Johnny Wactor Dies: ‘General Hospital’ & ‘Siberia’ Actor Was 37. A law enforcement source says three suspects were trying to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor’s vehicle. When he confronted them, the suspects shot him and fled the scene. Wactor was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The three suspects remain at large.
Erich Anderson, a prolific television actor perhaps best known for his portrayal on Felicity as the title character’s father, died of cancer June 1 in Los Angeles. He was 67. Launching his film career in 1984 with a role in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Anderson was also featured at the same time in the TV series Bay City Blues. TV guest appearances kept him busy for the next years, with roles on The Paper Chase, Tour of Duty, and Quantum Leap, among others. In 1990 he landed a recurring role that would become one of his most recognizable: On seven episodes of thirtysomething, he played Billy Sidel, a romantic partner for Polly Draper’s Ellyn Warren. After a sometimes rocky path, the two characters were married late in the series. The ’90s also saw appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation (as Commander Kieran MacDuff in the episode, “Conundrum”), Melrose Place, Matlock, Sisters, 7th Heaven, Touched By An Angel, NYPD Blue, Jag and, in 1998, as Dr. Edward Porter, father of star Keri Russell’s Felicity in the series of that name.
Brother Marquis, the rapper and longtime member of hip-hop group 2 Live Crew, has died at 58. Founded in 1984 in Riverside, CA, 2 Live Crew found its most famous line-up after moving to Miami, where in 1986 Brother Marquis (aka Mark Ross) joined Christopher Wong Won (Fresh Kid Ice), Luther Campbell (Luke Skyywalker); and David Hobbs (Mr. Mixx).
Terrence Beasor, a veteran character and voice-over actor best known for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Gods Must Be Crazy and recurring roles on The Middle and Raising Hope, has died. He was 89. Beasor appeared on dozens of TV shows during his 40-year career, including The Incredible Hulk, The Greatest American Hero, The A-Team, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hill Street Blues, Cheers, L.A. Law, Dynasty, Hunter, Knot’s Landing, Simon & Simon, Police Squad!, Chicago Hope, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Scandal, Angie Tribeca, The Grinder, Hot In Cleveland, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls, The District, Suddenly Susan, Days of Our Lives and Murder, She Wrote. He also did voice work on several Star Trek series and video games and offscreen announcing on movies and TV shows including Jaws: The Revenge, Winchell, Coupe de Ville, Remington Steele and Runaway.
William Russell, one of the earliest companions in BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, has died aged 99. He passed away on June 3. In 1963, he landed the Doctor Who role, playing Chesterton, a schoolteacher who acted opposite William Hartnell, the very first Doctor, until 1965. He appeared in 77 episodes of the sci-fi series’ original run, and also reprised the character for various podcasts and one 2022 cameo in ‘The Power of the Doctor’ episode. During a lengthy acting career, Russell’s other acting credits included film roles in The Man Who Never Was, Superman and The Great Escape. He also played Ted Sullivan in Coronation Street, along with appearing more recently in Agatha Christie: Poirot and An Adventure in Space and Time.
Jeannette Charles, an actress whose uncanny resemblance to Queen Elizabeth II launched a movie career that included scene-stealing moments in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, The Naked Gun, and Austin Powers sequel Goldmember, died June 2 at a care home in Great Beddow in Essex, England. She was 96.
Donald Sutherland Dies: Revered Actor In ‘Klute’, ‘Ordinary People’, ‘MASH’, ‘Hunger Games’ & Scores Of Others Was 88.
The 2017 Honorary Oscar recipient also is the father of Emmy-winning 24 and Designated Survivor actor Kiefer Sutherland and veteran CAA Media Finance exec Roeg Sutherland.
Donald Sutherland, the beloved actor who starred in scores of films from The Dirty Dozen, MASH and Klute to Animal House and Ordinary People to Pride & Prejudice and The Hunger Games franchise and won an Emmy for Citizen X, died Thursday in Miami after a long illness. He was 88.
In some of his most well-known roles, he perfected a laconic, wry and dead-serious delivery. Such was the case for characters including the cool-headed amateur murder investigator John Klute, opposite Jane Fonda’s terrified and erratic call girl Bree Daniels in Klute; as Hawkeye Pierce in the film MASH, where he played opposite Elliott Gould’s cut-up Trapper John; and in Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now as skeptical John Baxter, who does not believe the claims of wife Laura (Julie Christie) that their recently dead daughter is reaching out from the other side.
Born on July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, Donald Sutherland amassed some 200 film and TV credits spanning more than 60 years, from guesting on episodes of 1960s series including Suspense, The Avengers, Court Martial and The Odd Man to last year’s Paramount+ drama Bass Reeves. His big break in movies came with Robert Aldrich’s star-packed 1967 World War II drama The Dirty Dozen, playing misfit felon Vernon Pinkley opposite Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, George Kennedy, Telly Savalas and others. A big hit in theaters, it remains a seminal American war movie.
Sika Anoa’i, who became a wrestling legend as part of The Wild Samoans tag team with his brother, died June 25. He was 79.
Anoa’i starred for the WWE in the late 1970s and early ‘80s alongside his brother, Arthur “Afa” Anoa’i Sr. The iconic Wild Samoans won WWE’s tag team championship on three different occasions, and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.