ACTOR
"Whenever we were going to work together, I couldn't wait to start. I don't think we did anything that didn't work. And he was the one who made it work. He was the easiest person to write for, because even when I wasn't funny, he was. He was brilliantly funny, but he wasn't a comic. He was first and foremost an actor."
—playwright Neil Simon
Steve Allen, 78
ENTERTAINER
"He felt very strongly about comedians and what hey should and shouldn't do. He never used a four-letter word in his life except 'hell' or 'damn,' and he rarely said those. He never lowered himself to that, because he didn't need to. He was too clever."
—comedian Milton Berle
Christopher Rios, a.k.a, Big Pun, 28
RAPPER
"He was real humble, and he made an effort to celebrate his Puerto Rican heritage. He was always there in The Bronx, letting them know they could succeed too."
—Cypress Hill's B-Real
Douglas Fairbanks Jr., 90 ACTOR
"He was a gallant gentleman in every sense of the word, and he never seemed to be acting. The natural charm and charisma were there in the man, and they just came out. The panache was there too."
—actor Christopher Lee
Paul Coverdell, 61
U.S. SENATOR (R-GA.)
"He helped our eldest son [George W.] navigate the tricky waters of the Senate, quietly advising him about whom he could depend on and how to handle certain tough problems."
—former President George Bush
Leah Rabin, 72
FORMER ISRAELI FIRST LADY
"Every trip she made abroad, she visited institutions and spoke to autism experts. Thanks to her, there are scores of classes for autistic children and hostels for young adults. She was our driving force."
—Ruth Sivan, spokeswoman for the Israel Society for Autistic Children
Loretta Young, 87 ACTRESS
"The way you saw her on television, swirling around in a beautiful gown, that's the way she was in person. I don't ever remember seeing her when she didn't look like she was going someplace special, even if she was just going out shopping. She always looked the part of a Hollywood star."
—Paramount producer A.C. Lyles
Hedy Lamarr, 85
ACTRESS
"She had a cloak of intrigue surrounding I her, no question about it, to anyone my age-I was only 22 or so when I met her. I watched her carefully, and I was so dazzled and blown away by her beauty. That in itself kept you riveted. Forget about anything else, she really was a stunning woman with the most extraordinary kind of presence."
—Samson and Delilah costar Angela Lansbury
TitO Puente, 77
PERCUSSIONIST
"He was certainly the master of Latin jazz rhythm. His music gave people a sense of jubilation. But away from center stage is where it connected for him. He worked for AIDS awareness and helped local communities save their neighborhoods."
—actor Edward James Olmos
Craig Stevens, 81
ACTOR
"Peter Gunn's world had a hip fairytale quality, and because Craig had his own funny, insightful observations in terms of people, life and things going on around him, he was able to become Peter Gunn."
—series creator Blake Edwards
Adam Petty, 19
RACE CAR DRIVER
"He was a big fan of mine when he was younger. I always wondered, 'What's the deal?' because his granddad was Richard Petty—that's huge. His dad was Kyle Petty—that's huge. Later I never missed an opportunity to brag on Adam."
—race car driver Mark Martin
Sir John Gielgud, 96
ACTOR
"He didn't have enough roles of course, because he didn't have that many he could play by the time he finished leading the theater in Britain. But he shone everywhere he had a chance, like in Arthur, when he won an Academy Award."
—Michael Winner, who directed Gielgud in The Wicked Lady
Larry Linville, 60 ACTOR
An amazing guy. He was an inventor, and his curiosity was limitless. He had a small apartment in L.A., and he built an airplane there. It wasn't a model airplane, it was an entire plane! He built it in sections, took the sections to the desert and assembled them. Then he flew the plane."
—M*A*S*H costar Gary Burghoff
Vicki Sue Robinson, 45
SINGER
"She was a very strong woman. When you stood around her, she exuded so much energy and so much life. You could tell she had a great heart—I never saw her get upset with anyone. She was always ready to go, and she made you feel good before a show. There was an aura around her."
—singer KC (Harry Casey) of the Sunshine Band
Jack Hemingway, 77
SPORTSMAN-ENVIRONMENTALIST
"I never saw him kill a fish. He was a gentleman with both a fly rod and a shotgun. He cared about people and the environment"
—former Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus
Mel Carnahan, 66
MISSOURI GOVERNOR
"Every year at Halloween Mel and his wife, Jean, would have the house decorated as a spook house and they would dress up. Thousands of kids would come, dressed as super-heroes or goblins. They both just lit up when kids were around."
—Missouri state Rep. Steve McLuckie
Edward Gorey, 75
ILLUSTRATOR
"We were sitting in a theater in Boston for previews, before we knew Dracula was going to be a hit, and Edward leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He said, 'I hate it, I hate it, I can't stand it.' He couldn't bear to see his work on such a large scale."
—actor Frank Langella
Werner Klemperer, 80
ACTOR
"He adored classical music because of his father, Otto, who was a tremendous conductor. He loved going to concerts, he loved to conduct and he also played the piano. He'll be remembered as Colonel Klink, but he did many, many things."
—Hogan's Heroes costar Robert Clary
Richard Mulligan, 67
ACTOR
"He was the leader and he was the daddy—the set daddy—not just to those of us who played his daughters but to everyone. Richard was from another time. People like that aren't made anymore, and I feel lucky that I got seven years with him."
—Empty Nest costar Dinah Manoff
Richard Farnsworth, 80
ACTOR
"Richard was a cowboy with a heart of gold who had to have something powerful in his spirit, because he seemed to get younger as the [Straight Story] shoot progressed. He felt increasingly good about his work—that buoyed him up,"
—director David Lynch
Harold Nicholas, 79
TAP DANCER
"I've looked at all the film footage I can find of Harold [left] and his brother Fayard; the things they did were really, really hard. But their skill level was so amazing, the moves were easy to them. They were the first and only stuntmen tap dancers."
—dancer-actor Gregory Hines
Claire Trevor, 90
ACTOR
"She was a beautiful lady, with such class. And she remembered me in her will. I was simply flabbergasted—it really demonstrates what a giving person she was."
—Eva Marie Saint, her costar in the 1987 TV movie Breaking Home Ties
Julie London, 74
SINGER-ACTRESS
"She was one of the most sexy women to grace the stage—her whole attitude dripped sex. Yet in private don't think she cared to sing and act. She seemed to prefer being at home with her children and her friends."
—Emergency! costar Robert Fuller
Doug Henning, 52
MAGICIAN
"After the Houdini era, magic's popularity had really fallen off. Then Doug came out—dressed like his '70s audience, with his long hair and mustache and tie-dye outfits—and really opened things up for other magicians. He got what entertainment was all about."
—magician Penn Jillette
Tom Landry, 75
FOOTBALL COACH
"He represented the best of the Cowboys. When I'm asked if he was really as good a man as he has been portrayed, my answer is always: Even better."
—former Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach
Durward Kirby, 88
COMIC SIDEKICK
"He was a wonderful announcer, but I don't know that he's been given his due as a comedic performer. His timing was split-second, and he was right on the money."
—Garry Moore Show costar Carol Burnett
John Cardinal O'Connor, 80
ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK
"He had a very close relationship with the Jewish people. When he became Cardinal he told me his greatest goal was to achieve Vatican recognition of the State of Israel. He achieved that goal."
—former New York City Mayor Ed Koch
Pierre Trudeau, 80
CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER
"He was forever grateful to America for standing up for Canada. This diplomatic friendship made us very close personal friends. It was a treasured relationship and highly beneficial to our two nations."
—former President Gerald Ford
Nancy Marchand, 71
ACTRESS
"I think she really had a ball with her character because it was so different from anything she'd ever done before. In eating scenes, actors don't usually eat. One of the things I loved about Nancy was that when she did her eating scenes, she said her lines with a mouthful of food. The hardest I ever saw Edie Falco laugh was when Nancy ate a piece of salami in such a way that was just crazy."
—Sopranos coster James Gandolfini
Steve Reeves, 74
ACTOR
"He was one of my first students. He worked out religiously and took care of his body. He was Hercules."
—bodybuilder Jack LaLanne
William Simon, 72
U.S. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
"During the '70s oil crisis he was the Energy Czar, making decisions he felt were unnecessary. He even said he thought price controls on energy were unnecessary, even though those were what made him Czar. But that was him—committed to his ideals."
—economist Milton Friedman
Roger Vadim, 72
DIRECTOR
"A complex, charming man. His friend Gordon Miller was in a coma for weeks due to a car accident. When he came out, Vadim was looking down at him. He said, 'Gordon, your hair is filthy. I will give you a shampoo.' True to his word, the next day he shampooed Gordon's hair."
—Jane Fonda, actress and former wife.
Dame Barbara Cartland, 98
ROMANCE NOVELIST
"Despite the pink meringue image, she was shrewd and highly intelligent. She was also tremendously generous. She would go through the papers and mark with a pink pen the stories about the battered wife or single mother and then send off checks to them."
—friend and biographer Gwen Robyns
Paul Bartel, 61
ACTOR-DIRECTOR
"When we were on our press tour, he'd pretend we were married. Once I told him, 'You've got to stop that!' So in our next interview, when the reporter asked if we were married, he looked sad and said, 'No, we're divorced.' He brought that incredible sense of humor to his roles and to his directing."
—Eating Raoul costar Mary Woronov
David Dukes, 55
ACTOR
"There was a real sweetness about him, but he was very competitive onstage, always working toward perfection. In London, when we performed together in Art, he'd throw one at me and I'd have to throw one right back. I loved that."
—actor Stacy Keach
Charles Ruff, 61
ATTORNEY
"For Chuck Ruff, playing it close to the vest was a way of life. At several critical moments [of the impeachment trial] I had no idea what he was going to say, but I knew what he'd do: stand up for the office of the President with the dignity and passion for service he brought to everything he did."
—President Bill Clinton
David Merrick, 88
BROADWAY PRODUCER
"He was a very imposing, daunting figure and liked to put on a mean act. He was also a tough businessman and one of the last great theatrical producers who would take a gamble."
—actor Jerry Orbach
Gwen Verdon, 75
DANCER-ACTRESS
"She was funny and delightful. People who met her were completely charmed by her because she sparkled—her eyes sparkled, her laugh sparkled, a very advanced and enlightened sparkling."
—dancer-actress Bebe Neuwirth
Jim Varney, 50
ACTOR
"Because of my preconceived notion of him and the Ernest character he created, Jim was an interesting dichotomy. He was one of the most well-read people I ever worked with. He had an almost photographic memory and could quote any play of Shakespeare's and recite huge, long poems. It was fun to pick his brain."
—The Beverly Hillbillies costar Lea Thompson
Meredith MacRae, 56
ACTRESS
"Petticoat Junction was a show for families, and she was the girl next door. She had a beautiful singing voice and she was a lovely singer, I was the one getting into trouble and Linda Kaye Henning was the tomboy. When it was Meredith's turn to be featured, it was about dating and her singing career. She was a sweet woman, and the sister you'd always want"
—Petticoat Junction costar Lori Saunders
Joe C, 26
RAPPER
"He had a huge heart. He would come hear us play and hang out when we were in Detroit. Joe and [Kid] Rock would come out and freestyle and literally tear the house down."
—Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath
Malik Sealy, 30
BASKETBALL PLAYER
"He was a great player, but he knew there were other things in life. He designed ties. They were excellent, so I'd buy them for friends. He was so talented—he could have been a designer."
—former St John's University basketball coach Lou Carnesecca
David Tomlinson, 83
ACTOR
"He'll be remembered as one of the great English comic actors—Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers; his work was every bit as fine. Like in Mary Poppins, he filled his moments onscreen with a unique energy."
—The Love Bug costar Dean Jones
Paula Yates, 41
ENTERTAINER
"She loved rock and roll, and I found her captivating and alive like few people I've known. She would laugh out loud at the silliest things."
—KISS's Gene Simmons
Sir Alec Guinness, 86
ACTOR
"I don't think I was ever able to give up thinking of him as Obi-Wan Kenobi—a spiritual guru, teacher and mentor. He was always available to give me guidance and answer my questions. He exuded wisdom because of his great experience in the business, and he was selfless."
—Star Wars costar Mark Hamill
Charles Schulz, 77
CARTOONIST
"Someone asked him whether, for his last strip, he would finally have Charlie Brown kick that football, and he said, 'Oh no, definitely not!' He said he couldn't have had him kick the football because that would have been letting down Charlie Brown, the character he spent a lifetime building."
—cartoonist Bit Keane
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
