'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Bonnie Franklin

Wikipedia

Bonnie Franklin was born on January 6, 1944 in Santa Monica, California.  When she was 13 years old, her family moved to Beverly Hills where she attended high school.  After graduating high school, she attended Smith College and moved back to California to attend UCLA.  Her first appearance was on 'The Colgate Comedy Hour' at 9 years old and had a non-credited role in Alfred Hitchcock's film, 'The Wrong Man'.  Bonnie made her Broadway debut in 1970 in the musical, 'Applause', which earned her a Tony Award nomination.  Further performances followed including my home town of Pittsburgh in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'. She is most known for her TV series, 'One Day At A Time' in which she portrayed a divorced mother raising two daughters, played by Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips.  The series ran from 1975 to 1984.  She reunited with Bertinelli in 'Hot In Cleveland' last year.  On September 24, 2012, it was announced that Bonnie had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and undergoing treatment.  Today, Bonnie Franklin succumbed to her disease and passed away at 69 years old.  Find the connection!

'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Charles Durning

Wikipedia

Charles Edward Durning was born on February 28, 1923 in Highland Falls, New York.  He was one of 10 children.  Five of his sisters lost their lives to scarlet fever and smallpox as children.  Charles is most known as being one of our greatest character actors, much like Vincent.  He was raised Catholic and considered becoming a priest.  His start began as an usher at a burlesque theatre in Buffalo, New York and would take the place of comedians that showed up too drunk to perform.  At 21, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was part of the Normandy Invasion of France on D-Day.  He was wounded by a mine and received shrapnel in his right thighs, right hand, head, and chest.  He recovered quickly and took part in the Battle of the Bulge where he was wounded again.  Charles returned to the United States and remained in Army hospitals until his discharge.  He received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, WWII Victory Medal and three Purple Hearts.  A sporadic start to his career was on the New York stage and only once or twice a decade. He was in the original production of 'That Championship Season' in 1973.  There, just gave you an easy clue.  The breakthrough film performance was in 'The Sting' and he went on to amass a filmography of some 100 films.  Charles Durning passed away of unknown causes in Manhattan, New York on December 24, 2012 at the age of 89.  He was buried in Arlington Cemetery.  R.I.P, 'King of Character Actors'  Find the connection!

'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Larry Hagman

WIKIPEDIA

Larry Hagman was born on September 21, 1931 in Fort Worth, Texas and is best known for his roles as 'Tony Nelson' in 'I Dream of Jeannie' and J.R. Ewing in 'Dallas'.  Upon hearing the news of his death, Barbara Eden, who played 'Jeannie' in the series, was so devastated she could not publicly speak and had comments sent through a rep.  His mother is Mary Martin, Broadway actress and musical comedy star.  She was just 17 when Larry was born and divorced her husband when Larry was five years old.  He lived with his grandmother in Texas and California while his mother was a contract player with Paramount.  Mary Martin remarried in 1938 to Richard Halliday and together they had a daughter, Heller, one year later.  Larry attended Black-Foxe Military Institute, known for its strictness.  His mother moved to NYC to continue her Broadway career while Larry stayed behind to live with his grandmother.  Two years later, his grandmother passed away and he went to live with his mother in NYC.  In 1946, Hagman moved back to Texas where he attended Weatherford High School in his hometown.  He worked for an oil field-equipment company and was pressed by his father, a lawyer, to go to school to become one and join his practice.  Instead, Larry was drawn to drama classes and fell in love with the stage because of the warm reception he received for his comedic performances.  He began his career as a production assistant and acting in some roles for a theater company.  Hagman was drafted into the military during the Korean War and was stationed in London.  Most of his military career was spent entertaining the troops.  Once out of the military, he returned to NYC and performed in several Off-Broadway plays.  He also appeared on several live TV programs most notably 'The Edge of Night'.  'I Dream of Jeannie' followed and ran for 5 seasons.  He would later reunite with Barbara Eden for several functions and publicity tours.  In 1977, he took on the role of  'J.R. Ewing' in 'Dallas'.  The successful show was seen in 90 countries and started a buzz when one episode found him shot begging the question, 'Who Shot J.R.?'  Locked in a salary dispute, it was not known if he would appear for the fourth season and not until the final few minutes.  His role on the show garnered him many awards nominations.  Just this year, 'Dallas' returned on TNT for new shows.  It is not known how Larry Hagman's death will be addressed in the new season.   Larry was married to Maj Axelsson and has two children, Heidi and Preston.  At the time of his death, they were married for 58 years.  In 1995, Hagman had a liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver cancer.  Being a heavy smoker, he immediately quit and was involved in anti-smoking campaigns.  This past November 23, Larry Hagman passed away from complications of throat cancer.  His family was at his side along with Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, his fellow actors from 'Dallas'.  R.I.P.  Find the connection!

''Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio''...Michael Clarke Duncan...

WIKIPEDIA

Michael Clarke Duncan was born on December 10, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois and is best known for his role in the movie, 'The Green Mile''.   He grew up with his sister and mother; his father had left them.   His dream was always to act but he dropped out of a communications program in college to support his ill mother.   He had jobs digging ditches for the People's Gas Company and being a bouncer at various Chicago clubs.   Michael later went to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and worked as a bodyguard for Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J and Notorious B.I.G.  When Notorious B.I.G. was killed he quit that line of work.  In 1988, he was cast in the film 'Armageddon'' and struck up a friendship with Bruce Willis.  Bruce Willis' influence helped Michael to get his role in 'Green Mile'.  The role netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.  He did not win either.  If you haven't seen the movie you've missed a good one.  Many roles in movies followed including the role of the Kingpin in 2002.  He was asked to put on forty pounds on to his 290 pounds and lift weights.   In 2009, he stopped eating meat and did a commercial for PETA.  He said he enjoyed the health benefits and increased strength from being on a vegetarian diet.  On July 13, Michael suffered a heart attack and was transported to the hospital.  His girlfriend, Omarosa, is credited with saving his life after giving him CPR.  On August 6, he was transferred to the intensive care unit.  Yesterday, Michael suffered a myocardial infarction and passed away at the age of fifty four years old.  For the first time, it was reported that Omarosa was actually his fiancee'.  Those of you familiar with 'Celebrity Apprentice' will know who she is.  She is also an ordained minister.  Find the connection!

'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Sherman Hemsley...

WIKIPEDIA

Sherman Alexander Hemsley was born on February 1, 1938 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He is most noted as portraying the character of  'George Jefferson' on 'All In The Family'.  Sherman was raised by a single mother who worked as a factory worker.  He dropped out of school to join the Air Force and served four years.  Once discharged from the Air Force, Sherman began work at the Post Office while he attended acting school at night.  He moved to New York and did the same thing, working for the Post Office while continuing his studies in acting at night.  Sherman performed mainly with productions of plays and worked with various groups.  During that time, Norman Lear called him to play the role of  'George Jefferson' but Sherman did not want to leave the current theatre role he had.  Norman Lear told him he would keep the role open for him and two years later Sherman joined the cast for what would be his most memorable association.  The success of the teaming of Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley as husband and wife got them their own spinoff in 'The Jeffersons'.  In reality, Isabel was 20 years older than Hemsley but it did not matter.  The audience accepted them as a credible match.  After the cancellation of  'The Jefferson's, Sherman teamed up with original cast members for a Broadway production of the show.  He then joined the cast of  'Amen' playing an 'unscrupulous' church deacon.  In the past decade, Sherman appeared in guest spots on different shows with his fellow cast member, Isabel Sanford.  They are also seen together in different commercials and enjoyed occasional appearances until Isabel fell ill and passed away in 2004.  Little know fact is that Sherman was a bit of a 1970's progressive rock band fan.  He especially enjoyed  the works of Yes, Gentle Giant and Nektar.  In 1999, he collaborated with Yes founder Jon Anderson for an album that was never released.  Today, Sherman Hemsley passed away of natural causes at this home in El Paso, Texas.  He was 74 years old.  Find the connection!

''Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio''...Andy Griffith...

WIKIPEDIA

Andrew Samuel Griffith was born on June 1, 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina and was an only child.  It was the same day as movie icon Marilyn Monroe.  He had an early introduction into music and humor; a shy boy he came out of his shell when he saw he could make his peers laugh.  In high school, Andy developed a love for the arts and participated in the school's drama program.   He studied to be a preacher in college but changed his major to music.  Andy went on to act in films in bit parts and also in early television.  He is best known for his 'Sheriff Andy Taylor' character on the long-running series 'The Andy Griffith Show'.   Also notable is 'Matlock' who was a country lawyer in Atlanta, GA.  I have abbreviated this post because I have already done a 'Six Degrees' with Andy Griffith yet it does bear repeating for such a well-known celebrity.  This morning, Andy Griffith passed away at the age of 86 and was buried right away with no autopsy or embalming.  Find the connection!

''Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio''...Frank Cady...

WIKIPEDIA

Frank Cady was born on Septmber 8, 1915 and is best known for his role as 'Sam Drucker'.  He was born in Susanville, California and later moved to Wilsonville, Oregon with his family.  Frank studied at Stanford University where he studied journalism and drama.  It was at Stanford University where he met his future wife, Shirley, to whom he was married 68 years before her death in 2008 at the age of 91 years.   He served an apprenticeship in London where he was in four plays and had his first TV appearance.  When his apprenticeship was over, he returned to Stanford for graduate studies and a position as a teaching assistant.  Later he became an announcer and news broadcaster but put everything on hold to serve in the Army during WWII.  After being discharged from the Army, Frank did a series of plays and had various parts in big name films.  His biggest role was that of 'Sam Drucker' who was a local grocer.  That same character was seen on 'The Beverly Hillbillies', 'Petticoat Junction' and 'Green Acres'.  He was the only actor to have a recurring character on 3 TV sitcoms at the same time.  Also, he was only 1 of 3 co-stars of 'Petticoat Junction' to stay with the series for the entire 7 year run.  Frank's last acting role was in the TV move 'Return to Green Acres' in 1990.  Frank Cady passed away this past Friday, June 8TH, at the age of 96 years old and is survived by a son and daughter.  Find the connection!

"Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio"...Richard Dawson...

WIKIPEDIA

Colin Lionel Emm was born on November 20, 1932 in Gosport, Hampshire, England and is known for his role in 'Hogan's Heroes', as host of 'Family Feud' and panelist on 'Match Game'. His father was American and his mother was English. When he was fourteen years old he ran away from home to join the Merchant Marines where he pursued a boxing career. After his discharge, he began a comedy career under the name 'Dickie Dawson' and later took the legal name of 'Richard Dawson'. Richard had small roles in various TV shows and films and when he moved to Los Angeles took on his memorable role of 'Cpl Peter Newkirk' in 'Hogan's Heroes'. It was Richard who introduced fellow actor Bob Crane to John Henry Carpenter who worked with the video department at Sony Electronics and recorded Crane's sexual excapades on video tape. Carpenter was later implicated in Crane's unsolved murder. Richard was also a regular on Rowan and Martin's 'Laugh-In' during the 70's. In the 80's, he became the host of 'Family Feud' where he developed his trademark of kissing the contestants for good luck. After its cancellation, Richard returned to host a syndicated version in the early 90's and received a 25 second standing ovation that left him overwhelmed and close to tears. Richard 1st marriage was to Diana Dors, producing two sons, but ended in divorce. His second marriage was to Gretchen Johnson who had been a contestant on 'Family Feud' in 1981. They had a daughter, Shannon. Yesterday, Richard Dawson passed away from esophageal cancer. He was 79 years old. Find the connection!

''Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio''...Donna Summer...

WIKIPEDIA

LaDonna Adrian Gaines aka Donna Summer was born on December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts. She was one of seven children raised in a devoutly Christian home and sang in church at an early age. In the 60's, she was influenced by Janis Joplin, dropped out of school and became the lead singer for a band named Crow. In 1968, she auditioned for a role in the Broadway production of 'Hair' but Melba Moore won over her. When the production moved overseas, Donna was offered the role and moved to Germany. While in Germany she learned to speak German fluently. She married an Austrian actor in 1973 and they had a daughter, Mimi. The marriage ended in divorce due to Donna's extramarital affair but she kept her married name of 'Sommer' and changed it to the more English version of 'Summer'. During the 70's, she was a background singer for Three Dog Night and in 1975 came up with the idea for her 'Love To Love You Baby' song. Her inspiration was singing the song as Marilyn Monroe would have. Later in the 70's, Donna became synonymous with the disco sound at the time. She continued to release albums throughout the 80's and 90's. Today, Donna Summer passed away after a battle with lung cancer that she believed was a result of breathing in debris after the 9/11 attacks. Find the connection!

"Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio"...George Lindsey...

WIKIPEDIA

George Lindsey was born on December 17, 1928 in Fairfield, Alabama and is most known for his role as 'Goober' on 'The Andy Griffith Show'. He attended Florence State College where he earned a Bachelor of Bioscience degree and was a high school teacher at Hazel Green High School. George served in the United States Air Force and after being discharged he pursued show business in NYC. His first break was his role of 'Goober' that was originally named 'Goober Beasley' and changed to 'Goober Pyle' as he was the cousin of 'Gomer Pyle'. When 'The Andy Griffith Show' ended, another show emerged entitled 'Mayberry R.F.D.' where he portrayed his same character. That character was also seen on the country music show, 'Hee Haw'. George was active in raising donations for Alabama Special Olympics that were well over one million dollars in 17 years of involvement. Today, George Lindsey passed away at the age of 83 after a brief illness. Find the connection!

'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Jonathan Frid...

WIKIPEDIA

John Herbert Frid was born on December 2, 1924 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and is best known for portraying 'Barnabas Collins'. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy and attended McMaster University followed by acceptance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. In 1954, he moved to the United States and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from the Yale School of Drama in 1957. He first used the stage name of 'Jonathan Frid' in 1962 and had a career in live theater for some 30 years. From 1966 to 1971, Jonathan portrayed vampire 'Barnabas Collins' in the hit series 'Dark Shadows'. His initial plans were to move to the West Coast to pursue a career as an acting teacher but received word that he had won the role of Barnabas. Thinking it would only be a short-term role, he accepted, but once his character's popularity soared, abandoned his plans to move and teach. In 1994, after 40 years in NYC, Jonathan retired and moved back to his native Canada. Through the years he had attended Dark Shadows conventions and participated in charitable events. Last June, Jonathan filmed a cameo appearance for the Tim Burton Dark Shadows film due out May 11TH. This past April 14TH, Jonathan Frid passed away of natural causes at the age of 87. Find the connection!

 

'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Robin Gibb...

WIKIPEDIA

Robin Hugh Gibb was born on December 22, 1949 along with his twin brother, Maurice in Manchester, England. There were also two other brothers, Barry and Andy, and a sister. He is most noted as being a singer and songwriter along with his brothers Maurice and Barry as the 'Bee Gees'. Their career started early in England where they performed in local theatres until the family moved to Brisbane, Australia in 1958 and eventually returning to England in 1967. Robin was mainly the lead singer of the group but traded off with his brother Barry in what was a constant jockeying for the central spot. In 1968, Robin married his first wife, Molly, who was a secretary in the Robert Stigwood organization. The two survived the Hither Green rail crash that killed 49 people on November 5, 1967. Despite many notable songs written and performed by the Bee Gees; they are most famous for their collaboration of songs included in the 'Saturday Night Fever' movie. At the time they had no idea they were writing a soundtrack for the movie with its album becoming one of the top sellers of all time. In 1988, Robin's younger brother, Andy Gibb passed away from a cocaine overdose at the age of 30 at the height of a successful solo career. In 2003, his twin brother, Maurice passed away from complications of a twisted bowel that Robin also suffered from. While performing in Belgium, Robin experienced stomach pains and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery for a blocked intestine in August of 2010 and again in October of 2011. One month later, it was announced that Robin was battling colon cancer that had traveled to his liver. Just this past March, word came that Robin was in remission from his cancer but by the end of the month he was hospitalized yet again. Sadly, yesterday brought the news that Robin was in a coma 'fighting for his life' after developing pneumonia. His brother, Barry and his family are holding vigil at his side. Thoughts and prayers go out to the Gibb family who have had more than their share of tragedy. Find the connection using th film 'Saturday Night Fever'!

"SIX DEGREES OF VINCENT D'ONOFRIO" GAME...EDDIE FOY, SR....

WIKIPEDIA

Edwin Fitzgerald 'Eddie Foy, Sr.' was born March 9, 1856 in Greenwich Village, New York City. Eddie's parents immigrated to the US from Ireland in 1855 and settled into Greenwich Village where he came to be born. His father passed away in an insane asylum in 1862 from syphilis-induced dementia and his mother took Eddie and his three siblings to go live in Chicago. Eddie started performing in the Chicagoan streets at age six and at age 15 changed his name to Foy. He worked as a supernumerary in theatrical productions and was introduced into the theatre as a result. In 1979, Eddie married Rose Howland, one of the singling Howland sisters, and both traveled with a troupe before settling in Philadelphia. That same year, Rose died in childbirth as did the child she was delivering. Eddie stayed with the troupe for two more years before quitting and going on the road to perform all over the United States. In 1888, Foy returned to Chicago as the star comedian in his own company. In 1896, Eddie married his third wife...his 2ND marriage cannot be verified...who bore him 11 children of whom 7 survived. On December 30, 1903, Eddie was on tour with 'Mr. Bluebeard' at Chicago's Iroquois Theatre where a malfunctioning spotlight set fire to scenery backstage. Not wanting the crowd to panic, Eddie stayed onstage until the very last minute and was able to escape through a sewer. 600 people lost their lives due to lax safety measures and locked doors. Eddie formed a family vaudeville act with his 7 children called 'Eddie Foy and The Seven Little Foys' famously recreated in film by Bob Hope and James Cagney. Each of the 7 Foys left to pursue their own careers and did very well. He passed away in 1928 doing what he loved. A heart attack while headlining in the hit Broadway comedy 'The Fallen Star'. Find the connection!

''Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio''...Davy Jones

WIKIPEDIA

Davy Jones was born David Thomas Jones on December 30, 1945 in Manchester, England. Incidentally, he shared the same birthday with fellow band mate, Michael Nesmith. Davy begin acting at age 11 and was in the TV soap opera, 'Coronation Street'. His mother passed away when he was 14 years old and he left acting to train as a jockey. While training, he was summoned away where he went to perform in 'Oliver!' as the Artful Dodger. The show performed on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award. While in NYC, the cast appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on the same night as The Beatles' first appearance. Standing in the sidelines and watching the girls screaming and going crazy, Davy knew right then and there that was what he wanted too. He was signed by Screen Gems and appeared in episodes of 'Ben Casey' and 'The Farmer's Daughter' and recorded a couple of songs on Colpix that weren't received very well. His next gig was to turn out to be his most successful and what he is best known for...'The Monkees'. 'The Monkees' was a made for TV band and show that grew so much in popularity that the stars went out and toured. Davy was known as 'the cute one' much like Paul McCartney of The Beatles. The show eventually went off the air and the group disbanded but several tours followed in the years following. Many of you don't know what an avid Monkees fan I was and the collection I have built through the years. I have all the albums, bubblegum cards and various memorablilia. I also got to see them perform live in concert...minus Mike. Davy's autograph was the only one missing from my collection. Sadly, it will stay that way. Davy Jones passed away this morning at the age of 66 of a massive heart attack while he was sleeping in his Florida home. Find the connection!