he was named a Member of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the Order of Ontario and a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour. In 2010, Jewison was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America.
Jewison was committed to advancing the art of storytelling and filmmaking, both through his groundbreaking films, and through his creation of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) in 1986, which opened its doors in Toronto in 1988. The CFC is a charitable cultural organization which drives the future of Canadian storytelling.Died in Malibu, California.
1926-2024 (97 years old)
20 January- Ian Bailey was born in 1956 in Manchester, North West England, England, UK. He died on 21 January 2024 in Bantry, Cork, Ireland.Died of heart failure in Cork, Ireland.
1956-2024 (68 years old)
21 January - Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Gary Graham was born on 6 June 1950 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Robot Jox (1989), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and The Jackal (1997). He was married to Becky Hopkins, Diane Patricia Vaughan, Caren Leslie Williams and Susan Lavelle. He died on 22 January 2024 in Spokane Valley, Washington, USA.Died of cardiac arrest in Spokane Valley, Washington.
1950-2024 (73 years old)
22 January- Charles Osgood was born on 8 January 1933 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Horton Hears a Who! (2008), CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley (1979) and A Science Odyssey (1998). He was married to Jean Crafton and Theresa Audette. He died on 23 January 2024 in Saddle River, New Jersey, USA.Died of dementia in Saddle River, New Jersey.
1933-2024 (91 years old)
23 January - Composer
- Music Department
- Actress
With her sweet, captivating voice, quirky yet insightful songwriting and bubbly, upbeat, free-spirited hippie persona, pop and folk singer/songwriter Melanie totally epitomized the whole "flower power" counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s.
She was born Melanie Anne Safka on February 3, 1947, in Queens, New York, and grew up in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. She made her first public appearance at age four, singing "Gimme a Little Kiss" on the radio show "Live Like A Millionaire." She began singing in Greenwich Village folk clubs while attending New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts and initially signed to Columbia Records in 1967. Her debut single, "Beautiful People", was a flop in America but a hit in the Netherlands. Melanie subsequently left Columbia Records and signed with Buddah Records. Her song "Bobo's Party" was a #1 hit in France in 1969. Melanie also sang "Birthday of the Sun" at the Woodstock music festival in 1969.
In 1970 she had a Top 10 hit with "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)." A powerful cover of The Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday", and "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)" likewise did well. In 1971 she scored her greatest smash success with the cute, catchy and funny "Brand New Key"; the song peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts for three weeks, sold over three million copies, was featured on the soundtrack of the film Boogie Nights (1997) and has been covered by such artists as Deana Carter, Cher, Rasputina and The Dollyrots (the British comedy folk group The Wurzels had a 1976 #1 UK hit with a parody version of "Brand New Key" called "Combine Harvester".) The follow-up songs "Ring the Living Bell" and "The Nickel Song" were also successful. Melanie was awarded Billboard's #1 Top Female Vocalist in 1972. She had her last Top 40 hit with "Bitter Bad" in 1973. She won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1989 for writing the lyrics to the song "The First Time I Loved Forever" for the TV series Beauty and the Beast (1987). Her children Leilah, Jeordie and Beau-Jarred are all musicians. Almost all of her albums have been produced by her husband, Peter Schekeryk. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and continues to record the occasional album and perform live all over the world.1947-2024 (76 years old)
23 January- Actor
- Producer
Herbert 'Cowboy' Coward was born on 21 August 1938 in Haywood County, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Deliverance (1972), Ghost Town: The Movie (2007) and Hillbilly Blood (2013). He was married to Dorothy Eileen Ledford. He died on 24 January 2024 in Haywood County, North Carolina, USA.Died in a car accident in Haywood County, North Carolina.
1938-2024 (85 years old)
24 January- Additional Crew
- Writer
N. Scott Momaday was born on 27 February 1934 in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. He was a writer, known for House Made of Dawn (1972), More Than Bows & Arrows (1978) and Remembered Earth: New Mexico's High Desert (2005). He was married to Regina Heitzer and Gaye Mangold. He died on 24 January 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.Died in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1934-2024 (89 years old)
24 January- Actress
- Producer
A "military brat", Jesse Jane grew up on military bases and was somewhat of a tomboy. She combined her love of sports with her long training in dance and became a top cheerleader in high school. After graduation she began doing TV commercials, including one for the "Hooters" restaurant chain. She won several "Hawaiian Tropics" beauty contests and managed to snag a role in Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003). She was named "Miss Photogenic" by the American Dreams Pageant, and soon afterwards embarked on a career as a top bikini model. Her desire to break into the film business led her to sign a contract with adult-film production company Digital Playground. The films the company put her in have proved extremely popular, as has her line of sex toys. Her films have been nominated for numerous AVN awards, as has she herself, and in 2004 AFW put her on the cover of its directory.Died in Moore, Oklahoma.
1980-2024 (43 years old)
25 January- Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Masuimi Max was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Of Korean and German descent, she spent her early years living in Korea and the Philippines. Her father retired from the Air Force and moved to Las Vegas during her teenage years.
Masuimi was an international performer, top alternative/fetish model, actress and owner of I Am Sin cosmetics. She modeled for hundreds of companies around the world--including such well-known brands as Harley-Davidson, Coffin Case, Pinup Girl Clothing, Murray & Vern latex and Bibian Blue--and was the spoke model for Pinup Girl Clothing. Sinical Magazine has said of her, "She has inspired a legion of alternative models to lace up a corset, pull on some stockings and slide into a pair of stilettos. Masuimi was a true 'master of disguise' and often made her own costumes and backgrounds, and was an accomplished fire performer and burlesque dancer. She was a true original in a sea full of copycats, and one of the few models that has made a career out of doing what she loves".
Aside from modeling and performing, Masuimi operated an exclusive pay site for her fans, which offers a free guest area and a paid members-only area. There are over 60,000 images and videos, along with live video demos in which she connected with her fans by doing various tutorials that range from cooking to putting makeup on. She was a webmaster and designer for several websites. Model Mayem magazine has said of her, "Her success in the industry paved the way for so many models that followed, but the story of her success is a classic tale of how hard work, talent and determination can overcome all challenges. Masuimi's list of credits is so vast, with nearly 100 magazine covers and many more features, music videos, TV shows and movies, that it's almost impossible to select a few highlights." She was compared to iconic model Dita Von Teese by Sinical Magazine: "Dita Von Teese and Masuimi Max.. They modeled and performed full time since the 1990s. Their influence on current models was unquestioned and they basically joined the ranks of Miss Page". Masuimi was on the cover of Bizarre Magazine nine times, as well as Maxim, Import Tuner, Performance Sound and Auto, DDI Mag, and many others. She was featured on Playboy.com and was the leading lady in Tiger Army's "Rose of a Devils Garden"
She appeared in a number of films, including Unlucky Charms (2013), Gingerdead Man vs Evil Bong (2013), Here Lies Lonely (1999) and The Devil's Muse (2007), and was also in the mega-hit xXx: State of the Union (2005). She also made personal appearances at car shows. She was a contestant in the reality television game show Fear Factor (2001) where she ate a potato bug. She also had a brief cameo at the end of the David Lynch film Inland Empire (2006) as a girl with the blonde wig who has a monkey. In 2011, she made a cameo appearance in the SuperHeavy video for "Miracle Worker."Died in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1978-2024 (45 years old)
25 January- Hikmet Tasdemir was born on 2 February 1942 in Erzurum, Turkey. He was an actor, known for The Man Who Saved the World (1982), Akrep Yuvasi (1977) and Birakin Yasayalim (1974). He died on 25 January 2024 in Tekirdag, Turkey.Died in Tekirdag, Turkey.
1942-2024 (81 years old)
25 January - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Enrique Liporace was born on 10 June 1941 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and director, known for Bolivia (1999), La cola (2012) and La señora Ana Luce sus Medallas (1967). He died on 27 January 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Died in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1941-2024 (82 years old)
27 January- Actor
- Writer
He was born in the back of a Chevy station wagon being driven by this late father one starry night in September blazing across a desolate West Texas highway trying to find any town with a hospital for his mother to give birth to Danny. Unable to, his dad took command just as he'd done for four consecutive years of war in the Pacific Theater in World War II, and Danny was delivered while his mother held a flashlight on herself for his dad to see . Since then he has been in the spotlight for much of his life. When he was five years old he knew he wanted to be an actor in movies. On Saturday mornings beginning at the age of seven his mother put him on a Continental Trailways Bus (being driven by "Red") from the small South Central Texas town where is lived bound for Houston to study with a later known national authority in children's theater, the late Jeannine Wagner. She taught at the original and famous Alley Theater. His life until graduating from college revolved around theater. When he was ten, having seen James Cagney in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), he knew his goal was to become a character actor in movies. With the idea and support of his fifth-grade teacher, at the age of ten he was offered the opportunity to study theater in the summers at Southwest Texas University in San Marcos, Texas. He was the youngest student ever admitted to the university's summer theater program. He attended every summer for six years. At 16 he accepted the opportunity to direct at the university. He selected "Hello Out There" by William Sayoran. Graduate students at the university and high school drama teachers attending summer theater courses at the university from across Texas were the other directors. He remained very active in speech and theater in high school, winning numerous local, regional and state competitions in public speaking, debate and theater as an actor. When a junior in high school he was scouted by the theater department at the University of Texas and offered a full scholarship there in drama. Instead, he entered Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, to work with famed theater director Paul Baker. However he graduated from Emerson College in Boston. Danny did not act in his first film or television project until he had graduated from law school, became a felony prosecutor in the district attorney's office in Corpus Christi, Texas, and later an Assistant US Attorney and was already in private practice in Houston, Texas. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney he pioneered the federal criminal prosecutions of film piracy (criminal copyright infringement) in the United States Fifth Circuit, worked with the U.S. Congress to raise the criminal penalty for copyright infringement from a misdemeanor to a felony, is responsible for originating and initiating the anti-piracy warning appearing at the beginning of all commercial videotapes and DVDs and trying the largest film piracy case then to date to a jury verdict where the defendant received federal prison time ; United States of America vs. Ralph Smith. Those achievements earned him the John Marshall Award from the U.S. Department of Justice. A story on the film piracy case was a "60 Minutes" segment titled "Who Stole Superman" A short biography of Danny's career as a lawyer, including his service as an immigration judge in Atlanta, Georgia, is published in the 1985/1986 edition of "Who's Who in American Law".
What motivated Danny back into theater and later to pursue a second career in film and television as an actor was the realization, after his dad died at age 61, that life can be truly short, and he should try to achieve his unrealized life-long ambition. He returned to the stage. His theater work resulted in an offer of a co-star role in his first television movie The Return of Desperado (1988) starring Robert Foxworth and Billy Dee Williams, on NBC. Danny still makes his home in Houston, Texas and works all over North America, including Canada. He also maintains international visibility as an award-winning and published stills photographer. He was once awarded the Kodak International Photography Award for his work in black and white, and was once named Texas Photographer of the Year by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. He has numerous book and magazine credits. In 2009 he created "Operation Grateful" , a photo project in which he shoots family photographic portraits for free and sends them to those family members serving as military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2007 Danny founded the non-profit organization Carolyn's Hope, in memory of his late mother. The mission of that not-for-profit organization is to educate the public and law enforcement on identifying, exposing and combating domestic elder abuse, neglect, and the financial exploitation of vulnerable elderly people. His most recent theatrical stage work was in 2008 in a play directed by Richard Benjamin at the Falcon Theater in Burbank, California where he co-starred with Ed Asner, Paula Prentiss, and Laine Kazan in "A Step Out of Time". He is in private practice in Houston, Texas as a criminal defense lawyer representing juvenile clients charged with criminal offenses.Died in Houston, Texas.
1947-2024 (76 years old)
28 January- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Mitchell Kezin was a director and writer, known for Jingle Bell Rocks! (2013), Dissonance (1999) and Celluloid Souls (1997). He died on 28 January 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Died in Vancouver, Canada.
?-2024 (age unknown)
28 January- Actress
- Additional Crew
During the 1950s and 1960s bosomy, scintillating, dark-haired Tunisian leading lady Sandra Milo played bored patricians, manipulative mistresses and other enticing ladies of questionable morals with typical sensuous flare in scores of Italian and French productions.
Born Elena Liliana Greco in Tunis on March 11, 1933, Sandra made her film debut at age 20 co-starring tauntingly alongside Alberto Sordi in Lo scapolo (1955) and renamed herself. For the next full decade, she unleashed her fiery figure on a number of tempted male players in scores of saucy comedies, feisty costumers and steamy melodramas. Such films included Nero's Mistress (1956), The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (1957), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1958) [The Mirror Has Two Faces], Toto in the Moon (1958) [Toto in the Moon], General Della Rovere (1959) [General della Rovere], and the period comedy romp The Green Mare (1959) starring the great French actor Bourvil, which served as the inspiration to the bawdy classic "Tom Jones."
Ms. Milo appeared to fine advantage in two of Fellini's greatest masterpieces - 8½ (1963) and Juliet of the Spirits (1965). She personified the aloof Italian temptress opposite Europe's most virile, passionate leading men -- Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Sorel, etc.
Leaving films in 1968, Sandra was little seen on camera and did not return to the big screen until over a decade later, now sporadically appearing as severe-looking blondes. Primarily filming in Italy well into her octogenarian years, such movies have included the comedy Riavanti... Marsch! (1979), the dramedy Grog (1982), the musical fantasy Cindy - Cinderella '80 (1984), the comedy Camerieri (1995), the romantic dramedy Incantato (2003), the comedies Sleepless (2009), Happy Family (2010), Una notte agli studios (2013), There's No Place Like Home (2018) and Free - Liberi (2020).Died of lung cancer in Rome, Italy.
1933-2024 (90 years old)
29 January- Arne Hegerfors was born on 4 July 1942 in Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Svensson Svensson ...i nöd & lust (2011), Högklackat (2012) and Familjen Schedblad (1988). He was married to Kerstin Hägerfors. He died on 29 January 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.Died of pancreatic cancer in Stockholm, Sweden.
1942-2024 (81 years old)
29 January - Actress
- Soundtrack
An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. She recently starred in The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway (2015), following the acclaimed production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 2014. She starred in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age 11) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from legendary George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 17) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. She received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and is the first Hispanic woman ever chosen to receive this award. On November 6, 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do, a retrospective on her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Chita's current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.Died of an illness in New York.
1933-2024 (91 years old)
30 January- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Editorial Department
Hinton Battle was born on 29 November 1956 in Neubrücke, Germany. He was an actor, known for Dreamgirls (2006), Quantum Leap (1989) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). He died on 30 January 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died in Los Angeles, California.
1956-2024 (67 years old)
30 January- Anatoliy Drizhenko was born on 12 March 1941 in Former USSR. He was an actor, known for Khleb detstva moyego (1977), The Beach (2014) and Zolotoy telyonok (2006). He died on 31 January 2024 in Ukraine.Died in Ukraine.
1941-2024 (82 years old)
31 January - Farida Muminova was born on 23 November 1957 in Lesnoy, Kirov Oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She was an actress, known for Ya ey nravlyus (1986), Zharkoye leto v Kabule (1983) and La batalla de los Tres Reyes (1990). She died on 31 January 2024 in Russia.Died of natural causes in Russia.
1957-2024 (66 years old)
31 January - Annie Belle was born Annie Brilland on December 10, 1956 in Paris, France. Belle comes from a family of engineers and first developed an interest in acting while attending the Rue Blanche acting school in Paris. Annie acted in her first film while still in her teens in 1974. Among the notable directors that Belle starred in movies for are Jean Rollin, Joe D'Amato, Massimo Dallamano, and Ruggero Deodato. Known for her slender figure, porcelain complexion, and close-cropped hairstyle, Annie was especially memorable as the haughty Lisa in Deodato's brutal and controversial House on the Edge of the Park (1980). After acting in her last film in 1989, Belle received a college degree in psychology and subsequently went on to become a social worker for people diagnosed with mental illness.Died in Italy.
1956-2024 (67 years old)
31 January - Ivan Georgiev Ivanov is born on December 16, 1951 in Asenovgrad, Bulgaria. He graduated "acting" in National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in the class of Professor Dimitrina Gyurova . Ivan Ivanov has played on the stages of Youth Theatre and Bulgarian Army's Theater until 1983 . The movie "Everything is Love" is the film, after which the actor Ivan Ivanov became a sex symbol of Bulgarian cinema. Besides Rado of "Everything is love," he is Assen in "Avalanche" ( 1982 ); Vas / Christo in the "Combine" (1982 ) and Trajan in "Measure of Remand" (1983 ). He starred in films of directors like Borislav Sharaliev ( "Boris I", 1985 ), Zako Heskiya ( "Night with the white horses", 1985), Ivan Andonov ( "Dreamers", 1987 ) and others. After the TV series "Burn, burn light" (1994) the actor released his first book of short stories and poems - "This life, that life." Then come two more - "Answer" and "Seven Hours Difference." By the first few years of the 21st century Ivanov has been engaged in dubbing movies and serials. In Bulgarian National Television he is voiced in the miniseries "Masada," in the films "Les Miserables" (the role of Jean-Paul Belmondo), "Love in the Clouds" (the role of Keanu Reeves) and others; for bTV he is voiced the role of Tim Daly in the series "The Fugitive." He is married to Petya Silyanova.Ivan Ivanov and Petya have a son - Stefan better known by his rap moniker Wosh MC and also the eldest son - George, who has managed as a metropolitan lawyer (judge).Died of a heart attack in Panagyurishte, Bulgaria.
1951-2024 (72 years old)
31 January - Joe Madison was born on 16 June 1949 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He was married to Sharon L. Moore. He died on 31 January 2024 in Washington, D.C., USA.Died of prostate cancer in Washington D.C.
1949-2024 (74 years old)
31 January - Nikos Vandoros was born on 12 December 1924 in Athens, Greece. He was an actor. He died on 1 February 2024 in Athens, Greece.Died of natural causes in Athens, Greece.
1924-2024 (99 years old)
1 February - Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harunur Rashid was born on 15 March 1940 in Kushtia, Bengal Presidency, British India [now in Kushtia, Bangladesh]. He was a director and writer, known for Megher Onek Rong (1976), Amra Tomader Bhulbona (1990) and Dhanban (1991). He died on 1 February 2024 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Died of a stroke in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
1940-2024 (83 years old)
1 February- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Production Manager
Pasha Kapinos was born on 8 October 1975. He was a cinematographer and production manager, known for The Last Warrior: Root of Evil (2021), Soulless 2 (2015) and Hardcore Henry (2015). He died on 1 February 2024.1975-2024 (48 years old)
1 February- Writer
- Director
- Animation Department
Mark Gustafson was born on 19 September 1959 in Portland, Oregon. He was a writer and director, known for Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022), Claymation Easter (1992) and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011). He died on 1 February 2024.Died of a heart attack.
1959-2024 (64 years old)
1 February- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Carl Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A famous and successful football star at San Diego State, he played with the Oakland Raiders and retired from the sport in 1974, in order to give full attention to his goal: to be a real actor.
Weathers first played small parts in two blaxploitation flicks, Friday Foster (1975) (in which he played "Yarbro") and Bucktown (1975) (playing "Hambone"), both made in 1975 and directed by Arthur Marks. However, his big break came the following year when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff chose him to play "Apollo Creed" in the blockbuster "sleeper" Rocky (1976) (real-life boxing legend Ken Norton was originally signed for the part, but it eventually went to Weathers). He went on to play "Creed" in three other "Rocky" movies, and the characters' adversarial relationship eventually evolved into a warm friendship. After Creed's death in Rocky IV (1985), Weathers met with producer Joel Silver and agreed to play an important supporting role in Predator (1987), an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The following year, Silver produced Action Jackson (1988), a first starring role for Weathers, but it performed poorly at the box office and was panned by the critics.
During the 1990s, Weathers starred in four In the Heat of the Night (1988) two-hour TV specials that were much better received by critics and viewers alike. In 1996, he played the part of "Chubbs Peterson" in the blockbuster Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore (1996). He returned to his "action roots" in two TV-movies with Hulk Hogan: Assault on Devil's Island (1997) and Assault on Death Mountain (1999).
In addition to his acting career, Weathers is also a member of the Big Brothers Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee, handling the career of athletes of various sports such as gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and judo.Died of an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Venice, California.
1948-2024 (76 years old)
1 February- Claudio Rissi was born in Monte Grande, Buenos Aires. Moved to Coghlan at 17, the proximity to River Plate took him to the club's theater school, where he became a "clandestine actor", hidden from his father, Rafael. Then he spent a year at the School of Dramatic Arts, but the most powerful master had already completed it, that of the street wanderings. He has worked on more than 30 films, among which we will mention Plata Quemada by Marcelo Piñeyro; Nine Queens, by Fabian Bielinsky; Lugares Comunes by Adolfo Aristarain; El Fondo Del Mar by Damián Szifron, and Juan y Eva by Paula de Luque. He has been awarded two Awards for Best Supporting Actor of the Argentine Critics Association, the first in 2001 by 76-89-03, by Cristian Bernard and Flavio Nardini, and the second in 2012 by Aballay, El hombe sin miedo of Fernando Spiner.
He has worked in numerous series, including Okupas and Epitafios. In 2016 he played Mario Borges, a boss of the underworld, in El marginal, winner of eleven Tatos (Argentine television awards) and the Grand Prix at the Séries Mania Festival in Paris, in 2016. Canal + broadcasts the series in France.
Between 2014 and 2016 he gave life to the character of El Tatita in Terrenal, a play written and directed by Mauricio Kartun.Died of cancer in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1956-2024 (68 years old)
2 February - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Don Murray is an American actor. He is best known for playing Governor Breck, the authoritarian ruler in the science fiction film "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972).
Murray was born in 1929 to Dennis Aloisius Murray and his wife Ethel Cook. Dennis worked as a dance director and stage manager, while Ethel was a singer. Ethel Cook served as a performer for the Ziegfeld Follies (1907-1931), an elaborate theatrical revue production in Broadway.
Murray attended the East Rockaway High School in East Rockaway, a village of Nassau County, New York. During his high school years, Murray served as a member of the school's football team, its track team, and its glee club. He graduated in 1947, at the age of 18. He later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, New York. He graduated in 1951.
Murray made his Broadway debut in 1951, when cast as Jack Hunter in a stage version of the play "The Rose Tattoo" (1951) by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983). In the play, Hunter is a sailor and the boyfriend of Rosa Delle Rose, the daughter of the play's female protagonist.
Murray's stage career was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States military. He registered as a conscientious objector during the Korean War (1950-1953), as he was a member of the Brethren Church. The Brethren Church is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, which strictly adheres to pacifism and non-violence. Murray was assigned to alternative service in Europe. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1954, and resumed his acting career.
In 1956, Murray made his film debut in the romantic drama film "Bus Stop". The film was an adaptation of a 1955 theatrical play by William Inge (1913-1973). Murray was cast in the role of Beauregard "Beau" Decker, a naive, overly enthusiastic, and socially inept cowboy from Montana. The film depicts Beau's infatuation with young singer Cherie (played by Marylin Monroe), which causes him to first kidnap her and then coerce her into marrying him. He is tragically unaware that Cherie barely knows him, and that his love is unrequited. The film was a box office success, and Murray was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1956, however the Oscar for that year was won by rival actor Anthony Quinn (1915-2001) for his role in Lust for LIfe.
Murray's successful debut helped him receive offers for more film roles. He was cast as Charlie Samson in the drama film "The Bachelor Party" (1957). Samson is the film's main character, a hard-working bookkeeper who struggles with the temptation to cheat on his wife. He was then cast as morphine-addict Johnny Pope in "A Hatful of Rain" (1957), a film about the then-innovative topic of drug addiction.
In 1958, Murray played in his first Western film, "From Hell to Texas". In the film, he was cast as Tod Lohman, an impoverished ranch hand who is suspected of murdering the son of a powerful cattle baron. The film deals with Lohman being hunted by the cattle baron's other son and his mercenaries, who seek revenge.
Murray's second Western film was "These Thousand Hills" (1959). The film depicts the rags-to-riches story of Albert Gallatin "Lat" Evans (played by Murray). But as Lat grows richer, he becomes a colder and harsher man. Leading him to betray his own lover, to alienate his only friend, and to marry a banker's daughter for her money.
Murray was also cast in a lead role in the war film "Shake Hands with the Devil" (1959), which depicts the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). During the 1960s, Murray continued to appear regularly in films, often cast in period dramas. He played Wild Bill Hickok in the The Plainsman (1966), and ambitious ruler Justinian in "The Viking Queen" (1967).
In 1968, Murray gained a co-starring role in the Western television series "The Outcasts" (1968-1969). He played the character Earl Corey, an American Civil War veteran and formerly wealthy slave owner. In the series, Corey was cheated out of his wealth by a treasonous brother, and started making a living as a bounty hunter. He teams up with fellow bounty hunter Jemal David (played by Otis Young), an African-American freedman. The two men are not friends, but they are both social outcasts and need each other's skills to gain a profit. The series was considered groundbreaking for featuring an interracial team of characters, but was criticized for being overly violent. The series lasted only 26 episodes.
In 1972, Murray played the major role of Governor Breck in"Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". Breck is the authoritarian ruler of a human civilization using apes as a slave force, and he is the owner of the film's heroic protagonist Caesar. He eventually fails to defeat a slave revolt, and gets captured alive by his own slave. The film earned 9.7 million dollars in theatrical rentals at the North American box office.
Murray was offered the role of Breck in the film's immediate sequel, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973), but he refused to return. He reportedly felt that there was no fun in playing the tyrant twice. A character called Governor Kolp (played by Severn Darden) was introduced in the film as Breck's replacement.
In 1975, Murray starred in the thriller film "Deadly Hero", as the villainous protagonist Officer Lacy. In the film, Lacy is a veteran police officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) who has been demoted for violent tendencies and being overly trigger-happy. While on duty, Lacy kills the common mugger "Rabbit" (played by James Earl Jones) and briefly gains a heroic reputation. But a female witness to the death has seen that Lacy is a cold-blooded murderer, and that Rabbit was killed after disarming himself and surrendering to Lacy. Lacy decides to kill the witness in order to protect his reputation. The film was a box-office flop as film critics blamed its overly pessimistic attitude toward law enforcement. Among the few critics who actually liked the film was Gene Siskel (1946-1999), writing for the newspaper "Chicago Tribune".
In the late 1970s, Murray was reduced to mostly appearing in television films. In 1979, Murray had a career comeback when cast in the major role of Sid Fairgate in the soap opera "Knots Landing" (1979-1993). Fairgate was depicted as the owner of used car dealership Knots Landing Motors, and pater familias to a large family. Murray played this role until 1981, when he left the series due to a salary dispute. His character was written out as having died during a surgery.
During the 1980s, Murray had few appearances in theatrical films. They included the romantic drama "Endless Love" (1981), the mystery film "I Am the Cheese" (1983), the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "Radioactive Dreams" (1985), the time-travel film "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986), the spy film "Scorpion" (1986), the reincarnation-themed fantasy film "Made in Heaven" (1987), and the ghost film "Ghosts Can't Do It" (1989).
In 1989, Murray gained a new co-starring role in the comedy-drama television series "Brand New Life" (1989-1990), playing the character of wealthy lawyer Roger Gibbons. In the series Gibbons marries novice court reporter Barbara McCray (played by Barbara Eden). Each of them has three children from previous marriages, and they now struggle to raise 6 kids. The series' creator and show-runner was young screenwriter Chris Carter (1956-), and its themes were mostly based on the old sitcom "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974). The series was not successful, and only a pilot and 5 regular episodes were ever broadcast.
Murray next had a recurring role in the short-lived comedy-drama television series "Sons and Daughters" (1991), concerning the struggles of a single mother who tries to maintain the peace between the members of a large extended family. The series only lasted for 13 episodes, but 6 of them remained unaired at the time of its cancellation.
For the rest of the 1990s, Murray had guest star roles in various television series, and appeared in a hand full of television films. During the early 2000s, he had roles in three theatrical films: the romantic comedy "Internet Love" (2000), the stalker-themed thriller "Island Pray" (2001), and the comedy film "Elvis is Alive" (2001). In 2001, the 72-year-old Murray went into retirement.
Murray returned to acting in 2017, when offered the recurring role of insurance-company executive Bushnell Mullins in the third season of the mystery series "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991, 2017). Mullins was the boss of insurance agent Douglas "Dougie" Jones, one of several doppelgangers to FBI agent Dale Cooper (the series' main protagonist). The season was critically praised but there were no plans for a fourth season.
In 2019, Murray reached his 90th year and was still appearing in some films and on television into 2021.Died in Goleta, California.
1929-2024 (94 years old)
2 February- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ian Lavender attended Bournville Technical College in the West Midlands, and then studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He graduated in 1967. Acting on the stage at Canterbury followed, and his first television work was the ATV play "Flowers At My Feet" in 1968. He then became the youngest cast member of Dad's Army (1968), working with veterans Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and John Laurie.
Much of Lavender's subsequent television work came in the form of comedy roles. He is also an accomplished stage actor, having performed in repertory and at the West End. He loves cricket, golf and gardening.1946-2024 (77 years old)
2 February- Born in Mexico City on the 18th of August, 1944, Helena Rojo has an extensive career in theater, film and television acting, in both domestic and international productions (notably collaborating with Werner Herzog in "Aguirre, the Wrath of God", as well as Arturo Ripstein in "Fox Trot").
She began her career in the 60's as a model whilst studying drama, and in 1968 made her cinematic debut in "El Club de los Suicidas" ("The Suicide Club"), followed in the same year with "Los Amigos" ("Friends"). In 1974 she made her first television appearance as Isaura in the telenovela "Extraño en su Pueblo" ("Stranger in Your Town").
Throughout the 70's and 80's she worked with some of the most renowned and prolific directors in Mexico, including Jorge Fons, Rafael Corkidi, Marcela Fernández Violante and Alberto Bojórquez.
The role that garnered her the most national acclaim was that of Luciana Duval in "El Privilegio de Amar" ("The Privilege of Love"), as well as Juliana in "Abrazame Muy Fuerte" ("Big Hug"), for which she also won a TV y Novelas award for Best Supporting Role. She also appeared prominently in "Ramona", which was widely regarded as the telenovela of the year in 1999.
More recently, in 2006 she appeared in "Vidas de Fuego", a show-within-a-show featured on the US comedy/drama series "Ugly Betty", portraying Patricia Rivera.Died of liver cancer in Mexico City, Mexico.
1944-2024 (79 years old)
3 February - Won Namkung was born on 1 August 1934 in South Korea. He was an actor, known for The Hut (1981), Mojeongui bimil (1968) and Doknabi (1971). He died on 5 February 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.Died of lung cancer in Seoul, South Korea.
1934-2024 (89 years old)
5 February - Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael was born in Nottingham where he was educated at Becket Roman Catholic Grammar School, West Bridgeford in Nottingham where he was known as Jimmy - his real name is Michael James - and where he was caned some 130 times. While that might have been a record, the one that went into the record books was scoring 60 of the under-13 football team's 120 goals in a season. In between canings and scoring goals, he acquired a great love of literature and the English language from a teacher at Becket Grammar School which he left at 17 with an A level in philosophy and became an accountant with the coal board. Before he took his accountancy finals, he left the Coal Board and went to work in the Nottingham Fish Market where the language he learned was a revelation to him.Died of an illness.
1935-2024 (88 years old)
5 February- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Born July 8, 1961, Toby Keith Covel was the second child of Joan and Hubert Keith ("H. K.") Covel. He was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, and grew up with his brother Tracy and sister Tonnie in Moore, Oklahoma. After graduating from Moore High School, he didn't go on to college, but went to work in the Oklahoma oil fields with his father. He later met and married Tricia Lucas, whose child, Shelley Reeve, he adopted. He later had two children with Tricia -- daughter Krystal (born 1985, married in 2011) and son Stelen (born in 1997).
When Krystal was born, the Oklahoma oil industry had collapsed; leaving Toby, Tricia, and their two daughters in financial troubles. Touring with his band, the Easy Money Band, he got them all out of debt. After signing a deal at Mercury Records, his debut album "Toby Keith", which contained his first chart topper, "Should've Been a Cowboy", finally established him as a professional singer-songwriter. He then left Mercury for a period of three years. Coming back in 1997, he released his final studio album for Mercury, "Dream Walkin".
A year after his first Greatest Hits compilation came out from Mercury, he and producer James Stroud, left the label. He then signed a deal with DreamWorks Records, headed by his producer. Since releasing his fifth album, "How Do You Like Me Now?!", and its title track (written by Toby and Chuck Cannon); the then-DreamWorks, now-Showdog Tunes-signed singer and BMI-affiliated songwriter saw success like never before.
That success can be measured with at least five more studio albums since "How Do You Like Me Now?", more #1 singles, Academy of Country Music Awards (including two "Entertainer of the Year" awards) and other kinds of awards, and another Greatest Hits compilation (including songs from albums "How Do You Like Me Now?", "Pull My Chain", and "Unleashed", and a cover of "Mockingbird" with his daughter Krystal, who released her debut album in December 2011). He opened his own record label, the aforementioned Showdog Tunes.
Tragically, Toby Keith died after a battle with cancer at age 62 on February 5, 2024 in his beloved native Oklahoma.Died of stomach cancer in Oklahoma.
1961-2024 (62 years old)
5 February- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
James Dixon was born on 6 March 1937 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for It's Alive (1974), Is There Sex After Death? (1971) and It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987). He was married to Margaret Mary Gibney. He died on 5 February 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.Died in Santa Monica, California.
1937-2024 (86 years old)
5 February- Actor
- Casting Department
- Additional Crew
Tommy Karlsen was born on 9 June 1975 in Baerum, Norway. He was an actor, known for Death at Oslo Central (1990), Lilyhammer (2012) and De blå ulvene (1993). He was married to Birte Nordahl. He died on 6 February 2024 in Oslo, Norway.Died of a blood clot in the lung in Oslo, Norway.
1975-2024 (48 years old)
6 February- Director
- Cinematographer
- Writer
Born in New York City. Made many award-winning documentaries including The Eskimo: Fight for Life (1970) and a documentary about the civil war in Angola. In 1978 he won the Camera d'Or at Cannes and Best Feature at San Sebastian for Alambrista! (1977).Died in Los Angeles, California.
1924-2024 (99 years old)
6 February- Ahmed Rubel was born on 3 May 1968 in Chapainawabganj, East Pakistan [now in Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh]. He was an actor, known for Bishaash (2010), Antorborti and The Last Thakur (2008). He was married to Tarana Halim. He died on 7 February 2024 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Died of a heart attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
1968-2024 (55 years old)
7 February - Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Franco Vaz was a composer and actor, known for Andhadhun (2018), Awara Paagal Deewana (2002) and Dastak (1996). He died on 7 February 2024 in India.Died in India.
?-2024 (age unknown)
7 February- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Mojo Nixon was born on 2 August 1957 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Super Mario Bros. (1993), Astro Loco (2021) and Stag (1997). He was married to Adaire McMillan. He died on 7 February 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Died of cardiac arrest in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
1957-2024 (66 years old)
7 February- Qristina Ribohn was born on 2 October 1955 in Skånela, Stockholms län, Sweden. She died on 7 February 2024 in Karlshamn Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden.Died in Karlshamn, Sweden.
1955-2024 (68 years old)
7 February - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Iosif Jachvliani was born on 5 June 1958 in Mestia, Gruzinskaya SSR, USSR. He was an actor and director, known for Maita Nasosi (2010), Svani (2007) and Pesvebi (1987). He died on 8 February 2024 in Georgia.Died in Georgia.
1958-2024 (65 years old)
8 February