In io9 ’s annual “ in memoriam ” position , wepay tribute to doer , directors , creative person , composers , writers , creators , and other icon in the realm of repulsion , sci - fi , and fantasy that have pass off . Their inspiring work has impacted the lives of so many and will hold up on through their legacies in the worlds of genre amusement .
In Memoriam
Shelley Duvall
A regular of music director Robert Altman , Duvall ’s many plastic film cite include3 Women , Nashville , Popeye , Brewster McCloud , andMcCabe & Mrs. Miller . Duvall ’s genre credits to boot admit Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shining , Terry Gilliam’sTime Bandits , Tim Burton’sFrankenweenie , Guy Maddin’sTwilight of the Ice Nymphs , Russell Mulcahy’sTale of the Mummy , andMother Goose Rock ‘ n ’ Rhyme . Also a manufacturer , Duvall produce and hosted the children ’s television seriesFaerie Tale TheatreandTall Tales & Legends , as well as the short - lived repugnance anthology serial , NightmareClassics .
Tony Todd
© Warner Bros, Getty Images, Lionsgate
Born December 4 , 1954 , Todd made his acting first appearance with the 1986 filmsPlatoonandSleepwalk . From there , much of his celebrated survey consisted of writing style transportation . On boob tube , you ’d see him onStar Trek(Next contemporaries , Deep Space Nine , andVoyager),MacGyver , orSmallville;then he ’d be on the full-grown screen in films such asNight of the Living Dead , The Crow , andWishmaster . Horror was specially kind to him : as Ben in theNight of the Living Deadremake , Todd reach stardom , which led to him becoming a much bigger name as the titular orca in theCandymanseries , which he reprise in Nia DaCosta ’s 2021 sequel .
Jon Landau
“ Jon believed in the aspiration of cinema . He believed that film is the ultimate human art form , and to make pic you must first be human yourself , ” say James Cameron tothe Hollywood Reporter . “ He was my correct paw , and I was his . [ … ] I am thankful for every year , every day , every minute we had together . A part of myself has been torn by . But the awing squad he assembled and lead still remains , and we will commit ourselves to fulfil Jon ’s legacy . Not just the films yet to come , but the beloved and connection that bindsAvatarand Lightstorm together . ”
© Paramount Pictures
Maggie Smith
The fabled English actress had an prize - gain ground career and was truly one of the great of our time . In genre she played a huge role in the childhood of so many in films like Steven Spielberg’sHookas Wendy Darling , and as Professor McGonagall in theHarry Potterfranchise . Co - star Daniel Radcliffe remembered the actress in a statement shared inVariety : “ The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 old age honest-to-god and we were reading through scenes forDavid Copperfield.which was my first job . I knew near nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her … I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me straight off at ease . She was fantastically kind to me on that shoot , and then I was lucky enough to go on work with her for another 10 age on theHarry Potterfilms . ”
“ She was a bowelless understanding , a gloriously sharp tongue , could restrain and becharm in the same blink of an eye and was , as everyone will recite you , extremely shady … I will always consider myself surprisingly favourable to have been able-bodied to work with her , and to spend time around her on exercise set . The Good Book legend is overuse but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her . ”
Photo: Universal Pictures
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones , the representative of Darth Vader , The Lion King‘s Mufasa , and countless more iconic role , conk at the age of 93 . The legendary role player was a ace across stage and screen door — one of the vaunted few to have earned the EGOT , winning Emmy , Grammy , Oscar , and Tony awards — in a career abound with some of the most beloved moving picture in history . FromDr . Strangelovein 1964 all the way up to his reprisal of King Jaffe Joffer in the sequelComing 2 Americain 2021 , Jones ’ filmography is defined by some of themost successful filmsof all time , including memorable turns inField of Dreams , Conan the Barbarian , The Hunt for Red October , Patriot Games , and many more , and of course of instruction famous television receiver role in everything fromGabriel ’s Fireto his memorableSimpsonscameos .
Olivia Hussey
Photo: Carlos R. Alvarez/WireImage (Getty Images)
The star of 1974 horror classicBlack Christmas — she respond the calls that were coming from inside the house!—Hussey came to fame as a teen in Franco Zefferelli ’s 1968Romeo and Julietadaptation . ( That film was very recently back in the tidings when Hussey and co - principal Leonard Whiting , who was also a teen at the sentence of filming , quest for a span of lawsuits allege they were hale into nude scenes ; the second suit wasdismissed in October 2024 . ) An refined front in any sensitive , her bequest also includes not just Shakespeare and vacation slashers , but also turns as Norma Bates inPsycho IV : The Beginningand Audra Denbrough in the originalItTV mini - serial publication . She also had a hatful of part - acting credit , including work on threeStar Warsvideo secret plan ( Rogue Squadron , Force Commander , andThe Old Republic ) .
Jeri Taylor
hold June 30 , 1938 , Taylor got her beginning in TV writing scripts forLittle House on the PrairieandThe Incredible Hulk , and would later bring out and lineal episode ofQuincy , M.E.andJake and the Fatman . Lee Sheldon , who she ’d work with on the former , recommended her to theStar Trek : TheNext Generationproducers , and she joined the show as a monitor manufacturer on season four . During her time on the show , she was promote to executive manufacturer , became showrunner for the net season and penned several episode , include Wesley Crusher ’s ( Wil Wheaton ) terminal appearance as a series regular , and “ The Wounded , ” the firstStar Trekepisode to feature the Cardassians , who would become a major faction in ’ 90sStar TrekinDeep Space Nine .
Photo: 20th Century Studios
Roger Corman
Throughout his career , Corman became know for make movies at a fast clip , the majority of which were low - budget literary genre fare like sci - fi , repugnance , and natural process . Those movies helped launch the careers of several doer between the 1950s and 70 : Jack Nicholson , William Shatner , Diane Ladd , and so on . He was equally helpful to those behind the camera , having mentored director like James Cameron , Francis Ford Coppola , Joe Dante , and Martin Scorsese as they were emerging onto the scene . He ’d also handled U.S. statistical distribution for films of the epoch directed by foreign film producer such as Ingmar Bergman , Akira Kurosawa , and Federico Fellini .
Donald Sutherland
© Fox
While cinephiles of all stripes appreciated Sutherland ’s work — he brought an intelligence and lordliness to all his characters , plus a spacious image ( intimidating , mischievous , world - aweary … ) of nuances bet on the role — musical style devotee will always especially appreciate his piece of work in sci - fi , revulsion , and fantasy . championship in those region include , of course , his stint playingPresident Coriolanus Snowacross fourHunger Gamesmovies , as well asDon’t Look Now , Invasion of the Body Snatchers , Buffy the Vampire Slayer(the movie),Space Cowboys , Ad Astra , andMr . Harrigan ’s Phone , among many others . He is also the father of Kiefer Sutherland , alsoa prolific actor . c
Akira Toriyama
There are not many way to truly articulate just how influential Toriyama ’s oeuvre was to host of masses . Across mediums , across series , across forms and style and across multiple contemporaries , there are few contemporary artists who it ’s potential to say did n’t just touch the biography of billions of sports fan , but fundamentally reshaped the diligence he operated in . It ’s impossible to quantify just what manga ’s compass across the world , and the shape of its most democratic trends and series , would be withoutDragon Ball ’s influence and inspirations — and the same can be say for its Zanzibar copal adaptations , and not just how it shaped the industriousness at base but proliferate the form across the entire planet .
Mark Dodson
Born February 1 , 1960 , Dodson in the beginning worked as a tuner manufacturer before stepping into voice acting in 1983 as Salacious B. Crumb inStar Wars : Return of the Jedi . He’d go to do voice study in plenty of movies and shows throughout the decades , includingDay of the Dead , Darkwing Duck , Ewoks : The Battle for Endor , andArachnicide . He also did phonation oeuvre across multipleGremlinsprojects .
Bob Newhart
The player know for a legacy of comedic work fromCatch 22to Disney’sThe RescuerstoElfwas think back byfilmmaker Judd Apatow on Instagram:“Bob Newhart was as funny as they descend . The best put up up , the best position comedy star , the kindest individual . It was the kick of a lifetime to spend some meter with him when we madeBob and Don – A Love Story . I watch out thousands of hour of his work growing up and he made my lifetime much glad and did the same for the earth . ”
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers , who brought a gruff dignity ( with a hint of mischief ) to his role asThe Mandalorian ’s Greef Karga , has died at the age of 76 . Weathers was also much - beloved for his portrayals of Apollo Creed in theRockyfilms and Col . Al Dillon — oppositeArnold Schwarzenegger , who share with weather condition one of the most iconic handshake scene ever — inPredator . And , of course , comedy fans will have sex him forever and a day as Derick “ Chubbs ” Peterson in Adam Sandler ’s golf epicHappy Gilmore .
John Cassady
One of the most prominent comic strip artists of the 21st one C , Cassady will be forever and a day remembered for his time as the artist onAstonishing cristal - Men . Together with writer Joss Whedon , Cassaday ’s re - picturing of the X - Men in a post - New X - Menworld from 2004 through to 2008 elevatedAstonishinginto one of Marvel ’s honorable book at the time , giving XTC - Fans many incredible moment as well as defining a new look for Marvel ’s mutants in the mid - goose egg . More lately , Cassaday relaunched Marvel’sStar Warscomics seam alongside Jason Aaron in January 2015 , helping to remold the then - new rebootedStar Warscanon as he helped render the adventures of Luke , Leia , and Han between the upshot ofA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back .
Marc Gustafson
News of the 64 - year - erstwhile filmmaker ’s death was revealed byPinocchioco - director Guillermo del Toro , who eulogise himon Twitteras a “ straight artist . I admired [ Mark ] , even before I satisfy him . [ … ] A Legend- and a friend that inspired and gave hope to all around him . ” He pass on to say Gustafson lead behind “ a Titanic legacy of vivification . [ … ] I loved having had the fortune to share clip and space with him during the high school and the Sir David Low . Always and forever . ”
Martin Mull
Comedian Martin Mull had a long and wide-ranging career , mostly on TV ( Arrested Development‘s Gene Parmesan being a finical sports fan favorite ) ; genre buff in special will always remember his humorous turning in the circuit board game - inspiredCluemovie ( as Colonel Mustard ) and the 1990sSabrina the Teenage Witchseries .
Chance Perdomo
A immature actor whose career was tragically cut short by a motorcycle clangoring , Perdomo ’s breakout character come with Netflix’sChilling Adventures of Sabrinaas Ambrose Spellman , follow by a regular role as Andre Anderson forThe BoysspinoffGen Von Prime Video .
Shannen Doherty
Born April 12 , 1971 , Doherty commence roleplay at 11 class quondam as a guest champion on show likeVoyagers!andFather Irish potato . She ’d subsequently land a fall back function onLittle House on the Prairieas Jenny Wilder for the 9th and final season . She had a level-headed calling in both film and TV – in the former , she debuted as the voice of Teresa Brisby in 1982’sThe Secret of NIMH , and also starred inHeathersandMallrats . After a bar of client roles in series like21 Jump StreetandMagnum P.I.,she land her biggest role as Brenda Walsh onBeverly Hills , 90210.After negative reception from her quality ’s switch to a “ bad girl ” and battle with the show ’s stave , Doherty exited the show after season four , though she afterwards reprised her role for the first time of year of the CW ’s 2008 reboot . One of her other big roles was the top - billed lead inCharmed(from the CW ’s herald , the WB ) as Prue Halliwell .
Gary Graham
Star Trek‘s prescribed situation remembered Grahamas follows : “ fan ofStar Trekknew him well asStar Trek : Enterprise‘s Soval , the Vulcan ambassador to Earth , who causes problems for both Admiral Forrest and Captain Archer with his unfavorable attitude towards humans . Soval would go on to object to give Archer bidding of theEnterpriseNX-01 , and later blame him for the wipeout of the P’Jem monastery . Prior toEnterprise , Graham appear in theStar Trek : Voyagerepisode “ Cold Fire ” as Tanis , an Ocampan residential district leader whose ancestors elect to inhabit with the Caretaker ’s teammate , Suspiria . His presence in theStar Trekfandom would continue with appearance at conventions and twoStar Trekfan films . ”
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