RIP: BOB MACKIE

Bob Mackie, iconic fashion and Costume Designer, has died at the age of 87. Bob Mackie was an internationally renowned costume and fashion designer who has dressed some of the most glamorous entertainment icons in the world. With a career spanning five decades, nine Emmy Award wins, three Academy Award nominations, and an induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Mackie's Instagram posted the following message:

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.

Bob Mackie's career is nothing short of legendary. Most recently, he received a 2019 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for his work on The Cher Show.

A native of Southern California, Bob's career began in 1961, where he was in demand as a sketch artist for many costume designers in film, including Edith Head and Jean Louis. In 1966, the vivacious Mitzi Gaynor decided she was ready for a whole new look and quickly engaged Mackie to design the costumes for her famous Las Vegas Review and her upcoming television specials. For Mackie, this was a marriage made in heaven with dance, glamour, and comedy all in one package.

After seeing Gaynor's Las Vegas show, Carol Burnett and TV producer, Joe Hamilton hired him to design the entire wardrobe for the first Carol Burnett Show, where he remained the show's Costume Designer for it's eleven year run on air. Bob is equally well known for his designs worn by Cher on her television show, as well as her concert tours, winning an Emmy in 1999 for Cher: Live in Concert from Las Vegas and in 2003 for Cher: The Farewell Tour.

His theatrical credits include Lorelei with Carol Channing, On the Town with Bernadette Peters, Platinum with Alexis Smith, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public with Dee Hooty, Moon Over Buffalo and Putting It Together, both with Carol Burnett; and Minnelli On Minnelli with Liza Minnelli. He also designed the costumes and scenery for the world premiere of the ballet, Blue Suede Shoes, featuring the music of Elvis Presley, as well as the costumes for the San Francisco Opera's production of Alban Berg's Lulu.

In 1999, the Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology ("FIT") honored Mackie's enormous contribution to fashion and costume design with the retrospective Unmistakably Mackie, now hailed as one of the most highly attended exhibitions in New York City history. The exhibit included more than 125 examples of Mackie's designs, sketches, photos, and videos spanning his incredible career. In conjunction with the retrospective, the vibrantly illustrated book, Unmistakably Mackie by Frank DeCaro, was also released.

Women who wear Mackie dare to be noticed, and many of the entertainment industries biggest and brightest stars are still clamoring to be dressed by him. The Mackie brand continues to flourish with the QVC Wearable Art Collection and partnerships with Kas Rugs, Premium Bag, Horizon Beauty Group, Glance Eyewear, and The Bradford Exchange. With his choice of vibrant colors, luxurious fabrics, and intricate detail, Bob Mackie's work continues to exude timeless glamour...

RIP: JAYE P. MORGAN

Talented actress, and game show panelist Jaye P. Morgan passed away on August 24, 2026 at age 94. In 1953, Morgan made a recording of "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries" issued by Derby Records, which made it to #26 on the U.S. Billboard record chart. Soon after, she received an RCA Victor recording contract, and she had five hits in one year, including her biggest hit "That's All I Want from You", which reached #3 on the chart. Her other notable hits included "There's a Dream in My Heart" by Rolande Maxwell Young, "The Longest Walk", and "Pepper Hot Baby".

After spending six years with RCA Victor, Morgan joined MGM Records in 1959. From 1954 to 1955, Morgan was a vocalist on the ABC television series show Stop the Music. In November 1955, the British music magazine, NME, reported that Morgan was the top female vocalist in the U.S. Cash Box poll. Beginning January 11, 1954, she was a featured singer on the Robert Q. Lewis Show on CBS-TV. In 1956, she had her own show, The Jaye P. Morgan Show, and made guest appearances on a number of other variety shows. She was a charter member of the Robert Q. Lewis "gang" on Lewis's weekday program on CBS, and was featured on a special episode of The Jackie Gleason Show in which Lewis's entire company substituted for the vacationing Gleason. In 1958, Morgan appeared on ABC's Pat Boone Chevy Showroom. On October 6, 1960, she guest starred on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. In 1961, Morgan was cast as Sally Dwight in the episode "Money and the Minister" of the CBS anthology series, General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan. In 1962, she played Patty Maxwell in "Patti's Tune" of the CBS military sitcom-drama Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper. That same year, she was cast as Kitty Flanders in "That's Showbiz" on NBC's The Joey Bishop Show. In 1964, she portrayed the character Ruth Evans in the episode "Sunday Father" of the NBC medical drama The Eleventh Hour.

Although Morgan continued to spend considerable time in the 1960s and 1970s performing in nightclubs, she also continued to make additional appearances on television as well as in films. In 1964, she guest-starred on CBS's My Three Sons as Susan Duvall in the episode "Second Chorus” and in 1966 “A Falling Star", playing the fading singer Claudia Farrell. Later, in 1973, Morgan played herself in the episode "The Songwriter" of the sitcom The Odd Couple. That year she also appeared as Magda Valentine in the film The All-American Boy. She performed the theme song, "Coming into My Own," of the short-lived NBC situation comedy Fay, starring Lee Grant, which aired from 1975 to 1976. In 1978, Morgan guest-starred on The Muppet Show and sang "That Old Black Magic" as a duet with Dr. Teeth. 

Morgan made numerous appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during this period, and in the 1980s and into the early 1990s she performed again on the big screen, working in supportive roles in films such as Loose Shoes (1980), Night Patrol (1984), and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Morgan largely retired in 1992...

RIP: DOLLY PARTON

Dolly Parton, who rose from a loving if impoverished upbringing in the mountains of East Tennessee to become the “Queen of Country” music, a Hollywood star and a beloved American icon, has died, her family announced on Tuesday. Parton was 80.

Parton’s nephew, Brian Seaver, announced the news in a video posted on her Instagram. He did not provide details about her death.

“My name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver said in a video.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it til now,” he added.

Seaver added that Dolly “lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others.”

Her death comes after Parton suddenly announced in May 2026 that she was canceling a Las Vegas show and said she'd been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.

"Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee," Parton said in a statement. "But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple three years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those and hopefully I’ll be up to snuff again soon."

During her more than 60-year career, Parton sold more than 100 million records and won 11 Grammy Awards, making her one of the bestselling musical performers of all time.

Parton also became a star on the silver screen, gaining a whole new audience and critical acclaim when she brought her Southern charm to movies like “9 to 5” (she wrote and sang the theme song), “Steel Magnolias” and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."

Bedecked in blonde bouffant hairdos and never without her makeup, Parton also became one of the nation’s best known brands who parried questions about her hourglass figure and augmented breasts with her signature self-deprecating wit.

“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” Parton once said.Dolly Parton in 1970. Michael Ochs

Parton was also a shrewd businesswoman who amassed an estimated $650 million fortune and maintained creative control in the cutthroat and male-dominated music industry. She presided over an entertainment empire that included the Dollywood theme park. And she was a devoted philanthropist who launched the Dollywood Foundation to provide poverty relief and fund educational programs in her native East Tennessee.

Through it all, Parton leaned on the love of her life, her husband Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82 and who, from the moment they married in 1966, happily ceded the spotlight to his world-famous wife.

“Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton said in July 2025.Dolly Parton in a rare photo with her husband, Carl Thomas Dean. dollyparton.com

Born January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River near the town of Sevierville, Parton was the fourth of 12 children. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, could not read or write and often supplemented the family's meager income from their farm by working constructions jobs. Her mother, Avie Lee Parton, ran the household and was fond of singing traditional Appalachian ballads. The future superstar said it was her mother who instilled in her a love for music.

And it was at church that Parton first started performing. By age 13, Parton was singing on local radio and television shows and made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where she met Johnny Cash.

“Dolly Parton has one of the most distinctive voices in American pop music,” Katherine Dacey, a professor at the Berklee College of Music, told NBC News before Parton’s death was announced. “Her high soprano voice gets its distinctive character from her fast vibrato and vocal twang.”Dolly Parton performs in 1976.

The day after she graduated from Sevier County High School in 1964, Parton headed to Nashville where she first made her mark writing songs for other performers, some of them with her uncle Bill Owens.

In songs like “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “Coat of Many Colors,” Parton drew inspiration from her hardscrabble childhood.

Three years after leaving school, Parton released her first record, “Hello, I'm Dolly” and caught the attention of country star Porter Wagoner and became a regular on his shows.

Then, in 1974, Parton broke out on her own when she topped the country charts for the first time with a song she wrote and performed called “Jolene.” She later revealed it was inspired by a bank teller who flirted with her husband when they were newlyweds.

Her next four singles were also country chart toppers and one of them, “I Will Always Love You,” later became a huge hit for Whitney Houston in 1992.

In 1977, Parton released her first self-produced album “New Harvest...First Harvest” and became the first female country artist to have an album sell over a million copies.

Parton also won her first Grammy with a single from that record called “Here You Come Again.”Parton performing in 1995. Hollywood beckoned and 1980 Parton made her film debut in “9 to 5” which earned her two Golden Globe nominations for her acting and Oscar nomination for the title song, which many consider a feminist anthem.

Parton, who earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984, made several more movies and performed around the world, but she always returned to the music that first made her famous — and to the hollers of East Tennessee where she was born and where she and her husband made their home.

“Never ignore your roots — your home or your hair,” she once said.

In 1986, Parton opened the Dollywood theme park in the Great Smokey Mountains near her hometown. The 165 acres includes rollercoasters, a bald eagle sanctuary and music and crafts that pay tribute to the region's Appalachian heritage.Parton at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., in 1988.Ron Davis / Getty 

Parton and her husband never had children of their own. And in public statements, Parton said she “believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids.” Dolly is the godmother of Miley Cyrus.

Parton's philanthropic legacy also included the creation of the Imagination Library, which mails free books to children around the world. In the three decades since it was founded, the organization has mailed more than 300 million books to kids around the U.S., as well as Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland...

RIP: SAM NEILL

Actor Sam Neill, known for his roles in the "Jurassic Park" films and "Peaky Blinders," died on Monday, according to his official social media account. He was 78.

"Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," the statement, which was posted early on Monday, said. "The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free."

Neill, who was born Nigel John Dermot Neill on Sept. 14, 1947, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, didn't get exposure to acting until he was in college.

As a kid, Neill's parents were in the army, and his father's family owned a vineyard. When he was 7, Neill and his family moved to New Zealand. It was while he attended the University of Canterbury that he gained exposure to acting.

In 1971, Neill landed his first acting role in the New Zealand television film "The City of No." He was cast in several TV film roles before his being cast as the lead in the 1977 New Zealand film, "Sleeping Dogs," an action thriller film.

Following "Sleeping Dogs," Neill worked on several TV shows and films in Australia, including the TV show "The Sullivans" and the 1979 films, "The Journalist" and "Just Out of Reach."

In 1981, he starred in his first international role for "Omen III: The Final Conflict," in which he played Damien Thorn.

Of all the roles he's had, his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 film "Jurassic Park" is perhaps his most well-known. The science fiction action Steven Spielberg directed-film, based on Michael Chrichton's 1990 novel of the same name, followed a team of genetic scientists who have created a wildlife park of de-extinct dinosaurs. Neill's character was inspired by paleontologist Jack Horner.

In a 2022 interview with Forbes, Neill said, "Alan Grant is like an old comfortable pair of boots."

"They've seen better days, but they're really comfortable, and there's no way you'll get rid of those," he said.

Neill also reprised his character in "Jurassic Park III" and "Jurassic World Dominion."

While looking back at his film career portraying Dr. Alan Grant, the actor said that the franchise "took me completely by surprise."

"I never thought there would be another one, let alone six in total," he said. "I also never imagined that that first film would, in particular, would make a place for itself so much in popular culture. People can quote the lines. Alan Grant taking off his dark glasses to see things has become a meme. You just do them at the time, and then 30 years later, it's still part of people's lives. It's baffling, really."
'Merlin,' 'Peaky Blinders' and othe roles

Following "Jurassic Park," Neill starred in a number of films including "Bicentennial Man" alongside Robin Williams, and the 1997 science fiction horror film "Event Horizon."

He also starred in "Merlin," playing the mythical wizard, and the historical drama, "The Tudors."

Throughout his career, Neill received many awards as an actor but the award that was perhaps most meaningful to him was when he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1991, which he was able to share with his father, just before he died.

"I got a letter and I took the letter and dad as in his bed on his way out and I said, 'Dad, they're giving me an OBE,'" Neill recalled in a 2017 interview with Julia Zemiro of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation iview show, "Home Delivery." "And he said, 'I'm very proud of you.'"

In 2022, Neill also earned the title of Sir as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Battle with cancer

While promoting his memoir, "Did I Ever Tell You This?," in March 2023, Neill told The Guardian that he was being treated for stage 3 blood cancer.

The previous year, he had opened up about his diagnosis, saying he is cancer free, but will continue to receive chemotherapy. While undergoing chemotherapy, he told the outlet that he had experienced "dark moments."

"Those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends," he said. "Just pleased to be alive."

In 2022, Neill was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, "a rare, often but not always, aggressive (fast-growing) form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma," according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Neill is survived by his children, Elena Neill, who he shared with ex-wife, Noriko Watanabe, and Tim Neill, who he shares with New Zealand actress Lisa Harrow...

RIP: JOANNA PETTET

Beloved London born Hollywood actress Joanna Pettet died on Tuesday July 7 at the age of 83. The sad news was confirmed by her friend, actress Pam DuBois, who revealed the poignantly significant date of her death in a touching Facebook post. Alongside an image of the star at a graveside she wrote: "We all loved Jo - But there was one person who loved her more. And yesterday on the 31st anniversary of his death. Damien Zach took his mother to heaven and there she will stay with him forever. God bless you Jo." No cause of death has been revealed as of yet.

On August8, 1969, the star had lunch at the home of Sharon Tate, just hours before the members of the Manson Family slaughtered the pregnant star, making her one of the last people to see the tragic actress alive. Quentin Taratino included the lunch in his 2019 fictional/alternate-reality 2019 film Once Upon a Time. In Hollywood, in which she was portrayed by Rumer Willis.

Amongst the stars big screen credits was the role of Mata Bond in the 1967 James Bond satire Casino Royale, loosely based on the first of Ian Fleming's books about the super spy.

She also starred in 1968's Blue opposite Terence Stamp, and 1969's Victorian period comedy The Best House in London. However she was best known for her extensive work on TV which included roles in Route 66, The Doctors, Dr. Kildare, Mannix, Night Gallery, Thriller, Police Woman, Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Hotel, and Murder, She Wrote.

Her final role was in the 1990 thriller Terror in Paradise, after which she retired from acting although she was only in her 40s...

RIP: CHUCK NORRIS

Actor Chuck Norris, best known for his starring role on the television series Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at the age of 86, his family confirmed in a post shared on his Facebook account Friday.

"It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace," the Norris family wrote. "To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.

"He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.

"While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived and for the unforgettable moments we were blessed to share with him. The love and support he received from fans around the world meant so much to him, and our family is truly thankful for it. To him, you were not just fans, you were his friends.

"We know many of you had heard about his recent hospitalization, and we are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way.

"As we grieve this loss, we kindly ask for privacy for our family during this time.

"Thank you for loving him with us."

TMZ had previously reported that Norris, 86, a black belt in several disciplines of martial arts, was reported to have been hospitalized in Hawaii after experiencing a medical emergency while training in Hawaii on Thursday (March 19). A friend who said they spoke to Norris claimed he was in good spirits and was cracking jokes at the time of the report.

Norris celebrated his birthday earlier this month, sharing a video of himself sparring.

"I don’t age. I level up," Norris wrote in the caption of the Facebook post. "I’m 86 today! Nothing like some playful action on a sunny day to make you feel young. I’m grateful for another year, good health and the chance to keep doing what I love. Thank you all for being the best fans in the world. Your support through the years has meant more to me than you’ll ever know."

Norris is a veteran of the United States Air Force who won many martial arts championships before having founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do, and later trained numerous celebrities. The 86-year-old made his film debut with a minor role in The Wrecking Crew (1968) before playing one of the main villains in friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee's movie The Way of the Dragon (1972).

Norris was advised to continue acting by his friend and student, late legendary actor Steve McQueen, before taking on his first starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977) followed by Good Guys Wear Black (1978) before a string of bankable independent and martial arts films including A Force of One (1979), The Octagon (1980) and An Eye for an Eye (1981). Norris' most iconic role came in the 1990s playing the titular character on the long-running CBS television series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1993 to 2001 and continued to appear in action movie roles until 2006, with his last major film appearance coming in The Expendables 2 (2012).

Norris found new fame when 'Chuck Norris facts,' which documented his fictional and absurd feats of strength and endurance, became a popular internet meme, as well as out of context clips of Walker, Texas Ranger being played on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in the mid-2000s after USA Network, which aired Walker, Texas Ranger in syndication at the time, merged with NBC...

RIP: LAUREN CHAPIN

Lauren Chapin, who played Kitten on the classic TV series "Father Knows Best," has died at 80.

Her son Matthew Chapin broke the sad news on Facebook Tuesday, writing, "After a long hard fought battle over the past 5 years, the time has come. My mother Lauren Chapin passed away from her battle with cancer tonight."

He went on, "I'm at a complete loss for words right now. Please keep my sister and family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this incredibly tough time."

Chapin was youngest kid Kathy (nicknamed Kitten) Anderson on "Father Knows Best" from 1954-1960, appearing in nearly 200 episodes.

For her memorable work, she earned five Junior Emmys.

The series, starring Robert Young and Jane Wyatt, also featured big sis Betty "Princess" Anderson (Elinor Donahue) and James "Bun" Anderson (Billy Gray).

Both 88, Donahue and Gray are still living.

Born May 23, 1945, Chapin joined her brothers, Billy and Michael, as a child actor.

Her first, uncredited, work was in the iconic Judy Garland film "A Star Is Born" (1954). After a couple of TV gigs, she was cast as Kitten.

When "Father Knows Best" ended, she worked very sporadically, including returning to her most famous role for two TV reunions, both in 1977.

Chapin went on to have an eclectic career after leaving television, including as a natural childbirth coach and working at a brokerage firm. She ran beauty pageants and even helped Jennifer Love Hewitt early in her own successful TV career.

Her later years were devoted to Evangelism and advocating for Israel. She was also a regular at nostalgia shows.

Chapin is survived by her son and daughter, and by her brother Michael. She was preceded in death in 2016 by her brother Billy...

RIP: CATHERINE O'HARA

Sadly, legendary funny lady Catherine O’Hara has died. The Canadian actress's manager confirmed to the media on Friday, Jan. 30, that the comedy icon, known for roles in films like Beetlejuice, Home Alone and Christopher Guest mockumentaries like Best in Show, died at age 71. No further details were shared.

O’Hara was born in Toronto in 1954. She was the second youngest of seven children; her father worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and her mother was a real estate agent. Her first acting gig was portraying the Virgin Mary in a Nativity play. After graduating from high school, she got a job as a waitress at the Second City Theater in Toronto.

“I was lucky enough to watch everybody,” she said in 2024 of the theater’s legendary talent, which included Dan Aykroyd, Joe Flaherty and family friend Gilda Radner. When she auditioned to become a member, Flaherty had some discouraging feedback.

“He said, ‘Keep up the good work. Your day job, I mean: waitressing,’” she told PEOPLE. She didn’t listen and landed a spot when she auditioned again.

She joined the company in 1974. One of her stagemates was comedian Eugene Levy, who would become one of her closest friends and collaborators. O’Hara told The New Yorker in 2019 that at first she was scared of being on stage.

“My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane. Because you didn’t have to excuse anything that came out of your mouth. It didn’t have to make sense.”

In 1976, the theater began its own TV show, called Second City Television (and usually abbreviated as SCTV). O’Hara was a staple of the sketch program, which aired on NBC in the ‘80s. O’Hara became known not only for her impressions of celebrities, including Meryl Streep and Brooke Shields, but also for original characters that became fan favorites. O’Hara was content with SCTV, but the show did not provide her with a consistent paycheck. “Our producer would get a deal with a network, and we’d have a show for a season or two, and then that deal would go away. There’d be a break, then we’d do the show again,” she said.

During one break in 1981, “I got asked to be on Saturday Night Live. And of course I said yes. Who doesn’t want to do that?” But then SCTV was picked up again and she went back to her home — before she’d ever done a single episode of SNL. Her best friend from high school, Robin Duke, took her SNL slot. “It all worked out the way it was supposed to,” she reflected. As part of the SCTV writing staff, she received five Emmy nominations, winning once.

Her film debut was 1980’s Double Negative, which also featured Levy and other SCTV costars like Flaherty and John Candy. Next, she appeared in Martin Scorsese's 1985 black comedy After Hours and 1986’s Heartburn. In 1988, she had a role in Beetlejuice as Delia Deetz, the stepmother of Winona Ryder’s Lydia. O’Hara reprised her role in the 2024 sequel Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

In 1990, she was cast in Home Alone as the harried mom of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin. “It's a perfect movie, isn't it?” she reflected in 2024. “I need to care about the whole thing,” she said of how she chooses projects. “I don't care to do a great role in a bad project. You want to be part of something good, and that's how you go.” She reprised her role for 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

In 1996, she appeared in her first Guest mockumentary, Waiting for Guffman. She would also appear in 2000’s Best in Show and 2003’s A Mighty Wind, in which she and Levy sang together. She was called the actress the “gifted queen of the bittersweet” in a review of 2006’s For Your Consideration, another collaboration with Guest.

In 2015, she teamed up with Levy once again for Schitt’s Creek, created by his son Dan. It was not the first time she and Levy played characters who were romantically involved. Of their long working relationship, she told the media at the time, “I would love to think we continue to challenge each other, like a good married couple would do.”

In 2020, she won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for the role. "I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be herself,” she said in part during her speech. She also won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for the series.

Other TV roles for O’Hara included guest spots on Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock. She also received an Emmy nomination for her performance in the 2010 TV film Temple Grandin. She voiced characters in the animated films Frankenweenie, The Addams Family and Elemental, and in 2024, she appeared in the action film Argylle and season 2 of The Last of Us.

In 1992, she married Bo Welch. They met when he worked as a production designer on Beetlejuice. They shared sons Matthew and Luke. O’Hara is survived by them...

RIP: SIDNEY KILBRICK

Sidney Kibrick, the second-to-last surviving child star from the Our Gang series of movie shorts, died January 2, according to friends. He was 97.

Born July 2, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kibrick moved with his family to Los Angeles at age five. He was discovered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where a film producer scouting children for the Our Gang comedies spotted him. Created by Hal Roach — who also produced films starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and other comedians of that era — the Our Gang shorts (later syndicated on television as The Little Rascals) were produced from 1922 to 1944, spanning the transition from the silent era to early sound.

Kibrick’s earliest screen appearance was a brief, non-speaking role as an extra in the feature film Dead End. He made his uncredited film debut in Out All Night in 1933 and appeared in several additional uncredited roles before being cast as a regular in the Our Gang series in 1935.

Initially unnamed, his character was later identified as “Woim,” the sidekick to the neighborhood bully Butch, played by Tommy Bond. Kibrick appeared in 27 Our Gang shorts. At the time, the featured Our Gang players included George “Spanky” McFarland, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas, Eugene “Porky” Lee, Darla Hood, and Darwood “Waldo” Kaye.

After leaving Our Gang, Kibrick made a handful of uncredited appearances in other films before retiring from acting. As an adult, he worked as a real estate developer.

Former child actor Peggy Lynch, who appeared in three Our Gang shorts, is now the last surviving cast member from the classic film series...

RIP: ROB REINER

Rob Reiner was born on March 6, 1947, in the Bronx, New York, into a family that lived and breathed entertainment. His father, Carl Reiner, was a comedy legend, and his mother, Estelle, was an actress and singer. In 1959, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Rob attended Beverly Hills High School alongside future stars like Albert Brooks and Richard Dreyfuss. Later, he studied film at UCLA, setting the stage for a career that would redefine Hollywood storytelling.

Reiner first captured America’s attention as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family, a role that earned him two Emmy Awards and cemented his place in television history. But acting was only the beginning. In 1984, he stepped behind the camera to direct This Is Spinal Tap, a satirical masterpiece that became a cult classic. What followed was an extraordinary run: Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, and A Few Good Men. These films didn’t just entertain—they became cultural touchstones. In 1987, Reiner co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, the studio behind hits like Seinfeld and The Shawshank Redemption, further shaping the landscape of modern cinema.

His talents weren’t confined to directing. Reiner appeared in films such as Sleepless in Seattle, Bullets Over Broadway, and The Wolf of Wall Street, proving his versatility as an actor. He continued directing well into the 2000s, with projects like Being Charlie, a deeply personal film inspired by his son’s struggles with addiction.

Reiner’s personal life was as rich as his professional one. He married actress Penny Marshall in 1971 and adopted her daughter, Tracy, before divorcing in 1981. In 1989, he married photographer Michele Singer, and together they raised three children—Jake, Nick, and Romy—while building a life grounded in creativity and advocacy.

Beyond Hollywood, Reiner was a passionate activist. He championed marriage equality, fought for early childhood education, and co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights. His voice carried weight not just in film but in the fight for social justice.

On December 14, 2025, tragedy struck when Rob Reiner and Michele Singer were found dead in their Brentwood home, victims of an apparent double homicide. The investigation continues, but the loss is immeasurable. Rob Reiner’s legacy is one of laughter, love, and fearless storytelling—a life that bridged art and activism, leaving behind films that will endure for generations...

RIP: SALLY KIRKLAND

Sally Kirkland has sadly passed away. The Golden Globe winner passed away after a battle with dementia just days after it was reported she had entered a hospice in Palm Springs.

Her spokesperson, Michael Greene, told our blog that she was pronounced dead at 1:50pm PT on Tuesday morning. A GoFundMe previously set up for Kirkland revealed the actress faced 'two separate life-threatening infections' after fracturing multiple bones this past year.

Kirkland's publicist Dominic Friesen previously told tour blog in a separate statement that the actress had been 'receiving medical care at a private facility where family and friends joined her on Halloween for a birthday celebration.'

A GoFundMe set up to raise money for Kirkland's medical expenses had stated: 'This past year Sally fractured her four bones in her neck, right wrist, and her left hip.

She passed away after a battle with dementia just days after entering hospice care.

The legendary actress is best known for her films The Sting and Anna, the ladder of which earned her an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win.

Kirkland's illustrious acting career goes back to the 1960s, with IMDb listing her first-ever role in the 1960 movie Crack In The Mirror. In the years to follow, she made appearances in a slew of classic TV shows including Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company, and Charlie's Angels.

Kirkland had a comeback when she co-starred with model Paulina Porizkova in the drama Anna in 1987, landing her a Best Actress Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win.

Other notable big screen roles was the part of Anita Mann in Bruce Almighty and a starring role in the Kevin Costner led film JFK.

More recently she was a part of the star-studded cast for 80 For Brady, the film starring Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Rita Morena, and Lily Tomlin as massive Tom Brady fans...

RIP: JUNE LOCKHART

June Lockhart, the beloved actress whose warmth and grace lit up American television screens for decades, passed away peacefully on October 23, 2025, at her home in Santa Monica, California. She was 100 years old.

Born on June 25, 1925, in New York City to actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, June was destined for the stage. Her professional debut came at age 8 in a Metropolitan Opera production, and she later appeared in MGM’s A Christmas Carol (1938), acting alongside her parents.

Lockhart became a household name through her iconic roles as Ruth Martin in Lassie (1958–1964) and Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space (1965–1968). Her portrayal of nurturing, intelligent mother figures endeared her to generations of viewers and cemented her legacy as one of television’s most cherished matriarchs.

Beyond acting, Lockhart was passionate about journalism, politics, science, and space exploration. She maintained close ties with NASA and was proud to have inspired future astronauts through her work on Lost in Space. Her daughter, June Elizabeth, shared, “Mommy always considered acting as her craft, her vocation, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA”.

June Lockhart was also a Tony Award winner and appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Meet Me in St. Louis, Petticoat Junction, Gunsmoke, and Bewitched. Her career spanned over eight decades, a testament to her talent and enduring appeal.

She is survived by her daughters, Anne Kathleen and June Elizabeth, and granddaughter Christianna. Her family was by her side at the time of her passing, and they described her final days as joyful and engaged—reading The New York Times and LA Times daily, ever curious and informed.

June Lockhart’s legacy lives on in the hearts of fans, colleagues, and the many lives she touched through her artistry and intellect. She will be remembered not only as a gifted performer but as a woman of substance, curiosity, and compassion...

ELSA LANCASTER GETS A GRAVESIDE MARKER!

On October 28th, the occasion of her 123rd birthday, just a few days before Halloween, the beloved Bride of Frankenstein herself, Elsa Lanchester, is finally receiving a long-overdue graveside marker. Nearly 40 years after her death, fans will now have a place to pay their respects to one of classic Hollywood’s most iconic and memorable actresses.

Lanchester, who brought to life the unforgettable “Bride” in Universal’s 1935 Bride of Frankenstein, passed away on December 26, 1986, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. After suffering multiple debilitating strokes in her later years, she was cared for by the Motion Picture Fund, which became executor of her estate. Her actor husband Charles Laughton had preceded her in death and the couple had no children.

After her death, Lanchester’s resting place remained anonymous — and unmarked.
For decades, biographers and fans believed her ashes had been scattered at sea. But as it turns out, that wasn’t the full story.

Enter Scott Michaels, founder of Dearly Departed Tours, known for his meticulous research into Hollywood’s darker corners as shown on his popular YouTube channel. In his words, “I did a little digging (as it were) and found out that Elsa wasn’t scattered at all.” Michaels discovered that Elsa Lanchester’s cremated remains were quietly interred at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, in a rose garden vault and recorded under her married name, Elsa Lanchester Laughton.
Scott Michaels is using his YouTube and social media platform to crowd source for funds to cover the cost of the modest marker via Spotfund.com.

Michaels has previously led the charge to remember and mark the graves of other notables, including Susan Cabot, Donald "Shorty" Shea, Johnny Arthur, Jonathan Hale, Thelma Pelish, William Anderson, Ken Weatherwax and The Mighty Michu.

An official marker unveiling ceremony will be held at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, where horror fans, film historians, and members of the Hollywood community are invited to gather and celebrate Elsa’s legacy. The event will coincide with the Halloween season — a perfect time to remember the actress who gave cinematic life (and one unforgettable hiss) to the Bride of Frankenstein.

EVENT DETAILS
Graveside Marker Unveiling for Elsa Lanchester (The Bride of Frankenstein)
■ Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery, North Hollywood, CA
■October 28, 2025 – 11:00am
■ Open to the public – fans and press welcome
Scott Michaels
Founder, Dearly Departed Tours Online
■ info@dearlydepartedtours.com
■ www.dearlydepartedtours.com

RIP: DIANE KEATON

Diane Keaton, who remained one of Hollywood's quirkiest and most beloved actors decades after her Academy Award-winning performance in the movie Annie Hall, has died aged 79.

Her film producer confirmed her death to on Saturday

In one of her memoirs, Keaton wrote about aging and love in Hollywood and becoming a parent late in life. She was also upfront about some of her insecurities; she fretted about aging, her hair thinning, her eyes drooping. But Keaton told me that later in life, she had finally come to accept that all flaws are beautiful.

She was born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, the daughter of real estate broker and civil engineer Jack Hall. Her mother Dorothy was once crowned Mrs. Los Angeles.

Keaton said her mom cheered her on as she pursued her dreams of becoming a singer and performer in New York. After studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse in the 1960's, Keaton ended up an understudy in the original Broadway production of the rock musical Hair.

"It was wild. It was unexpected," she said. "But I could see that I really wasn't a hippie. I knew that I wasn't a hippie in Hair."

Keaton famously refused to go onstage nude for the final scene of Hair.

Then, along came Woody Allen, with whom she had a romantic relationship. Allen cast her in Play It Again, Sam, his play, then his movie. Also his film comedies Sleeper, Love and Death, Manhattan, and, of course, Annie Hall.

Keaton's kooky, quirky role as Annie Hall and her "lah-de-dah" charm won her a best actress Oscar in 1978. She thanked Woody Allen in her acceptance speech and later, for her entire career. She stood by him throughout the controversy over allegations that Allen once molested his daughter, which the director denies.

"That's never going to change," Keaton said of her support for Allen. "He's my very, very good friend."

In Annie Hall, Keaton showed off her comedy and singing chops. But she also had dramatic film roles, most famously in The Godfather trilogy. Her character marries into the Corleone mafia family.

Diane Keaton never married, though in films, she was one of the very few older American actresses who still got leading romantic roles. That was something actress Carol Kane, Keaton's long-term friend, raved about at the time.

"She's playing the love interest a lot," Kane said. "You know, kind of passionately kissing and swooping into the bedroom…at an age when most people just sort of say, 'OK, well, that part is over.' I mean, she just gets more and more beautiful because she's more and more herself."

For years, Keaton acted in such films as Looking For Mr. Goodbar, The First Wives Club and Baby Boom. She directed the documentary Heaven in 1987. She also wrote books about her life, about architecture, photography and beauty; she collected photos of beautiful men, she renovated beautiful houses, and as a single mother, raised two beautiful children. When she turned 50, she adopted her daughter, Dexter and five years later, her son Duke.

"It's an unconventional life, it's true," she told me. "But I don't really see it that way, because I just think everybody has a pretty– is there a life that doesn't have a story that isn't pretty astonishing? I've never come across anybody who hasn't. I just worked my way into the life that I have because I had a goal and it was very simple: I wanted to be in the movies."

RIP: ROBERT REDFORD

Robert Redford, the dashing actor and Oscar-winning director who eschewed his status as a Hollywood leading man to champion causes close to his heart, has died, according to his publicist Cindi Berger, Chairman and CEO of Rogers and Cowan PMK.

He was 89.

“Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah–the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly,” Berger said in a statement to CNN. “The family requests privacy.”

Known for his starring roles in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men,” Redford also directed award-winning films such as “Ordinary People” and “A River Runs Through It.”

His passion for the art of filmmaking led to his creation of the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit that supports independent film and theater and is known for its annual Sundance Film Festival.

Redford was also a dedicated environmentalist, moving to Utah in 1961 and leading efforts to preserve the natural landscape of the state and the American West.

Redford at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Redford acted well into his later years, reuniting with Jane Fonda in the 2017 Netflix film “Our Souls at Night.” The following year, he starred in “The Old Man & the Gun” at age 82, a film he said would be his last – although he said he would not consider retiring.

“To me, retirement means stopping something or quitting something,” he told CBS Sunday Morning in 2018. “There’s this life to lead, why not live it as much as you can as long as you can?”

In October 2020, Redford voiced his concern about the lack of focus on climate change in the midst of devastating wildfires in the western United States, in an opinion piece he wrote for CNN.

David James Redford – the third of four children born to Robert Redford and former wife Lola Van Wagenen – had followed in his father’s footsteps as an activist, filmmaker and philanthropist.

Born in Santa Monica, California, near Los Angeles, in 1936, Redford’s father worked long hours as a milkman and an accountant, later moving the family to a larger home in nearby Van Nuys.

“I didn’t see him much,” Redford recalled of his father, on “Inside the Actor’s Studio” in 2005.

Because his family couldn’t afford a babysitter, Redford spent hours in the children’s section at the local library where he became fascinated with books on Greek and Roman mythology.

Yet Redford was hardly a model student.

“I had no patience … I was not inspired,” Redford recalled. “It was more interesting to me to mess around and to adventure beyond the parameters that I was growing up in.”

Drawn to arts and sports – and a life outside of sprawling Los Angeles – Redford earned a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1955. That same year, his mother died.

“She was very young, she wasn’t even 40,” he said.

Redford said his mother was “always very supportive (of my career)” — more so than his dad.

“My father came of age during the Depression and he was afraid to take chances … so he wanted the straight and narrow path for me, which I was just not meant to be on,” he said.  “My mother, no matter what I did, she was always forgiving and supportive and felt that I could do anything.

“When I left and went to Colorado and she died, I realized I never had a chance to thank her.”

Redford soon turned to drinking, lost his scholarship and eventually was asked to leave the university. He worked as a “roustabout” for the Standard Oil Company and saved his earnings to continue his art studies in Europe.

In 1959, Redford graduated from the academy and got his first acting role on an episode of “Perry Mason.” His acting career was “uphill from there,” he said.

His big acting break came in 1963, when he starred in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” on Broadway – a role he would later reprise on the big screen with Jane Fonda.

Around this time, Redford married Lola Van Wagenen and started a family. His first child, Scott, died from sudden infant death syndrome just a few months after his birth in 1959. Shauna was born in 1960, David in 1962, and Amy in 1970.

Robert Redford working in Utah in 1969. John Dominis Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

As his acting career was taking off, Redford and his family moved to Utah in 1961 where he bought two acres of land for just $500 and built a cabin himself.

“I discovered how important nature was in my life, and I wanted to be where nature was extreme and where I thought it could maybe be everlasting,” he told CNN.

Redford made a name for himself as a leading man in 1969 when he starred opposite Paul Newman – already a major star – in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” The Western about a pair of outlaws won four Academy Awards.

Redford said he “will forever be indebted” to Newman, whom he credited with helping him get the role. The two actors had great on-screen chemistry, became lifelong friends and reunited in “The Sting” in 1973, which won the Academy Award for best picture.

Redford starred in a string of hit movies throughout the 1970s: “Jeremiah Johnson”; “The Way We Were,” co-starring Barbra Streisand; “The Great Gatsby”; and with Dustin Hoffman in 1976’s “All The President’s Men,” about the Watergate scandal.

Teaming up with director Sydney Pollack on “Jeremiah Johnson,” Redford fought with the studio to get the film made the way he wanted – a precursor to his career as a director and his support for independent filmmaking.

“It was a battle from the get-go,” Redford told “Inside The Actor’s Studio.” “They (the studio) said … ‘You’ve got $4 million, put it in the bank in Salt Lake City, you can shoot wherever you want, but that’s it. If it goes over, it comes out of your hide.’”

With spare dialogue and stunning scenery, the film tells the story of a Mexican War veteran who has left the battlefield to survive as a trapper in the American West.

"All the President's Men" inspired a new wave of journalists in 1976 when Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman portrayed Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they uncovered the Watergate scandal. 

It was released more than three years after it was made because, according to Redford, the studio’s sales chief thought the film was “so unusual” that it wouldn’t find an audience.

“Jeremiah Johnson” ended up grossing nearly $45 million. It wasn’t the only time Redford’s passion for the art of filmmaking put him at odds with the studios that funded his work.

“The sad thing you have to work against, as a filmmaker, is held opinions about what works or doesn’t work,” Redford said. “Sports movies don’t work, political movies don’t work, movies about the press don’t work – so I’ve done three of them.”

Redford made his directing debut in 1980 with “Ordinary People,” a drama about an unhappy suburban family which earned the Academy Award for Best Picture and another one for him as best director. He continued starring in hit films such as “The Natural” in 1984, which tapped into his passion for baseball, and 1993’s “An Indecent Proposal,” which paired him with a much younger Demi Moore.

He later directed the 1993 film “A River Runs Through It,” which won three Academy Awards, 1994’s “Quiz Show” and “The Horse Whisperer” in 1998, which he also starred in.

Ruggedly handsome, Redford was often cast as the romantic leading man in films such as “Out of Africa” in 1985, but he wasn’t always comfortable with the label and feared being typecast.

“I didn’t see myself the way others saw me and I was feeling kind of trapped because I couldn’t go outside the box of … good-looking leading man,” he said. “It was very flattering, but it was feeling restrictive … so it took many years to break loose of that.”