The Celebrity Obituary Thread

[Gant]

Sad to hear... truly one of the greatest footballers of all time. Legend ..

[Gant]

Sad news that Dave Prowse has passed::

I remember him when I was a youngster in various Hammer Horror films..
Maybe someone could post a picture for me... 👍

[KC]

Glad to help, Gant! Here's a link to the New York Times obit ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/29/movies/darth-vader-dave-prowse-dead.html

Standing 6-foot-6 and with a physique honed by years of weight lifting (he was once the British heavyweight champion), Mr. Prowse had the perfect presence for the role of Darth Vader, whom he played in 1977's "Star Wars," in "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980 and in "Return of the Jedi" in 1983.

He was scouted for the role by George Lucas, the franchise's creator, who had seen Mr. Prowse play a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange."

Mr. Lucas actually offered Mr. Prowse a choice of roles for the original "Star Wars": Chewbacca, the hairy, gentle giant and a hero in the franchise; or Darth Vader, the arch-villain. Mr. Prowse told the BBC in a 2013 interview that the choice had been simple. "I said, 'Well, don't say any more, George, I'll have the villain's part," Mr. Prowse recalled. "You always remember the bad guy."

Dave Prowse, left, alongside probably his most famous character, Darth Vader, at a fan convention in Cusset, France, in 2013.Credit...Thierry Zoccolan/Agence France-Presse ? Getty Images

... and from his younger days ...

Mr. Prowse, left, in 1978. He was the British heavyweight champion in weight lifting in the 1960s.Credit...Colin Davey/Evening Standard, via Getty Images

Here's another link, to the the BBC obit, with a video:

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55117704

Prowse made his film debut in 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale playing Frankenstein's Creature, a part he was asked to play again in two films from the iconic Hammer film series, 1970's Horror Of Frankenstein and 1974's Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell.

RIP, Dave Prowse!

[Gant]

Thanks as always KC 👍

[The Schofield Kid]

Chuck Yeager, first pilot to break the sound barrier, dies at 97

The Australian

[The Schofield Kid]

Gilligan's Island star Dawn Wells dies aged 82

The death of Wells leaves Tina Louise, 86, the sole survivor of thee cast members.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-31/dawn-wells-gilligans-island-star-dies-aged-82/13023098

[Jed Cooper]

God Bless all of the Dearly Departed.  May they all Rest In Peace. 🙏🏻


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[Christopher]

Dustin Diamond, who was Screech on Saved by the Bell, has died at 44. I was a kid when the show was on Saturday mornings, and watched it all the time (almost literally all the time, reruns would play for a couple hours a night through the week too).

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/dustin-diamond-dead-saved-by-the-bell-screech-1234897484/?fbclid=IwAR2kuLWjlyTyJFsHa7BESeVF5CU3vULFofTQxaXZ7I4vKrTQsjwWs_7xSf8

[AKA23]

Like Christopher, I also watched "Saved by the Bell." For shows of its type, I strongly preferred "Boy Meets World," but this is definitely an iconic show for those of us that came of age when it was popular. RIP Dustin Diamond.

[Christopher]

Yeah, Saved by the Bell wasn't the best show but it was fun in its day. I own the entire series on DVD (including the College Years prime time show and the TV movies). The new Saved by the Bell show on Peacock is quite good, and it's sad Dustin didn't have at least a cameo in it.

[AKA23]

Yeah, Saved by the Bell wasn't the best show but it was fun in its day. I own the entire series on DVD (including the College Years prime time show and the TV movies). The new Saved by the Bell show on Peacock is quite good, and it's sad Dustin didn't have at least a cameo in it.

I have not seen that. After they ruined my favorite show growing up with "Girl Meets World," I decided not to be burned again by watching "Saved by the Bell" the remake!

[Aline]

It seems I come around only to post sad news but I am surprised any of you mentioned Christopher Plummer passing yesterday. I only know him for Col. Von Trapp from The Sound of Music but he sure was one of the greatest.

[KC]

Well, you are always welcome to post any kind of news, Aline! 

I just finished reading Christopher Plummer's obituary in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/movies/christopher-plummer-dead.html

Christopher Plummer, the prolific and versatile Canadian-born actor who rose to celebrity as the romantic lead in perhaps the most popular movie musical of all time, was critically lionized as among the pre-eminent Shakespeareans of the past century and won an Oscar, two Tonys and two Emmys, died on Friday at his home in Weston, Conn. He was 91.

The scion of a once-lofty family whose status had dwindled by the time he was born, Mr. Plummer nonetheless displayed the outward aspects of privilege throughout his life. He had immense and myriad natural gifts: a leading man?s face and figure; a slightly aloof mien that betrayed supreme confidence, if not outright self-regard; an understated athletic grace; a sonorous (not to say plummy) speaking voice; and exquisite diction.

An extraordinary career, for sure. I saw him play King Lear at Lincoln Center in 2004, in what the Times critic (Ben Brantley) called "the performance of a lifetime." As I recall, for me it fell a bit short of that standard, but maybe the rave reviews had raised my expectations too high. Here he is in the part:


Christopher Plummer as the title character in Jonathan Miller?s 2004 production of ?King Lear? at Lincoln Center Theater.Credit...Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

And here he is as John Barrymore in 1997:


Plummer as John Barrymore in ?Barrymore,? for which he won the 1997 Tony Award as best leading actor in a play. Credit...Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Both photos are from "An Appraisal" of Plummer by Jesse Green, also in the Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/theater/christopher-plummer-appraisal-king-lear.html

Christopher Plummer, R.I.P. 

[Gant]

Also very good in Star Trek The Undiscovered Country... reuniting him with fellow Canadian and good friend William Shatner
whos been giving some lovely interviews about him since his passing...   

[Jed Cooper]

R.I.P. Christopher Plummer. May God Bless You, sir. 🙏🏻🙏🏻









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