By Julia Berkman
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher, best known for her work as Princess Leia Organa in cult-classic Star Wars (and unfortunately less known for her decades-long career in script doctoring), has died at the age of 60.
Fisher was cast in Star Wars when she was 19 years old. Upon being catapulted into fame, she went on to work behind the scenes of movies as a script doctor. Fisher’s wit and sharp tongue were lent out to countless movies, from “Hook” to “Sister Act.” In her spare time, Fisher wrote eight novels and three screenplays.
Fisher is survived by daughter Billie Lourde, who has gone on to experience her own fame in “Scream Queens.” Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, star of Singin in the Rain, died one day after Fisher’s death.
Fisher is perhaps best-admired for her mental health advocacy. As someone with both bipolar disorder and a history of drug addiction, her fame only exacerbated her already-present health issues. However, in her later years, she went on to be an outspoken and respected advocate for people living with bipolar disorder or addiction.
“At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of,” Fisher said about mental health.
“No matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.”
-Carrie Fisher
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Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman, AKA Professor Snape, died this past January from cancer at the age of 69. Rickman, although known internationally for his role as Severus Snape, was also a star of many films and stage plays. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and then went on to perform in the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Beyond the stage plays, Rickman was also cast in classic roles, such as Harry in Love Actually, Hans Gruber in Die Hard and the title role in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny.
Over his lifetime, Rickman has been given so many awards and nominations that it has its own wikipedia page. That includes one Bafta, one Golden Globe, one Emmy, one SAG Award and so on.
Behind the scenes of Richman’s distinguished acting career, he spent more than half of his life with Rima Horton, his longtime partner and eventual wife. They lived together from 1977 to his death in 2016.
“If only life could be a little more tender and art a little more robust.”
-Alan Rickman
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David Bowie
David Bowie died last January at the age of 69. A cultural icon, he championed the 70’s revolution of plastic souls through his music. Bowie was regarded as a leader in self-expression and gender revolution. His androgyny inspired people of all genders to transcend the binary and express themselves however they liked.
“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”
-David Bowie
Bowie’s glam-rock alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, incited many of his listeners to embrace their weird side. His US success was second only to that of the Beatles. Each of his albums debuted a new side to his persona.
25 awards have been given to Bowie during his time as a performer. They include four MTV Music Awards and a Grammy.
Bowie was married to model and entrepreneur Iman for the later half of his years, with whom they had one daughter. His other son is a director and producer.
David Bowie died of liver cancer at age 69.
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By Josh Hughes
Prince
Prince was one of the most prolific and influential songwriters of the latter half of the 20th century, with his most revered work occurring in the 80’s when he released nine albums to critical and commercial success. Purple Rain, which served as both an album and a film, is widely considered one of the best rock and R&B albums of all time. His musical influence is still felt in contemporary artists, spanning everything from indie psych rock, to top 40 pop and R&B.
Beyond his immense musical impact, Prince also became a figurehead as a performer and pop idol. His flamboyant, androgynous style birthed completely new ideas about what a pop star could be in ways that had never been addressed before. His shifting, amorphous sexuality and bending of gender norms made Prince an advocate for suppressed and outsider groups, and his unique sense of showmanship has yet to be well replicated by anyone other than himself.
Los Angeles Times once famously called Prince “our first post-everything pop star, defying easy categories of race, genre and commercial appeal”, and his legacy is still felt today throughout music, fashion, and many other fields.
“Cool means being able to hang with yourself. All you have to ask yourself is ‘Is there anybody I’m afraid of? Is there anybody who if I walked into a room and saw, I’d get nervous?’ If not, then you’re cool.”
-Prince
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Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., was an American boxer who is considered one of the most important figures in sports of the 20th century. He defeated every heavyweight in his era, which spanned throughout the 60’s and 70’s, and he is regarded as one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time. His two fights for the heavyweight title against Sonny Liston in 1964 and 1965 to this day remain some of the most controversial, discussed and watched sporting events of all time.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
-Muhammad Ali
Outside of his fame and unrivaled boxing career, Muhammad Ali was also revered as an activist for human rights. In 1967 Ali refused to be drafted in the Vietnam War, and his resistance became empowering for African American individuals throughout the Civil Rights Movement. He spoke at colleges and advocated for civil rights, and in his later years he remained a strong advocate for Palestinian support and expressed his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Anton Yelchin
Anton Yelchin was a Russian born actor who was best known for his role as Pavel Chekov in the recent Star Trek reboot movies. His career in acting, which started in the late 90’s when he was still a child, spanned roles in “Charlie Bartlett,” “Fright Night” and “Green Room,” the last of which was considered one of his richest performances where he portrayed the leader of a punk band that accidentally stumbles upon a group of white supremacists in a bar in the remote Pacific Northwest.
His role as Chekov spanned all three of the new Star Trek films, and last year’s “Star Trek Beyond”, which was released shortly after his death, was dedicated to him.
“I prefer when movies target my heart instead of my mind.”
-Anton Yelchin
He acted in over 40 films throughout his career, and he also featured roles in various TV shows throughout the years, including voicing a character from Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming Netflix series “Trollhunters.”
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Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke was a Canadian actor, game show host, and musician most known for his role as the father on ABC’s series “Growing Pains.” He had roles in over 20 films throughout the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s, but he was most well known for the assorted characters he played on television over the years.
He was a talk and game show host for various Canadian shows as well, and he additionally had a successful career as a TV theme song composer, having written the themes for “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life.”
In 2013, Thicke was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, and he had guest appearances on shows such as “Scream Queens” and “American Dad” up until his death.
“It’s always been said that comedy comes mostly out of the dark side anyway.”
-Alan Thicke
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By Chris Beswetherick
George Michael
53 year old British pop star, philanthropist and LGBTQ activist George Michael suffered an unexpected heart attack in his home on Christmas Day. His musical talent stretched beyond a level of entertainment, and inspired the individuality and confidence of his listeners.
Through his own unstable and uncertain life, the singer was able to channel so much meaning into his songs. Originally, George Michael was a member of a pop duo called “Wham!” This group released “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” in 1984 and it reached number one around the world.
George Michael always sung about his life, making it relatable and real for his audience. His sexuality also appealed to LGBTQ audiences. In 1984, however, he had not come out and was singing mostly of his relationships with women. Not until 1998 did he publicly come out in an interview with CNN.
The music industry he became a part of was glamorous. However, he did not care for glamor or luxury. The singer witnessed many peers fall into drugs and alcohol from their wealthy positions. Instead, Michael would tip his waiters upwards of $500, pay medical bills for others and support people he did not even know.
George Michael was a singer who loved the world, and the people in it.
“When music comes from the heart it’s as much an artistic statement as a painting or a book.”
-George Michael
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By Morgan Annable
Gene Wilder
Perhaps best known for his portrayal of the mysterious Roald Dahl character Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder inspired children and adults alike to dream and imagine.
When he was eight, Wilder’s mother was sick with rheumatic fever and her doctor instructed him to attempt to make her laugh. Thus began his desire to entertain.
Wilder’s first film appearance was as a hostage in the 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde.” The next year he starred as anxious accountant Leopold Bloom in “The Producers,” for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. Wilder stepped into the beloved role of Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” in 1971 and quickly became a household name and an icon for multiple generations of children. Wilder’s other well-known films include “Young Frankenstein,” in which he played the titular role, and “Blazing Saddles.” Both of these films, as well as “The Producers,” were directed by Mel Brooks.
In 2002 and 2003 Wilder guest starred in episodes of “Will & Grace” as Mr. Stein. In 2003 he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his part.
“If you’re not gonna tell the truth, then why start talking?”
-Gene Wilder
Before his many hit acting jobs, Wilder held an array of other positions including limousine driver and fencing instructor. After graduating from the University of Iowa, he studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in England, where he was the first freshman ever to win the All-School Fencing Championship after practicing the sport for only six months. This experience paid off in Wilder’s first professional acting job; in addition to playing the Second Officer in “Twelfth Night” he was also hired as the fencing choreographer.
After his semi-retirement from acting, Wilder began painting watercolors with his wife and as his forms of creativity and self-expression. He authored three novels, two memoirs, and a story collection.
Wilder died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. According to family members, he died listening to a favorite song: Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “Over the Rainbow.”