Mel Brooks, Age 94 - Leap!
Mel Brooks is one of the pioneers of slapstick comedy and film farces. He has starred in, written, and directed some of Hollywood’s best comedies in history, like the hit TV series Get Smart. As a writer and actor, he achieved success with the ’50s production Your Show Of Shows with Carl Reiner.
Brooks also directed a string of successful comedies, including Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, and History Of The World, Part I. He is also one of the few entertainers who have achieved an EGOT (Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar, and Tony awards).
Daryl Hannah, Age 59 - The Fury
Daryl Hannah has been an evergreen performer since her breakthrough in the 1978 supernatural horror film The Fury. She then starred in ‘80s classic films like Bladerunner, Summer Lovers, Splash, and Steel Magnolias.
Hannah adapted herself to continue landing respectable roles throughout her career, like the one-eyed assassin Elle Driver in the Quentin Tarantino classic Kill Bill. She also had a role in the Netflix series called Sense8, and in 2020, she even landed a starring role for a comedy series on Quibi, a short-form streaming platform in America. The Now is the title of the show, which also stars Dave Franco.
Dean Stockwell, Age 84 - Quantum Leap
Dean Stockwell worked in the film and TV industry for 70 years, starting as a child actor signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions. During this time, he had a string of ’40s movies, including Anchors Aweigh, The Green Years, Gentleman’s Agreement, and Kim.
But his star didn’t fade as he lost his childish charm, and he continued to gain fame in films like Long Day’s Journey into Night, which won him the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. He later starred in films like Beverly Hills Cop 2 and Airforce One. However, Stockwell eventually retired in 2015 after starring in his last movie, Entertainment.
Shirley Jones, Age 86 - The Partridge Family
Shirley Jones made a name for herself by playing wholesome characters in films like Oklahoma! and Carousel, among a host of others. However, she won her Oscar for Best Actress by playing a female escort with a vengeance in the film Elmer Gantry.
Her return to wholesome roles saw her playing her most endearing character as Shirley Partridge in the hit sitcom, The Partridge Family. The show also starred her stepson, the late David Cassidy. She also had a productive side career in music as a solo artist and with her first husband, crooner Jack Cassidy. Her last role was in 2018's Eco-Teens Save The World.
Tony Bennett, Age 94 - Rags To Riches
Tony Bennett is one of the most iconic crooners from the ’50s, with well-known songs like I Left My Heart In San Francisco and Rags To Riches. He got into singing right after serving in World War II, which he described as hell on earth. His experience at war made him a pacifist.
Bennett went on to win 19 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Award. While his career took a downturn when rock and roll became the ’70s music of choice, he had a resurgence in the ’80s. He even toured with Lady Gaga as recently as 2014!
Paul Michael Glaser, Age 77 – Starsky & Hutch
Paul Michael Glaser is best known for his role as detective Dave Starsky in the acclaimed ’70s buddy cop comedy Starsky and Hutch. He gained national fame as the gun-toting former army man, and even after a full-length film was made, with Ben Stiller playing Starsky, he’s still recognized as the character.
Glaser also had supporting roles in films like The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Something’s Got To Give with Diane Keaton. He had one other memorable TV role as Captain Jack Steeper in a short stint on the early noughties series Third Watch.
Glynis Johns, Age 97 - Superstar
Glynis Johns was such a creative actress that she created a character named Desiree Armfeldt for a play titled A Little Night Music. Johns played the character so brilliantly that she won a Tony Award for it. The singer/actress was born in South Africa and had touring musician parents.
One of Johns’ most notable roles was as Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins alongside Dick Van Dyke. She also picked up an Oscar nomination for her work on the 1960 film The Sundowners. Johns is now the oldest living Oscar nominee since Olivia De Havilland died in 2020.
Kathleen Turner, Age 66 - Body Heat
Kathleen Turner gained fame in the late ’70s thanks to her beauty and ability to draw some powerful performances out of her characters. Some of her early hits include films like Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, and The Jewel of The Nile, among many others.
If there was one thing more impressive than her acting skills, it’s her longevity in the industry that has seen her star in continuous blockbusters over four decades. She’s famous for voicing another female symbol in Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. She still does voice work and recently did the Mole Judge in 2020’s Summer Camp Island.
Sophia Loren, Age 86 - Two Women
Sophia Loren has proven that she is more than just a beautiful woman by winning several awards, including the Oscar for Best Actress at the 1962 Academy Awards. The award was for her role in the film Two Women, making her the first star to bag an Oscar for a foreign-language production.
At 14 years old, she started her modeling career and then moved on to acting in 1950. She earned starring roles in films like The Pride and The Passion and won a Grammy Award, five Golden Globes, and a BAFTA, among others. Loren got cast in an upcoming movie called The Life Ahead.
Neil Diamond, Age 79 - Sweet Caroline
Neil Diamond has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and has had 10 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His music was even a pivotal part of the 3rd episode for the 7th season of Big Bang Theory.
Some of Diamond’s biggest hits include Sweet Caroline, If You Know What I Mean, You Don’t Give Me flowers, and America. That’s not even scratching the surface of the number of songs Diamond has, though. He may have retired in 2018 due to his Parkinsons’ disease, but he got inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Richard Dreyfuss, Age 73 - Jaws
You’ll probably remember Richard Dreyfuss as the quirky marine biologist Hooper in the cult classic horror flick Jaws. However, he also had a string of hit movies in the ’70s and ’80s, which proved to be his most prolific period.
Some of his more notable films include American Graffiti, Stand by Me, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Goodbye Girl. He even won an Oscar for his performance in the latter and put in another Oscar-nominated performance in Mr. Holland’s Opus. He is currently working on Spinning Gold, a biographical film, and has another upcoming crime drama called The Last Job.
Robert Duvall, 89 - The Godfather
Robert Duvall is one of the most versatile and compelling actors in Hollywood. His career tells the story of an actor who could get the best out of any role. He's proven it with his portrayals in films like The Godfather I and II and To Kill a Mocking Bird, amongst a host of others.
Duvall has also been nominated for seven Oscars and won one for his character in the Tender Mercies film. He has also had roles in several acclaimed films such as Apocalypse Now, The Natural, Gone in 60 Seconds, and is currently filming a movie called Hustle opposite Adam Sandler.
Julie Andrews, Age 85 - The Sound Of Music
Dame Julie Andrews became known as Britain’s youngest prima donna after making her West End debut at 13. Six years later, she made her Broadway debut in a stage production called The Boy Friend. She went on to play Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Queen Guinevere in Camelot on Broadway.
For her contribution to the arts and sciences, Andrews earned a DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) and won the Oscar for Best Actress with her role in 1964’s Mary Poppins. She also does voice acting and will lend her voice to Minions: The Rise Of Gru.
Jerry Mathers, Age 72 - Leave It to Beaver
Jerry Mathers gained fame at a young age for playing one of the most endearing characters in American TV, Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver of Leave It To Beaver. He stopped acting for a few years to focus on high school. Mathers eventually returned to the Beaver character in its continuing series The New Leave It To Beaver, which ran from 1983 to 1989.
While he had notable smaller roles in films like This Is My Love and The Trouble with Harry, he never reached Beaver's popularity. In 2018 and 2019, Mathers promoted the Leave It To Beaver TV series and other classic TV shows on the classic TV channel MeTV.
Mylène Demongeot, 85 - The Crucible
During her six-decade career, Mylène Demongeot has worked on 72 films in France, England, and America. Her most notable role as Abigail Williams in the French/German movie called The Crucible, for which she won a BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer in a film.
She also starred in films like Vengeance of the Three Musketeers, Fantômas, It's A Wonderful World, and Upstairs and Downstairs. She was also a guest columnist on the radio show Les Grosses Têtes hosted by Philippe Bouvard on RTL from September 2013 and June 2014. One of her last roles was in a TV mini-series called Infidele in 2018.
Warren Beatty, Age 83 - Bonnie and Clyde
Warren Beatty is one of Hollywood's original heartthrobs. But he was more than a pretty face, having been nominated for 15 Oscars, one of which he won for being in the director's chair on the film Reds. It made him one of only two people nominated for acting, directing, writing, and producing a film. The other person is Orson Welles.
As an actor, Beatty's most notable films include Bonny & Clyde, Shampoo, and Dick Tracy. His last major acting role was in the 2016 film Rules Don't Apply. Apart from starring in it, he also wrote, produced, and directed the movie. Beatty has been married to Annette Bening since 1992.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Age 85 - Great Balls Of Fire
Jerry Lee Lewis became known as The Killer for his intense and high octane performances often led to his shows getting canceled. He was also renowned for delivering pivotal lines, and “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire” is probably one of the most iconic ones he has ever uttered.
His other notable songs include Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On, Breathless, and High School Confidential. Lewis won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and got inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His box set All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology also got included in the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.
Jackie Mason, Age 92 - The Simpsons
Jackie Mason discovered that he wanted to become a comedian at a late age. As a matter of fact, it was while he was a Rabbi that he noticed he was pretty good at delivering a funny sermon. Now, he is ranked at #63 on the Comedy Central list of 100 greatest comedians of all time.
Mason earned an Emmy Award, Tony Award, an Ace Award, and A Grammy nomination for his one-person show titled The World According to Me. He also won two further Emmy's, one for a show called Jackie Mason On Broadway and another for voice acting on The Simpsons.
Barbara Bouchet, 77, Born In 1943
Barbara Bouchet is renowned for her roles in films like 1967's Casino Royale, in which she played Miss Moneypenny. She has also had notable roles in films like The Red Queen Kills, The Scarlet and the Black, and Martin Scorsese's 2002 film Gangs of New York.
Besides being renowned on-screen, she has also built a life for herself off it. She even started her own production company that specializes in fitness content production. She also owns and runs a fitness studio but currently lives and works in Italy, managing her assets and business ventures remotely.
Carl Weathers, Age 72 – Rocky
If there’s one thing that we should be grateful to Carl Weathers for, it’s for his powerful performance as Apollo Creed in Rocky. Because of it, we now get to see Michael B. Jordan doing training montages as the character’s son in the Creed films.
Weathers is also noted for having a supporting role in the first Predator movie, and later on, in Adam Sandler films Happy Gilmore and Little Nicky. Before he got into acting, Weathers played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League. He last did voice work in 2019’s Toy Story 4 as Combat Carl.
Chuck Yeager, Age 97 - Flying Without Fear
Chuck Yeager is not an actor or a musician. He isn't even a big-time businessman or socialite. Yeager is a historical figure who gained fame thanks to his exploits as a test pilot in the US Airforce. What was his most notable achievement? Well, he was the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound.
He achieved what is now known as Mach 1 (767mph) in 1947 with a Bell X-1 rocket-powered airplane. He got selected after the original pilot, Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin, demanded $150,000 to do it. His achievement went on to inspire many mainstream adaptations, including a movie called Flying Without Fear.
Dolores Hart, Age 82 - God Is The Bigger Elvis
Dolores Hart was born into the acting profession, with both her parents, Bert and Harriett Hicks, working as actors. So she naturally got into the game and made her debut in a Film called Loving You, alongside fellow first-time leading man, Elvis Presley. She went on to make ten movies in five years.
But then, with her leading-lady status on the rise, Hart shocked the film industry by retiring from acting and studying to become a nun. She joined the Abbey Of Regina Laudis Monastery, one of the first nun houses in the United States. She was the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary called God Is The Bigger Elvis.
Marsha Hunt, Age 103 - Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity
One of the few golden age of Hollywood stars who are still alive and over 100 years old, Marsha Hunt gained prominence as an actress and model. Her career spans 79 years and includes roles in popular films like Born to The West, Johnny Got His Gun, and Pride and Prejudice.
Hunt got into modeling after she couldn't find a drama program that suited her. Her choice still led her into the acting game, and she worked from 1935 until the 2008 made-for-TV film Empire State Building Murders. She retired in 2014 but made an appearance in a documentary about her called Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity.
Caren Marsh Doll, Age 101 - That Night In Rio
Another centenary on the list, Caren Marsh Doll, also had a brief career in film and was most notable for having small roles. She got signed to Metro Goldwyn Meyer, and one of her small roles included a walk-on part in the classic film Gone With The Wind.
Doll did get some credited roles in films like That Night in Rio, Wild Harvest, Best Foot Forward, and Night and Day. But by 1948, she decided to leave the industry to become a full-time dancer and dance instructor. She famously got hired as the dance stand-in for Judy Garland in The Wizard Of Oz.
Mickey Kuhn, Age 88 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents
As a child actor, Mickey Kuhn got into the game as young as they come. He was 18 months old when he landed his first role in 1934. He would never really gain prominence, although he would land roles in various productions, including Gone With The Wind.
Other notable films for him include Juarez, Red River, and the 1950 movie Broken Arrow. He would move on to TV acting with roles in various episodes of the anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He's been married to Barbara Traci since 1984, and he eventually retired from acting in 1956.
Gloria Henry, Age 97 - Dennis The Menace
Gloria Henry gained fame as Alice Mitchell, the mother of one of the most famous child characters in the industry. That child was Dennis Mitchell of Dennis The Menace, the TV series based on a comic strip with the same title. The show ran from 1959 to 1963, proving to be the magnum opus for pretty much all of its lead characters.
Things undoubtedly slowed down for Henry after the show got canceled, though, citing that it typecast her as a mother character. She still continued to have small roles in films and also had a minor return to film in the 2005 movie Her Minor Thing.
Stella Stevens, Age 82 - The Nutty Professor
Stella Stevens has had a pretty prolific career. The retired stage, TV, and movie actress gained fame after starting her career in 1959. Some of her most noted early roles include The Nutty Professor, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows, and The Poseidon Adventure.
She also built up a strong TV resume with roles in Magnum P.I, Murder, She Wrote, Highlander: The Series, and The Love Boat. Besides acting, Stevens was also a part of the vocal group called The Skip-Jacks. They are notable for singing the theme songs to The Flintstones and The Patty Duke Show. She retired from acting in 2010.
Victoria Vetri, Age 76 - Rosemary's Baby
Victoria Vetri is an actress who had a short-lived career but had roles in some notable films. The most prominent of that was Rosemary's Baby, in which she played Terry Gionoffrio. She also gained fame later on in life for shooting her husband, Bruce Rathgeb.
Vetri was arrested and tried for attempted murder, which later got reduced to attempted voluntary manslaughter. She was imprisoned for nine years in 2011 but only served seven years and got released on parole in 2018. Rosemary's Baby producer William Castle believed the film was cursed after misfortune befell several cast and crew members.
Elinor Donahue, Age 83 - Father Knows Best
Elinor Donahue gained fame for playing Betty Anderson in the 1950s sitcom Father Knows Best. She was also contracted to the ABC network, which gave her constant guest roles in the network’s other sitcoms, including The Ray Bolger Show and the anthology series Crossroads.
She had a three-season contract with The Andy Griffith Show but asked for it to be cut short after starring in only 12 episodes. Her small guest roles continued throughout the ’60s and 70’s on shows like Dennis The Menace and The Odd Couple. Donahue retired in 2011.
Linda Lavin, Age 83 – Alice
Linda Lavin began her career on stage aged just five; she is now 83 years old and still acting; the veteran star appeared in three films in 2020 alone! Linda comes from a musical family, and her most famous role should have been playing waitress and singer Alice in the CBS show of the same name - She even sang the theme tune.
Linda has won two Golden Globes, an Emmy award, and even a Tony, along with countless nominations over her illustrious career on both the stage and screen. It's certainly not over yet, and we wish Lavin many more happy years of acting!
David Birney, Age 81 – Bridget Loves Bernie
Following his starring role in the CBS series 'Bridget Loves Bernie,' David Birney was a television regular in the 1970s and 1980s. Now 81 years old, it's no surprise to learn he's no longer active in showbiz. The actor focused his career on television and stage plays rather than movies and even married his 'Bridget Loves Bernie' co-star, Meredith Baxter - The two hosted a show together in 1985!
Birney appeared in many of the era's iconic series, such as 'Hawaii Five-0', 'Murder She Wrote,' and 'St Elsewhere,' and he also played many Shakespeare characters on stage; imagine how many lines he's learned over the years!
Delta Burke, Age 64 – Designing Women
At 64, actress Delta Burke’s career continues to thrive; she occasionally appears on-screen and owns a clothing company. The star played Suzanne Sugarbaker in the 'CBS' sitcom, ‘Designing Women’, which many people still remember her for even now. While she has appeared in many tv shows and Broadway, did you know her entertainment career only began after she became Miss Florida in 1974?
Delta won the opportunity to appear on an 'ABC' show, ‘Bozo the Clown’, which kickstarted her long-standing journey in Hollywood. The Emmy-nominated actress maybe 64 years old, but we expect to see her on our screens again soon!
Ali MacGraw, Age 81 - Goodbye, Columbus
Ali MacGraw made a hell of an impression just two films into her career with two Golden Globe Awards and an Oscar nomination. Her performances in films like, Goodbye, Columbus, and Love Story, gave her leading-lady status with major male leads like Steve McQueen and Kris Kristofferson.
McGraw only starred in 11 films between 1969 and 1999 and moved into TV roles in the ’80s. She still had notable roles in the TV mini-series The Winds Of War and the ’80s version of the soap opera Dynasty. She is still into theater productions but focuses primarily on animal welfare these days.
Cher, Age 74 - Mermaids
Cher is one of the entertainment industry’s most respected performers and has had a long and successful career since the ‘60s. She has remained popular over the years thanks to her ability to adapt to trends, reinventing herself multiple times to be in line with the current craze.
She went from folk, singing I Got You Babe with her ex-husband Sonny Bono, to disco before shifting to rock in the ‘70s. She even adopted a dance sound in the 2000s! Cher has starred in movies, including Moonstruck, that won her an Oscar for Best Actress. In May 2020, she released her first Spanish song, a cover of Abba's Chiquitita.
Julie Newmar, 87 - Batman
Julie Newmar is a woman who wore many professional hats. She's a writer, lingerie inventor, real estate mogul, and actress. One of her most notable roles was a Tony-winning performance in the Broadway play, The Marriage-Go-Round, for which she also starred in the film version.
She is also noted for playing Catwoman in the '60s Batman series with Adam West and reprised it as a voice actor in animated films. She had a bit of a resurgence in the early '90s, starring in a George Michael music video and making a cameo as herself in the movie with her name in it, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
Mickey Rourke, Age 68 - The Wrestler
In the ’80s, Mickey Rourke was one of the hottest actors around, having notable roles in films like Diner, Rumble Fish, and 9 1/2 Weeks. However, he abruptly quit acting in the ’90s, citing artistic challenges. He trained as a boxer before his acting career, so he took up professional boxing.
Despite being unbeaten, Rourke eventually returned to acting, landing film roles, including one in The Wrestler. The movie earned him an Oscar nomination and won him a Golden Globe. Unfortunately, facial injuries from boxing left him looking nothing like the dashing man he was in the ’80s. Rourke recently starred in the 2020 adventure film called The Legion.
Steven Seagal, Age 68 - Under Siege
Steven Seagal gained legendary status for his movies and unique martial arts technique. His initial claim to stardom was for being the first foreigner to operate an Aikido dojo in Japan. His martial arts skills then landed him his first movie roles in hits like Above The Law, Hard To Kill, and Marked for Death.
Later on, Seagal played his notable character, Casey Ryback, in Under Siege. He eventually slowed down his acting, starring mostly in direct to video movies. He did have a reality show, though, called Steven Seagal: Law Man, where he fulfilled his duties as a real police reservist.
Robert De Niro, Age 77 - Raging Bull
Throughout his over 50-year-long career, Robert De Niro has proven to be quite a versatile actor. He has proven this ability from his early dramatic roles in films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull to his later films in comedies like Analyze This and Meet The Parents, including their subsequent sequels.
De Niro has won two Oscars: one for Raging Bull and another for The Godfather II. He has also directed the critically acclaimed film, a Bronx Tale. De Niro will reunite with director Martin Scorsese for the upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon.
Michael Caine, 87 - Alfie
The queen of England doesn’t simply knight any old pleb on the street, and it’s why Sir Michael Caine is someone extraordinary. In a career that spanned over six decades, he has starred in over 115 films, the majority of them critically acclaimed and box office hits.
He has been nominated for an Oscar in five different decades and even bagged one in 1983 for his role in the film Hannah and Her Sisters. He also starred in The Italian Job, Get Carter, Alfie, and Dunkirk. Caine is also famous as Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series. In 2020, he starred in another Christopher Nolan film called Tenet.
Joyce DeWitt, Age 71 - Three’s Company
If Joyce DeWitt is remembered for one thing and one thing only, it's that a character based on her once had a role in an episode of Pinky and The Brain. Jokes aside, DeWitt is the actress who gave us the bubbly brunette known as Janet Wood in the hit sitcom Three's Company.
DeWitt got her big break in the series Baretta. When Three's Company ended in 1984, she quit acting for a few years, resurfacing in the 1991 stage production Noises Off. She appeared in the 1995 movie Spring Fling, and in 2003, she produced and hosted the film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company.
Cheryl Tiegs, Age 73 - Sports Illustrated Swimwear Issue
Cheryl Tiegs gained fame for being one of the staples of the Sports Illustrated Swimwear Edition. She gained further notoriety for an iconic centerfold poster of her in a pink bikini that became a symbol of the 1970’s pop culture in America.
Tiegs has also appeared on the cover o Seventeen and Vogue and turned fashionista by releasing a clothing line with Sears, the first retail fashion deal ever for a model. She has been on The Celebrity Apprentice and also has a recurring role in Family Guy, playing herself. The 73-year-old is a philanthropist and activist with a particular interest in the effects of global warming as well.
Cloris Leachman, Age 94 - I Can Only Imagine
Cloris Leachman grabbed an opportunity to study acting after earning a scholarship by competing in the 1946 Miss America Pageant. Those skills would come in handy as she would win several Daytime Emmy Awards for playing Phyllis Lindstrom in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Her popularity in the role earned her a spin-off called Phyllis.
Leachman also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the film The Last Picture Show, and in her later career, played Grandma Ida in the sitcom Malcolm In The Middle and Maw Maw in the series raising hope. At 82, Leachman proved her performing chops by competing in 2008’s Dancing With The Stars.
Gladys Knight, Age 76 - Midnight Train to Georgia
The Empress of Soul Gladys Knight needs no introduction. She gained prominence in the '60s, '70s, and '80s for her powerful vocal and sincere delivery. She was part of Gladys Knight & the Pips together with her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight as well as her cousins William Guest and Edward Patten.
In her lifetime, Knight has won seven Grammy Awards for her hit songs like Midnight Train To Georgia, That's What Friends Are For, and more recently, 2005's One Voice. She sang the theme for the 1989 James Bond film License to Kill, and in September 2020, appeared on Verzuz Battle alongside Patti Labelle via Instagram live.