Kenneth Mitchell
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Kenneth Mitchell, best known for playing multiple roles in Star Trek: Discovery as well as Carol Danvers’ dad in Captain Marvel, died Feb. 24 after a five year battle with ALS. He was 49. Mitchell portrayed the Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik, as well as Aurellio, on Star Trek: Discovery. In addition, he voiced several characters in an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Mitchell also had recurring roles on Jericho, Ghost Whisperer, Switched at Birth, The Astronaut Wives Club, and Nancy Drew among others, and in 2019 he was featured as Joseph Danvers in Captain Marvel.
Pamela Salem
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Pamela Salem, a British actress known for her work in the James Bond and Doctor Who franchises, died Feb. 21 at 80. Born in India, she attended Heidelberg University in Germany and the Central School of Speech and Drama in London before starting in repertory theater in Chesterfield and York. She played the character of Toos in a 1977 Doctor Who adventure, “The Robots of Death,” and 11 years later portrayed a different character, Professor Rachel Jensen, in “Remembrance of the Daleks.” Salem reprised both roles in audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Her other screen credits included the 1983 James Bond adventure Never Say Never Again, in which she played Miss Moneypenny, as well as the TV series Blake’s 7, Eastenders, and The West Wing.
Tony Ganios
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Tony Ganios, best known for playing fan-favorite character Meat in the Porky’s films, died Feb. 18. He was 64. Ganios made his onscreen debut as Perry in the 1979 coming of age film The Wanderers. That film also starred Ken Wahl, and the two would reunite years later in crime series Wiseguy. Ganios followed The Wanderers up with three films in 1981 — Back Roads, Continental Divide, and Porky’s. Ganios starred in both sequels to the teen sex comedy, 1983’s Porky’s II: The Next Day and 1985’s Porky’s Revenge. He also had roles in Body Rock, Die Hard 2, The Taking of Beverly Hills, and Rising Sun. His other television credits include the TV movie Ring of the Musketeers and stints on The Equalizer and Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
Henry Fambrough
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Henry Fambrough, the singer known for his work in the R&B quintet the Spinners, died Feb. 7 at age 85. The singer, who retired from the group last year after over 70 years as its baritone, died of natural causes at his home in Virginia. The group formed in 1954 just outside of Detroit as the Domingoes before changing their name to the Spinners in 1961. For the next decade, the Spinners recorded numerous singles and two studio albums under Motown Records. They found more success after switching to Atlantic Records in the 1970s with songs like “I’ll Be Around” and “How Could I Let You Get Away,” the latter of which featured co-lead vocals from Fambrough. Fambrough also sang lead or co-lead vocals on songs like “Ghetto Child,” “I Don’t Want to Lose You,” “Ain’t No Price on Happiness,” and “Living a Little, Laughing a Little.” He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Toby Keith
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Country music superstar Toby Keith died Feb. 5 at age 62 following a two-year battle with stomach cancer. After launching his career with his debut hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” the musician released a string of successful genre songs over the next two decades, including his biggest hit to date, 2011’s “Red Solo Cup” and the divisive Sept. 11-inspired song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”
Don Murray
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Don Murray, who received an Oscar nomination for his role in Bus Stop, died on Feb. 2. He was 94. Murray was known for his performance in the Joshua Logan-directed western, where he played opposite Marilyn Monroe as a lovestruck cowboy who falls for a beautiful saloon singer. Following his breakout performance in the drama, Murray went on to appear in films including A Hatful of Rain, Shake Hands with the Devil, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and Peggy Sue Got Married. In the late ‘60s, he led ABC’s one-season western, The Outcasts, and a decade later, starred in the Dallas spinoff, Knots Landing. The actor also appeared in the 2017 reboot of Twin Peaks. Murray is survived by his five children.
Wayne Kramer
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Wayne Kramer, the guitarist who co-founded the proto-punk rock band MC5, died Feb. 2 at the age of 75 from pancreatic cancer. Born Wayne Kambes in Detroit in 1948, Kramer founded MC5 alongside Fred “Sonic” Smith. MC5 gained a following for its energetic performances and left-wing political platform, at one point performing for eight hours straight at the infamous protest against the Vietnam War at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. MC5’s live album Kick Out the Jams and studio album Back in the USA were both heavily influential on the blossoming punk subgenre, and the group helped mentor other prominent bands like the Stooges. Kramer launched a successful solo career in the 1990s, and he later collaborated with artists like Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion, and fellow Detroit rocker Alice Cooper. Kramer also helped compose the scores for Eastbound and Down, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers.
Carl Weathers
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Carl Weathers, the actor and former pro football player best known for his work in the Rocky movies, died Feb. 1 at 76. Weathers’ family said in a statement that he died peacefully in his sleep. After playing for the Oakland Raiders, Weathers rose to prominence portraying rival boxer Apollo Creed in Rocky, serving as the antagonist in the original 1976 film and the 1979 sequel Rocky II before becoming a friend and ally to Sylvester Stallone’s Italian Stallion in Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985). He also starred in projects like Predator, Happy Gilmore, Arrested Development, and the Star Wars spinoff show The Mandalorian.
Mark Gustafson
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Mark Gustafson, the Oscar-winning co-director of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, died on Feb. 1. The animator and director was 64. Gustafson’s career in animation began in the ’80s, taking a variety of forms in addition to the claymation work he would become known for. His early work included the TV special Claymation Christmas Celebration and the Emmy-nominated Meet the Raisins special, which starred the California Raisins. Later, he would direct episodes of the Eddie Murphy-led series, The PJs. Gustafson would go on to work as the animation director for Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and lead the claymation sequences in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas. “I admired Mark Gustafson, even before I met him. A pillar of stop motion animation — a true artist,” Guillermo del Toro wrote in tribute to the animator on X. Their work together on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio would win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2023, as well as a Golden Globe, three Visual Effects Society Awards, and five Annie Awards, including an award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing. “He leaves behind a titanic legacy of animation that goes back to the very origins of claymation and that shaped the career and craft of countless animators,” del Toro continued. “He leaves friends and colleagues and a historic filmography.”
Chita Rivera
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Chita Rivera, the legendary Tony award-winning actress and singer who originated the role of Anita in West Side Story on Broadway, died on Jan. 30 after a brief illness. She was 91. Rivera made her first appearance at 19 as a principal dancer in the 1952 touring company of the musical Call Me Madam before making her Broadway debut in Guys and Dolls the following year. In 1957, she landed her history-making role as Anita in Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story that would turn her into an overnight sensation. Her other stage credits include originating the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago, Anna in The Rink, and Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman, the latter two of which saw her win Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Rivera was one of the most-nominated stars in Tony Awards history, with 10 nods to her name for her performances in Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Merlin, Nine, and her musical career retrospective, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life. She made her final Broadway stage performance in the 2015 musical The Visit.
Hinton Battle
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Hinton Battle, the three-time Tony-winning actor who originated the role of Scarecrow in The Wiz on Broadway, died Jan. 29 at 67. Battle won the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his work in 1981’s Sophisticated Ladies, 1984’s The Tap Dance Kid, and 1991’s Miss Saigon. He also starred in the Broadway productions of Dreamgirls (and its 2006 film adaptation), Dancin’, and Chicago. In addition to his work on the Great White Way, Battle appeared on several television shows, including Quantum Leap, Sweet Justice, High Incident, Touched by an Angel, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the latter of which saw him memorably portray a singing villain in a 2001 musical episode.
Sandra Milo
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Sandra Milo, the Italian actress best known for appearing in Federico Fellini’s autobiographical classic 8 ½, died Jan. 29 at 90. She passed away in her sleep at home in Rome surrounded by family. Born Elena Salvatrice Greco, Milo collaborated with numerous renowned filmmakers, including Roberto Rossellini, Jean Renoir, and Gabriele Salvatore. In addition to playing the protagonist’s mistress Carla in 8 ½, she appeared in Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirit and later became a well-known talk show host.
Melanie Safka
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Melanie, the folk-pop singer and songwriter known for such hits as “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” died Jan. 23 at 76. Born Melanie Safka in New York City, she got her start performing in coffeehouses and made a splash at Woodstock as a relative unknown in 1969. The latter experience provided the basis for her breakthrough hit, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” which was followed by her inescapably popular single “Brand New Key,” her sole top 10 hit in the U.S. Over the course of her career, Melanie released 28 studio albums, with notable songs including “What Have They Done to My Song Ma,” “Ring the Living Bell,” “Together Alone,” and a cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” In 1968, Melanie married record producer Peter Schekeryk, who died in 2010. The couple shared three children.
Charles Osgood
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Charles Osgood, the venerable CBS news anchor and radio personality, died Jan. 23 at 91-years-old. His family told CBS News that the cause of death was dementia. Osgood was best known as the Sunday Morning news host who helmed the show from 1994 to 2016, after original host Charles Kuralt. He was also the voice of The Osgood File, a daily news commentary series for the network’s radio station. During his tenure, Sunday Morning reached new highs, including a ratings spike and three Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Morning Program. Outside of the newsroom, Osgood served as the narrator of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who and was an acclaimed author and poet.
Gary Graham
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Gary Graham, the actor known for starring on the television series Alien Nation and appearing in various Star Trek screen projects, died Jan. 22 at 73. Graham led Alien Nation for its single season from 1989 to 1990 as Det. Matthew Sikes, an L.A. cop who works with extraterrestrial “Newcomers” like Sam “George” Francisco (Eric Pierpoint) to solve crimes. He would reprise the role for five TV movie follow-ups. Graham also portrayed as the Vulcan ambassador Soval on Star Trek: Enterprise and played different characters in other Star Trek works. His other TV credits included The Incredible Hulk, Scruples, CHiPs, The Dukes of Hazzard, Ally McBeal, and JAG.
Mary Weiss
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Mary Weiss, lead singer of ’60s girl group the Shangri-Las, died Jan. 19. She was 75. Formed while still in high school with her sister Elizabeth and twins Mary Ann and Marguerite Ganser, the Shangri-Las scored their first top 10 hit with the single “Remember (Walking in the Sand).” Other hits include “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” and “Maybe,” and their chart-topping anthem “Leader of the Pack,” which was later featured in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. The Shangri-Las released just two albums — Leader of the Pack and The Shangri-Las ’65! — before disbanding in 1968 amid legal troubles. The group reunited for several performances in the 1970s and one final gig in 1989, but Weiss largely stayed out of the spotlight until 2005, when she decided to pursue a solo career. Her debut album, Dangerous Games, was released in 2007.
Norman Jewison
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Norman Jewison, the versatile Canadian filmmaker who directed some of the 20th century’s most beloved movies, such as In the Heat of the Night and Moonstruck, died Jan. 20 at 97. After working with stars like Judy Garland, Danny Kaye, Harry Belafonte, and Jackie Gleason on TV specials, Jewison helmed a wide variety of popular films in wildly different genres, including Fiddler on the Roof, The Thomas Crown Affair, Rollerball, The Cincinnati Kid, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Jewison received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1999, and his films won a total of 12 Oscars from 41 nominations, including a Best Picture win for In the Heat of the Night.
David Emge
United Film Distribution
Actor David Emge, well known to horror fans for playing the role of helicopter pilot Stephen in the 1978 zombie classic Dawn of the Dead, died Jan. 20 at 77. After serving in the Vietnam War, Emge starting his acting career at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and then moved to New York. He was working as a chef when Dawn of the Dead director George Romero cast him as Stephen, who in the film is bitten and becomes a zombie. An image of the undead pilot featured in a book about horror movies later attracted the interest of a young Simon Pegg, helping to inspire the future Shaun of the Dead star and cowriter’s interest in zombies. “I would stare at the image of David Emge’s zombified flyboy character,” Pegg recalled in his 2011 memoir Nerd Do Well. “The film became something of an obsession for me.” Emge’s other film credits included 1976’s The Booby Hatch and 1990’s Basket Case 2.
David Gail
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David Gail, best known for a recurring role as Brenda Walsh’s fiancé on Beverly Hills, 90210 and as Dr. Joe Scanlon on the daytime soap Port Charles, died Jan. 20. He was 58. Gail made his television debut in a 1990 episode of Growing Pains, and went on to guest star on Doogie Hoswer, M.D., Murder, She Wrote, and Matlock. before landing a recurring role as Stuart Carson on Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1993. After 90210, Gail went on to star in the short-lived primetime soap Savannah from 1996 to ’97, and landed in the daytime soap Port Charles (a spin-off of General Hospital) in 1999, replacing Michael Dietz as Dr. Scanlon. Gail stayed in the role for 216 episodes and then worked sporadically through the early ’00s.
Marlena Shaw
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Marlena Shaw, who famously sang “California Soul,” died on Jan. 19 at age 81. Her cause of death was not disclosed by her daughter, who shared the news with a video posted to Shaw’s official Facebook page. The legendary jazz and soul singer began her career with a performance at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in 1952, after being invited onstage by her uncle, a jazz trumpet player. She went on to perform in jazz clubs across the county, eventually signing to Chess Records in her early 20s. Across her career, Shaw released 17 albums total with eight different record labels. Her most famous tune is “California Soul,” penned by Ashford & Simpson and first recorded by The Messengers. It is oft-sampled by other artists and used in various commercials.
Nerene Virgin
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Canadian broadcast journalist, host, and actress Nerene Virgin died on Jan. 15 at age 77. She was best known to ’80s kids as Jodie on the TV show Today’s Special, about a department store mannequin who comes to life after closing time. The Canadian series ran from 1981 to 1987 and aired on Nickelodeon in the U.S. Virgin also worked as a broadcaster, hosting CTV’s current affairs show Eye on Toronto in the late ’80s and early ’90s. She spent the later part of her career as a writer and educator, who championed teaching Black history in schools, and worked as an anti-racism advocate.
Joyce Randolph
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Joyce Randolph, the last surviving member of The Honeymooners cast, died Jan. 13 of natural causes. She was at 99. The actress is best remembered for playing housewife Trixie Norton across 39 episodes of the classic TV sitcom. She starred alongside Audrey Meadows, Art Carney, and series creator Jackie Gleason. The show was canceled after its original run, but gained acclaim in syndication. Though Elaine Stritch originated Trixie when “The Honeymooners” was first a series of sketches on the variety show Cavalcade of Stars, Randolph later became synonymous with the character after Gleason spotted Randolph doing a commercial for Clorets in 1951 and flagged her for the part.
Alec Musser
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Alec Musser, the actor best known for his role as Del Henry on All My Children and his brief but memorable appearance in the movie Grown Ups, died Jan. 12 by suicide. He was 50. Musser was a model prior to his acting career, appearing in Men’s Health and ads for Abercrombie and Fitch. After winning the SOAPnet reality TV contest I Wanna Be a Soap Star, Musser made his debut on All My Children in 2005. For two seasons, Musser played the illegitimate son of Seabone Hunkle (Steve Kanaly), before exiting the show in 2007. His last role was in 2011, as Friedrich in the final season of Desperate Housewives.
Bill Hayes
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Bill Hayes, the beloved daytime television actor who starred as Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives for more than five decades, died Jan. 12 at 98. A talented singer and actor, Hayes originated the role of Doug on the NBC sudser in 1970 and would become one of its longest-running stars, appearing in more than 2,000 episodes over the next 53 years. He married his costar Susan Seaforth Hayes in 1974 and, two years later, their super-couple characters on the show similarly followed them down the aisle. In 2018, both of them received a Lifetime Achievement Award for their work on the show at the Daytime Emmy Awards.
Lynne Marta
Everett
Lynne Marta, an actress known for her guest starring roles in TV and bit parts in films like Footloose and Three Men and a Little Lady, died Jan. 11 after a battle with cancer. She was 78. Marta made her professional acting debut in 1966 on an episode of Gidget before becoming a featured player on the ABC anthology series Love, American Style in 1969. Marta appeared in the 1972 western Joe Kidd starring Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, which was probably her most high profile film role until 1984’s Footloose. The actress was also a regular on television, guest starring on the likes of Kojak, Charlie’s Angels, and Designing Women. Marta also appeared in 24 episode of Days of Our Lives from 1983 to 2003.
Roy Battersby
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British film and television director Roy Battersby died Jan. 10 following a brief illness, his stepdaughter Kate Beckinsale announced on social media. He was 87. Born in London, Battersby made his directorial debut in the 1969 made-for-television film Some Women and is best known for his work on several popular British crime dramas including Between the Lines, Inspector Morse, Cracker, and A Touch of Frost. His film credits include the 1984 drama Winter Flight and 2005’s Red Mercury.
Peter Crombie
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Peter Crombie, the actor known for playing “Crazy” Joe Davola on Seinfeld, died Jan. 10 following a short illness. He was 71. Crombie starred as Davola, a psychopath dead set on terrorizing Jerry, throughout a stint of episodes in season 4 of the classic comedy series. The actor’s other credits include spotlight roles in television shows like Loving, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Picket Fences, L.A. Firefighters, Diagnosis Murder, and Get Smart. He also appeared in films such as Se7en, The Doors, Rising Sun, My Dog Skip, Natural Born Killers, and The Blob.
Adan Canto
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Adan Canto, the actor known for his work on TV series including The Cleaning Lady and Designated Survivor, and in such films as X-Men: Days of Future Past, died Jan. 8 from appendiceal cancer. He was 42. Born in Mexico and raised in Texas, Canto first pursued a career in music and later branched out into acting. He made his American acting debut on the thriller The Following and went on to play White House Chief of Staff Aaron Shore on Designated Survivor, real-life politician Rodrigo Lara Bonilla on Narcos, and mobster Arman Morales on The Cleaning Lady. He portrayed the powerful mutant Sunspot in Days of Future Past, and his other screen credits included Blood & Oil, Second Chance, The Catch, Bruised, and Agent Game.
Christian Oliver
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Christian Oliver, the actor best known for his roles as Snake Oiler in Speed Racer and Emil Brandt in The Good German, died Jan. 4 at 51 in a plane crash that also killed his two young daughters. Born Christian Klepser, the star was born in Germany and relocated to the States to pursue a Hollywood career. His other credits include TV shows Alarm für Cobra 11, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Sense8, and Hunters. In addition, Oliver — who was also a writer and producer — appeared in the films Valkyrie, The Baby-Sitters Club, Hercules Reborn, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Glynis Johns
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Glynis Johns, who played dedicated suffragette mother Winifred Banks in the original Mary Poppins, died on Jan. 4 at age 100. The British actress was recruited by Walt Disney himself for the beloved 1964 musical starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in which Johns’ character begins the film with a rousing performance of “Sister Suffragette.” Johns earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for The Sundowners and won a Tony Award for the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, in which she sang “Send in the Clowns.”
David Soul
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Starsky & Hutch actor David Soul, who helped popularize one of the most iconic TV series of the 1970s, died Jan. 4 at age 80. His first major TV roles were small parts in I Dream of Jeannie and Flipper, followed by a two-season run on the western comedy Here Come the Brides from 1968 to 1970. From 1975 to 1979, Soul starred as Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson opposite Paul Michael Glaser’s David Michael Starsky in Starsky & Hutch. Outside of his acting career, Soul released five albums and a handful of successful singles, including the 1976 rock hit “Don’t Give Up on Us,” which reached No. 1 in the United States.
Harry Johnson
Hulu
Harry Johnson, a veteran actor who appeared on hit television shows such as Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Law & Order, died Jan. 2 following a long illness. He was 81. Johnson began his career as one of Universal Studios’ final contract players and made his television debut as a warrior in a 1978 episode of the sci-fi epic Battlestar Galactica. He would go on to land guest roles on several more beloved television series throughout his 40-year career in entertainment, including: M*A*S*H, The Incredible Hulk, The A-Team, L.A. Law, Dynasty, Who’s the Boss?, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was also a prolific ADR voice actor and starred as Harry in the “Harry & Louise” political advertisements that aired throughout the early 1990s.