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Since the establishment of the Academy Awards in 1929, exactly 60 films have achieved lone lead male acting nominations, meaning they were each recognized in the Best Actor category and nowhere else. The last such instance occurred in 2023 and involved “Aftersun” star Paul Mescal, who, at 26, stood out as the youngest member of a lineup consisting only of first-time Oscar contenders. Although his low-budget movie had a strong shot at an original screenplay bid and was viewed as a serious Best Picture candidate, it ended up getting no love outside the acting branch.

Before Mescal was recognized, his category hadn’t seen a lone nominee since Willem Dafoe earned his first lead bid for “At Eternity’s Gate” in 2019. This was the ninth time that four or more years separated consecutive Best Actor loners, with the single largest gap having spread between Cary Grant and Clifton Webb. Such nominations appear to be becoming less common in this category,...

The key to the success of Rod Serling's original run of "The Twilight Zone" (and its enduring popularity) was ingenuity in all aspects of production. Obviously, the writing was almost always top-notch, with episodes boasting wildly clever premises from genre masters like Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, and George Clayton Johnson. Though the budgets were modest, directors employed all manner of trickery and inventive makeup effects to dazzle and/or terrify viewers. Meanwhile, the strange tales conjured by Serling's stable of scribes required fully committed performances from actors both established and new to the scene. They had to roll with the weirdness.

On certain occasions, however, Serling and his collaborators couldn't resort to special effects to transport their audience. Sometimes, they had to shell out some dough and wow 'em with the real thing. And sometimes this forced the director to scramble a good deal more than usual. Such was...

For every actor that wins multiple Oscars, there are others who, no matter how much they put into their roles and how much campaigning they do, just can’t make the conversion into winning their first Academy Award.

More often than not, it’s just a matter of bad timing, like being nominated for an Oscar in the same year as one of the four actors mentioned above. There’s just no way of knowing when you’re taking on a role or shooting a film or even once a movie gets out to the critics, how things might change in the time before Oscar night.

Scroll through our photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see the 25 actors with the most Oscar nominations and no wins. We include everyone who has been nominated for an acting award at least four times, with Glenn Close and Peter O’Toole...

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By Doug Oswald

William Holden commands a newly formed commando group in “The Devil’s Brigade,” available by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray. On the heels of the successful “The Dirty Dozen” from the previous year, “The Devil’s Brigade” is based on the 1966 book by Robert H. Adleman and Colonel George Walton. It chronicles the true events of the 1st Special Service, a joint American and Canadian commando unit assigned to the United States Fifth Army. Inspired by true events, the movie follows the standard tropes of this type of action adventure men- at -war movie. A rag-tag group of soldiers are brought together for a mission, they initially mistrust each other, get into a fight, train together, get into another fight this time working together against another group, graduate from their training and then deploy on their mission to fight the enemy.

For an actor, being the only Oscar nominee from your film is a pretty lonely business and a sign that you probably won’t need to have an acceptance speech ready when your ballot’s envelope is opened.

Only nine times in the last 80 years of Academy Awards history have Oscars for lead performances gone to actors who had the only nominations from their films. The odds aren’t much better for supporting roles; only 12 of those singular nominations led to Oscars.

So, it will be a small club that “The Wife’s” Glenn Close or “At Eternity’s Gate’s” Willem Dafoe will join if either one wins for their lead performances on Feb. 24. And, really, only Close needs to have an idea what she’d like to say when she gets to the stage.

She’s had plenty of practice before nationally televised audiences, having already won the...

It could be lucky No. 7 and 13 for Glenn Close. She picked up her seventh Oscar nomination on Tuesday, for Best Actress for “The Wife,” which did not get any other nominations. If Close’s name is finally in the envelope on Oscar day, she’d be the 13th winner in the category as the only nominee for her film.

The first 12 were:

1. Mary Pickford, “Coquette” (1928/29)

2. Marie Dressler, “Min and Bill” (1930/31)

3. Helen Hayes, “The Sin of Madelon Claudet” (1931/32)

4. Katharine Hepburn, “Morning Glory” (1932/33)

5. Bette Davis, “Dangerous” (1935)

6. Joanne Woodward, “The Three Faces of Eve” (1957)

7. Sophia Loren, “Two Women” (1961)

8. Jodie Foster, “The Accused” (1988)

9. Kathy Bates, “Misery” (1990)

10. Jessica Lange, “Blue Sky” (1994)

11. Charlize Theron, “Monster” (2003)

12. Julianne Moore, “Still Alice” (2014)

Twelve times in the Oscars’ 90-year history doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is when you look at Best Actor, which only has five solo nominee winners: Emil Jannings, Jose Ferrer, Cliff Robertson, Michael Douglas and Forest Whitaker.

Cliff Robertson, “Pt 109” (1963)

Oscar winner Cliff Robertson (“Charly” and “Spider-Man” 1 and 2) portrayed JFK during his military years as a U.S. Navy officer in command of Motor Torpedo Boat Pt-109 touring the waters of the Pacific amidst World War II.

William Devane, “The Missiles of October” (1974)

Devane portrayed JFK in this made-for-tv offering, which depicted the drama in the 1962 White House while the President’s administration decided the best course of action during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Martin Sheen, “Kennedy” (1983)

Jed Bartlet on “The West Wing” wasn’t the only Democratic president Sheen has portrayed on screen. In 1983, he played JFK in the miniseries “Kennedy.” Nine years earlier he played “Jack’s” younger brother Robert opposite William Devane in “The Missiles of October.”

Steven Weber, “The Kennedys of Massachusetts” (1990)

The “13 Reasons Why” star played a young JFK in the ABC miniseries, which focused on the 54-year marriage on the family patriarch and matriarch,...

Denzel Washington (“Roman J. Israel, Esq.”) is a longshot to win Best Actor, sitting in fifth place in our combined Oscar odds. There are lots of things working against him: Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hours”) is an indisputable frontrunner; he has zero precursor wins, not even from a tiny regional critics group; it’s hard to win a third acting Oscar (he was much better positioned last year for “Fences”); and his is the only nomination for his film.

In Oscar history, there have only been five times when Best Actor went to a film with no other nominations. Washington will try to join the club that includes inaugural Best Actor winner Emil Jannings (“The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh”), Jose Ferrer (1950’s “Cyrano de Bergerac”), Cliff Robertson (1968’s “Charly”), Michael Douglas (1987’s “Wall Street”) and Forest Whitaker (2006’s “The Last King of Scotland”).

See Revisiting Daniel Day-Lewis...

Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”

Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.

Blind...

Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”

Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.

Blind...

Cliff Robertson, “Pt 109” (1963) Oscar winner Cliff Robertson (“Charly” and “Spider-Man” 1 and 2) portrayed JFK during his military years as a U.S. Navy officer in command of Motor Torpedo Boat Pt-109 touring the waters of the Pacific amidst World War II. William Devane, “The Missiles of October” (1974) Devane (“Knots Landing,” “24”) portrayed JFK in this made-for-tv offering, which depicted the drama in the 1962 White House while the President’s administration decided the best course of action during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Martin Sheen, “Kennedy” (1983) Jed Bartlet on “The West Wing” wasn’t the only Democratic president Sheen has portrayed on screen.

Ron Moody as Fagin in 'Oliver!' based on Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist.' Ron Moody as Fagin in Dickens musical 'Oliver!': Box office and critical hit (See previous post: "Ron Moody: 'Oliver!' Actor, Academy Award Nominee Dead at 91.") Although British made, Oliver! turned out to be an elephantine release along the lines of – exclamation point or no – Gypsy, Star!, Hello Dolly!, and other Hollywood mega-musicals from the mid'-50s to the early '70s.[1] But however bloated and conventional the final result, and a cast whose best-known name was that of director Carol Reed's nephew, Oliver Reed, Oliver! found countless fans.[2] The mostly British production became a huge financial and critical success in the U.S. at a time when star-studded mega-musicals had become perilous – at times downright disastrous – ventures.[3] Upon the American release of Oliver! in Dec. 1968, frequently acerbic The...

Wouldn’t want this to get lost in all the coverage of Christopher Lee’s passing. When I saw Oliver, the musical version of “Oliver Twist” on stage at the Muny Opera in St. Louis in 1976, hometown hero Vincent Price essayed the roll of Fagin, the leader of the gang of juvenile pickpockets. Price was terrific but the role belonged to Ron Moody who had originated it on Broadway and received an Oscar nomination for Oliver, the Best Picture-winning film version in 1969 (he lost to Cliff Robertson for Charly). Moody starred in Mel Brooks’ The Twelve Chairs in 1970 and had other film roles but was best known for his stage work. Moody died today in England at age 91.

From The New York Times:

Ron Moody, a British character actor who rose to prominence in the role of Fagin, Dickens’s guru of thievery, in “Oliver!”, the stage and movie versions of “Oliver Twist,...

'The Fixer' movie with Alan Bates, Dirk Bogarde and Ian Holm (background) 'The Fixer' movie review: 1968 anti-Semitism drama wrecked by cast, direction, and writing In 1969, director John Frankenheimer declared that he felt "better about The Fixer than anything I've ever done in my life." Considering Frankenheimer's previous output – Seven Days in May, the much admired The Manchurian Candidate – it is hard to believe that the director was being anything but a good P.R. man for his latest release. Adapted from Bernard Malamud's National Book Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (itself based on the real story of Jewish brick-factory worker Menahem Mendel Beilis), The Fixer is an overlong, overblown, and overwrought contrivance that, albeit well meaning, carelessly misuses most of the talent involved while sadistically abusing the patience – and at times the intelligence – of its viewers. John Frankenheimer overindulges in 1960s kitsch John Frankenheimer...

Today, in an effort to combine the past and the present, I wanted to take a look at how the winners in the big eight categories of this most recent Academy Awards ceremony compare to the all time best. To try and figure this out, I’m actually going with the lists of the top 25 in each category that I put out last year. It’s an interesting exercise, since it’s impossible to know which will and which won’t stand the test of time, but there’s a few educated guesses that can be made. For my money, a few of the performances will certainly be remembered for years to come. I don’t think it’s impossible for you to have forgotten already, but here are the big eight winners: Best Picture went to Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Best Director went to Alejandro González Iñárritu...

We are incorporating two elements here in the Caped Crusader’s universe: applying the Batman 60′s ABC-tv show (1966-1968/3 seasons) with the Batman film franchise (1989 and beyond). The link that we are looking for to connect Batman’s cheesy television past and its current and future filming state of mind is the conception of repackaging the Dynamic Duo’s cartoonish villains from the small screen and giving them new life on the big screen in the millennium. Let’s examine this line of reasoning, shall we?

As any Batman enthusiast (or casual observer) knows about the campy TV series back in the late 60′s is that the main off-kilter charm was the colorful and wacky regular guest star villains that populated the program many times through the three-year broadcast on the network. Household hooligans such as Catwoman, the Joker, the Penguin and the Riddler would return and become the routine...

Daniel Keyes, the author whose novel Flowers for Algernon was turned into an Oscar-winning film, died Sunday at the age of 86. He died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Leslie told The New York Times. Photos  Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2014 Keyes published the novella Flowers for Algernon in 1959. He turned the story, which centers on a low-iq man who becomes a genius, into a novel in 1966. It tied for the Nebula Awards' novel of the year and went on to sell 5 million copies. Photos 35 of 2014's Most Anticipated Movies The film adaptation, Charly,

read more...

Peter O’Toole movies and Best Actor Oscar nominations (photo: young Peter O’Toole in the early ’60s) (See previous post: "Peter O’Toole ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Actor: Eight-Time Oscar Nominee Dead at 81.") At the 2003 Academy Awards ceremony, Meryl Streep handed Peter O’Toole an Honorary Oscar. That remained O’Toole’s sole Academy Award "victory." In fact, with eight Best Actor Oscar nominations to his credit, Peter O’Toole held — or rather, holds — the Oscars’ record for the most nods in any of the acting categories without a single (competitive) win. He was shortlisted for the following films: ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ "I can’t imagine anyone whom I’m less like than T.E. Lawrence," Peter O’Toole himself admitted, but his characterization in David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962) was widely admired all the same. The movie itself, however historically inaccurate, also received enthusiastic praise, and was perceived as...

In his storied career, stage and screen actor Peter O’Toole, who died Saturday at age 81 following a long bout of illness, dynamically pronounced countless memorable characters, from the daring T.E. Lawrence in “Lawrence of Arabia” to amorous Maurice in “Venus.”

He earned four Golden Globes and an Emmy for his work, and holds the record for the most acting Oscar nominations without a win — eight.

However, in 2002 O’Toole was presented the Academy Honorary Award for his entire body of work. In his acceptance speech he joked, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, my foot!”

Here are the late...

Oscar winners Olivia de Havilland and Luise Rainer among movie stars of the 1930s still alive With the passing of Deanna Durbin this past April, only a handful of movie stars of the 1930s remain on Planet Earth. Below is a (I believe) full list of surviving Hollywood "movie stars of the 1930s," in addition to a handful of secondary players, chiefly those who achieved stardom in the ensuing decade. Note: There’s only one male performer on the list — and curiously, four of the five child actresses listed below were born in April. (Please scroll down to check out the list of Oscar winners at the 75th Academy Awards, held on March 23, 2003, as seen in the picture above. Click on the photo to enlarge it. © A.M.P.A.S.) Two-time Oscar winner and London resident Luise Rainer (The Great Ziegfeld, The Good Earth, The Great Waltz), 103 last January...

Robert De Niro Tribute: De Niro movies at the American Cinematheque in Santa Monica A Robert De Niro Tribute is being held this week at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. In the next two days, four Robert De Niro movies will be presented as two double bills: Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Mean Streets on Feb. 5, and Penny Marshall’s Awakenings and Scorsese’s Cape Fear on Feb. 6. Both double-feature programs start at 7:30 p.m. (Photo: Mental patient Robert De Niro in Awakenings, with doctor Robin Williams.) De Niro himself was on hand at the Aero on Monday afternoon to chat about David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, a comedy-drama starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and which earned De Niro his seventh Academy Award nomination. Note: De Niro is not expected to attend either of the two double-feature screenings. Taxi Driver:...

Elizabeth Taylor, Farley Granger, Jane Russell, Peter Falk, Sidney Lumet: TCM Remembers 2011 Pt. 1

Also: child actor John Howard Davies (David Lean's Oliver Twist), Charles Chaplin discovery Marilyn Nash (Monsieur Verdoux), director and Oscar ceremony producer Gilbert Cates (Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams, I Never Sang for My Father), veteran Japanese actress Hideko Takamine (House of Many Pleasures), Jeff Conaway of Grease and the television series Taxi, and Tura Satana of the cult classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.

More: Neva Patterson, who loses Cary Grant to Deborah Kerr in An Affair to Remember; Ingmar Bergman cinematographer Gunnar Fischer (Smiles of a Summer Night, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries); Marlon Brando's The Wild One leading lady Mary Murphy; and two actresses featured in controversial, epoch-making films: Lena Nyman, the star of the Swedish drama I Am Curious (Yellow), labeled as pornography by prudish American authorities back in the late '60s,...

London, Sept 17: Actor Cliff Robertson was remembered at his funeral by nearly 100 friends and relatives, who paid tribute to him for having been more than a movie star who won an Academy Award.

Robertson, who won an Oscar in 1968 for his performance in 'Charly', died of natural causes on September 10, a day after his 88th birthday.

His stepson, actor Christopher Lemmon, said during one of four eulogies at his funeral at St Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, on Long Island, New York, that he "never lost sight of his humility".

"He was one of the greatest men I have ever known,".

September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011

American actor Cliff Robertson died at the age of 88 on Saturday September 10 from natural causes.

To the younger generation (God…I sound like my Dad!) Cliff Robertson will be best remembered as Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, also seen in flashback in Spider-Man 2 and 3.

In my childhood, he was a very familiar face in the mid sixties and seventies. Many of the films that he appeared in probably won’t register with most people but he made a big impact with me. Maybe it was Robertson’s calming demeanour and intelligent delivery that made you believe in every character that he played. You also felt that you knew him like some favourite Uncle.

He played Mosquito pilot wing commander Roy Grant in the British war film 633 Squadron (64). At the time I didn’t think that it was at all strange for an American officer to fly with the Raf.

Cliff Robertson passed of natural causes on September 10. The actor, whose credits span over fifty years, is known most recently for his role as Ben Parker in the Spider-Man franchise, and will be remembered most for his Oscar-winning role in 1968's Charly and 1963's Pt 109, in which he played John F. Kennedy. (My favorites are his angry safecracker in Sam Fuller's Underworld USA and unhappy husband in Brian De Palma's Obsession.) Here is a round-up of the media's coverage of Robertson's life and career, as well as photos and clips from his films and interviews: The NY Times describes him as "the ruggedly handsome actor who won an Oscar for Charly but found himself frozen out of Hollywood for almost four years after ...

"Cliff Robertson, who starred as John F Kennedy in a 1963 World War II drama and later won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a mentally disabled bakery janitor in the movie Charly, died Saturday, one day after his 88th birthday," reports Dennis McLellan in the Los Angeles Times, adding that Robertson " also played a real-life role as the whistle-blower in the check-forging scandal of then-Columbia Pictures President David Begelman that rocked Hollywood in the late 1970s… In a more than 50-year career in films, Robertson appeared in some 60 movies, including Pt 109, My Six Loves, Sunday in New York, The Best Man, The Devil's Brigade, Three Days of the Condor, Obsession and Star 80. More recently, he played Uncle Ben Parker in the Spider-Man films."

In Charly, "he played a lovable bakery worker with the Iq of a 5-year-old whose intelligence is raised to genius level by an experiment,...

Various outlets report that Cliff Robertson, the versatile actor and star of six decades of films and television shows, passed away on Saturday. He was 88 years old.

Robertson won an Academy Award in 1969 for his lead performance in "Charly," the big-screen adaptation of Daniel Keyes' novel "Flowers for Algernon." But to people of my generation and younger, he's best known as Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy. And with good reason: Robertson was amazing in the role, making a huge impression in a small amount of screen time.

In the original Stan Lee - Steve Ditko "Spider-Man" comic books, Uncle Ben dies off-panel. Peter Parker, newly imbued with the proportionate powers of a spider, is so wrapped up in himself and his newfound stardom, that he can't be bothered to stop a thief who's stealing money from a wrestling promoter. By the time he returns home that night,...

Andy Whitfield, who played the title role in the Starz TV series Spartacus: Blood And Sand, has died of cancer, aged 39.

Whitfield, who was born in Wales and moved to Australia in 1999, passed away in Sydney yesterday, September 11, surrounded by his family and in the arms of his wife Vashti. His death comes 18 months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Vashti said: "Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have help carry him to this point. He will be remembered as the inspiring, courageous and gentle man, father and husband he was."

Co-star Lucy Lawless praised his "incandescent presence" and said: "Andy Whitfield left an indelible mark on all of us in the Spartacus family. He was a gentle man... and a brilliant actor."

Andy was set to shoot the second season of the show when he found out about his illness. The network delayed filming for...

Cliff Robertson passed away Saturday in Stony Brook, NY. The Oscar winner was 88. In 1969, Robertson took home the gold beating out Alan Arkin ("The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"), Peter O'Toole ("The Lion in Winter"), Alan Bates ("The Fixer), and Ron Moody ("Oliver!"). But Robertson's performance in "Charly" was deemed the best of the year (see clip below).

In 2002's "Spider-Man," Robertson, playing Uncle Ben, uttered the famous line that became the crux of the franchise -- "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility."

Here's more on the brilliant life of Cliff Robertson from the NY Daily News:

Robertson, a native of La Jolla, California, had already won an Emmy when he had his moment of big-screen recognition in 1968 -- 13 years after his feature debut in "Picnic." Though he played JFK as a young naval officer in "Pt 109 " - released five months before Dealey Plaza -- and gave an icy...

After a career on film that spans over 50 years and just one day after his 88th birthday, the La Times reported over the weekend that longtime actor Cliff Robertson had passed away. His longtime personal secretary Evelyn Christel confirmed that Robertson died of natural causes at Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York. Though his most praised role is probably his turn as a mentally disabled bakery janitor in the 1968 film Charly, a performance that snagged the actor the Oscar for Best Actor. However, most of today's audiences know him as Uncle Ben from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films. Robertson appeared in over 60 films throughout his impressive career including Three Days of the Condor, My Six Loves, The Devil's Brigade and Sunday in New York, but his last appearance on screen was in the final sequel in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, a role which gave him one ...

What is Page 2? Page 2 is a compilation of stories and news tidbits, which for whatever reason, didn’t make the front page of /Film. After the jump we’ve included 46 different items, fun images, videos, casting tidbits, articles of interest and more. It’s like a mystery grab bag of movie web related goodness. If you have any interesting items that we might've missed that you think should go in /Film's Page 2 - email us [1]! Header Photo: 9 Famous Pop Culture Sweaters [2]. LiveForFilms [3] lists Top Five Best Picture Snubs Not Featuring Martin Scorsese. [4] Matt Needle has created [5] a print Inspired by the 2011 fim Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Michael C. Hall (Dexter) is in talks [6] to possibly play the lead role of Edward Bloom in the Broadway musical production of Big Fish. Hugh Jackman was originally considered for the role. Check out [7] a new poster for The Deep Blue Sea. The Geek...

He played leads – but never became a star. He played supporting parts – but was never considered a second-stringer. He moved between the big and little screen easily throughout much of his career without ever looking like he’d overreached (for the former), or was slumming (in the latter). The only thing that mattered – the one thing that was consistent whatever the vehicle, whatever the medium, whatever the size of the role – was the caliber of his work. By his own description, Cliff Robertson, who passed away this week one day after his 88th birthday, was a “utility player” who shone whatever his position.

Still in his 20s, he was already working regularly on TV during those early, hectic days of live broadcasting in the early 1950s, and just as immediately demonstrating the utility that marked his career. His range was limitless as he performed in everything from heavyweight drama anthology...

The Oscar winning actor passed away over the weekend from natural causes.

It always saddens me when an acclaimed filmmaker or actor passes away (as I suppose it should).  But you know what makes me even more depressed?  When I've seen very little of the actor or filmmakers actual filmography.  That is deeply apparent here, in which this very talented actor passes away and everybody speaks of his various achievements.  All I can say is "I loved him in Spider-Man."  And for what it's worth, he is great in that film.  However, actor Cliff Robertson has a very lengthy filmography of over a 100 years, and I've seen two of them.  How said is that?

But enough lamenting for my ignorance; it's much more appropriate to mourn the loss of another great actor.  On Saturday, Oscar winning actor Cliff Robertson passed away of natural causes in Stony Brook, Long Island.  With...

Cliff Robertson, the man who first taught Peter Parker about great power coming with great responsibility — or, more accurately, the actor who expressed such advice over the course of three previous "Spider-Man" movies — has died.

The Academy Award winning actor passed away over the weekend, just one day after his 88th birthday. He died of natural causes at Stony Brook University Medical Center on Long Island, according to a family statement.

Robertson is best known to modern audiences for playing Uncle Ben Parker in director Sam Raimi's trilogy of "Spider-Man" movies, his character routinely serving as a voice of reason to our friendly neighborhood superhero both in the mortal realm and often from beyond the grave.

Robertson is not the first major actor from Raimi's era of "Spider-Man" movies to die this year: Randy "Macho Man" Savage, who appeared in the first "Spider-Man" film as Bone Saw McGraw — the...

Two actors familiar to genre audiences passed away over the weekend - one an Oscar winning veteran with a long career behind him, the other a young star unfairly cut down in his prime.

Cliff Robertson, whom most will recognise these days for his portrayal of Peter Parker's father figure Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man", passed away at age 88 from natural causes.

Robertson scored an Oscar in 1968 for the lead role in "Charly", an adaptation of "Flowers for Algernon". Other notable roles included "Pt 109," "The Best Man," "Gidget," "Three Days of the Condor," "J.W. Coop" and various TV shows like "Falcon Crest," "Batman" and "The Twilight Zone".

The other tragedy today was the death of 39-year-old "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" star Andy Whitfield. The Welsh-born, Australian-trained actor got his start in Australia in guest roles on numerous local dramas including "All Saints," "Packed to the Rafters" and...

We’re very sad to report that Cliff Robertson died on Saturday at the age of 88 just a day after his birthday. We knew him as the beloved Uncle Ben in Spiderman but his career spanned over six decades! He also won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1968 for his role in the film Charly. Cliff passed away in New York State of natural causes. We’re sending out our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

[Photo: Getty Images]...

Actor Cliff Robertson, known by the majority of our readers as the Uncle Ben Parker to Tobey Maguire‘s Peter Parker in director Sam Raimi‘s trilogy of Spider-Man movies, died of natural causes this past Saturday, just one day after his 88th birthday. Robertson starred in over 70 films during his career spanning almost seven decades.

Robertson previously stated on his own website,

“Since Spiderman 1 and 2, I seem to have a whole new generation of fans. That in itself is a fine residual.”

Robertson was personally chosen by John F. Kennedy to portray the president in the 1963 movie P.T. 109, which was the story of then Lt. John F. Kennedy’s heroic World War II exploits as the Captain of a P.T. Boat. He also won an Academy Award for his starring role in the 1968 film Charly, which was an adaptation of the Daniel Keyes novel Flowers for Algernon.

Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben Parker in Spider-Man (2002)Long time actor Cliff Robertson, 88, passed away of natural causes on Saturday, September 10 just a day after his 88th birthday.  His secretary of 53 years, Evelyn Christel, said he died at Stonybrook University Medical Center in Long Island, NY.

The actor won an Academy Award for his performance as a mentally disabled man in the movie Charly (1968), though his big break came when he was picked by late President John F. Kennedy to play a young JFK in the WWII made for TV movie Pt 109 (1963).

With great power comes great responsibility.

It's a lesson Peter Parker learned when his Uncle Ben died. And it's a lesson all of Hollywood learned thanks to Cliff Robertson, the actor who played Uncle Ben in "Spider-Man" -- and who USA Today reports died Saturday at the age of 88.

Though Robertson was known to modern film fans mostly for his role as "Uncle Ben" in Sam Raimi's 2002 blockbuster "Spider-Man," the actor had a long and distinguished career that was capped off in 1969 when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the moving sci-fi drama "Charly," where he played a mentally disabled man who is subjected to intelligence boosting experiments.

But in Hollywood circles, Robertson was perhaps more infamous for a 1977 incident where, after discovering his name had been forged on a check by the head of Colombia Pictures, the actor went to the FBI,...

Robertson relaxing on the set of P.T. 109.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Oscar winning actor Cliff Robertson has died at age 88. He passed away a day after his birthday. Robertson had a long and illustrious career that began in the golden days of television and extended to the Spiderman movies of recent years. Although he generally played quiet, dignified characters, Robertson marched to his own drumbeat- a trait that earned him respect but that also damaged aspects of his career. In 1977 when he was still very much an in-demand leading man, Robertson ignored advice to hush up a scandal that involved the head of Columbia Pictures, David Begelman, who had utilized Robertson's name in a bizarre check forging scandal. Begelman was momentarily disgraced, payed a small fine and was later rewarded for his crime by being appointed as the head of MGM. Meanwhile, Robertson found his own career went into immediate decline.

Actor Cliff Robertson, who is perhaps best known for portraying Uncle Ben in Spider-Man, passed away at age 88 from natural causes. His longtime secretary Evelyn Christel confirmed the news from his Stony Brook, New York home, just one day after his 88th birthday.

Cliff Robertson won an Academy Award in 1968 for his lead performance in Charly, and portrayed John F. Kennedy in a memorable performance in the TV movie Pt 109. Here's what his daughter, Stephanie Saunders, said in a statement about her father's passing.

"My father was a loving father, devoted friend, dedicated professional and honorable man. He stood by his family, friends, and colleagues through good times and bad. He made a difference in all our lives and made our world a better place. We will all miss him terribly."

The actor's funeral is set for Friday, September 16 in East Hampton, New York.

With sad news comes great responsibility: Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson died on Saturday, one day after turning 88, in Long Island New York.While he might be best known to today’s audiences as Uncle Ben Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, he enjoyed a long, successful career capped by several notable roles and an Academy Award for 1968’s Charly.Born in California in 1923, Robertson flirted with acting early on, joining the La Jolla High School Dramatic Club, while also harbouring dreams of becoming a pilot (he’d go on to indulge that ambition, earning his private flying licence and owning several classic aircraft). While he appeared on stage in San Diego in 1940, World War II interrupted his thespian ambitions and he served his country in the Merchant Navy. After the war, he worked several odd jobs before returning to acting, appearing in touring and stock productions.More solid stage...

Cliff Robertson, the handsome movie actor who played John F. Kennedy in Pt-109, won an Oscar for Charly and was famously victimized in a 1977 Hollywood forgery scandal, died Saturday. He was 88.

His secretary of 53 years, Evelyn Christel, said he died in Stony Brook of natural causes a day after his 88th birthday.

Robertson never elevated into the top ranks of leading men, but he remained a popular actor from the mid-1950s into the following century. His later roles included kindly Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man movies.

Academy Award-winning actor Cliff Robertson died of natural causes on September 10 in Stony Brook, New York, the Huffington Post is reporting. His secretary of 53 years, Evelyn Christel, confirmed the news that the actor died a day after his 88th birthday. Robertson, who later became known for his role of Uncle Ben in the Tobey Maguire ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy, was also remembered for his second marriage to actress and heiress Dina Merrill. She was the daughter of financier E.F. Hutto and Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. The actor won his Oscar in 1986, when he portrayed the title character, a mentally disabled man, in ‘Charly.’ His character underwent medical...

For younger moviegoers, he was best known for telling Spider-Man/Peter Parker that "with great power, comes great responsibility." But for older audiences, he was known for his Academy Award-winning performance in the 1968 movie Charly and for bringing down one of the most powerful movie studio heads in 1977.

Cliff Robertson died Saturday of natural causes, just one day after turning 88 at the Long Island's Sony Brook University Medical Center.

Robertson won his Best Actor Oscar for playing a mentally impaired character in Charly. But it was outing Columbia studio head David Begelman in a check forging scheme that made a name for Robertson.

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Link | Posted 9/11/2011 by Chris

Cliff Robertson | Pt 109 | Star 80 | Spider-Man...

Cliff Robertson, who won an Oscar for playing mentally disabled man in the 1968 film Charly and later played Ben Parker in the Spider-Man films, has died. He was 88.

Robertson died of natural causes on Saturday in Long Island, one day after his 88th birthday, Evelyn Christel, Robertson's secretary for 53 years, told The Associated Press.

See other celebrities who have died this year

Besides his Oscar-winning role in Charly — which was adapted from Daniel Keyes' short novel, Flowers for Algernon, and told the story of a mentally disabled man who becomes a genius after medical treatment — Robertson is also remembered for playing President John F. Kennedy in 1963's Pt-109. The film...

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Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson died on Saturday, just one day after his 88th birthday.

The star died of natural causes in Stony Brook, New York.

Robertson won an Academy Award in 1968 for his portrayal of a mentally disabled man in Charly, an adaptation of the novel Flowers for Algernon.

He was personally picked by John F. Kennedy to play the politician in the biographical 1963 film Pt-109, and also racked up credits in films including Gidget, Three Days of the Condor, Obsession and Autumn Leaves.

In later years, he found a new generation of fans playing Uncle Ben Parker in the Spider-Man film franchise.

Rob Lowe has taken to his Twitter.com page to pay tribute to the star, who played his onscreen dad in the 1983 movie Class.

Lowe writes, "Goodbye to my father in 'Class', the great Oscar winner Cliff Robertson. Lovely man, fantastic actor and full of... Class."

Meanwhile, Robertson's daughter tells the Associated Press, "My father was a loving father, devoted friend, dedicated professional and honourable man. He stood by his family, friends, and colleagues through good times and bad. We will all miss him terribly."...

Washington - Cliff Robertson, a Hollywood star who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a mentally disabled man in the 1968 film Charly died Saturday, according to his website. The Washington Post reported Sunday that he had died at a hospital in Stony Brook, New York. Robertson had turned 88 on Friday. In a statement reported on the website NME.com, Robertson's daughter, Stephanie Saunders, called her father a 'loving father, devoted friend, dedicated professional and honourable man. He stood by his family, friends, and colleagues through good times and bad. He made a difference in all our lives and made our world a better place. We will all miss him terribly.' Robertson was perhaps best known for his...

Many of you don't know the name, but you've probably seen the face. Cliff Robertson, who most recently played Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, has passed away aged 88. Robertson dabbled in both Television and Film, starring in such shows as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Batman. His film credits include the previously mentioned Spider-Man, Escape From L.A., Pt-109 (where he played a young John F. Kennedy) and Charly, for which he won an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role. For me, Robertson will always be remembered for giving the very poignant speech to Toby Maguire's Peter Parker in Spider-Man. Check it out below. (1923 - 2011)...

Sad news amidst all the film festival nonsense this morning, with the news breaking overnight that Cliff Robertson, the Oscar-winning star of "Charly," who found a new lease of life in recent years after playing Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy, passed away yesterday at the age of 88. Robertson had a long and varied career, dating back to the 1950s, although thanks to his exposure of a embezzlement scam by Columbia Pictures boss David Begelman in the 1970s, faced brief black-listing from studios. Robertson was born in California in 1923, and came to acting after a period in…...