'Jaws' Actress Susan Backlinie Dead at 77 ... Iconic Opening Scene Victim
-
Exclusive Details
- 932 shares
Update
12:09 PM PT -- Susan's husband, Harvey Swindall tells TMZ ... Susan passed away from heart attack Saturday morning. He recalls her as the most amazing person he'd ever met, adding he'll miss her very much.
Susan Backlinie, who played one of the most memorable roles in "Jaws," has died ... TMZ has learned.
The longtime actress and stuntwoman passed away at her home Saturday morning in Ventura, CA ... according to Matthew Templeton, the agent who handled her convention bookings. He says the cause of death has not been determined yet.
SB got her start in the acting world in 1975 with the role of Chrissie Watkins in Steven Spielberg's shark flick. She's the woman who goes skinny dipping in the ocean in the opening scene ... and gets savagely yanked back and forth by the shark before she's eaten.
Cindy Crawford Survivor’s Guilt When Brother Died ... Dad Always Wanted A Boy
Cindy Crawford’s getting real about her brother dying at a young age ... saying her dad wanted a boy, so she and her sisters felt like they should’ve died instead.
The legendary supermodel opened up about her survivor’s guilt in a new episode of the “Kelly Corrigan Wonders” podcast ... telling the host about the aftermath of her 3-year-old brother Jeffrey’s death from leukemia.
CC says her father, John, had finally got his baby boy ... so when Jeffrey died, Cindy and his other daughters “felt like, well, it should have been one of us” adding the household felt weird for years after.
Roger Corman King of B-Movies Dead At 98
Roger Corman, the legendary filmmaker of low budget horror flicks who launched the Hollywood careers of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and many others, has died.
The so-called "King of the B-Movies" passed away Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, CA with his family surrounding him. His daughter Catherine confirmed his death, but did not disclose a cause.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
In a statement posted to Instagram Saturday night, Roger's family described him as "generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him," as well as a "devoted and selfless father."
Comedian James Gregory Dead at 78 ... Known As 'Funniest Man in America'
Comedian James Gregory -- known for dubbing himself "The Funniest Man in America" -- has died ... according to a post from his family.
The post -- made on Gregory's official Facebook -- says James passed away Thursday from cardiac complications.
James took up comedy in the early '80s when he was 36 after years of working as a salesman ... and, he became the first comedian to take the stage at the legendary Punchline club in Atlanta. While he was known as a Southern comedian, he traveled all across the country performing shows for the next four decades.
L.A. Comedian Rudy Moreno Dead at 66 ... Recently Hospitalized in ICU
-
Exclusive
- 759 shares
Rudy Moreno -- the longtime comedian who was huge in the Latin community -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.
The comedy vet passed away after a stint in a Los Angeles ICU his agent Mark Scroggs confirmed. He did not provide a cause of death.
As we reported ... he ended up in the ICU while battling pneumonia and receiving dialysis treatment -- and his wife, Arlene, couldn't find him, claiming the hospital told her he wasn't in the system.
KTLA Entertainment Reporter Sam Rubin Dead at 64 Suffered Heart Attack
-
Exclusive
- 7.1K shares
update
1:17 PM PT -- Sam Rubin's station KTLA just paid tribute to their late employee -- offering up a moving tribute both online and on the air.
KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin. Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades. His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving… pic.twitter.com/eG0tQswBSH
— KTLA (@KTLA) May 10, 2024 @KTLA
On X, KTLA's account posted a photo of Sam and wrote ... "KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin. Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades."
They added, "His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished the most. Our thoughts are with Sam’s family during this difficult time."
![051024_ktla_sam_rubin_kal](https://imagez.tmz.com/image/8a/16by9/2024/05/10/8a17312a561642e7b806609b25c2a852_md.jpg)
On TV, KTLA anchor Frank Buckley broke down in tears remembering his colleague -- and it made for an incredibly emotional moment. KTLA says Sam called in sick into work Friday before they learned about his sudden passing.
Sean Burroughs '98 MLB 1st-Rounder Dead At 43
-
Breaking News
- 199 shares
Sean Burroughs -- the ninth-overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft -- has suddenly passed away, it was announced on Friday. He was just 43 years old.
The former third baseman was coaching his son's Little League game in California on Thursday when he suffered cardiac arrest.
Burroughs was a standout for the Long Beach Little League World Series teams in 1992-93 ... becoming the first American-born pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters as he led his teammates to two titles.
Art 'One Glove' Jimmerson Boxer, UFC 1 Participant Dead At 60
Combat sports great Art "One Glove" Jimmerson -- who competed on the very first UFC card as a boxer -- has died, his family announced. He was 60 years old.
Jimmerson -- who famously wore just one boxing mitt in the UFC 1 match in 1993 -- came into the contest against Royce Gracie on a 15-fight win streak ... and fell to the MMA legend after tapping out in two minutes.
It's reported he wore one glove so he could punch with one hand and have the other free to grapple ... but was unable to land a strike on Gracie before being taken to the canvas.
Steve Albini Shellac Frontman & Nirvana Engineer Dead at 61
Indie rocker Steve Albini, who was best known for being the front man for the rock bands Big Black and Shellac, has died.
His employees at his Chicago-based studio, Electronic Audio, confirmed the sad news Wednesday ... sharing that the musician's cause of death was a heart attack.
Albini rose to fame in the '80s with his punk rock band, Big Black, which he started alongside guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati. The group was known for controversial lyrics ... and for choosing to use a drum machine over a drum kit. They released 2 studio albums before disbanding in 1987.
Kelly Rizzo Getting Serious W/ BF Breckin Meyer ... 2 Years After Bob Saget's Death
Bob Saget's widow Kelly Rizzo is getting serious once again in the love department ... 'cause she's now gone Instagram official with boyfriend Breckin Meyer.
On Tuesday, Rizzo took to her IG account, posting the first photo of her with Meyer on the social media platform, which showed the smiling couple at the F1 Grand Prix in Miami this past weekend.
In the caption, Rizzo wished Meyer a happy birthday as he turned the big 5-0 and gushed over how he's so "kind, sweet, silly, thoughtful, completely hilarious, handsome, understanding, charming, forever curious, compassionate, witty, warm & wonderful." Sounds like true love!
Kyrie Irving Drops New Shoes Honoring Late Mom ... Special Mother's Day Edition Kicks
Kyrie Irving is honoring his late mom, Elizabeth, on Mother's Day this year with some special edition ANTA sneakers that pay tribute to her "wisdom and protective spirit."
The Chinese apparel company -- which famously signed Irving to a shoe deal back in July 2023 -- announced on Tuesday the kicks will drop this weekend ... and, as you can see, they feature a ton of homages to the Mavericks star's mom.
The shoe has the word "Mother" embroidered on the strap and the heel pull ... and it's got her name sketched on the outsole as well.
Susan Buckner La amiga animadora de Sandy en "Grease" Muere a los 72 años
Susan Buckner -que interpretó a la amiga de Olivia Newton-John en "Grease", ha muerto... TMZ ha confirmado.
El representante de la actriz anunció la triste noticia el martes, diciendo: "Susan murió en paz el 2 de mayo rodeada de sus seres queridos". No se proporcionaron otros detalles en torno a su muerte, incluyendo una posible causa.
Susan es más famosa por interpretar a Patty Simcox en la exitosa película musical de 1978, dejando una marca como la amiga de Sandy, la cual tenía un aspecto llamativo gracias a sus grandes gafas.
Apareció en casi todas las grandes secuencias musicales, incluso en "Noches de verano", donde se acurrucaba junto a Olivia.
Susan también tuvo un momento memorable en la escena del baile de la escuela, donde su personaje estaba dando un espectáculo, solo para que los chicos la molesten levantando su vestido.
Aunque "Grease" fue sin duda el mayor éxito de Susan, en realidad actuó en un puñado de otras películas y programas de televisión a lo largo de los años, incluyendo papeles en "The Love Boat", "Starsky y Hutch", "The Amazing Howard Hughes", "Switch", "Deadly Blessing" y más.
Tras dejar de actuar en los años 80, Susan continuó dirigiendo y enseñando teatro a nivel local, así como danza. Le sobreviven su hijo, su hija, sus nietos y otros familiares.
Susan tenía 72 años.
RIP.
related articles
'Grease' Star Susan Buckner Sandy's Cheerleading Pal ... Dead at 72
Susan Buckner -- who played Olivia Newton-John's preppy friend in "Grease" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.
The actress's rep announced the sad news Tuesday, saying ... "Susan died peacefully on May 2 surrounded by loved ones." No other details surrounding her death were provided, including a possible cause.
Susan is most famous for playing Patty Simcox in the 1978 hit musical film -- leaving a mark as Sandy's girly-girl pal ... who had a striking appearance thanks to her big glasses.
O.J. Simpson Signed Recital Program From Day Of Double Murders ... Hits Auction Block
-
Exclusive
- 121 shares
O.J. Simpson infamously attended his daughter's dance recital the day of the gruesome double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1994 ... and now a program from the event, signed by the Hall of Famer, is on the auction block.
O.J. and Nicole's daughter, Sydney, performed at the "Dance For Kids" recital on June 12, 1994 at a junior high school in L.A. ... and both parents were in the building.
The show started at 5 PM... and Sydney performed a number titled "Footloose."
Aaron Hernandez Ex-Fiancée Slams Brady Roast Jokes ... 'Such a Cruel World'
-
Exclusive
- 1.2K shares
Aaron Hernandez ended up being referenced at least a couple different times during Tom Brady's roast -- and not in a flattering way either ... which is why his ex-fiancée is pissed.
The late Patriots star's partner Shayanna Jenkins -- who's also the mother of his only child -- tells TMZ she's disappointed in the fact that her deceased fiancé was the butt of multiple jokes during the Netflix program ... which ended up making light of his sad story.
She says, "It’s sad that I’m trying to raise my children in such a cruel world."
Olympian Oleksandr Pielieshenko Dead At 30 ... Killed In Ukraine-Russia War
-
Breaking News
- 43 shares
Oleksandr Pielieshenko -- a former weightlifting champion who competed in the 2016 Olympics -- tragically died while fighting in the Ukraine-Russia war, the Ukrainian Weightlifting Federation announced Monday.
He was just 30 years old.
UWF official Viktor Slobodianiuk said in a social media post the Olympian passed away while "defending Ukraine from foreigners."