2018 deaths
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- In 1993, nine year old Jon Paul Steuer was cast in the role of Brett Butler's son Quentin Kelly on the ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire. The pilot episode aired September 29, 1993 with actor Noah Segan playing Quentin. Jon took over the role starting in episode two. During hiatus of the second season, ten year old Jon was cast in Little Giants (1994), a comedy movie co-starring with Sam Horrigan who was then 13 years old. Jon returned to his Grace Under Fire schedule and continued on the show until the end of the third season.
In May 1996, Jon's parents abruptly pulled him from the show saying that they felt the show was not a good environment for their son, citing Brett Butler's substance abuse, frequent rehab admissions and her overt sexual behavior toward 12-year-old Jon. Brett Butler was observed flashing her breasts at him on the set. When Jon left Grace Under Fire in 1996, it was his Little Giants co-star Sam Horrigan who took over the role of Quentin Kelly.
After leaving the show, when Jon interviewed for other acting jobs, he found most casting directors only wanted to question him about what it was like to work with Brett Butler, how it was working on Grace Under Fire set and why he left the show.In April 2015, Jon told an interviewer from the internet-based newspaper website, The A.V. Club, that he thought the behavior of some casting agents was very unprofessional and that he didn't appreciate how the focus during job interviews was on Brett Butler and the show, when he was supposed to be interviewing with them for another job.
It was then that Jon Paul Steuer decided to quit acting altogether. His family moved to Denver Colorado and while finishing high school, Jon worked at several jobs.
In 2003 Jon took the stage name of Jonny P. Jewels, formed the glam punk band Kill City Thrillers with four other musicians and became the lead singer. In 2005, the band changed its name to Soda Pop Kids. The band worked consistently until November 2009 when the group decided to quit.
In 2011, Jon became the fifth member of a Portland-based punk rock group called P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. They performed in nearby states and in 2014, the band went on a European tour. Jon remained with the band until his death.
In March 2015, Jon became partners with chef Sean Sigmon and invested in a vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon called Harvest At The Bindery. The restaurant thrived for almost three years.
On January 1, 2018, at the age of 33, Jon Paul Steuer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Portland, Oregon. The day after his death, his Harvest At The Bindery restaurant partner closed down the restaurant permanently and on January 3, 2018 it was put up for sale.Died of suicide by gunshot in Portland, Oregon.
1984-2018 (33 years old)
1 January - Tom Heaton was born on 13 October 1940 in Bronx, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Slither (2006), Reindeer Games (2000) and Shanghai Noon (2000). He died on 1 January 2018 in Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada.Died in Gibsons, Canada.
1940-2018 (78 years old)
1 January - Composer
- Soundtrack
Rick Hall was born on 31 January 1932 in Forest Grove, Mississippi, USA. He was a composer, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019). He was married to Linda Kay Hall. He died on 2 January 2018 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA.Died of prostate cancer in Florence, Alabama.
1932-2018 (85 years old)
2 January- Emily Dole was born on 28 September 1957 in Orange, California, USA. She was an actress, known for GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (1986), Hard Time on Planet Earth (1989) and Son in Law (1993). She died on 3 January 2018 in Orange, California, USA.Died in Orange, California.
1957-2018 (60 years old)
2 January - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Wellesley, MA, USA, Buxton grew up in Larchmont, NY, USA, graduated from Northwestern University (BS) and Syracuse University (MS). After service in the U.S. Army in the Korean War, he worked in local television as a producer-director in Buffalo, N.Y. and Chicago, IL and then began his performing career as a stand-up comedian, TV host (Discovery '70 (1962), Get the Message (1964)), and stage performer ("Brigadoon", "Bye Bye Birdie", "The Tender Trap", etc.). His television writing, producing and directing work included The Odd Couple (1970), Happy Days (1974), Mork & Mindy (1978), among many others, and he created the Peabody Award-winning series Hot Dog (1970) for NBC which starred Woody Allen and Jonathan Winters. As a film and TV actor, he has appeared in Overboard (1987), Beaches (1988), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Face of a Stranger (1991), With a Vengeance (1992) and Roommates (1994), as well as many series and specials. He wrote and created voices for Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966) and has done cartoon and commercial voices for innumerable projects.Died of heart problems in Bainbridge Island, Washington.
1930-2018 (87 years old)
2 January- Lauren Stocks was born on 16 August 1963 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Conversations with God (2006), Relative Values (2000) and Toothpicks (2013). She was married to Stephen Deutsch. She died on 3 January 2018 in West Linn, Oregon, USA.Died of natural causes in West Linn, Oregon.
1963-2018 (54 years old)
3 January - Actor
- Soundtrack
Spending his youth in Skåne, due to his mother's engagement at the Malmö City Theater, wasn't easy for somebody with a Stockholm accent, but Johannes avoided being bullied by cracking jokes and doing pranks. At 18 he applied to acting school but was rejected. He applied successfully later and has since worked in both Malmö and Stockholm. In 1991 he started with stand-up-comedy. During the 1990s he starred in several comedy plays in theaters in Stockholm. He biggest claim to fame though is the role as 'Joker' in the long running TV show "Rederiet".Died of throat cancer in Lund, Sweden.
1946-2018 (71 years old)
4 January- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Ray Thomas was born on 29 December 1941 in Stourport on Severn, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Killing Eve (2018), Hittimittari (1984) and The Moody Blues: Your Wildest Dreams (1986). He was married to Lee Lightle. He died on 4 January 2018 in Surrey, England, UK.Died of prostate cancer in Surrey, England.
1941-2018 (76 years old)
4 January- Aharon Appelfeld was born on 16 February 1932 in Jadova, Storojinet, Romania [now Stara Zhadova, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine]. He was a writer, known for Tsili (2014), Vers où Israël? (2012) and Beyond Paranoia: The War Against the Jews (2015). He was married to Judith. He died on 4 January 2018 in Petah Tikva, Israel.Died in Petah Tikva, Israel.
1932-2018 (85 years old)
4 January - Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
He was born and grew up in Istanbul. He started his career at Bakirkoy Community Center Theatre. Later he worked at Ankara State Theatre, Istanbul State Theatre and Istanbul City Theatre. He also worked in small play houses with today's famous actors and actresses. He made his place in the theatre stronger with the play Fareler ve Insanlar (Mice and Men). Although he was a known stage actor he became famous nationwide with his movies, after 1950's.
In 1970's, he took part in many Ertem Egilmez movies which contained other famous names of the time. In those movies he mostly played with actress Adile Nasit as a duo and they became a memorable couple in the minds of the audience. His most known role is Kel Mahmut (Mahmut the Bald), who is the idealist principal of a high school with troubled students in Hababam Sinifi; movie series. Kel Mahmut (a.k.a. Mahmut Hoca) tries to help those students and guide them to a better life.
Ozkul, secluded himself from public when the TV started to become popular. Yet, he appeared in some TV shows as a guest star or in small parts.
Turkish Ministry of Culture awarded him with the title State Artist, in 1998.
In his youth he had some problems with his drinking habit. After that he spent the most of his life fighting against alcohol and by the 1990s he quit drinking, completely.
Ozkul's been married for 4 times and he has 3 children from those marriages. His first wife was Sadan, the second one was a famous actress Suna Selen, the third one was Yasar and the fourth and current one is Umman Ozkul with whom he's been married for 27 years now. One of his children, Guner Ozkul, is an actress and a TV presenter.
He's been suffering from Dementia since the early 2000s and, as a result of this disease, he almost never leaves home.
He's been battling with dementia and COPD for almost two decades and on January 5th, 2018 he lost that battle. He died at his home in Istanbul, where he lived the rest of his days with his family, at the age of 93.Died of dementia and COPD in Istanbul, Turkey.
1925-2018 (92 years old)
5 January- Marián Labuda was born on 28 October 1944 in Hontianske Nemce, First Slovak Republic [now Slovakia]. He was an actor, known for Král Ubu (1996), The Garden (1995) and I Served the King of England (2006). He was married to Viera. He died on 5 January 2018 in Bratislava, Slovakia.Died in Bratislava, Slovakia.
1944-2018 (73 years old)
5 January - Actor
- Soundtrack
He had that same genuine likability factor, owned that same trademark lantern jaw and was just as appealing and gifted as his older brother, Dick Van Dyke, but, for decades, Jerry Van Dyke bore the brunt of his brother's overwhelming shadow.
Six years younger than brother Dick, the comic actor was born on July 27, 1931, in Danville, Illinois. Raised there, the crew cut blond showed an aptitude for clowning in high school. His stand-up comedy venues first took the form of dives and strip clubs throughout the Deep South in which his banjo-playing became an intricate part of the routine. At one point, Jerry was a regular on the Playboy club circuit. He then set his sights on the top showrooms in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Atlantic City and became a dependable opening act.
Jerry's early career should have been rightfully interrupted when he joined the Air Force in 1952. He, instead, kept the troops laughing by performing in Special Services shows. Winning a military talent contest actually earned him a couple of appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") and resulting TV exposure. Following his tour of duty, he nabbed variety appearances and a regular comic relief role on The Judy Garland Show (1963). He found comic acting parts as well on TV. Like brother Dick, who was a huge TV star by this time, Jerry also did a stint emceeing a game show. In Jerry's case, it was Picture This (1963).
Ever the hapless klutz and happy-go-lucky stammerer, Jerry built up his TV reputation in the early 60s. He turned down the title role in Gilligan's Island (1964), which he rightfully deemed inane, but instead chose the equally silly My Mother the Car (1965). It proved to be a detrimental career move. While "Gilligan" became a surprise hit that still runs in syndication four decades later, Jerry had to live down starring in one of the most lambasted sitcoms of all time. Truthfully, the two shows were on an equal (sub)par with each other. It was just a cruel luck of the draw that Jerry ended up biting the bullet while Gilligan's Bob Denver found cult celebrity. Jerry's subsequent two series were also one seasoners with Accidental Family (1967), a sitcom in which he more or less played himself (a nightclub comedian), and Headmaster (1970), a drama starring Andy Griffith in which he played a physical education coach. Neither did much for his career. A promising co-star role with Griffith in the film Angel in My Pocket (1969) also went nowhere. Over the years, Jerry has appeared as a guest star on a number of brother Dick's shows, including the classic The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) in which he played, of course, Dick's brother.
The genially dim character "George Utley" on Bob Newhart's 1980s series was originally created for Jerry but Tom Poston assumed the part. Good fortune finally smiled on Jerry when he won the hapless role of "Luther Van Dam", a role that capped his long career, on Coach (1989). He earned four consecutive Emmy nominations and a steady paycheck for eight seasons. His seesaw struggle and survival after nearly five decades truly paid off this time, and only proves his love for the business.
Nearing the millennium, Jerry was seen frequently on the smaller screen. In addition to guesting on such shows as "The New Addams Family," "The District," "Diagnosis Murder," "My Name Is Earl," "Committed" and "Raising Hope," the veteran actor played the regular roles as grandpa types in the sitcom fantasies Teen Angel (1997) and You Wish (1997); had the recurring grandparent role of Big Jimmy Hughes in the comedy series Yes, Dear (2000) and ended his career as a grandpa in the established sitcom The Middle (2009) starring Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn.
In later years, Jerry spent much of his time at a ranch in Arkansas where he lived with his second wife, the former Shirley Jones (not the singer/actress), and raised cattle. Tragedy struck in 1991 when one of his three children, Kelly Van Dyke, a substance abuser, took her own life. On the sly, one could also find Jerry at the poker table as part of ESPN tournaments. He died in Arkansas on January 5, 2018, aged 86.Died of heart failure in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
1931-2018 (86 years old)
5 January- Additional Crew
American astronaut John Watts Young was born in San Francisco, California to parents William Hugh Young, a civil engineer, and Wanda Howland Young. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1952, after which he joined the US Navy served as fire control officer on the destroyer USS Laws until June 1953 and completed a tour in the Sea of Japan during the Korean War. He joined NASA in 1962 where he rose to the rank of Captain. He served in the NASA operations Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, STS-1, and STS-9. He spent a total of 34 days, 19 hours and 39 minutes in space. He died in January of 2018 due to complications from pneumonia.Died of pneumonia in Houston, Texas.
1930-2018 (87 years old)
5 January- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Carole Hart was born on 30 April 1943 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. She was a producer and writer, known for For the Next 7 Generations (2009), NBC Special Treat (1975) and Hot Hero Sandwich (1979). She was married to Bruce Hart. She died on 5 January 2018 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.Died of cancer in Manhattan, New York.
1943-2018 (74 years old)
5 January- Additional Crew
- Actress
Sue Barton was born on 26 November 1938 in Butte, Montana, USA. She was an actress, known for Nashville (1975), Garden of Beauty (1975) and Thank God It's Friday (1978). She was married to Richard Gregson and Billy Kirkland. She died on 5 January 2018 in Pacific Grove, California, USA.Died in Pacific Grove, California.
1938-2018 (79 years old)
5 January- Actress
- Additional Crew
The enticing, voluptuous European beauty Greta Thyssen filled out the pages of movie magazines everywhere during the 1950s. Born on March 30, 1927, she was a freshly-scrubbed brunette when she was crowned Miss Denmark in 1952. The subsequent attention had her packing her bags for Hollywood. At that time, Marilyn Monroe had become an international sex symbol and Hollywood hopefuls were falling all over themselves to be just like her. Enter Greta, in a major, major transformation, as a statuesque, peroxide-blonde bombshell -- competing against the whistle-blowing likes of Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. With mouth-dropping measurements reported at 40-24-36, this pin-up favorite became the best piece of Danish pastry in town. She also had her eyes out for films.
Like Ms. Mansfield and Ms. Van Doren, Greta's movie career was a bust -- literally. She bordered slightly on the seamy side and was offered such roles. However, she proved a trooper and was qualified enough to handle a scattered amount of low-grade crime dramas, adventures and horror stories -- a few having since reached "cult turkey" status. Greta actually started off in the quality movie Bus Stop (1956), unbilled as a "cover girl". She also served as Ms. Monroe's double in the movie. Another small film role in Accused of Murder (1956) led to a regular role as a busty "Pirate Girl" model on the quiz show Treasure Hunt (1956) starring wolfish host Jan Murray. She momentarily took a few male minds off the horrific The Beast of Budapest (1958) and did her scream queen schtick in Terror Is a Man (1959), in which she played vulnerable to a mad scientist-turned-panther-like creature à la "The Island of Dr. Moreau".
Greta added the requisite hard-boiled touch to the noirish detective film Three Blondes in His Life (1961) opposite Jock Mahoney and showed up in Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962) as well, which was another John Agar sci-fi cheapie. On television, she played a fetching foil in some of The Three Stooges shorts (Joe Besser was the third Stooge at the time) and appeared on television series, mostly crime stories, including Dragnet (1951) and Perry Mason (1957). Her film career ended dismally with the inane comedy Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), which pretty much says this all. Toward the end, she appeared in a couple of wink-wink stage comedies such as "Pajama Tops" until the early 1970s. She then retired from acting and moved to New York City where she found success as a painter, combining representational nude figures and surrealistic allegory. Generally, Greta took advantage of the equipment she had, made this work for her, and got her "fifteen minutes".
Greta Thyssen passed away at age 90 of complications from pneumonia on January 6, 2018 at her Manhattan home.Died of pneumonia in New York, New York.
1933-2018 (84 years old)
6 January- Actress
- Writer
- Music Department
France Gall was born on 9 October 1947 in Paris, France. She was an actress and writer, known for A Simple Favor (2018), Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) and Heartbeats (2010). She was married to Michel Berger. She died on 7 January 2018 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France.Died of an infection complicated by cancer in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
1947-2018 (70 years old)
7 January- Actor
- Music Department
Shri Vallabh Vyas was an actor, known for Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), Sarfarosh (1999) and Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007). He was married to Shobha V. Vyas. He died on 7 January 2018 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.Died in Jaipur, India.
1958-2018 (60 years old)
7 January- Olivia Nova was born on 28 April 1997 in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, USA. She was an actress. She died on 7 January 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.Died of urinary tract infection in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1997-2018 (20 years old)
7 January - Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Don Sullivan was born on 1 January 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for The Giant Gila Monster (1959), The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) and The Rebel Set (1959). He was married to Mia May. He died on 7 January 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died in Los Angeles, California.
1929-2018 (89 years old)
7 January- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Donnelly Rhodes trained to be a warden in the National Park Service in Manitoba and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as an airman-mechanic before finally settling into his long and successful career as an actor. Rhodes studied at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Center and was a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School in Canada. After making his professional debut on stage as Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar Named Desire, he became a contract player for Universal Pictures in the U.S., landing film and television roles ranging from a gunslinger in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) to a country singer in The Hard Part Begins (1973) to various guest appearances in series such as Mission: Impossible (1966). Later, he was popular as the suave Phillip Chancellor Sr. on The Young and the Restless (1973), but left the show in 1976 to avoid devoting too much of his career to the one role. He continued to work steadily, taking roles in a wide variety of television and theatrical movies and making guest appearances on more than 100 television series. Major TV roles saw him range from dim-witted escaped con Dutch on Soap (1977) to veterinarian and family man Dr. Grant Roberts on the popular Canadian family series Danger Bay (1983). More recently, he has appeared in a number of TV movies as well as in guest spots on popular series such as Sliders (1995) and The X-Files (1993). Rhodes' diverse interests include music and horses, but his real passion is boats. He has said that if he hadn't succeeded as an actor, he would have pursued a career as a naval architect.Died of cancer in Maple Ridge, Canada.
1937-2018 (80 years old)
8 January- Denise LaSalle was born on 16 July 1934 in The Island, LeFlore County, Mississippi, USA. She was married to James E. Wolfe Jr., Bill Jones and Artic Craig. She died on 8 January 2018 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA.Died of surgery complications in Jackson, Tennessee.
1939-2018 (78 years old)
8 January - Nancy Lea Owen was born in September 1926 in Decatur, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The River Rat (1984) and Abby (1974). She died on 8 January 2018 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA.Died in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
1926-2018 (91 years old)
8 January - Additional Crew
- Location Management
Marge Rowland was born on 29 July 1949 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is known for The Matrix (1999), GoldenEye (1995) and Dreamcatcher (2003). She died on 8 January 2018 in Laguna Woods, California, USA.Died in Laguna Woods, California.
1949-2018 (68 years old)
8 January- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Agustín Bernal was born in 1959 in Paracuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. He was an actor and director, known for Demoledor (1995), Peleas salvajes (1998) and Los asesinos (1998). He died on 8 January 2018 in Parácuaro, Michoacán, Mexico.Died of a heart attack in Parácuaro, Mexico.
1959-2018 (59 years old)
8 January- Production Designer
- Art Department
- Art Director
Terence Marsh was born on 14 November 1931 in London, England, UK. He was a production designer and art director, known for Doctor Zhivago (1965), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Oliver! (1968). He was married to Sandra Marsh and Lorna Wrapson. He died on 9 January 2018 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.Died of cancer in Pacific Palisades, California.
1931-2018 (86 years old)
9 January- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
John Thompson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a producer and assistant director, known for Brooklyn's Finest (2009), Criminal (2016) and Hunter Killer (2018). He was married to Tatiana Thompson. He died on 9 January 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of leukemia in Los Angeles, California.
1947-2018 (71 years old)
9 January- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Fast Eddie Clarke was born on 5 October 1950 in Twickenham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Smokin' Aces (2006) and Shoot 'Em Up (2007). He died on 10 January 2018 in London, England.Died of pneumonia in London, England.
1950-2018 (67 years old)
10 January- Doreen Tracey was born on 3 April 1943 in St Pancras, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956), Annette (1958) and The Donna Reed Show (1958). She was married to Robert A Washburn. She died on 10 January 2018 in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.Died of cancer in Thousand Oaks, California.
1943-2018 (74 years old)
10 January - Mikhail Derzhavin was born on 15 June 1936 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was an actor, known for Troe v lodke, ne schitaya sobaki (1979), Nochnoy vizit (1998) and Oni byli pervymi (1956). He was married to Roksana Babayan, Nina Budyonnaya and Ekaterina Raykina. He died on 10 January 2018 in Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia.Died of an illness in Odintsovo, Russia.
1936-2018 (81 years old)
10 January - Kurt Christopher Kinder was born on 21 June 1975 in Ventura County, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Hider in the House (1989), CBS Summer Playhouse (1987) and Where Pigeons Go to Die (1990). He died on 11 January 2018 in Burnet, Texas, USA.Died in Burnet, Texas.
1975-2018 (42 years old)
11 January - Shiraj Haider was an actor, known for Chorabali (2012), Priya Amar Priya (2008) and Age Zodi Jantam Tui Hobi Por (2014). He died on 11 January 2018 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Died of heart failure in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
?-2018 (age unknown)
11 January - Larisa Korshunova was born on 14 April 1948. She was an actress, known for Skazki starogo volshebnika (1985), Zolotye tufelki (1981) and Ya budu pomnit (2010). She died on 12 January 2018.1948-2018 (69 years old)
12 January - Actress
- Soundtrack
Bella Emberg was born on 16 September 1937 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for History of the World: Part I (1981), Doctor Who (2005) and Pompidou (2015). She died on 12 January 2018 in Isle of Wight, England, UK.Died in Isle of Wight, England.
1937-2018 (80 years old)
12 January- Keith Jackson was born on 18 October 1928 in Roopville, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for The Fortune Cookie (1966), Coach (1989) and Munich 1972: Games of the XX Olympiad (1972). He was married to Gertrude Ann "Truri Ann" Johnson. He died on 12 January 2018 in Los Angeles, USA.Died of complications from surgery in Los Angeles, California.
1928-2018 (89 years old)
12 January - John V. Tunney was born on 26 June 1934 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Candidate (1972) and The Merv Griffin Show (1962). He was married to Kathinka Osborne and Mieke Sprengers. He died on 12 January 2018 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California.
1934-2018 (83 years old)
12 January - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
One of MGM's more vivacious secondary stars during the 40s, petite and lovely Jean Porter was born in Texas in 1922 but left the state while young to pursue her dream as an actress. Following some vaudeville experience, she made her uncredited film debut in 1939 (age 17) and slowly graduated to sweet-natured ingénues in light, wholesome "B" fare. Most were sentimental trifles, such as Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)and Easy to Wed (1946), or western action with such obvious titles as Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) and Home in Wyomin' (1942). Despite her promise and talent, none of her approximately 30 films managed to set her apart and top stardom remained elusive.
Jean's finest screen roles probably came with The Youngest Profession (1943) and Till the End of Time (1946), where she met future husband, director Edward Dmytryk. They married in 1948 and had three children: Richard, Victoria and Rebecca, the latter becoming a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator. Not long into their marriage, Dmytryk was branded a Communist as one of the "Hollywood Ten" (he was admittedly once a member of The American Communist Party) and the next decade or so would be a dark period of time for them.
Unable to work, the blacklisted director moved his family to England where he found some employment. In 1951, however, Dmytryk decided to return to the States and was jailed for six months before giving testimony and being granted a reprieve. As a result, he was allowed to return to directing. Jean's last film, in fact, would be The Left Hand of God (1955) starring Humphrey Bogart and Gene Tierney, which was directed by her husband. She last appeared on 1961 TV episodes of "Sea Hunt" and "77 Sunset Strip."
Throughout their ordeal Jean and Edward remained a loyal couple and in later years wrote a book together "On Screen Acting" in 1984. Happily married until his death at age 90 of heart and kidney failure in 1999, Jean continues to be a regular attendee of film-related events and a by-line contributor for "Classic Images," the popular magazine for old-styled film fans, in which she reminisces of Hollywood back then. Jean died at age 95 on January 13, 2018, in Canoga Park (Los Angeles), California.Died of natural causes in Los Angeles, California.
1922-2018 (95 years old)
13 January- Actor
- Composer
- Writer
Tzimis Panousis was born on 12 February 1954 in Athens, Greece. He was an actor and composer, known for Pizza 2027, O Drakoulas ton Exarheion (1983) and Tzimis Panousis: Kagela pantou (1986). He died on 13 January 2018 in Athens, Greece.Died of cardiac arrest in Athens, Greece.
1954-2018 (63 years old)
13 January- Bobby Zarin was born on 15 February 1946. He was married to Jill Zarin. He died on 13 January 2018 in New York City, New York, USA.Died of cancer in New York, New York.
1946-2018 (71 years old)
13 January - Actress
- Soundtrack
Naomi Stevens was born on 29 November 1925 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for The Apartment (1960), Valley of the Dolls (1967) and Hard Times (1975). She was married to Robert Burns Jr.. She died on 13 January 2018 in Reseda, California, USA.Died in Reseda, California.
1925-2018 (92 years old)
13 January- Actor
- Music Department
Spanky Manikan was born on 22 March 1942 in the Philippines. He was an actor, known for Miracle (1982), Behind Enemy Lines (1997) and The Two of Us (2009). He was married to Susan Africa. He died on 14 January 2018 in the Philippines.Died of lung cancer in Manila, Philippines.
1942-2018 (75 years old)
14 January- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Hugh Wilson was born on 24 August 1943 in Miami, Florida, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Blast from the Past (1999), Frank's Place (1987) and WKRP in Cincinnati (1978). He was married to Charters Smith. He died on 14 January 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.Died of lung cancer in Charlottesville, Virginia.
1943-2018 (74 years old)
14 January- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
François Morel was born on 14 March 1926 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was a composer and actor, known for Le téléthéâtre de Radio-Canada (1954), Grand-Papa (1976) and Montserrat (1967). He died on 14 January 2018 in Québec City, Québec, Canada.Died in Quebec City, Canada.
1926-2018 (91 years old)
14 January- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan was born in Ballybricken, a town 8 miles outside Limerick on Sept. 6, 1971. Her parents are Eileen and Terrance. Terrance was in a wheelchair due to a motorcycle accident. Dolores was the youngest of seven children, and one of two girls. In the late eighties, Dolores met up with her band members-to-be. Feargal Lawler of Parteen, and Mike and Noel Hogan of Moycross gave Dolores the music to their future hit "Linger". She came back the next day with lyrics. It took some time for The Cranberries to take off, very emotionally impacting Dolores who was overcome with frustration. Their debut album, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We" is a quote-Dolores said it while the band members were part of an audience at a concert. It was in America where the Cranberries first found satisfying success - when they returned to their native Ireland, success was awaiting them there as well.
Dolores' life went from railing against war and childhood strife (she was always an avid child advocate) and condemning disrespectful lovers, to deciding that she is "Free to Decide". The mother of three children, her family life brightened up her music. She died in London on 15 January 2018.Died of drowning in London, England.
1971-2018 (46 years old)
15 January- Actor
- Soundtrack
Peter Paul Wyngarde was born at the home of an aunt in Marseille, Southern France, and is the son of an English father and French mother. Owing to his father's work as a member of the British Diplomatic Service, Peter spent much of his early childhood moving from one country to another, and was educated in a number of different schools.
One city which left a lasting impression on him was Shanghai, where he had been temporarily left in the care of a Swiss family whilst his father was away in India on business. The year was 1941, and amid a mass of turmoil and confusion, news broke that the Japanese had captured the city, and before long, Peter and his surrogate family found themselves in Lunghua concentration camp.
Confined in these desperately brutal conditions for four years, Peter struggled to prevent his family and friends from dying at the hands of the cruel and barbaric soldiers who governed the camp, and on one occasion while running errands between accommodation huts, he was discovered and punished by having both his feet broken with a rifle butt, and then put into solitary confinement for two weeks.
During better times however, the young Mr. Wyngarde worked in the camp laundry and gardens, and began to write and appear in plays staged by, and for, his fellow inmates, making his acting debut in his own production of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. When the camp was finally liberated in 1945 Peter, who was then suffering from malnutrition, beriberi and malaria, was taken to a sanatorium in the Swiss mountains where he remained for the next two years.
After completing his education in Switzerland, France and England, Peter reluctantly honored his parents' wishes, and entered university, where he began studying law, but soon dropped the idea in favor of a career in advertising. After a brief spell with an agency in London, he walked into an audition, read the part, and was cast as the understudy for the lead in a play in Brighton.
His first role on the London stage, however, was with the Nottingham Repertory Company at the Embassy Theatre as Cassio in Othello. From there, he moved to the world famous Old Vic in Bristol, where he not only took the lead role in such classics as Cyrano de Bergerac and Taming of the Shrew, but also tried his hand at directing, most notably with Long Day's Journey Into Night.
In 1956, Peter was invited over to the United States to take a screen test for the part of Pausanius in Robert Rosen's epic feature film, Alexander the Great opposite Richard Burton and Fredric March, but after almost a year's work on location in Spain, he watched in horror as his role was cut almost out of existence.
Disillusioned with Hollywood, Peter returned to his first love - the British stage, where he took the role of Yang Sun, a Chinese fighter pilot, in Bertold Brecht's, The Good Woman of Setzuan, at the Royal Court Theatre in London's West End. It was here that he first made the acquaintance of the Oliviers - Laurence and his wife, Vivien Leigh, the latter of whom he later played opposite in the critically acclaimed Duel of Angels.
Following the plays hugely successful run at the Apollo Theatre in London in 1958 Ms Leigh, who had since become a close friend of Peter's, begged her leading man to join her in the New York production of the play. Although reluctant at first, Peter was at last persuaded to reprise his role as Count Marcellus, and he made his Broadway debut at the Helen Hayes Theatre in 1959, taking the coveted award for Best Actor in a Foreign Play.
On his triumphant return to Britain in 1960, he was almost immediately cast as the enigmatic Peter the Painter in Monty Barman's production of The Siege of Sidney Street - a film which was based on the true story of the British Governments legendary battle with a notorious gang of Slavonic anarchist, whose reputation throughout Europe for robbery and murder lead to one of the bloodiest confrontations in British criminal history.
Between numerous starring roles in television productions such as Independent Televisions popular Armchair Theatre and Play of the Week, Peter made two more big screen appearances - both Albert Fennell productions.
The first, in 1961, was The Innocents - a feature-length adaptation of the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw, which was followed in 1962 by the classic supernatural thriller, Night of the Eagle (aka Burn, Witch, Burn) which was once again based on a novel - this time Fritz Leiber's Conjure Wife.
Between July of 1960 and March of 1969, Peter appeared in no less than thirty television plays, and guest starred in such classic series as The Avengers, I Love Lucy, The Baron, The Saint, The Champions and The Prisoner. In 1969, Peter was cast in what was undoubtedly his most famous role as the legendary author-cum-investigator, Jason King, in the ITC action series, Department S, and soon became the idol of thousands of women the world over. So overwhelming was his effect on television viewers that in 1971, a brand new series - Jason King - was devised, which allowed the handsome novelist to go adventuring without restriction.
Following the cancellation of the series at the end of 1972, Peter decided to return to the theatre, and after being greeted at Melbourne Airport by more than 30,000 screaming fans, he took the city by storm in the world premiere of Butley before packed houses every night. Once back in London, Peter took the lead role in Charles Dyers Mother Adam at the Hampstead Theatre, and then went on to tour Britain in the lead role of the King in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I opposite Sally Ann Howes. The following year, he once again took up the mantle of actor/director with Present Laughter, stopping off along the way to host the 1974 Miss Television Contest.
In 1975, Peter headed out to Austria to work at the English Theatre in Vienna, to both act in and direct productions of The Merchant of Venice and Big Toys, before returning to the big screen in an Austrian film (Himmel, Scheich Und Wolkenbrunch) in the role of a latter-day Rudolph Valentino. The following year, he returned to the British stage in the Lawrence Parnes production of Anastasia, and then on to the big screen courtesy of Dino De Laurentiis' lavish 1980s sci-fi blockbuster, Flash Gordon, in which he was cast in the role of General Klytus. It was then back to the stage for a nine-months' tour of South Africa in Deathtrap.
In 1984, after an absence of almost 12 years, Peter returned to the small screen with a rare television appearance in the four-part Doctor Who installment, Planet of Fire, which was followed in short succession by the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense story, And The Wall Came Tumbling Down, and a memorable guest-starring role in Granada Television's Bulman.
Having been cast as the somewhat unsavory character of Sir Robert Knights in the stylish, yet overtly violent British thriller, Tank Malling in 1989 Peter, who scarcely ever agrees to be interviewed, consented to appear on SKY TV's Jameson Show, plus a hearing on Channel 4s Right To Reply and the BBC's daytime magazine, Pebble Mill. More recently, Peter appeared in 1994 in Granada Televisions popular Sherlock Holmes series opposite Jeremy Brett, playing the newspaper gossip-columnist, Langdale Pike, in The Three Gables.
The long-overdue release of both Department S and Jason King on video in 1993 helped rekindle huge interest in the debonair Mr Wyngarde, with repeats of the series being shown on satellite and cable channels, and public pressure resulting in the re-release of his infamous 1970 album on CD.
In recent years, Peter has made numerous TV appearances, which include Astleys Way, Dee Time, 100 Greatest TV Characters, Don't Knock Yourself Out and narrated the acclaimed Timeshift documentary, The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes in 2014.
Peter remains one of the most popular British actors of the past 50 years, with a thriving fan club and devoted worldwide following. His appearances at TV and Sci-Fi conventions have drawn thousands of attendees, eager to meet him and to shake the hand of a true acting legend.Died of an illness in London, England.
1927-2018 (90 years old)
15 January- Mathilde Krim was born on 9 July 1926 in Como, Italy. She was married to Arthur Krim. She died on 15 January 2018 in Kings Point, New York, USA.Died in Kings Point, New York.
1926-2018 (91 years old)
15 January - Dave Holland was born on 5 April 1948 in Northampton, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Judas Priest: Turbo Lover (1986), Judas Priest: Parental Guidance (1986) and Judas Priest: Love Bites (1984). He died on 16 January 2018 in Lugo, Galicia, Spain.Died in Lugo, Spain.
1948-2018 (69 years old)
16 January - Jo Jo White was born on 16 November 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for The Game Plan (2007), Inside Moves (1980) and Mexico City 1968: Games of the XIX Olympiad (1968). He was married to Deborah Dixon and Estelle Bowser. He died on 16 January 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Died of pneumonia in Boston, Massachusetts.
1946-2018 (71 years old)
16 January - Dark-haired, Ivy League-looking Bradford Dillman, whose white-collar career spanned nearly five decades, possessed charm and confident good looks that were slightly tainted by a bent smile, darting glance and edgy countenance that often provoked suspicion. Sure enough, the camera picked up on it and he played shady, highly suspect characters throughout most of his career.
The actor was born in San Francisco on April 14, 1930, to Dean and Josephine Dillman. Yale-educated, he graduated with a B.A. in English Literature. Following this he served with the US Marines in Korea (1951-1953) before focusing on acting as a profession. Studying at the Actors Studio, he spent several seasons apprenticing with the Sharon (CT) Playhouse before making his professional acting debut in "The Scarecrow" in 1953.
Dillman took his initial Broadway bow in Eugene O'Neill's play "Long Day's Journey Into Night" in 1956, originating the author's alter ego character Edmund Tyrone and winning a Theatre World Award in the process. This success put him squarely on the map and 20th Century-Fox took immediate advantage by placing the darkly handsome up-and-comer under contract. Cast in the melodrama A Certain Smile (1958), he earned a Golden Globe for "Most Promising Newcomer" playing a Parisian student who loses his girl (Christine Carère) to the worldly Italian roué Rossano Brazzi. He followed this with a strong ensemble appearance in In Love and War (1958), which featured a cast of young rising stars including Hope Lange and Robert Wagner. More acting honors followed after completing the film Compulsion (1959), which told the true story of the infamous 1920s kidnapping/murder case of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. He went on to share a "Best Actor" award at the Cannes Film Festival with fellow co-stars Dean Stockwell, who played the other youthful murderer, and veteran Orson Welles.
Though he was a magnetic player poised for stardom, Dillman's subsequent films failed to serve him well and were generally unworthy of his talent. Though properly serious and stoic as the title character in Francis of Assisi (1961), the film itself was stilted and weakly scripted. Circle of Deception (1960) was a misguided tale of espionage and intrigue, but it did introduce him to his second wife, supermodel-cum-actress Suzy Parker. While A Rage to Live (1965) with Suzanne Pleshette was trashy soap material, The Plainsman (1966) was rather a silly, juvenile version of the Gary Cooper western classic. As a result of these missteps--and others--he began to top-line lesser quality projects or play supporting roles in "A" pictures. His nothing role as Robert Redford's college pal-turned Hollywood producer in The Way We Were (1973) and his major roles in the ludicrous The Swarm (1978) and Lords of the Deep (1989) became proof in the pudding. His last good film role was in O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh (1973), although he did play an interesting John Wilkes Booth in the speculative re-enactment drama The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977) and had a fun leading role in the Jaws (1975)-like spoof Piranha (1978).
Dillman bore up very well on TV over the years, subsisting on a plethora of mini-movies and guest spots on popular series, playing everything from turncoats to frauds and from adulterers to psychotics. He earned a Daytime Emmy for his appearance in Last Bride of Salem (1974) and starred in two series--Court Martial (1965), as a military lawyer, and King's Crossing (1982), as an alcoholic parent and teacher attempting to straighten out. He also spent a season on the established nighttime soap Falcon Crest (1981) in 1982.
A narrator, director and teacher of acting in later years. Bradford launched a late-in-the career sideline as an author. The football fan inside him compelled him to write "Inside the New York Giants" (1995), a book that rated players drafted by the team since 1967. Two years later he published his memoirs, the curiously-titled "Are You Somebody?: An Actor's Life." He retired from the screen after a few guest star shots on "Murder, She Wrote" in the mid-90s.
From 1956 to 1962, Dillman was married to Frieda Harding, and had two children, Jeffrey and Pamela. Following their divorce, he met well-known model-turned-actress Suzy Parker during the production of Circle of Deception (1960) and the couple married on April 20, 1963. They had three children, Dinah, Charles, and Christopher. Daughter Pamela Dillman has worked as an actress. Dillman was made a widower when Parker died on May 3, 2003. He lived for many years in Montecito, California, and helped raise money for medical research. He died in Santa Barbara, California on January 16, 2018, aged 87, from complications of pneumonia.Died of pneumonia in Santa Barbara, California.
1930-2018 (87 years old)
16 January - Music Department
- Soundtrack
Shammi Akhtar was born on 22 September 1955 in Khulna, East Pakistan [now in Bangladesh]. She is known for Bhalobaslei Ghor Bandha Jay Na (2010), Jawab (1979) and Padma Meghna Jamuna (1991). She was married to Akramul Islam. She died on 16 January 2018 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Died of breast cancer in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
1957-2018 (60 years old)
16 January- Moya O'Sullivan was born on 8 June 1926 in Australia. She was an actress, known for Neighbours (1985), The Adventures of Skippy (1992) and Midnite Spares (1983). She died on 16 January 2018 in Bondi Junction, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Died in Sydney, Australia.
1927-2018 (91 years old)
16 January - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Günter Hendel was born on 22 December 1922 in Kolberg, Pomerania, Germany [now Kolobrzeg, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland]. He was an actor and director, known for So viel nackte Zärtlichkeit (1968) and Graf Porno und seine Mädchen (1969). He died on 16 January 2018 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.Died in Munich, Germany.
1922-2018 (95 years old)
16 January- Stefan Metodiev Iliev is a Bulgarian actor. He was born on June 25, 1935 in Istanbul, Turkey. He graduated from National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in 1958 with a degree in "acting" in the class of Professor Nikolay Masalitinov. He worked in drama theaters in Gabrovo, Pleven, Pernik, in the National Youth Theater, in Theater "Sofia", in Little City Theater "Off the Channel". He has played over 70 roles in theater and cinema. President of the Union of Actors in Bulgaria in the period 1990 - 2005 the respected by everyone in the guild for its exceptional integrity and will fifteen years to defend its interests. He is called by colleagues and friends simply Checho.1935-2018 (82 years old)
17 January - Actor
- Additional Crew
Simon Shelton was born on 13 January 1966 in the United Kingdom. He was an actor, known for Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (2001), Teletubbies (1997) and Swing Kids (1993). He was married to Emma Robbins. He died on 17 January 2018 in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England, UK.Died of hypothermia in Ampthill, England.
1966-2018 (52 years old)
17 January- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Kashinath was born in Kundapura, Udupi, Karnataka, India. He was an actor and director, known for Aparichita (1978), Be-Shaque (1981) and Ajagajantara (1991). He died on 18 January 2018 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.Died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in Bengaluru, India.
1951-2018 (67 years old)
18 January- Stansfield Turner was born on 1 December 1923 in Highland Park, Illinois, USA. He was married to Marion Weiss, Eli Karin Gilbert and Patricia Busby Whitney. He died on 18 January 2018 in Seattle, Washington, USA.Died in Seattle, Washington.
1923-2018 (94 years old)
18 January - Director
- Actor
- Writer
Lasse Sarri was born on 3 February 1936 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was a director and actor, known for Eva (1948), Djävla Robert (1981) and Kärlek - Ett minnesprogram (1967). He was married to Inga Sarri. He died on 18 January 2018 in Sweden.Died in Stockholm, Sweden.
1936-2018 (81 years old)
18 January- Actress
- Soundtrack
The blonde, sultry, dreamy-eyed beauty of Dorothy Malone, who was born Mary Maloney in Chicago on January 29, 1924, took some time before it made an impact with American film-going audiences. But once she did, she played it for all it was worth in her one chance Academy Award-winning "bad girl" performance, a role quite unlike the classy and strait-laced lady herself.
Raised in Dallas, she was one of five children born to an accountant father and housewife mother. Two older sisters died of polio. Attending Ursuline Convent and Highland Park High School, she was quite popular (as "School Favorite"). She was also a noted female athlete while there and won several awards for swimming and horseback riding. Following graduation, she studied at Southern Methodist University with the intent of becoming a nurse, but a role in the college play "Starbound" happened to catch the eye of an RKO talent scout and she was offered a Hollywood contract.
The lovely brunette started off in typical RKO starlet mode with acting/singing/dancing/diction lessons and bit parts (billed as Dorothy Maloney) in such films as the Frank Sinatra musicals Higher and Higher (1943) and Step Lively (1944), a couple of the mystery "Falcon" entries and a showier role in Show Business (1944) with Eddie Cantor and George Murphy. RKO lost interest, however, after the two-year contract was up. Warner Bros., however, stepped up to the plate and offered the actress a contract. Now billed as Dorothy Malone, her third film offering with the studio finally injected some adrenaline into her floundering young career, when she earned the small role of a seductive book clerk in the Bogart/Bacall classic The Big Sleep (1946). Critics and audiences took notice of her captivating little part. As a reward, the studio nudged her up the billing ladder with more visible roles in Two Guys from Texas (1948), Romance on the High Seas (1948), South of St. Louis (1949) and Colorado Territory (1949), with the westerns showing off her equestrian prowess if not her acting ability.
Despite this positive movement, Warner Bros. did not extend Dorothy's contract in 1949 and she returned willingly back to her tight-knit family in her native Dallas. Taking a steadier job with an insurance agency, she happened to attend a work-related convention in New York City and grew fascinated with the big city. Deciding to recommit to her acting career, she moved to the Big Apple and studied at the American Theater Wing. In between her studies, she managed to find work on TV, which spurred freelancing "B" movie offers in the routine form of Saddle Legion (1951), The Bushwhackers (1951), the Martin & Lewis romp Scared Stiff (1953), Law and Order (1953), Jack Slade (1953), Pushover (1954) and Private Hell 36 (1954).
Things picked up noticeably once Dorothy went platinum blonde, which seemed to emphasize her overt and sensual beauty. First off was as a sister to Doris Day in Young at Heart (1954), a musical remake of Four Daughters (1938), back at Warner Bros. She garnered even better attention when she appeared in the war picture Battle Cry (1955), in which she shared torrid love scenes with film's newest heartthrob Tab Hunter, and continued the momentum with the reliable westerns Five Guns West (1955) and Tall Man Riding (1955) but not with melodramatic romantic dud Sincerely Yours (1955) which tried to sell to the audiences a heterosexual Liberace.
By this time she had signed with Universal. Following a few more westerns for good measure (At Gunpoint (1955), Tension at Table Rock (1956) and Pillars of the Sky (1956), Dorothy won the scenery-chewing role of wild, nymphomaniac Marylee Hadley in the Douglas Sirk soap opera Written on the Wind (1956) co-starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack. Stack and Malone had the showier roles and completely out-shined the two leads, both earning supporting Oscar nominations in the process. Stack lost in his category but Dorothy nabbed the trophy for her splendidly tramp, boozed-up Southern belle which was highlighted by her writhing mambo dance.
Unfortunately, Dorothy's long spell of mediocre filming did not end with all the hoopla she received for Written on the Wind (1956). The Tarnished Angels (1957), which reunited Malone with Hudson and Stack faltered, and Quantez (1957) with Fred MacMurray was just another run-of-the-mill western. Two major film challenges might have changed things with Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) as the unsympathetic first wife of James Cagney's Lon Chaney Sr, and as alcoholic actress Diana Barrymore in the biographic melodrama Too Much, Too Soon (1958). Cagney, however, overshadowed everyone in the first and the second was fatally watered down by the Production Code committee.
To compensate, Dorothy, at age 35 in 1959, finally was married -- to playboy actor Jacques Bergerac (Ginger Rogers's ex-husband). A daughter, Mimi, was born the following year. Fewer film offers, which included Warlock (1959) and The Last Voyage (1960), came her way as Dorothy focused more on family life. While a second daughter, Diane, was born in 1962, the turbulent marriage wouldn't last and their divorce became final in December 1964. A bitter custody battle ensued with Dorothy eventually winning primary custody.
It took the small screen to rejuvenate Dorothy's career in the mid-1960s when she earned top billing of TV's first prime time soap opera Peyton Place (1964). Dorothy, starring in Lana Turner's 1957 film role of Constance MacKenzie, found herself in a smash hit. The run wasn't entirely happy however. Doctors discovered blood clots on her lungs which required major surgery and she almost died. Lola Albright filled in until she was able to return. Just as bad, her the significance of her role dwindled with time and 20th Century-Fox finally wrote her and co-star Tim O'Connor off the show in 1968. Dorothy filed a breach of contract lawsuit which ended in an out-of-court settlement.
Her life on- and off-camera did not improve. Dorothy's second marriage to stockbroker Robert Tomarkin in 1969 would last only three months, and a third to businessman Charles Huston Bell managed about three years. Now-matronly roles in the films Winter Kills (1979), Vortex (1982), The Being (1981) and Rest in Pieces (1987), were few and far between a few TV-movies -- which included some "Peyton Place" revivals, did nothing to advance her. Malone returned and settled for good back in her native Dallas, returning to Hollywood only on occasion.
Dorothy's last film was a cameo in the popular thriller Basic Instinct (1992) as a friend to Sharon Stone. She will be remembered as one of those Hollywood stars who proved she had the talent but somehow got the short end of the stick when it came to quality films offered. She retired to Texas and died in Dallas shortly before her 94th birthday on January 19, 2018.Died of natural causes in Dallas, Texas.
1925-2018 (92 years old)
19 January- Producer
- Additional Crew
Allison Shearmur was born on 23 October 1963 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She was a producer, known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) and The Hunger Games (2012). She was married to Edward Shearmur. She died on 19 January 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California.
1963-2018 (54 years old)
19 January- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Fredo Santana was born on 4 July 1990 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Fredo Mafia, Fredo Santana feat. Gino Marley & SD: Want a Nigga Dead (2014) and Drake Feat. Majid Jordan: Hold on, We're Going Home (2013). He died on 19 January 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died of a seizure in Los Angeles, California.
1990-2018 (27 years old)
19 January- Olivia Cole was born on 26 November 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress, known for Roots (1977), Backstairs at the White House (1979) and Something About Amelia (1984). She was married to Richard Venture. She died on 19 January 2018 in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.Died of a heart attack in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
1942-2018 (75 years old)
19 January - Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Production Manager
From the original Shaft to Love at First Bite, from Camelot to Soapdish, from top-grossing films to television to the Internet, Joel Freeman has built a reputation that spans over half a century of entertainment history.
He was born on June 12, 1922 in Irvington, New Jersey, USA. The son of Louis Freeman, a baker and inventor, and Frances Schary. His mother died when he was four and he was raised primarily by his fraternal grandparents.
He started in Hollywood at 20 at MGM...as a messenger. But after just six weeks, he was promoted to the Short Subjects department, and then moved to the Production Planning Office.
But 18 months later, Freeman was drafted and spent three years in the Air Force - two of them with the First Motion Picture Unit (AAF) where he was script supervisor and assistant director on some thirty training films.
The transition back to civilian life was an easy one: he immediately became an assistant director at RKO. During the next two years, he alternated between RKO and Selznick, working on films like The Farmer's Daughter, The Paradine Case, The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and The Setup. Freeman then returned to MGM as an assistant director, and eventually as associate producer. During that time he gained additional experience on some of the company's top films such as Madame Bovary, Battleground, Bad Day at Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, The Tender Trap, Tea & Sympathy and Something of Value.
As an independent production supervisor, Freeman's feature films included Lonelyhearts, and he worked on several television series including The Californians and Highway Patrol. Later, he joined Dore Schary at Warner Brothers, to do Sunrise at Campobello as production supervisor and associate producer. That led to The Music Man at the same studio.
Another opportunity to work with Schary, this time on Act One, brought Freeman to New York City. He stayed to produce The Reporter, a television series for CBS's Richelieu Productions, and became head of program development for the same company.
Freeman was soon called back to California as associate producer and production supervisor on Warner Brothers' A Big Hand for a Little Lady and Not With My Wife You Don't! Pleased with Freeman's performance, Jack Warner asked him to be his associate on Camelot. Upon the film's very successful completion, Freeman became one of the top three executives at Warner Brothers, until the studio was sold to Seven Arts.
He was associate producer and production supervisor on Francis Ford Coppola's second film, Finian's Rainbow when Ken Hyman -- then head of worldwide production for Warner Brothers/Seven Arts -- asked Freeman to reactivate and executive produce The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. A critically acclaimed classic, the film received two Oscar nominations.
Joel Freeman Productions Inc. was founded upon its completion, and Freeman was signed to a term producing contract at WB/7Arts where he developed Tom Sawyer, The Musical. Simulataneously, he served as executive consultant to Ken Hyman until the studio was sold.
Independent again, and moving successfully between features and television, he produced an ABC Movie of the Week, Weekend of Terror. Then with Gordon Parks directing, and Isaac Hayes providing an unforgettable score, Freeman produced the groundbreaking feature Shaft for MGM. Its success led to a partnership with Fox, with whom he produced the feature Trouble Man. And that led, in turn, to Fuzz Brothers, a television pilot created in partnership with MGM/ABC. He then executive produced It Happened One Christmas for Universal Television.
His next film, the hilarious Love At First Bite, had the distinction of being Melvin Simon Productions' biggest success, and one of AIP's two biggest box-office winners. He produced The Octagon for American Cinema, executive produced The Kindred for Feldman/Meeker and then became Senior Vice President, Production for New Century/New Visions Entertainment for two years until December, 1988. During that tenure he supervised such films as: The Gate, Russkies, Split Decision and Rooftops.
Soon afterward, The Completion Bond Company , who had consulted with Freeman previously, asked him to take over as producer of Next of Kin, then supervise The Guardian. He co-produced Soapdish for Paramount, supervised Ricochet, then went trouble-shooting in England on The Power of One -- the latter two projects for The Completion Bond Company, as well.
Freeman then became involved in various phases of development and pre-production of: Love at Second Bite (a sequel), To Have and Have Not (a remake),Mr. Shaft (a sequel), Someone Could Get Killed, Woof, Jekyll, Skyjack! Skyjack!, The James Barry Story, Mace, Piper, Stagecoach Mary, Stick and Ball and Harp.
He spent six months in Lithuania producing 13 hour-long episodes of the series The New Adventures of Robin Hood. Upon his return he developed and optioned many screenplays, including Booker; 44 Sunset; Anais: The Opposite of Innocence; The Fairy Godfather; Shattered Image; Maternal Instinct; Romantics, Misfits and Fools; Bloodthirsty; Air Med; Marti; Monte; and Return of the Vin Fiz. He also produced Cover to Cover, a live show for Hollywood Broadcasting.com.
Freeman was the recipient of the Director's Guild Award for Bad Day at Black Rock, and the NAACP Image Award as Producer of the Year for Shaft. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America (recipient of the Lifetime Membership Award) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In addition he served for many years on the Board of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.Died of Alzheimer's disease and lung cancer in Sherman Oaks, California.
1922-2018 (95 years old)
19 January- Producer
- Writer
Lin Bolen was born on 23 March 1941 in Benton, Illinois, USA. Lin was a producer and writer, known for Stumpers! (1976), W.E.B. (1978) and Farrell for the People (1982). Lin was married to Paul Wendkos. Lin died on 19 January 2018 in San Fernando Valley, California, USA.Died in San Fernando Valley, California.
1941-2018 (76 years old)
19 January- Art Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Goldenberg was born on 14 February 1968 in Ontario, Canada. He was an assistant director, known for The House on Tombstone Hill (1989), Top Cop (1990) and Best Shots (1990). He died on 19 January 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Died of a heart attack in Ottawa, Canada.
1968-2018 (49 years old)
19 January- Pert blonde actress Marjorie Steele was in films for a very short time, making only four in all. She was born in Reno, Nevada on August 27, 1930 in a log cabin built by her father, a contractor. Her mother was part Russian and Swedish while her father came from German and Sioux Indian parentage. Marjorie's family moved to San Francisco when she was 9. It was here that she took an interest in acting while still young. She started with acting lessons and eventually won a scholarship to the Actors Lab in Hollywood.
To support herself in the early days, she worked as a cigarette girl at Ciro's, L.A.'s top nightclub. In what was to become a Cinderella story, the working teenager attracted the attention of multimillionaire Huntington Hartford. Smitten, Hartford not only signed her to a contract with a motion picture company he owned, he married her in 1949--shortly after her nineteenth birthday. She built up her reputation on stage and appeared in two films produced by her husband: Hello Out There (1949) and Face to Face (1952).
Her other two "B" films were Tough Assignment (1949) and No Escape (1953). Marjorie scored well in theater assignments, notably as the title role in "Sabrina Fair" in 1954, which played in London, and on Broadway when she took over the role of Maggie the Cat from Barbara Bel Geddes in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Shortly after this, she suddenly lost interest in her career and decided to retire and raise a family.
She married British actor Dudley Sutton following her 1961 divorce to Hartford, with whom she had two children,, but the marriage lasted only a few years. Her daughter by this marriage predeceased her mother, dying of a drug overdose at age 28. Steele's third husband was American-born Irish author Major Constantine Robert Louis Lee-Dillon FitzGibbon, who wrote "When the Kissing Had to Stop" and "The Irish in Ireland," and was the biographer of friend Dylan Thomas. Together the couple wrote "Teddy in the Tree." He died in 1983 from cancer and she never remarried.
Living in Ireland, Marjorie occupied her later years with painting and sculpting and has been commissioned for her work. She died on January 19, 2018 in Dublin.1930-2018 (87 years old)
19 January - Actress
Olivia Lua was born on 19 September 1994 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress. She died on 19 January 2018 in Hollywood, California, USA.Died of a drug overdose in Hollywood, California.
1994-2018 (23 years old)
19 January- Bob Smith was born on 24 December 1958 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Side by Side by Susan Blackwell (2009), Outlaugh! (2006) and CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival (2002). He died on 20 January 2018 in New York City, New York, USA.Died of ALS in New York, New York.
1960-2018 (57 years old)
20 January - Additional Crew
- Actor
Paul Bocuse was born on 11 February 1926 in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, Rhône, France. He was an actor. He was married to Raymonde Duvert. He died on 20 January 2018 in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.Died of Parkinson's disease in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, France.
1926-2018 (91 years old)
20 January- Actor
- Music Department
Jim Rodford was born on 7 July 1941 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Return to Waterloo (1984), The Kinks: You Really Got Me (1980) and The Kinks: Don't Forget to Dance (1983). He was married to Jean. He died on 20 January 2018 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK.Died of a fall in St. Albans, England.
1941-2018 (71 years old)
20 January- Yves Afonso was born on 13 February 1944 in Saulieu, Côte-d'Or, France. He was an actor, known for Les arcandiers (1991), France société anonyme (1974) and Frank Riva (2003). He died on 21 January 2018 in Paris, France.Died in Paris, France.
1944-2018 (73 years old)
21 January - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Jens Okking was born on 18 December 1939 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was an actor and writer, known for Strømer (1976), At klappe med een hånd (2001) and Nitten røde roser (1974). He was married to Anette Walther. He died on 21 January 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark.Died in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1939-2018 (78 years old)
21 January- Tae Soo Jun was an actor, known for King's Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang (2013), Blood Palace (2013) and Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010). He died on 21 January 2018 in Seoul, South Korea.Died of suicide in Seoul, South Korea.
1984-2018 (33 years old)
21 January - Connie Sawyer was born on 27 November 1912 in Pueblo, Colorado, USA. She was an actress, known for Dumb and Dumber (1994), Pineapple Express (2008) and Out of Sight (1998). She was married to Marshall Schacker. She died on 21 January 2018 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.Died of a heart attack in Woodland Hills, California.
1912-2018 (105 years old)
21 January - Writer
- Producer
- Music Department
Robert Arthur was born on 10 May 1928 in Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for American Guild of Variety Artists 5th Annual Entertainer of the Year Awards (1975), Inside America (1982) and Uncensored Channels: TV Around the World with George Plimpton (1986). He was married to Michele Arthur Corns, Freya Bame Arthur and Jeanne Dancs Arthur. He died on 21 January 2018 in Topanga, California, USA.Died in Topanga, California.
1928-2018 (89 years old)
21 January- Writer
- Additional Crew
Ursula K. Le Guin was born on 21 October 1929 in Berkeley, California, USA. She was a writer, known for Tales from Earthsea (2006), The Lathe of Heaven (1980) and The Telling. She was married to Charles A. Le Guin. She died on 22 January 2018 in Portland, Oregon, USA.Died in Portland, Oregon.
1929-2018 (88 years old)
22 January- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lari White was born on 13 May 1965 in Dunedin, Florida, USA. She was an actress, known for Cast Away (2000), No Regrets (2004) and Country Strong (2010). She was married to Chuck Cannon. She died on 23 January 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.Died of peritoneal cancer in Nashville, Tennessee.
1965-2018 (52 years old)
23 January- Composer
- Music Department
- Producer
Hugh Masekela was born on 4 April 1939 in Wilbank, South Africa. He was a composer and producer, known for The Jewel of the Nile (1985), The Last King of Scotland (2006) and Blended (2014). He was married to Elinam Cofie, Jabu Mbatha, Chris Calloway and Miriam Makeba. He died on 23 January 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.Died of prostate cancer in Johannesburg, South Africa.
1939-2018 (78 years old)
23 January- Joel Taylor was born on 6 January 1980 in Elk City, Oklahoma, USA. He died on 23 January 2018 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Died of a drug overdose in Puerto Rico.
1980-2018 (38 years old)
23 January - Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Dowdell was born on 10 March 1932 in Park Ridge, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Stoney Burke (1962), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) and Assassination (1987). He was married to Sheila Connolly. He died on 23 January 2018 in Coldwater, Michigan, USA.Died of natural causes in Coldwater, Michigan.
1932-2018 (85 years old)
23 January- Producer
- Production Manager
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ezra Swerdlow was born on 2 March 1953 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, USA. He was a producer and production manager, known for Spaceballs (1987), The Equalizer (2014) and 21 Jump Street (2012). He was married to Lindsey Hicks. He died on 23 January 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Died on cancer and ALS in Boston, Massachusetts.
1953-2018 (64 years old)
23 January- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Lead singer and lyricist of British punk/new wave band The Fall. A former office worker, Smith formed The Fall in 1977, although their commercial peak came in the late '80s and early '90s. They have influenced many bands, most notably Pavement, and are famous for being Radio 1 DJ John Peel's favorite band, for their strong work ethic (21 albums in 19 years) and for their frequent line-up changes (26 to date, making Smith the only constant member; he has stated "If it's me and your granny on bongos, it's The Fall"). Smith also provided guest vocals on Inspiral Carpets' 1994 "I Want You" single.Died of lung and kidney cancer in Prestwick, England.
1957-2018 (60 years old)
24 January- Writer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Warren Miller was born on 15 October 1924 in Hollywood, California, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Ski People (1980), Extreme Surfing (1992) and This Is Skiing (1969). He was married to Laurie Penketh Kaufmann, Roberta Marie Clavert-Mac Faden, Dorothy Roberts and Jean. He died on 24 January 2018 in Orcas Island, Washington, USA.Died in Orcas Island, Washington.
1924-2018 (93 years old)
24 January- Producer
- Production Manager
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cyrus Yavneh was born on 14 October 1942. He was a producer and production manager, known for 24 (2001), The Arrival (1996) and Baby (2000). He died on 25 January 2018 in Santa Monica, California, USA.Died of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California.
1942-2018 (76 years old)
25 January- Actor
- Writer
Jacques Languirand was born on 1 May 1931 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor and writer, known for Mars and April (2012), Deux immortels: Prélude à Mars et Avril (2011) and YUL 871 (1966). He was married to Yolande Delacroix-Pelletier. He died on 26 January 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Died of Alzheimer's disease in Montreal, Canada.
1931-2018 (86 years old)
26 January- Actor
- Writer
- Production Designer
Richard Glover is an actor known most notably for his roles in Into the Woods (2014), as well as The Casual Vacancy (2015) and Ben Wheatley's A Field in England (2013) and Sightseers (2012). Most recently he performed in BBC's Gunpowder (2017) alongside Kit Harington and Liv Tyler and Joe Wright's Oscar and BAFTA nominated Darkest Hour (2017).
Richard started his career performing live comedy sketches in and around London, including performing at Ealing Live Studios.1953-2018 (64 years old)
26 January- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Maryo J. de los Reyes was born on 17 October 1952 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. He was a director and writer, known for Magnifico (2003), A Love Story (2007) and Laman (2002). He died on 27 January 2018 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte, Philippines.Died of a heart attack in Dipolog City, Philippines.
1952-2018 (65 years old)
27 January- Writer
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Mort Walker was born on 3 September 1923 in El Dorado, Kansas, USA. He was a writer, known for The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (1972), Hero's Reward (1962) and Psychological Testing (1962). He was married to Catherine Carty and Jean Marie Suffill. He died on 27 January 2018 in Stamford, Connecticut, USA.Died of pneumonia in Stamford, Connecticut.
1923-2018 (94 years old)
27 January- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jerry Butler was born on 13 May 1959 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor. He was married to Lisa Loring. He died on 27 January 2018 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.Died of pancreatic cancer in Brooklyn, New York.
1959-2018 (58 years old)
27 January- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Mariya Saakyan was born on 24 July 1980 in Yerevan, USSR [now Armenia]. She was a director and editor, known for Proshchanie (2004), Alaverdi (2012) and Entropiya (2012). She was married to Jeff Kalousdian. She died on 28 January 2018 in Moscow, Russia.Died of cancer in Moscow, Russia.
1980-2018 (37 years old)
28 January- Barbara Walkówna was born on 5 January 1933 in Swietochlowice, Slaskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Szarada (1977), Kalosze szczescia (1958) and Popielec (1984). She was married to Józef Zbiróg. She died on 28 January 2018 in Skolimów, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Skolimow, Poland.
1933-2018 (85 years old)
28 January - Producer
- Cinematographer
- Director
Rick McKay lives in New York City and is the award-winning Producer/Director/Writer/Cinematographer/Editor of the hit film Broadway: The Golden Age. For five seasons he was a segment producer on WNET13's City Arts, the most honored, locally produced show in television history, which won over 30 Emmy awards. Rick also produced the first story commissioned for the critically successful national PBS series Egg: The Arts Show, garnering another two Emmy nominations as well as helping to create the opening segment of two recent national Tony Awards broadcasts. Rick won four of the industry's prestigious Telly awards for his television work, has produced episodes for the immensely successful series Biography on the Arts and Entertainment network, and has produced for HBO and United Artists. Rick is also an on-air personality on national PBS television, hosting the incredibly successful pledge drives for "Broadway: The Golden Age" around the country and was recently seen co-hosting the non-cable premiere of Liza with a Z with Liza Minnelli on PBS.
There are two sequels of "Broadway" in production now: Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age, chronicling Broadway from 1959 to 1981 and Broadway: The Next Generation, which brings the story up to the present. Both are planned for theatrical release, followed by national television and DVD release, in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Rick recently returned from New Zealand, working at famed director Peter Jackson's Park Road Post Productions, finishing his new film, "Fay Wray", which Jackson appears in, along with Naomi Watts, Gore Vidal, Leonard Maltin, McKay and many others. The film is half documentary, chronicling Wray's legendary, iconic career in film - and half road film, as Wray and McKay, despite the half-century difference in their ages, travel the globe, becoming fast friends, while McKay was beginning his career in film and Wray was entering her tenth and last decade, The film is due for release in late 2018.
Rick is also the sole owner and proprietor of Second Act Productions, the New York City production company that produced his Broadway trilogy as well as his other films. "Broadway: The Golden Age" has won over 15 film festival awards, is on 17 critics' Top Ten Films of the year lists and was a hit in theaters around the country. The SONY/BMG DVD is still a best seller and the film premiered on US television on national PBS in March 2006 as one of their most successful national pledge drives ever. Two sequels to the film are already in production with Robert Redford, Liza Minnelli, Glenn Close, Al Pacino, Sydney Poitier, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber and 100 other stars. The sequels will bring the story up to the present and both will open theatrically prior to international TV and DVD releases.
Rick also produced, directed and shot Elaine Stritch: At Liberty for PBS. Much of this footage was also used to make the HBO documentary of the same name, which won Elaine Stritch the 2004 Emmy award, and for which Rick is credited as producer and cinematographer. Rick's first solo film project was Birds of a Feather, a documentary of his adventures searching for drag queens for the legendary director Mike Nichols to help him make his hit film Birdcage. Rick is also an award-winning print journalist with numerous magazine and newspaper articles to his credit. His story Birds of a Feather won him San Francisco's Cable Car Award for "Outstanding Journalist" for feature reporting. Rick also has a successful career as an in-demand film and theatre lecturer around the world. A born raconteur, Rick appears with his films and tells behinds the scenes stories of their creation as well as of the history of film and theatre, while showing never-before-seen out-takes and rare footage from his films and from live performances.
Recently, Rick was awarded "Best Film: Greenwich Village Portrait" for his short film, Greenwich Village: A World Apart (2015) at the first annual Greenwich Village Film Festival, and again won the same category the next year for Greenwich Village: The Times They are a Changin' (2016).
Rick was honored at the Sundance Film Festival by PBS and inducted into the PBS Producers Academy, as one of their "best and brightest documentary producer/directors" for his continuing independent film and television work. Rick has also been honored with the "Special Contribution to Film" Award from Stonybrook University Film Festival and the "Limelight Award" from Ojai Film Festival. Recently Rick was also honored with the "New England Theatre Conference Special Contribution to Theatre Award" and the Theatre Museum of New York City's "Award of Excellence for Theatre History Preservation." Rick is also a Doctor of Fine Arts, after being honored at Five Towns College in New York where McKay, Michael Feinstein and Sheldon Harnick were all presented with degrees at a special event celebrating their work.
His wealth of experience in film, television, live entertainment, and journalism has made Rick McKay one of the most prolific and well-rounded independent producer/director/writers working in the industry today.Died in New York, New York.
1960-2018 (57 years old)
29 January- Actor
- Soundtrack
Known for starring as musically-inclined football player Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the show Glee (2009), Mark Wayne Salling was born in Dallas, Texas. He was the younger of two children of Condy Sue (Wherry), a school secretary, and John Robert Salling, Jr., an accountant. He was home-schooled at an early age. Salling was raised in a "strict Christian home" and attended Providence Christian School and Our Redeemer Lutheran during elementary school. He attended, but did not graduate, from Culver Military Academy, and later graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001. While in high school, he was a member of the school wrestling team. Music was also an integral part of his teenage years; he often performed in bars despite being underage and participated in school talent shows. After graduating from high school, he attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar, giving guitar lessons to make a living. Mark owned a dog named Noah, which he named after his character on Glee.
He died on January 30, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.Died of suicide by hanging in Los Angeles, California.
1982-2018 (35 years old)
30 January- Louis Zorich was born on 12 February 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Detachment (2011) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). He was married to Olympia Dukakis. He died on 30 January 2018 in New York City, New York, USA.Died in New York, New York.
1923-2018 (93 years old)
30 January - Eddie Shaw was born on 20 March 1937 in Stringtown, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Honeydripper (2007) and It Ain't Over: Delmark Celebrates 55 Years of Blues (2009). He died on 30 January 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.Died of natural causes in Chicago, Illinois.
1937-2018 (80 years old)
30 January - Rasual Butler was born on 23 May 1979 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Think Like a Man (2012) and Trina Feat. Kelly Rowland: Here We Go (2005). He died on 31 January 2018 in Studio City, California, USA.Died in a car crash in Studio City, California.
1979-2018 (38 years old)
31 January - Actress
- Soundtrack
Leah LaBelle, born Leah Vladowski on 8 September 1986 in Toronto, Canada, was the only child of Troshan and Anastasia Vladowski. Troshan and Anastasia, musicians and immigrants to the United States, defected from communist Bulgaria during a tour of Western Europe in 1979 at the height of success with such Bulgarian pop music groups as Sreburnite Grivni and Tonika. LaBelle graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington in 2005 and later attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
LaBelle has been performing, singing and dancing, publicly since 1990 but marks 1993 as the start of her pursuit of a music career. In 1997, LaBelle won the Washington State Pre-teen Miss America Pageant and was 1st runner-up in the National Pageant. In 1998 she joined the nationally acclaimed Total Experience Gospel Choir and can be heard in several recordings with the group and as part of the Langston Hughes musical, Black Nativity over the following five years. In 2000, LaBelle was part of the WAM Network children's reality show, Caught in the Middle and continued on the show for two seasons. In 2002, she won the Grand Prize at KUBE 93.3 Summer Jam Idol and was the opening act at Summer Jam 20. Headline acts included Usher, Nelly, Jermaine Dupri, Mario, Da Brat, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Nappy Roots, and others.
In 2004, LaBelle was a finalist on the FOX Network Series American Idol, placing 12th overall out of over 70,000 contestants. In 2005, Leah LaBelle pursued a management contract with Sixthboro Entertainment of NYC and recorded a demo with Vocal Arranger, Tavarius Polk and Grammy Award winning producer, Andreao "Fanatic" Heard.Died in a car crash in Studio City, California.
1986-2018 (31 years old)
31 January- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ann Gillis was born Alma Mabel Conner on February 12, 1927, in Little Rock, Arkansas. At age seven, she appeared in her first film, Men in White (1934), as an extra. During the next two years, she had uncredited appearances in six more films until she received her first major role in King of Hockey (1936). Warner Brothers Studios gave significant screen time to Gillis in this movie, in hopes that she would become another Shirley Temple. Although (like all child stars of the 1930s) she never achieved Temple's level of fame, for the next several years Gillis starred in many films, almost always playing a spoiled, bratty character. She had two rare sympathetic roles as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) and as the title character in Little Orphan Annie (1938). One scene in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer called for her to go into screaming hysterics when her character was trapped in a cave of bats, and Gillis delivered in a powerful performance that is probably the most memorable scene of her film career. As Gillis grew older, however, her career slowed down, and she left Hollywood in 1947. When she left Hollywood she married Paul Ziebold and had 2 sons. She then divorced, relocated to New York City and married Richard Fraser, a Scottish-born actor (they had a son born in 1958). During the 1950s and '60s, Gillis made sporadic television appearances, and in 1959, she hosted a national telecast presentation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Gillis and her husband moved to England in 1961, and they were living in London when they heard of a casting call for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) that called for an American actress living in the city. Gillis auditioned and got the role, this was her final film.Died in Horam, England.
1927-2018 (90 years old)
31 January- Actor
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alf Humphreys was born on 3 April 1953 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor and writer, known for X2 (2003), First Blood (1982) and The Uninvited (2009). He was married to Elizabeth Moss. He died on 31 January 2018 in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.Died of brain cancer in Stratford, Canada.
1953-2018 (64 years old)
31 January- Make-Up Department
Maria Valdivia was born on 4 July 1948. She is known for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Hitchcock (2012) and Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018). She was married to Frank Maher. She died on 31 January 2018 in Long Beach, California, USA.Died in Long Beach, California.
1948-2018 (69 years old)
31 January- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wojciech Wójcik was born on 1 January 1943 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. He was a director and writer, known for Tam i z powrotem (2002), Trójkat bermudzki (1988) and Ekstradycja (1995). He died on 1 February 2018 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.Died in Warsaw, Poland.
1943-2018 (75 years old)
1 February