Jeff Blackshear obit

Former Fort Pierce Westwood and ULM star Jeff Blackshear remembered as gentle giant

 

He was not on the list.

Former Fort Pierce Westwood High School star and University of Louisiana-Monroe All-American Jeff Blackshear called his induction into the L Club Hall of Fame last September good for his soul.

The pancreatic cancer that ravaged Blackshear’s body didn’t matter that day. This was a chance for Blackshear to relive a special time in his life and in the history of ULM football.

Blackshear died on Saturday morning at age 50.

A standout offensive and defensive lineman for the Panthers before graduating in 1988, Blackshear played two years on defense at Northwest Mississippi Community College before transferring to Louisiana-Monroe. After making the switch to offensive guard, he lettered twice and was named to the 1992 Kodak Division I-AA All-America team

Blackshear played for four NFL teams over nine seasons. He appeared in 128 games and made 96 starts, including starting every game for the Baltimore Ravens from 1997-1999.

Former ULM head coach Dave Roberts and All-American defensive end James Folston were in Baltimore with Blackshear’s family.

“He was so proud of being in that Hall of Fame and I was so excited that was able to happen when it did,” Roberts said. “That’s what we would talk about when we talked about how he was treated that weekend and how much that meant to him.

“Like I told his wife, it was just time for him to go. We’ll miss him, and I’ll always remember the big ole Jeff Blackshear that I coached.”

It would be hard for Roberts or anyone associated with then-Northeast Louisiana University to forget Blackshear. At 6-6 and 330 lbs., Blackshear opened holes on the offensive line for All-American running backs Roosevelt Potts and Greg Robinson on some of the most talented teams the school has ever fielded.

Diagnosed with cancer in January 2014, Blackshear never hid from the disease. He was always honest about what was ahead and handled each challenge with dignity and grace.

“I’m not trying to keep it a secret,” Blackshear said prior to his induction into the ULM L Club Hall of Fame. “I want people to know. I want people to pray for me and my family. I’m still battling it. I get chemo three times a month and get a week off. Every Monday, and then a week off.

“(The induction) was really something I was looking forward too. I didn’t want anything to happen to me where I was gone, and my wife and kids were there to accept the award.”

Former ULM defensive line coach Jeff Holland unearthed Blackshear on a recruiting trip to Northwest Mississippi Community College. After seeing Blackshear, Holland immediately called Roberts to tell him about the massive human walking through the dorms.

Roberts found some of ULM’s best players on the junior-college level and drove to Senatobia, Miss. to see for himself. He offered Blackshear a scholarship on sight. 

“He literally blocked out the sun,” Roberts said. “I told him I’d offer him if he’d just get off the bus first and he agreed. It’s a good thing I did because when he locked into you, there wasn’t much anyone could do about it.”

During his senior year in 1992, Blackshear anchored the offensive line for the most talented ULM team ever. The ’92 squad featured eight NFL Draft picks and scored 388 points en route to a Southland Conference championship and no. 1 ranking in the final FCS regular season poll.

ULM finished the year at 10-3 and lost to Delaware in the FCS quarterfinals.

“Jeff was the kind of player that everyone gravitated to because he led by example,” said ULM Hall of Famer Tag Rome, who was an assistant coach on Robert’s staff.

“Dave and I would look at film and just be in awe of what he could do but he was an even better person. In the end, he was a gentle giant, and everyone loved being around him.”

The Seattle Seahawks selected Blackshear in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He spent nine seasons in the NFL with Seattle, Kansas City, Green Bay and Baltimore.

Career history

Seattle Seahawks (1993–1995)

Baltimore Ravens (1996–1999)

Kansas City Chiefs (2000)

Green Bay Packers (2002)

Leslie H. Gelb obit

Leslie H. Gelb, diplomat and journalist, dies at age 82

 

He was not on the list.

NEW YORK (AP) — Leslie H. Gelb, who covered government and world affairs as a correspondent, editor and columnist for The New York Times, died Saturday. He was 82.

Gelb’s wife, Judith, told the newspaper he died at a New York hospital of renal failure brought on by diabetes.

Gelb worked in government in the mid- to late 1960s and oversaw the Defense Department’s secret project to assemble a history of American involvement in Vietnam. The study became known as the Pentagon Papers, which Gelb’s future employer, the Times, would later publish in a groundbreaking series of articles in 1971.

He was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution when he joined the Times as diplomatic correspondent in 1973. He served as assistant secretary of state in the Carter administration from 1977 to 1979 and rejoined the Times in 1981.

Gelb was national security correspondent, deputy editorial page editor, editor of the op-ed page and columnist during his Times career. He played a leading role on the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1986 for its series on the Strategic Defense Initiative, known as “Star Wars,” undertaken by the Reagan administration.

He was president of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1993 to 2003.

“Power is as vital today as ever in securing national interests,” Gelb argued in his 2010 book “Power Rules: How Common Sense Can Rescue American Foreign Policy.”

He continued in the book: “It remains the necessary means to all important international ends, the principal coin of the global realm. Power rules, still, and there still are rules on how to best exercise it.”

Leslie Howard Gelb was born on March 4, 1937, in New Rochelle, New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Tufts University in 1959, a master’s in 1961 and a doctorate in 1964 from Harvard University, where he drew the attention of faculty member Henry Kissinger, an early mentor who would become secretary of state.

In an interview Saturday with the Times, Kissinger said of Gelb: “I thought he had an unusual perception of the intangibles that make the difference between success and failure in foreign policy. I respected him greatly whether he supported me or criticized me.”

In addition to his wife, Gelb is survived by three children.

Michael Lindsay obit

Michael Lindsay, the Voice of Kankuro and Urahara, Has Passed Away

 

He was not on the list.

Today, the anime fandom is coming together to mourn one of their own. New reports have surfaced revealing Michael Lindsay, a well-known anime voice actor, has passed away at the age of 56.

Over on social media, fans began posting tributes to Lindsay after news of his sudden passing went live. Fellow voice actors like Marissa Lenti shared their own memorials as fans remembered Lindsay’s best works within the community.

Born in May 1963, Lindsay began working as an actor professionally in 1979. He worked on a slew of anime titles over the decades from Akira to Code Geass and Zatch Bell. However, fans will best recognize Lindsay for his work on Naruto, Digimon, and Bleach.

Lindsay was the voice of Kankuro in Naruto before continuing work with the character in Naruto: Shippuden. As for Bleach, the voice actor brought Kisuke Urahara to life, and his tenure on Digimon saw Lindsay tackle Joe Kido and Greymon.

In the past few years, Lindsay has been absent from the anime community following his decision to retire in 2012. Most of the actor’s roles were recast to Doug Erholtz, but Lindsay kept a special place with fans thanks to his founding work on several major anime dubs.

Our thoughts and condolences are with the actor’s loved ones at this time.

Actor

Dragon's Dogma (2012)

Dragon's Dogma

7.6

Video Game

Additional Voices

2012

 

Naruto: Shippuden (2007)

Naruto: Shippuden

8.7

TV Series

KankuroKankurôCommentator (voice: English version)

2007–2012

17 episodes

 

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations (2012)

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations

6.9

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2012

 

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (2010)

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

7.9

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2010

 

Legendary (2009)

Legendary

5.8

Video Game

(voice)

2009

 

Final Fantasy XIII (2009)

Final Fantasy XIII

7.2

Video Game

Cocoon Inhabitants (voice: English version)

2009

 

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 (2009)

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3

7.5

Video Game

KankuroLeaf Ninja (voice: English version)

2009

 

Samurai Warriors 3 (2009)

Samurai Warriors 3

6.2

Video Game

Kanetsugu Naoe (voice: English version, uncredited)

2009

 

Naruto Shippûden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 (2009)

Naruto Shippûden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3

6.6

Video Game

Kankuro (voice)

2009

 

Naruto Shippûden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising (2009)

Naruto Shippûden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising

6.6

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2009

 

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 (2009)

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4

4.8

Video Game

Kankuro (voice)

2009

 

Bleach (2004)

Bleach

8.2

TV Series

Kisuke UraharaRudbornn CheluteCitizen (voice: English version)

2004–2009

42 episodes

 

Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name (2008)

Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name

7.1

Kisuke Urahara (voice: English version)

2008

 

Digimon Data Squad (2006)

Digimon Data Squad

6.6

TV Series

GotsumonAgent #2Gostumon (voice) ...

2007–2008

20 episodes

 

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm (2008)

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm

7.0

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2008

 

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 (2008)

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2

6.3

Video Game

Kankuro (voice)

2008

 

Code Geass (2006)

Code Geass

8.7

TV Series

Shinichiro Tamaki (voice: English version)

2006–2008

25 episodes

 

Bleach the Movie: The DiamondDust Rebellion (2007)

Bleach the Movie: The DiamondDust Rebellion

7.0

Kisuke Urahara (voice: English version)

2007

 

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (2007)

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

7.1

Video Game

Kankuro (voice)

2007

 

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (2007)

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

7.7

Video Game

Sergeant Donnie Torch (voice)

2007

 

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution (2007)

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution

6.3

Video Game

Kankuro (voice)

2007

 

Samurai Warriors: Katana (2007)

Samurai Warriors: Katana

6.7

Video Game

Kanetsugu Naoe (voice: English version, uncredited)

2007

 

Warriors Orochi (2007)

Warriors Orochi

7.5

Video Game

Kanetsugu Naoe (voice: English version, uncredited)

2007

 

Naruto: Ninja Council 3 (2007)

Naruto: Ninja Council 3

5.8

Video Game

Kankuro (voice)

2007

 

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja 4 (2007)

Naruto Shippûden: Ultimate Ninja 4

7.3

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: Hero Mode - English version)

2007

 

Bleach: Dark Souls (2007)

Bleach: Dark Souls

3.9

Video Game

Kisuke Urahara (voice: English version, as John Cannon)

2007

 

Naruto (2002)

Naruto

8.4

TV Series

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2003–2007

39 episodes

 

Bleach: Memories of Nobody (2006)

Bleach: Memories of Nobody

7.1

Kisuku Urahara (voice: English version)

2006

 

Bleach: Shattered Blade (2006)

Bleach: Shattered Blade

8.1

Video Game

Kisuke Urahara (voice: English version, as John Cannon)

2006

 

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king (2006)

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king

8.5

Video Game

Gondorians (voice)

2006

 

Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 (2006)

Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2

7.1

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2006

 

Project Sylpheed (2006)

Project Sylpheed

6.7

Video Game

Brandon Shore (voice: English version, uncredited)

2006

 

David Bateson in Hitman: Blood Money (2006)

Hitman: Blood Money

8.7

Video Game

(voice)

2006

 

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (2006)

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

8.4

Video Game

Additional Voices

2006

 

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II (2006)

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II

8.6

Video Game

Gondorians (voice)

2006

 

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 (2005)

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3

7.5

Video Game

KankuroGeneral Store, Master (voice: English version)

2005

 

Zatch Bell!: Mamodo Fury (2005)

Zatch Bell!: Mamodo Fury

6.7

Video Game

Apollo (voice: English version)

2005

 

Beach Girls (2005)

Beach Girls

7.0

TV Mini Series

AA Man #2

2005

6 episodes

 

Naruto the Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005)

Naruto the Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel

6.3

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2005

 

Shadow of Rome (2005)

Shadow of Rome

8.4

Video Game

Cassius Longiness (voice)

2005

 

Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires (2004)

Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires

7.1

Video Game

Sun Ce (voice: English version, uncredited)

2004

 

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2003)

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

7.6

TV Series

Bobby (voice)

2004

1 episode

 

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 (2004)

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2

6.7

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2004

 

Suikoden IV (2004)

Suikoden IV

7.0

Video Game

Ted (Robbed Man) (voice: English version, uncredited)

2004

 

Naruto: Path of the Ninja

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2004

 

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

8.5

TV Series

Co-Worker EatingJ1-Pilot (voice: English version)

2004

2 episodes

 

Front Mission 4 (2003)

Front Mission 4

7.6

Video Game

Phillip Chaeffer (voice)

2003

 

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 (2003)

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2

6.3

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2003

 

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (2003)

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja

6.5

Video Game

Kankuro (voice: English version)

2003

 

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003)

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

7.1

Video Game

Joachim Armster (voice: English version, uncredited)

2003

 

David Hornsby and Michael Weaver in The Mullets (2003)

The Mullets

5.2

TV Series

2003

1 episode

 

Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends (2003)

Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends

7.4

Video Game

Sun Ce (voice: English version, uncredited)

2003

 

Zatch Bell! (2003)

Zatch Bell!

7.2

TV Series

Apollo (voice: English version)

2003–2013

 

Dynasty Warriors 4 (2003)

Dynasty Warriors 4

8.0

Video Game

Sun Ce (voice: English version, uncredited)

2003

 

The Big O (1999)

The Big O

7.5

TV Series

Police (voice: English version)

2003

1 episode

 

Wolf's Rain (2003)

Wolf's Rain

7.9

TV Series

Driver (voice: English version, uncredited)

2003

1 episode

 

Neverwinter Nights (2002)

Neverwinter Nights

7.8

Video Game

DendyTomi UndergallowsUncas (voice, uncredited)

2002

 

Kessen II (2002)

Kessen II

7.8

Video Game

Pang Tong (voice: English version, uncredited)

2002

 

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002)

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht

7.7

Video Game

Hammer (voice: English version, uncredited)

2002

 

s-CRY-ed (2001)

s-CRY-ed

6.9

TV Series

Kyoki Mujo (voice: English version)

2001

10 episodes

 

Kaze No Yojimbo (2001)

Kaze No Yojimbo

7.2

TV Series

George Kodama (voice: English version)

2001–2002

 

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2001)

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - Knockin' on Heaven's Door

7.8

Taxi Driver (voice: English version)

2001

 

Digimon Adventure 02 (2000)

Digimon Adventure 02

7.4

TV Series

Joe KidoGreymonBenjamin (voice) ...

2000–2001

13 episodes

 

Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon (2001)

Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon

6.9

Short

Joe KidoAdditional Voices (voice: English version)

2001

 

Initial D: Second Stage (1999)

Initial D: Second Stage

8.2

TV Series

Wataru Akiyama (voice: English version)

1999–2000

13 episodes

 

Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2000)

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

6.6

TV Series

Skid-ZRollbar (voice)

2000

18 episodes

 

Android Kikaider: The Animation (2000)

Android Kikaider: The Animation

7.0

TV Series

Additional Voices (voice: English version)

2000–2001

 

Digimon Poster

Digimon: The Movie

6.1

JoeGreymon (voice)

2000

 

DinoZaurs (2000)

DinoZaurs

6.5

TV Series

Rick (voice: English version)

2000–2001

 

Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran (2000)

Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran

7.1

TV Series

Additional Voices

2000

13 episodes

 

Digimon Adventure (1999)

Digimon Adventure

7.4

TV Series

Joe KidoGreymonAgumon

1999–2000

47 episodes

 

Black Jack (1993)

Black Jack

7.5

TV Series

Detective #2 at Briefing (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

2000

1 episode

 

Mon Colle Knights (2001)

Mon Colle Knights

6.6

TV Series

Additional Voices (voice: English version)

2001–2002

 

Simsala Grimm - Die Märchen der Brüder Grimm (1999)

Simsala Grimm - Die Märchen der Brüder Grimm

7.6

TV Series

Goat 5 (voice: English version)

1999

1 episode

 

Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes (1999)

Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes

Video Game

Additional Voices

1999

 

Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure (1999)

Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure

7.2

TV Series

Additional Voices (as Dylan Tully)

1999

3 episodes

 

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Serial Experiments Lain

8.0

TV Mini Series

Delivery Man (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1998

2 episodes

 

Outlaw Star (1998)

Outlaw Star

7.9

TV Series

TobigeraTerryVirtual Protagonist (voice: English version) ...

1998

7 episodes

 

Megumi Hayashibara, Unshô Ishizuka, Aoi Tada, and Kôichi Yamadera in Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Cowboy Bebop

8.9

TV Series

Additional VoicesDeckerWeapon Shop Owner (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1998

3 episodes

 

Trigun (1998)

Trigun

8.2

TV Series

(voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1998

1 episode

 

Vampire Princess Miyu (1997)

Vampire Princess Miyu

7.1

TV Series

Bird ShinmaMr. SoneMan on Bike (voice: English version) ...

1998

4 episodes

 

Perfect Blue (1997)

Perfect Blue

8.0

Cham ManagerMima Fan (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1997

 

Kevin Kline, Demi Moore, Tom Hulce, Jason Alexander, Tony Jay, Paul Kandel, Charles Kimbrough, Frank Welker, and Mary Wickes in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

7.0

Additional Voices

1996

 

Rurouni Kenshin (1996)

Rurouni Kenshin

8.5

TV Series

Yutaro Tsukayama (voice)

1996–1998

 

Marmalade Boy (1994)

Marmalade Boy

7.2

TV Series

Yuu Matsuura (voice: English version)

1994–1995

20 episodes

 

Fushigi Yûgi - The Mysterious Play (1995)

Fushigi Yûgi - The Mysterious Play

7.7

TV Series

Tomite (voice: English version)

1995–2002

 

Lester McFwap's Carnival of Vomit (1994)

Lester McFwap's Carnival of Vomit

Short

Various Sketch

1994

 

Rimba's Island (1994)

Rimba's Island

5.6

TV Series

Ookii (voice)

1994

9 episodes

 

Akira (1988)

Akira

8.0

Yamagata (2001) (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1988

 

Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (1982)

Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space

7.5

(voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1982

 

Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow (1981)

Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow

7.1

Amuro Ray (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1981

 

Mobile Suit Gundam I (1981)

Mobile Suit Gundam I

7.0

Amuro Ray (voice: English version, as Dylan Tully)

1981

 

Thanks

Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown!! The Golden Digimentals (2000)

Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown!! The Golden Digimentals

6.5

in loving memory

2000

 

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! (2000)

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game!

7.7

Short

in memory of

2000

 

Digimon Adventure (1999)

Digimon Adventure

7.5

Short

in memory of

1999

 

Self

The Don of the Flies

TV Special

Self - Crush (voice)

2011

 

Naruto the Movie 2: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel - Creating the World of Naruto the Movie 2 (2006)

Naruto the Movie 2: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel - Creating the World of Naruto the Movie 2

8.1

Video

Self

2006

 

Naruto the Movie 2: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel - Write and Adapt like a Ninja (2006)

Naruto the Movie 2: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel - Write and Adapt like a Ninja

7.3

Video

Self

2006

 

Archive Footage

Death Battle (2010)

Death Battle

7.5

TV Series

Greymon (archive footage, uncredited)

2015

1 episode

 

Digimon Data Squad (2006)

Digimon Data Squad

6.6

TV Series

Gotsumon (archive sound, voice)

2008

1 episode

 

Wolf's Rain (2003)

Wolf's Rain

7.9

TV Series

Driver (archive sound, voice: English version, uncredited)

2003

1 episode

Franco Columbu obit

Italian Actor, Bodybuilder Franco Columbu Dies at 78

Italian bodybuilder, boxer and actor Franco Columbu, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest friends, has died. He was 78.

 

He was not on the list.

Italian bodybuilder, boxer and actor Franco Columbu, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s closest friends, has died. He was 78.

Columbu died Friday in a hospital in his native Sardinia after being taken ill while he was swimming in the sea.

His longtime friend Schwarzenegger tweeted: “I love you Franco. I will always remember the joy you brought to my life, the advices you gave me, and the twinkle in your eye that never disappeared. You were my best friend.”

After starting his career as a boxer, Columbu progressed into Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting and later bodybuilding, winning the prestigious title of Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981.

In addition to his athletic career, Columbu also acted on popular TV series and in movies. He appeared in Schwarzenegger’s films The Terminator, The Running Man and Conan the Barbarian.

Columbu was Schwarzenegger’s best man at his marriage to Maria Shriver in 1986.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1976      Stay Hungry        Franco Orsini      Uncredited

1977      Pumping Iron     Himself                

1980      The Hustler of Muscle Beach       Himself                

1980      The Comeback   Himself                

1982      Conan the Barbarian       Pictish Scout      

1984      The Terminator  Future Terminator           

1984      Getting Physical                 Himself                

1986      Don Rickles: Rickles on the Loose               Himself                

1987      Predator               Medic    Uncredited

1987      The Running Man             911 Security Officer #2  

1987      Last Man Standing           Batty     

1988      Big Top Pee-wee               Otto the Strongman       

1990      Perduta                L'americano       

1992      Il ritmo del silenzio          Nerescu                Also executive producer

1993      Beretta's Island         Franco Armando Beretta               Also producer and writer

1994      Taken Alive          Enrico Costa       Also producer and writer

1997      Doublecross on Costa's Island     Enrico Costa       Also director, producer, and writer

1998      Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Cinematheque Tribute         Himself                

2002      Raw Iron: The Making of Pumping Iron    Himself                

2003      Ancient Warriors              Aldo Paccione    Also producer

2008      Why We Train    Himself                

2010      Muscle Beach then and Now       Himself                

2011      Dreamland La Terra dei Sogni      Frank Graziani   

2015      One More Round              Franco Turelli

Valerie Harper - # 216

Valerie Harper, "Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "Rhoda" star, dies at age 80

She was number 216 on the list.


Actress Valerie Harper, who played Rhoda Morgenstern on the iconic 1970s television shows "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Rhoda," has died, her daughter confirmed to CBS News. She was 80.

The cause of death was not immediately available, but Harper's husband, Tony Cacciotti, posted on Facebook in July that he had been told to put her in hospice care but decided against it. "We will continue going forward as long as the powers above allow us. I will do my very best in making Val as comfortable as possible," Cacciotti wrote.

Harper was told she only had a few months to live when she was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in 2013.

"I know a lot of you feel like you know me, that you are part of the Morgenstern family and I feel I know you too and so I owe you the truth at the same time as everybody else," Harper told "People" in 2013.

Originally trained as a dancer, Harper was part of the famed Second City company in Chicago before she was spotted by casting director and CBS vice president Ethel Winant and asked to audition for a role on Mary Tyler Moore's new show, originally from the Bronx, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Harper described the audition as the "easiest, most pleasant audition process I ever went through."

Harper's portrayal of Rhoda and the runaway success of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" led to Harper being given her own spinoff series called "Rhoda" by Moore's independent production company. The show was a smash success at first, becoming the first series to debut at Number 1. Her character's wedding to longtime love Joe was at the time the second highest-rated television episode and Harper won an Emmy in 1975. It was one of four Emmys she won for playing Rhoda.

But the show took a different direction in later seasons and ratings dropped, leading to early cancellation.

Harper's character, the tough-talking Jewish woman from the Bronx, Rhoda Morgenstern, was not necessarily destined to be friends with Moore's sweet, Midwestern Mary Richards. But not only did the characters become one of the most important female friendships in television history, the actresses became close friends.

In 2013 when Harper was diagnosed with brain cancer, Moore said she was "absolutely devastated." The pair reunited for a TV movie in 2000 called "Mary and Rhoda." Moore died in 2017.

Harper returned to television in 1986 in the series "Valerie," playing a suburban mother with three sons. After the first season, Harper and her husband fought for salary increases and eventually refused to come to work.

NBC and Lorimar Television fired Harper, claiming she was difficult to work with and reworked the show to be about the family. Harper sued NBC for breach of contract and libel and in 1988, she won $1.4 million in damages and a share of the show's profits, according to The Hollywood Reporter.


Harper continued to work, including appearing on "Desperate Housewives," "Drop Dead Diva" "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered" and "Dancing With the Stars." Through the years, she's made plenty of guest appearances, including spots on "Sex and the City," "Melrose Place" and "That '70s Show."

Her memoir, "I, Rhoda," was published in 2013.

A lifelong non-smoker, Harper was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009. Four years later, she was diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a metastatic disease, meaning cancer from one area of the body may have spread to another — in this case, the brain.

"More than anything I'm living in the moment," Harper said at the time. "I really want Americans and all of us to be less afraid of death... don't go to the funeral before the day of the funeral. While you're living, live."

Filmography

Films

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1956      Rock, Rock, Rock!             Dancer at Prom (uncredited)     

1959      Li'l Abner             Luke's Wife (uncredited)              

1963      Trash Program   Wife (voice, uncredited)               Short film

1969      With a Feminine Touch                 

1973      The Shape of Things        Herself Television movie

1974      Thursday's Game              Ann Menzente

Freebie and the Bean     Consuelo             Nominated — Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress

1977      Night Terror       Carol Turner       Television movie (also known as Night Drive)

1979      Chapter Two      Faye Medwick   Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture

1980      The Last Married Couple in America         Barbara               

Fun and Games Carol Hefferman               Television movie

The Shadow Box               Maggie

1981      The Day the Loving Stopped        Norma Danner

1982      Farrell for the People      Elizabeth "Liz" Farrell

Don't Go to Sleep             Laura

1983      An Invasion of Privacy    Kate Bianchi

1984      Blame It on Rio Karen Hollis       

1985      The Execution    Hannah Epstein                 Television movie

1987      Strange Voices   Lynn Glover

1988      Drop-Out Mother             Nora Cromwell

The People Across the Lake          Rachel Yoman

1990      Stolen: One Husband      Katherine Slade

1991      Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion          Dyan Draper

1993      The Poetry Hall of Fame                Herself

1994      A Friend to Die For           Mrs. Delvecchio

1995      The Great Mom Swap     Grace Venessi

1997      Dog's Best Friend             Chicken (voice)

2000      Mary and Rhoda               Rhoda Morgenstern-Rousseau

2002      Dancing at the Harvest Moon      Claire

2007      Golda's Balcony                Golda Meir         

2011      Shiver    Audrey Alden    

My Future Boyfriend      Bobbi Moreau   Television movie

Fixing Pete          Mrs. Friedlander

Certainty              Kathryn               

2014      The Town That Came A-Courtin'                 Charlotte             Television movie

2015      Merry Xmas        Mother                 7 minute short

2016      My Mom and the Girl     Norma/Nanny           22 minute short

Stars in Shorts: No Ordinary Love              Mother                 Merry Xmas segment

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1963      The Doctors        Mrs. Steiner        Season 1, Episode 11: "Zip Guns Can Kill"

1970–1977          The Mary Tyler Moore Show       Rhoda Morgenstern        92 episodes

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1971–73)

Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1973–74)

Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

1971      Story Theatre     Unknown            Unknown episodes

Love, American Style      Barbara Watkins               Episode: "Love and the Housekeeper"

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour          Herself 1 episode

1972      Columbo              Eve Babcock       Episode: "The Most Crucial Game"

1972      The Dick Cavett Show     Herself 1 episode

1973      The Carol Burnett Show                 Herself 1 episode

1974–1978          Rhoda   Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard         110 episodes

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy

Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1976–78)

1975      John Denver Rocky Mountain Christmas 1975 TV Special                Herself Special guest

1976      The Muppet Show           Episode: "Valerie Harper"

1976-1977          Dinah!   Herself 4 episodes

1976-1990          The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson             Herself 8 episodes

1978-1980          The Mike Douglas Show                Herself 7 episodes

1982      Fridays Herself 1 episode

1986      The Love Boat    Laurel Peters      2 episodes: "Egyptian Cruise Part 1 & Part 2"

1986–1987          Valerie Valerie Hogan    32 episodes

1990      City        Liz Gianni             13 episodes

1990      Late Show with David Letterman               Herself 1 episode

1994      Missing Persons                Ellen Hartig         3 episodes

1995      The Office           Rita Stone           6 episodes

1996–1999          Touched by an Angel      Kate Prescott     2 episodes: "Flesh and Blood" (1996) and "Full Circle" (1999)

1996-2001          The Rosie O'Donnell Show            Herself 6 episodes

1996      Promised Land Molly Arnold      Episode: "The Magic Gate"

1998      Generator Gawl                Various (voice) Unknown episodes

Melrose Place    Mia Mancini       2 episodes: "Mama Mia" and "Last Train to Bagdad"

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen           Townspeople (voice)      Episode: "The Sword of Baltanders"

1999      Sex and the City                Wallis Wysel       Episode: "Shortcomings"

2000      Beggars and Choosers    Unknown            Episode: "Be Careful What You Wish For"

As Told by Ginger             Maryellen (voice)             Episode: "The Wedding Frame"

2001      That '70s Show Paula     Episode: "Eric's Naughty No-no"

Family Law          Julia       Episode: "Clemency"

Three Sisters      Merle Keats        2 episodes: "The In Laws" and "Three Thanksgivings, One Turkey"

2003−2004          Less than Perfect              Judith    2 episodes: "Claude's Alternative Thanksgiving" and "Mom's the Word"

2005      Committed         Lily Solomon       Episode: "The Mother Episode"

2007-2016          Entertainment Tonight   Herself 7 episodes

2008      The Oprah Winfrey Show              Herself 1 episode

2009      'Til Death             Barbara                Episode: "The Courtship of Eddie's Parents"

2011      Desperate Housewives Claire Bremmer                 Episode: "Where Do I Belong"

2011–2012          Drop Dead Diva                 Judge Leslie Singer           2 episodes: "Bride-a-Palooza" and "Freak Show"

2011-2013          The Talk               Herself 1 episode

2013–2018          The Simpsons    Various characters (voice)            8 episodes

2013      Hot in Cleveland               Angie     Episode: "Love Is All Around"

The View             Herself 2 episodes

Dancing with the Stars   Herself (Contestant)       6 episodes

2014–2019          American Dad! IHOP Diner / Various (voice)        2 episodes

2014      Signed, Sealed, Delivered     Theresa Capodiamonte Guest star; 2 episodes: "Time to Start Livin' " and "To Whom It May Concern"

2015      Melissa & Joey Aunt Bunny         Episode: "Thanks But No Thanks"

2 Broke Girls       Nola       Episode: "And The Great Unwashed"

2016      Childrens Hospital            Mamma Fiorucci               Episode: "Child