John Wood - 1930-2011

Stephen Falken is dead. Acclaimed British actor John Wood, who 80′s nerds might remember as the computer genius Stephen Falken, in the Matthew Broderick sci-fi classic War Games, has passed away.

Wood appeared in numerous Shakespeare productions on stage and screen (his most prominent film role in this regard was with Ian McKellan in Richard III, in 1995), including a large amount of television work. Among his film appearances were roles in Ladyhawke (again, opposite Matthew Broderick), Jumpin’ Jack Flash (with Whoopi Goldberg), Shadowlands (with Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger), The Madness Of King George (a superb period film starring Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren and Ian Holm, and a film I can’t recommend highly enough!), The Avengers (yes, the one with Ralph and Uma), Chocolat, and one of the last Merchant/Ivory films, The White Countess (again with Ralph Feinnes).

For the passing of the man who gave us near-nuclear holocaust at the hands of a game of tic-tac-toe, we salute John Wood today. Mr Wood passed away on August 6, aged 81.

The last week has seen the passing of a number of Hollywood actors and producers, so we’re taking some time to spotlight them today.

Polly Platt - 1939-2011

Starting with the most recent, we’d like to make you aware that Polly Platt, an Academy Award nominee, and producer on such films as Paper Moon, Broadcast News, and The War of The Roses. Platt was once married to acclaimed director Peter Bogdanovich, until they divorced after he left her for Cybill Shepard. Platt was nominated for an Oscar in Art Direction for Terms Of Endearment, and her screenwriting credits include Pretty Baby and A Map Of The World.

Ms Platt passed away on July 27th, aged 72.

Michael Cacoyannis - 1921-2011

Michael Cacoyannis might be a name unfamiliar with many modern film fans, but those who know things (like you, dear reader) will recognize the name as that of the man who directed the Oscar nominated (and winning) Zorba The Greek, in 1964. Zorba was nominated for Best Film (among others – it eventually won three, for Best Supporting Actress, Art Direction and Cinematography) and starred Anthony Quinn in what would become one of his most iconic and enduring roles. Cacoyannis was a Cypriot (from Cyprus, guys) and also directed films like Electra (1962), The Trojan Women and The Cherry Orchard.

Mr Cacoyannis passed away on July 25th, aged 90.

GD Spradlin - 1920-2011

Folks might recognize GD Spradlin if they’re fans of Apocalypse Now, or among the few locals who got to see Dark Skies when it was on free-to-air here in Australia a while back. In Apocalypse Now, Spradlin played the Army General who assigns Martin Sheen the task of hunting down Marlon Brando. Spradlin had a career spanning some 70+ productions on film and television, including TV shows like Gomer Pyle and I Spy. His film credits also include The Godfather Part II (opposite Al Pacino), Nick Of Time (with Johnny Depp), Ed Wood and The Long Kiss Goodnight. In a bizarre coincidence, he also appeared in War Of The Roses (mentioned above, as produced by Polly Platt!), and retired from acting after the film Dick, in 1999. Bryce Zabel, from over at Movie Smackdown!, had this piece to say about Mr Spradlin. Zabel co-wrote the Dark Skies television series, in which Spradlin had a minor role.

Mr Spradlin passed away on July 26th, aged 90.

Christopher Mayer - 1954-2011

Christopher Mayer might not be a name instantly familiar to anybody (even serious film fans!) but his face certainly is, especially if you enjoyed Jim Carrey’s Liar Liar. In that film, Mayer played Kenneth Falk, the hunky lover of Carrey’s divorcee client, played by Jennifer Tilley. Mayer also played Vance Duke in the ’82-’83 season of Dukes Of Hazzard, and had a brief stint on daytime soap Santa Barbara.

Mr Mayer passed away on July 23rd, aged 57.

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Australian actor and member of the Stolen generation, David Ngoombujarra, has been found dead in a Perth park. The three-time AFI winning actor was discovered on Sunday (July 17th) in a park in Fremantle, just south of Perth, and at the time we go to print, police have ruled out a suspicious death.

Ngoombujarra is best remembered for his role in Australian films as a prominent Aboriginal actor. His most recent appearances include Bazz Luhrmann’s Australia (in which he played Hugh Jackman’s native offsider), Rabbit Proof Fence, Kangaroo Jack, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, and The Circuit.

Mr Ngoombujarra was 44.

Out of respect for the traditions of our Aboriginal readers, we advise that the photographs located after the jump are of a deceased person.

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Googie Withers - 1917-2011

Long time Australian resident, British actress Googie Withers, has passed away. Born Georgette Withers in Karachi,  British India, her nanny named her Googie, which stuck with her her entire life. Withers’ first screen role came in 1935, when she was hired to play a minor role in The Girl In The Crowd, only to find that one of the major cast members had been let go, and she was asked to replace her. Withers’ most famous role in the early part of her career was in Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes, as well as the WWII drama One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing.

Ms Withers met Australian actor John McCallum on the set of The Loves Of Joanna Godden in 1947, and they married the following year. Withers remained married to McCallum until his passing in 2010.

Among her many roles on stage and screen, her film appearances included Murder In Soho, Jeannie, Lady Godiva Rides Again, Time After Time, and a role alongside Geoffrey Rush in the Aussie classic, Shine. Ms Withers passed away on July 15th, aged 94.

Gordon Tootoosis - 1941-2011

Canadian actor Gordon Tootoosis, who made a name for himself playing characters of American Indian decent, passed away this week. Tootoosis was of Cree and Stoney background, and was a long time social activist and social worker, when he wasn’t acting. Tootoosis first appeared on-screen with Donald Sutherland in 1974′s Alien Thunder, playing Almighty Voice, before going on to a long run as Albert Golo on the television series North Of 60. Other feature film appearances include Black Robe (1991), Legends Of The Fall, Crazy Horse, The Edge, Reindeer Games, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, and most recently in Blackstone. His voice work in animated films includes Disney’s Pocahontas, the sequel Pocahontas: The Legend, and 2006′s Open Season.

Gordon Tootoosis passed away on July 5th, aged 69.

Anna Massey - 1937-2011

Quick tip of the hat this morning to British actress Anna Massey, who passed away earlier this week.

Ms Massey’s first major role was in Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom, before going on to Otto Premingers Bunny Lake Is Missing. She appeared in Hitchcock’s Frenzy, as well as The Vault of Horror in 1973. Along with film and stage work, Massey appeared in numerous television roles, including The Darling Buds of May, The Robinsons, dramatic telemovies such as The Cherry Orchard and Anna Karenina, and crime dramas like Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, and Poirot.

Ms Massey was awarded a British Academy TV Award for Best Actress for her work on Hotel du Lac, and appeared with Christian Bale in his 2004 film The Machinist. Among her most recent roles are appearances in Tess Of The D’Urbervilles and The Oxford Murders.

Anna Massey was 73.

Margaret Tyzack - 1931-2011

Acclaimed British actress Margaret Tyzack has passed away. Tyzack appeared in a staggering number of stage, television and films over her years, including two Stanley Kubrick movies: A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things, and Woody Allen’s Match Point.

In 1969, Ms Tyzack received the first of many awards, a BAFTA, for her portrayal of Queen Anne in the BBC production The Churchills, and a Tony in the 80′s for her stage work in Lettuce and Lovage. She appeared in Stephen Frear’s wonderful Prick Up Your Ears, and had a major recurring role as Indiana Jones’s tutor in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Her stage appearances include roles in Indian Ink, The Family Reunion, An Inspector Calls, and Soldiering On, among many, many others.

Ms Tyzack passed away on June 25th, aged 79.

Fred Steiner - 1923-2011

Accomplished film and television score composer Fred Steiner has passed away.

Steiner wrote a large amount of music for the original Star Trek television series, composed the theme to Perry Mason and The Bullwinkle Show, and arranged scores for episodes of Lost In Space, The Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Rawhide, The Untouchables, Tiny Toon Adventures, Dynasty and Hotel.

His feature film scores include Run For The Sun and The St Valentine’s Day Massacre, and he was nominated for an Oscar for his work with Quincy Jones (among others) on Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. He also performed orchestration work on other film scores (often uncredited), including Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Mr Steiner passed away on June 23rd. He was 88.

Peter Falk - 1927-2011

Peter Falk, the Hollywood actor best known for his role as television’s Columbo, has passed away.

Falk was born in New York City in 1927, and at the age of three had one of his eyes surgically removed due to retinoblastoma (cancer in the retina), meaning he had to wear a glass eye for the rest of his life. This did not stop him persuing a career in acting: he appeared in a number of stage productions during the 50′s, including a single performance in Dom Juan, as well as The Iceman Cometh and Diary of A Scoundrel. The latter show was his Broadway debut, although it was not his last. Productions of St Joan, and The Prisoner Of Second Avenue, also kept him in the public eye on the famed New York strip.

His film debut came in Wind Across The Everglades, which led to small roles in The Bloody Brood and Pretty Boy Floyd. However, it would be his role in 1960′s Murder Inc that would push him into the forefront of public awareness, playing a true-life killer from New York’s 1930′s, Abe Reles, a role which saw him nominated for his first Academy Award. The following year, Falk would again be nominated for an Oscar, in a supporting role in Frank Capra’s final film, A Pocketful Of Miracles. Other roles in the 1960′s included The Great Race and It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

However, Falk is best known today as Detective Lieutenant Frank Columbo, the character first appearing in the 1968 film Prescription: Murder. The character would become a television staple, played by Bert Freed and Thomas Mitchell originally, before Peter Falk took the role and made it his own. Officially, the Columbo television series ran between 1971 and 1990, with a series of specials broadcast between 1990 and 2003.

Falk continued to appear in films and television movies, with roles in The Princess Bride, Murder by Death, The Thing About My Folks, Corky Romano, and even Nic Cage’s “thriller” Next among his filmography. Falk’s final listed film role was 2008′s American Cowslip.

In his later years, Falk was said to be suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, and passed away in his Beverley Hills home on June 23rd. He was 83.