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Alfie Wise, who teamed with Burt Reynolds in many of his films including The Cannonball Run, Smokey & The Bandit, Stroker Ace, among others, has died. He was 82.

Wise passed away on July 22 of natural causes at the Thomas H. Corey Va Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fl, according to media reports.

Born in Altoona, Pa, on Nov. 17, 1942, Wise graduated from Altoona Area High School in 1960 and went on to attend Pennsylvania State University[before serving in the U.S. Navy. He first appeared on screen in 1972 in the television movie Call Her Mom and appeared that same year in CBS’ sitcom The Sandy Duncan Show.

He went on to appear in numerous television shows in the late 1970s and 1980s including ABC medical drama Trauma Center as paramedic Sidney Pacelli. He guest-starred in series including Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, The Jeffersons, Tour of Duty and recurred as Oliver Wardell in B.L.

Alfie Wise, the actor who showed up in Smokey and the Bandit, The Cannonball Run and eight other films with his fun-loving pal Burt Reynolds, has died. He was 82.

Wise died July 22 of natural causes at Thomas H. Corey Va Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, his longtime fiancée, Stephanie Bliss, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Wise played a trooper in the prison-set The Longest Yard (1974), his first onscreen collaboration with Reynolds, and he worked with the movie star in The End (1978), Hooper (1978), Starting Over (1979), Paternity (1981), Stroker Ace (1983), City Heat (1984) and Heat (1986) as well.

The 5-foot-5 Wise also was the butt of Reynolds’ jokes as marina owner Oliver Wardell on all 12 episodes of the 1989-90 ABC crime series B.L Stryker, and he appeared on a 1991 installment of Reynolds’ longer-lasting CBS sitcom, Evening Shade.

“He loved his friends, and he really kept us very close,” Wise said of Reynolds in an...

Television lost one of its gems with the passing of Rick Hurst. Best known for his role as the good-natured but clumsy Deputy Cletus Hogg in The Dukes of Hazzard, Hurst passed away on June 26, 2025, at 79. And the actor has left a legacy filled with many hits, with The Dukes of Hazzard remaining his most iconic show.

However, his legacy is by no means limited to the ’70s comedy series, as he has showcased his remarkable ability as a performer in many memorable appearances throughout his decades-long career. And here’s a look at five must-see shows from Hurst that remain part of his legacy beyond the good old boys of Patrol Car and The Dukes of Hazzard.

1. M*A*S*H (1972-1983) Rick Hurst in M*A*S*H | Credit: CBS

Very few shows in the history of television balance humor and human emotion as beautifully as the comedy-drama M*A*S*H,...

Rick Hurst, who portrayed the good-hearted Deputy Cletus Hogg on the long-running CBS action comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, died Thursday. He was 79.

Hurst’s death was announced by the Cooter’s Place museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. He had just canceled a scheduled July 3-7 appearance there.

“To fans, he was more than a character — he was family,” reads a Dukes of Hazzard post on Instagram. “His gentle smile, impeccable comedic timing and kind-hearted spirit made every scene brighter.

“Offscreen, Rick was known for his generosity, humility and love for connecting with fans at events across the country. Whether it was a reunion special or a meet-and-greet at Cooter’s, he never stopped sharing his joy with the people who adored him.”

Before his most famous role, Hurst played a prisoner named Cleaver alongside Tom Poston and Hal Williams on the 1975-76 ABC sitcom On the Rocks, which revolved...

More than 25 years later, the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld" continues to endure as one of the greatest and most cherished series of all time. The story of the show's success has been documented before, countless times, but it's good to remind ourselves that while other big-hit shows of the 1990s, like "Friends" and "Frasier," were hits straight out of the box, the same wasn't true for "Seinfeld." The show's first season was just a handful of episodes airing in the late summer, and things were ultimately hanging on by a thread until its third season. But these days, it's much easier to look at the show for its massive influence, how audiences continue to return to it in the age of streaming, and how it wasn't just a hit with audiences, but big with critics and the industry, too. That said, you can't win every plaudit, something that applies to "Seinfeld...

New details have emerged in the death of legendary fitness guru Richard Simmons.

Police had responded to a call from Simmons’ housekeeper on the morning of July 13 — one day after his 76th birthday. Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene, and no foul play was suspected.

More from TVLinePhil Donahue, Legendary Talk Show Host, Dead at 88John Aprea, Another World and Full House Vet, Dead at 83America's Got Talent Contestant Perry Kurtz Dead at 73

On Aug. 21, a spokesperson for the Simmons family told People.com that, per the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, Simmons’ death has been determined to be accidental,...

Hollywood is still mourning the loss of a legend.

Richard Simmons, the veteran fitness guru who rose to fame way back in the 1980s due to his unmatched energy and flamboyant personalty, was found dead at his home in Hollywood Hills on Saturday morning, July 13.

He was 76 years old.

Richard Simmons attends the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s 24th Annual “A Time For Heroes” at Century Park on June 2, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Egpaf) Richard Simmon’s Cause of Death Confirmed

A month after his passing, the fitness guru’s brother, Lenny Simmons, revealed that the star died from “complications from recent falls and heart disease.”

“This morning, Richard Simmons’ brother Lenny, received a call from the LA Coroner’s office,” the Simmons family spokesperson, Tom Estey, said in a statement to People.

“The Coroner informed Lenny that Richard’s death was...

Live with Kelly and Mark is back with a new episode on Friday July 5, welcoming actress and radio host Marilu Henner and cookbook author and chef Shereen Pavildes to the show. Marilu Henner, known for her roles in Taxi and Evening Shade, hosts The Marilu Henner Show, which airs every weekday morning across the […]

Live with Kelly and Mark: Marilu Henner, Shereen Pavildes...

General Hospital spoilers Richard Simmons has always been a quirky guy. From his “Sweating To The Oldies” to his arguments with Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), Richard has certainly had his fans. Richard recently posted a cryptic message that has fans wondering if he may be dying. What did Richard say to make fans believe this?

Richard Simmons Wasn’t Always A Recluse

General Hospital Spoilers before Richard became a recluse, he was in several television shows and worked with a lot of stars. Richard made several appearances on variety shows back in his heyday.

In 1980, Richard was on General Hospital for the start of Luke and Laura’s controversial romance and subsequent marriage.

Simmon was also on General Hospital in 2013 when he threatened to kill Lucy Coe. Simmons was on Arrested Development and All My Children. Simmon was in Evening Shade with Marilu Henner and Burt Reynolds.

The fitness guru...

Richard Simmons has always been an odd duck. That is one of the many reasons people from all over the world love him so much. This odd duck who loves everyone used his Facebook page to post a strange and ominous message to his fans and followers. Now, Richard Simmons has everyone wondering if he is dying.

All About Richard Simmons

Before Richard Simmons was known for being a recluse that hid away from everyone, he was quite active in television and in the movies. On television, he made countless appearances on a variety of different shows. He was on General Hospital at the same time as the Luke and Laura story was getting started way back in 1980. Simmons returned to General Hospital in 2013. He was also on All My Children as well as Arrested Development. America’s beloved health and fitness expert appeared with Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner in “Evening Shade.

Veteran character actor Eddie Driscoll, who appeared on shows such as Entourage, Mad Men, Sex and the City, and This Is Us, has died. He was 60. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the passing was confirmed by actor Jimmy Palumbo, who said Driscoll died from a saddle pulmonary embolism after suffering from stomach cancer for several months. Born on September 26, 1963, in New York, Driscoll studied acting at the University of Miami and enrolled in an apprenticeship program at the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre in North Palm Beach, Florida. He would go on to appear in several projects with Reynolds, including the 1989 films Physical Evidence and Breaking In and the 1990s television shows B.L. Stryker and Evening Shade. Driscoll appeared in bit parts in countless hit TV programs over the years, including Days of Our Lives, The King of Queens, 24, Heroes, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, Desperate Housewives,...

Eddie Driscoll, the veteran character actor who appeared on shows including Sex and the City, Boston Public, Entourage, Mad Men, The Last Ship and This Is Us, has died. He was 60.

Driscoll died Dec. 15 in Los Angeles from a saddle pulmonary embolism after months of fighting stomach cancer, actor Jimmy Palumbo announced.

Driscoll had a recurring role as East Coast leader Randall Croft in 2016 on the TNT sci-fi series The Last Ship, and he portrayed the loan shark Angelo “Gyp” DeCarlo in a West Coast touring company of Jersey Boys.

Driscoll also showed up on episodes of Days of Our Lives, Tracey Takes On …, The King of Queens, Cold Case, 24, Heroes, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, 24, Medium, Heroes and Desperate Housewives and in films including Lansky (1999), Boat Trip (2002), Pavement (2002), Cellular (2004) and Blast (2004).

Born in New York on Sept. 26, 1963, Edward Driscoll graduated from Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope,...

Tony Bennett's first record, "Because of You" was released in 1952 and it instantly codified the entertainer as one of the music world's great crooners. In 1962, his 15th record, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" was certified platinum by the RIAA, but that was after he had already established himself with Count Basie and his Orchestra and as a great fan of songwriter Harold Arlen. All told, he released 61 records in his decades-long career, not including his eight albums of collaborations and duets. He sang with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Mariah Carey, Bono, Sting, Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, and many others. Most recently, he released two collaborations with Lady Gaga in 2018 and 2021. Bennett passed away on July 21, 2023 at the age of 96. He will be deeply missed.

Naturally, a talent of Bennett's stature couldn't be ignored by Hollywood, and he would appear...

Legendary performer Tony Bennett, a 20-time Grammy Award winner who sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, died Friday at the age of 96.

His publicist, Sylvia Weiner, confirmed his death to the New York Times.

More from TVLine<i>One Last Time</i> on CBS: Tony Bennett’s Last Concert With Lady Gaga — Which Performances Were Your Favorite?Lady Gaga Gets Jazzy at 2022 Grammys — Watch Touching Tony Bennett TributeAnother World's Nancy Frangione Dead at 70

Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. His family first went public with his diagnosis in February 2021. He retired from touring shortly thereafter, and his final performance...

Amazon originals like season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Good Omens, as well as The Horror of Dolores Roach, are just some of the titles hitting Prime Video this July.

Blockbusters like Fast X, 80 for Brady, Till, Knock at the Cabin, Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Men in Black 1-3, Saving Private Ryan, Scarface and more will also be coming to the streamer this month.

The fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan sees the titular character, played by John Krasinski, on his most dangerous mission yet, against a foreign and domestic enemy. Two new episodes of the thriller drop on the streamer every Friday until July 14.

Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty returns with its second season on July 14 and picks up where season one left off at Cousins Beach. When an unexpected visitor threatens the future...

In the offices of Dunder Mifflin (Scranton branch), salesmen, accountants and even Hr got together to decide once and for all: Is Hilary Swank hot or not? They’re referring to her looks, but one could just as easily be talking about her career. At what point was Hilary Swank hot in her career? In 2008, when the episode aired: Yeah. In the years between her Oscars? Not exactly. Now? No. So, let’s take a look and find out…Wtf Happened to…Hilary Swank?

But to truly understand what the fuck happened to Hilary Swank, we go back to the beginning. And the beginning began when she was born on July 30th, 1974, in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a youth, Swank bounced around a bit, going from Nebraska to Washington to California, developing a love for both gymnastics (Junior Olympian; state finalist) and acting (appearing in The Jungle Book at 9 as Mowgli...

With its list of new releases for June 2023, Prime is bringing a handful of Amazon Originals and many recent movie hits to the fold.

It’s actually quite a busy month for non-American programming in Amazon Originals department. Shows and movies like Deadloch, My Fault, and Medellín all originate from outside the U.S. and U.K. For the American and British crowd, however, the streamer is debuting two big tentpoles.

The first is I’m a Virgo on June 23. Acclaimed director Boots Riley’s TV followup to Sorry to Bother You will tale the surreal and satirical tale of a giant in Oakland. That will be followed by the more conventional (assumedly) fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on June 30.

The real fireworks this month come from a ludicrously deep bench of library TV and movie titles. Give them a look for yourself below but if we were to highlight just a few,...

In the eyes of many NCIS: Los Angeles fans, Admiral Hollace Kilbride has been the least offensive of those allowed to keep Hetty's seat warm until she returns.

Whether they cared to or not, viewers learned more about Kilbride's family history on NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Episode 13.

With the series in the back half of its final season, the question has to be asked: Why bother?

With all the other loose ends to be tied up, how much screen time should be devoted to Kilbride?

I would argue that Kilbride deserves some of the same character development that the other Osp team members have received, many over the past decade or more.

Otherwise, Kilbride's personal background has only been hinted at. All viewers know about him is that he's divorced and messed up his relationship with his son, and he regrets both of those developments.

So his service is his life,...

We have some sad news to share today, as Hollywood has lost one of its most legendary icons: Raquel Welch has passed away at the age of 82. Deadline reports that Welch’s passing was confirmed by her reps at Media 4 Management, who simply said that she had died after a brief illness.

Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, but her family moved to San Diego, California when little Raquel was just two years old. She knew as a youngster that she wanted to get into the entertainment industry, and studied ballet for several years while entertaining – and winning – beauty contests. She attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship, but despite doing some stage acting and landing a job as a weather presenter on the local news, it took a while for her to break through into films. In fact, Welch had married...

Raquel Welch, the actor who became an icon and sex symbol thanks to films like “One Million Years B.C.” and “Three Musketeers,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her manager confirmed to Variety. She was 82.

She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film “Fantastic Voyage” and the prehistoric adventure “One Million Years B.C.,” the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol. The actor went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s “Myra Beckrinridge,” “Kansas City Bomber” and Richard Lester’s delightful romps “The Three Musketeers” (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and “The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge” (1974). She was one of the first women to play the lead role — not the romantic interest — in a Western, 1971 revenge tale “Hannie Caulder” — an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” (2003), according to the director.

(Earlier, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford...

It was lightning in a bottle.

The 70th Academy Awards in 1998 served as a high-water mark for the annual telecast that the Oscars have struggled to match for over two decades. And it wasn’t only because of the “king of the world” moment.

With an estimated 87.5 million viewers tuning in for part or all of the awards (57 million reported by Nielsen on ABC), the ceremony saw the massively popular “Titanic” win 11 Oscars, including best picture; it was one of those rare moments where a populist favorite was also an awards season darling. But there are other reasons to look back at that ceremony with a mixture of appreciation and sadness – and at least some wistfulness for how the movie business operated at its peak, a pinnacle it may never reach again. With a balance of box office sensations and arthouse hits, there was something for everyone at the Shrine Auditorium that evening.

Click here to read the full article.

Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.

Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.

Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.

In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...

Click here to read the full article.

Air Bud — the Disney film about a dog who could play basketball (and which starred Buddy, a golden retriever that could indeed launch the ball into the net with his nose) — first dribbled its way into our hearts 25 years ago.

The idea for Air Bud had been hatched by Canadian brothers Robert and William Vince, who churned out low-budget horror films. When they caught Buddy on Late Show With David Letterman, inspiration struck for a family film. They described the idea to director Charles Martin Smith (who’d go on to direct 2011’s Dolphin Tale and 2019’s A Dog’s Way Home).

“I said, ‘That just sounds horrible,’ ” Smith recalls of their pitch. “This is what I said to them: ‘If you’d let me rewrite it and make it honest — a classic story of a boy and his dog — I’ll be in.

Click here to read the full article.

Bobbie Faye Ferguson, an actress and the mother of The Conners star Jay R. Ferguson, has died. She was 78.

A resident of Sherman Oaks, Ferguson died June 25 of natural causes, it was announced Friday by her son’s reps at Industry Entertainment.

Born on Oct. 10, 1943, in Memphis, Tennesse, Bobbie Faye was raised in Eudora, Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, taught speech and debate at Skyline High School in Dallas and was one of the founding members and an acting teacher at the Kd Studio.

She moved to Los Angeles and worked as a model and actress, appearing on such shows as The Dukes of Hazzard, The Fall Guy, Dallas, Designing Women, Remington Steele and Evening Shade, where her son portrayed Taylor Newton, son of Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner’s characters.

She also taught at the Actor’s Lab in Los Angeles.

Frank Bonner, the actor who played the plaid-suited sales manager Herb Tarlek on the CBS comedy Wkrp in Cincinnati, died Wednesday of complications from Lewy body dementia at his home in Laguna Niguel, CA. He was 79.

His death was announced on Facebook by daughter Desiree Boers-Kort. “I’m deeply saddened to let you know that our beloved Frank Bonner passed away today at age 79,” she wrote on the Wkrp in Cincinnati home page. “He loved his fans and was still signing autograph requests up until the last few weeks of his illness. Thank you to all who followed his career. He will be forever missed.”

Born Frank Boers Jr. in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bonner made his acting debut in 1967’s horror film The Equinox … A Journey Into the Unknown (retitled Equinox in a largely re-shot 1970 version). Subsequent episodic TV appearances followed, including roles in the late ’60s-early ’70s series such as Mannix,...

Veteran actor James Hampton, well recognized for his various roles including starring alongside Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard and Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf, has sadly passed away. A spokesperson speaking on behalf of the family has confirmed that Hampton died from complications of Parkinson's disease at his Texas home on Wednesday. He was 84 years old.

"Sometimes people wonder where my sense of humor comes from," Hampton's cousin Teddy McMurray posted to Twitter in the wake of the news. "Well, it's a family thing. My cousin, James Hampton, went to Heaven today. I loved having a famous actor as my cousin growing up!"

Sometimes people wonder where my sense of humor comes from. Well, it’s a family thing. My cousin, James Hampton, went to Heaven today. I loved having a famous actor as my cousin growing up! pic.twitter.com/iBrjcb4zTg

— Teddy McMurray (@TMacTwo) April 8, 2021

James...

James Hampton, best known for his roles in “F Troop,” “Teen Wolf” and “The Longest Yard,” for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination, died Wednesday due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, his agent confirmed to Variety. He was 84.

An award-winning actor, director, writer and producer, Hampton enjoyed a career in entertainment that spanned half a century before retiring to his native Texas.

Born in Oklahoma City and raised in Dallas, he served in the Army after attending North Texas State College. Shortly after, he landed a role in the hit television series, “Gunsmoke.”

On “Gunsmoke,” he met and developed a close relationship with Burt Reynolds. The pair worked together on “The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing,” “The Longest Yard,” “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” and “Hustle.” Hampton also wrote and directed several episodes of Reynolds’ CBS sitcom, “Evening Shade.”

Throughout his career, Hampton played supporting roles in films like “The China Syndrome,...

James Hampton, an actor perhaps best recognized from roles in “F Troop,” “The Longest Yard” and “Teen Wolf,” has died from complications of Parkinson’s disease, his spokesperson told TheWrap. He was 84.

Hampton, who passed away on Wednesday at his home in Texas, is survived by his wife, Mary, along with his children, James, Andrea and Frank, and his grandchildren.

Hampton was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as “Caretaker” in the original “Longest Yard.” Also from that film came a longtime friendship with co-star Burt Reynolds, which led to multiple new career opportunities, including writing, directing and producing duties on Reynolds’ “Evening Shade.” Hampton would go on to direct episodes of “Sister, Sister” and “Grace Under Fire.”

Hampton was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Dallas. He attended North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas), where he majored in speech and drama and...

James Hampton, a veteran character actor best known as bumbling bugler Hannibal Shirley Dobbs on ’60s sitcom F Troop, died Wednesday at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, from Parkinson’s disease complications. He was 84 and his death was confirmed by TV biographer Randy West.

A character actor whose amiable appearance made him the quintessential sidekick, Hampton had a long career in film and television before retiring to his native Texas.

Beyond F Troop, he is best remembered for many key film roles, including appearances as “Caretaker” the manager of the prison football team in the Burt Reynolds prison film, The Longest Yard.

He also had supporting roles in the 1979 thriller The China Syndrome, the 1981 superhero comedy Condorman, the 1985 comedy, and Teen Wolf,. playing Harold Howard, father to Michael J. Fox’s title character. Hampton reprised the part in the 1987 follow-up with Jason Bateman, Teen Wolf Too, and the animated series spinoff.

James Hampton, who played the bumbling bugler Hannibal Dobbs on F Troop, the prison inmate Caretaker in the original The Longest Yard and Michael J. Fox’s furry father in Teen Wolf, has died. He was 84.

Hampton died Wednesday at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, of complications from Parkinson’s disease, a family spokesperson said.

Hampton was great pals with Burt Reynolds — the two first met on a 1963 episode of Gunsmoke — and they were castmates in The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and Hustle (1975). Plus, he wrote and/or directed several episodes of Reynolds’ CBS sitcom, Evening Shade.

The likable ...

James Hampton, who played the bumbling bugler Hannibal Dobbs on F Troop, the prison inmate Caretaker in the original The Longest Yard and Michael J. Fox’s furry father in Teen Wolf, has died. He was 84.

Hampton died Wednesday at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, of complications from Parkinson’s disease, a family spokesperson said.

Hampton was great pals with Burt Reynolds — the two first met on a 1963 episode of Gunsmoke — and they were castmates in The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and Hustle (1975). Plus, he wrote and/or directed several episodes of Reynolds’ CBS sitcom, Evening Shade.

The likable ...

Late Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds has finally been laid to rest over two years after his death. The Associated Press reports that a small, private memorial ceremony was held Thursday morning at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with relatives participating via Zoom. On the day that would have been his 85th birthday, Reynolds's cremated ashes were placed in a grave next to a lake that now serves as his final resting place.

At this time, Burt's gravesite is marked with a simple headstone brandishing his name. Mourners have also adorned the grave with flowers, a wreath, and even a model of the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. The grave marker is temporary, as Hollywood Forever president and co-owner Tyler Cassity says that a bronze or stone bust of the iconic actor is being commissioned with the hopes of unveiling it to the public in September on the third anniversary of his death.

Hal Holbrook, the five-time Emmy-winning actor who was famed for portraying Mark Twain, has died at 95. Holbrook died on January 23 at his home in Beverly Hills, his assistant told The New York Times.

Born on February 17, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, he went on to have a highly decorated screen and stage career that spanned more than six decades.

Holbrook perhaps was best known for playing Mark Twain in his one-man stage show Mark Twain Tonight!, which first played on Broadway in 1966 and earned Holbrook a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. A television showing of the stage show secured him an Emmy nomination a year later, he reprised the role on the Main Stem in 1977 and again in 2005.

Holbrook played former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln on television in Carl Sandburg’s 1974 mini-series Lincoln, which earned him one of five Emmy statuettes. His four other...

Hal Holbrook, the versatile stage and screen actor best known for his Tony-winning portrayal of Mark Twain, died Jan. 26 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 95.

Holbrook’s assistant told the New York Times about his death on Monday.

In the one-man play “Mark Twain Tonight!,” which Holbrook developed in 1954, he portrayed Twain reading from a selection of his dramatic and comedic writing. The play debuted in Pennsylvania before moving to New York in 1959 Off Broadway, and finally premiered on Broadway in 1966. Holbrook won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for that performance, and in 1967, he was nominated for an Emmy for the television broadcast.

Holbrook continued to revive the play for decades. His final Broadway appearance in the role came in 2006, and he retired from the role for good in 2017.

Born in 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, Holbrook began acting during his service in World War II,...

Emmy and Tony winner Hal Holbrook, an actor best known for his role as Mark Twain, whom he portrayed for decades in one-man shows, died on Jan. 23. He was 95.

Holbrook’s personal assistant, Joyce Cohen, confirmed his death to the New York Times on Monday night.

Holbrook played the American novelist in a solo show called “Mark Twain Tonight!” that he directed himself and for which he won the best actor Tony in 1966. He returned to Broadway with the show in 1977 and 2005 and appeared in it more than 2,200 times (as of 2010) in legit venues across the country. He began performing the show in 1954.

He received an Emmy nomination for a TV adaptation of “Mark Twain Tonight!” in 1967, the first of multiple noms. He won four Emmy Awards.

He also drew an Oscar nomination for supporting actor for his role in the film “Into the Wild” in 2008. At the time of the nomination,...

The actor/comedian/writer/director joins us to talk about some of the objectively bad movies he loves.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Explorers (1985)

Chinatown (1974)

Suicide Squad (2016)

The Oath (2018)

The Last Movie Star (2018)

Tango and Cash (1989)

The Thing (1982)

Runaway Train (1985)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Conrack (1974)

Volcano (1997)

Dante’s Peak (1997)

Earthquake (1974)

It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Road House (1989)

Minnie and Moskowitz (1971)

Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

The Greatest Showman (2017)

West Side Story (1961)

Chicago (2002)

The Producers (1967)

Outbreak (1995)

Volunteers (1985)

Splash (1984)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Philadelphia (1993)

Bachelor Party (1984)

Con Air (1997)

Bad Boys (1995)

The Rock (1996)

Mandy (2018)

Out For Justice (1991)

Once Upon A Time In America (1984)

Goodfellas (1990)

Paths of Glory (1957)

Hard To Kill (1991)

Above The Law (1988)

Under Siege (1992)

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)

The Asian Connection (2016)

Contract To Kill (2016)

The Perfect Weapon (2016)

Sniper: Special Ops (2016)

The Glimmer Man (1996)

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Contagion (2011)

Other Notable Items

The...

Burt Reynolds would’ve celebrated his 84th birthday on February 11, 2020. The Oscar-nominated actor remained active up until his death in 2018, starring in dozens of movies and TV shows. But how many of his titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

In the 1970s, Reynolds was arguably the biggest movie star in the world. He had made his name through television, appearing as a regular for 50 episodes on the hit series “Gunsmoke,” then headlining his own series, “Hawk” and “Dan August.” But then Reynolds got his big break in feature films, co-starring in the John Boorman classic “Deliverance” (1972).

Though Reynolds was soon starring in such box-office hits as “The Longest Yard” and “Smokey and the Bandit,” he never abandoned television, utilizing such talk shows as “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (where he was one...

The force of nature born Elizabeth Ann Cole, and rechristened Elizabeth Ashley for stage and screen of the late 1950s, first drew the attention of critics and fans with her work in New York theater, garnering an early-career Tony Award for her portrayal of Mollie in the Broadway production of “Take Her, She’s Mine” in 1961.

Ashley’s big-screen debut in 1964, the hit film adaptation of Harold Robbins’ mega-best-seller “The Carpetbaggers,” earned her a Golden Globe supporting actress nomination and led to decades of work on screens big and small, including an Emmy Award-nominated turn in the Burt Reynolds ’90s comedy series “Evening Shade.”

More recently, Ashley appeared in the hit film comedy “Ocean’s 8” and has lit up the Netflix mind-twister “Russian Doll” as Natasha Lyonne’s unconventional therapist. Her first time in Variety was 60 years ago, when she appeared in a critically trounced 1959 summer stock production of noted...

Veteran studio teacher Lois Carl, a longtime tutor who worked side-by-side with young Hollywood stars such as Haley Joel Osment, David Arquette and Josh Hutchinson, has died from complications related to end-stage kidney disease. She was 82.

Carl died in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday at Anaheim Regional Hospital according to her son, Adam Carl, who followed his mother into the industry as an actor and producer.

As Osment’s longtime tutor and child welfare monitor, Carl accompanied the child actor as he became an in-demand presence on TV and in feature films.

Carl was a familiar presence on Steven Spielberg’s film sets, working with young talent from the ensembles of A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, The Terminal, and Catch Me if You Can.

With 2018 now ending, Gold Derby celebrates over 30 celebrities who died in the past 12 months. Tour our photo gallery above as we feature tributes to these entertainer losses from this past year.

Just a few of the people honored in our special photo gallery:

Actress and director Penny Marshall died December 17 at age 75. She became one of the biggest stars on TV in the 1970s and early 1980s with “Laverne and Shirley.” She then directed such blockbuster films as “Big,” “A League of Their Own” and “Awakenings.”

SEERaise a beer to Penny Marshall, who talked like a Bronx truck driver and directed mass-appeal films like a pro

Bernardo Bertolucci died on November 26 at age 77. His 1987 film “The Last Emperor” swept the Oscars, including for Best Picture and Best Director. Other movies in his career included “Last Tango in Paris,” “The Conformist,” “The Sheltering Sky” and “Little Buddha.”

Screenwriter William Goldman died...

Every year, the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys must choose which notable performers and creators to memorialize in their In Memoriam segments, and the three organizations will have many talented entertainers to remember at 2019’s ceremonies.

The past year saw the loss of celebrated stars of the big screen, such “Smokey and the Bandit” star Burt Reynolds, who died Sept. 6. Reynolds, who was 82, earned an Oscar nom for “Boogie Nights” and also appeared on television in “Evening Shade.”

Among the other notable movie performers lost this year were “Superman” and “Smallville” actress Margot Kidder, who died May 13; “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” star Sondra Locke, who was also a film director and died Nov. 3; and Susan Anspach, who starred in “Five Easy Pieces” and “Blume in Love” and died April 2.

Several stars known for their work in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s passed away in 2018, including Dorothy Malone, who starred...

Apple has shelled out big bucks for Peanuts.

The tech giant has struck a deal with Dhx Media to create new series, specials and short-form content featuring characters from the late Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts gallery. Per THR.com, Charlie Brown & Co. will feed content for Apple’s still-nameless streaming service that is expected to launch in 2019. As part of the deal, Dhx Media will also produce Stem-related content featuring Snoopy and exclusive to Apple.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* Fox’s Last Man Standing has cast sitcom veteran Tisha Campbell (Martin, My Wife and...

With just six weeks left for 2018, Gold Derby celebrates over 40 celebrities and entertainers who died in the past 12 months. Tour our photo gallery above as we feature tributes to 25 losses from this year so far.

Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes, died on November 12 at age 95. For Marvel Comics and later many films and TV programs, his characters included Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and the Avengers.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen died on October 15 at age 65. He and Bill Gates helped start the microcomputer revolution in the mid-1970s by creating the world’s largest PC software company.

Burt Reynolds died on September 6 at age 82 in Florida. He was an Oscar nominee for “Boogie Nights” and an Emmy winner for “Evening Shade.” He was one of the top box office stars of the 1970s with movies such as “Deliverance,” “Smokey and the Bandit,” “The Longest Yard,...

The Wayans family is Happy Together: Damon Wayans Jr.’s real-life father Damon Wayans will guest-star on the freshman CBS comedy as — you guessed it — Jake’s (Wayans Jr.) dad, EW.com reports.

The Lethal Weapon leading man appears in the Monday, Oct. 29 episode, in which his character, Mike, comes for a visit at the same time that Jake is attempting to keep the romance alive while wife Claire (Amber Stevens West) is out of town.

The father and son have previously shared the screen on the comedies Happy Endings and My Wife and Kids.

Happy Together airs Mondays at 8:30/7:30c.

Chicago – The Bandit. Gator. The Man Who Loved Women. Jack Horner. Burt Reynolds played all these roles, in a roller coaster career that encompassed three eras of film and television. Reynolds died last month at age 82, taking with him a different breed of movie star, one that stole a scene with a self assured wink, mischievous smile and high pitched laugh.

Burt’s on-screen career began in 1958, and he had the distinction of being a regular on a hit TV show (“Gunsmoke”) in the 1960s, a movie star in the 1970s (“Smokey and the Bandit”) and ‘80s, and then back to TV (winning an Emmy for “Evening Shade), before getting his only Oscar nomination for “Boogie Nights.” His later career was notable for essentially being Burt Reynolds, as his second generation fans went on to produce shows like “Archer,” where Burt voices himself as Burt, and despite being named a...

The special “In Memoriam” segment on the 2018 Emmy Awards ceremony was tearful as beloved television legends Steven Bochco, Anthony Bourdain, Robert Guillaume, Monty Hall, John Mahoney, Jim Nabors, Charlotte Rae, Burt Reynolds, Neil Simon and Craig Zadan were part of the annual tribute.

SEEEmmy winners 2018: Full list of winners and nominees at the 70th Emmy Awards

But who was missing from the memoriam this time? Some of those surprising omissions included:

Marty Allen (actor/comedian)

Peter Baldwin (director)

Brent Briscoe (actor)

Dushon Monique Brown (actor)

Frank Buxton (writer/director)

Joseph Campanella (actor)

Olivia Cole (actor)

Vic Damone (actor/singer)

Bradford Dillman (actor)

Roy Dotrice (actor)

John Dunsworth (actor)

Harlan Ellison (writer)

Nanette Fabray (actor)

Dominic Frontiere (composer)

Michael Gershman (cinematographer)

Billy Graham (host)

Vanessa Greene (producer)

Doug Grindstaff (sound editor)

John Hillerman (actor)

Rance Howard (actor)

Tab Hunter (actor)

Earle Hyman (actor)

Anne Jeffreys (actor)

Margot Kidder (actor)

Louise Latham...

The special “In Memoriam” segment on the 2018 Emmy Awards ceremony will be especially tearful this year. Beloved television legends Steven Bochco, Anthony Bourdain, Robert Guillaume, Monty Hall, John Mahoney, Jim Nabors, Charlotte Rae, Burt Reynolds, Neil Simon and Craig Zadan will certainly be just a few people honored with in a musical tribute.

Let’s take a look back at these TV icons as well as over 50 others who have died since mid-September last year. Many will be included in the memoriam for the live Emmys ceremony hosted by Michael Che and Colin Jost for NBC on September 17.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2018: In Memoriam Gallery

Bochco died on April 1 at age 74. The 10-time Emmy winner was the creator of such TV classics as “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law,” “NYPD Blue” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.” He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1996.

Bourdain died in France on June...

Hollywood will never be the same now that it lost one its most famous actors, Burt Reynolds. The legend died on Sept. 6 at age 82 from an alleged heart attack, but before his passing, he was on the big and small screen for 60 years! And now, his former co-stars are revealing what it was like acting alongside the legend. His Smokey and the Bandit co-star Paul Williams is actually bitter about Burt's career. "He never got the recognition as an actor he truly deserved," he told Closer. "I think he shrugged his shoulders and laughed about it. He had the best laugh." (Photo Credit: Getty Images) And Marilu Henner, his co-star and wife on Evening Shade, agrees that Burt was very funny. "He was such a powerhouse and the first thing you were drawn to was his sense of humor. It was bigger than everything!" She added, "He liked to impart his knowledge to others.

Alongside Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds was the last movie star to bridge the gap between Hollywood’s old school and the Brat Pack-led, Multiplex blockbuster world we still live in today. A TV veteran from the late fifties, Reynolds used his trademark twinklin’ eyes, infectious chuckle, some audacious choices and some good ‘ol Southern charm to become a household name. Between 1978 and 1982, he was bar none, the biggest movie star in the world.

Somehow, despite overwhelming good will from an appreciative audience, Reynolds had a devil at the wheel and over his fifty year-plus career he had a bewildering tendency to shoot out his own tyres, to continue an appropriate racing car metaphor.

A promising football star in college – a sport to which he would return repeatedly in his films – a series of injuries led him to pursue a career as an actor. Appearances in popular shows like Gunsmoke and...

Jupiter, Fla – When I met Burt Reynolds in 2011, I knew I was meeting Hollywood royalty… he filled the room as a Movie Star King. He was frail at that time, complaining of the injuries he endured in the over 90 films in his career, but nothing stopped his stardom until it was over. Reynolds died on September 6th, 2018. He was 82.

Burt was age 75 at our meeting, and he still had that the charm bearing that audiences adored in his heyday in the 1970s and early ‘80s, when he was the King of the Box Office. He started in 1950s TV, bounced around in that and B-movies in the ‘60s, and found his niche as a humor-motivated “good old boy” in a series of films in the ‘70s, culminating with “Smokey and the Bandit” in 1977, his most memorable hit. But even in his later years, he broke ground with “Boogie Nights,” and worked up to the end…...