Friday, August 03, 2018

Blind Item #11 - Reader Blind Item - Kindness

Aside from charitable endeavors, these two actors have two other things in common – 1.) They both played immediately recognizable characters on that very famous ensemble sitcom with the theme song everyone knows 2.) They both died in the same year.
Actor #1 was a noted comedic and serious actor who specialized in playing characters of a certain income level.  He was equally famous for voicing a popular cartoon character.  In his spare time, he served on a number of boards of philanthropic organizations.  In particular, literacy became a passion of his and he worked on a number of projects to bring books to underprivileged inner city kids.   He and his wife left all their money to charity as well.
Actor #2 was in primarily adventure movies prior to the sitcom role.  His father was also an actor.  He was active in raising funds for those afflicted with the disease that also killed him.  Towards the ends of his life, he performed in children’s wards for the terminally ill dressed as the character from the sitcom.  He did this even as he was very ill and dying.  

23 comments:

Dahling said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sara, Making It Work said...

Two actors from Welcome Back Kotter died in the same year, Epstein and Horshack.

Dahling said...

Jim Backus and Alan Hale - Gilligan's Island.

Sara, Making It Work said...

...but this doesn't sound anything like the Kotter actors. Carry on...

NobodyNose said...

Actor #1 - Jim Backus for Mr. Howell (Gilligan's Island) and Mr. Magoo as the cartoon character.

sandybrook said...

Close dahling but a years difference 1989 and 1990, but maybe the writers wrong and Enty doesn't fact check shit

sandybrook said...

Writers wrong dahlings right

Sara, Making It Work said...

Enty definitely doesn't fact check. 🙂

sandybrook said...

+1 Sara

gauloise said...

Alan Hale's dad, Alan Hale Sr was an actor as well. good guess!

NE peanut gallery said...

I was trying to see if Abe Vigoda and Ron Glass fit (Barney Miller) but the Backus/Hale call is stronger.

Alf Landon said...

It is Backus and Hale, Jr but a small error.The Skipper is listed as dying January 2 of the following year from Mr. McGoo and Thurston.

mud said...

i love the kindness blinds.
two more good guys.

filmfanb said...

Had such a crush on Alan Hale Jr! Pretty much the start of my older guy thing.

Guesser said...

Probably just meant died less than a year apart.

Unknown said...

It's nice to read blinds about good people in Hollywood for a change.

LadySabreX said...

Speaking of Kindness, the HuffPost did a story today about Ludacris buying groceries for an Atlanta Widow who was at a grocery store and didn't have the money to complete her purchase.


Sd Auntie said...

I loved that show and always wanted to eat at The Skippers restaurant just to meet him! what a gem! He had a very rare cancer and JB was great too. Awww

Cheetah said...

Alan Hale and Jim Backus died within 6 months of one another, that is in the same year....the blind didn't say same calendar year.

Mary Lamb said...

Yep, the writer should've said, "They both died within the same year."

Tom Jobes said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I grew up on the reruns of Gilligan, and when I go back and watch it now... yeah, it's silly slapstick for the most part, but it amazes me how funny Jim Backus actually was. I recall reading that, when he finished filming his cameo in the last reunion movie (with the Globetrotters) and everyone was praising him, his question was, "But was I funny?" Damn straight he was.

Jennacheryl said...

I am loving Jim Backus, but for fun how about Walter Mathieu and Jack Lemmon? They died left-hand yr apart. July 2000 and June 2001.
They had multiple movies together and their last set was the franchise of grumpy old man

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