R.i.p. 2012

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'Seinfeld' actor Ian Abercrombie dead at 77
Jan 28 2012 07:11 PM ET

Ian Abercrombie, the actor best recognized for playing Elaine Benes’ boss on Seinfeld, has died.

He was 77.

Abercrombie, who did voice work on the movie Rango this year, passed away in Hollywood on Thursday. He just finished work on the animated series Green Lantern for the Cartoon Network.

Abercrombie’s career spanned more than 50 years and included roles in flicks like Young Frankenstein and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Abercrombie made his American stage debut in 1955 in a production of Stalag 17. He played the Wise Man in Sam Raimi’s comedy-horror film Army of Darkness (1992). He lent his voice to Palpatine/Darth Sidious on the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

TV gigs included playing Mr. Pitt on Seinfeld, as well as parts on Wizards of Waverly Place, Desperate Housewives, Murphy Brown and L.A. Law.

He was born in Essex, England and began his career as a stage actor.

[The Villain]

RIP Mr. Pitt

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'Soul Train' creator Don Cornelius dead at 75 from apparent suicide

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don Cornelius, who with the creation of "Soul Train" helped break down racial barriers and broaden the reach of black culture with funky music, groovy dance steps and cutting edge style, died early Wednesday of an apparent suicide.

He was 75.

Officers responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Mulholland Drive home at around 4 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 4:56 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.

"I am shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend, colleague, and business partner Don Cornelius," said Quincy Jones. "Don was a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business. Before MTV there was 'Soul Train,' that will be the great legacy of Don Cornelius. His contributions to television, music and our culture as a whole will never be matched. My heart goes out to Don's family and loved ones."

"Soul Train" began in 1970 in Chicago on WCIU-TV as a local program and aired nationally from 1971 to 2006.

It introduced television audiences to such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White and brought the best R&B, soul and later hip-hop acts to TV and had teenagers dance to them. It was one of the first shows to showcase African-Americans prominently, although the dance group was racially mixed. Cornelius was the first host and executive producer.

"There was not programming that targeted any particular ethnicity," he said in 2006, then added: "I'm trying to use euphemisms here, trying to avoid saying there was no television for black folks, which they knew was for them."

"When we rolled it out, there were only eight takers," he recalled in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. "Which was somewhere between a little disappointing and a whole lot disappointing."

The reasons he heard? "There was just, 'We don't want it. We pass,'" he said, with race going unmentioned. "No one was blatant enough to say that."

Audience reaction and the high-powered talent the show attracted helped it spread. Over the years, "Soul Train" showcased some of R&B's biggest stars, including Gaye and Brown, as well as crossover white artists. In later years, it featured rap stars, although Cornelius acknowledged that he was no fan of the genre or the racier dance moves that younger teens had embraced.

The show's highlight was a dance line. Teens strutted and pranced their way between two lines of dancers awaiting their turn to show off. Over time, the dance line worked its way into American culture and is now an integral part of wedding receptions and parties.

Cornelius, who was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 1995 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in 2006 he remained grateful to the musicians who made "Soul Train" the destination for the best and latest in black music.

"I figured as long as the music stayed hot and important and good, that there would always be a reason for 'Soul Train,'" Cornelius said.

The series spawned a franchise that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest.

Cornelius stepped down as "Soul Train" host in 1993. The awards returned to the air in 2009 after two-year hiatus. Last year's awards were held on Nov. 27 in Atlanta, with Earth Wind & Fire receiving the "Legend Award."

In his later years, Cornelius had a troubled marriage. In 2009, he was sentenced to three years' probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor spousal battery. In his divorce case that year, he also mentioned having significant health issues.

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Leslie Carter, Nick and Aaron's Sister and Former E! Star, Dies at 25

A sad day indeed at the Carter house.

E! News has confirmed that Leslie Carter, the sister of singers Nick and Aaron Carter, has passed away.

She was only 25.

"Our family is grieving right now and it's a private matter. We are deeply saddened for the loss of our beloved sister, daughter, and granddaughter, Leslie Carter," the Carter family said in a statement. "We request the utmost privacy during this difficult time."

Leslie died Tuesday in upstate New York. However, no further details have been given regarding the cause of death.

An aspiring singer, Leslie's song "Like Wow!" was featured on the 2001 Shrek soundtrack. She later appeared with Nick, Aaron and her other two siblings on the 2006 E! reality show House of Carters.

Two years later, Leslie married and, in April 2011, she and husband Mike welcomed a daughter, Alyssa Jane.

[ferretchucker]

Oh dear, that really is sad news :( Not that I was even aware of her existence, but such a young death is never nice to hear about.

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New details have emerged in the "mysterious" death of Leslie Carter, including a possible cause of the 25-year-old's untimely passing.

According to a police report obtained by E! News, the former House of Carters star and sister of Nick and Aaron Carter died as a result of an overdose, with three prescription drugs found near her body.

The report was taken by officials who first responded to the 911 call, and per the document, the three prescription bottles found nearby were Olanzapine, used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the muscle relaxant Cyclobenzaprine, and the anxiety medication Xanax.

Though official autopsy results have yet to be released pending the toxicology tests, a source close to the Carters tells E! News that family members believe Leslie overdosed on pills.

Per the police report, Leslie's stepmother Ginger found Leslie's unresponsive body around 4:10 p.m. on Jan. 31 and immediately dialed 911.

Leslie and her baby (she was estranged from her on-again, off-again hubby) were living with her father, Robert, in Buffalo and, a source tells E! News, had been trying to wean herself off her medication.

After her body was found, Robert performed CPR, though Leslie was ultimately pronounced dead at the hospital at 4:59 p.m.

According to Ginger, Leslie "seemed OK in the morning but at times seemed depressed just by the way she was talking."

Earlier the same day, Ginger told authorities that Leslie had fallen in the shower and proceeded to sleep through the afternoon while she cared for the 10-month-old baby.

It was only when Robert came home later that afternoon that Leslie was found not breathing or responding. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead a short while later.

The full autopsy results have not yet been disclosed, though a source tells E! News "the family is devastated" and is already moving ahead with making burial plans.

[newb]

Ben Gazzara, Risk-Taking Actor, Is Dead at 81

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Zalman King's dead as well.


Zalman King, Director and Producer, Dies at 69
The man behind "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Red Shoe Diaries" passed away in Los Angeles

Zalman King, who directed 1990’s Wild Orchid and produced 1986’s 9 ½ Weeks, died Feb. 3, a rep from Zalman King Productions confirms to The Hollywood Reporter.

He was 69 years old.

King, who was born Zalman Lefkovitz in Trenton, New Jersey, had bit parts in 1960s TV shows before segueing into directing and producing. His trademark was work with a strong, somewhat artistic, erotic content. His most successful films as a director were 1988’s Two Moon Junction and 1992’s Red Shoe Diaries, which went on to be a series on Showtime. His most recent credit was as the exec producer on Showtime’s Body Language.

King’s death was first reported by Charlie Sheen on Facebook, who said, "the world lost a brilliant and noble soul today. My dear friend of 40 years, Zalman King, just lost his battle with cancer. Fought like a recon marine til the bitter end. Say a prayer for his amazing wife Pat and their lovely daughters. Safe travels my friend. C".

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Film-makers Mike deGruy and Andrew Wight killed in helicopter smash

Titanic director James Cameron pays tribute to his deep-sea brothers who had accomplished 'extraordinary things'


We’ve just heard the sad news that SANCTUM producer Andrew Wight has died in a helicopter crash off the coast of New South Wales in Australia. The filmmaker perished with BAFTA and Emmy award winner Mike deGruy in the accident whilst they were apparently scouting locations for a new project.

Wight was just 51 years old and deGruy 60.

Wight was worked on a variety of projects for James Cameron including the 3D underwater film GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS in 2003 before going on to write and produce SANCTUM last year, a film that was executive-produced by Cameron. SANCTUM was based on Wight’s own experience revolving around his near-death incident in an underwater cave. It went on to take $100 million at the box-office.

Mike deGruy was an award-winning cinematographer, working on such projects as DEEP BLUE and many other TV wildlife documentaries. He tweeted four days before the crash; “Been in Australia 2 weeks, one to go then off to PNG. Love this place – especially Sydney on Australia Day.”

They were apparently due to work on an upcoming project together said to be a documentary about Papua, New Guinea.

Police said two people – a pilot and a passenger – died on Saturday when their aircraft crashed soon after takeoff near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney, but did not immediately release the victims' identities. ABC News reported that Wight had been piloting the helicopter.

The pair's employers, National Geographic and the Titanic director, James Cameron, confirmed the victims' identities, adding that "the deep-sea community had lost two of its finest" with the deaths of the underwater documentary specialists.

"Mike and Andrew were like family to me," the director added. "They were my deep-sea brothers and both were true explorers who did extraordinary things and went places no human being has been."

[sfear]

Saw at another forum that sf/thriller author John Christopher (Samuel Youd) passed away.