In Memoriam 2024

Mickey Cottrell was born on 4 November 1944 in Springfield, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for My Own Private Idaho (1991), Volcano (1997) and Ed Wood (1994). He died on 1 January 2024 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.

Germana Dominici was born on 1 December 1946 in Palermo, Sicily, Italy. She was an actress, known for Black Sunday (1960), Mi vedrai tornare (1966) and Mondo pazzo... gente matta! (1966). She was married to Enrico Bomba. She died on 3 January 2024 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Glynis Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1971). She was probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999). Johns died in 2024, aged 100, having never received the damehood she had richly deserved for decades. Predeceased by her only son, she was survived by a grandson,Thomas Forwood, and three great-grandchildren.

An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations.

She last starred on Broadway in The Visit, the John Kander/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway (2015), following the acclaimed production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 2014. She starred in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas.

She trained as a ballerina (from age 11) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from legendary George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 17) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London.

Her career was highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes.

She was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. She received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and was the first Hispanic woman ever chosen to receive this award.

On November 6, 2015, Great Performances aired their special "Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do", a retrospective on her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Her solo CD was entitled And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production, however, was her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.

Carl Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A famous and successful football star at San Diego State, he played with the Oakland Raiders and retired from the sport in 1974, in order to give full attention to his goal: to be a real actor.

Weathers first played small parts in two blaxploitation flicks, Friday Foster (1975) (in which he played "Yarbro") and Bucktown (1975) (playing "Hambone"), both made in 1975 and directed by Arthur Marks. However, his big break came the following year when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff chose him to play "Apollo Creed" in the blockbuster "sleeper" Rocky (1976) (real-life boxing legend Ken Norton was originally signed for the part, but it eventually went to Weathers). He went on to play "Creed" in three other "Rocky" movies, and the characters' adversarial relationship eventually evolved into a warm friendship. After Creed's death in Rocky IV (1985), Weathers met with producer Joel Silver and agreed to play an important supporting role in Predator (1987), an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The following year, Silver produced Action Jackson (1988), a first starring role for Weathers, but it performed poorly at the box office and was panned by the critics.

During the 1990s, Weathers starred in four In the Heat of the Night (1988) two-hour TV specials that were much better received by critics and viewers alike. In 1996, he played the part of "Chubbs Peterson" in the blockbuster Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore (1996). He returned to his "action roots" in two TV-movies with Hulk Hogan: Assault on Devil's Island (1997) and Assault on Death Mountain (1999).

In addition to his acting career, Weathers is also a member of the Big Brothers Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee, handling the career of athletes of various sports such as gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and judo.

Louis Gossett Jr. was one of the most respected and beloved actors on stage, screen and television and was also an accomplished writer, producer and director. Off-screen, he was a social activist, educator, and author dedicated to enriching the lives of others. He was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance as drill Sergeant Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman".

Among his other awards were an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for his portrayal of Fiddler in the groundbreaking ABC series "Roots", a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for "The Josephine Baker Story" and a Golden Globe for "An Officer and a Gentleman". He was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, one Academy Award, five Images Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards and in 1992 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He received numerous other honors throughout his illustrious career.

His film debut was in the 1961 classic movie "A Raisin in the Sun" with Sidney Poitier. Other film credits include "The Deep," "Blue Chips," "Daddy's Little Girls," Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?," "Firewalker," "Jaws-3D," "Enemy Mine" and "Iron Eagle" 1-4, among many others. Television credits include "Extant," "Madam Secretary," "Boardwalk Empire," "Family Guy", and "ER", among dozens of others.

Gossett authored the bestselling autobiography "An Actor and a Gentleman", recounting the challenges and triumphs of his 50+ year career. Gossett was recognized as much for his humanitarian efforts as for his accomplishments as an actor. In 2006, he founded The Eracism Foundation which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating racism. The foundation provides young adults with tools to live a racially diverse and culturally inclusive life. Programs focus on fostering cultural diversity, historical enrichment, education and anti-violence initiatives.

Gossett was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and made his stage debut when he was 17 years old in "Take a Giant Step", which was selected as one of the 10 best Broadway shows of 1953 by the New York Times. He had two sons and resided in Malibu until his death in Santa Monica, California, in 2024, aged 87.

The epitome of poise, charm, style and grace, beautiful brunette Barbara Rush was born in Denver, Colorado in 1927 and enrolled at the University of California before working with the University Players and taking acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse. It didn't take long for talent scouts to spot her and, following a play performance, Paramount quickly signed her up in 1950, making her debut with The Goldbergs (1950).

Just prior to this, she had met fellow actor Jeffrey Hunter, a handsome newcomer who would later become a "beefcake" bobbysoxer idol over at Fox. The two fell in love and married in December 1950. Soon, they were on their way to becoming one of Hollywood's most beautiful and photogenic young couples. Their son Christopher was born in 1952.

While at Paramount, she was decorative in such assembly-line fare as When Worlds Collide (1951), Quebec (1951) and Flaming Feather (1952). She later co-starred opposite some of Hollywood's top leading males: James Mason, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, Paul Newman, Richard Burton and Kirk Douglas. In most cases, she played brittle wives, conniving "other women" or socialite girlfriend types.

Despite the "A" list movies Barbara was piling up, the one single role that could put her over the top never showed its face. By the early 1960s, her film career started to decline. She married publicist Warren Cowan in 1959 and bore a second child, Claudia Cowan, in 1964. TV became a viable source of income for her, appearing in scores of guest parts on the more popular shows of the time while co-starring in standard mini-movie dramas.

She even had a bit of fun playing a "guest villainess" on the Batman (1966) series as temptress "Nora Clavicle". The stage also became a strong focus for Barbara, earning the Sarah Siddons Award for her starring role in "Forty Carats". She made her Broadway debut in the one-woman showcase "A Woman of Independent Means", which also subsequently earned her the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award during its tour. Other showcases included "Private Lives", "Same Time, Next Year", "The Night of the Iguana" and "Steel Magnolias". Rush continued to occasionally appear onscreen, most recently in a recurring role on TV's 7th Heaven (1996). She died on March 31, 2024, aged 97.

Joe Flaherty was born on 21 June 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Happy Gilmore (1996), Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Detroit Rock City (1999). He was married to Judith Ann Dagley. He died on 1 April 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Orenthal James Simpson, was an American former football running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman.

Simpson attended the University of Southern California, where he played football for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. He played professionally as a running back in the NFL for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1. He was the only player to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in the 14-game regular season NFL format.

Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After retiring from football, he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting.

Park Bo-ram was born on 1 March 1994 in Chuncheon, South Korea. She was an actress, known for Persevere, Goo Hae-Ra (2015), Prison Playbook (2017) and Mamamoo: Um Oh Ah Yeh (2015). She died on 11 April 2024 in South Korea.

Eleanor Coppola was born on 4 May 1936 in Long Beach, California, USA. She was a director and writer, known for Paris Can Wait (2016), Love Is Love Is Love (2020) and Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991). She was married to Francis Ford Coppola. She died on 12 April 2024 in Rutherford, California, USA.

Eva Evans is known for I Love this Arrangement (2025), Hustle In Brooklyn (2018) and Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012).

Ray Chan was born on 1 December 1967 in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He was an art director and production designer, known for Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Children of Men (2006). He was married to Lindsay. He died on 23 April 2024 in Wales, UK.

Susan Buckner was born on 28 January 1952 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for Grease (1978), Deadly Blessing (1981) and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (1976). She was married to Michael Robert Josephs. She died on 2 May 2024 in Miami, Florida, USA.

Bernard Hill was an English actor. He was well recognized for playing King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in the Clint Eastwood film True Crime. Hill was also known for playing roles in television dramas, including Yosser Hughes, the troubled "hard man" whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking Boys from the Blackstuff in the 1980s, and more recently, as the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.

Roger William Corman was born April 5, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan. Initially following in his father's footsteps, Corman studied engineering at Stanford University, but, while in school, he began to lose interest in the profession and developed a growing passion for film. Upon graduation, he worked a total of three days as an engineer at US Electrical Motors, which cemented his growing realization that engineering wasn't for him. He quit and took a job as a messenger for 20th Century Fox, eventually rising to the position of story analyst.

After a term spent studying modern English literature at England's Oxford University and a year spent bopping around Europe, Corman returned to the US, intent on becoming a screenwriter/producer. He sold his first script in 1953, "The House in the Sea," which was eventually filmed and released as Highway Dragnet (1954).

Horrified by the disconnect between his vision for the project and the film that eventually emerged, Corman took his salary from the picture, scraped together a little capital and set himself up as a producer, turning out Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). Corman used his next picture, The Fast and the Furious (1954), to finagle a multi-picture deal with a fledgling company called American Releasing Corp. (ARC). It would soon change its name to American-International Pictures (AIP) and with Corman as its major talent behind the camera, would become one of the most successful independent studios in cinema history.

With no formal training, Corman first took to the director's chair with Five Guns West (1955) and over the next 15 years directed 53 films, mostly for AIP. He proved himself a master of quick, inexpensive productions, turning out several movies as director and/or producer in each of those years--nine movies in 1957, and nine again in 1958. His personal speed record was set with The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), which he shot in two days and a night.

In the early 1960s, he began to take on more ambitious projects, gaining a great deal of critical praise (and commercial success) from a series of adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories, most of them starring Vincent Price. His film The Intruder (1962) was a serious look at racial integration in the South, starring a very young William Shatner. Critically praised and winning a prize at the Venice Film Festival, the movie became Corman's first--and, for many years, only--commercial flop. He called its failure "the greatest disappointment in my career." As a consequence of the experience, Corman opted to avoid such direct "message" films in the future and resolved to express his social and political concerns beneath the surface of overt entertainments.

Those messages became more radical as the 1960s wound to a close and after AIP began re-editing his films without his knowledge or consent, he left the company, retiring from directing to concentrate on production and distribution through his own newly formed company, New World Pictures. In addition to low-budget exploitation flicks, New World also distributed distinguished art cinema from around the world, becoming the American distributor for the films of Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, François Truffaut and others. Selling off New World in the 1980s, Corman has continued his work through various companies in the years since--Concorde Pictures, New Horizons, Millenium Pictures, New Concorde. In 1990, after the publication of his biography "How I Made A Hundred Movies in Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime"--one of the all-time great books on filmmaking--he returned to directing but only for a single film, Frankenstein Unbound (1990)

With hundreds of movies to his credit, Roger Corman is one of the most prolific producers in the history of the film medium and one of the most successful--in his nearly six decades in the business, only about a dozen of his films have failed to turn a profit. Corman has been dubbed, among other things, "The King of the Cult Film" and "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and his filmography is packed with hundreds of remarkably entertaining films in addition to dozens of genuine cult classics. Corman has displayed an unrivaled eye for talent over the years--it could almost be said that it would be easier to name the top directors, actors, writers and creators in Hollywood who DIDN'T get their start with him than those who did. Among those he mentored are Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, James Cameron, Robert De Niro, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante and Sandra Bullock. His influence on modern American cinema is almost incalculable. In 2009, he was honored with an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Susan Backlinie was born on 1 September 1946 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress, known for Jaws (1975), 1941 (1979) and The Great Muppet Caper (1981). She was married to Harvey Swindall, William Henry Backlinie, William Seale and Monty Cox. She died on 11 May 2024 in Ventura, California, USA.

Gudrun Ure was born on 12 March 1926 in Campsie, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for Man with a Million (1954), Garry Halliday (1959) and Terror Street (1953). She was married to John Muir Ramsay. She died on 14 May 2024 in London, England, UK.

Baiba Indriksone was born on 23 February 1932 in Riga, Latvia. She was an actress, known for Melna veza spiles (1976), Vella kalpi (1970) and A Limousine the Colour of Midsummer's Eve (1981). She was married to Aleksandrs Leimanis. She died on 14 May 2024 in Riga, Latvia.

Elda Peralta was born on 28 July 1922 in Acámbaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. She was an actress and writer, known for Flor de sangre (1951), Rocambole (1967) and Necesito dinero (1951). She died on 14 May 2024 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.

For many decades, Coleman played sleazy or thuggish or twisted baddies, sometimes comedic, sometimes not. There were exceptions where he played good guys (That Girl, On Golden Pond, The Guardian) but something about the combination of his imposing height, heartless demeanor, beady eyes, permanently mustachioed (practically being twirled) but otherwise average looks, and fast-talking Texan shyster physiognomy copper-fastened the bad guy stereotype. In between the two extremes, good and bad, was the flawed but very human Slap Maxwell. (The Slap Maxwell Story had a briefer run than it deserved perhaps because for its time it hit too close to home, although tame by later standards.)

Dabney Wharton Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, to Mary Wharton (Johns) and Melvin Randolph Coleman. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, and studied law in Texas. Coleman had a well deserved reputation as a fine character actor, and a reliable presence for almost any role in TV and movies.

Coleman's early appearances in the cinema were in The Slender Thread (1965) and Downhill Racer (1969). On TV he starred in That Girl (1966). As the 1970s approached he became a well-known character actor in television and movies, appearing in The Towering Inferno (1974), Midway (1976), and Cinderella Liberty (1973). Television seemed Coleman's forum in the 1970s as he played the role of Merle Jeeter in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) and Fernwood Tonight (1977). Coleman made appearances in the popular North Dallas Forty (1979) and the Oscar-winning Melvin and Howard (1980).

He first garnered a measure of fame for some satirical movies, starring in the comedy How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980) and snatched a lead role for the TV movie Pray TV (1980). Coleman's reputation for playing world-class jerks became cemented in 1980 as the boss to Dolly Parton , Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5 (1980). The next year, he was in very good company working with legends Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond (1981). His hit streak would not end there.

In 1982, Coleman landed a key role in the classic Tootsie (1982), further cementing his role as a very dislikable wealthy boss in some capacity. In 1983, he starred in the Cold War classic WarGames (1983). During this period he also found many parts in lesser known movies like Young Doctors in Love (1982) and Callie & Son (1981). In 1984 he starred in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) and in 1985 he starred with Tom Hanks in The Man with One Red Shoe (1985). In 1987, he won an Emmy for Sworn to Silence (1987). In 1990, he took two lead roles, one in the disastrous Where the Heart Is (1990), and the other in the quirky comedy Short Time (1990).

In 1993, Coleman starred in the slapstick comedy Amos & Andrew (1993) and the big screen version of The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) as Milburn Drysdale. He appeared in an extensive line of TV movies. He took part in Recess (1997), and then starred in a couple of big money grossers, the Tom Hanks comedy, You've Got Mail (1998), as Chief Quimby in Inspector Gadget (1999), and in Stuart Little (1999) (both in 1999).

Coleman died in 2024, aged 92, in Santa Monica, California.

Alice Stewart was born on 11 March 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for The Gingerbread Man (1998), CNN Newsroom (1989) and Happening Now (2007). She died on 18 May 2024 in Belle View, Belle Haven, Virginia, USA.

Fred Roos was born on 22 May 1934 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He was a casting director and producer, known for St. Vincent (2014), The Godfather Part II (1974) and Apocalypse Now (1979). He was married to Nancy Drew. He died on 18 May 2024 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

Richard Foronjy was born on 3 August 1937 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Repo Man (1984), Midnight Run (1988) and Carlito's Way (1993). He died on 19 May 2024 in Fishkill, New York, USA.

Although younger brother Dwayne Hickman (1934 - 2022) is probably the better-remembered sibling today with his cult following as TV's favorite love-struck teenager Dobie Gillis and a few "Beach Party" films, it is Darryl Hickman who is certainly the more prolific brother in the movies. At one time, he was deemed one of Hollywood's most talented child stars of World War II and post-war film.

Hickman was born in Hollywood, California on July 28, 1931, to Milton Hickman, an insurance salesman, and his wife, Katherine. Taking dance classes at age 3, Darryl's looks and talent were discovered by his dance school director who eventually had him placed at age 5 with a child troupe (Meglin School for Kiddies).

Paramount Studios subsequently took notice and signed him to a contract, making his unbilled film debut as Ronald Colman's son in the classic adventure The Prisoner of Zenda (1937). Darryl then appeared briefly in a second Colman film, If I Were King (1938). He grew up within the studio system and on the studio sets. Fellow classmates included Jackie Cooper.

Appearing in the Bing Crosby musical biopic The Star Maker (1939), Crosby took notice of young Darryl's promise and referred him to his talent agent brother Everett Crosby. Everett was impressed as well, and took Darryl under his wing. Placed in the Paramount films Untamed (1940) and The Way of All Flesh (1940), the boy was eventually featured in his most prominent role, that of young, impoverished Winfield Joad in the classic film The Grapes of Wrath (1940). MGM quickly showed interest and bought out the boy's Paramount contract.

A popular loan-out child player, Darryl appeared in a "poverty row" version of one of Jack London's more popular adventure stories Sign of the Wolf (1941); appeared in 12-year-old Shirley Temple's last film for Fox Young People (1940); showed up in Universal's Mob Town (1941) and another Fox film Young America (1942). While at MGM, Darryl found himself working with the studio's top echelon of stars including Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor and Mickey Rooney. Notable in-house roles included that of "Flip" in Men of Boys Town (1941), "Johnny Smith" in Joe Smith, American (1942), "(young) Blackie" in Northwest Rangers (1942); "Jeb" in the Tracy/Hepburn drama Keeper of the Flame (1942), "Etienne" in Assignment in Brittany (1943), and as young "Lionel" in the classic "Americana" film The Human Comedy (1943).

Darryl progressed from child to juvenile parts with equal skill. He was featured in the role of WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker as a lad in the biopic Captain Eddie (1945) starring Fred MacMurray and also featuring brother Dwayne; played composer Ira as a teenager in the Gershwin story Rhapsody in Blue (1945); reunited with Shirley Temple in the "Corliss Archer" comedy Kiss and Tell (1945); played the ill-fated brother-in-law of evil Gene Tierney in the drama Leave Her to Heaven (1945); portrayed the younger version of Van Heflin in the film noir The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946); tangled with priest Pat O'Brien as a young troublemaker in the "Boy's Town"-like crime drama Fighting Father Dunne (1948); was upgraded to Shirley Temple's boyfriend in the light comedy A Kiss for Corliss (1949); played a prep school problem along with co-star Dean Stockwell in the comedy The Happy Years (1950) and a disturbed ranch caretaker along with equally disturbed older sister Mercedes McCambridge in Lightning Strikes Twice (1951).

Darryl attended the Immaculate Heart Grammar School in Los Angeles as well as the studio schools at Paramount and then MGM. In September 1951, the 20-year-old, who had grown unhappy and disenchanted with Hollywood and the studio system in its inability to protect child actors, abandoned his career and entered a monastery, the Passionist Seminary, with the intent on becoming a priest. Within a year, however, he left when he realized he was not cut out for a life in the priesthood.

Trying to regain his acting momentum proved challenging. He began on 50's TV with guest shots on such shows as "Sky King," "The Lone Ranger," "Annie Oakley," "Biff Baker, U.S.A., "Perry Mason," "Public Defenders," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Gunsmoke," "The Millionaire" and several anthology programs. He also guested on brother Dwayne's popular "Dobie Gillis" TV show. On the film front, he found featured roles in Destination Gobi (1953), Island in the Sky (1953), Prisoner of War (1954), Tea and Sympathy (1956), The Persuader (1957) and The Tingler (1959).

By the early 1960s, as film and TV offers began to dry up, Darryl wisely moved behind the scenes. Starting out as a TV writer, he eventually became a program executive. During the 1970s, he briefly attempted TV producing. In later years, he became a respected acting coach in Los Angeles. He made guest appearances on such 1960s/70s shows as "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," "Dr. Kildare," "Love, American Style," "All in the Family" and "Maude," before finding an "in" with an abundance of 1980s animated voice work: Space Stars (1981), Pac-Man (1982), The Biskitts (1983), The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible (1985) and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988). One of his last visible appearances was in a 1999 episode of "The Nanny."

Hickman married actress Pamela Lincoln, whom he first met on the film set of The Tingler (1959). They had two children, but divorced in 1982.

At the time of his death, he was married to production assistant Lynda Farmer Hickman.