Theatre

Paul Teal (1989–2024), One Tree Hill actor 

Paul Teal was an actor best known for his performance as Josh Avery on the TV drama “One Tree Hill.”

Erica Ash (1977–2024), MADtv and Survivor’s Remorse actress

Erica Ash was an actress best known for her comedy work in the Fox sketch comedy show “MADtv” and the Starz sitcom “Survivor’s Remorse.” 

Tony Lo Bianco (1936–2024), played Sal Boca in The French Connection

Tony Lo Bianco was a Tony Award-nominated actor best known for playing Sal Boca in the neo-noir classic, “The French Connection.”

Edward Bond (1934–2024), socially-conscious playwright and director

Edward Bond was a playwright and theater director whose often socially conscious work included “Saved,” “Narrow Road to the Deep North,” “Lear,” and “The Sea.” 

Shirley Jo Finney (1949–2023), Wilma star and theatre director

Shirley Jo Finney was an actress who starred in the TV movie “Wilma” and worked widely in regional theatre as a director.

Robert Brustein (1927–2023), independent theater defender

Robert Brustein was a critic, professor, and writer who was a fierce proponent of independent theater and who advocated for theater to value art over commerce.

Sharon Farrell (1940–2023), actress on The Young and the Restless

Sharon Farrell was an actress best known for her roles in the films “It’s Alive,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “The Stunt Man,” and “Marlowe,” as well as her seven-year run as Florence Webster on “The Young and the Restless.” 

Ralph Lee (1935–2023), puppeteer who created SNL’s Land Shark 

Ralph Lee was a puppeteer whose creations included the mask for the recurring Land Shark sketch on “Saturday Night Live.”  

Eugene Lee (1939–2023), designed SNL, Wicked, Sweeney Todd stages

Eugene Lee was a set designer who worked with “Saturday Night Live” for almost 50 years and won Tony Awards for sets including “Wicked.”

Uncle Jack Charles (1943–2022), beloved Aboriginal actor

Uncle Jack Charles was a beloved Aboriginal Australian actor who starred on stage and in films.

Mary Alice (1936–2022), “A Different World” and “Sparkle” actress 

Mary Alice was an actress who starred in the musical film “Sparkle” and won a Tony award for her performance in “Fences."

Peter Brook (1925–2022), Tony Award-winning theater and film director

Peter Brook was a British theater and film director known for his innovative work.

John Aylward (1946–2022), actor starred on ‘ER’  

John Aylward was a longtime character actor best known for playing surgeon Donald Anspaugh on the TV series ‘ER.'

Ed Bullins (1935–2021), playwright of the Black Arts Movement

Ed Bullins was a playwright known for works including “The Taking of Miss Janie” and “In New England Winter.”

Craig “muMs da Schemer” Grant (1968–2021), poet and “Oz” star

Craig Grant , better known as “muMs da Schemer” or simply “muMs,” was a poet and actor who starred as Arnold “Poet” Jackson on the HBO series “Oz.”

Douglas Turner Ward (1930–2021), pioneer of Black theater

Douglas Turner Ward was an actor, playwright, and director who co-founded New York’s Negro Ensemble Company.

Rebecca Luker (1961–2020), Broadway star

Rebecca Luker was a Tony-nominated Broadway star known for her roles in productions including the 1994 revival of “Showboat” and the 2000 revival of “The Music Man.”

Tony Tanner (1932–2020), “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” director

Tony Tanner was a British actor and director best known for choreographing and directing “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in its 1982 Broadway debut.

Diana Rigg (1938–2020), played Emma Peel in TV’s “The Avengers”

Diana Rigg was an actress best known for playing the tough, smart, and stylish spy Emma Peel in TV’s “The Avengers” from 1965 to 1968. Rigg also portrayed the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell, in “Game of Thrones.”

Howell Binkley (1956–2020), Tony-winning lighting designer for “Hamilton”

Howell Binkley was a lighting designer who won Tony Awards for his work on “Jersey Boys” and “Hamilton.”

Mart Crowley (1935–2020), “Boys in the Band” playwright

Mart Crowley wasthe groundbreaking playwright whose 1968 play The Boys in the Band was one of the first to portray the lives of gay men on stage.The play is about a group of gay and bisexual friends at a birthday party in New York City.Itwas a hit which led to a 1970 movie adaptation directed byWilliam Friedkin.Crowley had been an assistant and close friend to actress . In 2002, hewrote a sequel The MenFromthe Boys, that looked at the original characters lives 35 years later. In 2018, a revival of The Boys in the Band onBroadway featured out gay actors including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Matt Bomer.A new movie version of the play is due out on Netflix in 2021.

Claudette Nevins (1937–2020), “Melrose Place” actress

Claudette Nevins  was known for her recurring role as Doug’s mother on the hit prime time soap “Melrose Place.” She also had a recurring role on “Jag” and appeared on “One Day at a Time,” “Picket Fences,” and many other television series. She appeared in movies including “Sleeping With the Enemy” and was a highly regarded stage actress.

The best of Tony Randall, who would have been 100 this year

Tony Randall would have been 100 years old this month.

Jeff Fenholt (1950–2019), original star of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Broadway

Jeff Fenholt starred in the original Broadway production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” playing the title role.

Hal Prince (1928–2019), Broadway musical giant

Legendary producer and director won a record-breaking 21 Tony Awards.

Katherine Helmond (1929–2019), starred on "Soap" and "Who's the Boss?"

Katherine Helmond was the Emmy-nominated actress best known for television roles including Jessica Tate on "Soap" and Mona Robinson on "Who's the Boss?" She also had notable film roles, particularly in "Brazil," in which she played the plastic surgery-obsessed Ida Lowry.

Carol Channing (1921–2019), Broadway legend

Carol Channing, the actress and singer known best for her Tony Award-winning performance in "Hello, Dolly!", died Tuesday, Jan. 15. She was 97.

Katherine MacGregor (1925 - 2018), Harriet Oleson on “Little House on the Prairie”

Played the gossipy neighbor of the Ingalls family.

Neil Simon (1927–2018), “The Odd Couple” playwright

Neil Simon, one of the most popular and prolific playwrights and screenwriters of the second half of the 20th century, died Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, of complications from pneumonia, according to his publicist Bill Evans as reported by CNN. He was 91.

Barbara Harris (1935–2018), starred in “Nashville” and “Freaky Friday”

Versatile actress was a co-founder of Second City.

Ermanno Olmi (1931–2018), Italian cinematic legend

Won the 1978 Palme d'Or prize at Cannes.

Susan Anspach (1942 – 2018), actress starred in “Five Easy Pieces.”

She had feature roles in “Play It Again, Sam" and “Blume in Love.”

DuShon Monique Brown (1968–2018), “Chicago Fire” actress

CHICAGO (AP) — Actress DuShon Monique Brown, who played a secretary in the NBC show "Chicago Fire," has died at age 49.

Harvey Schmidt (1929–2018), composer of "The Fantasticks"

"The Fantasticks" was the longest running musical in history…

Nanette Fabray (1920–2018), Award-winning actress and humanitarian

Nanette Fabray, an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and humanitarian.

John Mahoney (1940 – 2018), “Frasier” star

Beloved for his role as Martin Crane on the popular sitcom…

John Dunsworth (1946 – 2017), actor starred on "Trailer Park Boys"

Played trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey on the comedy series…

Bernard Pomerance (1940–2017)

Playwright won a Tony Award for "The Elephant Man."

Surprising Musical Tony Award Winners (video)

A video tribute to musical Tony-winning stars of film and TV.

Glenne Headly (1955 - 2017), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels star

Actress Glenne Headly, known best for roles in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Dick Tracy,” died on Thursday, June 8, 2017, according to a statement by her representatives. She was 62.

Miriam Colon (1936–2017), Scarface actress

Miriam Colon, the Puerto Rican star of stage and screen who was featured in “Scarface,” died of a lung infection Friday, March 3, 2017, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to The Associated Press. She was 80.

Love Story: Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis (video)

and had a love story for the ages. The two actors met when they co-starred together in the Broadway play “Jeb” in 1946. They married two years later and, over the next five decades, appeared together in dozens of plays and films: “Gone Are the Days,” “Roots: The Next Generation,” “Do the Right Thing,” and “The Stand,” to name . All the while, they remained equally busy off camera as activists working for civil rights. They inspired countless fans with their fearless love and dedication to one another.

Alec McCowen (1925 - 2017), Broadway star

Alec McCowen, a British actor who was a Broadway and West End star, died Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, according to multiple news sources. He was 91.

John Hurt (1940 - 2017), Oscar nominee for The Elephant Man

John Hurt, the acclaimed English character actor who starred in “The Elephant Man,” died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, according to multiple news sources. He was 77.

Julie Gregg (1937 - 2016), actress in The Godfather

Julie Gregg, the actress who played Sonny Corleone’s wife, Sandra, in the first two “Godfather” movies, died Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, of cancer at her home in Van Nuys, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 79.

Howard Davies (1945 - 2016), British theatre director

Howard Davies, an acclaimed British theatre director, died Oct. 25 after fighting cancer, according to his family. He was 71.

Cecilia Hart (1948 - 2016), actress and James Earl Jones' wife

Cecilia Hart, stage and screen actress and wife of actor James Earl Jones, died Sunday, October 16, 2016 after a yearlong battle with ovarian cancer in Westport, Connecticut. She was 68.

Patricia Barry (1922 - 2016), soap opera star

The veteran soap opera actress appeared on “Days of Our Lives,” “All My Children,” and “Guiding Light.”

Gordon Davidson (1933–2016), theater and film director

Theater and film director founded L.A.'s flagship Mark Taper Forum.