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Sian Barbara Allen, a Golden Globe-nominated TV actress who appeared in such hits as The Waltons and L.A. Law, died today at the age of 78 in Chapel Hill, N.C. The cause of death was Alzheimer’s Disease.

A prolific television performer of the ’70s and ’80s, Allen was born on July 12, 1946 in Reading, Penn. Raised by her mother and grandmother, upon graduating high school, she received a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse, which sparked her career. She studied with the highly regarded acting teacher Peggy Feury as part of the Journeyman program at the storied Mark Taper Forum.

Afterward, she was soon hired as one of the last contract players at Universal Studios, eventually booking roles on such series like Gunsmoke, Cagney & Lacey, The Incredible Hulk, Hawaii Five-0, Columbo, The Rockford Files and others. She was also the first woman to pen a script for an episode of Baretta,...

Sian Barbara Allen, a onetime Universal contract player who appeared in the films You’ll Like My Mother and Billy Two Hats and played a love interest of Richard Thomas’ John-Boy on The Waltons, died Monday. She was 78.

Allen died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, after a battle with Alzheimer’s, her family announced. She often played characters with “great vulnerability and uncommon empathy,” they noted.

In telefilms, Allen starred with Bette Davis and Ted Bessell as the title character, a housekeeper in a mansion, in 1973’s Scream, Pretty Peggy at ABC; with Claude Akins, John Savage and Patricia Neal in the 1975 tearjerker Eric at NBC; and with Anthony Hopkins and Cliff DeYoung in 1976’s The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, also at NBC (she played the wife of the famed aviator).

Born on July 12, 1946, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Allen was raised by her mother, Ruth, and her grandmother, Etta.

After she graduated from Reading Senior High School,...

Sian Barbara Allen, the actor known for numerous television roles and her lead role in “Scream, Pretty Peggy” alongside Bette Davis, died Monday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Allen’s death was confirmed to Variety with the cause of death being Alzheimer’s disease.

In the ’70s and ’80s, Allen had numerous roles in popular TV shows, including “The Waltons,” “Columbo,” “The Rockford Files,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Gunsmoke,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.” and “The Incredible Hulk.” Allen also wrote the “Just for Laughs” episode of “Baretta” in Season 4.

In her film work, she starred alongside numerous stars, including Patty Duke, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas in “You’ll Like My Mother” (1972), Bette Davis in “Scream Pretty Peggy” (1973) and Gregory Peck and Jack Warden in the Western “Billy Two Hats” (1974). She also played Anne Morrow alongside Anthony Hopkins in “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case” (1976). Allen earned a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising New Actress...

“Succession” star Kieran Culkin is poised to make the journey from the Emmys to the Oscars thanks to his role in the red-hot film, “A Real Pain.” From Searchlight Pictures, “A Real Pain” is written and directed by actor Jesse Eisenberg, who made his debut as writer-director in 2022 with the acclaimed “When You Finish Saving The World.” This one follows Eisenberg and Culkin as a pair of mismatched cousins who tour through Poland in an attempt to honor their grandmother. Their journey is threatened to be derailed, however, when old tensions and family history, rear their head once more.

The trailer for the film promises a smart, witty comedy-drama that seems perfect for the quick-fire delivery styles of both Eisenberg and Culkin. Culkin, in particular, could really shine here in his role as Benji Kaplan. In fact, we are so excited about this film that Culkin is currently in our...

Sir Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar in 2020 and received his sixth Academy Award nomination for “The Father.” With his impressive body of work, it’s somewhat stunning to realize he was 54 years old before he became a household name.

Hopkins was born on New Year’s Eve in 1937 to working-class parents in Wales. He was inspired by fellow Welsh actor Richard Burton to study drama. Young Hopkins found success in theater, eventually becoming an understudy for Laurence Olivier, successfully taking over when Olivier became ill. Although his career was thriving in the theater, Hopkins decided to try his luck in television and films, and soon received his break in 1968 playing Richard the Lionheart in “The Lion in Winter.” Hopkins worked steadily on both the small and big screens, often receiving praise for his work. However, it was over 20 years before he became one of the most recognized actors in the...

Sylvester Stallone’s first regular television series role on the Paramount+ mob-themed series “Tulsa King” has put him in this year’s Emmy race. And while it’s not rare for a performer primarily or solely identified with features to find Emmy success, it’s significantly less common for them to generate it in a comedy category, where Stallone presently finds himself in 10th place among series leads in the Gold Derby combined count.

A longshot? Absolutely. But there is certainly plenty of precedent for movie stars shuttling to TV and earning Emmy recognition. Here are 10 examples:

Al Pacino – He won lead actor in a miniseries or movie statues for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in “Angels in America” (2004) and Dr. Jack Kevorkian in “You Don’t Know Jack” (2010). That’s double his number of Oscar wins, Pacino’s lone triumph being for “Scent of a Woman” in 1993. Meryl Streep – Streep...

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is the actor you want to receive the 2023 SAG life achievement award. He had 26.77 of the votes in our recent poll asking which male actor should have the honor from the Screen Actors Guild. Hanks was ahead of Anthony Hopkins at 11.19 and then a tie between Robert Duvall and Dustin Hoffman at 9.13.

We also created a separate poll recently for actresses, which had Glenn Close winning and Meryl Streep in second place. All actors and actresses in each poll have two things in common with typical decisions by this committee: at least 65 years old with a history of charitable and/or humanitarian works.

See SAG Life Achievement award: Full gallery of recipients since 1995

The 2022 recipient of the honor was Dame Helen Mirren. There was no award given in 2021, but it was three men in a row before then. The following living people have already received...

The Screen Actors Guild will most likely be announcing their life achievement award recipient for 2023 in the near future. Who do you think should be taking home this prestigious trophy chosen by the SAG-AFTRA committee?

The 2022 recipient of the honor was Dame Helen Mirren. There was no award given in 2021, but it was three men in a row before then (see list below). Take our poll below and make your best guess on the selection. All 10 of these actors in the poll have two things in common with typical decisions by this committee: at least 65 years old with a history of charitable and/or humanitarian works. We also created a separate poll recently for actresses, which had Glenn Close winning and Meryl Streep in second place.

Seesag Life Achievement award: Full gallery of recipients since 1995

The following living people have already received this award and wouldn’t be chosen again...

Esteemed thespian Anthony Hopkins has two previous Emmy wins for the TV movies “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case” (1976) and “The Bunker” (1981). But it is the Oscar winner’s first stint in a dramatic series that brings him to the 2017 Emmys. Hopkins portrays Robert Ford in HBO’s “Westworld.” Ford is the genius director and founder […]...

Sir Anthony Hopkins.

When I was asked by Venice Magazine to interview Anthony Hopkins in September of 2002, then-as-now he was regarded as perhaps the greatest living actor in the English-speaking world. That said, I wasn't sure what, or whom, to expect. Hopkins was known for having a somewhat mercurial personality, as well as not being a man to suffer fools gladly. Fortunately, I found him to be a very friendly, open and erudite gent with a remarkably diffuse and quite brilliant mind. Below, when Hopkins starts talking about his experience on Richard Attenborough's film Magic, notice how the conversation shifts suddenly to the Bee Gees, John Travolta and Saturday Night Fever, then effortlessly back to the topic at hand. This was my impression of Anthony Hopkins throughout our talk: insatiably curious about everything, even his memories, and able to mentally multi-task with an ease that was quite breathtaking.

Our...