An Animated Life: Roy Disney

Amid the clutter of today’s glittering computer-generated animation features, only Roy E. Disney stood by traditional 2D animated features.

It was Roy who guided Walt Disney Studios through its recent revival of animation, starting with 1995’s Aladdin, and going through to The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. In 2003, his association with the Disney Company came to a peak when he stepped down as vice chairman of Disney’s board and chairman of the Disney Studio’s Animation Department. Nevertheless, he continued to be part of projects, acting as a consultant on stories, simply because it was difficult to step away from a company that shared your family name and your very ideals.

Roy’s journey with the Disney Corporation began when the company itself came to life. He was only seven years old when his father, Roy Oliver, and uncle, Walter, set up Disney. Young Roy learned both from his father who was comfortable in the shadow of Walt, and at the same time he also learned from Walt himself, who used the spotlight to his own great advantage. It was only natural that Roy too take the mantle that his father and uncle had set up.

In 1952, after attending university and college, Roy landed a job as an assistant editor on the popular TV show Dragnet. Pretty soon, the family business came calling and Roy answered; he joined the Walt Disney Studios the year after and a 56-year journey with the company began.

During this time, he dedicated the first 20 years to nature films, including the Academy Award-winning True-Life Adventure features The Living Desert and The Vanishing Prairie. One of his short subject films, Mysteries of the Deep received an Oscar nomination. It would be the first of his second Oscar nods.

After the death of the founders of the company, his father and his uncle, Roy desperately tried to make his own place in the company. However, it would seem that the Disney company and Roy would have two different paths to take. Roy left the company in 1977, but remained on its board as a director, a position more to do with photo opportunities rather than actual say in the company. It was also around this time that the company dwindled down from its glory years. But Roy had different plans.

Disillusioned with the Disney management, Roy then diverted his attention and became a successful financer. Along with his partner, Stanley Gold, he invested in various businesses and not only gathered enough cash to bring in radical changes at Disney, but also the inspiration to do so. Roy allied himself with the billionaire Bass family of Texas, returned to Disney’s board and forced out the studio management, paving the way for the hiring of a new team led by Michael Eisner, Frank Wells and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Katzenberg would later on be forced out by Eisner, and would form his own studio along with David Geffen and Steven Spielberg under the name DreamWorks.

As the chief executive, Roy set out to revive the company as an animation giant. One of the first steps included a $10 million investment in a in a digital ink and paint system developed by Pixar. Thought it seemed like the right thing to do, and a minor decision, the investment in Pixar would not only pay off, but also come to compete with Disney on equal terms as an animation goliath.

There would be more upheavals for Roy as tensions between him and Michael Eisner also rose. Eisner, already experienced once with the disillusionment of Disney in the past, had enough of it. He resigned from Disney in 2003 (with Eisner following in 2005) and stayed on as director emeritus and a consultant, titles he held until his death.

Roy E. Disney died on December 16, after a long battle with stomach cancer.

Originally published here.

The Original Guitar Hero

Think of the name Les Paul and images and sounds of an electric guitar that bears his name comes to mind.

One of the foremost influences on 20th century rock and roll sound, and responsible for the world's most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul's prestigious career in music and invention spans seventy years. Though he's indisputably one of America's most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson's best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952.

Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul's iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Were it not for his invention, guitarists like Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Gibbons, to name a few, would never be who they are now. Their unique sound and their approach to making music was determined by the guitar and sound technologies crafted by Paul. He developed the technology that would become hallmarks of rock and pop recordings, from multitrack recording that allowed for layers and layers of "overdubs" to guitar reverb and other sound effects. His playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many of the guitarists of the present day. Among Paul's most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.

Born Lester William Polsfuss, the man who would ultimately be known as Les Paul was both a musician and an inventor. This unique combination led him not only to become an innovator in the music industry in terms of performances but also creating new technologies and sounds. By age 13, Paul was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist. Four years later, Paul played with Rube Tronson's Texas Cowboys, and soon after he dropped out of high school to join a traveling radio band. The year was 1931 and the sound of music would never be the same.

Paul was dissatisfied with the acoustic guitars that were sold in the mid 1930s and began experimenting at home with a few designs for an electric model on his own. Famously, he created "The Log," which was nothing more than a length of common lumber with a bridge, guitar neck, and pickup attached. He solved two main problems: feedback, as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and sustain, as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body.

In the mid 1940s, Paul moved to Hollywood and played music with legends such as Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby. The latter would ultimately fund Paul’s experiments and the two also produced chart topping music together at the same time.

Paul initially approached the Gibson Guitar Corporation with his idea of a solid body electric guitar. The company showed no interest until their rival Fender produced a solid body guitar of their own. Gibson then immediately took Paul's suggestions and designed a guitar in the early fifties and presented it to him to try. He was sold on the guitar instantly, so much so that the model bore his name – the Les Paul – and Paul himself signed a contracted stating that he would never to be seen playing in public, or be photographed, with anything other than a Gibson guitar. The rest, as they say is history.

All over the world, musicians, guitarists, are paying their tributes to the father of the electric guitar. Keith Richards, the guitarist from the Rolling Stones and a friend, lead the tributes. “We must all own up that without Les Paul, generations of flash little punks like us would be in jail or cleaning toilets,” he said.

“All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent.” Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi's guitarist and also a friend, said Paul was “revolutionary in the music business”.

"A legend of the guitar and a true renaissance man, Les Paul disproves the cliche that you can only be famous for one thing," said U2 guitarist The Edge. "His legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on rock and roll will never be forgotten."

Former Guns and Roses guitarist Slash said Paul was a vibrant person who was full of positive energy.

“Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be,” he said. “I'm honoured and humbled to have known and played with him over the years, he was an exceptionally brilliant man.”

Paul’s influence was not limited to the international scene, even local guitarists acknowledged the influence of his invention in their music. Aunty Disco Project frontman Omar Bilal Akhtar said, "I think Les Paul was the first person to truly raise the electric guitar to the iconic status it enjoys today. Before it was a mere instrument, and after Les Paul, it became a work of art, much like a Stradivarius violin.”

Maaz Maudood, guitarist for Kaavish added, “Without him, rock and roll would have probably never sounded the way it does. Despite the fact that he went through a horrible accident, he never stopped believing in himself, and just because of that faith music is what it is today.”

Fuzon guitarist Shallum Xavier said, “I’ve never owned a Les Paul myself, but all of the musicians that I looked up to were Les Paul players; guitarists like Zakk Wylde and Randy Rhodes, were a particular influence for me as far as Rock and Roll. If they wouldn’t have played a Les Paul, they’re sounds would’ve been totally different and I don’t know if I would’ve listened to them.”

Perhaps it is Joe Satriani’s comment that best describes Paul’s contribution and musical achievements: “He was the original Guitar Hero.”

Les Paul passed away on August 13, 2009, due to complications arising from Pneumonia.

Prodigy, Pariah, Pedophile or Prince?

If the death of Michael Jackson could be summed up into one word, it would be disbelief. But it is impossible to sum anything with Michael Jackson into one word. To say that he lived a full life would be an understatement. Michael Jackson was not just the Prince of Pop he was the venerable pillar of the music of this generation. Some of the children who grew up listening to his music would eventually become stars themselves, and if one looked closely they would see the inspiration of Michael Jackson in their music.

He was only 11 when he appeared on TV for the first time, as a part of the Jackson 5, but already he was making a mark for himself. After a string of hits with the Jackson 5, now the Jacksons, Jackson decided to venture on his own into the world of music.

Before he recorded his first album, Jackson starred in The Wiz (1978), a re-imagination of The Wizard of Oz, with music by Quincy Jones. The two of them formed a bond that would last a lifetime and after the movie, Jones co-produced Michael’s first album Off The Wall. The album went on to generate four US top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".

That album would eventually sell 7 million units, but Jackson felt the album should’ve had more impact and was unsatisfied with the result. He went hard to work on what would become the biggest selling album of all time; that album was Thriller. It spawned seven top ten hits, featured a sold out documentary directed by John Landis, a music video that was literally a short movie, and has since sold an estimate of 109 million units; a record that remains untouched to this date, even by his own future efforts.

It was shortly after the release of this album that Jackson appeared as a solo artist for the first time. It was during this performance that the people saw him perform his signature dance move, the moonwalk, for the first time. After that, Michael Jackson was everywhere. From newspapers to magazines, to toys and lunchboxes, if there was something else Michael Jackson was good at; that was building an image and marketing it.

But not all the coverage he got was good. During the mid eighties his eccentric habits would often grace the covers of tabloids. Whether it was sleeping in an oxygen chamber or befriending a chimpanzee called Bubbles, Michael Jackson single handedly helped spawn the tabloid magazine era. He is quoted to have said, “Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, 'I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight,' people would say, 'Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth.’” And these words summed up his relationship with the tabloids. But they weren’t done with him yet. After the weirdness allegations, there were the child molestation charges—some say that Michael might have recovered from being called Wacko Jacko, but he never recovered from being called a pedophile. His fans never left his side. They had kept a vigil outside the Santa Maria courthouse during the whole of Jackson's trial in 2005. When it was announced that he had been cleared of all charges, they released 14 white doves to celebrate his acquittal.

His foray into movies was not sizable, but whenever he did it was a moment unto itself. He starred in Moonwalker, Ghosts, Thriller and Bad, which were music videos to singles but movies in their own right. He starred in the TV show Simpsons and guest starred in Men in Black 2. For the most part, Michael knew that although he could've gone in and made movies, they would not have been a good business decision.

Few people realize how adept Jackson was in terms of his own image and marketing. Even fewer realize the shrewdness of his ability to do business. It was Paul McCartney who would tell him about the benefits of owning record catalogues, rights to other musicians' music; McCartney himself was earning millions every year by owning a music catalogue of his own. Jackson listened to McCartney's advice and bought out the entire Beatles song catalogue for $47 million; a move that created a rift between the once friendly artists.

His extravagance did not end there. In 1987 he bought a 2,800 ranch for $14 million and named it Neverland. There he created a theme park and a zoo, a few notable establishments bringing the cost of running the entire facility every year to a staggering $4 million.

His death on June 25^th, 2009, leaves a gaping hole within the music industry. He had not released new music in a while, but his presence was always there. It would be an understatement to say he was a part of the music industry. Some say that the best selling album of all time, Thriller, single-handedly saved the entire music industry. His contribution to the music industry, whether it was his music or the inspiration he gave to the many music artists of today, can never be measured nor equaled.

He started off as a prodigy in music. He was also called a paranoid, a pedophile and even a pariah. Call him what you will, and each historian will remember him in their own words—and none of them will be alike, except of course, Michael Jackson’s own words.

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change

The Big Life: Dom DeLuise 1933-2009

Dominick "Dom" DeLuise was a man of many talents. He was an actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author.

DeLuise was born in Brooklyn on August 1, 1933 and made his acting debut aged six in a school production of Peter Rabbit. His obese shape won him atypical roles at the time, including that of a coin which had rolled under a bed, and a very young, very fat Thomas Jefferson. Back then, he had no desire to act professionally. Instead he wanted to become a biologist and after leaving school he enrolled at Tufts College to study the subject, but lasted only one term. He immediately joined join Cleveland's Cain Park Theatre in 1952. From there he went to Broadway in 1960 and only four years later he would make his television debut in the "Dean Martin Show." It was the same year that he would make his debut in feature films in "Fail-Safe", a powerful drama about the cold war. However, drama was not his calling.

If there was one thing he excelled at though, that was making people laugh. DeLuise had a broad, slapstick style of physical humor. He derived this approach from his, Jackie Gleason, star of the sitcom the Honeymooners. DeLuise was a master improviser of throwaway lines, gestures and bug-eyed looks of surprise delivered casually with perfect timing. Such a talent was not overlooked, and hence it gave him plenty of opportunities in the entertainment business.

DeLuise appeared in a score of movies and TV shows, in Broadway plays and voiced characters for numerous cartoons. Writer-director-actor Mel Brooks was particularly fond of DeLuise and admired the portly actor’s talent for offbeat comedy. Brooks cast the actor in several of his movies, most notably in Blazing Saddles. He also appeared in Brook’s The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs & Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Brooks called him "A big man in every way. He was big in size and created big laughter and joy." His co-stars would often praise the actor for continuing to joke when the cameras were not rolling; a fact particularly recalled by Gene Wilder. DeLuise appeared with Gene Wilder in several films, including "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" which Wilder directed. "During three months of rehearsals and prerecording our songs, Dom DeLuise kept us laughing," Wilder wrote in his memoirs. "When the actual filming started, he kept the whole crew laughing, not just with his acting but also between takes. He was the funniest man, in person, that I've ever known."

DeLuise co-starred frequently with Burt Reynolds in such films as Smokey and the Bandit 2, The End, and The Cannonball Run (Parts 1 & 2). They would go on to make nine movies together and ultimately become the best of friends. “A great big piece of my heart is gone," Reynolds spoke about DeLuise, "It seems to be a cliché these days to say someone is irreplaceable, but for me, Dom is."

"He was born funny," said DeLuise's agent, Robert Malcolm. "He knew how to charm you and how to make you feel comfortable." Veteran actress Doris Day, with whom DeLuise worked on 1966 film The Glass Bottom Boat also shared memories about DeLuise. "I loved him from the moment we met. Not only did we have the greatest time working together, but I never laughed so hard in my life."

DeLuise enjoyed considerable success and fame with movies. But his luck with TV did not fare too well. "Lotsa Luck," a sitcom in which he played a bachelor New York City bus company's lost-and-found department custodian, ran for only a year. He also starred in "The Dom DeLuise Show," in which he played a Hollywood barber and widowed single father of a 10-year-old daughter which also ran for only a year. In 1991, he hosted the short-lived syndicated return of the classic comedy-reality show "Candid Camera." That barely lasted two seasons. But it didn't waver DeLuise's attitude.

DeLuise battled a weight problem for most of his life, sometimes weighing 325 pounds or more. In later years, Mr. DeLuise wrote several cookbooks and children's books and occasionally appeared as a television and radio chef. He said his interest in cooking came from his mother. "She was always ready to cook at a moment's notice," he said. "She carried around two meatballs in the bun in her hair." Though he continued to find new ways to make people laugh, the same cannot be said for him trying to maintain his health which continued to deteriorate through the years.

Dom DeLuise died at the age of 75 in Los Angeles on May 4, 2009. He is survived by his sons Michael, Peter and Dave, all of whom work in the entertainment business; his wife, Carol; and three grandchildren.

The Luminous Actress – Natasha Richardson

Natasha Jane Richardson was born on 11 May 1963, the daughter of the actress Vanessa Redgrave and the director, Tony Richardson. Entertainment was part of Richardson's heritage, her maternal grandfather was Sir Michael Redgrave, who himself was a well-known English stage and film actor, director, manager and author.

Richardson's father was producer Tony Richardson. Her aunt is actress Lynn Redgrave, with whom Richardson along with her mother appeared in the 2005 Merchant Ivory film "The White Countess." Her sister Joely Richardson is an accomplished actress in her own right, starring in the hit TV series, Nip/Tuck.

Though she may have been overshadowed by the very public profiles and successes of her family members – in particular her mother's – she too garnered some respect and praise for her own performances.

Her relationship with success was not limited to famous family members. Her first marriage was to producer Robert Fox in 1990 lasted only for two years. During the filming of Nell in 1994, she met and fell in love with Irish actor Liam Neeson. They were married and went on to have two sons.

She was also known for her humanitarian efforts, especially raising millions of dollars in the fight against AIDS. Her father, director Tony Richardson, died of AIDS-related causes in 1991.

Richardson was actively involved in The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), becoming a board of trustees member in 2006, and participated in many other AIDS charities including Bailey House, God's Love We Deliver, Mothers' Voices, AIDS Crisis Trust and National AIDS Trust, for which she was an ambassador. Richardson received amfAR's Award of Courage in November 2000.

Though her career was not illustrious as some of her relatives', she did have some shining moments on the silver screen. Richardson portrayed author Mary Shelley in the 1986 film Gothic, an adaptation of Frankenstein directed by Ken Russell. The following year she starred opposite Kenneth Branagh and Colin Firth in A Month in the Country, directed by Pat O'Connor. Director Paul Schrader signed her for the title role in Patty Hearst, his 1988 docudrama about the heiress and her alleged kidnapping. Her performances opposite Robert Duvall and Faye Dunaway in The Handmaid's Tale and Christopher Walken, Rupert Everett, and Helen Mirren in The Comfort of Strangers (directed by Schrader) won her the 1990 Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress.

In 1994 she appeared in Nell opposite Jodie Foster and future husband Liam Neeson. Her marriage to Neeson brought with it more Box Office friendly movies, such as The Parent Trap (1998) with Lindsay Lohan and Dennis Quaid, and Maid in Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez. Additional film credits include Blow Dry (2001), Chelsea Walls (2001), Waking Up in Reno (2002), Asylum (2005), which won her a second Evening Standard Award for Best Actress, The White Countess (2005), and Evening (2007). Her last screen appearance was as headmistress of a girls' school in the 2008 comedy Wild Child.

On 16 March 2009, Richardson sustained a traumatic head injury, while taking a skiing lesson at the Mont Tremblant Resort in Quebec, Canada. Paramedics which responded to the accident were told they were not needed. Although she returned to her hotel room about an hour later was taken to Centre Hospitalier Laurentien after complaining of a headache, and was transferred from there to the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal in critical condition. The following day she was transferred to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where she died on 18 March.

An autopsy conducted on 19 March 2009 by the New York City Medical Examiners Office revealed the cause of death was an "epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head," and ruled her death an accident.

Following her death, there was an outpour of grief and tributes from her friends, family and close friends. Actor Kevin Spacey, the director of London's Old Vic, said: "There are no words to express how tragic Natasha Richardson's untimely passing is for the theatre community." Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, who worked with Richardson in a Broadway production of Cabaret, added: "It defies belief that this gifted, brave, tenacious, wonderful woman is gone." Ken Russell, who directed her in 1986's Gothic, praised her "ephemeral delicacy and intelligent beauty". Dame Judi Dench said she had a rare "luminous quality", and that Richardson still had great work ahead of her.

Natasha Richardson died in a New York hospital, close to the home she shared with Neeson and their two sons.

Ricardo Montalbán: Suave and Sophistication

He was the personification of suave sophistication in every role he played.

Both his infamous roles – the villainous Khan Noonien Singh from Star Trek and the welcoming Mr Roarke from Fantasy Island – carried themselves with grace and confidence. Such qualities came naturally to the Mexican-born American thespian who has had a remarkable seven-decade career in the entertainment business.

His mainstream movie career began when he was plucked from Mexico’s movie industry by MGM in the 1940s. His first role was that of a bullfighter, cast opposite Esther Williams. MGM quickly put him on contract and he would go on to appear along side many screen legends, including Clarke Gable, Lana Turner and Marlon Brando. Though he was working in Hollywood, he was often cast in stereotypical roles, as the Latin heartthrob or as one of the Asian characters.

Montalbán first on-screen leading role was in Border Incident, a 1949 film in which he starred alongside actor George Murphy. During the ’50s and ’60s he was one of only a handful of active Hispanic actors and Montalbán was proud to be one of them.

During the late ’60s, Montalbán appeared in the now classic episode of Star Trek, called Space Seed. In it, he portrayed the character of Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically engineered human and some would say one of worthiest opponents of Captain James T. Kirk and perhaps even a worthy opponent to William Shatner, in terms of screen presence.

When major film roles dried up for him in the 1970s, he turned to stage and eventually TV, where he was familiar to millions as the mysterious host whose signature line, “Welcome to Fantasy Island,” opened the hit show Fantasy Island.

During this time, he also won an Emmy for his performance as Chief Satangkai in the 1978 television miniseries How the West Was Won. In the 1970s and 80s, Montalbán was also familiar to TV viewers as a commercial spokesman for car manufacturer Chrysler.

Montalbán also gave one of his best movie performances by revisiting the character of Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a follow-up to television episode of the series that also featured the character. The New Yorker magazine critic Pauline Kael said Montalbán’s performance as Khan “was the only validation he has ever had of his power to command the big screen.”

As time went on, his roles diversified, he played the evil tycoon in the 1988 comedy hit Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! and had a prominent role as the grandfather in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.

He was widely respected for his efforts to create opportunities for Latinos. He even co-created the nonprofit Nosotros Foundation, to help improve the image and increase employment of Latinos in Hollywood. Though some critics say that this move hurt his image as a Latino, but Montalbán did not care.

While filming a scene for the 1951 film Across the Wide Missouri, Montalbán was reportedly thrown off a horse, knocked out, and walked on by another horse, leaving him with a spinal injury that troubled him for the rest of his life and grew more painful as he aged. In 1993, he underwent nine-and-a-half hours of spinal surgery, but it only made the pain worse. Montalbán continued to work, usually delivering his lines from a wheelchair.

Montalbán died on January 14, 2009 at his home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 88. The cause of death was not officially identified, although his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith, did say he died of “complications from advancing age.” He is survived by four children: Laura, Mark, Anita and Victor.

Patrick McGoohan: ‘l am not a number. l am a free man.’

His work influenced countless television shows, writers and actors. But it was the late ’60s television series The Prisoner (in which he starred and co-created) that captured the attention of audiences around the world.

McGoohan played the lead character in The Prisoner, known only as Number 6, this role struck such a remarkable chord with audiences that it has continued to reverberate in re-runs, festivals, university courses, doctoral theses and even a quarterly magazine: All this after just a 17-episode run of the show. The show’s legions of interpreters have perceived elements of the cold war, mob mentality, mind control and more in the show.

Broadcast in 1968-69, The Prisoner tells the story of a nameless spy who resigns his position only to be kidnapped as he is about to walk away. He wakes up in the Village, a resort-like community that is actually a high-tech prison. He is dubbed Number 6 and often struggles with the camp authority figure, Number 2, who pressures him to say why he resigned. Number 2 was played by a different actor each time. A remake of the TV show has recently been filmed, with the US actor James Caviezel as Number Six, and Sir Ian McKellen as Number Two.

The Prisoner remains one of the most enigmatic and fascinating television series ever but McGoohan’s career was not limited to it. In fact, it ranged ranged from success on the stages of Londons West End to starring in a popular spy series called Secret Agent in the United States. It was however in the later stages of his life that he gained critical acclaim in motion pictures and other television shows. His portrayal of King Edward I in Mel Gibson’s 1995 film Braveheart was much talked about and he won Emmys as a guest star on Colombo in 1975 and 1990.

Colombos Peter Falk once described McGoohan, who also occasionally worked as a director and writer on the Columbo mysteries, as being “mesmerising” as an actor. “There are many very, very talented people in this business, but there are only a handful of genuinely original people,” Falk in 2004 during an interview. “I think Patrick McGoohan belongs in that small select group of truly original people.”

In 1977, he starred in the television series Rafferty as a retired Army doctor adjusting to civilian life. TV Critics and historians point out that this was probably the main inspiration for the current TV series, House M.D. McGoohan’s The Prisoner is also credited for giving inspiration to shows such as LOST, Heroes and 4400, shows which are multilayered and multifaceted.

McGoohan turned down an offer to be the big screen’s original James Bond, appeared in films such as The Three Lives of Thomasina, Mary, Queen of Scots, Silver Streak, Escape From Alcatraz, Scanners, Ice Station Zebra and Braveheart. He would usually play villains and almost menacingly so.

Patrick McGoohan, a two-time Emmy Award-winning actor, starring in television series, motion pictures and stage dramas, died on 13 January 2009 at St John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, following a brief illness

Jett Travolta, the 16-year-old son of actor John Travolta was found dead, in the family’s home in the Bahamas. Travolta has said that he and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, are “heartbroken” over the death of their son. Both of them and their daughter, Ella, were present at the home when Jett died.

Jett had a developmental disability that his parents have linked to Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disorder of the artery walls that most commonly occurs in young children and can lead to heart disease. In 2001, John Travolta revealed in a TV interview that his son had a near brush with death related to the condition. He went on to speak about how it changed the actor’s living practices. “I was obsessive about cleaning – his space being clean, so we constantly had the carpets cleaned. And I think, between him, the fumes and walking around, maybe picking up pieces or something, he got what is rarely a thing to deal with, but its Kawasaki syndrome.”

Dedicated Scientologists, Preston and Travolta credited a detoxification program from the writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard with helping improve their son’s health. In past times Scientology has stirred controversy when clashing with the world of medicine – particularly with the world of psychology.

An autopsy on Jett Travolta will be performed Monday, family attorney Michael Ossi said last week. The boy hit his head after the seizure, but the exact cause of death is not known. He is scheduled to be buried in Florida. John Travolta gained fame in the 1970s, starring in Saturday Night Fever and Grease. His career got a boost in 1994 with his second Best Actor Oscar nomination, for his role in Pulp Fiction. Preston has numerous TV and movie credits, including a supporting role in 1996’s Jerry Maguire.