obituary

Jenne Casarotto, who has died aged 77 after a short illness, created in Casarotto Ramsay what Hollywood likes to call a boutique agency. But any business that deals both with the estate of Tennessee Williams and with the films of Steve McQueen clearly exercises a benign cultural reach beyond that of many more self-important addresses. Who else could be effortlessly skilled at doing the best for a playwright such as Caryl Churchill and for a movie director such as Stephen Frears?Jenne was always dedicated to the interests…

At 73 the oldest ever recipient of the best original screenplay Oscar for his script for the period drama The King’s Speech, David Seidler became an overnight spokesman for two beleaguered groups: stutterers and senior-age screenwriters. Finally receiving recognition from the youth-fixated entertainment industry after more than 40 years of service, Seidler, who has died aged 86, joked in his acceptance speech: “My father always said that I would be a late bloomer.”That he voiced his satisfaction in flawless, actorly…

The Cleveland native was wrote several hits including "Make Me Lose Control," "All by Myself," and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" Eric Carmen, the Eighties hitmaker behind the Dirty Dancing classic song “Hungry Eyes,” has died at the age of 74. His wife, Amy Carmen, confirmed the news on his official website. “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” read the statement. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep,…

Various outlets are reporting that the influential creator of Dragon Ball and character designer for games like the Dragon Quest series and Chrono Trigger, Akira Toriyama, died on March 1 of a subdural hematoma. You’d be hard-pressed to find a game developer in Japan who wasn’t influenced by Toriyama in some way. His work on Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball has pervaded the culture there and even found popularity in the West. Because of this recognition, he was tapped to design the characters for Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in…

Steve Lawrence, the Fifties and Sixties crooner, actor, and comedian who teamed with his wife Eydie Gormé to form the duo Steve and Eydie, has died at the age of 88. Lawrence died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles from complications from Alzheimer’s disease, a spokesperson for the family told Variety; Lawrence was forced to retire from touring after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019. “My Dad was an inspiration to so many people,” his son David Lawrence said in a statement. “But, to me, he was just…

The actor Pamela Salem, who has died aged 80, brought a touch of class to a number of well-known franchises during a screen career of more than 50 years. She achieved cinematic immortality by playing the loyal secretary Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983), an anomalous entry to the canon, made independently of the Eon-produced series, that marked the return of Sean Connery to the role of the famous secret agent after an absence of 12 years.Salem had worked with Connery on the 1978 film The…

Brit Turner, the drummer and a founding member of the Southern rock & roll band Blackberry Smoke, died Sunday. He was 57. Turner was diagnosed with glioblastoma — a cancer of the brain — and underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in November 2022. The band confirmed his death in a post on social media. “It is with the deepest sorrow that we inform everyone that our brother @britturner13 has moved on from this life. If you had the privilege of knowing Brit on any level, you know he was the most caring,…

Iris Apfel, the interior designer-turned-fashion icon known for her eclectic, colorful style, has died at the age of 102. Apfel’s rep Lori Sale confirmed the textile expert’s death, adding that Apfel died Friday at her home in Palm Beach, Florida. No cause of death was provided. “Iris Apfel was extraordinary,” Sale said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “Working alongside her was the honor of a lifetime. I will miss her daily calls, always greeted with the familiar question: ‘What have you got for…

Actor dies of heart attack after revealing a battle with Parkinson's disease last year Richard Lewis, a stand-up comic who achieved fame in the 1980s by turning his neuroses into comedy gold and later experienced a renaissance in recent years thanks to Curb Your Enthusiasm, died on Tuesday at the age of 76. The cause of death was a heart attack, his publicist, Jeff Abraham, confirmed to Rolling Stone. Last April, Lewis revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. “I’m under a doctor’s…

By Megan Thomas | CNN Kenneth Mitchell, an actor who appeared in the series “Star Trek: Discovery” and Marvel’s “Captain Marvel,” has died, his family announced in a statement shared on his verified social media Sunday. He was 49. “With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend,” the family’s statement read. Mitchell was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. He and his family shared periodic updates about his health in recent years. In August,…