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1-18 of 18
- Actor
- Soundtrack
James Laurenson was born on the north Island of New Zealand, the son of an amateur actor. James studied at Canterbury University College in Christchurch where he made his theatrical debut in the title role of Hamlet under the direction of Dame Ngaio Marsh (best known as the author of popular mystery novels). In 1965, he moved to England and worked for a season with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Having established his credentials as a Shakespearean actor, Laurenson rejoined the RSC in the seventies, his many roles including Charles the Dauphin in Henry VI, Cassio in Othello and Orlando in As You Like it. For the National Theatre, he appeared in Macbeth (as Macduff) and Hamlet (Ghost/ Player King). A more recent performance saw him as Vladimir in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal in Bath.
Laurenson found it difficult at first to break into screen acting. Not until 1968 did he make his television debut as a priest in the long-running soap Coronation Street (1960). He next played the youngest of the pirates (Dick Johnson) in an early BBC adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1968). He acted in several filmed BBC Shakespeare plays in-between a few small supporting parts on the big screen. In 1972, Laurenson made his breakthrough in the title role of Boney (1972) (Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Boney' Bonaparte), a half-Aboriginal police officer with superior tracking skills. The series benefited greatly from being filmed at rugged outback locations. Though the casting of a non-Aboriginal was (and has remained) controversial, Boney was a huge hit in both Australia and the U.K. (though not in America). It also proved popular in Germany. So much so, that record producer and songwriter Frank Farian named the disco group Boney M. after the character.
Hoping to avoid typecasting, Laurenson decided not to extend his contract for a third season and returned to England. In the course of the next five decades, he went on to become a familiar face as guest star in numerous TV shows, on more than a few occasions in the guise of morally ambiguous, pompous or villainous individuals. A small sample of his credits includes episodes of Space: 1999 (1975), Remington Steele (1982), Van der Valk (1972), Sharpe (1993), Silent Witness (1996), Dalziel and Pascoe (1996) and Hustle (2004). More recently, he played the Earl of Shrewsbury in Wolf Hall (2015), Oxford Professor George Amory in Endeavour (2012), Father Brown (2013)'s friend Professor Hilary Ambrose and Royal Physician Doctor John Weir in The Crown (2016).
For many years a resident of the Somerset market town of Frome, James Laurenson passed away on April 18 2024 at the age of 84.- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
Ruth Béate Landers was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Shortly after Kristallacht, Ruth, her mother, sister, grandmother and grandfather, the surviving members of her family, fled Germany via Italy, on a ship bound for war-torn Shanghai, China. She spent her childhood in the abject poverty of the Shanghai Ghetto. She arrived in the USA in 1948.
By the time she was in her mid-20s, she had founded her own national printing company, Office Research Corporation. In addition to managing the careers of her daughters and others and being the tour manager for Audrey's concerts worldwide to support her recording career, in the 1980s, Ruth began to produce network TV pilots, infomercials, and music videos. She produced films for MGM and Paramount, and then, in the 1990s to 2000s, she produced the award-winning children's musical educational TV series, The Huggabug Club, which she donated to Public Television. She co-founded the Landers Star Collection, providing affordable fashion to women of all ages and sizes, which was another successful venture, via Home Shopping Europe, QVC, and ShopNBC.
She was survived by her daughters, Audrey Landers and Judy (Landers) Niedenfuer, her grandchildren (Daniel Landers, Adam Landers Berkowitz, Lindsey Landers Niedenfuer, Kristy Landers Violette), her great grandchildren (Sawyer, Evangeline and Hendricks), and her sister, Esther Blum.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Mandisa was born on 2 October 1976 in Sacramento, California, USA. She was a composer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), Unplanned (2019) and War Room (2015). She died on 18 April 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Dickey Betts, born in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1943, was the oldest member of the Allman Brothers Band when they formed in 1969. He shared lead guitar duties with band founder and leader Duane Allman, also playing alongside bassist Berry Oakley, drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, and Allman's younger brother, lead singer and organist Gregg. With his first contributions in 1970 to their repetoire, Betts proved himself an able composer of both instrumental and non-instrumental songs. After Duane Allman's death in 1971, he became co-leader and co-singer of the group with Gregg Allman. Starting in 1973, he became the Brothers' primary songwriter, until they disbanded in 1976 due to Gregg Allman's drug problems. Re-forming in 1979 and again in 1989, the group continued to rely on Betts to write songs, play guitar and occasionally sing for them... until, that is, he was asked to leave the group due to an alleged drinking problem in mid-2000.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Mohan Bhakri was a director and writer, known for Kabrastan (1988), Khooni Murdaa (1989) and Khooni Mahal (1987). He died on 18 April 2024 in Pune, Maharashtra, India.- Mariano Muente was born on 23 January 1972. He was an actor, known for Arrebato (2014), Argentina, tierra de amor y venganza (2019) and Bia (2019). He died on 18 April 2024.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Steve Kille was an actor and writer, known for Whip It (2009), Dead Meadow Three Kings (2010) and A Birder's Guide to Everything (2013). He died on 18 April 2024 in the USA.- Pagol Hasan died on 18 April 2024 in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
- Music Department
Larry Page was born in 1938 in Hayes, Hillingdon, Middlesex, England. He is known for The Troggs: Any Way That You Want Me (1966), The Troggs: Love Is All Around (1967) and The Troggs: Night of the Long Grass (1967). He died on 18 April 2024 in Avoca Beach, New South Wales, Australia.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Whit Whitley was born on 23 June 1955 in Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Story's Students (2016) and Listen Hear, Mug (2012). He was married to Karan and Catherine. He died on 18 April 2024 in Deadwood, South Dakota, USA.- Additional Crew
Josephine Markovits was born on 14 September 1946 in Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. She is known for Mongolia: Concert Act I (2014) and Le journal de la nuit (1995). She died on 18 April 2024 in Paris, France.- Belram Mattannoor was a writer, known for Karmayogi (2012). Belram was married to K.N. Soumya. Belram died on 18 April 2024.
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Fyodor Petrukhin was born on 4 January 1952 in the USSR. He was a director and writer, known for Den pobedy (2007), Dina (1990) and Na Muromskoy dorozhke (1993). He died on 18 April 2024.- Laurence Broderick was born on 18 June 1935 in Bristol, England, UK. He was married to Ingrid Bohne. He died on 18 April 2024 in Waresley, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
- Archie Cooley Jr. was born on 19 March 1939 in Sumrall, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Georgia Reed. He died on 18 April 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
- Robert Oxnam was born on 14 December 1942 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was married to Vishakha Desai and Barbara Foehl. He died on 18 April 2024 in Greenport, Long Island, New York, USA.
- Aleksandr Ponomaryov was born on 3 January 1960 in Moscow, USSR. He was an actor, known for Ya gotov prinyat vyzov (1984), I s vami snova ya... (1981) and Dubrovsky (1990). He died on 18 April 2024 in Moscow, Russia.
- Jake Sharp was born on 2 August 1980 in Barboursville, West Virginia, USA. He died on 18 April 2024.