Losing Our Stars

Most of us are not nor will we ever be in a position to greatly affect a celebrity’s life, and most celebrities are not people who will ever greatly affect ours. They play characters in film, score points on the field, sing to us while we drive, create beautiful works of art we hang on our wall, or do many other things that, in ways both large and small, affect our culture. Then there are those who are much more than that. An actor might play a role in a movie that brings about facets of your own character that are otherwise unreachable. Maybe an athlete gave a speech after losing a big game that inspires you to keep trying. Or a recording artist wrote a song that describes a feeling you thought was only experienced by you. Fame allows a celebrity many ways in which to touch our lives. For those who do, their passing might mean much more to us than a mere “R.I.P.” on Facebook. Over the years there have been many that we have been truly and deeply saddened about on a level that others may not have felt, but that’s the thing about celebrities. A person may love them, hate them, or just feel indifferent to them. That’s just how it goes.

This is my own personal list of celebrities who have reached me on that deeper level for some reason or another, and left me truly saddened when they passed. Unfortunately this blog will  never be finished. I will continue to update as the good Lord sees fit. All we can hope for is long breaks in between.

Alan Rickman

2/21/1946 – 1/14/2016

"I do take my work seriously, and the way to do that is not to take yourself too seriously."

The man had an art degree, and was using it to successfully run his own graphic design business in his late 20s. It must have been a shock to those around him when he dropped it all and decided to take acting classes. Unfortunately for him he spent the next twenty-something years trying to make it in that business. I wonder how many times he questioned his decision. I'm sure he certainly had plenty of reasons during the next TWENTY YEARS, as he finally got his first movierole… at age 46! Yep, that’s when the villainous Hans Gruber came to us, and what followed was an incredible career. He might be the awful Sheriff of Nottingham, a funny Alexander Dane or Marvin the Robot, fatherly Antoine Richis, a spot-on Ronald Regan, an every-man Harry, or, as most now know him, villainous but eventual hero Professor Severus Snape. Versatility was certainly a strength of Rickman's, and he showed us exactly what we were meant to see. There are countless stories of him told by his co-stars verifying his professionalism, generosity, care, and humor. Ever seen this video of him “having” tea? Have you ever seen this telling of how he obtained and valued artwork by a young Rupert Grint?

I'll bet ALL teachers react that way.

His passing affected me because:

Alan Rickman became something more than just an actor in some movies. His character, Severus Snape, is one we loved to hate until we began questioning his “evil” intentions. Some of us had a feeling that he might not be such a bad guy after all. We felt his humanity, and were even sad when he was killed by Voldemort, ESPECIALLY after seeing his memories in the pensieve. Am I talking about the book, or the movies? The thing about Rickman is that it doesn’t matter. Even if you’ve only read the books and somehow never saw his portrayal of Snape, it’s his character you envision. And that’s what he did for me. He became a character I identified with. Even more so, the more I read of him as a person rather than an actor, the more I loved him. I saw those on-set pictures of him laughing with Daniel Radcliffe right after he’d hitGrint over the head. I’ve seen his statements regarding the arts and theirresponsibilities in society. I’ve read the quotes from people who have met him and how he surpassed every expectation they had. This wasn’t just some actor that I liked. He was a man beloved by many, myself included.

Robin Williams

7/21/1951 – 8/11/2014

"People ask why I do children's comedies. I'm happy being a Robert de Niro for nine-year-olds."

Mork & Mindy. Popeye. The World According to Garp. Good Morning, Vietnam. Patch Adams. Hook. Jumanji. Jack. Mrs. Doubtfire. Dead Poets Society. Bicentennial Man. Night at the Museum. Jakob the Liar. What Dreams May Come. One Hour Photo. Good Will Hunting. Robots. Aladdin. There’s absolutely nothing more I can say about his body of work that can be more impressive than just that list alone. He put his everything into every role, whether a crazy and goofy doctor, a loveable teacher, or a creepy photo developer. Williams was always on top of his game, and I really can’t add any more to his acting career that his IMDB page can’t say for itself. His stand-up comedy was not to my liking, but his movies most certainly were. His passing took us completely off-guard. We didn’t notice the signs, and we weren’t ready for it. For all the laughter he brought us, there was so much pain and sadness he swam through to deliver it, and we didn’t even know.

His passing affected me because:

Though I didn’t know it, Robin Williams was a part of my life. Maybe it was just that he was such a common fixture, like a favorite painting that hangs on your wall, that you notice when it suddenly goes missing. His body of work is so wonderful and entertaining that it didn’t occur to me that one day he wouldn’t be there to create more. Maybe this can be said of many actors, but knowing his resumé is now fully complete somehow makes me appreciate it even more, and I truly feel sad because it still doesn’t feel finished.

Bill Thompson, aka “Wallace”

12/18/31 – 7/23/2014

"We never really grow up. We only learn how to act in public."

The Wallace and Ladmo Show IS childhood for those of us who grew up in Phoenix any time during the 1950s through 1980s. It’s rather hard to describe the immense pleasure we children got from this show. Sort of a “sketch comedy” act with short cartoons peppered in, this show was our life. Bill Thompson, or “Wallace” as most of us will always think of him, was a former boxer who found himself working on the Golddust Charlie Show. He created the character of Wallace who would guest-star on the show, and it wasn't long before one of Golddust Charlie's cameramen, nicknamed “Ladmo” joined in and created something too magical to not have its own show, and soon enough we had The Wallace and Ladmo Show. They were recognized not only by Phoenicians, but nationally as well, receiving many accolades and awards over the years. Not a person my age or older who grew up in Arizona doesn’t know of this man. Stephen Spielberg, Alice Cooper, The Monkeys, Steve Allen, Muhammad Ali, Waylon Jennings, Red Skelton, Don Rickles, Jack Benny, and many others were fans of this show.

His passing affected me because:

I’d already lost Ladmo and Mr. Rogers, (I’ll get to them soon), so this was another large blow to my childhood. My heart sank when I saw the news as though a dear uncle passed away. To this day, I can still remember seeing Wallace in his traditional derby hat feuding with Gerald about the importance of milk when there’s no chocolate in it. His one-liners went over my head at times, but I still remember one of my favorites: "I don't want buns of steel. I want buns of cinnamon!"

Fred Rogers

3/20/28 – 2/27/03

"The connections we make in the course of a life — maybe that's what Heaven is."

Many of you know that Mr. Rogers is a hero of mine. This man, more than ANYONE, taught me the importance of a strong imagination and that being an individual is really what makes a person special. In a world progressing toward a faster pace, Mr. Rogers took the time to slow us all down and remind us the value of being a good neighbor. He wasn’t a great singer, but he never hesitated to sing us a song to make us feel good about ourselves, including the opening theme song which he sang fresh at the beginning of every single episode. He wasn’t a great actor, but he voiced many characters in his land of make-believeto teach us lessons about how to treat others and ourselves. He wasn’t a political leader, but he didn’t have any qualms about speaking directly to theU.S. Congress to request they continue funding PBS and its programs that promote self-worth in children. When he was given the spotlight while receiving a lifetime Emmy award, he used it to promote love and appreciation toward thosewho have helped us in our lives. He used his time, the time set aside specifically to give him a bit of glory, to give us what he’d always given us – more love and care. When this man spoke, even the manliest of men stopped what they were doing to listen.

His passing affected me because:

There are very few people in the forefront of media and entertainment who are there simply because they genuinely care about others, and Mr. Rogers was at the head of that tiny group. He was my friend and someone I knew who, without a doubt, would actually care about me if we were to ever meet. From his programming and his life-long message, he had me convinced that if I were to describe to him one of my life’s triumphs, he’d give me one of those beautiful smiles of his and tell me how proud he is of me. If I were to tell him about a sad thing in my life, he’d give me a  hug and tell me in a meaningful way how sorry he is, then do his best to try and make me feel better. In fact, he did that very thing just after our world suffered a huge blow on September 11, 2001.

Thank you, Mr. Rogers.

John Ritter

 9/17/48 – 9/11/03

"When I grew up I always wanted to be a liar, and if you're in television, you're lying because you're just pretending to be yourself, much like I'm doing now."

I’m not sure John Ritter is more well-known in any role than that of Jack Tripper in Three’s Company, which had a very successful run from 1977 – 1984. You can still see the show through reruns that play constantly if you like. I didn’t watch the show much, but I did see it on a lot. The one I did watch was perhaps the other of his best-known series, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Sadly, we were only able to watch one season before he passed. The show did go on, but it was certainly a sad time, as his death was written into the second season. Other movies I knew and loved him in were Stephen King’s It, Sling Blade, Problem Child, and perhaps my favorite, Noises Off.

His passing affected me because:

I didn’t actually realize how much I liked John Ritter until he was gone. Really, he was just one of those actors you know in movies and shows, and maybe don’t give much thought about. But when the news came that he’d died of a heart attack, a flash of emotion hit me from out of nowhere. Suddenly I was thinking about how often I’d seen his friendly face cross my screen, especially in 8 Simple Rules, and it hit me that he wouldn’t make anything else for us ever again. His humor was exactly my style. He had a subtlety to it that I really appreciate. His characters were very relate-able, and I felt instantly that I would miss him. And I was right.

Ladimir Kwiatkowski, aka “Ladmo” 

7/13/1994 – 3/2/1994

"Ho-ho Ha-ha Hee-hee Ha-ha..."

If you’ve read this from top to bottom, you’ve already seen my entry for Bill Thompson, or Wallace. Ladimir Kwiatkowski, or Ladmo, was his other half. The Wallace and Ladmo Show, as I mentioned, was part of our lives growing up in Phoenix. If Wallace was the serious character on the show (and he was NOT a serious character), Ladmo was the clown. He had a brown suit, brown top hat, short, wide cartoonish tie, and a HUGE smile. Saying he was the heart and soul of the show would be an understatement. Though Wallace created the show, it was Ladmo we’d recognize first. He could have chosen to be a professional baseball player. Instead, he chose to work at KPHO, where he would begin his path toward the hearts of many people, including myself. But as famous as he was, perhaps more famous was the thing he created that was the deepest desire of EVERY child in Phoenix: the Ladmo Bag. There was nothing spectacular about the bag itself. It was a plain brown lunch sack with the words “Ladmo Bag” in block letters on one side. Nor was there much more to be said about the inside. Perhaps candy, tickets to museums, zoo passes, maybe small toys, who knows? But that wasn’t the point. The fact that it was a Ladmo Bag, given by Ladmo himself, made it about the most special thing in the world to a child in the Valley of the Sun. Unfortunately few of us actually got one. Most were given out live at the show itself to the audience, and it was on just about the time school was going to start. But we sure did want one!

His passing affected me because:

Ladmo is such a strong memory to me. Every single morning of every single weekday was spent watching the show. I knew it better than I knew my school work. When I say the show was my childhood, I may not mean it literally, but it would be very, very close. I was in my sophomore year of high school, and I heard the news just before going to the bus stop. I’ll never forget the mood on the bus that day. Think about the attitudes of young people in high school and how a bus full of those crazy goof-offs would be every day, and we were no different… except for that day. We were all talking about it, and not one joke was cracked, not one troll was to be found. When the morning DJs began to discuss it, we all quieted down to listen. Then they played the opening theme song to that wonderful children’s show, and those of us who may have shed a tear or two were instantly forgiven by a traditionally-unforgiving population. The fact that I can still remember the teary faces of guys on that day that I went to high school with is a testament to what Ladmo was to us. He was not just a television personality. He was our very close and life-long friend.