James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen — eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to Darth Vader — has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Monday morning at home. The cause was not immediately clear. Jones, who worked … Read more
Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and later charmed audiences in her son’s tear-jerker The Notebook, has died. She was 94. Rowlands’ death was confirmed Wednesday by representatives for … Read more
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched a television genre that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, has died. He was 88. NBC’s Today show said Donahue died on Sunday after a long illness. Dubbed “the king of daytime talk,” Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, … Read more
Great White singer Jack Russell, whose band’s long climb to commercial success was overshadowed by a pyrotechnics display at a nightclub performance that led to one of the deadliest indoor fires in U.S. history, has died. He was 63. A statement released by his family on Russell’s social media accounts on Thursday indicated the singer … Read more
Former Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MP Chuck Strahl has died at the age of 67, according to his family. Strahl died after a battle with mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, according to a family statement that his son, Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl, posted to social media. “Our loss is deep and profound,” his family said. “Our dad was … Read more
Voice actor Rachael Lillis, famed for playing Misty and Jessie in various film, television and video game versions of the beloved Japanese animated series Pokémon, has died following a battle with breast cancer. She was 55. Co-star Veronica Taylor, who voices the role of Ash Ketchum, shared the news Monday morning in a post on X, formerly known … Read more
Edna O’Brien, Ireland’s literary pride and outlaw who scandalized her native land with her debut novel, The Country Girls, before gaining international acclaim as a storyteller and iconoclast that found her welcomed everywhere from Dublin to the White House, has died. She was 93. O’Brien died Saturday after a long illness, according to a statement by … Read more
It’s a rainy Wednesday afternoon, and the sounds of Toronto’s torrential downpour blend with live instrumentals from various music scores that accompanied films made by one of Hollywood’s most famed Canadian directors, the late Norman Jewison. These notes and melodies fill the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), a space Jewison founded as a launching point for new generations … Read more
Bob Newhart, the deadpan accountant-turned-comedian who became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album, has died at 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died Thursday in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. Newhart, best remembered now as the star of … Read more
A 10-year-old girl from Swift Current, Sask., who attracted millions of followers while sharing her health story online has died. Bella Thomson, who went by Bella Brave on social media, was born with several rare health conditions. Her mother, Kyla Thomson, confirmed to CBC Saskatchewan that Bella died on Sunday after being placed in a … Read more
