From beloved childhood favorites to the sex icon of a generation,
these actors may be gone but won't soon be forgotten!
While technically the first live action portrayals of the eponymous Mario brothers came in the form
of early '80s Atari commercials, "Captain" Lou Albano's and Danny Wells' performance
as the daring duo is probably the most beloved. They entertained millions of children beginning
in 1989 on "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show." The show featured Albano and Wells playing the
two plumbers during live-action sequences at their Brooklyn residence, often with a celebrity guest,
before switching over to a cartoon episode of "Super Mario Bros." or "The Legend of Zelda."
Albano and Wells also voiced Mario and Luigi in the "Mario Bros." cartoon episodes. Captain Lou
was known for a prominent professional wrestling career that started in 1953 and ended in 1995,
and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a year later. Albano died on October 14th,
2009 from a heart attack at the age of 76.
Danny Wells, who played Luigi, was known for his TV guest appearances on the likes of "The
Jeffersons," "Happy Days," "Punky Brewster," "Chips," "The A-Team," "Sanford and Son," and
"Starsky & Hutch." He also did voice acting for "Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats," "Batman:
The Animated Series," "Johnny Bravo," and more. He died of undisclosed causes on November 28th, 2013.
If you're one of the few people who made it all the way through
the "Jaws" franchise to the fourth movie—1987's "Jaws:
The Revenge"—you may recognize Judith Barsi as the young granddaughter of Police Chief Martin Brody.
Before that movie came out, Barsi already had small parts in well-known TV series
including "Cheers" and "Cagney & Lacey." Today, she is best remembered for two Don
Bluth feature animations: She voiced Ducky, an excitable young dinosaur,
in 1988's "The Land Before Time," and animal whisperer Anne-Marie in "All Dogs Go to Heaven."
On July 25th, 1988, four months before "The Land Before Time" premiered, Judith, age 10,
and her mother Maria were shot dead by Judith's abusive father, who then killed himself. According
to the Los Angeles Times, a neighbor said that Maria had lived in fear for herself
and her daughter. She was trying to leave her husband but feared he would find and kill them.
Both "The Land Before Time" and "All Dogs Go to Heaven" came out after Judith and Maria's
deaths. Actor Heather Hogan voiced Ducky in subsequent "Land Before Time" sequels.
Dana Hill originally wanted to be a track star until type I diabetes ended her youthful athletic
dreams. Her father's career as a commercial director helped her start in the industry,
and she booked a series of ads before appearing on various television programs,
including "Mork & Mindy," "Fallen Angel," and "Magnum, P.I." She also voiced a variety
of animated characters for cartoons like "Rugrats," "Goof Troop," and "Darkwing Duck."
She's best recognized for playing Audrey Griswold in "National Lampoon's European
Vacation," replacing Dana Barron from "National Lampoon's Vacation" a few
years prior. Hill's life and career were both cut short after suffering a
fatal stroke triggered by her diabetes on July 15th, 1996, at the age of 32.
A classically trained Shakespearian actor, Helen McCrory made a name
for herself on stage and in a number of fan-favorite films and television series.
For those who don't frequent the London theater, McCrory was probably best known
for playing Narcissa Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" film franchise. Other film credits
include "Skyfall," "Hugo," "The Queen," and more. On television, McCrory played Madame
Kali in "Penny Dreadful," provided the voice for Stelmaria on "His Dark Materials," and
owned every scene she appeared in as Polly Gray on "Peaky Blinders." She passed away on April 16th,
2021, at the age of 52 from breast cancer while filming the sixth season of "Peaky Blinders,"
and certain storylines actually had to be rewritten due to her untimely death.
Funnyman Louie Anderson had one of the most iconic voices in the world of comedy. He was
an actor whom you could identify after just hearing a few words from his mouth.
"'Well I just know it's a sound,' and he went, 'EHHHHH!'
And the producer said, 'You mean…Louie Anderson?'"
"Yeah!"
Anderson's wit and quick-thinking delivery made him a sought-after stand-up act—he regularly
appeared on late-night television and celebrity game shows to help get the crowd rolling.
Anderson's television career was an interesting one. Early on, he created a cartoon series called
"Life With Louie," based on his childhood in the Midwest. Anderson voiced both the
childhood version of himself and his father in the series. The show won a number of Daytime
Emmy awards in the mid-'90s. Anderson went on to appear on many other shows in small,
memorable roles before becoming a critical darling again with the FX
series "Baskets." Anderson created the show along with Zach Galifianakis, Louis C.K.,
and Jonathan Krisel. He starred in the series as Christine Baskets.
Anderson died on January 21st, 2022,
from lymphoma at the age of 68. He had kept his diagnosis private for over a decade,
and passed away just three days after releasing information about his illness.
Robbie Coltrane was a total chameleon of an actor. His characters were capable of displaying warmth,
silliness, and love, while also showcasing fearsome strength and darkness. To be able
to do this once or twice is impressive, but to do it again and again requires some serious talent.
It's no wonder Coltrane was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2006.
Coltrane jumped between comic and dramatic roles with ease. His best-known characters came from the
world of film. He portrayed Valentin Zukovsky, a former KGB officer and frenemy of James Bond,
in "Goldeneye" and "The World Is Not Enough." His fame grew even more when he was cast as
gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" film franchise. Playing one of the
warmest characters in a beloved franchise helped cement Coltrane's acting legacy.
On the television side of things, Coltrane regularly appeared in TV
movies and miniseries where he got to flex his acting muscles. He's probably best known
for the crime drama "Cracker," where he starred as Dr. Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald.
Coltrane died on October 14th, 2022, due to ongoing health complications. He was 72 years old.
In the world of classic television, not many shows stand above their peers like "Happy
Days." It ran for over a decade of television, featuring 11 seasons and over 250 episodes,
and also helped launch the careers of notable actors like Ron Howard,
Henry Winkler, and Scott Baio. One other actor who appeared in every
season of "Happy Days," and starred in one of its spin-offs, was Erin Moran.
Moran played Joanie Cunningham, the younger sister of Richie and Chuck,
who eventually starts dating Chachi. As the young couple started gaining popularity on the show,
a spin-off series called "Joanie Loves Chachi" was created. This new series was about a young couple
trying to start a musical act, and the episodes featured performances from Baio and Moran. "Joanie
Loves Chachi" was not as well-received as "Happy Days," and was canceled during its second season.
The characters popped back up on "Happy Days" and actually got married in the final episode.
Moran continued to find work after "Happy Days," but never really returned to the spotlight.
She struggled with cancer later in life and died in 2017 at the age of 56.
Even if you've never seen something she's appeared in, you've probably seen pictures
of Raquel Welch. Welch was a major sex symbol in the 1960s and beyond. She made her first
splash with the film "One Million Years B.C.," shooting to fame after appearing on the film's
poster clad only in an animal-skin bikini. She only had a handful of lines in the film,
but that image was more than enough to make her a household name.
Outside of that, Welch is probably best known for roles in films like the 1973 version of "The
Three Musketeers," "Kansas City Bomber," "Bedazzled," and "Right to Die." She was
a regular guest on celebrity specials and game shows, and also had recurring roles on a handful
of short-lived series, like 2008's "Welcome to the Captain" and 2017's "Date My Dad."
Raquel Welch died on February 15th, 2023, at the age of 82.
Whether you call him the Big Guy or Uncle Phil, James Avery earned household name status through
his portrayal of Philip Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Prior to making his mark
on that long-running hit NBC sitcom, the burly actor had plenty of small roles throughout his
TV career, although he was particularly well known for his voice acting work.
"You may call me, 'The Shredder.'"
Avery was the voice of Shredder on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and War Machine on
"Iron Man." He also did voices for a list of projects that included "The Prince of Egypt,"
"Extreme Ghostbusters," "Fist of the North Star," and "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling."
A fatherly presence despite his most famous character's name, Avery saddened a generation
of viewers when he died from complications following heart surgery on December 31, 2013,
at the age of 68.
Wendie Jo Sperber had small parts in two very big movies. She was an uncredited dancer in
"Grease," one of the most famous musicals of all time. And she played Marty McFly's older
sister Linda in "Back to the Future," reprising the role for "Back to the Future Part III."
Even before "Back to the Future," Sperber was well known to some thanks to her part in the
sitcom "Bosom Buddies." The show starred Tom Hanks as Kip and Peter Scolari as Henry, two
friends who have to pretend to be women in order to get an apartment in a cheap women's-only hotel.
Sperber played Amy, their co-worker and initially the only resident who knows the men's secret.
In addition to regular movie roles, Sperber also appeared in episodes of various hit TV
series including "Murphy Brown," "Will & Grace," "Home Improvement," and "JAG."
Sperber was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. Four years later,
she founded weSPARK Cancer Center, a nonprofit intended to support other
patients and their families. She died on November 29th, 2005, at the age of 47.
When it came to the characters on "Saved by the Bell," the odd man out was often Sam Powers,
better known as Screech. The "Saved by the Bell" bunch boasted a nice collection of stereotyped
characters, and Screech was the dork. Though Screech typically appeared as a side character,
often aiding the schemes of Zack and Slater, actor Dustin Diamond was still
able to showcase his comedic talents. That helped him carve out a solid identity for
a character that could have easily been a throwaway member of the central cast.
Like his character, however, Diamond was kind of the odd man out of the main
cast. After the show ended, Diamond struggled to land substantial roles,
and often found himself at the center of bizarre controversies. A sex tape was leaked
in 2006 — one that Diamond later admitted he himself released, with a body double replacing
him in most of the scenes. Diamond would also release a behind-the-scenes tell-all
book called "Behind the Bell," in which he aired out all the dirty laundry on his "Saved
by the Bell" costars. He would later admit that a ghostwriter made up almost everything in the book.
Diamond passed away from lung cancer in 2021. He was 44 years old.
Earl Hindman had a relatively low-profile show business career, but he stayed consistently busy
for decades, appearing in movies like "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." Throughout the '70s and
'80s, he had his most consistent visibility in the part of Bob Reid, a character he played in
more than 450 episodes of the long-running ABC daytime drama "Ryan's Hope." It was a steady gig
whose reliability and dramatic potential would be the envy of most working actors.
It was another supporting role on a long-running series,
however, that ultimately earned Hindman his greatest notoriety.
"Howdy, neighbor!"
Most '90s kids will remember him as Wilson, the mysterious-but-friendly neighbor of Tim
"The Toolman" Taylor on the hit sitcom "Home Improvement." Hindman died on December 29th,
2003, at the age of 61 due to lung cancer, leaving a generation with fond memories of
that lovable neighbor behind the fence who always had the best advice and most interesting hobbies.
"Hey, Wilson what are you doing?"
"Well, hi-ho Taylor teen! I am sculpting a shrine out of yack butter."