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Dad's Army star Bill Pertwee dies, aged 86

Dad's Army star Bill Pertwee has died at the age of 86.

The actor, who was best known for his role as the air raid warden Hodges in the classic 1970s comedy, died peacefully in his sleep.

William Desmond Anthony Pertwee was born in 1926 in Buckinghamshire. He was educated at Frensham Heights School in Surrey and Dartford Technical College. He left school during the Second World War and worked in a factory that made Spirfire parts.

After the war he worked as an accounts clerk at the Stock Exchange and for Burberry in London. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, he developed an interest in show business. Initially he worked backstage, then took small parts on stage.

In 1954 he became assistant to his second cousin, actor Jon Pertwee, and turned professional the following year.

In 1959 he got his break into radio, appearing in comedy series Beyond Our Ken and Round the Horne. He appeared in four films, including three of the Carry On series, in the 1970s.

His most prominent role was that of ARP Warden Hodges in Dad's Army, which he played in both the original television series and the radio adaptations. He was honorary President of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society from 1980 until 2008.

In 1960 he married Marion Rose. They had a son, Jonathan, who is also an actor. Marion died in 2005.

He was awarded an MBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for his services to charity.

Agent Meg Poole said he died peacefully on Monday with his family around him.

JAMES Gandolfini, best known as TV mob boss Tony Soprano, has died in Italy at the age of 51.
There are conflicting reports as to whether the US actor suffered a stroke or heart attack.
Already a well-travelled actor, Gandolfini shot to fame in 1999 as the head of a mob family on HBO TV series The Sopranos, the show that changed TV's reputation into a destination for quality drama and in turn, film actors. HBO confirmed the star’s death, saying Gandolfini was on vacation in Rome and was expected to make an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival in northern Italy, later this week.
“He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility,” HBO said in a statement, released to Variety magazine.
Gandolfini is survived by his second wife, Deborah Lin, a son and a baby daughter.

Gandolfini won three best actor Emmys and a Golden Globe for his depiction of mob boss Tony Soprano, who constantly questions his identity and purpose. The bear-like actor eventually earned $US1 million per episode in the HBO series and Entertainment Weekly listed him as the 42nd Greatest TV Icon of All Time. American media executive Chris Albrecht, who gave Gandolfini his start on the hit US drama, confirmed the news to industry website Deadline.com. "Absolutely stunned. I got the word from Lorraine Bracco and just got off with Brad Grey who had just heard from David Chase,'' Albrecht said by email. "We had all become a family. This is a tremendous loss.''

Opinion from movie aficionados on Twitter this morning was that, while universally revered for The Sopranos, Gandolfini's film work was highly underrated. The New Jersey native, who began his acting career on stages in New York, was one of Hollywood's first-choice supporting players, with roles in films such as Killing Them Softly alongside Brad Pitt, as a creature voice in the Australian-shot Where the Wild Things Are, in Kathryn Bigelow's acclaimed Zero Dark Thirty and comedy In the Loop. It is believed the last film he shot was Animal Rescue, a crime drama co-starring Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace.
He also recently filmed Enough Said, a comedy with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Toni Collette. Gandolfini said he was reluctant to take on another gangster role in Killing Them Softly, directed by Australian Andrew Dominik, but eventually found a way to play his doomed hit-man.

He told US television: “I started thinking, ‘I’ve done a bunch of these guys and this is kind of the final nail in the coffin. This is where you are at the end’. So maybe if I played it that was in my mind, this is the last one, then it got interesting.” Mourning his loss on Twitter were fellow actors including:
Albert Brooks who wrote, “RIP James Gandolfini. One hell of an actor.”
Jonah Hill said he was “truly heartbroken to hear that James Gandolfini has passed away. He is one of my all time favourite actors. Tragic loss.”
Tom Sizemore tweeted that Gandolfini would “forever” be “the dude in True Romance to me. RIP. Damn.”
Steve Carell said the loss was “unbelievably sad news. A fine man”.
Lost creator and Star Trek into Darkness screenwriter Damon Lindelof tweeted: “James Gandolfini. You created an icon. And you cut to black way too abruptly. Thank you, and rest in peace.”

Time Team archaeologist Mick Aston dies aged 66

Archaeologist and broadcaster Professor Mick Aston, who found fame with TV programme Time Team, has died aged 66.

Close friend and colleague Phil Harding, who also works on the popular Channel 4 series, said he had received the news from Professor Aston's son James.

Dr Harding said that although his friend had suffered health problems, learning of his death just two weeks after talking to him on the phone for the last time had come as a shock.

"It just seems so incredible, like a bad dream, but unfortunately this is no dream," Dr Harding said. "He was a seriously good mate and a seriously good archaeologist, a unique man. Everybody loved him, he just had a way with people. I cannot believe there was anybody who disliked him, he just had such a relaxed way.

"He had incredible knowledge and an effortless way of making archaeology accessible to people."

Born and raised in Oldbury in the West Midlands, Professor Aston was instantly recognisable on television for his colourful jumpers.

He lived in Somerset, and continued to take part in archaeology projects after leaving Time Team acrimoniously last year, when he accused the programme of dumbing down.

Before being named an emeritus professor at the university of Bristol and an honorary visiting professor at Exeter and Durham, he first joined the cast led by actor and presenter Tony Robinson when the show began in 1994.

Professor Francis Pryor, who also worked with Professor Aston on the programme, paid tribute to a man who he described as "remarkable archaeologist who could really dig".

He said: "I will remember him fondly - was a warm, loving, nice man. He did very good work on original British towns which is still being built on and he was an authority on early medieval archaeology."

Devo drummer Alan Myers loses battle with cancer

Alan Myers, the Devo drummer from 1976 to 1986, has lost his battle with cancer.

Myers joined Devo to the ‘Q: Are We Not Men? A. We Are Devo’ album and was the drummer on their best known works ‘Freedom of Choice’ and ‘New Traditionalists’ performing on songs like ‘Whip It’ and ‘Working In A Goldmine’.

Myers replaced Jim Mothersbaugh, brother Devo founders Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh.

Alan Myers death was confirmed by jazz musician Ralph Carney (uncle of Patrick Carney from The Black Keys). He wrote on his Facebook page, “i just got some bad news. Alan Myers passed yesterday from cancer. he was Devo’s best drummer and one of the first people to teach me about jazz. i cry”.

Since 2005, Myers was a member of LA based band Skyline Electric with wife Christine (Sugiyama) Myers.

Glee star found dead

Actor Cory Monteith.

Glee star Corey Monteith - who plays McKinley High graduate Finn Hudson on the musical TV show - has reportedly been found dead in Vancouver.

Reports attributed to Vancouver Police say he was found dead in a hotel room, from an apparent drug overdose.

Corey Monteith, 31, voluntarily admitted himself into a centre for treatment for a drug and alcohol addiction in March this year.

He was first sent to rehab when he was 19 year of age.
He was born in 1982, and played Finn Hudson in Glee since the series premiered in 2009.