Sherman Hemsley

07/24/2012

Aw what the hell?  Why are all my favorites passing away?  :(  Actor Sherman Hemsley, best known for his role as George Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died at the age of 74 of natural causes at his home in El Paso, Texas. TMZ initially reported the news; it was later confirmed by People magazine.

Hemsley got his big break on "All in the Family." His character, the wise-cracking George Jefferson, was so popular, that Hemsley was soon given his own spinoff. "The Jeffersons" ran for 11 years and had one of the best, most beloved theme songs in television history. Following the end of the "Jeffersons" run, Helmsley starred in another sitcom, "Amen," in which he played the paternal Deacon Frye.

Hemsley’s role on “The Jeffersons” was a landmark. As Entertainment Weekly put it, George Jefferson was the “first black character presented as an arrogant, intolerant bigot -- the black Archie Bunker -- George was also one of TV’s first upper-income blacks, appearing nearly a decade before 'The Cosby Show' began its own long run.”

In a 2003 interview, Hemsley talked about the history of George Jefferson. When he debuted the character on “All in the Family,” Hemsley said he was told to act “pompous and feisty.” While he was off-stage waiting to make his very first entrance on “All in the Family” (already a huge hit), Hemsley said he thought to himself: “Should I run? What the heck did I get myself into? Do I know my lines?” 
Such nervousness was understandable. George Jefferson was a high-profile character. Prior to Hemsley’s casting, George had been mentioned on “All in the Family” many times. However, the character never actually came on stage, a device that built up a kind of mystery around the role. “I didn’t know if I was going to be laughed at or laughed with,” Hemsley said.

He got his start on Broadway, where he was noticed by legendary TV producer Norman Lear. It was Lear who convinced Hemsley to take the role of George Jefferson. For better or for worse, Hemsley was associated with the role for the rest of his career. The show ran for more than a decade, but wasn’t given a proper send-off when it went off the air. The cast later put on a stage play that wrapped up the different storylines.

In recent years, Hemsley appeared on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "The Surreal Life," "Family Guy," and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." He had no wife or children.


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Ernest Borgnine

07/11/2012

One of my all time favorites veteran actor Ernest Borgnine, the star of dozens of films and television shows who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a shy butcher in love in "Marty", has died, his manager said. He was 95.

"It's a very sad day. The industry has lost someone great, the caliber of which we will never see again. A true icon," the manager, Lynda Bensky, said in an email to AFP.

"But more importantly the world has lost a sage and loving man who taught us all how to 'grow young'. His infectious smile and chuckle made the world a happier place."

Bensky said the actor died on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, with his family at his side.

Born to Italian immigrants on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut, Borgnine was primarily known for his roles in comedies such as the popular TV series "McHale's Navy" and dramas like the World War II film "The Dirty Dozen".

The US Navy veteran won an Academy Award for best actor for his role in the 1955 film "Marty", which also took home Oscars for best picture, best director and best screenplay. 

Tributes to Borgnine poured in on Twitter, from ordinary folk to fellow actors to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy.

Actress Marlee Matlin, also an Oscar winner, tweeted: "So sad to read about passing of Ernest Borgnine. We spoke recently at Paramount's 100th anniversary photo. A true legend & a gentleman. RIP."

"God bless Ernest Borgnine. An amazingly strong spirit. R.I.P. Ernie," said actor Gary Sinise.

Borgnine -- who began his career as a stage actor and first shot to prominence in Hollywood when he played Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in "From Here to Eternity" -- was also known for his role on the television series "Airwolf".

He also appeared on the celebrity game show "The Hollywood Squares".

Borgnine continued to work into his 90s, voicing the character Mermaid Man on the animated children's series "SpongeBob SquarePants".

In 2009, he appeared in a guest starring role on long-running TV drama "ER" for which he earned an Emmy nomination.

The year before, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in the made-for-TV movie "A Grandpa for Christmas".

The Screen Actors Guild gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award last year.



Goodbye Ernie!

Andy Griffith

07/03/2012

Yeah I thought he was dead too.  Anyway,  Actor Andy Griffith, who played folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry, died Tuesday at the age of 86, his family said.

Griffith died at about 7 a.m. at his home on Roanoke Island, according to Dare County, North Carolina, Sheriff J.D. "Doug" Doughtie.

He passed away after an unspecified illness and "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoake Island," the family said in a statement.

"Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord," his wife, Cindi Griffith, said in the statement issued through the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Best known for his role on "The Andy Griffith Show," the University of North Carolina music graduate also starred as a murder-solving Southern attorney in the television series "Matlock" during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for his roles in movies and on the stage, as a producer and as a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer.