the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually still alive

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/writer/madiganportrait.jpg

Who knew?

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

(Richard Widmark)

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Saddam Hussein, obv

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 11:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Stanley Baxter

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

(Inverting the question completely) Thora Hird.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

she was famous.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Anita O'Day: though I had never heard of her until the time I also learned that she was still alive.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Clive Dunn is the obvious one.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Dennis Hopper, every time.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Mickey Rooney

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

She was famous, yeah, but I thought she was alive and she's not.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

So I guess it's only half-inverted.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

J.D. Salinger, every time I hear it, I'm surprised.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm always vaguelly confused that he even exists.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

George Jones.

― Carey (Carey), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Elvis Presley

― jewelly (jewelly), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Joe Namath - I could have sworn he had a heart attack years ago!

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Red Auerbach, who I had to make sure was still alive by going to Dead or Alive?

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait, didn't Studs Terkel die? That site lists him as alive. Or am I thinking of Irv Kupcinet?

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)

That guy from the Von Bondies

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I feel particularly bad for this, having been such a huge fan of his music, but only earlier in 2003 did I learn that Mr. Sly Stone in fact did not die sometime in the early 80s.

― nickalicious at granny's crib, Thursday, 25 December 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Ursula Moray Williams

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Thursday, 25 December 2003 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Reg Varney

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Friday, 26 December 2003 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Dave Allen

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 26 December 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I couldn't believe Christopher Lee was alive when I found out he was doing Saruman (and then the Star Wars dingus). He's like, 80!!!

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 26 December 2003 20:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops: Kupcinet just kicked the bucket about a month ago. Studs is alive and well.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 26 December 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

GENE WILDER. I swear he died.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Friday, 26 December 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Reg Varney's still alive?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 27 December 2003 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

richard pryor.

― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 27 December 2003 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

i read something saying Nina Simone only died this year. Can that be right?

― isadora (isadora), Sunday, 28 December 2003 08:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Windsor Davies

― Ricardo (RickyT), Sunday, 28 December 2003 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

gene wilder recently had a bout with cancer, which thank god he survived.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Sunday, 28 December 2003 21:52 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

Bosko Balaban Stats For Season

Name Bosko Balaban
Team Aston Villa
Total Appearances 0
Starts 0
Substituted 0
Total Minutes Played 0
Avg Minutes Played Per Start 0
Goals 0
Avg Goal Mins When Starting 0.0
Avg Mins Played/Goal Scored 0
Goals Scored As Sub 0
Number of Bookings 0
Total Booking Minutes 0
Avg Bookings Per Start 0
Number of Red Cards 0
Total Red Card Minutes 0
Avg Red Cards Per Start 0
Avg Booking Minutes When Starting 0.0

― bosko, Monday, 14 June 2004 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I was surprised that Bosko even lived.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

Telma Hopkins!

but that was last week.

today it was ARNOLD STANG!!!!

don't know why i though telma hopkins died.

― tremendoid, Friday, 8 February 2008 06:25 (eighteen years ago)

Zsa Zsa Gabor just turned 91 a few days ago.

― Roz, Friday, 8 February 2008 07:03 (eighteen years ago)

abe vigoda

― remy bean, Friday, 8 February 2008 07:11 (eighteen years ago)

I think Ernest Borgnine is still at it too.

― nickn, Friday, 8 February 2008 07:52 (eighteen years ago)

doris day

― Frogman Henry, Friday, 8 February 2008 08:00 (eighteen years ago)

she's getting a grammy tomorrow

― tremendoid, Friday, 8 February 2008 08:03 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Shirley Temple

― lol @ dog w/ sunglasses (Pillbox), Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:06 (fifteen years ago)

!!!

― Les centimètres énigmatiques (snoball), Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:07 (fifteen years ago)

Leonard skinner, but he's now dead.

― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:08 (fifteen years ago)

I was surprised that Bosko even lived.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, June 15, 2004 4:15 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark

dying here

had no idea Sam Beckett lived until 1989 until the other day

― CharlieS, Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:12 (fifteen years ago)

j.d. salinger, but then he died not long after i found out

― just1n3, Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:24 (fifteen years ago)

four months pass...

Louie Anderson

― Godzilla vs. Rodan Rodannadanna (The Yellow Kid), Friday, 18 February 2011 06:17 (fifteen years ago)

He was on Tim & Eric a year or two ago.

― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 18 February 2011 06:41 (fifteen years ago)

Kenneth Mars, but once again after he was dead.

― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 18 February 2011 07:56 (fifteen years ago)

Jane Russell

― Alba, Friday, 18 February 2011 09:00 (fifteen years ago)

Clive Dunn

― Alba, Friday, 18 February 2011 09:01 (fifteen years ago)

Skipping 3611 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Still living:

https://i.postimg.cc/90B693C5/alive.jpg

Who are the two people just behind Ringo?

― clemenza, Monday, 8 June 2026 15:13 (one month ago)

Dion and artist/sculptor Larry Bell

― Josefa, Monday, 8 June 2026 15:18 (one month ago)

I know one of those two.

― clemenza, Monday, 8 June 2026 15:20 (one month ago)

Sophia Loren is now the oldest by about five years

― Josefa, Monday, 8 June 2026 15:24 (one month ago)

I would assume some of the flowers are no longer with us

― Andy the Grasshopper, Monday, 8 June 2026 16:53 (one month ago)

Liv Ullman, 87

Had no idea she was born in Tokyo

― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 10 June 2026 00:30 (one month ago)

They're not all that old--76, 80, and 82--but after seeing the Peter Asher documentary yesterday, nice to see that Twiggy, Jane Asher, and Pattie Boyd are all still alive. (Also Chris O'Dell, less well known--79.)

― clemenza, Sunday, 14 June 2026 21:20 (one month ago)

Jean Shrimpton also with us at 83

― Alba, Monday, 15 June 2026 09:23 (one month ago)

I saw Jane Asher at a Nigel Kneale event a couple of years ago - she's in the first Quatermass film and The Stone Tapes - and she was in very good form then (perhaps as a condition of her appearance, the Beatles were never mentioned).

― Ward Fowler, Monday, 15 June 2026 09:36 (one month ago)

Also not that old, Nicholas van Hoogstraten, remember that horrible cunt? Well unfortunately he's still alive.

― Tom D, focussed with getting on with the job (Tom D.), Monday, 15 June 2026 11:36 (one month ago)

I saw Jean Shrimpton once, down in Cornwall about 20 years ago. Didn't know it was her at the time, but saw a photo in the paper about five years after.

― Mark G, Monday, 15 June 2026 15:25 (one month ago)

Jan Smithers of WKRP, who (just learned) was married to James Brolin.

― coffee-themed romance ads (Eazy), Monday, 15 June 2026 15:51 (one month ago)

https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/458732-05-11-teenscover-01.jpg

― Andy the Grasshopper, Monday, 15 June 2026 17:09 (one month ago)

Toshiko Akiyoshi, 96

― The Immortal Bird of Avon (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 18 June 2026 00:34 (one month ago)

Tinto Brass, 93.

― Tom D, focussed with getting on with the job (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 June 2026 10:12 (one month ago)

I'm sure Tinto Brass follows Ernest Borgnine's longevity advice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuC3t-d0Zao

― a ZX spectrum is haunting Europe (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 18 June 2026 10:24 (one month ago)

Berry Gordy, Motown founder, 96

― ed.b, Thursday, 18 June 2026 21:19 (one month ago)

oh man

― the first of many brazen movies (stevie), Friday, 19 June 2026 08:01 (one month ago)

diana ross can finally breathe easy

― the first of many brazen movies (stevie), Friday, 19 June 2026 08:01 (one month ago)

read berry's memoir a couple of decades ago and it should have been subtitled "my decades-long obsession with diana ross"

― the first of many brazen movies (stevie), Friday, 19 June 2026 08:02 (one month ago)

still, hard to name a greater/more important record label than Motown

― the first of many brazen movies (stevie), Friday, 19 June 2026 08:02 (one month ago)

argh i thought i was ready the obits thread, rest easy everyone

― the first of many brazen movies (stevie), Friday, 19 June 2026 08:35 (one month ago)

ah.

― Mark G, Friday, 19 June 2026 09:57 (one month ago)

Mary de Rachewiltz, 99, writer and daughter of Ezra Pound.

101 in about a week...

― Sam Weller, Wednesday, 1 July 2026 07:43 (one month ago)

Angie Dickinson, 94

(Rio Bravo is on tv.)

― Kim Kimberly, Sunday, 5 July 2026 18:15 (one month ago)

John Boorman, 93.

― Dan Worsley, Sunday, 5 July 2026 18:17 (one month ago)

Knew Angie was still around, but Boorman surprised me.

― cryptosicko, Sunday, 5 July 2026 18:18 (one month ago)

The reverse of this thread scenario is that I just learned that one of the kids Melissa Etheridge had with David Crosby's donation died of an opioid overdose. I recall at the time people pointing out that having Crosby as the biological father was tempting fate, and, well ...

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 5 July 2026 19:28 (one month ago)

Mel Brooks hit 100 last month!

― Andrew Farrell, Monday, 13 July 2026 20:18 (three weeks ago)

Mitch McConnell

― Karmic posing as I always do 🧘 (wins), Monday, 13 July 2026 20:23 (three weeks ago)

mitch mcconnell

ffs xp

― Wichita Referee's Assistant (darraghmac), Monday, 13 July 2026 20:23 (three weeks ago)

Chantal Goya, 84.

― clemenza, Monday, 20 July 2026 19:23 (two weeks ago)

Johnny Pate, jazz bassist and later producer and arranger (notably on "Superfly"), 100.

Still with us, now 102.

― stanes on the knees and blood on the jumber (Tom D.), Monday, 27 July 2026 18:02 (one week ago)

Knew Angie was still around, but Boorman surprised me.

Saw him do a short q&a before restored Zardoz; definitely not as sharp as he used to be but just seeing him in the flesh was already an honour.

― a ZX spectrum is haunting Europe (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 27 July 2026 18:45 (one week ago)

Peggy Dow, 98

Also, apparently 3 actresses who were romantically linked to Howard Hughes are still with us:
Terry Moore, 97
Debra Paget, 92
and a thread MVP, Mamie Van Doren, 95

― Judi Dench's Human Hand (methanietanner), Monday, 27 July 2026 19:17 (one week ago)

Well, technically Jimmy Cricket:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70g94zr1zgo

Although as of this writing he isn't actually alive any more. Surprisingly he was only 80.

― Ashley Pomeroy, Monday, 3 August 2026 21:11 (three days ago)

Koyaanisqatsi director Godfrey Reggio, 85, who I could have sworn died a while ago but no

― mime is money (bastard) (Matt #2), Monday, 3 August 2026 21:16 (three days ago)

In the summer of 2006, I came home to my parents’ house from my summer job and took a righteous bong rip in the backyard then settled down to watch Koyaanisqatsi. My dad came home early, a totally unheard of thing for him to do even on a Friday (he had had a late dentist appointment), and sat down with me in the TV room. I was exceptionally toked. After a few minutes, my dad said to me, “Ted, is this a movie for people on drugs?” and after clearing my throat and saying “No!” in as firm a tone I could muster, he said, “Let’s take a walk, it’s a gorgeous evening.” And that’s what we did, but as a result, I have never seen all of the film.

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Monday, 3 August 2026 22:35 (three days ago)

Wait no, it was 2007, but oh well.

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Monday, 3 August 2026 22:35 (three days ago)

not surprised she's alive, but I had no idea that Martha Steward is 85

― Andy the Grasshopper, Tuesday, 4 August 2026 01:15 (two days ago)

“Let’s take a walk, it’s a gorgeous evening.”

This sounds lovely tbh. I really want to see Koyaanisqatsi too, tho.

― Generalissimo Mitch McConnell is still dead (stevie), Wednesday, 5 August 2026 09:37 (yesterday)

i’s seen it before on home video, but many years later I saw it screened at the Kennedy Center (RIP) with the Philip Glass Ensemble (with the man himself) providing a live soundtrack. After a particularly intense passage that ends abruptly in silence one person in the audience exclaimed “wow!”.

― Luigi No...No!!! (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 5 August 2026 12:07 (yesterday)

Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, director of Hitler: a Film from Germany, 90.

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 5 August 2026 13:12 (yesterday)

I had my dad take me to see Koyaanisqatsi when I was 12 or so.

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 5 August 2026 13:14 (yesterday)

Guitarist John McLaughlin, 84.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 5 August 2026 15:11 (yesterday)

(xps) I thought I'd posted Syberberg before itt but apparently not.

― Happiness is a warm gurn (Tom D.), Wednesday, 5 August 2026 15:14 (yesterday)

He's not to be confused with the Frank Zappa character "Sy Borg"

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 5 August 2026 15:49 (yesterday)

Guitarist John McLaughlin, 84.

Mistook this for the obituary thread and started a frantic Google search. Don't do that!

― wipes chooser (unperson), Wednesday, 5 August 2026 15:56 (yesterday)

He released a new album last year!

― mime is money (bastard) (Matt #2), Wednesday, 5 August 2026 16:15 (yesterday)

Songwriter Jeff Barry, 88.

"In 2025, Barry served as one of the songwriters for A Chuck E. Cheese Christmas, along with his son, Jon Colton Barry."

― bulb after bulb, Wednesday, 5 August 2026 16:31 (yesterday)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.