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Wiesel Elie (b. 1926-09-30 / d. 2016-07-02)
He was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. Utah senator Orrin Hatch paid tribute to Wiesel in a speech on the Senate floor the following week, in which he said that, "With Elie's passing, we have lost a beacon of humanity and hope. We have lost a hero of human rights and a luminary of Holocaust literature.
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61
Born 1962-10-26. Domain:Journalism. Cause of death:Heart attack
Aurélien Ferenczi was a French journalist and film critic. He served as deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine Télérama and had a blog titled Cinécure. He also worked on the Canal+ show Le Cercle. In 2019, he was fired from Télérama for "sexist behavior, sexual harassment and moral harassment". He disputed the allegations and announced his intentions to fight his termination in court.
89
Born 1935-01-28. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Nicholas David Pryor (born Probst) was an American character actor. He appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions.
77
Born 1946-08-09. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Cancer
Alain Dorval (born Alain Fernand Jean-Marie Bergé) was a French actor, best known as the official dub voice of Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte, and the Disney character Pete. His voice was also featured on the radio stations Skyrock and ADO FM. He died from cancer at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif.
78
Born 1944-05-29. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Helmut Berger (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛlmuːt ˈbɛʁɡɐ]; né Steinberger) was an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded as a sex symbol and pop icon of that period. He is most famous for his work with Luchino Visconti, particularly in his performance as King Ludwig II of Bavaria in Ludwig, for which he received a special David di Donatello award, and his performance in The Damned for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
87
Born 1935-09-09. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Chaim Topol (Hebrew: חיים טופול), also spelled Haym Topol, mononymously known as Topol, was an Israeli actor, singer, and illustrator. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from 1967 through 2009. Topol began his acting career during his Israeli army service in the Nahal entertainment troupe and later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre. His breakthrough film role came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati, by Israeli writer Ephraim Kishon, for which he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer—Male. Topol went on to appear in more than 30 films in Israel and the United States, including Galileo (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and For Your Eyes Only (1981). He was described as Israel's only internationally recognized entertainer from the 1960s through the 1980s. He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1971 film portrayal of Tevye, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor for a 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof. Topol was a founder of Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs, and Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses, for which he served as chairman of the board. In 2015 he was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. In June 2022, Topol's son, Omer, revealed that his father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
85
Born 1938-01-25. Domain:Art. Cause of death:Heart
Leiji Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本零士, Hepburn: Matsumoto Reiji, born Akira Matsumoto (松本晟)) was a Japanese manga artist, and creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist. Matsumoto was famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999. His style was characterized by mythological and often tragic storylines with strong moral themes, noble heroes, feminine heroines, and a love of strange worlds and melancholy atmosphere.
94
Born 1928-05-12. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Age
Burt Freeman Bacharach (/ˈbækəræk/ BAK-ə-rak) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. He composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s onwards, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions, influenced by his background in jazz harmony, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output.
63
Born 1959-03-18. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Unknown
Irene Cara Escalera was an American singer, songwriter and actress of black, Puerto Rican, and Cuban descent. Cara rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film Fame, and for recording the film's title song "Fame", which reached No. 1 in several countries. In 1983, Cara sang and co-wrote the song "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (from the film Flashdance), for which she shared an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. Prior to her success with Fame, Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams in the original 1976 musical drama film Sparkle. Cara died at her home in Largo, Florida at the age of 63. As of November 26, 2022, the cause of her death is unknown.
74
Born 1947-09-27. Domain:Music. Cause of death:COVID
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday), better known as Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy—Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose—has sold more than 65 million albums worldwide. More than four decades after its release, the first album still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually and stayed on the charts for over nine years, making it one of the best-selling albums in history. Aday appeared in over 50 films and television shows, sometimes as himself or as characters resembling his stage persona. His film roles include Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Bob Paulson in Fight Club (1999). His early stage work included dual roles in the original Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Show, and he also appeared in the musical Hair, both on-and off-Broadway.
66
Born 1955-12-01. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Suicide
Verónica Forqué Vázquez-Vigo (Spanish pronunciation: [beˈɾonika foɾˈke]) was a Spanish stage, film and television actress. She was a four-time Goya Award winner, the most award-winning actress alongside Carmen Maura. She had a knack for characters "between ridiculous and tender, stunned and vehement". Forqué fell into a depression in the wake of her 2014 separation from Iborra, a situation aggravated by the death of her brother Álvaro some months later. Forqué was found dead in her Madrid residence on 13 December 2021 at the age of 66, presumably a suicide.
78
Born 1943-04-23. Domain:Sport. Cause of death:Accident
Paul Smart was a British motorcycle racer. He died at the age of 78 following a road traffic collision. Paul was riding his motorcycle when the accident occurred. Whilst enjoying success in GP and at the TT, Paul is most known for winning the 1972 Imola 200 for Ducati. A statement from the family reads: "Paul was a hugely popular character in and out of the paddock, and much loved by his family, friends and fans around the world. He was 78. He will forever be synonymous with Ducati, the Italian brand he propelled to international acclaim with victory in the 1972 Imola 200 race. Paul also shared a special affinity with the Brands Hatch circuit, having lived literally next door in West Kingsdown for many years. So much more can and will be written in the days and weeks ahead about a life well lived that has been tragically curtailed. Paul is survived by wife Maggie, son Scott and daughter Paula who kindly request their privacy is respected at this difficult time." At Imola, Paul took his all-new Ducati Gran Tourismo 750 machine to victory at the inaugural event, which was Europe’s answer to America's Daytona200. The 750 was the first Ducati to use a desmodromic engine, had the frame, suspension, engine, and brakes of a production model touring bike. Smart was able to beat Giacomo Agostini and his MV Agusta 500cc race bike. Ducati honoured his victory with the Paul Smart 1000 LE special edition bike in 2006. The bike was styled to look just like his 1972 race winning machine. Paul also raced in the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc GP categories, securing a total of seven podiums. He finished second in the 250cc and 350cc races at the 1971 Swedish Grand Prix, whilst finishing second and third respectively in the 350cc class in West Germany and East Germany. In 1970 Paul finished third at the Isle of Man GP on a 350cc Padgett Yamaha, and in the same year finished second at the Finnish Grand Prix and Ulster Grand Prix on a 250cc machine. Paul Smart nickname is Smarty.
91
Born 1929-11-15. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Eddie Asner (/ˈæznər/) was an American actor. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series Lou Grant, making him one of the few television actors to portray the same character in both a comedy and a drama. Asner is the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven – five for portraying Lou Grant (three as Supporting Actor in a Comedy Television Series on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and two as Lead Actor in a Dramatic Television Series on spin-off Lou Grant). His other Emmys were for performances in two miniseries: Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), and Roots (1977). Asner acted in numerous films such as the western El Dorado (1966), the crime drama They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), and the cop drama Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981). He portrayed Guy Banister in the political thriller JFK (1991), Warren Buffett in the HBO drama film Too Big to Fail (2011), and Santa Claus in several films, including in Elf (2003). He voiced Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's animated film Up (2009). Asner starred in the ABC sitcom Thunder Alley (1994–1995), and Michael: Every Day (2011–2017). He also acted extensively in numerous television series such as The Practice, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Good Wife, Cobra Kai, Briarpatch, Working Class, and Dead to Me. He also voiced J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man (1994) series, and Uncle Ben in The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008).
95
Born 1926-04-12. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Jane Withers was an American actress and children's radio show host. She became one of the most popular child stars in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s, with her films ranking in the top ten list for box-office gross in 1937 and 1938. She began her entertainment career at the age of three and, during the Golden Age of Radio, hosted her own children's radio program in her home city of Atlanta, Georgia. In 1932, she and her mother moved to Hollywood, where she appeared as an extra in many films until landing her breakthrough role as the spoiled, obnoxious Joy Smythe opposite Shirley Temple's angelic orphan Shirley Blake in the 1934 film Bright Eyes. She made 38 films before retiring at age 21 in 1947. She returned to film and television as a character actor in the 1950s. From 1963 to 1974, she gained new popularity with her portrayal of the character Josephine the Plumber in a series of television commercials for Comet cleanser. In the 1990s and early 2000s, she did voice work for Disney animated films. She was interviewed in numerous documentary retrospectives of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She was also known for her philanthropy and her extensive doll collection.
102
Born 1918-10-16. Domain:Art. Cause of death:Age
Charles-Henri Jean Dewisme, better known by his pen name Henri Vernes, was an author of action and science-fiction novels. He published over 200 titles in the action and science-fiction genre. He was most noted for the creation of the character Bob Morane, a hero whose adventures spanned fifty years and went from straight adventure and science-fiction to fantasy. Vernes also wrote the text of many comics albums and animated movies. Dewisme used a number of other pseudonyms, including Jacques Colombo, Robert Davids, Duchess Holiday, C. Reynes, Jacques Seyr, Lew Shannon, and Ray Stevens, as well as his real name.
81
Born 1940-03-13. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Jacqueline Sassard was an actress best known for appearances in Italian films such as Guendalina directed by Alberto Lattuada, a young woman with family and financial troubles in Luigi Zampa's Il Magistrato and Valerio Zurlini's Violent Summer (1959), in which her character was left by Jean-Louis Trintignant.
87
Born 1933-09-15. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Henry Darrow (born Enrique Tomás Delgado Jiménez) was an American character actor of stage and film known for his role as Manolito "Mano" Montoya on the 1960s television series The High Chaparral. In film, Darrow played the corrupt and vengeful Trooper Hancock in The Hitcher. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was seen in numerous guest starring television roles. Darrow replaced Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Zorro's father Don Alejandro de la Vega in the 1990s television series Zorro.
94
Born 1926-04-30. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedienne whose career spanned more than seven decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nominated and, along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, most awarded actress in Emmy history. She won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award. In film, she appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971) as the jaded wife of a closeted schoolteacher in the 1950s; she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance, and the film is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Additionally, she was part of Mel Brooks's ensemble cast, appearing in roles such as Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein (1974) and Madame Defarge in History of the World, Part I (1981). Leachman won additional Emmys for the television film A Brand New Life (1973); the variety sketch show Cher (1975); the ABC serial The Woman Who Willed a Miracle (1983); and the television shows Promised Land (1998) and Malcolm in the Middle (2001–06). Her other notable film and television credits include The Twilight Zone (1961; 2003), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), WUSA (1970), Yesterday (1981), the English-language dub of the Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky (1998), Spanglish (2004), Mrs. Harris (2005), and Raising Hope (2010-2014). From 1953 to 1979, Leachman was married to Hollywood impresario George Englund. Her former mother-in-law was character actress Mabel Albertson. The marriage produced four sons and one daughter: Bryan (died 1986), Morgan, Adam, Dinah, and George. Some of them are in show business. Her son Morgan played Dylan on Guiding Light for several years. The Englunds were Bel Air neighbors of Judy Garland, Sid Luft and their children, Lorna and Joey Luft, during the early 1960s. Lorna Luft stated in her memoir Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir that Leachman was "the kind of mom I'd only seen on TV". Knowing of the turmoil at the Luft home, but never mentioning it, Leachman prepared meals for the children and made them feel welcome when they needed a place to stay. Leachman was also a friend of Marlon Brando's, whom she met while studying under Elia Kazan in the 1950s. She introduced him to her husband, who became close to Brando, as well, directing him in The Ugly American and writing a memoir about their friendship called Marlon Brando: The Way It's Never Been Done Before (2005).
95
Born 1925-04-28. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Bruce Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu) was an American character actor. Kirby had several roles in the long-running series Columbo, most notably as the gullible Sergeant Kramer in six episodes. One of his sons, Bruno Kirby (1949–2006), was also an actor. His other son, John Kirby, is an acting coach. Kirby died at age 95 in Los Angeles.
97
Born 1923-08-10. Domain:Art. Cause of death:Age
Jean Graton was a French comic book author and cartoonist. Graton created the famous character Michel Vaillant and the eponymous series in 1957.
85
Born 1935-07-01. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
David Charles Prowse MBE was an English bodybuilder, weightlifter and character actor in British film and television. Worldwide, he was best known for physically portraying Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy (with the character's voice being performed by James Earl Jones); in 2015, he starred in a documentary concerning that role, entitled I Am Your Father. Prior to his role as Vader, Prowse had established himself as a prominent figure in British culture as the first Green Cross Code man, a character used in British road safety advertising aimed at children. He had a role as Frank Alexander's bodyguard, Julian, in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, in which he was noticed by the future Star Wars director George Lucas. Prowse suffered from arthritis for much of his life. This led to replacements of both hips and his ankle being fused, as well as several revisionary surgeries on his hip replacements. Prowse's arthritic symptoms first appeared at age 13, but seemingly disappeared when he took up competitive weightlifting. However, they reappeared in 1990. In 2001, Prowse's left arm became paralysed, followed by his right. He was diagnosed with septic arthritis caused by an infection which nearly killed him. The amount of surgery he had was stated to have reduced his height from the 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm) of his younger days. Prowse worked with various arthritis organisations in Britain and was vice-president of the Physically Handicapped and Able-bodied Association. In March 2009, Prowse revealed that he was suffering from prostate cancer. From early 2009 he underwent radiation therapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital in South London. He discovered that he had the cancer following his participation in a charity event in aid of a prostate cancer charity, where a representative of the charity asked whether, as a man over 50, he had had a PSA test. The conversation stayed in his mind, and on a future visit to a general practitioner, he requested the blood test that eventually led to diagnosis. In 2009 he was said to be in remission. In November 2014, the Daily Mirror reported that Prowse had dementia. However, Prowse himself denied this, admitting instead he had problems with his memory, which he put down to age.
90
Born 1930-08-25. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Sir Thomas Sean Connery was a Scottish actor and producer. He was best known as the first actor to portray the character James Bond in film, starring in seven Bond films (every film from Dr. No to You Only Live Twice, plus Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again) between 1962 and 1983.
36
Born 1983-11-22. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Suicide
Sei Ashina (芦名 星, Ashina Sei) was a Japanese actress. Japanese actress Sei Ashina was found dead at her Tokyo apartment by family on Monday morning, her agency said, following what investigative sources believe was a suicide. The 36-year-old Ashina, who began her career as a fashion model, starred in numerous movies and TV series including the NHK period drama “Yae no Sakura” (Yae’s Sakura) and the police drama “Aibo” (Partner). The Fukushima Prefecture native also landed a role in the 2007 film “Silk,” an adaptation of an Italian novel of the same name, in which a French silkworm smuggler and his wife, played by Michael Pitt and Keira Knightley, journey to Japan in search of silkworms in the 19th century. Ashina made her voice acting debut in the Japanese-language version of the 2011 American TV series “Revenge” as the leading character Emily Thorne, and most recently appeared in the TV series “Theseus no Fune” (Ship of Theseus) and the movie “AI Hokai” (AI Amok) released in January.
93
Born 1927-08-14. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Roger Carel was a French actor and voice talent, known for his recurring film roles as Asterix, the French voice of Star Wars' C-3PO, and the French voice of Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh. He has also dubbed David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot. He also voiced Wally Gator, Mickey Mouse, Yogi Bear, Kermit the Frog, Heathcliff, Foghorn Leghorn, ALF and many other famous characters in French. He was born in Paris, France.
82
Born 1937-12-02. Domain:Art. Cause of death:Age
Franco Maria Ricci was an Italian art publisher and magazine editor. Amongst his publications is FMR, a Milan-based bi-monthly art magazine published in Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish for over 27 years. Ricci is known for having created limited editions honoring particular independent artists, which are characterized by their tinted handmade paper, and black silk-bound hardcovers with silver or gold lettering stamping. He sold his publishing house, Ricci Editore, to Marilena Ferrari in 2007 only to regain control in 2015.
85
Born 1934-09-27. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Anthony Wilford Brimley was an American actor and singer. After serving in the United States Marine Corps and taking on a variety of odd jobs, he became an extra for Western films, and in little more than a decade he had established himself as a character actor in films such as The China Syndrome (1979), The Thing (1982), Tender Mercies (1983) and The Natural (1984). He was the long-time face of television advertisements for the Quaker Oats Company. He also promoted diabetes education and appeared in related commercials for Liberty Medical, which later became a meme due to his accent causing him to pronounce the name of the disease as "diabeetus".
94
Born 1925-12-27. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
He was a French actor, producer and film director with a career spanning 70 years. He was lauded as one of the greatest French character actors of his generation who played a wide variety of roles and worked with many acclaimed directors. Piccoli died from complications of a stroke.
87
Born 1932-12-05. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Cancer
Better known as Little Richard, he was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Nicknamed "The Innovator, The Originator, and The Architect of Rock and Roll", Penniman's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. Penniman's innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk, respectively. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations to come. "Tutti Frutti" (1955), one of Penniman's signature songs, became an instant hit, crossing over to the pop charts in both the United States and overseas in the United Kingdom. Penniman's next hit single, "Long Tall Sally" (1956), hit No. 1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers chart, followed by a rapid succession of fifteen more hit singles in less than three years. His performances during this period resulted in integration between White Americans and African Americans in his audience. In 1962, during a five-year period in which Penniman abandoned rock and roll music for born again Christianity, concert promoter Don Arden persuaded him to tour Europe. During this time, Arden had the Beatles open for Penniman on some tour dates, capitalizing on his popularity. Richard advised the Beatles on how to perform his songs and taught the band's member Paul McCartney his distinctive vocalizations. During his initial heyday in the 1950s rock and roll scene, Penniman was a teetotaler abstaining from alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Penniman often fined bandmates for drug and alcohol use during this era. By the mid-1960s, however, Penniman began drinking heavy amounts of alcohol and smoking cigarettes and marijuana. By 1972, he had developed an addiction to cocaine. He later lamented that period, "They should have called me Lil Cocaine, I was sniffing so much of that stuff!" By 1975, he had developed addictions to both heroin and PCP, otherwise known as "angel dust". His drug and alcohol use began to affect his professional career and personal life. "I lost my reasoning", he later recalled. Penniman died at the age of 87 in Tennessee. The cause of death was revealed to be bone cancer.
78
Born 1941-07-08. Domain:Politics. Cause of death:Age
Michel Charasse was a member of the French Senate. He represented the Puy-de-Dôme department, and was a member of the Socialist Party. On 24 February 2010 French president Nicolas Sarkozy nominated him as a member of the Constitutional Council.
87
Born 1932-09-15. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Andrée Melly was an English actress. Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, she performed at the Old Vic in Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral in her early twenties and worked with Peter Finch and Robert Donat at the theatre. In 1958, she appeared with the Jamaican actor Lloyd Reckord in the Ted Willis play Hot Summer Night, a production which was later adapted for the Armchair Theatre series in 1959 and in which she was a participant in the earliest known interracial kiss on television. She continued to appear on British television until 1991. Her other stage work includes the original West End production of the farce Boeing-Boeing at the Apollo Theatre in 1962 with David Tomlinson and as Alice "Childie" McNaught in The Killing of Sister George at St Martin's in 1966. Melly appeared in British films, including the comedy The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954) and the Hammer Horror film The Brides of Dracula (1960). Her role in the later film was as Gina, a woman who is bitten by Baron Meinster, a vampire, turning her into another undead character. With the death of Bill Kerr in 2014, Melly was the last surviving regular cast member of Hancock's Half Hour. Melly died in January 2020 at the age of 87.
82
Born 1937-04-16. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Francette Vernillat was a French actress. She was often a voice actor for characters playing young boys.