James Whitmore (1921 – 2009)

Actor James Whitmore portrayed Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt in one-man stage shows and created memorable characters in many movies and TV shows, including "The Twilight Zone."

Whitmore won a Tony award in 1948 for his Broadway portrayal of an Army sergeant in "Command Decision" but was replaced by Van Johnson in the film version.

Whitmore also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the 1949 film "Battleground." He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 1976 for "Give 'Em Hell, Harry," the film version of his one-man show about Truman.

The actor won an Emmy in 2000 for his performance as Raymond Oz in a three-episode arc on the ABC legal drama "The Practice.

Movie fans may remember his subtle portrayal of aging prison inmate Brooks Hatlen in 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption" with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

He played U.S. Navy Adm. William F. Halsey in the World War II epic "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and was an imperious ape in the 1968 classic "Planet of the Apes."

Whitmore looked natural in cowboy boots and hat, appearing in such TV series as "Bonanza," "The Virginian" and "Gunsmoke."

He also did commercials for Miracle-Gro plant foods.

Whitmore was born in 1921 in White Plains, New York. He was married four times: twice to Nancy Mygatt, for four years in the '70s to actress Audra Lindley, and since 2001 to actress Noreen Nash.

Richard Harris

Richard St. John Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer. He appeared on stage and in many films, and is perhaps best known for his roles as King Arthur in Camelot (1967), as Oliver Cromwell in Cromwell (1970) and for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), his last film. He also played a British aristocrat and prisoner in A Man Called Horse (1970), a gunfighter in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven (1992), and the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (2000). As a singer, Harris is probably best remembered for his recording of Jimmy Webb's song "MacArthur Park", which reached the top ten in sales on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in 1968.

- Source: wikipedia

Alan Rickman

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and theatre director. Rickman is best known for his performances in film as Hans Gruber in Die Hard and Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, as well as extensive stage work. He is also known for his prominent roles as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 blockbuster film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; as Colonel Brandon in the Oscar-winning 1995 Sense and Sensibility; as Elliot Marston, alongside Tom Selleck in the movie Quigley Down Under; and, more recently, Judge Turpin in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Steven Spurrier in Bottle Shock, and as Éamon de Valera in Michael Collins. Source: Wikipedia

Gene Hackman

Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman^[1] (born January 30, 1930) is an American actor and novelist.

Hackman has made 80 films. He came to fame in 1967 when his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde earned him his first Oscar nomination. His major roles include police detective Popeye Doyle in The French Connection, surveillance expert Harry Caul in The Conversation, basketball coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers, the heroic Reverend Scott in The Poseidon Adventure, federal agent Rupert Anderson in Mississippi Burning, sadistic sheriff Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven, arch-villain Lex Luthor in Superman (plus two of its sequels), Edward "Brill" Lyle in Enemy of the State, patriarch Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums, submarine captain Frank Ramsey in Crimson Tide, professional thief Joe Moore in Heist and Admiral Leslie McMahon Reigart in Behind Enemy Lines. Source: Wikipedia

Forest Whitaker

Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, and director. Whitaker won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. Whitaker has also won a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA. He became the fourth African American man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.^[1]

He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.^[2][3] However, for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television series, The Shield, Whitaker merely had to draw on his childhood years growing up in South Central Los Angeles, California.

Source: Wikipedia

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash (February 26, 1922–September 12, 2003), born J. R. Cash, was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.^[2] Primarily a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll (especially early in his career), as well as blues, folk, and gospel.

Cash was known for his deep, distinctive bass-baritone voice, the "chicka-boom" freight train sound of his Tennessee Three backing band, his demeanor, and his dark clothing, which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black". He traditionally started his concerts with the introduction "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash".

Much of Cash's music, especially that of his later career, echoed themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption. His signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm" and "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous songs, such as "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue", a duet with June Carter called "Jackson", as well as railroad songs such as "Hey Porter" and "Rock Island Line." Source: Wikipedia

In Memory of Clay Whitaker 1963-2009