In Memoriam: The Class of 2022

There is a reason why the “In Memoriam” portion of the Grammys and Oscars are the most heralded during the events–people are stunned they forgot who left us. There’s always one picture that causes the blinding light bulb above your head and those four leering words, “I forgot they died!”

In 2022, we lost a masterclass of actors. From the big screen to the TV screen, drama to comedy, and even a few were so iconic, it didn’t matter what they did, only that they did it. At The Cinema Spot, we don’t have big budgets, so you will have to play your own soundtrack. Something acoustic with some sort of string instruments in the background. Maybe light a candle and imagine as you scroll, it’s one of those fancy fading In Memoriam slideshows.

Regardless of the lack of visual effects, there will be at least one individual here that will inspire those four words to rush out of your mouth like ash from Mount Vesuvius. Also, it’s a sample because we only have so much room. Since we are known for entertainment on a screen of any size, that’s our purview here.

On with the show.

In Memoriam: TV

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Betty White (1922-2021)

She was the last of The Golden Girls, but she will always be one of the grand dames of television. A light that spanned seven decades finally dimmed on New Years’ Eve in 2021. It is ironic that Betty White was thought to “live forever.” When you look at her illustrious sitcom (and game show) TV career, and how The Golden Girls is national syndication into perpetuity, Betty White really will live forever, thankfully. She was 99 years old.

Kevin Conroy (1955-2022)

This was a death that hit the geek community particularly hard. For more than three decades, he was Batman. And many of that community believe what he did with that role makes him the best Batman/Bruce Wayne ever–over Batfleck, Baleman, West, or Keaton.

He began his road to the Batcave as a schmaltzy soap opera actor. And then destiny opened the door. Until his last week on this big, blue marble, he was Batman. He was also a brave and bold gay man, which made him an inspiration to millions around the world. He was 66 years old.

Kirstie Alley (1951-2022)

In her day, Kirstie Alley was a freight train of smoldering appeal and hilarious notes. As a lead actor in ’80s and ’90s hits Cheers and Veronica’s Closet, Alley did many unspoken roles that surprised others when they learned she died of colon cancer this past December. For instance, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, playing Spock’s Vulcan protégé, Saavik. The girl was versatile and great in most of her characters. She was 71 years old.

Leslie Jordan (1955-2022)

For his work alone on NBC’s Will & Grace, one the first open, celebratory LGBTQ TV shows in history, this is someone who made a difference. His affable personality and charming wit caused him to be loved by the masses. He had another love–singing gospel music. A Chattanooga, Tennessee native, Jones released his debut solo album “Company’s Comin'” last year with help from a handful of Nashville friends. What a ride. He was 67 years old.

Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)

Although her acting career began in 1942, most people know her as Jessica Fletcher. She was a mild-mannered mystery author and part-time private detective on the CBS series, Murder She Wrote. For 12 seasons, she was nominated for six Golden Globes. Also, an Emmy nominee 18 times and won six Tony Awards. She also played a key role in a film that gave us a novel word, Gaslight. She was 96 years old.

Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022)

Nichelle Nichols was much more than an actress who is almost synonymously known for being on Star Trek. She made history and stood up for people who didn’t have a platform nearly as tall as hers. She was also vocal about STEM programs and helping underrepresented communities get to NASA. As Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols did more in one role than most can do with an entire career. To her credit, she knew it, which made her a hero to many. She was 89 years old.

Gilbert Gottfried (1955-2022)

For those not familiar with acerbic humor, roasting chops, and stand-up routines, he’s the guy who shouts without opening his eyes. A voice actor of animals, Gottfried was Iago in Aladdin and the first AFLAC duck. If you ever need a good laugh that hurts your sides, look up “Gilbert Gottfried Comedy Central Roasts” on YouTube. Oh man, did he work blue! No one could make pro comics roll on the floor as he could. Absolute greatness. He was 67 years old.

Bob McGrath (1932-2022)

If you ever recall the days of your youth and watched Sesame Street, then you know Bob McGrath. One of the original pioneers of the Muppets on that hallowed street, the neighborhood music teacher has taught millions of people and several generations about a melodious language. Starting way back in 1969, it took the behemoth of cable, HBO, to evict him from his brownstone in 2016. Regardless, his life made a difference through his music for kids. McGrath died of a stroke, he was 90 years old.

Howard Hesseman (1941-2022)

One of the best sitcoms in history was WKRP in Cincinnati, and Dr. Johnny Fever was its anchor. Loni Anderson usually overshadowed the ensemble cast because, well…she’s Loni Anderson. But this ensemble cast did not have a weak spot in it. Hesseman’s character was usually the fan favorite and the most quotable. The funny thing was he was a radio DJ before he made it as an improv comic in San Francisco. A sitcom legend. He was 81 years old.

Louie Anderson (1953-2022)

Find one person who had something bad to say about Louie Anderson. Hint: You’ll be searching for a while. Louie Anderson seemed to be one of the kindest people on the planet, which is why learning he was fighting Lymphoma and then reading his obituaries was distressing. His self-deprecating humor was his calling card. Anderson was even a host of Family Feud. He is certainly being missed. Louis was 69 years old.

Bob Saget (1957-2022)

This one hurt many people. Saget, formerly a stand-up comic legendary for his vicious burns and randy mouth, became one of the most wholesome actors in TV history. When he walked into Full House as Danny Tanner, his life was frozen in time. And then, as if he needed any help, he was the long-time host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. He was a gem of a human being, who unfortunately left us too soon and in a cloud of mystery. Fortunately, his legacy will overshadow that causing his life to shine still. Saget was 65 years old.

In Memoriam: Film

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James Caan (1940-2022)

He was one of OG “tough guys” of Hollywood. James Caan was Sonny Corleone! However, it was his skill that prevented him from being typecast. He was a stalked (and hobbled) author in Misery. Caan earned multiple nominations for his role as a dying football player in Brian’s Song. He played a rogue CIA agent in a sorely underrated Eraser. And then, he played a long-lost father to an Elf.

His impressive resume is a mile long and Caan’s movies are rewatched annually. James Caan succumbed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. He was 82 years old.

Ray Liotta (1954-2022)

Speaking of gangster actors… Those steel-blue eyes could warm your heart or freeze your soul, and in Ray Liotta’s movies, they were used to doing both. No other movie showed his full range like the iconic gangster film of this generation–or most others–Goodfellas. He was also Shoeless Joe Jackson in another historic film, Field of Dreams. From an underscored role in The Iceman to a Jonathan Demme film, Something Wild, where he got his start, Ray Liotta put a stamp on each movie he starred. He was 67 years old.

Louise Fletcher (1941-2022)

A CODA from Alabama, Louise Fletcher didn’t aspire to become a Hollywood staple. (Children of Deaf Adults. Yes, as in the movie.) Yet, one day in 1975, she transformed into a single role and became an Oscar-winning character that will be known for all of cinematic history.

As the ice-cold, impregnable force Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, she became a legend. While that set a standard impossible to reach for the rest of her career, Fletcher enjoyed a full life until she died in her French chateau. She was 88 years old.

Sacheen Littlefeather (1946-2022)

Born Marie Louise Cruz, Sacheen Littlefeather is an important fixture in Hollywood for one magnanimous reason. If she looks familiar, we wrote about an official apology from AMPAS that was 49 years late. In 1973, Littlefeather took center stage at the Oscars on behalf of Marlon Brando.

The man, who just won Best Actor as Vito Corleone in The Godfather, denied his award and used the largest stage possible to raise awareness for the Lakota Sioux and other Native Americans’ treatment in America. For 60 seconds, she owned our attention and spent the rest of her life paying it forward. She made her life matter until she died at 75 years old.

Robbie Coltrane (1954-2022)

This may be a surprise, but when Robbie Coltrane entered the world of acting, he was one of Britain’s top comedians. The man was the light of any room he walked by all accounts. If you were a fan of the Pierce Brosnan 007, then you knew him as Valentin Zukovsky. However, if you were among the literal billions of Harry Potter acolytes, then he was Hagrid the cuddly, lovable half-giant. And probably always will be. He was 72 years old.

Peter Bogdanovich (1958-2022)

Among the pantheon of acclaimed directors, Peter Bogdanovich’s name may not come up immediately, but it should. Shoot, the guy was a BFF and mentee of Orson Welles. He was also nominated for a few Oscars as director of Paper Moon, The French Connection, The Last Picture Show, and the remarkable Mask with Cher, Sam Elliott, and Eric Stoltz.

He also ruined his first marriage by flirting with this young starlet, Cybill Shepherd. As he filmed They All Laughed in 1980, featuring a young Dorothy Stratten, former Playmate of the Year, the lady’s estranged husband shot and killed her. Surprising this dude’s biopic hasn’t been made yet. Maybe it will. Bogdanovich was 64 years old.

Paul Sorvino (1939-2022)

Whether a cop, as he was in the first years of Law & Order, or as a Mafioso boss in Goodfellas, Paul Sorvino’s career was only the second thing he was most proud of creating. The first was his lauded daughter in the family business, Mira. She, an Oscar-winning actress in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite, was a preeminent Daddy’s girl.

If a big, bold dude can be a teddy bear in private, anything is possible. Can you imagine Liotta, Caan, and Sorvino in a gangster three-bedroom apartment in the sky? Very cool. And as Mira has said a dozen times, Paulie will be missed. He was 83 years old.

William Hurt (1950-2022)

It is almost a shame that William Hurt became so well-known as General “Thunderbolt” Ross in Marvel CBMs. Among an entire generation, that is his resume–five movies in the MCU. But Hurt was so much more than that. He helped create the modern noir in Body Heat.

Hurt studied at Julliard but his first film was the sci-fi classic Altered States. He would go on to earn three consecutive Best Actor Oscar nods for Kiss of the Spider Woman (which he won), Children of a Lesser God, and Broadcast News. Marvel was fortunate to get a guy this good. Hurt was 71 years old.

Ivan Reitman (1946-2022)

When you think of classic comedic movies, Ivan Reitman was behind many of them. He was a directorial force behind legacy LOL movies like Ghostbusters, Meatballs, Stripes, and the John Belushi-helmed Animal House. Then, there were others like Twins, Dave, Kindergarten Cop, Space Jam, and the Howard Stern belly flop Private Parts. The guy will always be a case study in film school about creating a comedic movie because he made some of the best. Ivan Reitman was 75 years old.

Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)

Whether you know it or not, Sidney Poitier is one of the most important and respected actors of his–or any–generation. He died of heart failure related to dementia. Sidney Poitier was 94 years old. His movies are regaled among fans and thespians alike. A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and becoming the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in Lilies of the Field.

The man is in the Mount Rushmore of many students of the craft for his love of acting and support of civics. His life mattered in many ways and certainly has been missed.