201220931
We will never meet a bigger braggart than death. Despite the amount of joy and love that we experience, it knows we all will one day be by its side. Mortality has taken loved ones from each of us and has silenced celebrities whom we have come to consider excellent influences on our lives, with this year being a particularly opportunistic year for death to lord over the famous, with David Bowie and Alan Rickman, among others, shuffling off their mortal coils. Five weeks into the year, I am already fearing that our enemy will strike again, so, I have compiled a list of celebrities whom I hope death does not touch with its cold hand this year.
10) Don Rickles: Coming in at 89 years old, this legendary funnyman has been schtick-ing it to us for nearly seven decades. It would be wonderful if he could increase that by a couple more.
9) Carol Burnett: Anybody who can score an eponymous show usually has some serious chops (Notable exception: The Vanilla Ice Project), and this 82-year-old icon definitely tickles funny bones to this day. I would hate to have tears replace laughs among her many fans.
8) David Lynch: Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, this 70-year-old legend has tallied an impressive number of film credits. With “Twin Peaks” set to return next year, he had better not imitate the show’s Laura Palmer and break hearts by passing too soon.
7) Mel Brooks: This man has seemed 89 for 50 years! May the force behind such classics as “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Spaceballs,” and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” live until 120.
6) Christopher Plummer: Death made off with Christopher Lee June 7 last year. It had better be content to have claimed only one unforgettable thespian named Christopher for the foreseeable future and should let the 86-year-old Plummer grace us with at least a few more films.
5) Anthony Hopkins: I first saw this now-78-year-old as a 43-year-old in Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” and thought, “This guy is good!” He has proven me wrong over and over again. He’s outstanding.
4) Betty White: Have you ever had the feeling that certain people are invincible? This 94-year-old Golden Girl makes my short list of folks to whom that adjective applies. Thank you for being a friend to our collective sense of humor.
3) Gene Hackman: This 86-year-old has crafted an amazing filmography and has entranced numerous generations with his diverse gifts. I find myself stunned knowing that he has not appeared in a film since 2004, and if he never appears in another film (How painful it was to type that!), thank you, sir, for so many unforgettable turns, my favorite being your role as the patriarch in “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
2) Al Pacino: Whether on a stage or in a film, Pacino has always let us ask him about his business because it is the task of being a dynamic actor. At an age where many folks are reaching for prunes, the 75-year-old is pruning perceptions that he has become a shadow of himself as a performer. See last year’s “Danny Collins,” also starring Plummer, for proof.
1) James Earl Jones: That voice! I became introduced to this now-85-year-old through his voice contributions as Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” trilogy. When I saw him in corporeal form, with “Field of Dreams” being my first such inspection, I found his presence amazingly honest and heartwarming. If you want a laugh, catch his Season 7 appearance on “The Big Bang Theory.” His exchanges with character Sheldon Cooper will have you likewise hoping he has many more chances to project confidence and conviction no matter the odds or the opponent. ■
Contact Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
