RIP Fernando Esteso

 

Comedian Fernando Esteso dies at the age of 80

The actor had been admitted a couple of days ago to the La Fe University Hospital in Valencia

el Periodico

By Jaime Roch and Voro Contreras

February 1, 2026

 

The actor and comedian Fernando Esteso died this Sunday in Valencia at the age of 80. As Levante-EMV has been able to confirm, Esteso was admitted to the La Fe University Hospital. Esteso already had respiratory problems five years ago and was already hospitalized in the same center then. The actor was admitted a couple of days ago for one due to respiratory failure.

Sources close to the actor acknowledge that he was very delicate after having received treatment for an illness. In fact, during the last Christmas holidays she missed several commitments with her friends because she did not feel well. One of the appointments he could not attend, for example, was Christmas Day. Every year he went to celebrate it at Vicente Ruiz's house 'El Soro' with the comedian Paco Arévalo. This year he no longer attended the meeting with his friends because he was weak.

Fernando Esteso Allué was born on January 14, 1945 in Zaragoza, into a family of jota artists. His destiny was on stage from the beginning: he debuted at the age of six as "the Boy of the Jota" and cut his teeth in variety theater and revue. This early training gave him a versatility that would allow him to master humour, singing and acting, soon becoming one of the most recognised figures in show business in Spain at the time.

His golden age came between the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, when he formed with Andrés Pajares the most profitable comedy duo in Spanish cinema. Under the direction of Mariano Ozores, they starred in massive hits such as "Los bingueros" (1979) or "Yo hice a Roque III" (1980). Their style of mischievous and costumbrist humour captured the idiosyncrasies of a Spain in the midst of the Transition, turning them into mass phenomena that filled cinemas throughout the country.

Despite his Aragonese roots, Esteso maintained an unbreakable bond with Valencia, the city where he has lived for decades.

ESTESO, Fernando (Fernando Julián Esteso Allué)

Born: 1/14/1945, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

Died: 2/1/2026, Valencia, Valencia, Spain

 

Fernando Esteso’s western – actor:

Al este del Oeste – 1983 (Bill Golden Pistol)

RIP Henner Hofmann

 

In Memoriam — Henner Hofmann, ASC, AMC (1950-2026) 

The cinematographer, whose works included The Legend of the Mask and Juego limpio, was instrumental in founding the Mexican Society of Cinematographers and devoted his career to shaping generations of filmmakers. Noah Kadner

American Cinematographer

1/30/2026

 

Henner Hofmann, ASC, AMC — a champion for Mexican filmmaking opportunities and education — died January 30, 2026 in Cuernavaca, Mexico at the age of 75.

Hofmann was born in 1950 in Mexico City, into a family rooted in the arts. His mother, Kitzia, of French origin, was a stained-glass artist and sculptor whose work included major architectural commissions. His father, Herbert, was also a sculptor who studied at the Bauhaus and created a well-known sculpture for the façade of the Nacional Financiera (National Finance Building) in Mexico City. Growing up in a home filled with books, art and spirited discussion, Hofmann was steeped in visual culture, which shaped his lifelong connection to image-making and cinema.

One of his formative filmmaking experiences involved traveling throughout Mexico and filming documentary material of indigenous communities in the 1970s. Along with fellow filmmakers Alfonso Muñoz, Gonzalo Martínez Ortega, Nacho López, Óscar Menéndez and Juan Rulfo, Hofmann founded the Archives of Ethnic Communities. This led to his first film as cinematographer, Bajo el Mismo Sol (Under the Same Sun) in 1979.

After meeting Society member Harry Wolf and drawing upon Wolf's experience establishing a cinematographers’ association in Hong Kong, Hofmann brought together leading cinematographers — including Gabriel Figueroa, Jorge Stahl and Pepe Ortiz Ramos — as well as younger colleagues, to establish the Mexican Society of Cinematographers (AMC) in 1994.

Hofmann built a prolific career as a cinematographer with more than 25 feature and television credits spanning the late 1970s through the 2010s. His work includes films such as The Legend of the Mask (1991) and Juego limpio (1995), both of which earned him Mexico’s Ariel Award for Best Cinematography, as well as international projects like Ground Control (1998), Flight of Fancy (2000), and Vampires: Los Muertos (2002).

Through his work at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos (CUEC, National Autonomous University of Mexico Film School) and later at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC, Film Training Center), he actively encouraged women pursuing careers behind the camera. As a teacher and later as director of the CCC, he emphasized inclusion, hands-on experience and mentorship, shaping generations of filmmakers in the process.

Hofmann was a member of the Technicians and Cinematographic Production Guild, the Mexican Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Science, and the Screenwriters Guild of Mexico. In the United States, he was a member of the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Hofmann became a member of the ASC in 2004, proposed by Society members Steven Poster, Gabriel Beristain and Michael O’Shea. In 2017, he received the ASC’s first-ever Certificate of Recognition for his contributions to education in cinematography.

In 2025, Hofmann was honored with a lifetime-achievement ceremony at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City, attended by many of his former students and his peers from the ASC and AMC. During that ceremony, a special tribute video was played for the veteran cinematographer.

“The world is cinematic, and it feels like I’m looking through a camera,” Hofmann says in the video. “You begin life seeing with an 18mm lens, and now I’m already at a 250mm. I’m very proud and satisfied with my work in cinematography and my academic work. If there was a circle of things like a cake cut into slices of what you like and what you want to do most — it’s the movies.”

Hofmann is survived by his wife Maria, son Sebastián and daughter Natalia.

HOFMANN, Henner

Born: 7/?/1950, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

Died: 1/30/2026, Cuernavaca, Morales, Mexico

 

Henner Hofmann’s westerns – cameraman, cinematographer:

Bajo el mismo sol y sobre la misma tierra – 1979 [cinematographer]

Wagons East – 1994 [cameraman]

Warden of Red Rock – 2001 [cinematographer]

Gallowwalkers – 2012 [cinematographer]

RIP Tal Berkovich

 

Model, actress Tal Berkovich killed in car accident at 41

Berkovich was in Israel visiting her family. Her brother was with her in the vehicle, and is currently in critical condition at Soroka Medical Center.

The Jerusalem Post

January 30, 2026

 

Israeli actress and model Tal Berkovich died in a car accident at age 41 on Thursday outside of Telalim, Israeli media confirmed on Friday morning.

The actress was in Israel visiting her family. Her 40-year-old brother, Gil, was in the vehicle with her on their way to their mother's birthday when they impacted a truck, and he is currently in critical condition at Soroka Medical Center, along with the truck driver, who has light injuries.

Berkovich was born in Kiryat Tivon, and performed in the Israeli ballet and the Bat-Dor Dance Company. She had a role in the 2006-2007 satirical show Paparazzi, after which she moved to London to study acting.

Berkovich worked on Israeli and American productions

In 2011, Berkovich performed in Dancing with the Stars. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she continued working on American projects such as the television shows Payday and Perfect and the 2017 movie Don't Forget Me, as well as Israeli productions, including an advertising campaign for INTIMA.

In an interview with Maariv in 2019, Berkovich talked about how her first arrival in Los Angeles left her disillusioned by the glamorous city. "I touched it and saw that not everything glitters. I saw that that's not what makes people happy. I started to investigate, to learn Kabbalah, and it brought me a lot of joy and peace, so I stuck with it. I know myself better. I have an internal peace."

Berkovich had participated in the ninth season of the cooking show Game of Chefs in Romania a few months prior to her death.

BERKOVICH, Tal

Born: 8/27/1984, Kiryat Tivon, Israel

Died: 1/29/2026, Telalim, Israel

 

Tal Berkovich’s western – actress:

In the Blood – 2019 (Dolores)

RIP Andreas Bellis

 

Andreas Bellis (1939-2026): Illuminating Greek cinema

At the age of 87, one of the most important directors of photography of the new Greek cinema has died.

FLIX

By Manolis Kranakis

January 28, 2026

 

I was born in Athens, studied physics, chemistry, mathematics at the Faculte des Sciences in Paris, cinema at the Ecole National de la Cinematographie and Stockhlm Film Sociology. Since 1982 I have illuminated many theatrical performances. I have collaborated with many directors, theater groups, music stages, dance theaters as well as with state and municipal stages. And I continue...

This autobiography of Andreas Bellis was indicative of Andreas Bellis' tireless creative disposition, but it does not include, apart from a few other biographical elements (such as the fact that he started working abroad – among other things, he was a camera assistant in the legendary 1967 film "I'm Strange: Yellow" and signed the cinematography for films and television productions in France, Sweden, USA and Lebanon). at least the titles of some of the films he illuminated, leaving them really as brilliant examples in the great book of Greek cinema.

Andreas Bellis was an Honorary Member of the Union of Greek Filmmakers (GSC)

Andreas Bellis was responsible for "The Lazy of the Fertile Valley" by Nikos Panagiotopoulos in 1978, "Chrysomallousa" by Tony Lykouresis in 1978, "Honeymoon" by Giorgos Panousopoulos in 1979, "Wandering" (1979) and "Rosa" (1982) by Christoforos Christofis, "Revenge" by Nikos Vergitsis in 1983, "Sweet Country" by Michael Cacoyannis in 1987, "Terirem" by Apostolos Doxiadis in 1987, "... Deserter" by Giorgos Korras and Christos Voupouras, "The Athenians" by Vassilis Alexakis in 1990, "House in the Countryside" by Lagia Giourgou in 1994 A harvest of titles and collaborations that makes his mark as Director of Photography on some of the most characteristic moments of new Greek cinema, next to great creators and in different phases of their development.

However, he also worked with a rejuvenating drive - as claimed by all those who worked with him - in lighting theatrical performances, dance theaters, events, ceremonies of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, fashion shows, tirelessly continuing his course in the Greek and international audiovisual landscape.

Andreas Bellis was born in 1939 in Athens and died on January 28, 2026, at the age of 87.

BELLIS, Andreas

Born: 11/30/1939, Athens, Greece

Died: 1/28/2026, Kinéta, Attiki, Greece

RIP Catherine O’Hara

 

Catherine O’Hara Died 'After a Brief Illness,' Her Rep Confirms

O'Hara died in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30 at the age of 71

People

By Toria Shefield, Sandra Mandell

January 30, 2026

 

Hours after the news that comedy icon Catherine O’Hara had died at 71 on Jan. 30, her rep confirms to PEOPLE that she passed away “after a brief illness."

Shortly after her death was announced, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told PEOPLE that they received a call at 4:48 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 for an “approximately 70-year-old” unnamed female at O'Hara's home address. The woman, presumed to be the Schitt’s Creek alum, was transported to the hospital “in serious condition.”

According to LAFD dispatch audio, the person in distress at the address was having "breathing difficulty."

The comedy icon was well-known for her roles in films like Beetlejuice, Home Alone and Christopher Guest mockumentaries like Best in Show.

She also starred in several TV shows, including Schitt’s Creek, in which she played Moira Rose opposite Annie Murphy and Dan and Eugene Levy. In 2020, she won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role in the beloved series. She also won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for the show.

Friends and colleagues have been sharing their shock and sadness over the news of O’Hara’s death.

Macaulay Culkin, who played her onscreen son in the holiday classic Home Alone, shared a heart-felt tribute on Instagram, writing, “Mama. I thought we had time.”

"I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say," he added, along with side-by-side photos of himself and O'Hara in Home Alone and in 2023.

"I love you. I’ll see you later," he wrote at the end of the post.

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"Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always ♥️," Pedro Pascal, her Last of Us costar, wrote in a tribute on Instagram, along with a photo of the two of them on set.

Michael McKean, who along with O'Hara was a regular in many Christopher Guest comedies, summed up the loss simply on X: "Only one Catherine O'Hara, and now none. Heartbreaking."

O’Hara is survived by her husband of 33 years, production designer Bo Welch, and their two grown sons, Luke and Matthew.

O’HARA, Catherine (Catherine Anne O’Hara)

Born: 3/4/1954, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Died: 1/30/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Catherine O’Hara’s westerns – actress:

Wyatt Earp – 1994 (Allie Earp)

Tall Tale – 1995 (Calamity Jane)

RIP Michel Barbey

 

Actor Michel Barbey, who lent his voice to Bud Spencer and the Grand Pope, has died.

The actor passed away at the age of 98. He had notably provided the voice for the Grand Pope in Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) and for Bud Spencer in They Call Me Trinity.

L’Alsace

1/25/2026

 

The actor Michel Barbey, who was one of the voices of Bud Spencer and many other characters in films and cartoons, died Saturday at the age of 98, his wife announced. He was the French voice of the Italian actor Bud Spencer in the first dubbing of the spaghetti western They Call Me Trinity (1970), and that of Wez, the psychopathic and almost mute punk biker from Mad Max 2 (1981).

Michel Barbey also dubbed characters in popular Japanese cartoons in the 1980s/90s: he was one of the voices of the Grand Pope, the villain in Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac), and that of the hero in Muscleman. This cartoon caused controversy when it aired on the children's program Club Dorothée because one of the characters displayed a swastika.

A long career in film

In addition to the dozens of voice-over roles he performed, Michel Barbey played numerous supporting roles in films, alongside actors like Jean Gabin and Michel Simon, and had a career as a stage actor. On television, he notably played a judge in the series Cas de divorce (Divorce Cases) in the early 1990s. In the theater, he performed for a long time at the Comédie-Française.

"He was quite a character! He was going to celebrate his 99th birthday in April. He had been ill for some time, and his end was difficult," his wife, Natacha Guiboud-Barbey, told AFP.

BARBEY, Michel

Born: 4/23/1927, Drucourt, Eure, France

Died: 1/24/2026, France

 

Michel Barbey’s westerns – voice dubber:

The Brute and the Beast – 1966 [French voice of Franco Nero]

Johnny Yuma – 1966 [French voice of Luigi Vannucchi]

Three Graves for a Winchester – 1966 [French voice of Mickey Hargitay]

$10,000 for a Massacre – 1967 [French voice of Gianni Garko]

Viva Django! – 1968 [French voice of Terence Hill]

Cemetery Without Crosses – 1969 [French voice of Benito Stefanelli]

They Call Me Trinity – 1970 [French voice of Bud Spencer]

The Price of Death – 1971 [French voice of Gianni Garko]

The Outlaw Josey Wales – 1976 [French voice of Will Sampson]

The Frisco Kid – 1979 [French voice of George Di Cenzo]

Django Unchained – 2012 [French voice of Don Stroud]

RIP Sal Buscema

 

Sal Buscema, Comic Book Legend, Dead At 89

Comic Book Club

By Alex Zalban

January 26, 2026

 

Sal Buscema, a comic book legend known for his decade-long run on The Incredible Hulk, eight-year run on The Spectacular Spider-Man, and more, has reportedly passed away at age 89. Today would have been his 90th birthday.

The news was first reported on Facebook by artist Sterling Clark, who previously worked on an issue of a book called National Guardians that also included inks from Buscema. Clark was told by Buscema’s wife Joan that the legend passed away last Friday (January 23) — just shy of his 90th birthday. Wrote Clark:

“Wow. I just received word from Mrs. Joan that Sal Buscema passed away last Friday. He was 89. Today, he would’ve turned 90. When I think back on my childhood and all of the comic books that I read, Sal’s name seems to have appeared in just about all of them. I didn’t just read the books that he illustrated, I studied them.

Every nuance in his pencils and his inks I saw and tried to mimic. He was definitely one of the greats during those years at Marvel, when handling more than three titles a month was not just a requirement but a necessity. Sal’s art had a direct impact on my own, along with his older brother John, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, John Romita Sr and Ron Frenz.

Ron, God bless him, was the person responsible for Sal and I meeting some time ago and for that I’ll be forever grateful. Sal was a very nice, kind and generous person who I am happy to have known and who took note of my skills enough to mentor me. The wonderful conversations we had will always be cherished.

My condolences to his wife Joan, the Buscema family and to all of us fans who grew up with and love his amazing art. I’ll have more posts later. – SC”

Originally from Brooklyn, Buscema started in the comic book industry as an inker, working with his brother John Buscema on art at Dell Comics. Though he bumped around to different jobs over time, it wasn’t until 1968 that he came into his own.

That’s when he interviewed at Marvel, under encouragement from his brother, and eventually got some work working on Western comics. He also worked with John on Silver Surfer, inking his brother’s pencils, before Buscema started pencilling Avengers.

Other runs for Marvel over the course of three decades include stints on The Uncanny X-Men, Sub-Mariner, Captain America, and Marvel Team-Up. In the latter, he created Jean DeWolff, and helped debut the spinoff Spider-Man title Spectacular Spider-Man. He also worked on New Mutants, and Thor with Walt Simonson.

Then in the ’90s he jumped over to DC for some work on Batman, Superman and others — though that only lasted two years before he moved back to Marvel.

Buscema married his wife, Joan, in 1960, and had three sons: Joe, Tony, and Mike. He’s been the recipient of the Inkpot Award, the Inkwell Awards, and the Ringo Award.

While the news has yet to spread on the internet as of this writing, other legends paid tribute to his birthday today, including J.M. Dematteis, who wrote on BlueSky, “Sal Buscema turns 90 today. There’s hardly a Marvel character Sal hasn’t left his mark on, from Cap to the Hulk, Avengers to Thor. Working with Sal for two years on Spectacular Spider-Man remains a highlight of my career. And the best part? He’s not just a great artist, he’s a truly good guy.”

BUSCEMA, Sal (Silvio Buscema)

Born: 1/26/1936, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died:  1/23/2026,

 

Sal Buscemi’s westerns – comic book artist:

Gunhawk – 1968

The Rawhide Kid – 1969

Western Gunfighters - 1970