Kirstie Alley Has Passed Away at Age 71

KIRSTIE ALLEY

(January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022)
Actress who played Saavik on Star Trek II has died of cancer

(Source: Yahoo!News) Kirstie Alley fibbed in order to play her iconic Star Trek character who was, ironically, incapable of lying.

 

In 2016, Alley participated in the Star Trek 50th Anniversary Con in Las Vegas where she talked about being a part of 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, in which she played Saavik, Spock's protégé and Starfleet commander-in-training. The film was Alley's first professional acting gig, which she admitted she got by making up her credentials.

 

The iconic TV and film actress died Monday. She was 71.

 

"When I did Star Trek II, before that I had done nothing, and I had faked my résumé," she said. "I'm sure everyone knew it, but I thought it sounded good."

 

Calling Khan director Nicholas Meyer her biggest career "champion," Alley said he kept auditioning her for the Saavik role, so studio executives would see what he saw in her.

 

"I was up against a lot of people who had a lot of work," she recalled at the event. "And then in the final, hour, he gave me the role."

Alley noted that amid the auditions, her parents were in a serious car crash in which her mother was killed and her father was severely injured. She flew back home to Kansas to be with her dad in the hospital. She told her agent she would not come back to read again until she knew her dad was okay. Rather than just pass on her, Meyer said he would wait, the actress said.

 

"It still makes me want to start crying because, 'Okay. We'll wait for her' — that girl who's done nothing except clean people's houses," Alley said. "It was amazing he did that."

 

As for the production, Alley said the late Leonard Nimoy was an "icon" to her who she adored from watching the original Star Trek TV series.

 

"My friends would make fun of me because my eyebrow goes up at certain points and I have no control over it," she said. "So, I would watch and when Mr. Spock would come on, I would say, 'Wow. If I was ever an actress, I could play Spock's daughter.' When I met him, he was an icon to me, and I was incredibly impressed."

 

Alley also noted that she was not acting during Spock's funeral scene. "I just started crying because I thought it was sad that Spock died when we were shooting the scene," she said. "It was so surreal and so sad. I just started crying and they used it. It wasn't some big dramatic coup. I was really sad."

 

On Monday evening, shortly after news of her death broke, William Shatner paid his respects via social media.

 

"Saddened to hear of the passing of @kirstiealley. Condolences to her family & friends," the Capt. Kirk actor wrote on Twitter.

Olivia Newton-John Dead at 73

Olivia Newton-John

(September 26, 1948 - August 8, 2022)

Dame Olivia Newton-John has died. She was 73. The iconic performer's family confirmed her death via her Instagram account, revealing she died at home in Southern California on Monday. Olivia is known best for her role as Sandy in the classic film 'Grease,' as well as her musical endeavors, including hits like 'Physical' and 'I Honestly Love You.'

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Nichelle Nichols of ‘Star Trek’, Dead at 89

Nichelle Nichols

(December 28, 1932 - July 30, 2022)

Iconic ‘Star Trek’ Actress, Dead at 89

Nichelle Nichols has died. She was 89. The actress became an icon for groundbreaking performances across TV and film as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series, and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was ground-breaking for African American actresses on American television.  In addition to her prolific career, Nichelle was a devoted civil rights activist. She also became a passionate advocate for NASA as 'Star Trek' became a pop culture phenomenon around the world.

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Lupita Nyongo Incognito at SDCC

"So, did you see me at Comic-Con?"

Academy Award-winning Actress Lupita Nyongo was cosplaying as the Pink Ranger at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Check her out!

June Foray dies at 99

JUNE FORAY

(September 18, 1917 – July 26, 2017)

The voice of Cindy Lou Who and 

Rocky the Flying Squirrel, dies at age 99

[Source: USA Today] June Foray was the voice actress behind Rocky the flying squirrel, Natasha Fatale and the Granny in Tweety and Sylvester cartoons. After acting for seven decades in legendary cartoons, Foray has died. 

You might not have known actress June Foray by name, but if you grew up watching classic cartoons from the 1960s, you almost certainly know her voice.

Foray, who died overnight at age 99 (just shy of her 100th birthday in September), was the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and his Cold War enemy Natasha Fatale on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. 

Jerry Beck, the president of the animation trade group ASIFA-Hollywood, of which Foray was a founding member, confirmed her passing in a statement to USA TODAY.

"We are mourning the passing of animation’s best friend," Beck noted. "She has touched so many lives: with her voice that of so many classic cartoon characters, her efforts to create ASIFA, to maintain the Academy’s Oscar for Best Animated Short and her leadership in crafting the category of Best Animated Feature. She was one of a kind. A trailblazer, a great talent and a truly wonderful person. We will never forget her.”

Foray won a Grammy in 1968 for her work on the holiday classic 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.' (Photo: Warner Bros)

Foray was also a part of one of the most beloved holiday specials of all time, playing Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, for which she won a Grammy in 1968.

She also brought life to The Bugs Bunny Show's Granny, The Twilight Zone's creepy doll Talky Tina and The Smurfs' Jokey.

Foray is also credited with coming up with the idea for the Annies, the awards show for the animation industry, a tradition that began in 1972. She won four Annies herself, including two consecutive trophies for her work on The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries in 1997 and 1998.

One of Foray's close friends said she died Wednesday. Her 100th birthday was just a few weeks away.

Joan Lee passes away at age 93

JOAN LEE
(March 1922 – July 6, 2017)

Stan Lee's wife of nearly seven decades

dies at age 93

[Source: Syfy] Our thoughts are with Stan Lee and his family right now, as Joan, his wife of 69 years, passed away this morning in Los Angeles.

 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, after suffering a stroke and being hospitalized earlier this week, Joan passed "quietly and surrounded by her family." She was 93, and survived by Stan and their daughter J.C. (Joan Celia).

Born Joan Clayton Boocock in England, she would go on to become a hat model. She impulsively married an American soldier during World War II, and moved to New York, only to find out the man and the city weren't exactly to her liking.

It was at that time that a friend wanted to set up Stan with a model named Betty. But instead of Betty, apparently the girl of Stan's dreams, answered the door:

"When I was young, there was one girl I drew; one body and face and hair. It was my idea of what a girl should be. The perfect woman. And when I got out of the Army, somebody, a cousin of mine, knew a model, a hat model at a place called Laden Hats. He said, 'Stan, there's this really pretty girl named Betty. I think you’d like her. She might like you. Why don’t you go over and ask her to lunch.' Blah, blah, blah. So I went up to this place. Betty didn’t answer the door. But Joan answered, and she was the head model. I took one look at her — and she was the girl I had been drawing all my life. And then I heard the English accent. And I’m a nut for English accents! She said, 'May I help you?' And I took a look at her, and I think I said something crazy like, 'I love you.' I don’t remember exactly. But anyway, I took her to lunch. I never met Betty, the other girl. I think I proposed to [Joan] at lunch.”

Stan's love eventually won Joan over, and the couple moved to Nevada for the requisite amount of time necessary to arrange for a divorce (it was apparently the easiest way to get one back in the day). After it was finalized, Stan and Joan were married an hour later.

Good thing too, A) because they obviously loved each other very much. And B) because if you think about it, without Joan, we may never have been gifted some of our most beloved Marvel tales. As the legend goes, when would-be novelist Stan worked at Marvel's precursor, Timeley/Atlas Comics, he became increasingly frustrated with the medium, particularly its lack of flawed characters. So much so, that he contemplated quitting.

But as Stan told THR, Joan said, "Before you quit, why don’t you write one comic you are proud of?"

That comic became the Fantastic Four. From there, Stan would go on to create some of the most beloved titles in the business. He would also become the most recognized cameo-ist while he was at it. Joan also got into the acting action a bit, as a voice actress in two '90s Marvel cartoons -- Miss Forbes in Fantastic Four and Madame Web in Spider-Man. She also played herself in last year's X-Men: Apocalypse. And she was a writer too, having published a novel titled The Pleasure Palace in 1987.

But to Stan, she was Joanie. May she rest in peace.

Actress Carrie Fisher dies at age 60

CARRIE FISHER
(October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016)

[Source: People.com] Carrie Fisher, the actress best known as Star Wars‘ Princess Leia Organa, has died after suffering a heart attack. She was 60.

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement on behalf of Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd:

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” says Lourd, 24. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

Fisher was flying from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for a heart attack. She later died in the hospital.

The daughter of renowned entertainers Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Fisher was brought up in the sometimes tumultuous world of film, theater and television.

Debbie Reynolds with Baby Carrie Fisher

Escaping Hollywood in 1973, the star enrolled in the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where she spent over a year studying acting.

Just two years later, though, the bright lights of Hollywood drew her back, and Fisher made her film debut in the Warren Beatty-led Shampoo.

Her role in Star Wars would follow in 1977 – and she detailed the experience, including her on-set affair with costar Harrison Ford, in her  latest memoir, The Princess Diarist. She was only 19 when the first installment of the beloved sci-fi franchise was filmed.

In addition to the second and third Star Wars films – and last year’s The Force Awakens – Fisher starred in 1980’s The Blues Brothers, The Man with One Red Shoe, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986 and, later, When Harry Met Sally. 

Fisher wed musician Paul Simon in 1983. It was an explosive marriage, according to Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon author Peter Ames Carlin, and was cut short by swinging stages of depression, the actress’s drug use and an array of personal insecurities. The relationship continued, though, on-and-off for several years after the pair divorced in 1984.

Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher

Fisher was candid about her substance abuse issues over the decades, starting at only age 13 when she began smoking marijuana. She said she later dabbled in drugs like cocaine and LSD. Fisher explored her own issues with addiction in her 1987 bestselling, semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge, which was later turned into a movie starring Meryl Streep. 

“I never could take alcohol. I always said I was allergic to alcohol, and that’s actually a definition to alcoholism — an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind,” Fisher told the Herald-Tribune in 2013. “So I didn’t do other kinds of drugs until I was about 20. Then, by the time I was 21 it was LSD. I didn’t love cocaine, but I wanted to feel any way other than the way I did, so I’d do anything.”

In 1985, Fisher was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and she subsequently became an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness.

Throughout much of the ’90s, Fisher focused on her writing career, publishing Surrender the Pink and Delusions of Grandma. In addition, Fisher helped craft the scripts for numerous Hollywood films, going uncredited, for films like The Wedding Singer, Hook and Sister Act.
Billie Lourd, Fisher’s only child, was born in July 1992. The Scream Queens star’s father, talent agent Bryan Lourd, dated Fisher for three years and is now married to Bruce Bozzi.

In 2005, Fisher was recognized with the Women of Vision Award by the Women in Film & Video – DC. Three years later, Fisher’s Wishful Drinking autobiography was turned into a one-woman stage show and eventually an HBO documentary.

In 2005, Fisher was recognized with the Women of Vision Award by the Women in Film & Video – DC. Three years later, Fisher’s Wishful Drinking autobiography was turned into a one-woman stage show and eventually an HBO documentary.

Just last month, Fisher also revealed her surprising on-set affair with Star Wars costar Harrison Ford in The Princess Diarist, telling PEOPLE of the three-month fling during the making of the 1977 movie, “It was so intense.” The memoir, which drew from Fisher’s old diaries and notebooks, brought up mixed feelings for the actress.

“I had forgotten that I’d written them, and I’ve never written diaries sort of like that,” she said. “I write when I’m upset … it was about two or three months of upset.”

Fisher added, “It was sad because I was so insecure, and it’s very raw and obviously I didn’t expect anyone — including myself, I suppose later on — to read it.”

She is survived by her mom Debbie Reynolds, daughter Lourd, brother Todd Fisher, half-sisters Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher.

Yvonne Craig [Batgirl] Has Passed Away

Yvonne Craig

 1937 - 2015

[Source: blastr.com] Yvonne Craig, who we knew and loved as Batgirl in the 1966-1968 Batman TV series, has died of breast cancer. She was 78 years old.

 

Craig was introduced in the final season of Batman to attract new viewers, with the benefit of adding a touch of much-needed girl power to the show. Craig’s charm and athleticism were a natural addition to our dynamic duo: She was the youngest member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Three years of touring with a Russian ballet company would likely make any stunt work she did for the show seem like a cakewalk.

According to NBC News, “After stage and screen, she enjoyed a second career as a real estate broker and also went into the prepaid phone card business …” In addition, she did philanthropic and charity work.

Craig’s other appearances include The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek (Marta in “Whom Gods Destroy”) and The Six Million Dollar Man. From 2009-2011, she provided the voice of Grandma in Nickelodeon’s Olivia.

The character of Batgirl has evolved from crimefighter to member of the house of representatives, to paraplegic, to information dealer. But when many of us think of Batgirl, we think of Yvonne Craig.

Kingsman's Sofia Boutella nabs Lead In Star Trek 3

S O F I A   B O U T E L L A

After a sharp turn as the sexy blade-legged assassin in the Matthew Vaughn-directed hit Kingsman: The Secret Service, Sofia Boutella has been set for a lead role in Star Trek 3, which Justin Lin is directing from a script by cast member Simon Pegg and Doug Jung (creator of the TNT series Dark Blue).

STAR TREK 3 makes first theatrical contact on July 8, 2016.

GHOSTBUSTERS Cast Revealed

Tweeted by director Paul Feig, telling us that all-female cast of GHOSTBUSTERS will be:

KRISTEN WIIG

MELISSA MCCARTHY

KATE MCKINNON

AND LESLIE JONES.

Here are character descriptions for the four protagonists. There's Erin, a parapsychology professor at Columbia, much the same way the original three guys were in GB 1. She used to work with Abby, who, at the time the story begins, has been hunting ghosts on her own alongside a partner named Jillian. Then there's Patty, an MTA worker who, by happenstance, comes across the main ghost the other three GBers are pursuing. It's possible Wiig will play Erin, Jones as Abby, McKinnon as Jillian, and McCarthy as Patty, though there's a chance that Jones and McCarthy's roles will be switched.

Even bigger than that is who Feig wants for the contemporary Walter Peck, the computer nerd dead-set on revealing the GHOSTBUSTERS efforts as a hoax: Peter Venkman himself, Bill Murray.

Also, Peter Dinklage might play the villain, "a creepy mechanical genius." Stay tuned.

GHOSTBUSTERS (as it's currently called) will release on July 22, 2016,

Scarlett Johansson Confirmed as Major Kusanagi

S c a r l e t t   J o h a n s s o n

G H O S T   I N   T H E   S H E L L

DreamWorks’ upcoming Ghost in the Shell flick has finally found its leading lady. Earlier today, Variety reported that Scarlett Johansson had signed on the dotted line to star in the upcoming big-screen adaptation of the highly popular Japanese anime.

Back in October, it was reported that Johansson had been offered the lead role, but at the time the actress had yet to say yes. Now it looks like it’s finally a done deal. Thanks to her high-profile role as Black Widow in many a Marvel flick and her recent turn as the title character in last year’s Lucy, the actress has proven she can be quite the bankable action star. As for what she'll be up to in Ghost in the Shell, here's your one-line synopsis:

The story follows the exploits of a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime.

Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) will helm the film, which was penned by Bill Wheeler.  Avi Arad and Steven Paul will be producing, with Paramount having the option to come on board as co-producer. DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg, who's been a longtime fan of the original, will oversee production.

Below is a cosplay pic of what we may be seeing in the live-action movie:

Jena Malone May Be Female Robin in Movie

[Source: ToonZone] Warner Bros. may never film in Detroit again after an extra purportedly spilled the beans that actress Jena Malone [“Hunger Games: Catching Fire”] may be the female Robin in the upcoming “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” movie filming in that city. The extra blurted out the words to a local reporter, illuminating light on the secretive film project. Malone reportedly will be playing Carrie Kelley – a female Robin from one of the newer incarnation of the Batman comics and not, of course, the original Robin, Dick Grayson.

“Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is currently scheduled to be released on March 25, 2016.

Star Wars Episode VII Cast Announced

The cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII' assembled in London (StarWars.com)

[Source: Yahoo!News] Luke. Leia. Han. Chewie. Artoo. Threepio. All present and accounted for as StarWars.com unveiled the official cast of "Star War: Episode VII."

Here's the full release:

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, "We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

While original stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford had dropped hints that they would be reprising their roles for the new chapter, which takes place around 35 years after "Return of the Jedi," nothing was confirmed until today. As expected, the trio will be joined by longtime castmates Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO, the only actor to appear in all six episodes to date).

New additions include Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver, who recently appeared together in the Coen brothers' 2013 folk music drama "Inside Llewyn Davis." Also onboard: Andy Serkis (best known as Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy), Domhnall Gleeson ("About Time") and the legendary Max von Sydow ("The Exorcist"). Fresh faces John Boyega ("Attack the Block") and Daisy Ridley (who has appeared in just a handful of BBC dramas) round out the cast.

Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn confirmed last week that second unit filming has already been underway in remote locations like Abu Dhabi, but the principal cast will not start working in the UK until next month. That leaves them just 17 months for both production and post-production, which is ambitious considering the enormous scale of the project.

May the Force be with Abrams and his very talented cast.

John Boyega

Daisy Ridley

Katee Sackhoff as Captain Marvel?

It just might happen...

[Source: Syfy.com] According to Comic Book Movie, the Battlestar Galactica actress, Katee Sackhoff, could be in talks for the role of Ms./Captain Marvel.

However, Sackhoff—who is currently starring in Riddick—has revealed that "there's been some stuff going on" and "a lot of checking of availability for the first quarter of next year," when she was quizzed on the recent news that Marvel was looking to do a Captain Marvel flick, and whether she’d be interested in a role: most specifically, that of Carol Danvers, aka Ms./Captain Marvel.

The actress never actually mentioned Ms. Marvel per se, but since we know the studio’s really interested in getting this project off the ground—even though Marvel's admitted that it was "hard”—seems to us that the timing couldn't be more perfect. Simply put, Katee Sackhoff would rock it as Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel.

Shirley Temple Dies at age 85

Shirley Temple
(1928 - 2014)
"Hollywood's Legendary Child Star"

• [Source: YahooNews] The good ship lollipop has sailed off for good. Shirley Temple Black, actress and icon of the 1930s, died Monday night at her home near San Francisco. She was 85. The pint-sized icon, famous for her ringlet curls and dimples, was 7 years old when she topped the likes of Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, and others to become America's No. 1 box office draw in 1935, and held that title through 1938 with films such as "Curly Top," "Heidi," and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm."
  

  

  16-year-old Temple in 1944 in Ottawa

  
  Temple Black was known for bringing cheer to the nation as it recovered from the Great Depression and is widely considered to have helped save Fox from bankruptcy. By the age of 12, she herself was a multi-millionaire. She had already earned $4 million, which would be equivalent to about $65 million today.
  
  The Southern California native was just three when she was discovered in a dance class by producers looking for a star for a short film series called Baby Burlesks. From 1931 until 1961, "America's Little Darling" appeared in 43 feature films, often showing off her dancing skills. The "Bright Eyes" and "Wee Willie Winkie" star received a special Academy Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution during 1934.
  
  Her career slowed down in her teen years and she started to focus more on her personal life. She was married for the first time at 17 to a soldier named Jack Agar. According to her website, Agar's personal problems led them to divorce just four years later, but they had a daughter named Susan.
  

• At 22, she retired from making movies completely. It was then that she met the man she described as her "true soulmate," Charles Black, who was a former military officer. The couple had two children, Charlie Jr. and Lori, and remained together until his death in 2005.
  
  Her greatest accomplishment in life is her family, she noted on her website, specifically, "My three children, my granddaughter, and two great-granddaughters," she listed.
  
  In 1958, Temple Black returned to show business, making a two-season series of fairytale adaptations. She hosted and narrated the series on which Temple's three children made their acting debuts.
  
  No longer in front of the cameras, Temple Black went onto pursue a career in politics. While she made an unsuccessful bid as Republican candidate for Congress in 1967, she later held several diplomatic posts, including U.S. Representative to the United Nations and United States Ambassador (to Ghana and Czechoslovakia). She was also the first woman to be the Chief of Protocol in the State Department, a role she had during President Carter's administration.
  
  

  

  27th US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia

  A breast cancer survivor, she wrote the first volume of her autobiography in 1988, calling it "Child Star." She was working on a second volume in her later years.
  
  Temple Black passed away on Feb. 10 at her Woodside, California, home from natural causes. She was surrounded by her family and caretakers.
  
  "We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and adored wife for 55 years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black," the family said in a statement to Yahoo.
  
  Private family arrangements are being made, but fans are asked to sign a remembrance guest book that will be added to her website, ShirleyTemple.com.
• 
  As for donations, they may be made in Temple Blacks's memory to the Commonwealth of Club of California's 2nd Century Campaign or to the Educational Center at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.