Official 2020 Deadpool Thread

[Gregzs]

'Boyz n the Hood,' '90210' Actress Esther Scott Dead at 66


Veteran character actress Esther Scott -- who's been in countless movies and shows over the years -- has died.

A member of Esther's family tells TMZ ... Esther suffered an apparent heart attack last Tuesday at her Santa Monica home, and was later found unconscious and taken to a hospital. We're told she remained hospitalized for a few more days before eventually passing on Friday.

She was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time she died.

Esther had a massive resume, having appeared in at least 73 films and shows dating back to the '80s. She's perhaps most well known for her role as Bridget, one of Nat Turner's relatives, in 2016's 'Birth of a Nation.' Esther's been in several other projects, however.

She's also been the voice Shodu in the 'Star Wars' animated spin-off, 'Ewoks' -- and had a memorably hilarious scene in 'Boyz n the Hood.' She played the grandmother of a girl who hooked up with Tre, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character.

Her resume is crazy impressive, with roles on "Encino Man," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Full House," "The Wayans Bros.," "Martin," "Nash Bridges," "Melrose Place," "ER" and "The King of Queens" ... just to name a few.

Esther was 66. RIP

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/18/boyz-in-the-hood-90210-actress-esther-scott-dead-dies/?fbclid=IwAR0aTRLS4ya94HXpuqyPl6bgwz3ap7YdzGrPwzphrUYOmfZfXe5bZnK5KzI&fbclid=IwAR1lRCGAKRwjs6lq5o-FPQ36Ya-DUaXlm93hZVNeuMdaWT4aONsgHVI48hw&fbclid=IwAR0UjRLHavUPO_x6EDfa9r4_qtXqjeL8jYkAcTuAx4Sgm2PQanJfvZDv3rI

[Gregzs]

'Good Times' Star Ja'net DuBois Dead at 74

Ja'net Dubois -- one of the main characters on "Good Times" -- was found dead Tuesday ... TMZ has learned.

Ja'net played the Evans family's sassy neighbor Willona Woods on the classic '70s TV series. Her family tells us ... Ja'net died unexpectedly in her sleep overnight at her home in Glendale, CA.

It's unclear who discovered her body Tuesday morning. We're told Ja'net hadn't complained of any specific ailments recently, and appeared to be in good health to those around her. She even attended a fan event in Hollywood a couple weeks ago.

Ja'net might be most famous for "Good Times," but she also composed and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up," for "The Jeffersons" -- so, she should also be remembered for her voice.

She appeared in tons of movies over the years, including "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Tropic Thunder" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."

Ja'net's acting career began on Broadway, where she was cast in a number of plays including "Golden Boy" with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. -- plus "A Raisin In The Sun."

She also won two Emmy awards for her voice-over work on "The PJs."

Ja'net is survived by her 3 children.

She was 74. RIP

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/18/good-times-willona-janet-dubois-dead-dies-74/?fbclid=IwAR3HhoxEnWh7s6PbZsSzSHR5ty36u6nhX__qL8xUwOrkH4AdbcKPBev7_z0

[Gregzs]

Rapper Pop Smoke Dead, Shot and Killed in Home Invasion By 4 Masked Gunmen
Pop Smoke, an up-and-coming rapper, was shot and killed Wednesday morning in what appears to be a home invasion robbery ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was at a home in the Hollywood Hills at around 4:30 AM when 2 men wearing hoodies and masks broke into a house ... this according to law enforcement sources. We're told the 2 men fired multiple shots, striking and critically wounding Pop Smoke. The men were seen fleeing on foot.

Pop Smoke was rushed by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood where he was pronounced dead.

The suspects have not been caught and as far as we know they have not been identified.  It's unclear if Pop Smoke knew the shooters. One man was placed in handcuffs but cops determined he was not involved and was released.

Pop Smoke released an album back in July and one of the songs, "Welcome to the Party," blew up ... it was considered by many the song of the summer. Nicki Minaj did a remix of the song a few months later. He also did a song, "Gatti," with Travis Scott.

We got Pop Smoke out at LAX back in July, and he told us about a hoop dream that came true.

Pop Smoke was 20.

RIP


9:41 AM PT -- Sources familiar with the surveillance video tell TMZ ... the video shows at least 4 masked men with hoodies making their way into the house just 10 minutes after people inside the house deadbolted the front doors shut. We're told they did not turn the house alarm on, which made it easier for the home invaders to get inside.

And, there's this ... Pop Smoke posted the address of the home earlier in the day. He was showing off gift bags he had received and one had the home's address. As for why he was getting gift bags ... his mix tape hit #7 on the Billboard 200 chart Tuesday.
8:03 AM PT -- Just hours before he was gunned down, Pop Smoke mugged with a pal in a car -- the friend holding a fortune in bills -- in the driveway of the home where he was shot.

7:32 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us there was a party or gathering at the house prior to the shooting.  It's unclear what motive the shooters had in showing up at the house.
7:08 AM PT -- Nicki Minaj just posted a message about his death ... "The Bible tells us that jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Unbelievable. Rest in Peace, Pop."
6:56 AM PT -- The home is owned by 'RHOBH' star Teddi Mellencamp and her husband, Edwin Arroyave, who owns several homes in Los Angeles. It's possible Pop Smoke was renting the property.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/19/pop-smoke-dead-dies-20-murdered-home-invasion-robbery/?fbclid=IwAR0c6j1WBphH2nDyiWdMvtUuB1rZlfZx2VoobekF39Bko1n7A-K_xS19FrA

[Gregzs]

Drew Carey's Ex-Fiancee Amie Harwick Murdered in Hollywood Hills


Drew Carey's ex-fiancee, Dr. Amie Harwick, has been murdered after cops say an ex-boyfriend attacked her and caused her to fall from a third-story balcony.

Law enforcement sources say they got a call early Saturday morning of a woman screaming in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Cops were met in the street by Harwick's roommate, who said she was being assaulted inside her home.

We're told once officers attempted to get inside Harwick's home, they found her unresponsive underneath a third-story balcony, with injuries consistent with a fall. Harwick was taken to a hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Cops say evidence suggested there was forced entry and a struggle inside Harwick's home before she was discovered. Investigators located surveillance footage in the neighborhood and determined the suspect was a white male dressed in black.

Detectives learned Harwick had recently expressed concerns about an ex-boyfriend -- who she once had a restraining order against -- causing her harm. Cops say the restraining order ended just two weeks ago and Harwick had recently seen the ex.

Cops arrested the ex, Gareth Pursehouse, Saturday afternoon and booked him for murder.

Drew and Harwick started dating in 2017 and announced their engagement in early 2018. However, they split less than a year later.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/16/drew-carey-ex-fiancee-murdered-amie-harwick/?fbclid=IwAR0bhoqi4clDKbNOW07U2Xl9xTX7YjdfRGsZPLOpNYh1-4sY7H72IvDGqWI

Gareth Pursehouse -- the man accused of murdering Drew Carey's ex fiancee, Dr. Amie Hardwick -- has been arrested again and charged with her murder.

Pursehouse was re-arrested Wednesday on a no bail warrant and was charged with one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait ... according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Gareth is facing the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, if convicted. The D.A. says no decision has been made on whether to seek capital punishment.

We broke the story ... Amie was murdered this weekend after cops say Pursehouse attacked her, causing her to fall from a third-story balcony in the Hollywood Hills.

Amie and Gareth dated years ago and as we reported ... Hardwick filed for 2 restraining orders against him in 2011 and 2012, claiming he attacked her multiple times and even threw her out of a vehicle on the side of the freeway.

Pursehouse was initially arrested for murder Saturday afternoon, but he bonded out of jail Tuesday night after being held on a $2 million bail.

Now, Pursehouse is back in custody and the D.A. says on Thursday he will be arraigned.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/19/gareth-pursehouse-drew-carey-ex-fiancee-murder-suspect-arrested-charged-death-penalty/?fbclid=IwAR3AkFZMl39rk5qJKtzCWwOYCEFqgaQ4qVahFI_prm-zpvSOZxYDP9Ic3Xc

[Taffin]

Hmmm.....


Isn't this now more of a kind of TMZ obituary thread than a bodybuildin/wrasslin/weightliftin deadpool thread..?  


I mean, I appreciate the reportage and everything, but where are people supposed to go to predict the premature deaths, overdoses and murder/suicides of those in 'Teh Fitness Industry' (oh brother)..?

[Gregzs]

Hair Club for Men Founder Sy Sperling Dead at 78

Sy Sperling -- the founder and president of Hair Club for Men known for his TV commercials in the '80s and '90s -- has died in Florida.

Sperling died in Boca Raton after a lengthy illness ... according to his spokeswoman, Terri Lynn.

Sy's career path began being forged in the late '60s when he was a balding swimming pool salesman in New York City who'd grown tired of wearing toupees.

So, he took $10k in credit card debt to open a Madison Avenue salon and used a hair weaving technique he learned from a stylist to implement a system where a nylon mesh cap was glued to a person's scalp ... allowing their hair to grow through it, then additional matching hair purchased from women was woven into the mesh.

Sounds pretty odd, but business took off ... just not to the point where Sperling wanted it to be. Enter, the TV commercials.

Sy began advertising his hair replacement system on TV and went national in 1982, with spots running 400 times daily on late-night TV. They reportedly cost $12 million a year but generated 10,000 calls a month.

The ads featured before-and-after photos of happy customers, but ended with Sperling himself proclaiming ... "I'm not only the Hair Club president, but I'm also a client." They became a cultural phenomenon almost instantly.

The company's now simply referred to as Hair Club and began offering services for women in 1995. Sy retired in 2000 after selling the company for $45 mil. It's helped more than 600,000 clients restore their hair over the years.

Sperling is survived by his wife and 2 kids.

He was 78.

RIP

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/20/hair-club-for-men-founder-sy-sperling-dead-at-78/?fbclid=IwAR24zXfvvtKKJSkpSp_wzNF-7AKjNou6FqEP0nrRg2IwWW7VwX59D2IPcOE

[Humble Narcissist]

At least he died with a full head of hair.

[Powerlift66]

'Good Times' Star Ja'net DuBois Dead at 74

Ja'net Dubois -- one of the main characters on "Good Times" -- was found dead Tuesday ... TMZ has learned.

Ja'net played the Evans family's sassy neighbor Willona Woods on the classic '70s TV series. Her family tells us ... Ja'net died unexpectedly in her sleep overnight at her home in Glendale, CA.

It's unclear who discovered her body Tuesday morning. We're told Ja'net hadn't complained of any specific ailments recently, and appeared to be in good health to those around her. She even attended a fan event in Hollywood a couple weeks ago.

Ja'net might be most famous for "Good Times," but she also composed and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up," for "The Jeffersons" -- so, she should also be remembered for her voice.

She appeared in tons of movies over the years, including "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Tropic Thunder" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."

Ja'net's acting career began on Broadway, where she was cast in a number of plays including "Golden Boy" with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. -- plus "A Raisin In The Sun."

She also won two Emmy awards for her voice-over work on "The PJs."

Ja'net is survived by her 3 children.

She was 74. RIP

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/18/good-times-willona-janet-dubois-dead-dies-74/?fbclid=IwAR3HhoxEnWh7s6PbZsSzSHR5ty36u6nhX__qL8xUwOrkH4AdbcKPBev7_z0

She was awesome on that show...PIP

[Gregzs]

Astro Boy Star Hisashi Katsuta Dies at 92

The Asahi Shinbun newspaper in Japan has reported that veteran actor Hisashi Katsuta has passed away at the age of 92. Noting the cause as senility, Katsuta passed away on Friday and his estate has confirmed the death through the report on Saturday. Katsuta has provided the voice for several classic anime characters, but will likely be most remembered for his time as the voice of Professor Hiroshi Ochanomizu in the 1960s anime adaptation of Astro Boy. Not only that, he would return to voice the character in the 1980s and 2000s version of the series as well.

Not only did Katsuta perform for Ochanomizu in various incarnations of the anime series over the years, he has also returned for anime films such as Astro Boy: Hero of Space and Astro Boy: Shinsen-gumi, and specials such as Tezuka Osamu ga Kieta?! 20 Seiki Saigo no Kaijiken. Currently licensed by Nozomi Entertainment, you can currently find Astro Boy's original anime now streaming with FunimationNOW if you wanted to see some of his classic work in action.

Hisashi Katsuta has also provided voice work for series such as The Rose of Versailles, Tosho Daimos, Astroganger, Groizer X, Sasuke, Oishinbo, Megazone 23, Cat's Eye, Dororo, Perman, Jungle Emperor Leo, Kimba the White Lion, Jetter Mars, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Musashi no Ken, and Kaibutsu-kun: Demon no Ken among many others.

With a long and storied career like Katsuta's, this loss is certainly going to be felt by quite a few people who have not only felt the impact of his performances but knew him throughout his personal life. ComicBook.com sends our condolences to Katsuta's family and loved ones at this time.

https://comicbook.com/anime/2020/02/22/astro-boy-anime-death-hisashi-katsuta-obituary/?fbclid=IwAR0JCYB57dd_yEUknKs_4UMBMBXHt3jG_8TAHli1mgfy-bslU_4jeVa5DOs

[The Scott]

China.  And if the Civilized World is lucky, all muslime lands. 

[Dave D]

China.  And if the Civilized World is lucky, all muslime lands. 

I’ll go with China, the world’s economy and 1/3 of the population.

[The Scott]

I’ll go with China, the world’s economy and 1/3 of the population.

Other developed nations will pick up the slack of China's being knocked back a bit. Deport muslimes back to suffer the virus in their land of origin and put citizens, not shitizens back to work rebuilding their own culture.  Sweden for Swedes and Britain for Brits, etc.  If the Germans want to continue to bob for balls, fuck 'em.   

I hope Arab kuntries are devastated by this virus.  Fucking turd-worlders long for the stone-age, let 'em die like the swine they are.  They treat women like crap, kill homosexuals all  the while they bugger boys.  WTF?

Time for the Crapture!  Flush the commies and turd-worlders down the toilet.

[The Scott]

Joni Mitchell. 

I hope not but she's going to be 77 this year and hasn't been in the best of health for a while now. She is one of my favorite singer/songwriters.  She was, to me,  quite the beauty in her youth.

[Gregzs]

Colombo Underboss John 'Sonny' Franzese Dead at 103

John 'Sonny' Franzese, Sr., an Italian-American mobster who served as a Colombo crime family underboss and even had his finger in the movie biz ... is dead.

Franzese was an organized crime wheeler and dealer for decades, but he also dabbled in film. Franzese helped finance the '72 iconic porn flick, "Deep Throat." BTW ... it cost $22k to produce and grossed as much as $50 million. He also helped finance "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

Sonny served as an underboss of the Colombo family from 1964 to 1967, when he was sentenced to 50 years for bank robbery. He was paroled in '78 but prison became a revolving door. He went back and forth 6 times for crimes that included extortion.

He may have done worse ... in 2006, he talked about techniques for mob murders with a man who turned out to be a secret government informant who was wired. One of the things he said ... he put nail polish on his fingertips before murdering someone to avoid leaving fingerprints at the scene of the crime ... of course, to blunt DNA testing.

Interesting fact ... His son, John Franzese, Jr., testified against him in one of the trials. It marked the first time the son of a New York mobster turned state's evidence on his dad.

Sonny died in a nursing home in upstate New York. One of his daughters was by his side when he passed. We're told he died of natural causes.

Sonny was dubbed "The nodfather" for falling asleep during one of his trials.

When he was released for the last time in June 2017, he was the oldest federal inmate in the U.S. at age 100.

Franzese was born in Naples, Italy in 1917. He and his family moved to NYC when he was a child. He had 8 kids and 18 grandchildren.

Sonny was 103.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/24/columbo-mob-mobster-family-john-sonny-franzese-dead-dies-at-103/?fbclid=IwAR2rhZJdpxi_w7WMK8LQYWtuiYAVtsCPR9aNTnc0HqcvDf-rbI_rusjr8Wk

[Gregzs]

Pioneering NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson Dies Aged 101


Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician who calculated the flight path for the first manned mission to the moon, has died at the age of 101. A heroine around the world, she broke down racial and social barriers across the space program, paving the way for future generations.

Excelling in school, she enrolled at West Virginia State College when she was only 15 years old. After, she was a teacher for several years before she was handpicked to be one of three black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools.

A family soon followed and she returned to her role as a teacher until she became aware of openings at the West Area Computing section of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA’s) Langley laboratory in the early 1950s. Here began her extraordinary 33-year career in orbital mathematics, working on a plethora of major NASA missions.

Some of the defining moments in her early years at NASA have been shared in Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures and depicted in the 2016 film of the same name, where she was played by Taraji P Henson. Johnson successfully calculated the launch window for the 1961 manned Mercury mission, America’s first human spaceflight, establishing herself as a leader in calculating trajectory.

A year later, she once again showcased her incredible mathematical ability when working on John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission. Mistrustful of the new worldwide IBM communications network for carrying out his trajectory analysis, Glenn asked engineers to “get the girl” – Johnson – to carry out the same calculations by hand. “If she says they’re good,’” Katherine Johnson remembers the astronaut saying, “then I’m ready to go.”

Throughout the rest of her career, Johnson went on to calculate the flight trajectories for the 1969 Apollo 11 landing, authored or co-authored 26 scientific papers, helped line up Apollo’s Lunar Lander with the lunar-orbiting Command and Service Module, and won NASA’s Langley Research Center Special Achievement award five times.

In 1986, Johnson retired from NASA, but that was not the end of her incredible achievements, nor her impact on women and minorities in STEM. Notably, she received in 2015 the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, America’s highest civilian honor.

A statement by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine paid respect to Katherine Johnson: “Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space... At NASA we will never forget her courage and leadership and the milestones we could not have reached without her.”

https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/pioneering-nasa-mathematician-katherine-johnson-dies-aged-101/?fbclid=IwAR3Q-0HINEw-_AMCfLln9sT_40uhMRur_gtJBqNtgrUFk2fYlfdRbSJJqHw

[Gregzs]

LEGO Minfigure Creator Jens Nygaard Knudsen Has Died


Today, the LEGO community is mourning the loss of an important figure. A recent post by the company has informed fans that Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the creator of Lego Minifigures, has passed away. He was 78 years old.

The news came courtesy of The LEGO Group which released a brief post on Twitter. "We're very sad to hear that Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the creator of the LEGO Minifigure, has passed away. Thank you Jens, for your ideas, imagination, and inspiring generations of builders," the company shared.

As you can see below, the tweet shares a candid photo of Knudsen holding a LEGO kit in hand. The legend helped change the game for LEGO with his trial-and-error creation of Minifigures. Today, fans new and old collect Knudsen's Minifigures with pride as there are thousands to fit any one collection.

Speaking to PEOPLE, LEGO's Chief Marking Officer remembered Knudsen in an emotional statement. Julia Goldin stressed how loved the creator was by LEGO and how influential his work has been on the company over the years.

“Jens spent 32 years with the LEGO Group and made an impact few can match,” her statement read. “He was a true visionary whose ideas brought joy and inspiration to millions of builders around the world and we thank him for helping to create some of our most loved play themes such as LEGO Castle, LEGO Space and of course, the iconic LEGO minifigure.”

According to international reports, Knudsen died after a battle with ALS. The agency AFP reports the creator was in hospice care when he passed on Wednesday in Denmark. His loss has hit the LEGO community hard with fans and creators speaking about Knudsen's accomplishments. With an imagination so vibrant, Knudsen is being hailed as a true visionary who helped bring the toy industry to a whole new level.

https://comicbook.com/irl/2020/02/24/lego-mini-figure-creator-jens-nygaard-knudsen-death-obituary/

[Moontrane]

LEGO Minfigure Creator Jens Nygaard Knudsen Has Died


Today, the LEGO community is mourning the loss of an important figure. A recent post by the company has informed fans that Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the creator of Lego Minifigures, has passed away. He was 78 years old.

The news came courtesy of The LEGO Group which released a brief post on Twitter. "We're very sad to hear that Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the creator of the LEGO Minifigure, has passed away. Thank you Jens, for your ideas, imagination, and inspiring generations of builders," the company shared.

As you can see below, the tweet shares a candid photo of Knudsen holding a LEGO kit in hand. The legend helped change the game for LEGO with his trial-and-error creation of Minifigures. Today, fans new and old collect Knudsen's Minifigures with pride as there are thousands to fit any one collection.

Speaking to PEOPLE, LEGO's Chief Marking Officer remembered Knudsen in an emotional statement. Julia Goldin stressed how loved the creator was by LEGO and how influential his work has been on the company over the years.

“Jens spent 32 years with the LEGO Group and made an impact few can match,” her statement read. “He was a true visionary whose ideas brought joy and inspiration to millions of builders around the world and we thank him for helping to create some of our most loved play themes such as LEGO Castle, LEGO Space and of course, the iconic LEGO minifigure.”

According to international reports, Knudsen died after a battle with ALS. The agency AFP reports the creator was in hospice care when he passed on Wednesday in Denmark. His loss has hit the LEGO community hard with fans and creators speaking about Knudsen's accomplishments. With an imagination so vibrant, Knudsen is being hailed as a true visionary who helped bring the toy industry to a whole new level.

https://comicbook.com/irl/2020/02/24/lego-mini-figure-creator-jens-nygaard-knudsen-death-obituary/

Don't show up at his memorial barefoot.

[Humble Narcissist]

Pioneering NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson Dies Aged 101


Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician who calculated the flight path for the first manned mission to the moon, has died at the age of 101. A heroine around the world, she broke down racial and social barriers across the space program, paving the way for future generations.

Excelling in school, she enrolled at West Virginia State College when she was only 15 years old. After, she was a teacher for several years before she was handpicked to be one of three black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools.

A family soon followed and she returned to her role as a teacher until she became aware of openings at the West Area Computing section of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA’s) Langley laboratory in the early 1950s. Here began her extraordinary 33-year career in orbital mathematics, working on a plethora of major NASA missions.

Some of the defining moments in her early years at NASA have been shared in Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures and depicted in the 2016 film of the same name, where she was played by Taraji P Henson. Johnson successfully calculated the launch window for the 1961 manned Mercury mission, America’s first human spaceflight, establishing herself as a leader in calculating trajectory.

A year later, she once again showcased her incredible mathematical ability when working on John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission. Mistrustful of the new worldwide IBM communications network for carrying out his trajectory analysis, Glenn asked engineers to “get the girl” – Johnson – to carry out the same calculations by hand. “If she says they’re good,’” Katherine Johnson remembers the astronaut saying, “then I’m ready to go.”

Throughout the rest of her career, Johnson went on to calculate the flight trajectories for the 1969 Apollo 11 landing, authored or co-authored 26 scientific papers, helped line up Apollo’s Lunar Lander with the lunar-orbiting Command and Service Module, and won NASA’s Langley Research Center Special Achievement award five times.

In 1986, Johnson retired from NASA, but that was not the end of her incredible achievements, nor her impact on women and minorities in STEM. Notably, she received in 2015 the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, America’s highest civilian honor.

A statement by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine paid respect to Katherine Johnson: “Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space... At NASA we will never forget her courage and leadership and the milestones we could not have reached without her.”

https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/pioneering-nasa-mathematician-katherine-johnson-dies-aged-101/?fbclid=IwAR3Q-0HINEw-_AMCfLln9sT_40uhMRur_gtJBqNtgrUFk2fYlfdRbSJJqHw

A woman that knew math?  I am skeptical.

[Gregzs]

Konami Code Creator Kazuhisa Hashimoto Has Died

Kazuhisa Hashimoto, the creator of the iconic Konami code, has died. News of Hashimoto’s death was announced on social media on Wednesday by Yuji Takenouchi, a composer who’s worked with Konami in the past. Hashimoto worked on several fan-favorite classics like Gradius, but his most memorable accomplishment to many was the creation of the Konami code used in Konami’s games and by others for years to come. He was 61 years old.

Takenouchi shared the news of Hashimoto’s death on social media on Wednesday while reminding his followers what the developer was best known for. He said “we pray for the souls” and hoped Hashimoto would “keep making games in heaven.”

The Konami code as many will recall is “Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A,” followed by “Start” to finish the input. It was first created by Hashimoto for use in a console port of Gradius, the game where players controlled a spaceship and took on waves of enemies. Inputting this code while playing the game would unlock players a vast array of powerups.

The story goes that Hashimoto created the code after realizing the version of Gradius he was working on was too challenging. The code was left in the finished game and was eventually discovered by players who used it to their advantage. Dubbed the “Konami Code,” it eventually was added to other Konami games like Contra as an Easter egg that allowed players to acquire various other unlocks.

Hashimoto’s iconic Konami Code didn’t just remain in Konami games alone though. It was eventually used by other developers as a clever Easter egg and a homage to the original. The code was easy to remember, just as Hashimoto intended, which meant it was a simple process for people to recall it and test it in games to see if it works. Examples of it appearing recently include its appearance in Fortnite as well as on the Google Stadia controller.

https://comicbook.com/gaming/2020/02/26/konami-code-creator-kazuhisa-hashimoto-died/

[AbrahamG]

'Good Times' Star Ja'net DuBois Dead at 74

Ja'net Dubois -- one of the main characters on "Good Times" -- was found dead Tuesday ... TMZ has learned.

Ja'net played the Evans family's sassy neighbor Willona Woods on the classic '70s TV series. Her family tells us ... Ja'net died unexpectedly in her sleep overnight at her home in Glendale, CA.

It's unclear who discovered her body Tuesday morning. We're told Ja'net hadn't complained of any specific ailments recently, and appeared to be in good health to those around her. She even attended a fan event in Hollywood a couple weeks ago.

Ja'net might be most famous for "Good Times," but she also composed and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up," for "The Jeffersons" -- so, she should also be remembered for her voice.

She appeared in tons of movies over the years, including "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Tropic Thunder" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."

Ja'net's acting career began on Broadway, where she was cast in a number of plays including "Golden Boy" with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. -- plus "A Raisin In The Sun."

She also won two Emmy awards for her voice-over work on "The PJs."

Ja'net is survived by her 3 children.

She was 74. RIP

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/18/good-times-willona-janet-dubois-dead-dies-74/?fbclid=IwAR3HhoxEnWh7s6PbZsSzSHR5ty36u6nhX__qL8xUwOrkH4AdbcKPBev7_z0

I never jerked off to her.  Too busy pummeling myself to Thelma. 

[Gregzs]

James Lipton, Inside the Actors Studio Host and Creator, Dies at 93

James Lipton, an impressive and friendly host known best for his work on Inside the Actors Studio, has passed away at the age of 93. Lipton spent his years trying to pass knowledge and skills along to students, often bringing perspective from accomplished talent to a live audience which was often shared for millions of viewers. Lipton's wife, Kedakai, informed TMZ of his passing on Monday. Lipton was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 19, 1926 and was raised by his mother, going on to create the Bravo series Inside the Actors Studio in 1994, often having disarming and genuine conversations with top talent from Hollywood, after having an accomplished acting career of his own.

Inside the Actors Studio pulled in more than 300 guests in its years running, becoming one of cable's longest-running series. Lipton's passion for the craft and desire to share knowledge prompted him to do all of his own research for each interview, spawning his own questions and conveying that passion during each conversation. The well-known style became so popular that it spawned parodies, such as Will Ferrell's imitation seen on Saturday Night Live and Zach Galifianakas' Between Two Ferns YouTube series which became an entire film on Netflix.

Lipton was married twice throughout his life, first to actress Nina Foch in 1954. Five years in, the two would split, before Lipton met his now widowed wife Kedakai Turner.

Lipton's run with Inside the Actors Studio concluded in 2018 and it moved from Bravo to Ovation. Prior to the series, Lipton's career sprawled across radio and television, having worked as an actor, writer, author, producer, and professor. He landed his first role, voicing the radio character of Dan Reid, on WXYZ's audio show telling a Lone Ranger story, in 1944. He would go on to enlist in the Air Force during World War II and return to creative work by 1951, when he was acting on television. Some of Lipton's best known roles came in the form of voicing The Director in Bolt and portraying Warden Stefan Gentles in Arrested Development, as well as a role in 1972's The Doctors.

A creative career would bring Lipton around the world, with stops in Greece, France, and several other countries . before he found work on Broadway. He would ultimately receive three PhD.s, be honored with the French Republic's Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys and a Critics' Choice Award.

https://comicbook.com/2020/03/02/james-lipton-inside-the-actors-studio-host-dead-93/?fbclid=IwAR0oPTuDCRBLmu9jhVpy56wpsHiQl1MNl-s9HAw39VJfJuGCL9ligCtCcOo

[Gregzs]

Max Von Sydow Dies Aged 90


Legendary actor Max von Sydow has passed away at the age of 90, it has been confirmed. The Swedish actor was an enduring screen presence whose career spanned several eras of cinema – from repeatedly starring for Ingmar Bergman beginning in the ‘50s, to partaking in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy in the last few years.

Von Sydow’s breakout performance came in 1957’s The Seventh Seal, in which he played Antonius Block – a medieval knight who challenges Death to a game of chess. He would go on to collaborate with Bergman several more times – in Wild Strawberries and Mr. Sleeman Is Coming (also released in 1957), 1958’s Brink Of Life, The Magician, and Rabies, 1960’s The Virgin Spring, 1961’s Through A Glass Darkly, 1963’s Winter Light, 1968’s Hour Of The Wolf and Shame, 1969’s The Passion Of Anna, and 1971’s The Touch.

Elsewhere, von Sydow’s work included a number of iconic roles. In 1965 he played Jesus in George Stevens’ four-plus hour epic The Greatest Story Ever Told. He famously starred as Father Merrin, the conflicted priest struggling to retain his faith, in The Exorcist – a role he reprised in sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. He was no stranger to outlandish science-fiction – in 1980 he starred as Emperor Ming The Merciless in Flash Gordon, and played Doctor Kynes in David Lynch’s 1984 Dune. In 1983 he played iconic villain Blofed in non-Eon Bond movie Never Say Never Again, and in 1986 he starred in Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters.

He continued to work for heavyweight directors later into his career, in 2002 starring as PreCrime boss Lamar Burgess in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, and in 2010 appearing in Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island as Dr. Naehring and as Sir Walter Loxley in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood. He also impacted a whole new generation of genre fans in the last decade, starring as the Three-Eyed Raven for a brief but important stint in Game Of Thrones, and appearing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Lor San Tekka – the elderly man on Jakku who delivers the map with Luke Skywalker's whereabouts to Poe Dameron, kicking off the events of the Sequel Trilogy. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/max-von-sydow-dies-aged-90/?fbclid=IwAR2LbkkApQbAPSlkigA-6cyMklzMRnjn5lJA9v6p4YNucYn2eH4zmV29lpE

[Obvious Gimmick]

Hmmm.....


Isn't this now more of a kind of TMZ obituary thread than a bodybuildin/wrasslin/weightliftin deadpool thread..?  


I mean, I appreciate the reportage and everything, but where are people supposed to go to predict the premature deaths, overdoses and murder/suicides of those in 'Teh Fitness Industry' (oh brother)..?

Yeah but there's no stoping Greg. Dudes on fire

[Desolate]

Max Von Sydow Dies Aged 90


Legendary actor Max von Sydow has passed away at the age of 90, it has been confirmed. The Swedish actor was an enduring screen presence whose career spanned several eras of cinema – from repeatedly starring for Ingmar Bergman beginning in the ‘50s, to partaking in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy in the last few years.

Von Sydow’s breakout performance came in 1957’s The Seventh Seal, in which he played Antonius Block – a medieval knight who challenges Death to a game of chess. He would go on to collaborate with Bergman several more times – in Wild Strawberries and Mr. Sleeman Is Coming (also released in 1957), 1958’s Brink Of Life, The Magician, and Rabies, 1960’s The Virgin Spring, 1961’s Through A Glass Darkly, 1963’s Winter Light, 1968’s Hour Of The Wolf and Shame, 1969’s The Passion Of Anna, and 1971’s The Touch.

Elsewhere, von Sydow’s work included a number of iconic roles. In 1965 he played Jesus in George Stevens’ four-plus hour epic The Greatest Story Ever Told. He famously starred as Father Merrin, the conflicted priest struggling to retain his faith, in The Exorcist – a role he reprised in sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. He was no stranger to outlandish science-fiction – in 1980 he starred as Emperor Ming The Merciless in Flash Gordon, and played Doctor Kynes in David Lynch’s 1984 Dune. In 1983 he played iconic villain Blofed in non-Eon Bond movie Never Say Never Again, and in 1986 he starred in Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters.

He continued to work for heavyweight directors later into his career, in 2002 starring as PreCrime boss Lamar Burgess in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, and in 2010 appearing in Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island as Dr. Naehring and as Sir Walter Loxley in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood. He also impacted a whole new generation of genre fans in the last decade, starring as the Three-Eyed Raven for a brief but important stint in Game Of Thrones, and appearing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Lor San Tekka – the elderly man on Jakku who delivers the map with Luke Skywalker's whereabouts to Poe Dameron, kicking off the events of the Sequel Trilogy. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/max-von-sydow-dies-aged-90/?fbclid=IwAR2LbkkApQbAPSlkigA-6cyMklzMRnjn5lJA9v6p4YNucYn2eH4zmV29lpE

That sucks.

Dude was a legend.

[Gregzs]

R.D. Call, Waterworld and Born on the Fourth of July Actor, Dies at 70

R.D. Call, a prolific character actor whose work included Born on the Fourth of July, Waterworld, and Last Man Standing, has passed away at the age of 70. His family announced the news via an obituary on Utah's Lindquist Mortuary and Cemeteries website. According to the family, Call passed away on Thursday, February 27, due to complications from back surgery. Born Roy Dana Call, was born on February 16, 1950, and grew up in Layton, Utah. He studied theater at Utah State University and Weber State University, before joining the Los Angeles acting scene in 1975. Call joined Lee Strasberg's acting school and Lonny Chapman's L.A. Repertory Theater Group, and ultimately made his onscreen debut in an episode of CBS' Barnaby Jones a few years later.

Call went on to work closely with both Sean Penn and his father, Leo Penn, throughout his career, including on 1988's Judgment in Berlin. His projects with the younger Penn included At Close Range (1986), Colors (1988), State of Grace (1990), The Weight of Water (2000), I Am Sam (2001) and Babel (2006) and Into the Wild (2007).

Beyond that, Call portrayed "Enforcer" in Waterworld, a Chaplain in Born on the Fourth of July, and Sheriff Maurice Daniels in The X-Files' "Miracle Man" episode.

Call was candid about his struggles with alcoholism, and celebrated his 26th year of sobriety earlier this year. He was actively involved in Alcoholics Anonymous and often sponsored many who also went through the program.

"R.D. was as tough as nails on the outside but a real gentleman on the inside," his family writes. "He could be very intimidating at first sight or even a little scary to some. But once you got to know him, his directness turned into a kind fondness for getting to know people. He was who he was, honest, direct, genuine, and funny, he had a great sense of humor and there was no pretense or phoniness. He was genuine and solid as a rock, true, faithful and totally loyal. As his good friend Matt Nelson said to me "he rode hard and could come off as a little frightening but inside was really a gentle soul." He would give someone that was down and out every dime in his pocket and the shirt off his back. Just ask all of the waitresses that work in any restaurant he frequented, his tips were very generous! That is R.D. Call."

A service for Call was held on Saturday, March 7th in Utah. He is survived by his brother, Rick; his sisters, Quay and Cindy; his uncle, Lane; and his aunt, Evelyn.

https://comicbook.com/movies/2020/03/10/rd-call-actor-dead-2020-born-on-the-fourth-of-july-waterworld-x-files/?fbclid=IwAR1tAo2n65Knqord53QKJttwMqh8KlWTkcsB3Rfx2mP9WE-_hhrvo9Jf3dA