The film industry lost 105 talented people this year, some still in the prime of their lives.
Big names such as James Gandolfini [Unlink], Jean Stapleton, Paul Walker, Peter O'Toole, and Dennis Farina [Unlink] to name a few.
Also, there were some other notable deaths, such as three hurricane storm chasers for the Discovery Channel who died chasing a F-3 tornado, a scheming baroness in "The Sound of Music" and one of the munchkins from the original 1939 film of the "Wizard of OZ."
This is the first in a series of stories remembering those who passed away this year. People who entertained us, lead us or others, and other's whose talents and skills helped humanity and improved our daily lives.
These lists represents a year of collecting obituaries and culling the names and write ups from a wide variety of sources. Some names may be missing, which is not intentional.
All the high-profile deaths are listed, however, sources were scoured to find those who may have been known by those older or younger than you.
So if you find someone who was missed, please add their name and who they were as a comment. Also, they may be on one of the future lists to be published between now and the end of the year. Between now and the end of the year, the other lists scheduled to be published will be:
Famous Politicians and World Leaders
Sports Athletes and Personnel (Managers, Coaches, etc.)
Journalist, Writers and Broadcasting
Science and Academia
Historical Figures
Here is the list of the 105 people from film and stage industries who passed away in 2013. I will be adding photos to this list on a daily basis. (Listed in order of most recent death back to January):
Eleanor Parker — Actress who was nominated for Academy Awards three times for her portrayals of strong-willed women and played a scheming baroness in "The Sound of Music," died on Dec. 20 due to complications from pneumonia. She was 91.
Joan Fontaine [Unlink] — Academy Award-winning actress died on Dec. 20 in her sleep in her Carmel, California home. Fontaine became famous for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock's films "Suspicion" and "Rebecca." Fontaine has appeared in more than 30 movies, and featured in films by Billy Wilder [Unlink] ("The Emperor Waltz"), Fritz Lang [Unlink] ("Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"), and Nicholas Ray [Unlink] ("Born to be Bad"). She also had roles in "The Women," "Gunga Din," "Jane Eyre" and in a historical drama "Letter from an Unknown Woman." She also appeared on stage in the 1954 Broadway production of "Tea and Sympathy." Fontaine also received an Emmy nomination in 1980 for her cameo on the daytime soap "Ryan's Hope." She was 96.
Tom Laughlin — Actor-writer-director whose production and marketing of "Billy Jack" set a standard for breaking the rules on and off screen, died on Dec. 16 of complications from pneumonia at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California. He was 82.
Peter O'Toole — Eight time Oscar nominee, died on Dec. 15, after a long illness. The star of 1962 film "Lawrence of Arabia," made him famous and would earn him the first of his eight Oscar nominations (his last was in 2006 for the film Venus). O'Toole was also a lauded stage actor, having appeared in many Shakespearian plays such as "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" on major stages around the world. He was 81.
Don Mitchell — Actor best known for his regular role on the original "Ironside" series, died on Dec. 8 in Encino on Sunday of natural causes. He played Mark Sanger, the aide and bodyguard to Raymond Burr's wheelchair-using title character, in the NBC drama that ran from 1967 to 1975. He was 70.
Christopher Evan Welch — A star of stage and screen who appeared most recently in the TV series "Nurse Jackie" and "Elementary" died on Dec. 2 of lung cancer after battling it for several years. Welch also appeared in movies such as "War of the Worlds", "The Good Shepherd", and "Vicky Christina Barcelona." He was 48.
Paul Walker — Actor and star of the "Fast & Furious" movie series, has died on Nov. 30 in a car accident in Valencia, 30 miles north of Hollywood. Walker was the passenger in a Porsche driven by his friend and racing team partner, Roger Rodus, who also died in the crash. The two had been in attendance at a event for Walker's charity earlier in the afternoon and slammed into a light pole while out on a ride. The car burst into flames, trapping the men inside and preventing onlookers wielding fire extinguishers from saving the men. Walker was 40.
Jay Leggett — Actor, improvisational comedian, producer, director, screenwriter, and cast member of In "Living Color", died of a massive heart attack on Nov. 24, after a day of hunting in the town of Tomahawk, Lincoln County, Wisconsin. He was 50.
Hal Needham — legendary Hollywood stuntman turned director died on Oct. 25 shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. The highest paid stuntman in the world, Needham broke 56 bones performing stunts in more than 4,500 TV and feature movies, has 56 acting credits, and directed films including; "Smokey and the Bandit" and "The Cannonball Run." He was the first director to show out-takes during closing credits. He was 82.
Marcia Wallace — Actress who won an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Simpsons' teacher Edna Krabappel, died of pneumonia on Oct. 25. For more than four decades, Wallace appeared on popular television shows as well as game shows like "Password" and "The Hollywood Squares." Prior to her tenure on "The Simpsons", she was best known as Carol Kester, a role she originated on "The Bob Newhart Show" for 140 episodes, and reappeared later on "Murphy Brown." She was 70.
Ed Lauter — A character actor whose credits include roles in "The Rocketeer", "The Longest Yard," and the Oscar winning film "The Artist," has died of mesothelioma on Oct. 16. He was 74.
Kumar Pallana — Actor best known for roles in "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Terminal," died on Oct. 10, at age 94.
Hamidou Banmessaoud — Actor better known as Amidou, died on Sept. 19. who had roles in "Ronin", "Spy Game", and "Rules of Engagement." He was 78.
Marta Heflin — Actress of film and stage died on Sept. 18 after a long illness. Heflin's film roles in "A Star is Born", "Come Back to the Five and Dime", and "Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." She also performed on Broadway in musicals like “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hair” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” She was 68.
Susan FitzGerald — Actress best known for roles in theatre and in the movie version of "Angela's Ashes" died of cancer on Sept. 9. She was 64.
Murray Gershenz — Actor who capitalized on his age to land parts in "The Hangover" and "I Love You, Man" in addition to several television roles, died on Aug. 25. He was 91.
Gerard Murphy — Actor whose diverse credits included roles in "Batman Begins" and "Waterworld" as well as a wealth of stage appearances, died on Aug. 26 in Cambridge from prostate cancer, which he battled for more than two years. He was 64.
Julie Harris [Unlink] — Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress whose credits include "The Belle of Amherst", "East of Eden", and the night-time soap opera "Knots Landing" died on Aug. 24 from heart failure. She was 87.
Lee Thompson Young [Unlink] — Actor best known for his role as the title character on Disney Channel's "The Famous Jett Jackson" commited suicide on Aug. 19 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The actor suffered from a bipolar disorder and was taking medication while under a doctor's care. Young also appeared on TV programs "Scrubs" and "FlashForward" and in several movies, most notably the 2004 film "Friday Night Lights." He was working on TNT's hit series "Rizzoli & Isles" as detective Barry Frost at his time of death. He was 29.
August Schellenberg — Actor best known for his appearances in movies, notably "Free Willy" and "The New World" died on Aug. 15 after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 77.
Lisa Robin Kelly — Actress best known as big sister Lorie Forman on "That '70s Show" died in her sleep on Aug. 14 of an apparent cardiac arrest in a rehab clinic. Days before her death, Kelly's boyfriend took her to the hospital where her blood alcohol content (BAC) was .34, borderline fatal. While police ruled out foul play, the official cause of death is still under investigation as of Dec. 21. Kelly had problems with alcoholism, and was arrested on a DUI charge in 2012. She checked herself into a rehab clinic for treatment. She was 43.
Gia Allemand — Actress, model, and reality show contestant, known for her appearances on "The Bachelor," died on Aug. 14 after she was declared brain dead and removed from life support two days after an attempt to hang herself. She was 29.
Eydie Gorme — Actress, singer and television performer who rose to prominence when "The Steve Allen Show" became "The Tonight Show," died on Aug. 10 following an undisclosed illness. The "Blame it on the Bossa Nova" singer, who often sang with her partner and husband of more than 55 years Steve Lawrence [Unlink], also starred with him on "The Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme Show." She was 84.
Karen Black [Unlink] — Golden Globe actress who received an Oscar nomination for playing Jack Nicholson's girlfriend in the film "Five Easy Pieces," died of bladder cancer on Aug. 8. Black won a Golden Globe for that role (as well as another for her performance in 1974's "The Great Gatsby") and was nominated for a Grammy for penning songs for the Robert Altman [Unlink] musical "Nashville." Black built a film resume that included prostitutes, murderers, waitresses, transsexuals and thieves. She was 74.
Margaret Pellegrini — Actress who at 16 appeared as one of the munchkins in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," died on Aug. 7 from complications of a stroke she suffered in 2012. Until her death, she was one of the three surviving munchkins, the other two being Jerry Maren and Ruth Robinson Duccini. Pellegrini also was played a Sleepyhead in the same film. She was 89.
Gail Kobe — Actress who appeared in "The 10 Commandments" as well as serving as producer on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "Guiding Light," died on Aug. 1. During the 1950s and 1960s, she made guest appearances on numerous hit TV shows, including "Ironside", "The Outer Limits", "Hogan's Heroes", "The Twilight Zone", "Dr. Kildare", "Gunsmoke", "Bewitched", "Mission: Impossible", "The Untouchables" and "Mannix." She was 82 or 84, depending on which obituary.
Michael Ansara — Syrian-born actor who protrayed Klingon Kang in three versions of the "Star Trek" franchise as well as "I Dream of Jeannie", "The Untouchables" and "Lost in Space" died on July 31 of complications from Alzheimer's. He was 91.
Eileen Brennan [Unlink] — Actress who appeared in such movies as Clue, The Last Picture Show, and "The Sting," and for her Oscar-nominated performance as Capt. Doreen Lewis in the 1980 comedy "Private Benjamin," died on July 28 of bladder cancer. She was 80.
Bernadette Lafont — Actress whose credits include "The Mother and the Whore", "An Impudent Girl", "Le Beau Serge" as well as a starring turn in François Truffaut's first professional film, "Les Mistons," died on July 25 of cardiac arrest. She was 74.
Mark Corwin — Emmy winning director, whose industry credits include "Password Plus", "Jeopardy!", "Card Sharks", and more than 2,000 episodes directing "Wheel of Fortune," died on July 25 of cancer. He was 65.
Dennis Farina — Actor, and a former Chicago policeman who played the role of a cop on "Law & Order" died on July 22. Farina played a variety of law enforcement officials over his 30 year acting career and appeared in such films as "Get Shorty," "Saving Private Ryan," "Midnight Run," and "Out of Sight." He passed away in a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, after suffering a blood clot in his lung. He was 69.
Mel Smith — English comedian, writer, film director, producer and actor who appeared in "The Princess Bride" and could be seen in sketch comedy shows shows "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and "Alas Smith and Jones," died on July 19 of a heart attack. His best-known film in America is Brain Donors, the 1992 update of the Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera, starring himself as a cheeky, opportunistic cab driver turned ballet promoter. He was 50.
Briony McRoberts — Actress who appeared on "EastEnders" and "Take the High Road," was killed on July 17 after she was hit by a Tube train in a station in West London, England, in an apparent suicide. She was 56.
Dennis Burkley — Character actor who appeared on "My Name is Earl," as a voice on "King of the Hill," and in the movies "Con Air" and "The Doors" (among others), died in his sleep of a heart attack on July 14 at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 67.
Cory Monteith — Actor best known for starring as singing football player Finn Hudson on the hit Fox series "Glee," was found dead in his hotel room on July 13 in Vancouver, Canada from an overdose of a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol. He was 31.
Joe Conley — Actor who played general store owner Ike Godsey on the TV show "The Waltons," died on July 7 from complications related to dementia. He was 85.
Bernie Nolan — Irish singer and actress who fronted the all girl family act The Nolans and later went on to an acting career died on July 4 of breast cancer. She appeared on television series "Brookside" and later "The Bill." The singer/actress had recently participated in The Nolans' reunion tour in 2008. She was 52.
Paul Jenkins — Actor whose resume included films like "Rosemary's Baby" and roles on television shows like "The Waltons", "MASH", "Lou Grant," and "Columbo" died on July 1 after a brief illness. He was 74.
Jim Kelly — Actor, athlete and martial artist, best known for playing Williams in "Enter the Dragon," died on June 29 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Popular for his one-liner jokes, Kelly was the first martial artist of color to break in to the movie business, and went on to star in other films like "Black Belt Jones", "Three the Hard Way", "Golden Needles" and the "Black Samurai." He was 67.
Gary David Goldberg — Emmy and Golden Globe winning writer and producer died on June 22 of brain cancer. He rapidly shot to success in TV, writing episodes for "Lou Grant" and "MASH" and producing the hit sitcom "Family Ties." Goldberg won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe as co-producer for "Lou Grant" and nominated for five other Emmys. His film work includes "Dad" with Jack Lemmon and the 2005 romantic comedy "Must Love Dogs." He also wrote for the hit sitcom "Spin City." He was 68.
James Gandolfini Jr. — Three time Emmy winning American actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the seminal HBO series The Sopranos, died suddenly on June 19 after suffering a heart attack while he was in Italy. At the time of his death, Gandolfini was in pre-production on a new limited HBO series, Criminal Justice as the lead character. He was 51.
Harry Lewis — Actor who appeared in movies such as "The Ten Commandments" and "Key Largo" as well as the television series "Adventures of Superman," died on June 9 of natural causes. Lewis was also a restaurateur who co-founded the popular chain Hamburger Hamlet. He was 93.
Angus MacKay — Actor who appeared on such popular series as "Only Fools and Horses" and "Doctor Who," died on June 8. But Mackay's passion was the stage, where, in a 50-year career, he brought a piquant precision to everything from Stoppard to Shaw. He was 86.
Esther Williams — Actress and bathing beauty shot to stardom in the 1940s in the "aqua musical," an odd sub-genre of films that became an enormous hit with the moviegoing mainstream. Her underwater extravaganzas made her one of the most popular actresses of the era. She starred in movies like "Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" alongside leading men like Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. The water, Esther Williams once wittily remarked, was her favorite costar. She was 91.
Jean Stapleton — Actress who played Edith Bunker on popular sitcom "All in the Family," died on May 31 surrounded by family and friends in New York City, of natural causes. Originally a stage actress, Stapleton's success on "All in the Family," which garnered her three Emmys and two Golden Globes, was followed with appearances in movies like "Michael" and "You've Got Mail." She was 90.
Carl Young — Tornado chaser who appeared on the Discovery Channel's documentary reality series "Storm Chasers," died on May 31 from injuries sustained while in pursuit of an EF-3 tornado near El Reno, OK. He was 45.
Tim Samaras — Tornado chaser who appeared on the Discovery Channel's documentary reality series Storm Chasers, died on May 31 from injuries sustained while in pursuit of an EF-3 tornado near El Reno, OK. He was 55.
Paul Samaras — Tornado chaser who appeared on the Discovery Channel's documentary reality series Storm Chasers, has died on May 31 from injuries sustained while in pursuit of an EF-3 tornado near El Reno, OK. He was 24.
Bill Pertwee — British actor and radio personality, star of the television series, "Dad's Army," died on May 27. He was 86.
Richard Thorp — British actor best known for starring on British soap opera "Emmerdale" for more than 30 years, died on May 22. He was 81.
Steve Forrest — Actor who starred as Lt. Dan “Hondo” Harrelson on the 1970s ABC action series S.W.A.T., died peacefully on May 18, surrounded by family. The actor appeared in a cameo in the 2003 film remake of "S.W.A.T." starring Colin Farrell and Samuel L. Jackson. He was 87.
Paul Shane — British actor who played camp comedian Ted Bovis on BBC's sitcom "Hi-de-Hi!," died on May 16 after a short illness. He was 72.
Arnold Peters — British actor who starred in long-running radio soap opera "The Archers," died on May 11 after a longtime battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 87.
Ron Weaver — Daytime Emmy Award-winning producer of "The Bold and the Beautiful" and one of the creators of "Sesame Street" died on May 11. Weaver also wrote the 2010 novel Soul Mate. He was 75.
Bryan Forbes — British filmmaker who directed cult classic "The Stepford Wives," died on May 8 following a long illness. He was 86.
Jeanne Cooper — Emmy Award-winning actress and star of daytime soap "The Young and the Restless," died on May 8. Her son, actor Corbin Bernsen shared the news on Twitter, saying "She was in peace and without fear." She was 84.
Ray Harryhausen — Visual effects artist who pioneered stop-motion animation with "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Clash of the Titans" died on May 7. Harryhausen collaborated with such visionary directors as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and George Lucas. Said Lucas, "Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no Star Wars.” He was 92.
Mario Machado — TV journalist and actor whose credits include "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Scarface" died on May 4 of Parkinson's Disease. He was 78.
Deanna Durbin — Child star who was awarded the Juvenile Academy Award at 17, died on April 30. Durbin appeared in such films as "Three Smart Girls", "100 Men And A Girl," and with Judy Garland starring in "Every Sunday." Her enormously popular movies were widely credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy during the Depression. She was 91.
Jack Shea — Director of such popular TV series as "The Jeffersons", "Sanford and Son," and "Silver Spoons," died on April 28 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. In addition to his series directing duties, Shea directed 10 Bob Hope Christmas specials and was the Directors Guild of America president from 1997 to 2002. He was 84.
Brad Lesley — Major league pitcher turned actor whose credits included "Little Big League" and "Mr. Baseball" died on April 27 of kidney failure. He was 54.
Jacqueline Brookes — Actress of the stage and screen, was known for roles in "Losing Isaiah," "The Good Son," and "The naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" died on April 26 from lymphoma (blood cancer). She was 82.
Virginia Gibson — Actress and singer who co-hosted children's TV show "Discovery" for nearly a decade, died on April 25. She placed minor chart records ("Miracle Of Love", "Two Innocent Hearts") in the US Billboard and Cashbox charts. She starred in "Your Hit Parade," one of the most popular TV shows of the 1950s. In 1957, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, for her portrayal of Beth Livingstone in "Happy Hunting." She was 88.
Richard LeParmentier — Actor who appeared in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", "Octopussy," and as the Imperial officer choked by Darth Vader in "Star Wars Episode IV," died suddenly on April 15 while in Austin, Texas, visiting his children. He was 66.
Richard Collins — Actor best known for playing Phil on the Canadian series "Trailer Park Boys," died on April 15 during the filming of "Trailer Park Boys 3: Don't Legalize It." No cause of death was ever released. He was 66.
Frank Bank — Actor best known as Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford and brother Wally on the classic TV comedy "Leave It to Beaver." Died on April 13 from an undisclosed cause. Bank found himself typecast, appearing in more than 150 episodes, so he quit acting and became a successful financial broker. He was 77.
Jonathan Winters — Actor whose comedy style and improvisational talent inspired comedians like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, died on April 11 of natural causes. The comedian rose to popularity with characters like Maude Frickert and Mearth, the son of Mork and Mindy on the show of the same name. Winters also appeared in the classic film "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and in his own series, "The Jonathan Winters Show." He was 87.
Greg Kramer — Actor, author, director, and magician known for roles in "300", "The Day After Tomorrow", "I'm Not There", and "On the Road," died on April 9. Although a cause of death was not immediately confirmed, Kramer was HIV-positive and had previously had a lung removed due to a bout of lung cancer. He was 51.
Richard Brooker — British actor and stuntman whose credits include "Friday the 13th Part III" and "Deathstalker," died on April 8 due to a heart attack. He was 58.
Annette Funicello — Actress and singer best known as one of the original Mouseketters from Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club" died on April 8 from complications due to multiple sclerosis. Funicello went on to star in multiple beach party movies. After her death, the 2013 Disney Channel Original Movie movie "Teen Beach Movie" was dedicated to her memory. She was 70.
Sara Montiel — Spanish actress and singer who enjoyed crossover appeal with English speaking audiences in such films as "Bad Education" and "Run of the Arrow," died on April 8 of cardiac arrest. She was 85.
Les Blank — Documentary filmmaker whose credits include "Burden of Dreams" and "Werner Herzog Eats His Shoes," died on April 7 from bladder cancer. He was 77.
Roger Ebert — Much beloved movie critic, Roger Ebert, died on April 4 after a long battle with cancer. Ebert was know for his trade-marked thumbs up/thumbs down style of film review with his partner, Gene Siskel, on their popular movie review TV show "At The Movies" which debuted in 1975. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2006 and underwent many surgeries throughout the years, he had eventually lost his use of speech. However, none of this kept him from being a prominent blogger and reviewer up until his last days. He was 70. Jean Sincere — Actress whose notable roles include "Glee", "iCarly," and a voice role in "The Incredibles," died on April 3 of natural causes. She was 93.
Jane Henson — Puppeteer and co-founder of the Muppets, died on April 2 of cancer. Henson founded the Muppets with her husband, Jim, who died in 1990 of organ failure due to an infection. On March 20, Jane Henson's daughter, Cheryl, revealed that her mother had cancer and was paralyzed. Henson was 78.
Shain Gandee — Actor and one of the stars of MTV's reality show "Buckwild," died on April 1 of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning with his uncle, David, when the car the two were off-roading in got stuck in the mud. While waiting for help, police said they did not turn off the engine while staying inside. Gandee and his uncle were found two days after they died. He was 21.
Richard Griffiths — Actor best known for his role as Vernon Dursley in the "Harry Potter" films and for his part in "Withnail and I", died on March 29 due to complications following heart surgery. He was 65.
Harry Reems — Pornographic actor who starred in "Deep Throat," and who became a cause celebre in Hollywood after he was convicted on federal obscenity charges related to the movie, died on March 19 of pancreatic cancer. He was 65.
Henry Bromell — Emmy-winning producer-writer of Showtime's Homeland, died on March 18 of a heart attack. The writer and producer's other credits include "Chicago Hope", "Northern Exposure", "Rubicon," and "Brotherhood." He was 66.
Frank Thornton — British actor best known for playing Captain Peacock on "Are You Being Served?" and "Last of the Summer Wine," died on March 16 in his sleep of natural causes. He was 92.
Willy Switkes — Character actor who had roles in "Taxi Driver" and "Tootsie," died on March 7 of colon cancer. He was 83.
Bonnie Franklin — Accomplished stage performer before being tapped in the mid-1970s to portray Ann Romano, a divorced working mother with two teen daughters, in Norman Lear's groundbreaking sitcom "One Day at a Time." died on March 1 at home from complications of pancreatic cancer. She was 69.
Dale Robertson — Actor who starred in the Western TV series "Tales of Wells Fargo" and "Iron Horse," died on Feb. 27. He was 89.
Ray Cusick — Production designer best known as the creator of the villainous Daleks seen in the "Doctor Who" series, died on Feb. 21. The show (and the Dalek design) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. He was 84.
Lou Myers — Actor best known for playing grumpy restaurant owner Vernon Gaines of "A Different World," died on Feb. 19 after a battle with pneumonia. He was 76.
Elspet Gray — British actress known for her roles on "Blackadder" and "Fawlty Towers," died on Feb. 18. She was 83.
Richard Briers — English actor and frequent collaborator of Kenneth Branagh's in such films as "Hamlet", "Henry V", "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," died on Feb. 17 of complications related to emphysema. He was 79.
Pat Derby — Hollywood animal trainer and rescuer of exotic and performing animals died on Feb. 15 of complications from throat cancer. She is known for her work on When Good Pets Go Bad (1999), The World's Most Dangerous Animals (1996) and Lion Ark (2013). She and her partner, Ed Stewart, operated a 2,300-acre sanctuary near Sacramento. She was 70.
Richard Collins — Screenwriter during the McCarthy era who was blacklisted for several years before he cooperated with the Communist-hunting House Un-American Activities Committee, died on Feb. 14 in Ventura, California, of aspiration pneumonia. Collins went on to a three-decade career in television as a writer and producer of shows such as "Bonanza" and "Matlock." He was 98.
Mark Balelo — Reality TV participant of the auction hunters on A&E's "Storage Wars," committed suicide on Feb. 12 of carbon monoxide poisoning. Balelo was found dead in his car, motor still running, at his auction house in Simi, California. He was arrested on Feb. 10 and spent the night in jail on the charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was 40.
Elizabeth Alley — Actress known for her roles on "Sunset Beach" and daytime soap "Days of Our Lives," died on Feb. 8 from a brain aneurysm. She was 58.
Robin Sachs — British actor best known as sorcerer Ethan Raynes (the arch nemesis of Giles) on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," died on Feb. 6 of a heart attack. He was 61.
Stuart Freeborn — Legendary make-up artist for his work in "2001: A Space Odyssey," and created the looks for "Star Wars" characters Yoda, Chewbacca, the Ewoks and Jabba the Hutt, died on Feb. 5 in London. He also worked on the four "Superman" movies (1978, 1980, 1983 and 1987). His pioneering career spanned seven decades, working in 77 feature films from 1937 to 1990. Freeborn's wife, Kay, died in 2012 and his three sons - Roger, Ray and Graham - all died before him. He was 98.
Bernard Horsfall — British actor known for his time on "Doctor Who", died on Jan. 29. He was 82.
Janice Knickrehm — Actress best known as Mrs. Blankenship in "Halloween: the Curse of Michael Myers," died on Jan. 23. She was 87.
Michael Winner — British writer and director, died on Jan. 21 after a battle with liver disease. Winner was best known as the director of the "Death Wish" film series starring Charles Bronson and as the writer/director of "The Big Sleep". He was 77.
Robert Chew — Actor who played a drug lord on "The Wire", died on Jan. 19 of a heart attack. He was 52.
Billy Varga — Actor and professional wrestler who appeared in films like "Raging Bull," died on Jan. 18 from Alzhiemer's. He was 94.
Jeff Cahill — Actor who began his career at age 12 in The Blues Brothers band, and stared in the movie of the same name, died at his West Hollywood apartment on Jan. 18 after a bout of abdominal bleeding. Feeling ill for weeks, and the night before he died, he went to the ER and a short time afterwards they sent him home. Cahill's family ordered their own tests and found out he died from cirrhosis of the liver. He was 44.
Fred J. Lincoln — American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, editor and cinematographer of pornographic films, died on Jan. 17 at his home in Los Angeles from complications of emphysema and heart disease. He appeared in two mainstream productions, play the role of Weasel Podowski in Wes Craven's "The Last House on the Left," and in an early Jerry Bruckheimer production, "Defiance" playing himself. He was 75.
Conrad Bain — Actor known for his role as Mr. Drummond on "Dif'frent Strokes", died on Jan. 14 from natural causes. Besides the 189 episodes he played on "Dif'frent Strokes," he also appeared in 118 episodes as Dr. Arthur Harmon in "Maude." Bain appeared in 52 TV and feature films during a career that spanned more than 40 years. He was 89.
David R. Ellis — Director, died on Jan. 7 from unknown causes in South Africa. He directed such films as "Final Destination 2", "Cellular" and "Shark Night." Ellis also directed Samuel L. Jackson in the cult hit film "Snakes on a Plane." He was 60.
Huell Howser — Actor known for his travel show on PBS, "California's Gold", died on Jan. 7 of prostate cancer. Howser also appeared on episodes of "The Simpsons" and at the end of the "Winnie the Pooh" movie in 2011. He also hosted "Visiting," "'Road Trip" and "Downtown." He was 67.
Martha Greenhouse — American stage, film and television actress and union leader appeared in such films as "The Stepford Wives" and Woody Allen's "Bananas." died on Jan. 5. Besides staring in on and off Broadway productions, Greenhouse appeared on such television and soap opera series as "Route 66", "Car 54", "Where Are You?" "Law & Order," "The Jackie Gleason Show," "The Phil Silvers Show," and "Ryan's Hope." She was 91.
Ned Wertimer — Actor of stage and screen who played Ralph Hart, the greedy doorman on "The Jeffersons," died on Jan. 2 of health complications. After flying as a Navy pilot during WWII, Wertimer performed in many Broadway productions between 1959 and 1965, where he moved out to Los Angeles to continue his TV career. He has more than 100 guest appearance credits. He was 89.
*** Update as of Dec. 24, 2013
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