2010 Notable Deaths: In film and TV

News

2010 Notable Deaths: In film and TV

Notable names in films and TV who died in 2010.

TONY CURTIS, June 3, 1925-Sept. 29, 2010: Actor whose career spanned six decades. Found success in comedy ("Some Like It Hot") and drama ("Spartacus.")

DIXIE CARTER, May 25, 1939-April 10, 2010: In her role of Julia Sugarbaker in the TV show Designing Women, she epitomized single, independent and creative Southern women in the 1980s and 1990s.

TOM BOSLEY, Oct. 1, 1927 - Oct. 19, 2010: Best known as lovable dad Howard Cunningham on TV's "Happy Days," Bosley won a Tony award in 1960.

GARY COLEMAN, Feb. 8, 1968-May 28, 2010: Actor best known for his role on sitcom Diff'rent Strokes who later sued his parents for misappropriation of his finances.

STEPHEN J. CANNELL, Feb. 5, 1941-Sept. 30, 2010: TV producer and writer. He created or helped create such shows as "Rockford Files," "The A-Team" and "The Commish." He also wrote such shows as "Adam-12" and "Baretta."

ROBERT SCHIMMEL, Jan. 16, 1950-Sept. 3, 2010: Stand-up comedian who was a semi-regular on "The Howard Stern Show."

ROBERT CULP, Aug. 16, 1930-March 24, 2010: The actor rose to fame playing secret agent Kelly Robinson opposite Bill Cosby on the 1960s TV series "I Spy." He was later cast as Ray Romano's father-in-law on "Everybody Loves Raymond."

PHIL HARRIS: Dec. 19, 1956-Feb. 9, 2010: Boat captain who starred in Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch." He suffered a stroke while working in January and later died from it.

PERNELL ROBERTS, May 18, 1928-Jan. 24, 2010: Roberts, who was born in Waycross, Ga and briefly attended Georgia Tech, starred in Bonanza and Trapper John, M.D. He marched in several civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s and urged television executives to hire more minority actors.

MERLIN OLSEN, Sept. 15, 1940-March 11, 2010: The Pro Football Hall of Famer was part of the Los Angeles Rams' storied "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line. After his 15-season NFL career ended, he became an actor with a role on "Little House on the Prairie," then starred in "Father Murphy."

MEINHARDT RAABE, 1915-April 9, 2010: Raabe played the character of the Munchkin coroner in the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz." He pronounced the wicked witch dead: "As Coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her, And she's not only MERELY dead, She's really most SINCERELY dead."

SIMON MacCORKINDALE, Feb. 12, 1952 - Oct. 14, 2010: Mainly known in the U.S. for starring in the short-lived '80s TV series "Manimal," MacCorkindale was once touted as a possible replacement for Roger Moore as filmdom's James Bond.

ZELDA RUBINSTEIN, May 28, 1933-Jan. 27, 2010: Measuring just 4-feet-3-inches tall, Rubinstein made a big impression as the psychic in 'Poltergeist.' She went into acting in her 40s and also appeared in 'Sixteen Candles' and 'Teen Witch.' Rubinstein also advocated for rights of little people and AIDS education.

JOHN FORSYTHE, Jan. 29, 1918-April 2, 2010: The longtime actor may be best known for his TV roles of oil tycoon Blake Carrington on ABC's "Dynasty," and the voice of millionaire Charlie on "Charlie's Angels."

JEAN SIMMONS, Jan. 31, 1929-Jan. 22, 2010: Simmons was a two-time nominee for an Academy Award. By the time she was 20, she had been featured on the covers of Time and Life magazines. The actress born in England was pursued by studio owner Howard Hughes, and he threatened to ruin her career when his advances were rebuffed.

GREG GIRALDO, Dec. 10, 1965-Sept. 29, 2010: Stand-up comedian and retired attorney, best known for appearances on Comedy Central's televised roasts. He served as a judge on the NBC show "Last Comic Standing." Died from an overdose of prescription medication.

PETER GRAVES, March 18, 1926-March 14, 2010: The actor was known for his roles in the "Airplane!" movies and for his role as the cool spymaster of TV's Mission: Impossible. He went on to host the "Biography" series.

GLORIA STUART, July 4, 1910-Sept. 26, 2010: Actress whose career spanned nearly 80 years. Her best-known roles were as Rose in "Titanic" in 1997 and in "The Invisible Man" in 1933.

FRANCES REID: Dec. 9, 1914-Feb. 3, 2010: Actress who played Alice Horton on NBC's "Days of Our Lives" for 42 years.

JAMES MacARTHUR, Dec. 8, 1937 - Oct. 28, 2010: The adopted son of Oscar-winning actress Helen Hayes came into his own as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams on the original version of the long-running CBS television crime drama "Hawaii Five-O."

FESS PARKER, Aug. 16, 1924-March 18, 2010: The actor's portrayal of frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone impacted millions of young viewers in the late 1950s and '60s. He later became a wine maker.

DENISE BORINO-QUINN, Jan. 6, 1964 - Oct. 27, 2010: As Ginny Sacrimoni ("Ginny Sack") on HBO's gangster drama "The Sopranos," Borino-Quinn turned a minor supporting role into a character that fans came to empathize with.

COREY HAIM, Dec. 23, 1971-March 10, 2010: The 1980s teen heartthrob starred in several films, including "The Lost Boys," "Lucas" and "License to Drive." Most notably, he collaborated numerous times with Corey Feldman, and the pair were dubbed "The Two Coreys."

BARBARA BILLINGSLEY, Dec. 22, 1915 - Oct. 16, 2010: She was beloved TV mom June Cleaver on the '50s sitcom "Leave It To Beaver" and gained a whole new generation of fans with her hilarious "I speak jive" scene in the 1980 disaster spoof film "Airplane!"

ARTHUR PENN, Sept. 27, 1922-Sept. 28, 2010: Film director and producer, whose most-famous movies were "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Miracle Worker."

1/25

TONY CURTIS, June 3, 1925-Sept. 29, 2010: Actor whose career spanned six decades. Found success in comedy ("Some Like It Hot") and drama ("Spartacus.")

Today's Gallery Headlines

cedar grove, cairo

Photos: Cedar Grove defeats Cairo in first round of state tournament

Salem Campground Covington

PHOTOS: See the 'Places in Peril' across Georgia for 2026

Autotrader 400

PHOTOS: Tyler Reddick wins again at Autotrader 400

Allyson Phillips (center), Laken Riley’s mother, prays at UGA’s Tate Plaza on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, during a memorial service for her daughter. Riley was attacked on Feb. 22, 2024 while running in Oconee Forest Park on the UGA campus and killed. (C.J. Bartunek for the AJC)

PHOTOS: Hundreds honor Laken Riley with 5K, memorial on UGA campus

More Galleries

Ice storm warning

PHOTOS: Scenes from icy winter storm in Metro Atlanta

As storm inches closer to Georgia, metro Atlanta braces for ice threat

PHOTOS: Georgia readies for incoming ice storm

01202026 day of protests

PHOTOS: Metro Atlanta ICE protest join national effort

PHOTOS: Georgia's first snowfall of the year

PHOTOS: Georgia's first snowfall of the year