Questions about celebrity deaths

[Ca.]

Ryan O'Neal passes on at eighty-two (famed actor of "It's Only a Paper Moon.")

https://twitter.com/x/status/1733420746196517256

Hollywood star Ryan O'Neal will be reunited with Farrah Fawcett in heaven, his son has said, as the world remembers how one of Hollywood's greatest love stories began.

The iconic star, who was both a matinee idol and an award-winning actor, died at the age of 82, his son Patrick confirmed via social media on Friday.

In a heartfelt tribute alongside a photograph of a sunset, he wrote: 'So this is the toughest thing I've ever had to say but here we go.

'My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us. He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop'.

He also spoke of his father's on-off relationship with Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett, who died in 2009 at the age of 62 from cancer.

'Ryan never bragged', he added. 'But he has bragging rights in Heaven. Especially when it comes to Farrah. Everyone had the poster, he had the real McCoy. And now they meet again.

'Farrah and Ryan. He has missed her terribly. What an embrace that must be. Together again.'

O'Neal was known for his high-profile relationship to Ms Fawcett which lasted decades; they never wed with O'Neal once saying: 'Farrah and I have no plans to marry - nor do we have plans to separate. Don't fix what ain't broken'.

They were partners from 1979 to 1997 after he stole the bubbly blonde beauty away from her husband, Lee Majors of The Six Million Dollar Man fame.

Together they had a son named Redmond, 38, who had trouble with the law, even serving time in jail.

Their relationship was tumultuous due to Ryan's infidelity, and their relationship ended when Ms Fawcett found him in bed with actress Leslie Stefanson.

But, they reunited in 2001 when O’Neal was diagnosed with leukaemia, with Ms Fawcett nursing O'Neal who soon went into remission.

But in 2006, the roles were reversed when Ms Fawcett herself was diagnosed with cancer, and O'Neal dedicated himself to taking care of her. The couple remained together until Ms Fawcett's death in 2009.

Following her death, O'Neal described her as his 'forever Valentine' telling People: 'I loved her with all my heart. I will miss her so very, very much'. He later said 'there was never a day' that he 'didn't love her'.

O'Neal was famed for his personal life as his films - romances with Barbra Streisand, Joan Collins, Diana Ross, Bianca Jagger, Angelica Houston, Ursula Andressalso dated Anjelica Huston. She would accuse him of abusing her in her tell-all book.

The pair met through O'Neal's friend and Fawcett's husband at the time Lee Majors. Fawcett was known for her time on Charlie's Angels and O'Neal was still best known for his 1970s Oscar-nominated role in Love Story.

The pair began a relationship with Ms Fawcett when Majors suggested Ryan take her out for the evening while he was away from home.

O'Neal recounted the moment when Majors suggested the pair have dinner in his 2012 book, Both of Us: My Life with Farrah, writing that Majors had said: 'Why don't you take her to dinner one night?'

Just days beforehand, he had seen Ms Fawcett after a trek up Antelo Road near Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles with Majors. He described her as 'delightful' and 'full of childlike warmth' in his book.

O'Neal stayed for lunch and Ms Fawcett asked him to come back that evening to watch a boxing match in their home.

'They were saying the marriage was over, and I was saying they were terrific together,' O'Neal later told Vanity Fair.

It wasn't long after this that Majors had asked O'Neal to take Ms Fawcett to dinner.

Just a week later, he took her to a Ry Cooder concert, writing that Ms Fawcett eventually agreed to go with him, having talked it through with Majors beforehand.

'I let him know that Ryan asked me out. He said, 'I told him to. But you're not going', he wrote.

Majors and O'Neal's relationship then began to break down, with Majors calling his house and hanging up, finally telling him to 'stay away' from his wife.

But, O'Neal, who was previously married to actress Joanne Moore and later Leigh Taylor-Young, had fallen for Ms Fawcett, telling Vanity Fair: 'It was a situation I'd never been in before- committing to a woman before I'd even talked to her about it'.

Ms Fawcett and Majors went onto divorce in 1982.

Tributes have flooded in for O'Neal, who also had two children with his first wife.

On Friday, his daughter Tatum O'Neal shared a statement with People reacting to the news.

'I feel great sorrow with my father's passing,' she shared. 'He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I'll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms.'

Barbra Streisand, who worked with O'Neal on What's Up, Doc? and The Main Event, and Marisa Berenson on Barry Lyndon, shared a tribute to the late star on X, formerly known as Twitter, upon hearing the heartbreaking news of Ryan's passing and shared a black and white image of the pair taken in the past.

The actress also typed, 'So sad to hear the news of Ryan O'Neal's passing. We made two films together, What's Up, Doc? and The Main Event. He was funny and charming, and he will be remembered.'

Mia Farrow also uploaded a tribute by sharing various throwback images and penned, 'Rest in peace dear Ryan.'

The two notably costarred in the series, Peyton Place.

Sharon Stone also paid tribute with a black-and-white photo of O'Neal from his later years.

'It's w deep sadness I post this. RIP Ryan O'Neal,' she wrote, adding a heart emoji.

O'Neal was last seen being aided into his vehicle from a wheelchair by a helper in Brentwood, California on November 6, 2023. O'Neal was wheeled down the sidewalk and had two caretakers got him into the front seat of his car, lifting him from under his arm.

O'Neal was best known for his movies in the 1970s, which included Paper Moon, costarring his daughter Tatum.

The acclaimed film, which was directed by Ryan's What's Up, Doc? collaborator Peter Bogdanovich, earned the young girl the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress when she was just 10, making the budding star — who had turned nine during the production - the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar.

O'Neal is survived by four children: Tatum O'Neal and Griffin O'Neal with Joanna Moore, Patrick O'Neal with Leigh Taylor-Young, and Redmond James Fawcett O'Neal with Fawcett, and his five grandchildren.

 

[Ca.]

Kamar de los Reyes, ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ and ‘One Life to Live’ Star, Dies at 56

Kamar de los Reyes, who starred in "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" and "One Life to Live," died on Sunday. He was 56.

variety.com

Dec 25, 2023 10:10am PT
Kamar de los Reyes, who played the villain Raul Menendez in the popular video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” and starred as Antonio Vega in the soap opera “One Life to Live,” died on Sunday in Los Angeles after a brief battle with cancer, his wife’s publicist confirmed to Variety. He was 56.

De los Reyes was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was raised in Las Vegas. In the late 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting after he studied singing and dancing growing up. He originated the role of Chicano boxer Pedro “Roadman” Quinn in the off-Broadway play “Blade to the Heat” in 1994 and later starred opposite Patrick Stewart in a 1995 production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

His first major role came on the long-running ABC soap Opera “One Life to Live.” From 1995 to 1998, he played Antonio Vega, who is serving a life sentence for murder when he’s introduced but is later released when it’s revealed he was acting in self defense. His character was originally raised as the son of matriarch Carlotta Vega, but it’s soon unveiled he was actually the son of Carlotta’s brother, Manuel Santi. De los Reyes returned to the show in 2000 and starred as Antonio until 2009.

In the popular 2012 video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” de los Reyes played the antagonist Raul Menendez, a Nicaraguan arms dealer and terrorist who sparked another Cold War in a futuristic 2025. He reprised the character in “Call of Duty: Black Ops IV” and “Call of Duty: Vanguard.”
His other credits included films like “Nixon,” “The Cell,” “Salt” and shows such as “Sleepy Hollow,” “The Rookie” and “All American.”

According to his wife’s publicist, De los Reyes had roles in Marvel’s upcoming show “Daredevil: Born Again” and Hulu’s “Washington Black.”

De los Reyes is survived by his wife, actor Sherri Saum; sons Caylen, Michael and John; his brothers Daniel and Walfredo, Jr; his sisters Lily and Ilde; his mother Matilde and his father Walfredo.

Drum Roll:
It's a long list of sudden passing folks

Celebrities who died in 2023

Remembering the entertainers who died this year, including Matthew Perry, Andre Braugher, Paul Reubens, Angus Cloud, Sinéad O'Connor, Tony Bennett, Tina Turner, and others.

ew.com

Updated on December 25, 2023

 

[Ca.]

Long and short-lived. May they Rest In Peace

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[Ca.]

Adam Petlin Dies: Fox News Director Of Chicago Bureau Operations Was 58

Petlin was one of the first photographers hied when the network launched in 1996.

deadline.com

Adam Petlin, director of operations in Fox News‘ Chicago bureau, died on Dec. 23 after a long illness.

Petlin had a 27-year career at the network, starting in August 1996 as one of the first six field photographers hired.

Suzanne Scott, the CEO of Fox News Media, wrote in a memo to employees, “When his former boss Sharri Berg and colleague Scott Wilder visited Adam in the hospital last week, he proudly shared photos of his phenomenal career at Fox, which took him cross country and to spots all over the world including a trip to Antarctica and the South Pole on assignment with astronaut Jim Lovell.

Scott called Petlin a “natural leader” who was quickly promoted to a supervisor. He led the first Fox camera crew on the scene in downtown Manhattan on 9/11, “and captured the devastation that immediately unfolded that day, delivering the very news that changed the world to millions of viewers.”

“He was an integral part of the field and production team and a gifted still and television photographer,” Scott wrote. “Adam was also highly regarded by numerous correspondents and anchors that were fortunate enough to have been on location with him on nearly every major news story of the last 27 years.”

Petlin is survived by his wife Lauren, as well as his daughter Ava, 18, and son Luca, 14.
Arrangements have not been announced.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1741273411849261484

Gil de Ferran, a French-born Brazilian race car driver who won the 2003 Indianapolis 500 championship, has died. He was 56.

De Ferran died in Opa-Locka, Florida, following a stroke, according to the Brazilian Automobile Confederation (CBA). According to a statement shared online, De Ferran was rushed to the hospital on Dec. 29 following the medical emergency but did not survive.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1741439439648281068

 

[Ca.]

May they find peace.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1743327018303787161

‘Speed Racer’ Actor Christian Oliver & 2 Daughters Killed In Caribbean Plane Crash

Christian Oliver, (real name Christian Klepser), who starred in films including Speed Racer and Valkyrie among others, was killed Thursday along with his two young daughters when their small plane …

deadline.com

Christian Oliver, (real name Christian Klepser), who starred in films including Speed Racer and Valkyrie among others, was killed Thursday along with his two young daughters when their small plane crashed into the sea off a Caribbean island. The owner and pilot of the plane, identified as Robert Sachs, also died in the crash. Oliver was 51.

According to authorities, the single-engine plane took off from F Mitchell Airport in Becquia, a tiny island and part of the Caribbean nations of St. Vincent and Grenadines, Thursday afternoon and was headed to nearby St Lucia when it crashed.
Among the dead were Oliver’s daughters, Madita Klepser, 12, and Annik Klepser, 10.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement provided to media outlets. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance,” it added. All four bodies have been recovered.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. According to local reports, the pilot radioed the tower shortly after takeoff reporting he was experiencing trouble and was turning back. That was the last communication from the plane.

The German-born Oliver worked with Steven Soderbergh in The Good German opposite Cate Blanchett and George Clooney, with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise in Valkyrie and the Wachowskis’ 2008’s Speed Racer. He also starred as a detective in the popular German action series Alarm for Cobra 11 (RTL) for two years. His TV credits also included Saved By the Bell: The New Class. His most recent credit the latest Indiana Jones movie Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Oliver had just wrapped his latest movie Forever Hold Your Peace, co-starring Bai Ling and directed by Nick Lyon, filming his final scenes on December 20.

Lyon posted a photo on the final day of film and paid tribute to Oliver with the caption: “We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it! Thank you for being a great colleague, actor and friend.'”

 

[Ca.]

May They Rest in Peace for the Talents that they have shared in our lives. That has us smiling, laughing, crying, the range of human emotions.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1746188965311574274

Tom Shales, Pulitzer Prize-Winning TV Critic, Dies at 79

Tom Shales, a Pulitzer-winning television critic at the Washington Post who spent nearly 40 years at the publication, has died. He was 79.

variety.com

Tom Shales, a Pulitzer-winning television critic at the Washington Post who spent nearly 40 years at the publication, has died. He was 79.

Shales died Saturday at a hospital in Fairfax County, Va., from complications due to COVID-19 and renal failure, his caretaker, Victor Herfurth, told the Washington Post.

Shales began his career as the Post’s chief TV critic in 1977, and was known for his incisive and sharp commentary on various forms of television such as cable dramas, network sitcoms, nature documentaries and late-night shows. He was first hired by the Post in 1972 as a style writer.

In 1988, Shales won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, becoming the fourth TV reviewer to earn the honor in journalism.

Shales took a buyout from the Washington Post in 2006, but remained on contract for an additional four years, according to the paper, “before being, in his view, unceremoniously edged out because of a salary of about $400,000 per year.”

Thomas William Shales was born in Elgin, Ill., on Nov. 3, 1944. He attended Elgin Community College before transferring to American University, where he became the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.

After graduating in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Shales worked as an entertainment editor at the D.C. Examiner until the early ’70s.

In addition to his work for the Washington Post, Shales wrote for the Huffington Post, TelevisionWeek and Roger Ebert’s film and television review website. He wrote two books — “Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live” (2002) and “Those Guys Have All the Fun: “Inside the World of ESPN” (2011) — with fellow Post reporter James Andrew Miller.

Conrad Palmisano (1948–2024), Rambo: First Blood stunt coordinator
By Linnea Crowther January 12, 2024
Conrad Palmisano was a stunt performer and coordinator on such movies as “Rambo: First Blood,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” the sequels to “Rush Hour,” and many more.

• Died: January 10, 2024 (Who else died on January 10?)
• Details of death: Died at the age of 75.
• We invite you to share condolences for Conrad Palmisano in our Guest Book.

Conrad Palmisano’s legacy​

Palmisano began doing stunts in the early 1970s, with his early films including “Werewolves on Wheels,” “The Final Comedown,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask.” He served as stunt double for many notable actors, such as Nick Nolte in “Adams of Eagle Lake,” David Carradine (1936–2009) in “Thunder and Lightning,” John Denver (1943–1997) in “Oh, God!” Steve Martin in “The Jerk,” Lloyd Bridges in “Airplane!” and Pierce Brosnan in the TV series “Remington Steele.”

Palmisano’s many other movie credits as stunt performer include “Breaking Away,” “The Amityville Horror,” “Smokey and the Bandit II,” “The Cannonball Run,” “Christine,” “Hook,” and “21 Jump Street” (2012). He also worked widely as a stunt coordinator on such films as “Rambo: First Blood,” “Cujo,” “The Natural,” “The Naked Gun,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” “Turner & Hooch,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “Rush Hour 2,” and “Rush Hour 3.” He worked as a second unit director on movies like “She’s Having a Baby,” “Robocop 2,” and “X-Men: The Last Stand.”

In addition to his work in movies, Palmisano also did stunts and stunt coordination on such TV shows as “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Fall Guy,” “Dallas,” “The A-Team,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “JAG,” “Lost,” “The Rookie,” and “NCIS.” He served as president of the Stuntman’s Association, and he advocated for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize stunt performers at the Oscars. Palmisano was honored by the Taurus World Stunt Awards with a lifetime achievement award in 2023.

Notable quote ​

“Richard Burton once complained to me. He said, ‘I do a soliloquy of Shakespeare and I don’t get anything out of the crew. You fall down a flight of stairs, everyone applauds.’ I said, ‘What are you complaining about, you’re married to Elizabeth Taylor.’” —from a 2021 interview for Variety

Tributes to Conrad Palmisano ​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745643864675758421

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745230489731080582

Joyce Randolph, Trixie on ‘The Honeymooners,’ Dies at 99

Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on 'The Honeymooners,' and was the last surviving member of the cast, died Saturday.

variety.com

Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on the classic sitcom “The Honeymooners,” and was the last surviving member of the cast, died Saturday in New York City. She was 99.

Randolph was in hospice care at the time of her death and died of natural causes, her son, Randy, told TMZ.

Randolph’s character was married to Art Carney’s Ed Norton on “The Honeymooners.” They were the neighbors of Ralph and Alice Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows.

Born Joyce Sirola to a Finnish American family in Detroit, she got her start in show business when she joined a touring production of “Stage Door” while working at a department store, then moved to New York where she acted in theater and on television in shows such as “Buck Rogers.”

Gleason noticed her in a commercial and cast her in “The Honeymooners” in 1951. It first appeared as a sketch on “Cavalcade of Stars” and “The Jackie Gleason Show,” then ran as a standalone sitcom in 1955 and 1956 on CBS. Though the show produced just 39 episodes, its popularity has endured and it influenced generations of sitcoms with its portrayal of squabbling working class families.

Though she didn’t appear in later revivals of the series, Randolph became so identified with the role of Trixie that she found it difficult to get other roles after the series ended. She made an appearance on the meta sitcom “Hi Honey I’m Home” in 1991, which featured numerous former TV stars, and appeared in one episode of the earlier TV drama “The Doctors and the Nurses.”

Randolph was never sure why she was referred to as “the Garbo of Detroit” in early press reports. “Why Garbo? Well, she was Scandinavian — and so was I,” she told the New York Times.

The fondly-written 2007 profile also said that despite the show’s wide influence, Randolph didn’t receive any residuals from the original 39 episodes, though she later received some from the “lost episodes” that were part of the variety hours.

She is survived by a son, Randolph Richard Charles, from her marriage to Richard Lincoln Charles, who died in 1997.

 

[Debra]

I got a bit nostalgic regarding the loss of this woman’s presence in 3rd Density.
During my teen years, her music, her delightful t.v. performances and her naive belief that peace on earth, and happiness for all could be achieved, with the “revolution” , fuelled my hopeful young heart.
This is quoted from the YouTube commentary, including a Facebook post written by her family:

“Singer Melanie Safka, known as “The First Lady of Woodstock” for playing the 1969 festival at just 22 years also, and had hits in the 1970s including “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” has died. She was 76. Melanie’s kids, Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred, confirmed her death writing, “This is the hardest post for us to write, and there are so many things we want to say, first, and there’s no easy way except to say it… Mom passed, peacefully, out of this world and into the next on January, 23rd, 2024.”
A cause of death was not given.
They went on to say “She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that,” they wrote. “Our world is much dimmer, the colors of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars."

I enjoyed listening to her descriptions of her lived experiences.
Blessings on your continued journey, Melanie.