Hugh Keays-Byrne obit

Hugh Keays-Byrne Dies: Actor Who Played Immortan Joe In ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Was 73

 

He was not on the list.

Hugh Keays-Byrne, most known for appearing as Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road and Toecutter in the original 1979 Mad Max film, has died. He was 73.

Reps for the actor said he died peacefully on Tuesday morning. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith, who collaborated with Keays-Byrn on The Dragon Flies, paid tribute and confirmed the death on Wednesda

“Hugh had a generous heart, offering a helping hand to people in need, or a place to stay to a homeless teenager. He cared about social justice and preserving the environment long before these issues became fashionable. His life was governed by his sense of the oneness of humanity. We will miss his example and his friendship. Vale, Hugh,” Trenchard-Smith wrote in his Facebook post, which can be viewed below.

Born in 1947 in Kashmir, India, Keays-Bryne kicked off his acting career in Australia, where he earned his first credits in the 1967 TV series Bellbird, created by Barbara Vernon. Throughout the 60’s and early 70’s Keays-Byrne has appeared in a number of various roles, including as Morrie Grosse in Trenchard-Smith’s 1975 action flick The Dragon Flies.

Keays-Byrne’s acting gigs became more regular throughout the following years with titles including Ben Hall, Rush and Mad Dog Morgan. However, the actor came to fame with George Miller’s Mad Max in 1979. In the original action flick, Keays-Bryne appeared as Toecutter, the leader of the film’s ruthless biker troupe.

More than thirty years later, Miller requested Keays-Byrne return to the Mad Max universe for his 2015 Charlize Theron-Tom Hardy-led Mad Max: Fury Road. In the revamped look at the sci-fi world, Keays-Byrne’s Immortan Joe and his biker gang terrorize Theron’s Furiosa and Hardy’s Max Rockatansky as they seek to liberate the Wasteland.

Theron remembered her late co-star on Twitter: “It’s amazing you were able to play an evil warlord so well cause you were such a kind, beautiful soul.”

In addition to his on-screen work, Keays-Byrne trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and toured for the troupe’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Additional Hollywood credits part include Kangaroo, For Love Alone, Secret Valley and Farscape.

Filmography

Films

Stone (1974) - Toad

The Man from Hong Kong (1975) - Morrie Grosse

Mad Dog Morgan (1976)[9] - Simon

The Trespassers (1976) – Frank

Blue Fin (1978) – Stan

Mad Max (1979) – Toecutter

Snapshot (1979) – Linsey

The Chain Reaction (1980) – Eagle

Ginger Meggs (1982) – Captain Hook

Going Down (1983) – Bottom, the biker

Where the Green Ants Dream (1984) – Mining executive

Strikebound (1984) – Idris Williams

Lorca and the Outlaws (1984) – Danny

Burke & Wills (1985) – Ambrose Kyte

For Love Alone (1986) – Andrew Hawkins

Kangaroo (1987) – Kangaroo

Les Patterson Saves the World (1987) – Inspector Farouk

The Blood of Heroes (1989) – Lord Vlle

Resistance (1992) – Peter

Huntsman 5.1 (1999)[5] – Bain

Sleeping Beauty (2011) – Man 3

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Immortan Joe (Final film role)



Television



Boy Meets Girl (1967) – Leslie

Rush (1974–1976)

Essington (1974, TV Movie)

The Tichborne Affair (1975, TV Movie) – Tichborne

The Outsiders (1976) – Doyle

Say You Want Me (1977, TV Movie) – Harry Kirby

Death Train (1978, TV Movie) – Ted Morrow

Barnaby and Me (1978, TV Movie) – Huggins

Secret Valley (1980, TV Movie) – William Whopper

Runaway Island (1982, TV Movie) – Lucas the Ratter

Treasure Island (1987, TV Movie) (voice)

Badlands 2005 (1988, TV Movie) – Moondance

Dadah Is Death (1988, TV Movie) – Hammed

Joe Wilson (1988, TV Mini-Series) – Bob Galletley

Singapore Sling: Old Flames (1995, TV Movie)

Moby Dick (1998, TV Mini-Series) – Mr. Stubb

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1999, TV Mini-Series) – McNiff

Farscape (2001) – Grunchlk

Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004) – Grunchlk

Betty Bobbitt obit

Betty Bobbitt dead: Crocodile Dundee star dies aged 81 after ‘major stroke’

She was not on the list.

Actress Betty Bobbitt has died at the age of 81, it has been confirmed.

The Hollywood star, best known for her role in Crocodile Dundee, spent four days in hospital following a ‘major stroke’ but died on Monday.

Sharing the sad news, Bobbitt’s son Christopher Hill said in a statement: ‘Sadly, mum passed away this morning at 10:20am after five nights in hospital.

‘She was peaceful and in no pain. Thank you for your support and apologies if I can’t respond to everyone but I will try. I will post more later.’

Christopher had kept friends and fans updated on Bobbitt’s health via Facebook in the days after her stroke.

He wrote last Wednesday: ‘We are hugely devastated and struggling to come to terms with such a sudden event.

‘My mum has been a legend, an inspiration, a mentor and icon for so many. She is comfortable and not in any pain that we can tell, but the prognosis is not good. She is not expected to recover.’

Bobbitt appeared in three Crocodile Dundee movies alongside Paul Hogan and is also known for her role in Prisoner: Cell Block H from 1980 to 1985.

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1982 The Clinic Wilma

1988 Crocodile Dundee II Tourist (Meg)

1991 Edens Lost Mabel Television film

1992 Survive the Savage Sea Mrs. Haines Television film

1997 Doing Time for Patsy Cline Connie

2001 Crocodile Dundee III American Lady

2003 The Cadet The Addict Short film

2010 Torn Daniel's Mother

2020 The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee Betty

Television

Year Title Role Notes

1966,

1975–1976 Homicide Vicki Franklin, Blossom, Customs Officer 3 episodes

1975 Matlock Police Mrs. Nelson, Valerie Praitt 2 episodes

1980–1985 Prisoner Judy Bryant 429 episodes

1981 Prisoner in Concert Judy Bryant Television special

1984 Special Squad Daisy Episode: "Until Death"

1986 A Country Practice Ellen Dainty 2 episodes

1991 The Flying Doctors Jo Magee Episode: "Johnno Be Good"

1992 Frankie's House Surgeon Miniseries

1998–1999 All Saints Olivia McCreadie 2 episodes

2000 The Games Betty, Media Liaison Episode: "The End"

2002 Marshall Law Wanda Episode: "The Samovar"

2000 Blue Heelers Madge Harcourt 2 episodes

2004 Salem's Lot Uncredited

2019 Neighbours Erica King Episode: "Episode #1.8048"

Ben Bova obit

In Memoriam: Ben Bova

 

He was not on the list.

Former SFWA President Ben Bova (b.1932) died from COVID-19 related pneumonia and a stroke on November 29.  Bova served two consecutive terms as SFWA President from 1990-1992.

Bova published his first novel, The Star Conquerors in 1959 and published several novels and short stories throughout the 1960s.  In 1972, he took over the reins of Analog following the death of John W. Campbell and edited the magazine until 1978, when he became the editorial director of Omni magazine through 1982. While serving as the editor of Analog, Bova was one of several editors that contributed to SFWA’s The Science Fiction Hall of Fame series.

In the 1980s, Bova began writing the Voyagers and Orion series, the former about humanity’s first contact with aliens, the latter about an eternal hero who Bova placed in a variety of different historical (and mythical) contexts. His publication in 1992 of the novel Mars kicked off what would eventually become a twenty-two volume series known as “The Grand Tour” which applied hard science fictional techniques to most of the planets in our solar system, most recently Uranus, published earlier this year.

Bova was the Author Guest of Honor at Chicon 2000, the 58th Worldcon. He was a lifetime achievement recipient from the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, a Robert A. Heinlein Award winner, a Skylark recipient, and an inductee into the First Fandom Hall of Fame. He won six Hugo Awards for his editorial work on Analog as well as four additional nominations. In 1995, his story “Inspiration” was a Nebula finalist.

In addition to serving as the President of SFWA, Bova also served as President of the National Space Society. He was a frequent commentator on science and space exploration and has published numerous non-fiction articles and books.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal adds: “I am devastated that our community has lost Ben Bova. He was so welcoming to new writers and embodied the philosophy of paying it forward.”

David Prowse - # 246

Darth Vader actor David Prowse reportedly died from COVID-19

 

He was number 246 on the list.

David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, was suffering from the coronavirus before dying Sunday at age 85, his daughter said in a report.

“It’s horrible that COVID restrictions meant we did not get to see him and say goodbye,” the late actor’s daughter Rachel, 50, told the Sun.

“But when we went to collect his stuff from the hospital, the nurse said what a cool guy he was. He was such a larger-than-life character. He would have loved to see himself trending on Twitter,” she added.

Rachel also confirmed that her dad — a 6-foot-6 former bodybuilder — had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and spent two weeks in a London hospital with COVID-19, according to the news outlet.

“He might have looked quite scary but as a person he was a sweet, kind and generous man,” his daughter said. “He really was a gentle giant. And to us he was our dad.”

Meanwhile, actor Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker in the space saga, took to Twitter to remember Prowse.

“So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader,” Hamill wrote. “Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire – 3 time British Weightlifting Champion and Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him.”

Lucas also posted a touching tribute to the late actor on StarWars.com.

“David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character,” Lucas wrote.

“He made Vader leap off the page and on to the big screen, with an imposing stature and movement performance to match the intensity and undercurrent of Vader’s presence,” he continued.

“David was up for anything and contributed to the success of what would become a memorable, tragic figure. May he rest in peace,” Lucas added.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes    Ref.

1967      Casino Royale    Frankenstein's Creature                Uncredited        

1968      Hammerhead    George                

1970      The Horror of Frankenstein          The Creation                     

1971      Up Pompeii         Muscular Man   Uncredited        

Up the Chastity Belt        Sir Grumbel                       

Carry On Henry Bearded torturer                             

A Clockwork Orange        Julian                    

1972      Vampire Circus Strong man                        

Doctor Who        Minotaur             Episode: "The Time Monster"    

1973      Black Snake        Jonathan Walker                             

White Cargo       Harry                    

1974      Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell                Creation                              

Callan    Arthur                  

1976      Space: 1999        The Creature      Episode: "The Beta Cloud"           

1977      Star Wars             Darth Vader        Voiced by James Earl Jones         

Jabberwocky      Red Herring and Black Knights                   

The People That Time Forgot      Executioner                       

1978      As You Like It (BBC Television Shakespeare)         Charles Credited as Dave Prowse             

1980      The Empire Strikes Back                Darth Vader        Voiced by James Earl Jones         

1983      Return of the Jedi            

2004      Saving Star Wars               Dave Prowse                     

2006      Perfect Woman                 Dr Maurice Hawkins                       

2010      The Kindness of Strangers            Frank Bryan                       

2015      Elstree 1976       Himself                                

2015      I Am Your Father              Himself                                

2015      The Force's Mouth           Himself                 Documentary    

2017      Jayce Lewis – "Shields"   Himself                 Music video