Jim Carrey; I don’t even like most of his movies, but he seems like a man who went from nothing to stardom. He might make mistakes in life, and he might have a lot of mental ups and downs that the man has a hard time dealing with; but I think he really tries to please all.
I’m inspired by the guy. He used to live out of a trailer!! He really tries to do his job, and that is to entertain. Doesn’t always work, but he’s said to be a perfectionist with his films, so at least he makes the effort to make a quality product.
I think he should have been nominated for an Oscar after ‘The Truman Show’. I hope he gets his hands on one day before he passes. It’s just inspiring to see a man go from very little to finding his calling in life.
The only celebrity death that really made me sad (other than Henson) was Michael Hutchence. I wasn’t a huge INXS fan, but to me it definatly seemed like the end of an era.
For some reason I remember it perfectly:
I was listening to the radio and 'Sucide Blonde" came on. I really don’t care for that song so I changed the station. That station was playing “The One Thing”. hmm. That’s odd. When I tuned in to a third station, which was also playing an INXS song, I just knew. They only do that when someone dies.
Since I don’t see him mentioned here (and apologies if I missed an entry), I’d like to say how broken up I’ll be when Richard Pryor goes. He is a groundbreaking comedian, and some of his routines walked a thin line between comedy and heartache. A lot of today’s comedians stand on his shoulders when they put together their routines.
I have a thing for Shakespearean actors, so when Derek Jacobi or Ian McKellen go, it will be a bad day.
I don’t remember crying over any celebrity deaths, but I was very upset when Jim Hensen died. I was also majorly put-out by the death of Graham Chapman of Monty Python fame, but he’d been fighting cancer for a while, so that was somewhat expected.
The death that threw me for the biggest loop, however, was last year’s sudden death of Cardinal pitcher Darryl Kile. He was fine one day, with the team at the ballpark, the next day they found him dead in hotel room. Died in his sleep from heart failure at only 33 or 34 years old. His death stunned me. He was my age, he took good care of himself, there were no signs this would happen. And while his death itself didn’t move me to tears, watching his 5 year old son Kannon throw out the first pitch at a home game here in St Louis and the tribute to Kile they had for him brought me to tears.
Other deaths I’ll be sad about are Cardinal’s great Stan Musial and the remaining members of Monty Python, especially John Cleese.
Like Sampiro said, even though Kurt Vonnegut doesn’t write anymore, having someone as wonderful as him in this world is comforting- I am extremely unsentimental/unemotional, but when he goes…damn. I’ll be a mess. Heck, I was even horridly depressed for a long time after he said he would never write again.
Ironic story almost worthy of a play in itself: when they were first starting out in RADA together, Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi were madly in love with each other. Unfortunately, neither was openly gay at the time and neither was sure enough that the other was gay to make a move. They moved on to other loves and didn’t learn it until much later on. (I don’t think they ever hooked up; I know Sir Ian likes much younger lads [I’m not talking illegal, but 20-somethings] and I haven’t a clue what Jacobi’s romantic situation is.)
The source for this, incidentally, was Ian McKellen on "INSIDE THE ACTOR’S STUDIO.
I’m truly shocked that I’m the only (so far) person to mention the death of Frank Zappa - I had recently discovered his music, and it shook me. I never cared for Phil Hartman all that much, but I was moved by his death.
I’ll be truly mourning when Tom Waits, Paul McCartney, any member of AC/DC or Zeppelin, Kurt Vonnegut, Nolan Ryan, or Matt Groening dies.
hrh
I haven’t (been able to) shed a tear over any death for seven years and counting… there have been several, both family and close friends - so I doubt a celebrity passing is likely to make me cry. I seriously miss it, it’s at the point now I doubt I’ll be able to cry over my own parents when the time comes.
On the day of Diana’s funeral I happened to be in London, and soaked in the very heavy atmosphere surrounding that, but couldn’t weep over it. Audrey Hepburn, Ayrton Senna and Stanley Kubrick all moved me as well… can’t think of a single one that would really break me down into tears though.
I’ve been a HUGE Dylan freak since I was twelve. 33 years of listening to His Bobness for at least an hour a day, every day. When he dies I just don’t know what I’ll do…but, hell, he’s still rockin’ at 62!
Life without Bob Dylan. As Mrs. Eggerhaus points out, “No accounting for taste…”
