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Character actors are the backbone of the entertainment industry. In a constellation of Hollywood stars, they’re the unassuming comets that add a touch of eccentricity or relatable normalcy to our favorite shows. Biff Wiff was among those familiar faces where folks don't always know the names to match, and he played each little role with pride. Born in Chicago in 1948, the beloved actor, who always preferred this stage name, sadly passed away on February 12, 2025, aged 76, following a lengthy cancer battle.

Even if brief, his moments on screen carried a lived-in, comforting quality. With his bushy beard and gentle demeanor, Wiff quickly became an actor that viewers easily recognized. He wasn't a household name as such, although his presence was felt. Wiff represented the tradition of hard-working character actors whose contributions elevate storytelling through small but essential roles.

Biff Wiff Was a Late Bloomer on Television Netflix

Wiff always led...

Biff Wiff, a character actor best known for his multiple guest turns on the Netflix sketch comedy series “I Think You Should Leave,” has died following an extended battle with cancer, his management firm Entertainment Lab confirmed Friday on Instagram.

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“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you of the passing of our beloved client and actor, Biff Wiff,” the post read. “Biff was an amazing person inside and out, and his loving energy could be felt by all. We are sending our heartfelt sympathies to his family & loved ones at this time.”

“I Think You Should Leave” creator and star Tim Robinson reshared the post to his Instagram Stories. He also shared a clip from a fan-favorite “Itysl” sketch in which he starred with Wiff entitled “Shirt Brothers.”

Wiff’s decades-long career began with a...

Jill Jacobson, an actress recognized for her vivid performances on television, cinema, and stage, died on December 8 in Los Angeles at 70. Her publicist stated that she died at Culver West Health Center, which is associated with Cedars-Sinai, following a lengthy illness.

Jacobson began her acting career after receiving a degree in radio-tv film/Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. She immediately received notoriety in Hollywood, beginning with the title role in the cult classic film Nurse Sherri. This role propelled her to a great career, and she became a known face on numerous popular television shows.

Jacobson, affectionately referred to as “Jilly” by friends, was most known for her work in science fiction and comedy. She made major appearances in legendary shows like “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” demonstrating her incredible versatility. Furthermore, she made recurrent appearances in “Falcon Crest” and “The New Gidget.

Jill Jacobson, a film and television actress known for her work on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the primetime soap opera “Falcon Crest,” died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles. She was 70 years old.

Jacobson’s death was confirmed to Variety by publicist Daniel Harary, a friend of Jacobson’s, who noted the actress died after a battle with “a long illness.”

After graduating from the University of Texas in Austin, Jacobson moved to Los Angeles where she began her acting career with the title role in “Nurse Sherri.” She went on to star in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Hung,” “Newhart,” “Castle” and “Who’s the Boss?”

Notably, she played the recurring roles of Erin Jones on “Falcon Crest” and Larue Wilson on “The New Gidget” at the same time. Jacobson appeared on 22 episodes of “Falcon Crest” and eight episodes of “The New Gidget,...

Jill Jacobson, an actress whose TV credits include Falcon Crest, Newhart and The New Gidget, has died. She was 70.

Jacobson’s friend Dan Harary confirmed the news of her death, telling our sister site The Hollywood Reporter that Jacobson passed away on Dec. 8 at Cedars-Sinai’s Culver West Health Center following a long illness.

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Jacobson played Erin Jones on...

Jill Jacobson, an actress who had roles on two Star Trek shows, Falcon Crest and The New Gidget, has died. She was 70.

Jacobson died Dec. 8 at Cedars-Sinai’s Culver West Health Center following a long illness, her friend Dan Harary told The Hollywood Reporter.

Jacobson played Erin Jones in 22 episodes of Falcon Crest from 1985-87, the CBS primetime soap about a wealthy California wine family. At the same time, she played Larue Wilson on The New Gidget from 1986-87, a sequel to the Sally Field-led 1960s ABC soap opera about a teen surfer.

“Jill’s comic timing was brilliant,” Caryn Richman, Jacobson’s The New Gidget co-star said. “And her enthusiasm and love of life made our time together on set joyful.”

Jacobson also appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1989 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1996.

Her other TV credits included Hung, Newhart, Castle, Who’s the Boss?,...

Jill Jacobson, the actress known for appearances in shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Who’s the Boss? has died. She was 70.

According to friend and publicist Dan Harary, Jacobson died “after a long illness” on Sunday, Dec. 8 at Culver West Health Center in Culver City, CA.

“Beautiful, energetic, and positive to the end, she will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends, and her beloved dogs Benny and Kowalski,” reads a statement from her family.

The actress, who received awards for her work as a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, revealed earlier this year that she overcame a two-and-a-half-year struggle with esophageal cancer that “kind of took me out of the game for a while.”

She explained to Jim Masters, “What I went through was pretty intense. You can’t function, you just can’t function. And now I’m so grateful, I just want to keep going,...

Alan Hale, Jr. became a performer as part of his family's legacy. His mother was actress Gretchen Hartman who appeared in dozens of films in the 1910s, while his father, Alan Hale (real name: Rufus Edward MacKahan) racked up hundreds of credits in the silent era, typically as a reliable sidekick to Errol Flynn. Hartman retired from acting in 1929, and Hale, Sr. continued to work until his death in 1950. Alan Hale, Jr. first appeared on the screen as an infant, "starring" opposite his mother. Hale made his Broadway debut in 1931, when he was only 10, appearing in a very, very short-lived show called "Caught Wet" (it opened and closed in the same month). In 1933, Hale played uncredited role in William Wellman's Depression-era drama "Wild Boys of the Road," and it may be the first movie a casual observer would recognize him in. 

Staring in 1941, Hale began his acting career in earnest,...

The culture at large seems to be very ambivalent about Sherwood Schwartz's 1964 sitcom "Gilligan's Island." On the one hand, it was massively popular and, thanks to plum syndication deals, remained in the pop culture consciousness for literally decades, feeding its goofy reruns to multiple generations. The seven stranded castaways are all easily recognizable by millions, and kids grew up chuckling to Gilligan's antics. On the other hand, "Gilligan's Island" is often lambasted, critically, as the nadir of television. The series takes place in a lightweight, cartoonish universe, and it doesn't ever reach deeply into the souls of the characters to analyze how they adapt to being stranded on a tropical island. There is no madness or deterioration, just shenanigans. 

Anything as popular as "Gilligan's Island" at least deserves a robust and healthy regard, however. Its seven stars may have been playing broad, slapstick archetypes, but their performances certainly struck a chord.

This Sunday, December 4th, marks the Hung Season 3 finale with Episode 3.10: The Whole Beefalo. Jill Jacobson guest stars along with Jay Thomas as the parents of Jason's (Stephen Amell) pimp. We recently caught up with Jill to chat about the episode, as well as her upcoming stand-up comedy appearances.

Here is our conversation.

What can you tell us about this character you are playing on the season finale of Hung?

Jill Jacobson: One would expect that I'd be playing one of the broads that Thomas Jane is doing it with. But I'm not. I think its quite surprising. It's pretty crazy. I am the mother of the new pimp. We just show up. My husband is played by Jay Thomas. He is fantastic. We just went crazy. Apparently, the producers allowed us to just go crazy. I don't see why they wouldn't keep it in. We got a...

Producer Mark Canton ("300") and Pterodactyl Prods. are teaming for a reboot surfer girl icon "Gidget" reports Variety.

Gidget originated in Frederick Kohner's 1957 novel which followed the adventures of a teenage girl and her surfing friends on the beach at Malibu.

The character however became a cultural icon in the late 1950s and 1960s thanks to three movies and a TV series - properties that launched the careers of Sandra Dee and Sally Field. Her last onscreen appearance was the 1988 sitcom "The New Gidget" starring Caryn Richman.

The character has seen a revival in recent years through various lifestyle merchandising. As a result the intention is to bring the character to life in both TV and film form, albeit re-imagined in contemporary form.

Don't expect a the girl to go too dark though, the target audience is "teens, tweens and pre-tweens".

Pterodactyl Prods. and 300 producer Mark Canton are teaming to bring sun and surf icon Gidget back to film and TV for the first time in more than two decades, and will update the Malibu heroine for the new millennium, reports Variety . Pterodactyl's Barney Cohen ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") signed a deal with licensor Gidget Worldwide to develop the property for the big screen and small screen. Launched in a 1957 novel, Gidget spawned several movies, TV series and telepics, and launched the careers of Sandra Dee and Sally Field. "The New Gidget," which aired from 1987-88, marked the most recent screen outing for the can-do surfer girl.

It looks like the surf-chick is set for a comic-book look revamp courtesy of 300 producer Mark Canton as gets set to revive the Malibu heroine Gidget for the new millennium. Pterodactyl's Barney Cohen has signed a deal with licensor Gidget Worldwide to develop the property for both television and cinemas.

As a lifestyle brand, Gidget has enjoyed something of a global revival in recent years, spanning clothing ranges, accessories, sportswear, surfboards, bikes, skateboards and a Gidget Surf School. Launched in a 1957 novel, Gidget spawned several movies, TV series and telepics, and launched the careers of Sandra Dee and Sally Field. The New Gidget, which aired in the late 1980s, marked the most recent screen outing for the able and willing surfer girl.

The new movie's producer clearly thinks the surfing icon has the potential for a successful comeback. Canton said yesterday that "Gidget has always been such a strong symbol of girl power.

Gidget coming to bigscreen Pterodactyl Prods. and 300 producer Mark Canton are teaming to revive the Malibu heroine Gidget for the new millennium.

According to Variety, Pterodactyl's Barney Cohen inked a deal with licensor Gidget Worldwide to develop the property for the bigscreen and smallscreen.

As a lifestyle brand, Gidget has enjoyed something of a global revival in recent years, spanning apparel, accessories, sportswear, surfboards, bikes, skateboards and a Gidget Surf School.

Launched in a 1957 novel, Gidget spawned several movies, TV series and telepics, and launched the careers of Sandra Dee and Sally Field. The New Gidget, which aired from 1987-88, marked the most recent screen outing for the can-do surfer girl.

"Gidget has always been such a strong symbol of girl power," Canton said. "With female surfing exploding across the globe, the time is right to bring her back in a major way."

Cohen says the new Gidget will tackle...

Is the world ready for a new take on iconic surf girl Gidget, even though she exists more as a worldwide merchandising property than a film or TV character these days? 300 producer Mark Canton seems to think so, and he’s teaming up with Pterodactyl Productions to bring the character back to the big and small screens.First birthed in a 1957 novel, Gidget became something of a pop cultural sensation in the late 1950s and ‘60s across the pond, with TV series and movies based around her, which kick-started the careers of Sandra Dee and Sally Field, who played her.The most recent screen incarnation was 1987’s series The New Gidget, though she’s better known as the surf bum equivalent of Hello Kitty or Emily The Strange right now, with her name plastered over sporting goods, skateboards and (natch) surfboards.Barney Cohen is in charge of getting the new projects up and running,...