RIP Nessa Hyams

Nessa Hyams Dies: Pathbreaking Casting Director Of ‘The Exorcist’ & ‘Blazing Saddles’, Director Of ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’ Was 84

DEADLINE

By Greg Evans

January 23, 2026

 

Nessa Hyams, a groundbreaking casting director of the New Hollywood whose work on such 1970s masterpieces as Peter Bogdanovich’s screwball comedy What’s Up, Doc?, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, died January 9 at her home in Manhattan. She was 84.

Hyams, the head of casting at Warner Bros. from 1970-’74 and then vice president of creative affairs at Columbia Pictures from ’74-’75, was one of the highest-ranking female executives in Hollywood at the time.

In addition to her casting career – which assembled a roster of performers for some of the most enduring and celebrated films of the 1970s – Hyams directed 105 episodes of Norman Lear’s trend-setting soap opera satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (starring Louise Lasser) during the show’s two and only seasons in 1976 and 1977. Her episode count is second only to that of Jim Drake, who directed 157 of the show’s 325 episodes.

Born November 21, 1941, in New York City to Broadway producer and publicist Barry Hyams and Ruth Hurok, the daughter of famed Russia-born show business impresario Sol Hurok, Nessa was the sister of Capricorn One writer-director Peter Hyams and stepdaughter of Arthur Lief, a Broadway and orchestra conductor who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

In 1971, Hyams launched her career as a casting director on the Robert Mulligan hit coming-of-age drama Summer of ’42, and the following year established herself when she cast Peter Bogdanovich’s screwball comedy What’s Up, Doc? starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, which became one of the year’s highest-grossing films. (Her work on another 1972 film, director Brian De Palma’s legendarily troubled comedy Get To Know Your Rabbit starring Tommy Smothers, John Astin, Katherine Ross and Orson Welles, went uncredited).

The following years brought Hyams continued success, with Friedkin’s seminal 1973 horror film The Exorcist and Brooks’ 1974 taboo-shattering comedy Western Blazing Saddles. Both were box office smashes. Less successful were two other ’74 entries, the John Wayne cop drama McQ and the notorious Lucille Ball flop Mame.

Whether working on box office successes or otherwise, Hyams established herself as a versatile casting director across various genres. Other film credits include Paul Mazursky’s dramedy Blume in Love (1973), Jack Starrett’s pioneering blaxploitation actioner Cleopatra Jones (1973), Mike Hodges’ horror-sci fi entry The Terminal Man (1974), Richard Rush’s Alan Arkin-James Caan comedy Freebie and the Bean (1974), and Arthur Penn’s neo-noir detective story Night Moves starring Gene Hackman (1975).

Though uncredited, Hyams is reported to have assisted director Mike Nichols in finding actors for both The Graduate (1967) and Catch-22 (1970). In a 2016 Film Talk interview, Peter Hyams said, “My sister was a great casting director. She cast pictures for Warner Brothers, pictures for Mike Nichols, for William Friedkin, etc. She was very smart. When I was casting Outland [1981], for the part of the doctor, I had a Charles Durning type of actor in mind, he was always so wonderful. My sister read the script and said to me, ‘Cast Frances Sternhagen to play the doctor.’ And I did, and she brought something to it that I hadn’t thought of; she made the character different.”

Known for her dry and quick wit, Hyams married Hollywood studio executive and producer David V. Picker on June 8, 1975 (Picker, who served as president of United Artists during its golden age, had been instrumental in bringing the James Bond franchise to the studio and establishing relationships with Woody Allen and other major filmmakers). The marriage ended in divorce, and Hyams went on to marry commercial real estate broker Jonathan Miller, who died in 2022.

Following her successes as a casting director, Hyams spent five years as Vice President of Production at Columbia Pictures, one of the first women to hold a major executive position at a studio. After training at the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women, Hyams made her feature directorial debut in 1987 with Leader of the Band, a comedy starring Steve Landesberg.

She also continued her television work, most notably directing the popular, droll, controversial and zeitgeist-capturing Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She later directed episodes of Cagney & Lacey (1987) and Chillers starring Anthony Perkins (1990).

In 1993, Hyams was the producer and casting director on Tim Hunter’s drama The Saint of Fort Washington starring Danny Glover and Matt Dillon.

In addition to brother Peter, Hyams is survived by sister Danna Hyams as well as her stepdaughters Caryn and Pam Picker and nephews Chris, John and Nick Hyams.

HYAMS, Nessa (Nessa M. Hyams)

Born: 11/21/1941, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 1/9/2026, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

 

Nessa Hyams’s western – casting director:

Blazing Saddles - 1974

RIP Yvonne Lime

 

Yvonne Lime Fedderson, Actress in ‘I Was a Teenage Werewolf‘ and ‘The Rainmaker,’ Dies at 90

She also starred in ‘Dragstrip Riot’ and ‘High School Hellcats’ before co-founding Childhelp, the nonprofit organization dedicated to helping abused, neglected and at-risk kids.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

January 23, 2026

 

Yvonne Lime Fedderson, who starred in the exploitation films Dragstrip Riot and High School Hellcats and played Michael Landon’s girlfriend in I Was a Teenage Werewolf, all for American International Pictures in the 1950s, died Friday. She was 90.

Her death from natural causes at her home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, was announced by Childhelp, the nonprofit organization dedicated to helping abused, neglected and at-risk kids that she co-founded in 1959 with fellow actress Sara O’Meara.

“Yvonne was my dearest friend and my partner in this mission for more than six decades,” O’Meara said in a statement. “Her compassion, strength and belief in the power of love shaped Childhelp from its earliest days. I will forever be grateful for the life we built together in service to children.”

The women first met when they were on ABC’s The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

As Yvonne Lime, she appeared in the Burt Lancaster-starring The Rainmaker (1956) as Snookie Maguire, a woman who draws the interest of Earl Holliman’s Jim Curry, and she recurred on Father Knows Best as Dottie Snow, a good friend of Elinor Donahue’s Betty Anderson; she showed up on 14 episodes of that CBS/NBC show from 1956-60.

She retired from acting after marrying TV producer Don Fedderson (The Millionaire, My Three Sons, Family Affair, The Betty White Show) in 1969. After his death in 1994, she served for more than 30 years as president and CEO of Don Fedderson Productions, managing the rights to his shows.

The daughter of a music teacher, Yvonne Glee Lime was born on April 7, 1935, in Glendale, California. While appearing in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness!, she was spotted by an agent, launching her career.

In addition to Father Knows Best and The Rainmaker, she also showed up on episodes of The Millionaire, December Bride, West Point and The Adventures of Jim Bowie in 1956.

The next year, she played Arlene Logan in the cult horror film I Was a Teenage Werewolf, then received top billing in Dragstrip Riot and High School Hellcats, both released in 1958, and 1959’s Speed Crazy.

She and Ronnie Burns played a young couple who run a motel in Palm Springs on the 1960-61 NBC Happy (that’s the name of their baby, whose thoughts were spoken by an off-camera voice).

His résumé also included the 1957 films Untamed Youth and Elvis Presley’s Loving You and such TV series as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Bat Masterson, Dragnet, The Bill Dana Show, The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

While on a USO Goodwill Tour in Japan, she and O’Meara became concerned with the plight of orphans and took the first steps toward founding what was then called International Orphans Inc.

Originally established to support kids in post-typhoon Japan, the organization evolved into Childhelp; today, it operates programs and services nationwide and has helped more than 14 million youngsters and families affected by abuse and neglect.

As president and vice-chairman, Fedderson was instrumental in building a national network of chapters and auxiliaries, inspiring thousands of volunteers and expanding programs such as the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline and the Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe prevention curriculum.

She and O’Meara co-wrote the 2003 book Silence Broken: Moving From a Loss of Innocence to a World of Healing and Love, and that became the 2006 Lifetime telefilm For the Love of a Child, starring Teri Polo as Yvonne and Peri Gilpin as Sara.

Childhelp celebrity ambassadors Kathie Lee Gifford and John Stamos paid tribute to Fedderson.

“Our precious Yvonne lived a life overflowing with extraordinary purpose and grace,” said Gifford. “Her beautiful smile lit up every room, but it was her hurting heart for children that truly illuminated the world. She believed in the depths of her soul in hope and healing, and God’s promise always wins. I am forever grateful to have known her and loved her as my treasured friend. Our loss is heaven’s gain.”

Said Stamos: “Yvonne Fedderson led with love. Her smile, her warmth and her fierce unwavering dedication to protecting children left an imprint on my heart and on the world. Through Childhelp, she helped save and protect millions of children who never would have had a voice without her. That is not just a legacy, it is a living miracle.”

LIME, Yvonne (Yvonne Glee Lime)

Born: 4/7/1935, Glendale, California, U.S.A

Died: 1/23/2026, Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S.A.

 

Yvonne Lime’s westerns – actress:

The Rainmaker – 1956 (Snookie Maguire)

The Adventures of Jim Bowie TV - 1956 (Mary Lou Carter)

Bat Masterson TV - 1960 (Lola White)

Wichita Town TV - 1959 (Fran)

RIP Neil Stockstill

 

George Neil Stockstill obituary

Pellerin Funeral Home

January 20, 2026

 

St. Martinville - A graveside service will be held at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at First Methodist Cemetery for George Neil Stockstill, 77, who passed away on January 19, 2026.

George Neil Stockstill was born and raised in St. Martinville, Louisiana, to Stanley Dexter Stockstill and Virginia Elnora Foti Stockstill. He was a graduate of St. Martinville Senior High School and attended Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

George began his career as a boat captain in the oilfield and later became part owner of Hotsy High-Pressure Cleaning Systems. The majority of his professional life was spent in the motion picture industry, where he worked as a special effects coordinator and owner of NeilsFx. Specializing in wind, rain, and explosive effects, George contributed his talents to more than 50 movies, sitcoms, music videos, and television shows, earning respect for his skill, creativity, and dedication to his craft. He was also a talented artist and often created sculptures used on film sets.

Outside of his career, George had a true passion for sailing and found great joy on the water. He was a devoted New Orleans Saints fan and loved celebrating Mardi Gras, embracing the culture and traditions of Louisiana. Growing up, he was a decorated Eagle Scout and enjoyed playing football. Most of all, he treasured time spent with his children and grandchildren, who were a constant source of happiness and pride.

George was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley Dexter Stockstill and Virginia Elnora Foti Stockstill; his sister, Mary Ann Stockstill; and his brother, Mark Stanley Stockstill.

He is survived by his siblings: Joyce Magdeline Leece, Robert Shelby Stockstill (Sharon), and Virginia Faith Albert; his children: Jennifer Dover (Scott), Rebecca Lew (Tim), Mary Jane Stockstill, Ian Moses Stockstill, and Melissa Marie Kelly; and his grandchildren, Jakob Chehati, Elizabeth Kelly, and Ethan and Zoe Lew.

George Neil Stockstill will be remembered for his artistic talent, adventurous spirit, love of family, and the lasting impact he made both personally and professionally.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to Hospice of Acadiana.

Pellerin Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

STOCKSTILL, Neil (George Neil Stockstill)

Born: 10/17/1948, St. Martinville, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Died: 1/19/2026, St. Martinville, Louisiana, U.S.A.

 

Neil Stockstill’s Western – SFX:

The Journeyman - 2001

RIP Kevin Giffin

Several Facebook posts have mentioned the passing actor Kevin Giffin. Kevin was born in Mill Valley, California on May 1, 1959. After living in Zihuatanejo, Mexico for 8 years he moved to Los Angeles and began a fulltime acting career. He appeared in 20 films between 2008 and 2024.  

Kevin died after a long illness in Los Angeles on January 18, 2026. He was on 66 years old.

 

GIFFIN, Kevin

Born: 5/1/1959, Mill Valley, California, U.S.A

Died: 1/18/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Kevin Giffin’s western – actor:

The Scarlet Worm – 2012, (Hank)

RIP Stefan Gossler

 

Born in Siegen, he was the voice of Jackie Chan, Tim Allen and Michael Keaton: Stefan Gossler died at the age of 70

Siegener-Zeitung

January 21, 2026

The German voice of Jackie Chan and King Julien is silent forever - after a long illness, a well-known voice actor has died.

Berlin – A heavy loss is shaking the film industry. A familiar voice from cinema and television has fallen silent forever. For decades, he lent his unmistakable voice to well-known figures without most viewers knowing his face. Colleagues and fans are shocked.

The man with this familiar voice was Stefan Gossler. The 70-year-old, who has lent his German voice to Hollywood star Jackie Chan (71) since the 1990s and remains unforgotten as King Julien from "Madagascar", succumbed to a lengthy illness. The Facebook account "Fox and the Crew – Inside Synchron" announced on Tuesday (January 20): "Stefan Gossler, an incredibly lovable person and wonderful dubbing actor has passed away."

Mourning for actor and voice actor Stefan Gossler: "Made us laugh"

Gössler's versatility was evident in his broad spectrum. In addition to his most famous roles, he also dubbed Tim Allen (72, including in "Santa Clause 3" and "Last Man Standing") and Michael Keaton (74). He was also active as an actor - in TV series such as "Die Wicherts von nebenan" (1986–1991) and "Der Landarzt" (1996–1999) as well as in the ARD "Tatort" (1984, 1996).

The news of his death triggered a wave of grief. Gaming creator Christienco pays tribute to him on Instagram: "He made us laugh, accompanied us and breathed life into characters that will forever remain part of our childhood." Fans in the dubbing forum react stunned: "My heart is breaking. It comes out of nowhere." Another user adds: "I thought he always gave Jackie Chan something nice, likeable."

Companions are also saying goodbye. Peter Flechtner (63), himself known as the German voice of Ben Affleck (53), shares a video of Gossler on his Instagram account and honors him with the words: "In memory of our dear and great colleague Stefan Gossler, who left us far too early yesterday." With his death, the German film world has once again lost an important personality – after it had already had to cope with another heavy blow of fate.

GOSSLER, Stefan

Born: 12/14/1955, Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Died: 1/19/2026

Stefan Gossler’s Westerns – voice actor:

Bonanza (TV) – 1967 [German voice of Michael Forest]

High Chaparral (TV) – 1968 [German voice of Denny Miller]

Glory - 1989 [German voice of Matthew Broderick]

Gunsmoke (TV) – 1970 [German voice of Sam Melville]

The Lone Ranger (TV) - 1953 [1990-1993 German voice of Russ Conway]

The New Adventured of Zorro (TV)- 1990 [German voice of Nicholas Guest]

Gettysburg – 1993 [German voice of Stephen Lang]

Zorro (TV) 1957-1959 [1994-1995 German voice of Guy Williams]

Balto – 1997 [German voice of Phil Collins]

Postman – 1997 [German voice of Tom Petty]

Rough Riders – 1997 [German voice of Tom Berenger]

The Will Rogers Story – 1952 [1997 German voice of Will Rogers Jr.]

Gunmen of the Rio Bravo – 1964 [1999 German voice of Guy Madison]

Shanghai-Noon – 2000 [German voice of Jackie Chan]

800 Bullets – 2002 [German voice of Enrique Martinez]

Lucky Luke (TV) – 2002 [German voice of Jolly Jumper]

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (TV) – 2003 [German voice of Fernando Becerril]

Cosmic Cowboys (TV) 2003 [German voice of Liar]

Deadwood (TV) – 2004-2006 [German voice of Zach Grenier]

Shango – 1970 [2005 German voice of Maurice Poli]

Twilight Avenger – 1970 [2005 German voice of Sheriff Wilson]

Sukiyaki Western Django – 2007 [German voice of Quentin Tarantino]

True Grit – 2010 [German voice of Joe Stevens]

Blackthorn – 2011 [German voice of Stephen Rea]

Longmire (TV) – 2013 [German voice of Xander Berkeley]

RIP Bruce Bilson

 

Beloved Director of ‘Get Smart,’ ‘Andy Griffith Show’ Dead at 97

Bilson was part of a four-generation Hollywood family.

Parade

By Kayla Aldecoa

January 21, 2026

 

Bruce Bilson, perhaps best known as the director of iconic 1960s television series such as Get Smart and The Andy Griffith Show, has died at the age of 97.

Bilson died at his home in Los Angeles on Friday, January 16, his daughter Julie Bilson Ahlberg confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

The beloved director was a part of a four-generation Hollywood family, which includes daughter Julie, producer of The Fog of War, granddaughter Rachel Bilson, known for The O.C. and Hart of Dixie, and son Danny Bilson, screenwriter for The Rocketeer and Da Five Bloods.

After graduating from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 1950, Bilson would go on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the third season Get Smart.

In addition to Get Smart and The Andy Griffith Show, Bilson worked with Desilu productions on numerous occasions, directed shows such as Gidget and Hogan’s Heroes.

His lengthy filmography also includes classics like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat, Wonder Woman and The Odd Couple.

BILSON, Bruce (Bruce Leonard Bilson)

Born: 5/19/1928, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 1/16/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Bruce Bilson’s westerns – director:

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV) – 1957, 1958

U.S. Marshal (TV) – 1958, 1959

The Texan (TV) – 1959

Bonanza (TV) - 1970

Alias Smith and Jones (TV) - 1972

Dusty’s Trail (TV) – 1973, 1974

Barbary Coast (TV) – 1975

The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe (TV) - 1976

The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West – 1976

RIP L.J. Martin

 

Prescott Daily Courier

January 17. 2026

LJ Martin passed away peacefully at his home in Prescott, Arizona, on January 14, 2026, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 84.

The world has lost a gifted storyteller, prolific author, and creative force. Born Larry Jay Martin in Bakersfield, California, an oil and agricultural town he often referenced in his writing, he was raised there and attended local schools. In high school, he excelled in football and wrestling before attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he studied architecture.

Larry left college during his junior year to support his growing family. Though he started writing his first western at the age of 25, family responsibilities led him to set writing aside until his early 40s— when he returned to it with extraordinary dedication and success.

Over his lifetime, LJ Martin authored more than 70 fiction and non-fiction books and became a respected figure in Western, mystery, and thriller literature. He was a co-founder of Wolfpack Publishing and held memberships in the Society of Professional Journalists, Western Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. In addition to his writing career, Larry was a licensed California real estate broker, appraiser, and general contractor.

His contributions to literature were widely recognized. He received the Western Writers of America Lariat Award for his impact on Western literature and, in 2023, the Will Rogers Medallion Award for lifetime achievement.

In April 1985, Larry married Kathleen Kelly, who later, with Larry’s encouragement, became a New York Times Bestseller. Together, they shared a life rooted in creativity, adventure, and travel. They lived in Bakersfield, California, later moved to Missoula, Montana, and for the past five years, wintered in Prescott, Arizona.

Larry enjoyed hunting, fishing, cooking, traveling, and exploring the backcountry with his camera. His photography appeared on national magazine covers and in numerous publications, and much of his video work can be viewed on YouTube.

In recent years, LJ expanded his creative pursuits into film, serving as writer, director, and producer of two Western feature films: Eye for Eye, starring John Savage and Blanca Blanco, and Mr. Pettigrew, starring Eric Roberts, Shane Clouse, Chris Enss, Wyatt McCrae, and Davy Williams.

LJ Martin is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Kathleen “Kat” Martin; his three sons, Michael Martin of Bakersfield, California, Matthew Martin of Seattle, Washington, and Monte Martin of Missoula, Montana.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona. Ruffner-Wakelin Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

MARTIN, L. J. (Larry Jay Martin)

Born: 2/26/1941, Bakersfield, California, U.S.A.

Died: 1/14/2026, Prescott, Arizona, U.S.A.

 

L. J. Martin’s westerns – author:

Mojave Showdown – 1988

Clint Ryan – El Lazo - 1991

Clint Ryan: Against the 7^th Flag – 1991

Clint Ryan – The Devil’s Bounty – 1991

McKeag’s Mountain – 1991

Clint Ryan: The Benicia Belle – 1992

Clint Ryan: Shado of the Grizzly – 1993

Buckshot – 1994

Clint Ryan: Condor Canyon – 2000

Stranahan – 2002

McKeag’s Mountain – 2004

Wolf Mountain – 2004

O’Rourke’s Revenge – 2005

McCreed’s Law – 2006

Nemesis – 2011

Bullet Blues - 2012

Crimson Hit - 2012

Mr. Pettigrew – 2012

Quiet Ops - 2012

Eye for Eye – 2014

Revenge of the Damned – 2017

Shadows of Nemesis - 2018

Blackjack Brannigan - 2019

Rugged Trails – 2019

Two Thousand Grueling Miles – 2019

Stormy Seas – 2022

The Piccadilly – 2023

Callihan: The Earps – 2025

Callihan: Valley of Skulls – 2025

West of the War – 2025

RIP Mercedes Valimaña

Mercedes Valimaña, ‘La Macaria’, dies at the age of 89

El Mundo
January 15, 2026

This Friday his funeral will take place in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Miracles, in El Puerto, at 12.15 p.m. Rest in peace.

The Porto singer Mercedes Valimaña Lechuga, known as Merche 'La Macaria', has died at the age of 89 in her hometown, El Puerto de Santa María.

Her name was linked to different stages of Spanish popular music, with activity in vocal formations, live accompaniments and studio work. Throughout his career, he participated in collective projects and also in recordings signed with his own name.

In addition to her facet as a singer, she developed tasks related to voice work for audiovisual productions and series tunes, as well as for advertising campaigns. His professional profile combined formal musical training with continuous presence on stage and recording.

The artist's projection was consolidated by her membership of the La La La Trio. Together with María Jesús Aguirre and María Dolores Arenas, he was part of the choir that supported Massiel in 1968. That year, Massiel won the Eurovision Song Contest for Spain.

Merche's career in the contest included more participations with the Spanish delegation. He was the person who went to Eurovision the most times with this Spanish delegation, as a backup singer for Julio Iglesias (1970), Karina (1971), Sergio y Estíbaliz (1975) and José Vélez (1978).

His professional activity was based on a broad musical preparation. He studied Piano and Solfeggio at the Academy of Fine Arts of Santa Cecilia. He also completed the Higher Piano degree in Seville. This training is linked to his performance as a performer and his participation in different musical projects.

He participated in concerts and tours of other artists, including the Dúo Dinámico, José Luis Perales and Luis Aguilé. These collaborations are part of her activity as vocal support in live performances. She also worked as a voice actress in well-known series and films, including Cinderella, Pocahontas 2 and Lady and the Tramp. This professional aspect was linked to the work of vocal interpretation for audiovisual productions.

His voice was also present in the tunes of series such as La Abeja Maya, Calle Sésamo, Once upon a time the man and Fraggle Rock. In the same way, his participation in advertising campaigns for Coca-Cola, Heno de Pravia, Soberano, Martini and Las muñecas de Famosa is mentioned.

The mayor of El Puerto, Germán Beardo, has expressed his condolences. This Friday his funeral will take place in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Miracles, in El Puerto, at 12.15 p.m. Rest in peace.

VALIMANA, Mercedes (Mercedes Valimaña Lechuga)
Born: 1/29/1936, El Puerto de Santa María
Died: 1/15/2026, El Puerto de Santa María

Mercedes Valimaña’s westerns – voice actor:
Pocahontas 2 [Spanish voice of Señora Jenkins]

RIP Dino Attanasio

 

Dino Attanasio, the first Italian cartoonist in Belgium, has died

Fumetto Logica

By Redazione

January 17, 2026

 

On January 17, at the age of 100, Dino Attanasio died, ninth above all for being the first Italian author to have moved to Belgium to make comics and for the drawings of the Spaghetti series.

Born in Milan on May 8, 1925, Edoardo Attanasio known as Dino was the son of a musician. He fell in love with comics as a boy and studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and, during the war, participated in the making of the first animated feature film produced in Italy, The Rose of Baghdad. In the mid-forties he also made his debut in comics, drawing for example some episodes of Furio, a character by Gian Luigi Bonelli for the Audace publishing house, and starting to collaborate with the Belgian publishing house Edital, together with Augusto Pedrazza, creator of Akim, and Roberto Renzi, inventor of Tiramolla.

The turning point in his career, however, came in 1948 when, together with his brother Gianni, like many Italians, he emigrated to Belgium: not to work in a factory or in a mine, but as a designer, first for an advertising agency, then for comic book publishers. In fact, he was soon noticed by the World Press, an agency that provided stories, illustrations and articles for the various newspapers, and his first collaboration was with two future legends of the bédé such as Jean-Michel Charlier and René Goscinny, on whose texts he drew the Fanfan & Polo series for Le Libre Junior.

The most important collaboration, which was born in the fifties, and which lasted decades, was with the weekly Tintin, which in addition to the adventures of Hergé's reporter published series such as Blake and Mortimer and Michel Vaillant, but also many free stories. It was on these that Attanasio tried his hand at the beginning, both in humorous and realistic style. He did the same with other publishers such as Spirou, for whom he drew some episodes of Les belles histoires de l'oncle Paul, and Les Petit Belges.

In the realistic field, he is best known for having inaugured, in 1959, the comic adaptation of Henri Vernes' Bob Morane novels. This ability to vary style remained a characteristic of his entire career, even if over the years he ended up preferring a humorous style inspired by that of André Franquin. The Italian cartoonist thus became one of the most important representatives of the so-called "Marcinelle School", a trend to which Morris, Peyo and Albert Uderzo also belonged, as opposed to the "clear line" of Hergé and Edgar P. Jacobs.

In 1952 the Italian-Belgian cartoonist created his most famous character, Mr. Spaghetti. It was the self-deprecating caricature of an Italian immigrant, stereotypically drawn with a thick black mustache, which remained in the drawer until 1957, when the editor-in-chief of Tintin did not push him to dedicate a series to him in collaboration with Goscinny. Spaghetti thus became the protagonist first of self-contained tables, then of longer adventures fueled by a humor based on puns and distortions of French by Italians, and on stereotypes about our compatriots.

Goscinny wrote Mr. Spaghetti until 1965, when – overwhelmed by commitments to Asterix, Lucky Luke and Pilote – he passed the baton to other authors. Attanasio instead continued to draw his creature on Tintin until the end of the series in 1978, and then in a handful of non-standard albums. The success of the character also made him the protagonist of four animated short films (in Italy, Spaghetti was first published in 2025 by Nona Arte).

Another series for Tintin to which the Milanese cartoonist linked his name was Modeste and Pompon, with the characters created by Franquin himself and also written by Goscinny and Greg. When, in 1959, the former left Lombard's weekly to return to work exclusively on the competitor Spirou, he personally recommended Attanasio to continue his work.

Attanasio also worked for Italy, without ever moving from Belgium. In 1965 he inaugurated, in fact, for the Corriere dei Piccoli the series Ambrogio e Gino, on texts by Carlo Triberti and published in part also in Tintin. The protagonists are two Milanese plumbers (as can be seen from their names), father and son, involved in spite of themselves in funny adventures seasoned with interesting glimpses of daily life of the time.

In 1968 the exclusive collaboration with Tintin was interrupted, and Attanasio began to work for other magazines, carrying on Spaghetti, creating series such as Macaroni and the gangster Johnny Goodbye, very successful in Flanders and the Netherlands, as well as drawing several self-contained albums, including a comic version of Boccaccio's Decameron.

ATTANASIO, Dino (Eduardo Attanasio)

Born: 5/8/1925, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Died: 1/17/26, Belgium

 

Dino Attanasio’s western – comic book artist:

Bandonéon – 1970-1973

RIP Mark Jones

 

Mark Jones, ‘Leprechaun’ and ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ Director, Dies at 72

Variety

By Jack Dunn

January 17, 2026

 

Mark Jones, a veteran animation writer and the director of B-horror comedy classics like “Leprechaun” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” died on Jan. 16 in Los Angeles after a brief stay at West Hills Hospital. He was 72.

George Saadi, a friend and collaborator of Jones’, confirmed his death to Variety. His 73rd birthday was Saturday, Jan. 17, and he missed the date by only a few hours.

Jones was best known for writing and directing the 1992 cult classic “Leprechaun,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Warwick Davis. The film spawned seven sequels. “Leprechaun Returns,” the most recent installment, was released in 2018. His other notable credits include 1995’s “Rumpelstiltskin,” a feature-length retelling of the classic fairytale, and 1997’s “NightMan,” a made-for-TV movie about a musician who is struck by lightning and gains the power to hear the frequency of evil.

Jones got his start working on Saturday morning cartoons. He sold his first script to Filmation Studios before landing at DePatie Freleng, where he wrote “Mister Magoo” and “Pink Panther.” He then moved to legendary animation house Hanna-Barbera, where he wrote and story edited for shows like “Super Friends” and several “Scooby Doo” projects.

Some of his other notable animation writing credits include “Fangface,” “Yogi’s Space Race,” “Plastic Man,” “Heathcliff” and “Mister T.”

Jones also worked on several live-action series through the ‘80s and early ‘90s. These included “The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo,” “Riptide,” “The A-Team,” “The Fall Guy” and “Superboy.” His most recent feature directing credits include 2013’s “Scorned,” 2008’s “Triloquist” and 2004’s “Quiet Kill.”

A private memorial service for Jones is planned for the near future.

JONES, Mark (Mark Robert Jones)

Born: 1/17/1953, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 1/16/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Mark Jones’ westerns – writer:

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (TV) 1993-1994

RIP Mario Cid

 

Mario Cid, First Actor and Father of Mara Escalante, dies 

N+

January 12, 2026

The first actor and father of comedian and actress Mara Escalante, died at the age of 93.

 

The world of entertainment in Mexico is in mourning after confirming the death of the first actor Mario Cid at the age of 93, recognized for his career in television and theater. The news has generated a wave of messages of condolences on social networks, especially for the actor's bond with his daughter, comedian and actress Mara Escalante.

What did Mario Cid die of?

So far, the cause of his death has not been officially announced. Neither the family nor close representatives have shared medical details, so it is expected that in the next few hours there will be confirmed information. On social media, colleagues and followers have asked for respect and privacy for their loved ones.

Who was Mario Cid?

Mario Cid was a character actor, one of those faces that accompanied the Mexican audience for decades in series and soap operas. His work was distinguished by versatility and acting discipline, which earned him the recognition of his fellow guilds and the public.

Messages of support for Mara Escalante

After the news was announced, fans and media figures have sent messages of support to Mara Escalante. The actress has not yet issued a public statement with additional details, but the shows of solidarity have not been long in coming.

For now, Mario Cid's legacy remains in his work and in the memory of those who grew up watching him on screen.

CID, Mario (Mario Chavez Garcia Cid)

Born: 1/27/1932, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Died: 1/11/2026, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Mario Cid’s westerns – actor, writer:

El águila negra contra los enmascarados de la Muerte – 1958 (Camarero)

El águila negra en la ley de los fuertes1958 (barman)

E l jinete negro – 1958 (townsman)

Audaz y bravero – 1965 (Pardo’s friend)

Con la misma moneda – 1961 (cattle rustler)

Duelo indio – 1961 (cantina patron)

El tiro de Gracia – 1961 (cantina patron)

Muerte en la feria – 1962 (Javier)

El rayo de Jalisco – 1962 (Esbiro)

Aventuras de las hermanas X – 1963 (friend of Armando)

El charro Negro contra la banda de los cuervos – 1963 (Luis)

Los hijos del condenado - 1964

El cachorro – 1966 (friend of Guillermo)

Jinetes de la llanura – 1966 (Felipe)

Crisol – 1967 (Palemon)

Los hombres de Lupe Alvírez – 1967 (Marcos’ henchman)

Mi caballo prieto rebelde – 1967 (Matias)

El hombre de negro – 1969 (Ben’s friend)

El Yaqui – 1969 (Germán)

Su precio... unos dólares – 1970 (Raymond)

Nido de fieras – 1971 (pistolero)

Río salvaje – 1971 (doctor)

Los hombres no lloran – 1973 (Carmen's lustful employee)

Los galleros de Jalisco – 1974 (Tomás)

Pistoleros bajo el sol – 1974 (preacher)

Los tres compadres - 1975

El hombre – 1976 (son of the master)

Muerte a sangre fría – 1978 [writer]

El Cain del bajio – 1981 [writer]

RIP Roger Ewing

 

Roger Ewing, Deputy Marshal Thad Greenwood on ‘Gunsmoke,’ Dies at 83

He was a regular on the legendary CBS Western for two seasons, bridging the gap between characters played by Burt Reynolds and Buck Taylor.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

January 9, 2026

 

Roger Ewing, the long and lean actor who portrayed the deputy marshal and handyman Thad Greenwood for two seasons on Gunsmoke in the 1960s, has died. He was 83.

A longtime resident of Morro Bay, California, Ewing died Dec. 18, his family reported.

The 6-foot-4 Ewing, then 23, first showed up on CBS’ Gunsmoke as a character named Ben Lukens on an episode that aired in February 1965, then was introduced to viewers as Thad the following October on the third installment of season 11.

A deputy and son of an elderly Oklahoma sheriff (Paul Fix), Thad arrives in Dodge City pursuing four vandals who had caused his dad to have a fatal heart attack but learns his warrant isn’t executable in Dodge. After all four are either killed or captured for stealing cattle, Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) asks Thad to stick around as a deputy.

“With Thad’s family gone, Matt, Kitty [Amanda Blake], Doc [Milburn Stone] and Festus [Ken Curtis] sort of adopted him,” he once said. “Anything that needed to be done, you know, an extra hand here, and extra hand there, Thad was aways around. He fit in whenever necessary.”

During a rare rough stretch in the ratings for Gunsmoke, Ewing wound up appearing as Thad on 50 episodes of the series through September 1967 before being dropped.

Roger Lawrence Ewing was born Los Angeles on Jan. 12, 1942. When he was a senior in high school, he said he played Chester (Dennis Weaver’s character) in a variety show satire of Gunsmoke. “I watched [the show] every Saturday night,” he said in a 1966 interview.

After a year in college and work as a lifeguard, Ewing turned to acting and made his onscreen debut in an uncredited role in the 1964 film Ensign Pulver, where his character stuck a beer bottle in a duck’s mouth.

He then showed up on episodes of Bewitched, The Baileys of Balboa, The Bing Crosby Show and Rawhide and in the Frank Sinatra movie None But the Brave, “always being cast as a gangling misfit who looked tall and dumb,” he said.

With the departure of Burt Reynolds (Quint Asper) from Gunsmoke, producers went searching for an actor to fill his “younger actor” slot and hired Ewing as Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood. He came aboard when Arness and CBS were quarreling over salary and ownership of the series, and producers thought he might help replace Arness if things could not be worked out.

When the dispute was resolved after the show was on the verge of being canceled, Thad was phased out, to be ostensibly replaced by Buck Taylor as Newly O’Brien, who remained through Gunsmoke’s 1975 cancellation after its 20th season.

Director John Schlesinger reportedly considered Ewing for the role of Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969), but the part went to Jon Voight. Around this time, he also was a bachelor on a 1968 episode of The Dating Game, but future Bionic Woman star Lindsay Wagner picked someone else.

After Gunsmoke, Ewing appeared on episodes of The Mothers-in-Law and Death Valley Days and in the films Smith! (1969), starring Glenn Ford, and Play It as It Lays (1972), starring Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins.

He quit acting and pursued photography, traveling throughout Europe, Russia, Mexico and the South Pacific. He also was active in local politics and ran for a city council seat in Morro Bay in 2003.

EWING, Roger (Roger Lawrence Ewing)

Born: 1/12/1942, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died:  12/18/2025, Morro Bay, California, U.S.A.

 

Roger Ewing’s westerns – actor:

Gunsmoke (TV) – 1965-1967 (Ben Lukens, Clayton Thaddeus ‘Thad’ Greenwood)

Rawhide (TV) – 1965 (Billy Wallace)

Smith – 1969 (Donald Maxwell)

Death Valley Days – 1970 (Frank Harris)

 

RIP Marcus Gilbert

 

Marcus Gilbert death: Rambo and Riders actor dies aged 67

The actor also starred in ‘Doctor Who’ during his decades-spanning career

The Guardian

By Rachel McGrath

January 13, 2026

 

Marcus Gilbert, who played heartthrob Rupert Campbell Black in a 1993 TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel Riders, has died at the age of 67.

News of the actor’s death was shared by a fanpage on Facebook, in a post that read: “Today we have heard the very sad news that Marcus lost his battle against cancer on Sunday 11th January 2026.

“We, along with his many fans worldwide, will mourn his loss, and remember the joy he gave us on screen, and in person. RIP Marcus.”

Gilbert landed his first TV credits in the early 1980s, and went on to star in the 1988 film Rambo III before making appearances as King Arthur’s Knight Commander Ancelyn in Doctor Who a year later.

The Bristol-born star was considered for the role of James Bond in the late 1980s too, and while he lost out to Timothy Dalton, Gilbert still cemented his leading-man status with his Riders role.

Famous friends and fans have paid tribute online, with stand-up comedian Toby Hadoke writing on Instagram: “Dashing, charming, and a strong actor with a bit of a twinkle – very sorry to learn of the death, too young, of Marcus Gilbert, with whom I had a lovely time in Liverpool about a decade ago.”

Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies commented on the post: “Oh that’s sad news.”

“He was a giant of a man, broad-shouldered, deep-voiced, classically handsome... and yet he wore it all with a knowing wink and a wry smile,” a fan wrote on Facebook. “Most self-effacingly, he always seem to have an intense interest in your life as much as talking about his own.”

As well as starring in TV and film projects, and taking on stage roles, Gilbert starred in more than 50 commercials during his decades-spanning career.

He previously said of his work on adverts: “You just made any commercials for the money, they were never what you might call taxing – usually the bad ones were for abroad where they’d never be seen anyway!”

Gilbert married a doctor, Homaa Khan-Gilbert, in 1992 and they had two children, son Maxi and daughter Aaliya. The couple remained together until Homaa died in 2020.

The actor’s death comes after he found love again with Lysette Anthony, 23 years after they starred opposite one another in the 1990 TV adaptation of Barbara Cartland’s 1951 novel A Ghost In Monte Carlo.

GILBERT, Marcus

Born: 7/29/1958, Bristol, England, U.K.

Died: 1/11/2026,

 

Marcus Gilbert’s westerns – actor:

Legacy – 1993 (David Walker)

The Lazarus Man (TV) – 1996 (Mr. Dunn)

RIP Guy Moon

 

Guy Moon, ‘The Fairly OddParents’ & ‘Danny Phantom’ Composer, Dies at 63 After Accident

Southerminn. com

By Dan Clarendon

January 11, 2026

 

Guy Moon, an Emmy-nominated composer known for his work on animated TV shows — including The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom — is dead at 63.

Moon died on Thursday, January 8, following a traffic collision, according to a Facebook statement from his family. A County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner report lists traumatic injuries as the cause of death.

“We are overcome with grief to announce the passing of our beloved patriarch, Guy Moon,” the Moon family wrote on Facebook. “We feel singularly blessed to have been able to call him dad and husband. As we stand together at the base of what seems to be an insurmountable grief, we are emboldened to grieve him with honor and courage with the tools that he equipped us with in his beautiful life.”

Moon received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations in the Outstanding Music and Lyrics category for his work on Nickelodeon’s The Fairly OddParents. He also got one Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for Cartoon Network’s The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest and two more for Nick’s T.U.F.F. Puppy.

Plus, his work on OddParents and fellow Nick shows ChalkZone, Danny Phantom, and Big Time Rush earned Moon eight BMI Cable Awards at the BMI Film & TV Awards.

Moon also composed scores for the films The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel, and he was an orchestrator on the films Six Days Seven Nights, Shanghai Noon, xXx, and Evan Almighty.

Fans of Moon’s are mourning his death on Reddit. “Dang, this hurts to read!” one commenter wrote. “Every time I heard his background music and sound library, I instantly would recognize it was by him. Yet another talent taken from us so soon. R.I.P.”

Another Reddit user wrote, “His music style always fed the whimsical and zany nature of the shows he composed for. A huge part of our childhoods. R.I.P. to him.”

And Moon’s family members’ statement added, “He has left an unmistakable legacy, and will be profoundly missed by us, his family, and countless others whose lives he impacted. We are tentatively planning to celebrate his life on his birthday, February 7th, in the Los Angeles area, and again sometime after in his hometown in Wisconsin. We will make details available as we plan. Together we remain, The Moon Family.”

MOON, Guy (Guy Vernon Moon)

Born: 2/7/1962, Ft. Arkinson, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Died: 1/8/2026, Wilmington, California, U.S.A.

 

Guy Moon’s western – music department:

Shanghai Noon - 2000

RIP Ulf Granberg

 

Ulf Granberg, Fantomen editor, has died at 80

Sweden Herald

January 10, 2026

 

Comic book writer and editor Ulf Granberg has died. His son, actor Fredde Granberg, confirmed it to Aftonbladet.

Ulf Granberg has been an editor and publisher of several comic books and has also worked on translating comics.

He is best known as the editor of the Swedish magazine Fantomen. According to Aftonbladet, he also wrote around 30 scripts for the magazine.

Ulf Granberg has turned 80.

GRANBERG, Ulf (Ulf Leo Granberg)

Born: 5/9/1945, Sweden

Died: 1/10/2026, Sweden

Ulf Granberg’s westerns – comic book writer:

Wagon Master – 1975

RIP Marcia Rodd

 

Marcia Rodd, Actress in ‘Little Murders’ and Broadway’s ‘Last of the Red Hot Lovers,’ Dies at 87

The Kansas native and Tony nominee also appeared in two Jonathan Demme films and turned down the opportunity to play Bea Arthur’s daughter on ‘Maude.’

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

January 7, 2026

 

Marcia Rodd, the Tony-nominated actress who starred opposite Elliott Gould in the Jules Feiffer black comedy Little Murders and originated the role of Bea Arthur’s daughter in the pilot for Maude, died Dec. 27, her family announced. She was 87.

Rodd’s first love was the stage, and she portrayed the pot-smoking starlet Bobbi opposite Linda Lavin, James Coco and Doris Roberts in Neil Simon’s 1969-71 hit Broadway comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

In his review in The New York Times, Clive Barnes wrote that Rodd supplied “a naive, little-girl charm to give an edge of innocence to her [character’s] deprived depravity.”

She received her Tony nomination for best actress in a musical in 1973 for her turn as a deserted wife in the kooky Austin Pendleton-directed Shelter but lost out to Glynis Johns for A Little Night Music.

In Little Murders (1971), directed by Alan Arkin, Rodd starred as the predatory Patsy Newquist, a New York interior designer with an eccentric family — Vincent Gardenia and Elizabeth Wilson play her parents, Jon Korkes her brother — who falls for a photographer (Gould) she first meets when he’s getting mugged. (Barbara Cook had the part in the 1967 Broadway original that also was directed by Arkin.)

In the second-season finale of Norman Lear’s All in the Family that aired in March 1972 and served as the pilot for Maude, Archie (Carroll O’Connor) and Edith (Jean Stapleton) head to Tuckahoe, New York, for the wedding of Carol Findlay (Rodd), who has a son from a previous marriage and is set to marry a Jewish guy. (Arthur’s ultra-liberal Maude Findlay is Edith’s cousin.)

But when Maude was picked up to series to begin its acclaimed six-season run the following September, Carol was played by Adrienne Barbeau, with Rodd reportedly unwilling to commit to a TV series.

Rodd did change her mind about television in 1976 when she agreed to portray the sister of Geraldine Brooks’ character in the Lear-developed, Coco-starring The Dumplings, but that NBC sitcom lasted just 11 episodes.

She returned for another Lear comedy, co-starring as the best friend and neighbor of Eileen Brennan’s character on ABC’s 13 Queens Boulevard. That midseason show, however, aired just nine episodes.

One of three kids, Rodd was born on July 8, 1938, in Lyons, Kansas, and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Wichita, Kansas. Her father, Charles, was an oil executive and banker and her mother, Rosetta, a pianist and church organist.

When she was 9, Rodd attended a local production of the musical Carousel and “was literally stagestruck and devoted unceasing efforts to build and practice her talents,” her family noted.

Just before graduating from East High School in Wichita in 1956, she persuaded her folks that the theater was the only career for her, so they paid the higher out-of-state tuition so she could attend Northwestern. After studying drama there under renowned teacher Alvina Krause, she acted with the Yale Repertory Theatre, paid the bills as a social worker and moved to New York.

In 1964, she starred as Dorothy in a televised stage production of The Wizard of Oz and made her Broadway debut as a replacement actress in the musical Oh, What a Lovely War.

She then worked off-Broadway in the musicals The Mad Show (replacing Lavin) in 1966 and Your Own Thing in ’68 and in the Broadway comedy Love in E Flat in ’67.

In addition to Little Murders, she also appeared on the big screen in 1971 opposite Candice Bergen and Peter Boyle in Herbert Ross’ T.R. Baskin (1971). Later, she appeared for director Jonathan Demme in Citizens Band (1977) and Last Embrace (1979).

Rodd recurred as the dentist wife of Charles Siebert’s doctor on CBS’ Trapper John, M.D. from 1982-86 and played the wife of Jack Weston’s dentist on the CBS adaptation of Alan Alda’s The Four Seasons in 1984.

Her TV résumé also included a return to Maude and other guest roles on Medical Center, Phyllis, M*A*S*H, Archie Bunker’s Place, Lou Grant, Laverne & Shirley, Murder, She Wrote, 21 Jump Street, ER, The Young and the Restless and Grey’s Anatomy.

She was back on Broadway in Herb Gardner’s I’m Not Rappaport in the 1980s; portrayed Golde opposite Theodore Bikel and Topol in national tours of Fiddler on the Roof in 1989 and 1994; and starred as literary celebrity Mary McCarthy alongside Dick Cavett in Hellman vs. McCarthy at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills in 2015.

Survivors include her partner of 25 years, William Lewis; her brother, Stephen; her brother-in-law, Roger; her nieces, Laurie, Julie and Farrell; and her nephew, Zachary.

RODD, Marcia

Born: 7/8/1940, Lyons, Kansas, U.S.A.

Died: 12/7/2026, U.S.A.

 

Marcia Rodd’s western – actress:

Bret Maverick (TV) – 1981 (Captain Estelle Slater)

RIP John Cunningham

 

Actor John Cunningham, Known for ‘My Fair Lady’ And ‘Dead Poets Society,’ Dies at 93

My Rye.com

By Jay Sears

January 7, 2026

 

Obituary - Actor John Cunningham thumbnail_IMG_6516Actor John Cunningham died early Tuesday morning in his beloved Victorian home aside the 11th hole at Rye Golf Club.

A resident of Rye since 1969, John was a respected and much-loved working actor of stage, screen, and television for nearly 70 years. Selected after an audition with Moss Hart before he had even hired an agent, John debuted in 1960 as Zoltan and the understudy for the role of Henry Higgins at age 27 in the national and international company of “My Fair Lady.” He went on to roles in original Broadway productions of Nikos in “Zorba,” Peter (and the understudy for Bobby) in “Company,” Geoffrey in “Rose,” John Adams in “1776,” Flan Kittredge in “Six Degrees of Separation,” Nicholas Pym in “The Sisters Rosensweig,” and Captain E.J. Smith in “Titanic.” He also played many roles in off-Broadway productions, including Henry Windscape in “Quartermaine’s Terms,” Tony in “The Perfect Party,” Pete Bermiss in “The Naked Truth,” Greg in “Sylvia,” Henry Ford in “Camping with Henry and Tom,” and ultimately Gardner Church in “Painting Churches” in 2012 at age 80.

In these and many other roles, John’s acting life centered around New York theater. But John also created many memorable roles in films like “Mystic Pizza,” “Dead Poets Society,” “School Ties,” “For Love or Money,” and many others. Two favorites involved hilarious off-screen roles as the voice on the “Be A Man” tape in the film “In and Out” and the newsreel announcer in the offbeat cult classic “Starship Troopers.” His television credits included roles in “Law and Order,” “30 Rock,” “The Good Wife,” and “Damages,” among many others, and several New York-based soap operas of the 1970s. He did innumerable commercials and voice overs, including putting on an English accent for British Airways commercials in the U.S. and a print ad for a German beer photographed over a week in Milan, Italy, an adventure that entertained him for years.

The New York Times featured John in an August 1986 article entitled “John Cunningham: Ever-Employed Actor.” The author described John as an “ever-reliable and ever-employed,” “working actor’s actor,” a characterization John loved and lived, despite his oft-repeated line that he had “never worked a day in [his] life.”

John was active locally as well. With his good friend and fellow actor, Frances Sternhagen, John initiated and conducted a series of shows entitled “Playwrights and Players” at the Rye High School Performing Arts Center beginning in 1989. The series, designed to raise funds for the center and its theater seating in particular, ran for at least five years and brought playwrights Wendy Wasserstein, A.R. Gurney, Romulus Linney, Robert Anderson and John Guare to the stage at the RHSPAC. The New York Times highlighted the series in an April 1994 article entitled “Wendy Wasserstein, a Voice of Authority on Life in the 90’s.”

Born in 1932 and raised in “eccentric” New Paltz, New York, the son of the High School Principal, John graduated from Dartmouth College before joining the Army. By fortuitous circumstances, John moved from a tour of duty in battlefield communications to one of an acting troupe performing for troops stationed in West Germany and France. After finishing his Army tour of duty, John returned to school on the GI Bill and graduated with a masters’ degree from Yale Drama School before heading off to pursue an acting career in New York with his classmate and lifelong friend, Dick Cavett.

Through it all, Carolyn Cotton Cunningham, a former Rye City Council member and long-time local environmental activist, accompanied John on his adventures. His wife of nearly 70 years, Carolyn held his hand at his side as he passed. In addition to his wife, John is survived by his three children, Christopher, Catherine, and Laura, all of whom graduated from Rye High School, six grandchildren (three of whom graduated from RHS), two great grandchildren, and his extraordinary caregiver of nearly three years.

The family will host a memorial service at Rye Presbyterian Church, 882 Boston Post Road in Rye (and online via Zoom through the Church’s website), on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 1:30 pm. A brief reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to one of John’s favorite charities, the Entertainment Community Fund, a national human services organization meeting the needs of people dealing with the challenges involved in a life in the arts.

CUNNINGHAM, John (John Waldo Cunningham)

Born: 6/22/1932, Auburn, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 1/6/2026, Rye, New York, U.S.A.

 

John Cunningham’s western – actor:

The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (TV) – 1977

RIP Roberto Donati

 

Facebook

Eugenio Ercolani

January 6, 2026

 

Maestro Roberto Donati died on January 6^th a week before his 80^th birthday. Born in Pesaro, Marche, Italy on January 13, 1946, he was raised in Italy in the sixties. As a guitarist/singer he ended up forming a wide variety of bands playing a broad spectrum of musical genres like Rock, Pop, R&B and Country & Western. Many of his songs were recorded as singles on the Belldisc label in the late sixties and seventies. Later he became a well-respected film composer of such films as 1980s “Eaten Alive” and 1981’s “Cannibal Ferox”. He composed the score using the alias Budy along with Fiamma Maglione for the 1976 Spaghetti western “Apache Woman” starring Al Cliver and Clara Hopf.

DONATI, Roberto

Born: 1/13/1946, Pesaro, Marche, Italy

Died: 1/6/2026, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Roberto Donati's western - composer:

Apache Woman - 1976

RIP Sidney Kibrick

 

Sidney Kibrick, Child Actor in the Our Gang Comedy Shorts, Dies at 97

He played the bad kid known as “Woim” — Butch’s sidekick — in the Hal Roach films before calling it a career when he was 15.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

January 6, 2026

 

Sidney Kibrick, who portrayed the bad boy known as “Woim” in Our Gang comedy film shorts in the 1930s, has died. He was 97.

Kibrick died Saturday at a hospital in Northridge, his daughter, Jane Lipsic, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Kibrick appeared in about two dozen Our Gang/Little Rascals films, made at Hal Roach Studios and/or MGM, from 1935-39. As Woim — that’s Brooklynese for “worm” — he was the henchkid for the neighborhood bully Butch (Tommy Bond).

It was a grind making those shorts, he told Nick Thomas in a 2023 interview. “We’d have two hours of schooling in the morning and then work anywhere from six to 16 hours until we finished,” he said. “There was a lot of work, no question about it, but our director Gordon Douglas was a terrific guy, and he was really able to get a lot out of each kid.”

His older brother, Leonard Kibrick, had played the main troublemaker in the series, giving Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood) a hard time, before Bond replaced him in 1936.

The youngest of three kids, Sidney Henry Kibrick was born in Minneapolis on July 2, 1928. He came to Los Angeles as an infant with his family.

“My mother took us to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and after the movie, a man came over to us, pointed at me and said he could ‘use that little kid in the movies,’” Kibrick recalled. His parents really wanted him and his brother to get into acting.

The boys got started in 1933, appearing in Raoul Walsh’s The Bowery (1933), starring Wallace Beery, George Raft and Jackie Cooper. Leonard, who was about four years older than Sidney, appeared in his first Our Gang film in 1934 (he died in 1993 at age 68).

Kibrick said he was earning $750 a week for the shorts, “a lot in those days, especially during the Depression,” he told Thomas. He also was showing up in such features as Shirley Temple’s Just Around the Corner (1938), Tyrone Power’s Jesse James (1939) and Glenn Ford’s Flight Lieutenant (1942).

“But by the time I was 15, I’d had enough,” he said. “My parents wanted me to continue, but finally my mother went along with my wishes.” His last onscreen credit was the Bowery Boys movie Keep ‘Em Slugging (1943).

Kibrick went on to attend college at USC and become a impeccably dressed real estate developer in Southern California while putting together an Our Gang reunion in 1981 and remaining friends with McFarland, who died in 1993.

“Spanky worked for Westinghouse in Dallas,” he told Fox News in 2022. “He would come over with his family here in Beverly Hills, and I would do the same with mine.”

Also that year, Kibrick and family members attended the opening of an exhibit at the Hollywood Museum honoring the 100th anniversary of the Our Gang series. As perhaps the last surviving actor of those films, he was still getting fan mail at the time of his death.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his son-in-law, Marty; his granddaughter, Dana, and his grandson; Adam; his great-granddaughters, Emma, Mia and Lily, and his great-grandson, Landon; and his companion, Eunice David. His wife of 65 years, Greta, died in 2013 at age 83.

“I think people, even today, could identify with being a child and being mischievous when life was simple,” he said of the lasting impact of the Our Gang comedies. “It was fun, and it made people laugh. … I was living the studio life. Those are memories I will never forget. It was a wonderful experience.”

KIBRICK, Sidney (Sidney Henry Kibrick)

Born: 7/2/1928, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Died: 1/3/2026, Northridge, California, U.S.A.

 

Sidney Kibrick’s westerns – actor:

The Little Ranger – 1938 (Woim)

Rawhide – 1938 (boy playing baseball)

Jesse James – 1939 (boy)

RIP Sverre Anker Ousdal

 

Sverre Anker Ousdal has died 

Actor Sverre Anker Ousdal has died. He was 81 years old.

VG Live

January 4, 2026

 

The acclaimed theater man was one of the country's most recognized actors. From his debut at the age of 21 at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen in 1965 until today, the stage artist was still in full force.

– Dad meant everything to us and to many. An anchor is gone. We are grateful for all the thoughtfulness, says his son Mads Ousdal on behalf of the family.

This spring, Sverre Anker Ousdal planned a comeback at the National Theatre, where he became a permanent employee 55 years ago.

He was to play an aging father in Arne Lygre's newly written play "Gi meg hånden".

The role was specially written for Ousdal in the play, which deals with fragile family relationships.

- Perhaps Norway's greatest actor of all time has now passed away, says the director of the National Theatre, Kristian Seltun, to VG.

– He was an enormously great actor in everything he did – perfect. He was modern for his time, but at the same time stood in a long tradition. He was someone who had always been there, for many generations. Sverre Anker Ousdal was a “circus horse”, and someone who always had humor in the back room, Seltun recalls.

The two worked together in the production “Jordbærstedet” a couple of years ago.

Flekkefjæringen retired from the theater in 2014. But not completely.

– Norway has lost a giant

He played in several major productions in recent years, despite the fact that he became severely visually impaired after a liver transplant in connection with cancer in 2008. He woke up in pitch darkness, but never felt bitterness for the loss of sensation.

Afterwards, some vision returned, but he only saw lights and shadows and said that what he missed most was seeing his grandchildren.

– Norway has lost a giant, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

– It made a deep impression to see him in demanding roles even when he was affected by illness, says Støre.

His thoughts now go to Sverre Anker Ousdal's loved ones.

Countless strong role interpretations

In recent years, Ousdal has received many awards for his extensive acting work.

OUSDAL, Sverre Anker

Born: 7/18/1944, Flekkefjord, Norway

Died: 1/3/2026, Oslo, Norway

 

Sverre Anker Ousdal’s western – actor:

North Star – 1996 (Lindberg)

RIP Bret Hanna-Shuford

 

Bret Hanna-Shuford, Broadway Alum and Influencer, Dies at 46 amid Treatment for Rare Cancer: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'

One-half of the Broadway Husbands account, the actor was diagnosed with an aggressive form of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and T-cell lymphoma in 2025

People

By Dave Quinn

January 3, 2026

 

Bret Hanna-Shuford — a Broadway performer and social media influencer known for his work onstage and for chronicling his life with husband Stephen Hanna-Shuford and their 3-year-old son, Maverick, as part of the account Broadway Husbands — has died less than five months after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 46.

The actor's husband confirmed the news on social media, writing that Bret died in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 3.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that early this morning we said goodbye to the most amazing man, husband and Papa in the universe,” the post read. “Bret Hanna-Shuford left this world peacefully with love surrounded by his family. Our hearts are broken, but we will continue to make him proud of us.”

Bret had been diagnosed in the summer of 2025 with an aggressive form of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) — rare, life-threatening conditions that affect the immune system.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, commonly known as HLH, occurs when the body’s immune defenses become dangerously overactive, attacking healthy tissue and organs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition can lead to severe inflammation and organ failure, and requires urgent treatment.

T-cell lymphoma is an aggressive blood cancer involving immune cells and, the organization notes, is frequently linked to HLH, making both diagnosis and treatment more complex. Bret was CD30 negative, meaning his T-cell cancers lacked the CD30 protein marker, making standard targeted therapies (like Brentuximab Vedotin) less effective.

Throughout his illness, Bret and his husband shared updates about his condition and treatment across their social media platforms. Bret had been in the hospital for months, throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

"I really want to go home," Bret said in an October post, after revealing he had been unconscious for three days while in the intensive care unit. "I really miss my son, a lot, and my husband. ... But I'm sending so much love to you, because your love to me has been incredible."

A GoFundMe was launched in August to help support Bret and his family amid mounting medical expenses and the need to step away from work during treatment. Many notable Broadway names have donated to it, including John Tartaglia, Douglas Sills and Thomas Schumacher, the former president and producer of Disney Theatrical Group.

In the fundraiser description, organizer Scott Barnhardt — a close family friend to Bret and Stephen who met Bret in 1999 while both attending Wagner College — explained that it took weeks of "uncertainty, misdiagnoses and countless medical visits" to properly understand what was going on with Bret. The family has just moved into a new home in Orlando, flipping a time that should have been about new beginnings for the family into "an unexpected battle for health and stability."

HANNA-SHUFORD, Bret (Bret McCole Shuford)

Born: 5/20/1979, Beaumont, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 1/3/2026, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

 

Bret Hana-Shuford’s western – voice actor:

Red Dead Redemption II [voice of Laramy]