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Jonathan Axelrod, a studio and network executive and television producer and writer, died June 13 in Los Angeles. His ex-wife, television director Katy Garretson, reported his death. He was 74.

Born in New York City, Axelrod moved to Beverly Hills when he was nine, and his father George Axelrod was nominated for an Oscar for penning the screenplay for 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

He partnered with director John Frankenheimer, who he met as a teenager on the set of his father’s film “The Manchurian Candidate,” to produce TV movies like “Against the Wall.” In the later years of his career, Axelrod produced over two dozen movies for the Hallmark Channel.

His other producing credits include the series “Can’t Hurry Love,” “Brothers Keeper” and “Garage Sale Mysteries.”

Axelrod founded and served as president of talent agency Camden Artists, and later was president of New World Pictures and Columbia Pictures Television. He also...

Jonathan Axelrod, prolific studio and network executive, television producer and writer, and son-in-law of the late George Axelrod, died in his sleep on June 13 in Los Angeles. His death was confirmed to Deadline by his ex-wife, television director/producer Katy Garretson. He was 74.

Axelrod had a long and varied career in film and television. Early on, he founded and was President of the talent agency Camden Artists. He was President of New World Pictures and Columbia Pictures Television.

He was the producing half of Axelrod/Widdoes Entertainment, with actor-director Jamie Widdoes, as well as Axelrod/Edwards with writer-executive Kelly Edwards. He was both SVP of Prime-Time Development and Vice-President of Drama at ABC. He partnered with director John Frankenheimer to produce TV movies like Against the Wall… after meeting Frankenheimer as a...

Mariska Hargitay first appeared on ER as Cynthia Hooper before landing her iconic role on Law & Order: Svu as Olivia Benson. Hargitay's persistence in auditioning for ER paid off, as she was initially rejected but later offered the role. Hargitay's portrayal of Cynthia in ER demonstrated a different side of her acting abilities compared to her role as Olivia Benson.

Viewers may not remember, but Mariska Hargitay appeared in ER before her career-defining run on Law & Order: Svu. Throughout 15 seasons of ER, the long-running medical drama has featured numerous main, supporting, recurring, and guest characters filling the ranks of Cook County General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. While there have been plenty of notable actors to appear as one-time patients, doctors, and other peripheral characters, few have jumped from ER to starring in one of the longest-running TV shows of all time.

Before ER, Hargitay was a relative unknown,...

This October, in addition to the expected host of horror films and ritual “Over The Garden Wall” rewatches (you know who you are), there are some breakout performances on the horizon. Maybe the best cinematic reaction in “Lessons in Chemistry” (starting on Apple TV+ October 13) comes from Lewis Pullman, while Caelie Spaeny more than holds her own against Jacob Elordi’s Elvis in “Priscilla.” Pullman and Spaeny share a credit in common, in fact: a film celebrating its five-year anniversary on October 12 and one that, in many ways, created a blueprint for some of the most inventive storytelling we’ve seen in the years since.

“Bad Times at the El Royale,” written and directed by “The Martian” and “Cabin in the Woods” scribe Drew Goddard, received only mixed to positive reviews when it came out in 2018, and people mostly stayed away; it almost made back its $32 million budget, but the...

Screenwriter Don Payne has died, it has been announced.

Payne is best known for writing several episodes of The Simpsons and co-writing the screenplay to Thor and its upcoming sequel Thor: The Dark World.

Details of his death have yet to be released.

Thor stars Kat Dennings and Jaimie Alexander tweeted about Payne's death today (March 27).

Don Payne won four Emmy Awards for his work on The Simpsons. He wrote 16 episodes of the Fox animation, serving as a consulting producer for 100 episodes.

He also wrote the screenplays for Uma Thurman comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the upcoming Maximum Ride.

Payne had worked on several TV sitcoms in the 1990s, including Hope & Gloria, Pride & Joy, Can't Hurry Love, Men Behaving Badly, Veronica's Closet and The Brian Benben Show.

For many years, he worked with fellow screenwriter John Frink.

Dennings described Payne as "a wonderful,...