Latest news with #EmmyAwards
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Ex-ESPN and Fox Sports star John Brenkus dead after battle with depression
Former ESPN personality and best-selling author John Brenkus has died following a fight with depression. He was the creator and host of 'Sport Science', who also won multiple Emmy awards while with Fox Sports Net. His death was announced on Sunday night. 'It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Brenkus has passed away,' a statement read. 'John, co-founder of Base Productions, Founder of and co-creator and host of the six-time Emmy award-winning "Science," had been battling depression. 'John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31, 2025. His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alan Alda, Mike Farrell Among Those Paying Tribute to Loretta Swit: 'A Supremely Talented Actor'
Hollywood is paying tribute to Loretta Swit after news of her death was announced Friday. According to a police report, the M*A*S*H star died of suspected natural causes at her home in New York City, her publicist, Harlan Boll, announced. More from The Hollywood Reporter Valerie Mahaffey, Actress on 'Northern Exposure,' 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Young Sheldon,' Dies at 71 Alf Clausen, Emmy-Winning Composer for 'The Simpsons,' Dies at 84 Loretta Swit, Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on 'M*A*S*H,' Dies at 87 Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of M*A*S*H during its 11-season run, earning two Emmys for her portrayal of Maj. Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan. Notably, she was nominated for 10 Emmys, one for every season she appeared in except season one. After her tenure in the medical war drama, she went on to star in several films, including Freebie and the Bean (1974), Race With the Devil (1975), S.O.B. (1981) and BoardHeads (1998). Alan Alda, Swit's longtime M*A*S*H co-star, paid tribute to her on X. 'Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She deserved all her 10 EMMY nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it,' he wrote on Friday. 'She worked hard in showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out, listing her character not as Hot Lips but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here.' Mike Farrell, who joined the series in season four, shared a photo of the late actress on Instagram, writing, 'Loretta… 1937-2025.' In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Journey Gunderson, the executive director of the National Comedy Center, said, 'Loretta Swit's portrayal of Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan was groundbreaking – bringing heart, humor, and strength to one of television comedy's most enduring roles. Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion. That legacy endures through the cultural impact of MASH, which is proudly represented in the National Comedy Center.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
CNBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNBC
Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner who played Maj. Houlihan on pioneering series 'M.A.S.H.,' has died at 87
Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series "M.A.S.H.," has died. She was 87. Publicist Harlan Boll says Swit died Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes. Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on "M.A.S.H.," which was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film, which was itself based on a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger. The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name. The two-and-a-half-hour finale on Feb. 28, 1983, lured over 100 million viewers, the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever. Rolling Stone magazine put "M.A.S.H." at No. 25 of the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out put it at No. 34. It won the Impact Award at the 2009 TV Land annual awards. It won a Peabody Award in 1975 "for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war." In Altman's 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional character — a prickly, rules-bound head nurse who was regularly tormented by male colleagues, who gave her the nickname "Hot Lips." Her intimate moments were broadcast to the entire camp after somebody planted a microphone under her bed. Sally Kellerman played Houlihan in the movie version and Swit took it over for TV, eventually deepening and creating her into a much fuller character. Her sexuality was played down and she wasn't even called "Hot Lips" in the later years. The growing awareness of feminism in the '70s spurred Houlihan's transformation from caricature to real person, but a lot of the change was due to Swit's influence on the scriptwriters. "Around the second or third year I decided to try to play her as a real person, in an intelligent fashion, even if it meant hurting the jokes," Swit told Suzy Kalter, author of "The Complete Book of 'M.A.S.H.'" "To oversimplify it, I took each traumatic change that happened in her life and kept it. I didn't go into the next episode as if it were a different character in a different play. She was a character in constant flux; she never stopped developing." Alda praised Swit as a "supremely talented actor" in a post on X. "She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here." "M.A.S.H." wasn't an instant hit. It finished its first season in 46th place, out of 75 network TV series, but it nabbed nine Emmy nominations. It was rewarded with a better time slot for its sophomore season, paired on Saturday nights with "All in the Family," then TV's highest-rated show. At the 1974 Emmys, it was crowned best comedy, with Alda winning as best comedy actor. The series also survived despite cast churn. In addition to Swit and Alda, the first season featured Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville and Gary Burghoff. Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell and David Ogden Stiers would later be added, while Jamie Farr and William Christopher had expanded roles. "Loretta Swit's portrayal of Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan was groundbreaking — bringing heart, humor, and strength to one of television comedy's most enduring roles. Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion," National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement. Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of the series, nearly four times longer than the Korean War itself, exploring issues like PTSD, sexism and racism. Swit pushed for a better representation for women. "One of the things I liked, with Loretta's prodding, was every time I had a chance to write for her character, we'd get away from the Hot Lips angle and find out more about who Margaret was. She became more of a real person," Alda told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. The series ended on a happy note for Houlihan, who spends much of the finale debating whether she wants to head to Tokyo or Belgium for her next overseas post. Ultimately she opts to return to America and work at a hospital, citing her father — a career Army man. Swit didn't personally agree that was the correct decision for a military-minded official: "I didn't think that was correct for my Margaret," she told Yahoo Entertainment in 2023. "I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn't agree with that, but that's what they wanted her to do." But the actor did get to write the speech that Houlihan delivers to her fellow nurses on their final night together, in which she says: "It's been an honor and privilege to have worked with you. And I'm very, very proud to have known you." "I was consumed with writing that. And I still get letters from women all over the world who became nurses because of Margaret Houlihan. To have contributed to someone's life like that is remarkable," she told Yahoo Entertainment. During her run, Houlihan had an affair with Hawkeye's foil, the bumbling Frank Burns, played by Linville in the TV version, and in Season 5, Houlihan returns from a stay in Tokyo engaged to a handsome lieutenant colonel, a storyline that Swit says she advocated for with the writers. "I told them: 'Can you imagine what fun you're going to have with Larry when I come back to town and I tell him I'm engaged? He'll rip the doors off of the mess tent!' And that's exactly what they had him do. So we were all of the same mind." Toward the end, Swit was tempted to leave the show. She played the role of Chris Cagney in a 1981 television movie, "Cagney & Lacey," and was offered the part when it was picked up as a midseason series for the spring of 1982. But producers insisted she stay with "M.A.S.H." for its last two seasons. Swit told The Florida Times-Union in 2010 she might have stayed with "M.A.S.H." anyway. "You can't help but get better as an actor working with scripts like that," she said. "If you're in something that literate, well, we got spoiled." In 2022, James Poniewozik, The New York Times's chief television critic, looked back on the show and said it held up well: "Its blend of madcap comedy and pitch-dark drama — the laughs amplifying the serious stakes, and vice versa — is recognizable in today's dramedies, from 'Better Things' to 'Barry,' that work in the DMZ between laughter and sadness." After the TV series, Swit became a vocal animal welfare activist, selling SwitHeart perfume and her memoir through her official website, with proceeds benefiting various animal-related nonprofit groups. In 1983, she married actor Dennis Holahan, whom she'd met when he was a guest star on "M.A.S.H." They divorced in 1995. Born in Passaic, New Jersey, the daughter of Polish immigrants, Swit enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, then paid her dues for years in touring productions. In 1969, she arrived in Hollywood and was soon seen in series such as "Gunsmoke," "Hawaii Five-O," "Mission Impossible" and "Bonanza." Then in 1972, she got her big break when she was asked to audition for the role of "Hot Lips." She would regularly return to theater, starring on Broadway in 1975 in "Same Time, Next Year" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" in 1986. She was in "Amorous Crossing," a romantic comedy, at Alhambra Theatre & Dining in 2010 and in North Carolina Theatre's production of "Mame" in 2003.
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Alf Clausen, who wrote music for The Simpsons and won two Emmys for his talents, dies at the age of 87
Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years, has died aged 84. His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's disease for about a decade. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ('no relation', he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons'. While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama,'' Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Clausen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny & Marie. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Holdridge first got the composing job on Moonlighting, the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honour work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Alf Clausen, who wrote music for The Simpsons, dies
Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years, has died aged 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ("no relation", he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons". While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. "Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama,'" Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. "I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen." Clausen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny & Marie. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Holdridge first got the composing job on Moonlighting, the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honour work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years, has died aged 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ("no relation", he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons". While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. "Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama,'" Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. "I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen." Clausen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny & Marie. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Holdridge first got the composing job on Moonlighting, the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honour work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years, has died aged 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ("no relation", he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons". While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. "Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama,'" Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. "I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen." Clausen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny & Marie. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Holdridge first got the composing job on Moonlighting, the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honour work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years, has died aged 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ("no relation", he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons". While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. "Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama,'" Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. "I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen." Clausen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny & Marie. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Holdridge first got the composing job on Moonlighting, the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honour work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
