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HOLLYWOOD — Movie lovers said goodbye to many talented men and women in this last year.
Iconic giants like Richard Kiel and committed method actors like Eli Wallach were just a couple of the names audiences paused to remember recently. So as we look forward to 2015, stuff stockings with our favorite movies, and pull out classic films to enjoy with our families throughout holiday weeks, let’s take a minute to celebrate some of the celebrities we lost along the way in 2014.
Robin Williams
Robin Williams was a comic and actor who touched many people both professionally and personally. From “Dead Poets Society” to “Aladdin” to his many charitable causes to that moment he tickled Koko the gorilla, Williams was constantly giving the world reasons to smile.
Mike Nichols
Nichols enjoyed a long career directing some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Williams, Elizabeth Taylor, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and George C. Scott, to name a few. Famous for directing films like “The Graduate” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Nichols was also known for being part of improvisation company the Compass Players.
Richard Attenborough
Not only was Attenborough the talented actor we know from films like “Jurassic Park” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” but he was also an Academy Award-winning director. In his personal life, Attenborough was a founding member of the National Marriage Guidance Council, now known as Relate, which aims to help couples and families with counseling and support.
Lauren Bacall
Bacall might be known best as one of Humphrey Bogart’s favorite leading ladies (and mother to his son and daughter), but she also impressed critics with her performances in “How to Marry a Millionaire” and “Young Man with a Horn.” Bacall died a month before her 90th birthday.
James Garner
Garner’s resume was impressive by anyone’s standards, running through both film and television. Possibly most famous as TV’s “Maverick,” women around the world also recognized him as Duke from the 2004 film “The Notebook. In 2006, Norman, Oklahoma, erected a 10-foot-tall statue to honor the actor, which Garner was in attendance to witness.
Casey Kasem
While maybe not immediately recognizable as a film or television star, there is no Scooby-Doo without Shaggy, and there’s no real Shaggy without Casey Kasem.
Kasem had one of the most famous voices on television and radio and was also a DJ and the original host of “American Top 40.” In 1992, Kasem was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Bob Hoskins
Hoskins was one of those actors who left his mark on every project he worked on. When not trying to clear the name of framed cartoon rabbits, Hoskins was known as Captain Hook’s Smee, Spoor from “Brazil,” and any number of world leaders, including Winston Churchill and Super Mario. In later years, Hoskins suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and died at the age of 71 while battling pneumonia.
Mickey Rooney
Very few people infiltrate pop culture in the way Rooney did, and even fewer were able to leave such a legacy before the World Wide Web. Not only was Rooney known as a talented actor, comedian, singer and dancer, but he was also a favorite subject for the media, being famously short and regularly visiting the altar — he married eight different women before finding happiness as a single man.
Harold Ramis
A super-funny, super-talented writer, director and actor, Ramis created some of the most influential comedies of all time, having written “Caddyshack,” “Stripes,” “Ghostbusters,” “Groundhog Day,” “Animal House” and “Armed and Dangerous.” While many tributes and nods have been given to the mega-talent throughout the year, none seemed as appropriate or poignant as his close friend, Bill Murray, taking an unscripted moment during the Academy Awards to read off some of his favorite Ramis films.
Shirley Temple
Had anyone less adorable sung “On the Good Ship Lollipop,” no one would know it today — and that rings true with about anything the child actress touched. A Hollywood star with the Midas touch, no child star has been able to consecutively deliver mega-blockbusters like Temple, and to this day, her name and image still melt hearts and generate new fans. The actress passed away at 85.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Hoffman had become an actor who demanded respect and elevated every project he worked on. No matter the title, later in his career, if his name was attached, critics took notice. News of his death in February was a tragic shock to both the industry and his fans. His final project, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” will be released in the summer of 2015.
Travis has been covering movie news, film reviews and live events for Deseret News and KSL.com since 2010 and co-hosts the FlixJunkies podcast. You can contact Travis at tspoppleton@gmail.com.
