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- Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the middle of three siblings, Johnny began performing from the age of 5 at a small performing arts school, making his debut as a Chanukah candle.
Pursuing the acting profession, he appeared with success in many TV and film projects, handling both drama and comedy with finesse.
Johnny was what used to be called a Renaissance Man. He was not only a superb actor, but excelled in the other arts as well. He was a prolific writer, poet and painter.
He also was a philanthropist, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to worthy causes, as well as being an active member of a number of charitable organizations.
He had seen too many of his friends succumb to the curse of drug abuse, and so he became an outspoken advocate against drugs, using his celebrity status to speak to large groups of educators and law enforcement officials about the dangers of street and psychiatric drug abuse.
He created friends everywhere he went. And he went everywhere. Europe, Asia, South America. He slept with natives in grass huts in Southeast Asia, and was the first white man allowed passage to a sacred lake in Laos.
Of his many talents, one that he treasured was the mentoring of other artists. Many successful performers, some of whom have reached the top of their profession have ascribed their success to Johnny.
His most recent work includes Sons of Anarchy (two seasons), Felon, The Runaways, 186 Dollars to Freedom and Lovely Molly.
In late October 2011 he suffered head injuries from a motorcycle accident. Immediately thereafter his thinking and behavior took a serious turn for the worse. He was arrested on January 3, 2012 for allegedly trespassing at a neighbor's home. He was beaten violently in the head approximately 17 times before the police arrived, causing further injuries. In jail, following additional head injuries he was diagnosed by the prison medics as suffering from internal bleeding in the brain. Despite the diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury and despite never testing positive for drugs that year he was treated for psychosis and chemical dependency. Two more arrests followed, including near drowning (another traumatic brain incident). Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury include impaired judgement, sensitivity to light, and sudden inexplicable violent behavior. Typical of the misperception on the part of law enforcement officials was the often-quoted remark by the probation official who expressed that Johnny suffered from mental health issues as well as chemical dependency. Prior to his injuries Johnny had never had a brush with the law. And the toxicology report following his death revealed absolutely no drugs whatsoever in his system.
In late May of 2012 the Santa Monica Superior Court allowed his admission to Ridgeview, a drug rehab center in Alta Dena, California. Though a drug rehab facility, the rest and quiet were a tonic for him, and he gradually, over the summer, regained himself. He wrote, in a journal entry, "Felt more whole today. . .more complete. Like parts of myself had been stolen in my sleep and scattered all over the world and they've begun to return. So I think better, my thoughts aren't being sent off on their own." He began planning for a return to acting, via the stage, and spoke of possibly bringing Shakespeare to inner city kids. In August he tragically accepted the DA's offer to serve "just a couple more days in jail," in exchange for his freedom. The "couple days" became nearly two months, during which he suffered additional abuse and a violent downturn in spirits and health. Finally released in late September, he died in sad and disturbing circumstances on September 26, 2012. - Actress
- Writer
Brandis Kemp was born on 1 February 1944 in Palo Alto, California, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Clifford (1994), AfterMASH (1983) and Remington Steele (1982). She was married to Mark Blankfield. She died on 4 July 2020 in Los Feliz, California, USA.- Actor
- Production Manager
Diki Lerner was born on 30 May 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and production manager, known for Crossing the Line (1990), Irma la Douce (1963) and Thriller (1960). He died on 20 January 2014 in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
Jack Tyree was born on 12 September 1943 in Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Escape from New York (1981), Alligator (1980) and Humanoids from the Deep (1980). He was married to Corna Day. He died on 25 August 1981 in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Sound Department
Richard Boyle is known for There Will Be Blood (2007), Water for Elephants (2011) and Argo (2012). He died on 28 June 2021 in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Production Designer
- Set Decorator
- Art Department
Seymour Tomashoff was born on September 11, 1922, in New York City. He attended Curtis High School on Staten Island and New York's City College before being sent to the Engineering Officer Training Program at Carnegie Tech at the outset of World War II. He eventually served as a rifleman under General George S. Patton and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and a Bronze Star for valor. Back home, Tomashoff received a bachelor's degree in architecture from Carnegie Tech in 1950, then landed a job as a scenic artist at ABC Studios in New York. In the '50s and '60s, he worked as an art director on such shows as The Edge of Night (1956), East Side/West Side (1963), and The David Susskind Show (1958). Tomashoff joined series creator Dan Curtis at the beginning of Dark Shadows (1966), which aired from June 1966 through April 1971. The gothic daytime drama around vampires - though filmed in a tiny New York studio - was set in a brooding mansion in the fictional town of Collinsport, Maine. Tomashoff was instrumental in creating the particular look of this highly unusual daytime program which became a cult phenomenon, but was struck with a limited budget. Following Dark Shadows, Tomashoff re-teamed with Lela Swift, a director on the show, on another ABC soap, Ryan's Hope (1975). During his 7-year-run, he received his first Daytime Emmy for design achievement for a drama series in 1981. He went on to work on NBC's Santa Barbara (1984) and CBS' Capitol (1982) before partnering with legendary writer William J. Bell on a new CBS soap set in the bustling fashion industry and based in Los Angeles, California. Just shy of the premiere ofThe Bold and the Beautiful (1987) in 1987, Tomashoff won another Daytime Emmys in 1988 and four more between 1991 and 1994. Even though he retired after 13 years, Tomashoff's legacy of set design is still very much alive: the décor of the Forrester Mansion as well as the fashion house Forrester Creations have been nearly unchanged for more than 30 years and continue to be staples and set the precedent for production design on this glamorous soap opera. Tomashoff had been married to his wife Naomi since 1952 with whom he had two daughters, Ivy and Liz. He died peacefully on July 28, 2019 at the biblical age of 96 in Los Angeles.- Actor
- Director
- Music Department
Alberto Sarno was born on 14 September 1928 in Illinois, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Paesano: A Voice in the Night (1975) and The Jack Benny Program (1950). He died on 20 October 1987 in Los Feliz, California, USA.- Music Department
- Actor
Don Heffington was born on 20 December 1950 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Wedding Singer (1998), Sandy Wexler (2017) and Neal Casal: Anytime Tomorrow (2001). He died on 24 March 2021 in Los Feliz, California, USA.- Joe Matt was born on 3 September 1963 in Pennsylvania, USA. He died on 18 September 2023 in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Jeanne Cordova was born on 18 July 1948 in Bremerhaven Germany. She was married to Lynn Harris Ballen. She died on 10 January 2016 in Los Feliz, California, USA.