Latest news with #Laugh-In
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Foley, filmmaker who directed Madonna music videos and 'Fifty Shades' sequels, dies at 71
Filmmaker James Foley, whose directing career spanned music videos, television and film, with stars including Madonna, Al Pacino and Bruce Dern, has died. Florent Lamy, a representative for Foley, confirmed the Brooklyn-born director's death to The Times on Thursday. Lamy did not provide a cause of death, but according to media outlets including the Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker had been battling brain cancer. Foley was 71. "James Foley was not only a talented director but also a dear friend," Lamy told The Times. "He was one of my very first clients, and over time, he became someone very special in my life." Read more: Ruth Buzzi, who played a purse-wielding spinster on 'Laugh-In,' dies at 88 Foley's diverse directing career — which notably included films "Glengarry Glen Ross," "At Close Range" and the "Fifty Shades" sequels — began in the mid-1980s. The 1984 film "Reckless" marked his directorial debut and gave him the opportunity to work alongside actors Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn and prolific producer-filmmaker Chris Columbus. In the following years, Foley directed films — including 1986's "At Close Range" (featuring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken) and 1990's "After Dark, My Sweet" (starring Dern) — as well as music videos and other visuals for Madonna, who was en route to global pop stardom at the time. From 1985 to 1990, Foley directed music videos for Madge's "Dress You Up" and "True Blue." He directed both her music video "Who's That Girl?" and her 1987 comedy of the same name. Foley also directed music videos for rock band Deep Purple and Marky Mark, actor Mark Wahlberg's former rap persona. He would later reunite with Wahlberg for the 1996 thriller "Fear" and 1999's "The Corruptor," with Chow Yun-Fat. Read more: Priscilla Pointer, 'Dallas' and 'Carrie' actor and mom to Oscar nominee Amy Irving, dies at 100 In 1992, Foley directed the film adaptation of playwright David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross." One of Foley's most popular works, the adaptation featured a star-studded cast of Pacino, Ed Harris, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey and Jonathan Pryce. Pacino received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his work on the dark comedy. Foley's final film credits, "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed," also were among his popular works. Foley took over the film franchise, based on E.L. James' erotic novels, after "Fifty Shades of Grey" director Sam Taylor-Johnson departed over reported disputes with the author, who was also a producer. The "Fifty Shades" films starred Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. Foley also directed episodes for series "Twin Peaks," "Hannibal," "House of Cards" (which reunited him with Spacey) and "Billions," among other shows. Read more: Lar Park Lincoln, 'Knots Landing' actor who became audition coach, dies at 63 In a 2017 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Foley said he embraced the variety of his decades-long career. "I've had a very fluid career of ups and downs and lefts and rights, and I always just responded to what I was interested in at the moment and I was very unconscious about genre," he said. "I've always just followed my nose, for better or for worse, sometimes for worse. What's best and what's worst [about the industry] are almost the same to me," he added. "Because what's worst is you get pigeonholed and what's best is I haven't been. It means that I'm still making movies, despite hopping all over the place." Foley's survivors include his brother Kevin, sisters Eileen and Jo Ann, and nephew Quinn, according to several reports. He was preceded in death by his other brother Gerard. Sign up for Indie Focus, a weekly newsletter about movies and what's going on in the wild world of cinema. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Goldie Hawn admits death of co-star Ruth Buzzi 'hurts so deeply'
Goldie Hawn has admitted the death of her friend and co-star Ruth Buzzi "hurts so deeply". The comedian died on Thursday of complications from Alzheimer's disease at her home near Fort Worth, Texas. She was 88. Reacting to the news on Instagram on Friday, her Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In collaborator Hawn paid a heartfelt tribute alongside a throwback black-and-white photo of the pair on the sketch comedy show. "My Ruthie, you're gone, and it hurts so deeply. I'll always treasure our daily calls, how we could talk endlessly, even after long days," she captioned the post. "You were my girlfriend, my heart through life's ups and downs. You made me laugh like no one else could. You were beyond talented, Ruthie. A one of a kind soul who brought so much laughter and light to the world. "Those deep, joyful laughs we shared, especially while making Laugh In, will stay with me forever. I love you. Wishing you peace and beautiful travels in the arms of the angels." Hawn appeared on 64 episodes of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1970, while Buzzi was a mainstay on the series during its run between 1968 to 1973. The star's daughter Kate Hudson and actress Demi Moore showed their support in the comments by posting white dove and red heart emojis. Meanwhile, actress/singer Rita Wilson remembered growing up watching Hawn and Buzzi on the show. "So sorry for the loss of your dear friend Goldie. I was lucky enough to meet her when we did the Laugh In 50th show," she wrote in the comments. "You were all comedy queens and kings. Ruth will be remembered in my heart forever."
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Comedian and ‘Laugh-In' Star Ruth Buzzi Dies at 88
Ruth Buzzi, the comedian and actress best known for her portrayal of the sharp-tongued, purse-wielding Gladys Ormphby on 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' has passed away at 88. Her agent, Mike Eisenstadt, said that Buzzi passed away Thursday at her home in Texas after battling Alzheimer's and receiving hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband, Kent Perkins, shared a message on Facebook, asking fans to share pictures, memories, and cherished moments from her career. 'She asked me to thank all of you for being so good to her for so many years,' the Buzzi's career spanned 45 years, including stage performances and over 200 television appearances. She won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' which ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot. Buzzi was first spotted by 'Laugh-In' creator and producer George Schlatter when she was playing various characters on 'The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.' Related Stories 4/7/2025 1/9/2025 Schlatter saw a picture of her dressed as Gladys Ormphby, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel, clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead. That image made a deep impact. 'I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire,' Schlatter wrote in his 2023 memoir 'Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy.' 'My favorite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early.' The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her. Her most frequent target was Arte Johnson's dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh. 'Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler,' Buzzi told The Connecticut Post in 2018. 'So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who's been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that's almost everyone at some time or other.' Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of entertainment legends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Lucille Ball, among others. Gladys Ormphby wasn't the only personality Buzzi portrayed. Her other recurring characters on 'Laugh-In' included Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris 'I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,' Buzzi told The Connecticut Post. 'I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.' "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" cast members, from left, Lily Tomlin, Henry Gibson, Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens on April 2, 2002, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Nick Ut/AP Photo Love, Peace, and Laughter Ruth Ann Buzzi was born on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island. Her father, Angelo, was a renowned stone sculptor who ran a gravestone and monument business in Stonington, Connecticut. Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17 and earned her Actors' Equity union card during her summer break while touring in a musical and comedy act with singer Rudy Vallee. With her degree from the College of Theatre Arts in hand, Buzzi moved to New York, where she was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue—the first of 19 such shows. But it was just the beginning. In 1964, she landed her television break on 'The Garry Moore Show,' playing Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician's assistant to Dom DeLuise's character Dominic the Great. Her varied TV career included appearances on 'The Entertainers,' 'That Girl,' 'The Lost Saucer,' and Lucille Ball's final sitcom 'Life With Lucy,' as well as cameos in music videos with 'Weird Al' Yankovic and the B-52's. As a voice actor, she took on hundreds of appearances in cartoon series including 'The Smurfs,' 'Pound Puppies,' 'Berenstain Bears,' and 'The Angry Beavers.' She was Emmy-nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on 'Sesame Street.' On the big screen, Buzzi appeared in films such as 'Freaky Friday,' 'Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,' 'The North Avenue Irregulars,' and 'The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.' She was also part of the original Broadway cast of 'Sweet Charity' with Gwen Verdon in 1966. Beyond her screen work, Buzzi entertained a quarter of a million followers on social media with her humor and witty remarks, including classics like 'I have never faked a sarcasm,' 'The trouble with 'You know you're old when your walker comes with curb feelers and an airbag,' was her last humorous Buzzi married actor Kent Perkins in 1978. The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 to live on a ranch near Stephenville. Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia. In a Friday The Associated Press contributed to this article. From NTD News
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kirk Medas, ‘Floribama Shore' Star, Dies at 33
Kirk Medas, reality star from MTV's Floribama Shore, has died. He was 33. Medas died Friday following complications with liver failure, his father told TMZ. More from The Hollywood Reporter Howard Ruby, 'Father of Corporate Housing' and Husband of Yvette Mimieux, Dies at 90 Phyllis de Picciotto, Santa Barbara International Film Festival Co-Founder, Dies at 84 Ruth Buzzi, the Lady With the Handbag on 'Laugh-In,' Dies at 88 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Kirk Medas, a beloved member of the Floribama Shore family,' an MTV spokesperson shared in a statement to THR. 'Our hearts go out to his family, friends and fans during this difficult time.' Medas joined the cast of Floribama Shore's first season in 2017. He starred in the series during its four-season run on MTV before it was canceled. He was one of the show's main castmembers alongside Aimee Hall, Nilsa Prowant, Jeremiah Buoni, Codi Butts, Kortni Gilson, Candace Rice and Gus Smyrnios. Alongside Prowant, Hall and Buoni, Medas was featured in a special Fear Factor episode where the Floribama Shore cast competed against Jersey Shore: Family Vacation's Deena Nicole Cortese, Snooki, Pauly D and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. He also appeared in the comedy miniseries Everybody Hates Kyle in 2022. On Thursday, Floribama Shore star Hall shared on Instagram that her 'friend Kirk has been in the ICU for over two weeks now, battling a severe case of necrotizing pancreatitis.' There, she also shared a GoFundMe to aid with Medas' 'overwhelming expenses,' which fellow co-star Prowant also posted on her Instagram profile. Following the news of Medas' death, Hall posted a tribute where she wrote that she had 'lost a brother, a best friend and heaven gained the most beautiful angel.' 'We are all trying to process this unimaginable loss. Kirk was the glue that held us all together. He loved each and every one of us so deeply, with a heart bigger than this world,' she wrote in the caption of the post. 'One sweet day, I know we'll all be together again. Until then, I'll miss him every single day.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Laugh-In' star Ruth Buzzi, scowling lady with the handbag, dead at 88
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comic performer Ruth Buzzi, who played a counterpoint to the 1960s sexual revolution for laughs as the frumpy, hairnet-wearing, handbag-swinging spinster on U.S. prime-time television hit "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," has died at age 88. Buzzi succumbed to complications from Alzheimer's disease at her ranch home near Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday, 10 years after she was diagnosed, her longtime Los Angeles-based agent Mike Eisenstadt said in a statement. "Her husband of almost 48 years, Kent Perkins, expressed to me that she was making people laugh just a few days ago," Eisenstadt said in an email message to Reuters on Friday. Born and raised in New England, Buzzi moved to California after high school to study acting and joined the Pasadena Playhouse for the Performing Arts, alongside future Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. She went on to an entertainment career spanning 60 years. She was best known for her work on "Laugh-In," a groundbreaking NBC ensemble comedy hour that premiered in the summer of 1968, helping to define the pop culture of the era and launching the careers of several stars, including Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin. Buzzi devised a series of sketch comedy characters on the show. Gladys Ormphby, her most famous, was a scowling, irascible spinster who wore drab brown dresses and a hairnet with a spider-like knot in the center of her forehead. Sitting on a park bench, she would react to the approaches of a dirty old man played by Arte Johnson by mercilessly walloping him with her handbag when he muttered come-ons to her. The Gladys and Tyrone bits offered a satiric contrast to the era's sexually permissive vibe celebrated on the show, which ran until 1973. The Gladys character became so popular that she began appearing elsewhere on prime time, and it became a badge of honor for a celebrity to be thrashed by Buzzi. Appearing on one of several televised celebrity "roasts" hosted by actor-singer Dean Martin, Buzzi encountered the heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. As Gladys, the diminutive Buzzi ranted about Ali interfering in her relationship with her boyfriend, then threateningly pointed her index finger at him. "If you want to make something of it, I want you to meet me out in the parking lot, and we'll have it out, man to man," Buzzi tells him, unleashing dozens of rapid-fire handbag hits to the head and shoulders of the bemused champion, who took it all in good humor. At another roast, Buzzi as Gladys tells Martin: "Look at you, sitting there so calm and cool, when last night you were yearning for my body." Martin responds: "That wasn't yearning, it was yawning," precipitating a handbag assault, with entertainment legend Frank Sinatra looking on and laughing. "No, it didn't hurt," Buzzi told interviewer Nick Thomas in 2016. "It looked vicious, but it was just a felt purse lined and filled with old pantyhose and cotton. I was able to swing it with all my might and it still wouldn't hurt anyone, although it looked great and sounded great with a 'thud' when it landed." Buzzi earned three prime-time Emmy Award nominations in the 1970s - for "Laugh-In" and "The Dean Martin Show" - and two daytime Emmy nods in the 1980s and '90s, including one for her work on the acclaimed children's show "Sesame Street." She won a 1973 Golden Globe award for "Laugh-In." Buzzi perfected a portfolio of zany characters. "My favorite character to play was actually 'Doris Sidebottom,' the sloppy drunk," Buzzi said. "I also had fun with 'Busy Buzzi,' the gossip columnist, and my hooker character, 'Kim Hither.'" In addition to guest appearances on various variety shows and sitcoms over the years, Buzzi occasionally played supporting roles in films such as "Freaky Friday", "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" and "The North Avenue Irregulars." (Reporting and writing by Will Dunham in Washington; Additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
