RIP Robert Hinkle

 

Robert Hinkle, Who Taught Rock Hudson and Paul Newman to Talk Like a Texan, Dies at 95 

After working as a dialogue coach on ‘Giant’ and ‘Hud,’ the actor and stunt performer managed the careers of Chill Wills and Marty Robbins and directed and produced films, too. 

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

March 30, 2026

 

Robert Hinkle, a onetime rodeo performer from Texas who served as a stunt performer and dialogue coach on the acclaimed films Giant and Hud and wrote, directed and produced a Western of his own, has died. He was 95.

Hinkle died March 3 in hospice care in Austin after suffering head, back and neck injuries in a fall in his driveway five days earlier, his daughter, Melody Hinkle, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Hinkle also showed up in The Far Horizons (1955), starring Fred MacMurray and Charlton Heston as the explorers Lewis & Clark; in The Conqueror (1956), with John Wayne as Genghis Khan; and in The First Texan (1956), starring Joel McCrea as Sam Houston.

Away from the camera, he was the personal manager for actor Chill Wills and singer Marty Robbins and a promoter for daredevil Evel Knievel.

After Hinkle had briefly interviewed with George Stevens for a part in Giant (1956), the director asked him to return to his Warner Bros. office in Burbank the next day. Instead of offering him a role, Stevens asked him, “Do you think you could teach Rock Hudson to talk like you?” Hinkle recalled in his 2009 book, Call Me Lucky: A Texan in Hollywood.

For $500 a week, Hinkle got an office on the lot and worked as a dialogue coach on the sprawling film, also advising James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Mercedes McCambridge, Carroll Baker and Dennis Hopper on how to talk like a Texan. He got to be friends with the moody Dean, taught him rope tricks and handled some uncredited stunt work as well.

“Texans don’t just say the words, they linger over them like they’re old friends, worthy of a cup of coffee,” he wrote in his book. “It’s the journey, not the destination, that’s important in a conversation.”

Hinkle also worked with Newman, Patricia Neal, Melvyn Douglas and others on Martin Ritt’s Hud (1963) and directed the scene in which Newman’s character corrals a greased pig.

In between those classics, he wrote, helmed, produced and portrayed a sheriff in the Texas-shot Ole Rex (1961), which revolves around a boy (Billy E. Hughes) who rescues a wounded dog and nurses him back to health.

The oldest of three kids, Hinkle was born on July 25, 1930, in Brownfield, Texas. His father, Wesley, worked in a chemical plant, and his mother, Hattie, ran a local hotel. He said he was 10 when he knew he wanted to be a movie cowboy — that’s when silent-film star Tom Mix visited his hometown.

After graduating from Brownfield High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and helped deliver supplies in the Berlin Airlift during his 2 1/2-year stint in the military through March 1950.

He competed in rodeos while still in the service and was riding in Pendleton, Oregon, when Universal’s Bronco Buster (1952), starring John Lund, Scott Brady and Wills, arrived to film scenes. He was hired to play a cowhand and perform stunts, and afterward, director Budd Boetticher told him to look him up if he were ever in Hollywood.

A month later, Hinkle came to Los Angeles, sneaked on the lot at Republic Pictures and bumped into Wills. The actor brought him to Boetticher, who put him in the 3-D movie Wings of the Hawk (1953).

Hinkle wound up doing stunts and/or acting in other films including All American (1953), The Bamboo Prison (1954), Outlaw Treasure (1955), Andrew V. McLaglen’s Gun the Man Down (1956), The Oklahoman (1957), Under Fire (1957), No Place to Land (1958), All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960) and The Broken Land (1962).

He also appeared on TV on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, The Sheriff of Cochise, Gunsmoke, Tombstone Territory, Tales of Wells Fargo, Dragnet and, for his final credit, a 1994 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Starting in 1963, Hinkle wrote, directed and produced two-reel shorts for Paramount and a year later shepherded a series of Hollywood Jubilee country music specials.

He also produced for the big screen Country Music (1972), featuring Robbins; produced and directed Atoka (1982), which saw Robbins, Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin, Freddy Fender, Hoyt Axton and others performing at a country music festival in Oklahoma; and produced Guns of a Stranger (1973), starring Robbins and Wills.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his son, Brad; daughter-in-law Marlinda; granddaughters Jennifer and Kim; and great-grandchildren Brady and Taylor. Another son, Michael, a Vietnam veteran, died in 1991.

While competing in 1950 as a calf-roper and bulldogger in Moses Lake, Washington, Hinkle met his future wife, Sandra, then the Queen of the Rodeo. They married in June 1952 and were together for 73 years until her death in July.

His family will put his ashes to rest on June 6 in Brownfield.

HINKLE, Robert (Robert Daryl Hinkle)

Born: 7/25/1930, Brownfield, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 3/3/2026, Round Rock, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Robert Hinkle’s westerns – producer, director, writer, stuntman, actor:

Bronco Buster – 1952 (Bob) [stunts]

The Far Horizons – 1955 (Jake)

Outlaw Treasure – 1955 (Frank James)

Dakota Incident – 1956 (Joe)

Giant – 1956 [stunts]

The First Texan – 1956 (Lieutenant Hargrove)

The First Traveling Saleslady – 1956 (Pete)

Gun the Man Down – 1956 (deputy)

The Badge of Marshal Brennan – 1957 [stunts]

The Oklahoman – 1957 (Ken)

Annie Oakley (TV) - 1957 (Reno)

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp – (TV) 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 (cowboy, Don Burkett, rider)

The Sheriff of Cochise (TV) – 1957 (Bronco)

Tombstone Territory (TV) - 1957 (gang member)

Tales of Wells Fargo (TV) – 1958 (Mac)

The Gunfight at Dodge City – 1959 (Rafe)

Ole Rex – 1961 [producer, director, writer]

The Broken Land – 1962 (Dave) [stunts]

Young Guns of Texas – 1962 (Sheriff Simon)

Frontier Circus (TV) – 1962 (Dave)

Gunsmoke (TV) – 1962 (cowboy, rider)

Hud – 1963 (Frank)

The Rounders (TV) – 1966 (cowboy)

Guna of a Stranger – 1973 [producer, director]

Walker, Texas Ranger (TV) – 1994 (judge)

RIP Alex Duong

 

Alex Duong, 'Blue Bloods' Actor, Dies at 42 After Rare Cancer Battle. What He Shared About His Diagnosis

The actor previously spoke to the Los Angeles Times about his diagnosis with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

TODAY

By Chrissy Callahan

March 30, 2026

 

Following a battle with a rare soft tissue cancer, actor Alex Duong has died at the age of 42.

Duong, who appeared in "Blue Bloods," "Sideways for Attention," "Tugged" and several other projects, passed away on March 28, according to a GoFundMe verified by NBC News. He is survived by his wife, Christina, and their 5-year-old daughter, Everest.

NBC News has reached out to a spokesperson for Duong to confirm his death but has yet to hear back.

After Duong was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, the GoFundMe was set up in February 2025 to support his family as he underwent treatment.

Hilarie Steele, the woman who started the crowdfunding page, announced Duong's death in a March 28 update.

"With the heaviest hearts, we share that our dear Alex passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by love and dear friends. He was comfortable and thankfully out of pain. Christina and Everest were able to see him last night, and he was alert enough to say goodbye to his little girl, whom he has treasured every moment since the day she was born," the update reads.

Alex Duong’s Cancer Diagnosis

Duong was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in early 2025, according to an interview with the Los Angeles Times from April that year.

He revealed that he first knew something was wrong with his health when he felt a headache building behind his eyes.

One day when he went to work, Duong's manager told him his left eye looked like it was "about to fall out" and sent him home, the Times reported. When he looked at his eye, the actor noticed that it looked "massive, taut and discolored," per the outlet.

Duong was later diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and learned that he had a malignant mass that was blocking blood flow to his optic nerve.

The actor and his family didn't have health insurance when he was diagnosed. Afterward, he signed up for marketplace insurance and visited the emergency room. Following a week in the hospital, Duong underwent a biopsy and learned that his tumor was very aggressive.

Duong left the hospital with an eye patch and secured an appointment for treatment in two months. Days later, he lost vision in his left eye.

The actor then spent two and a half weeks in the hospital and found a sarcoma specialist. At the time of his interview with the Los Angeles Times, he was undergoing a second round of chemotherapy and white blood cell injections to boost his immune system.

Per the Los Angeles Times, the mass behind Duong's eyeball extended into his nasal cavity and the side of his neck. Over time, the size of the tumor shrunk, but the actor experienced monocular vision.

Over the course of the last year, Duong's GoFundMe page shared several updates on the status of his health — including one from March 27, 2026, explaining that he'd gone into septic shock.

DUONG, Alex

Born: 3/20/1984, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 3/28/2026, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A

 

Alex Duong’s western – actor:

Finding China – 2015 (Kyle)

RIP Mary Beth Hurt

 

Mary Beth Hurt Dies: ‘The Age of Innocence’ & ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ Actress Was 79 

DEADLINE

By Glenn Garner

March 29, 2026

 

Mary Beth Hurt, the actress known for roles in The Age of Innocence and Six Degrees of Separation, has died. She was 79.

The 3x Tony-nominated actress’ daughter Molly Schrader, whom she shared with husband Paul Schrader, announced that Hurt died on Saturday after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2015.

“Yesterday morning we lost my mom, Mary Beth, to Alzheimer’s after a decade long battle with the disease,” wrote Molly on Instagram. “She was an actress, a wife, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a friend, and she took on all those rolls with grace and a kind ferocity. Although we’re grieving there is some comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering and is reunited with her sisters in peace.”

Born Sept. 25, 1946 in Marshalltown, Iowa, where actress Jean Seberg was her babysitter, Mary Beth Supinger studied acting at University of Iowa and New York University.

Making her stage debut in the 1974 off-Broadway production of Jim Steinman and Michael Weller’s More Than You Deserve, Mary Beth was nominated for three Tony Awards for her performances in Trelawny of the Wells (1975), Crimes of the Heart (1981) and Benefactors (1985-’86).

In 1978, Mary Beth played her first onscreen role as Joey in Woody Allen’s Interiors, starring alongside the late Diane Keaton. She went on to appear in The World According to Garp (1982), The Age of Innocence (1993), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Autumn in New York (2000), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), The Dead Girl (2006), Lady in the Water (2006) and Young Adult (2011), as well as episodes of Kojak, Thirtysomething, Saturday Night Live and Law & Order.

Mary Beth was married to late actor William Hurt from 1971 to ’82, before marrying Schrader in 1983. She and the Oscar-nominated filmmaker shared daughter Molly and son Sam.

HURT, Mary Beth (Mary Beth Supinger)

Born: 9/25/1946, Marshalltown, Iowa, U.S.A.

Died: 3/28/2026, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

 

Mary Beth Hurt’s western – actress:

Royce (TV) – 1976 (Susan Mabry)

RIP Barry Caldwell

 

Barry Caldwell, ‘Animaniacs’ and ‘Osmosis Jones’ Animator, Dies at 68

Variety

By Payton Turkeltaub

March 28, 2026

 

Barry Caldwell, the animator and director behind the cartoon series “Animaniacs” and the film “Osmosis Jones,” has died. He was 68. 

The news of his death was confirmed in a Facebook post shared by his colleague, friend and fellow animator Paul Dini, who was informed of Caldwell’s death by Dan Haskett, an animator and art director.

“Barry Caldwell was one of the first animation artists I met when I started my career fresh out of school way back around 1980. He was also one of the finest artists I ever met, and easily one of the best people. The man’s talent as a cartoonist, designer and director was revered throughout the industry,” wrote Dini, who went on to refer to Caldwell as a “a genial giant of a guy that you liked from the moment you met him” who “knew more about cartoons than you or I ever will (trust me on this), yet he was incredibly generous with his time and his talent.”

He continued: “Barry was admired, celebrated and loved by just about everyone, myself included, for many more reasons than I can list here. Gonna miss you, pally.”

Caldwell’s art career began in 1980 with an episode of “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” followed by jobs as a storyboard artist on TV series including “The New Adventures of Zorro,” “Blackstar,” “The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show,” “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” “The Smurfs” and “Alvin & the Chipmunks.” In the 2000s, Caldwell went on to work on beloved series, including “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and “Kim Possible,” among others. He also worked on films including 2001’s “Osmosis Jones,” “The Tigger Movie,” “Mulan II” and “Curious George.”

Caldwell was born on June 19, 1957, in New York City, where he attended the School of Visual Arts before working at Warner Bros. Animation, Walt Disney Television Studios and DreamWorks.

CALDWELL, Barry

Born: 6/18/1957, New York City, New YoRk, U.S.A.

Died: 3/28/2026, 

Barry Caldwell’s western – art department:

The New Adventures of Zorro (TV) – 1981 [art department]

RIP James Tolkan

 

James Tolkan, ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Top Gun’ Actor, Dies at 94

He also appeared in 'Dick Tracy,' three Sidney Lumet movies and on Broadway in the original 'Glengarry Glen Ross.'

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

March 27, 2026

 

James Tolkan, the character actor who expressed a disdain for “slackers” in the Back to the Future trilogy and portrayed Tom Cruise’s no-nonsense commanding officer in Top Gun, has died. He was 94.

Tolkan died Thursday in Saranac Lake, New York, a family spokesperson announced.

Tolkan also played Napoleon and his look-alike in Woody Allen’s Love and Death (1975) and was the crooked accountant known as Numbers who works for Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) in Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy (1990).

He appeared in three movies directed by Sidney Lumet: as a cop in the Pacino-starring Serpico (1973), as a determined D.A. in Prince of the City (1981) and as a judge in Family Business (1989).

On Broadway, Tolkan portrayed salesman Dave Moss in the original 1984-85 production of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. (Ed Harris played the character in the 1992 movie adaptation.)

Tolkan, whose specialty was playing intense, intimidating types, was steely as Hill Valley High School principal Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future (1985) and its 1989 sequel, then returned as Strickland’s grandfather in Back to the Future Part III (1990). Pretty much wherever he went, fans asked him to berate them as “slackers” just for fun.

In Top Gun (1986), he was imposing yet again as Tom “Stinger” Jardian when he lights into Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell for reckless behavior.

Tolkan’s big-screen résumé also included The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), The Amityville Horror (1979), Wolfen (1981), WarGames (1983), Masters of the Universe (1987), True Blood (1989) and Opportunity Knocks (1990).

Born on June 20, 1931, in Calumet, Michigan, James Stewart Tolkan cycled through Chicago after his parents divorced and wound up in Tucson, Arizona, where he graduated from Amphitheater High School in 1949. After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he attended Coe College and the University of Iowa, came to New York with $75 in his pocket and studied with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio, where Beatty was a classmate in 1956.

He made his onscreen debut in 1960 on an episode of ABC’s Naked City, and in 1966 he understudied for Robert Duvall before replacing him as bad guy Harry Roat in the original Broadway production of Wait Until Dark, starring Lee Remick. (Alan Arkin was cast as Roat in the 1967 film.)

Later, Tolkan played insurance investigator Norman Keyes on five episodes of NBC’s Remington Steele and several characters over 21 installments of A&E’s A Nero Wolfe Mystery (he directed a couple of episodes as well).

He also guest-starred on Miami Vice, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Wonder Years, Leverage and many other shows.

Survivors include his wife, Parmelee, who worked at the American Place Theater as a costumes and scenery painter. They met on the set of the 1971 off-Broadway play Pinkville when he was acting in it and she was a prop girl, and they married that year in Lake Placid.

Donations in his memory can be made to your local animal shelter, animal rescue organization or Humane Society chapter.

TOLKAN, James (James Stewart Tolkan)

Born: 6/20/1931, Calumet, Michigan, U.S.A

Died: 3/26/2026, Saranac Lake, New York, U.S.A.

 

James Tolkan’s westerns – actor:

Back to the Future 3 – 1990 (Marshal Strickland)

Bone Tomahawk – 2015 (pianist)

RIP Marta Lubos

 

Marta Lubos died at the age of 82; the actress stood out in theater, film and television and achieved international projection with the series "Mujeres asesinas".

Excelsior

By: Jessica Zamora

March 27, 2026

 

With a career built over several decades, Marta Lubos managed to move through different formats and audiences, from the theater stages to television, where her presence achieved international recognition.

Argentine actress Marta Lubos has died at the age of 82, after a solid career in theater, film and television. Her work left an important mark on the series Mujeres asesinas, a production that brought her talent to new generations and expanded her reach beyond the theater circuit.

The news was confirmed by the Argentine Association of Actors and Actresses (AAA) through its social networks on the morning of Friday, March 27. In the message, the organization highlighted her artistic legacy and her place within the acting community.

It is with deep regret that we say goodbye to our affiliate, the actress Marta Lubos, who developed an outstanding and extensive career in theater, film and television, consolidating herself as an interpreter of great versatility

Who was Marta Lubos, actress of "Mujeres asesinas"?

Marta Lubos was an Argentine actress with a career spanning several decades, recognized mainly for her work in theater. His training and professional development were closely linked to the stage, where he built a constant and respected presence.

Although she participated in different productions, her name reached greater international projection after her appearance in Mujeres asesinas. The series, based on cases inspired by real events, portrays stories of women taken to extreme situations, which allowed her work to connect with audiences outside Argentina.

This television project represented a meeting point between her stage experience and a wide-ranging audiovisual format. Thanks to this, new generations were able to approach his career.

Within the Argentine cultural sphere, Lubos was considered a relevant figure for her perseverance and commitment to art. His career was characterized by an active participation in the theater, a space where he consolidated his artistic identity.

This is known about his death

The death of Marta Lubos was also announced by her relatives through a statement published on her official Facebook account. In the message, her children shared parting words and details about the last goodbye to the actress.

Her children, Joaquín and Laura, invite all her loved ones to say goodbye to her. She left loved, grateful, full of light and at peace. We appreciate not sending floral offerings,” they said.

Through social networks, Joaquín Segade and Laura Segade reported that the farewell of the actress will take place on Friday, March 27.

What did Marta Lubos die of?

So far, the causes of Marta Lubos' death have not been officially announced. The news generated immediate reactions within the artistic field, where colleagues, institutions and cultural organizations expressed their sorrow.

Although his presence on television and film allowed him to expand his reach, his greatest contribution is in the theater. In that space he developed a career marked by discipline, interpretive sensitivity and commitment to each project.

Marta Lubos' career is part of a generation of performers who consolidated theater as a fundamental space for artistic expression in Argentina. His work contributed to strengthening the local scene and projecting it to other audiences.

Her participation in television productions such as Mujeres asesinas allowed her to build a bridge between the theater and the screen, which expanded the visibility of her career.

The recognition of his work came not only from the public, but also from institutions and colleagues who valued his perseverance over the years. His name remains linked to a significant stage of Argentine cultural development.

LUBOS, Marta (Marta Matilde Lubos)

Born: 8/18/1943, Argentina

Died: 3/27/2026, Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Marta Lubos’ western – actress:

Gauchito Gil – 2020 (Irandú)

RIP Tony Wickert

 

Martin WICKERT Obituary

Sydney Morning Herald

February 20, 2026

 

WICKERT

Martin Anthony (Tony)

16/1/1937 – 17/2/2026

Died peacefully at home with his loving family around him.

Beloved partner of Rosie and devoted father to Barny, Joe and Guy and their partners. Adoring grandfather to Maxine, Charlotte, Ida and Flo. Fond brother to Judith, Robert and David.

Born in Wollongong, Tony built a life defined by a commitment to the possibilities of education through media.

His legacy lives on through his films and shared memories of his warmth, leadership and integrity.

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend a celebration of Tony's life at Mylestom Hall, 18-20 River St, Mylestom NSW,

on Feb 21st from 4pm.

A Sydney event is being planned.

 

WICKERT, Tony (Martin Anthony Wickert)

Born: 1/16/1937, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Died:  2/17/2026, Mylestom, New South Wales, Australia

 

Tony Wickert’s western – actor:

Whiplash (TV) 1960-1961 (Dan Ledward)