Influential Japanese filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi dies at 82

Actor Edd Byrnes, who became one of the first TV teen idols with his role as Kookie on the 1960s TV series "77 Sunset Strip," died "unexpectedly" at his home on Jan. 8, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif., according to an announcement from his son, Logan Byrnes. He was 87.

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In this photo taken on Saturday, July 11, 2009, Katelynn Nichols from left front, Kaylee Rasbury, Janey Buford, Kortney Nichols, and Austin Baty, right rear, look on as rodeo clown Lecile Harris, listens to cheers from fans as they applaud for their favorite dance couple following a dance contest at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo in Mesquite, Texas. Rodeos historically have been up when the economy is down, according to Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association commissioner Karl Stressman, but this surge is still a pleasant surprise with the recession well into its second year. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Acclaimed singer Bill Withers, famous for his songs including "Lean On Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", and "Lovely Day", died on March 30, 2020 from heart complications; he was 81. Withers was awarded three Grammy Awards during his career and was the subject of the 2010 documentary "Still Bill." Withers is also famous for his hit song "Just the Two of Us," which he did a duet with with Grover Washington Jr. in 1980.

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Del Shofner, the wide receiver who combined with Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle to give the Giants one of the NFL's most prolific passing threats in the early 1960s, died of natural causes with his family by his side on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, according to Shofner's daughter, Laurie Shofner Corwin, who confirmed his death in a telephone call to The Associated Press. He was 85. A five-time Pro Bowl receiver, Shofner was the first player in NFL history to have two seasons of 1,000 yards receiving.

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Broadway star Brent Carver, famous for his Tony Award winning role in "The Kiss of the Spider Woman" died on Aug. 4, 2020; he was 68. "Brent, in his humble fashion, will be remembered as the kind, gentle and gifted man he was, with the deepest love as a true friend and family member," a statement from his family posted on Facebook on August 7 read. "His love of performing was matched only by his zest for life and lifetime devotion to family, friends and treasured pets." Carver was also well-known for his roles in "Parade", "As You Like It", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Lord of the Rings", "King Lear", and more.

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Sultan Qaboos bin Said, dedicated and visionary leader of Oman for almost five decades, died on Jan. 10, 2020, after reportedly suffering from cancer. He was 79. Universally praised and credited for modernizing Oman, he's also known for balancing diplomatic interests between numerous foes in a volatile region, including the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. and Oman concluded a treaty of friendship and navigation in 1833 and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1972. Here, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said is at a cabinet meeting at the royal palace on Nov. 1, 2015, in Muscat, Oman.

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Fred Neal, the dribbling wizard who entertained millions with the Harlem Globetrotters for parts of three decades, died on Thursday, March 26, 2020, in his home outside of Houston, Texas. He was 77. Neal played for the Globetrotters from 1963-85, appearing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries for the exhibition team known for its combination of comedy and athleticism. Among the many remembrances on social media, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr tweeted Thursday, "Hard to express how much joy Curly Neal brought to my life growing up. RIP to a legend...."

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Pioneering reggae musician Frederick Nathaniel "Toots" Hibbert, the lead singer of Toots and the Maytals, died on Sept. 11, 2020; he was 77. "It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica," his family said in a statement early Saturday, also shared on the Maytals' social media. "The family and his management team would like to thank the medical teams and professionals for their care and diligence, and ask that you respect their privacy during their time of grief. Mr. Hibbert is survived by his wife of 39 years, Miss D, and his seven of eight children." Hibberts' cause of death was reportedly from coronavirus complications.

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"Monty Python" star Terry Jones died Saturday evening, Jan. 18, 2020, at his North London home surrounding by his wife and family. The British comedian and actor suffered from a rare form of dementia that affects his speech in recent years. He was 77. In the photo, Jones performs during the closing night of "Month Python Live (Mostly)" at the O2 Arena on July 20, 2014, in London.

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Actor Robert Conrad, best-known for his portrayal of the athletic and rugged character Jim West, a Secret Service agent in the time of President Ulysses Grant in the 1960s TV series "The Wild Wild West," has died, as confirmed by a family spokesperson to People magazine on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. He was 84. Conrad also performed his own stunts in the action-comedy and was made an honorary inductee into the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame.

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Emmy and Grammy-winning musician and songwriter Adam Schlesinger, a founding member of the pop-punk band Fountains of Wayne, died on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, of complications from coronavirus. He was 52. A prolific and much-admired musical composer and lyricist, Schlesinger is known for his work on "That Thing You Do!" (1996) and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" (2015).

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Charles "Chuckie" O'Brien, a longtime associate of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa, died on Feb. 13, 2020, in Boca Raton, Fla., from an apparent heart attack, according to a statement in a blog from his stepson, Jack Goldsmith. He was 86. O'Brien, a prime suspect in Hoffa's 1975 disappearance adamantly denied it and said in a 2006 interview, "It's very frustrating. I have so much inside, my love for him and his family." "They were so close, and Hoffa treated Chuckie with such affection, that many people thought Hoffa was his biological father," Goldsmith said. O'Brien was portrayed by Jesse Plemons in Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman." (2019).

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Malik B, rapper and founding member of The Roots, died Wednesday, July 29, 2020. He was 47. The group announced the death of the Philadelphia-based emcee in a social media post Wednesday. The cause of death has not been released. Malik B, whose real name is Malik Abdul Basit, was a major contributor to the group, which includes Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter. He appeared on four albums before departing the group in 1999.

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Broadcaster Hugh Downs, famous for his 20-year tenure on "20/20" and his nine years as a host for the "Today" show, died on July 1, 2020; he was 99. Downs, who accrued more than 10,000 hours on the air, earned his stripes in both news programs and radio announcing throughout his career, including a five-year stint on "The Tonight Show" and the voice heard on stations in Ohio, Detroit and Illinois.

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Flat Earth daredevil "Mad" Mike Hughes died on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, in a crash from a "self-made steam-powered rocket" that plunged straight down after a launch, according to TMZ. He was 64. Famous among Flat Earth adherents, Hughes had launched himself numerous times into the atmosphere to prove his theory and appeared in "Rocketman: Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth," a 2019 film that documented his attempts to validate his beliefs.

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Rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed in his Hollywood Hills, Calif. home on Feb. 19, 2020; the rising star was 20. Pop Smoke, whose real name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, rose to fame in 2019 following the success of his song "Welcome to the Party." Jackson was killed during an early morning home invasion by multiple masked men. Stars including Nicki Minaj and Kehlani mourned the loss of Jackson on social media.

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Tony Fernandez, a longtime Toronto Blue Jays shortstop noted for his defense, who won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1986-89) and the 1993 World Series with the team, died on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, after being in critical condition from a stroke earlier this month, according to multiple reports. He was 57. Fernandez also was a five-time MLB All-Star and a fan favorite in Canada. Here, Blue Jay's shortstop Fernandez leaps to avoid a sliding Oakland A's runner Mark McGwire after throwing to first base, forcing McGwire and teammate Ron Hassey at first out in a double play, in the second inning of American League Championship Series game on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 1989, in Oakland.

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Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, famous for his years playing in John Coltrane's quartet in the late '50s and early '60s, died on March 6, 2020; he was 81. Tyner began his career as a staple in Jazztet, alongside Bennie Golson and Art Farmer. After leaving Coltrane's quartet in 1965 – playing on albums including "Coltrane Live at Birdland," "A Love Supreme," and "Ballads" – Tyner made a name for himself with independent albums and playing alongside legends like Sonny Rollins.

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Children's author and illustrator Tomie dePaola died on March 30, 2020 following surgical complications after he suffered a fall; he was 85. dePaola was best known for his "Strega Nona" book series; the first book of nine, "Strega Nona: An Original Tale" was released in 1975. dePaola also authored "Quiet," a New York Times best-seller; "Big Anthony, His Story," "The Art Lesson," and over 300 more.

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FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2012 file photo, former model and restaurateur B. Smith arrives at the BET Honors red carpet in the Warner Theatre in Washington. Broadway stars and singers will come together Monday, May 11, 2015, to celebrate Smith and raise money to help people with Alzheimer's disease. B. Smith, became one of the first African-American models on the cover of Mademoiselle and later opened restaurants, revealed last year that she has Alzheimer's disease. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

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Ja'net DuBois, who is best known for her role as Wilona Woods on "Good Times" and singing the "The Jeffersons" theme song, died in her sleep on Feb. 18, 2020; she was 74. In addition to roles on TV shows including Mrs. Avery on the "The PJs", "A Different World," and "The Wayans Brothers," among others, DuBois starred in films including "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and on stage in "A Raisin In The Sun" and "Golden Boy" alongside Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr.

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Actor Orson, widely known for his stage and screen career throughout the 1950s and 1960s and his role in "Being John Malkovich", died on Feb. 7, 2020; he was 91. Bean was struck and killed by a car while cross a street in Venice, Calif. Bean starred on a variety of TV shows over the decades including "Murder, She Wrote," "Desperate Housewives", "The Blue Angel" and appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and "To Tell The Truth". Bean also starred in the Broadway comedy "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" in 1955 and in musical "Illya Darling" in 1967.

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Jimmy Webb, who spent over 10 years as a buyer for NYC punk clothing store Trash and Vaudeville and a stylist to stars like Debbie Harry and Joan Jett, died on April 14, 2020 after a battle with cancer; he was 62. Webb was famous in punk and rock n' roll circles, as well as around New York's East Village, as the manager of Trash and Vaudeville and for his sense of style. Tributes from musicians like Iggy Pop, Billie Joe Armstrong, Duff McKagan and more poured in following Webb's passing. Webb opened his own clothing store, called "I Need More," in 2017.

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Legendary jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, the father of musicians Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Delfeao Marsalis and Jason Marsalis, died on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, after being hospitalized with symptoms of coronavirus. He was 85. "Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz. The love and the prayers of all of our people go out to his family, and to all of those whose lives he touched," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said on Twitter.

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Actress Norma Michaels, best known for her roles on "The King of Queens", died on Jan. 11, 2020, her spokesperson announced on January 16; she was 95. Michaels was most recognized for her role as Josephine on the Kevin James-led comedy, and has also starred on "Modern Family", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", "Ally McBeal", "Gilmore Girls", "Lizzie McGuire", "Everybody Loves Raymond" and more. Michaels' extensive career on the big and small screen was 60 years long.

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Lynn Cohen, best known for her role as Magda on "Sex and the City" and Mags in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," died on Feb. 14, 2020; she was 86. Cohen was also known for her stage career in the '80s and '90s, starring in 1989's "Orpheus Descending" and 1997's "Ivanov". During her career, Cohen also starred in the films "Across the Universe," "Munich", "Eagle Eye," and more, as well as the television shows "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Master of None," ," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Affair", and "Nurse Jackie," among others.

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FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2019, file photo, Japanese director Nobuhiko Obayashi speaks during an interview at his studio in Tokyo. Obayashi, one of Japan's most prolific filmmakers who devoted his works to depicting war's horrors and singing the eternal power of movies, has died. He was 82. The official site for his latest film, "Labyrinth of Cinema," said on its online site Saturday, April 10, that Obayashi died late Friday, April 9.(AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama, File)

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Danny Tidwell, "So You Think You Can Dance" star died on Friday, March 6, 2020, his adoptive brother and fellow dancer, Travis Wall announced on Instagram. He was 35. Tidwell was the runner-up in the third season of the dance competition in 2007. Among the numerous tributes on social media, Debbie Allen, a judge on Tidwell's season of the series, posted on Twitter, "Danny Tidwell our beautiful dancing genius 'Prince amongst Paupers' you are in God's Ensemble. We will always speak your name with love and respect. See you on the other side. Love, Mama D"

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Fred Willard, famous for his role on television shows including "Modern Family" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" and movies like "Anchorman" and "Best in Show," died of natural causes on May 15, 2020; he was 86. Willard rose to fame in 1977 thanks to his role on TV's ""Fernwood 2 Night," and was also known for his roles in "A Mighty Wind," "This is Spinal Tap" and "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle."

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Horror director Stuart Gordon, whose famous works include 1985's "Re-Animator" and 1986's "From Beyond", died on March 24, 2020; he was 72. During his career, Gordon co-created the "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" movie series and opened and operated the Organic Theater Company in Madison, Wisconsin in 1969. He also directed 1995's "Castle Freak," 1996's "Space Truckers," and co-wrote "Re-Animator: The Musical."

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Mark Blum, known largely for his role in 1985's "Desperately Seeking Susan", his stage career, and his recurring role on Netflix's "You", died on March 26, 2020 following complications from the coronavirus; he was 69. "With love and heavy hearts, Playwrights Horizons pays tribute to Mark Blum, a dear longtime friend and a consummate artist who passed this week," the off-Broadway theater Playwrights Horizons tweeted on Thursday. "Thank you, Mark, for all you brought to our theater, and to theaters and audiences across the world." Blum won an Obie Award in 1989 for his role in "Gus and Al" and could also be seen in stage productions "The Waverly Gallery," "Mourning Becomes Electra," "It's Only a Play" and more. On the small screen, Blum has roles in "Succession," "You" as Penn Badgley's abusive caretaker Ivan Mooney, "Billions," "The Sopranos," and "Mozart in the Jungle."

Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden. Worden, died on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in his sleep in Texas. He was 88. Worden circled the moon alone in 1971 while his two crewmates tried out the first lunar rover. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement, "Al was an American hero whose achievements in space and on Earth will never be forgotten," and "Of his mission Worden said, 'Now I know why I'm here. Not for a closer look at the Moon, but to look back at our home, the Earth.'"

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African saxophonist Manu Dibango, largely known for his 1972 hit song "Soul Makossa", died in Paris after succumbing to the COVID-19 coronavirus; he was 86. Dibango, a native of Cameroon, was revered in the realm of African jazz and funk. He played around Europe in the 1950s and founded the group African Jazz in 1960. His famous hook from "Soul Makossa" – "mama-say mama-sa mama-ko-sa" – was sampled by Michael Jackson for his 1982 hit "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and Rihanna for her 2007 hit "Please Don't Stop the Music." Those samples led to lawsuits and were settled in and out of court.

Trailblazing rock and roll singer Little Richard died on May 9, 2020; he was 87. Richard, whose real name was Richard Penniman, was famous for energetic onstage presence and approach to music. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's inaugural 1986 inductees, Richard produced several smash hits throughout his career, including "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tail Sally", "The Girl Can't Help It", "Jenny Jenny", and "Good Golly, Miss Molly", among others.

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Diana Rigg, famous for her roles as Countess Tracy di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and as Olenna Tyrell in "Game of Thrones," died on Sept. 10, 2020; she was 82. Rigg also starred as Emma Peel in the 196-1968 television series "The Avengers" and was a veteran of the stage, starring in "Medea," which earned her a Tony in 199; "Abelard & Heloise" and "The Caucasian Chalk Circle."

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Broadway star Lawrence Clayton, famed for his roles in "Dreamgirls" and "The Color Purple," died after a two-year battle with cancer on Nov. 2, 2020; he was 64. Clayton made his debut on the great White Way as C.C. White in 1981. The actor also starred in 1992's "The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club," 1999's "The Civil War" and 2001's "Bells Are Ringing" and toured with productions of "Les Miserables" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" prior to his final Broadway role in 2015 in "The Color Purple."

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John Callahan, best known for his role as Edmund Grey on the daytime drama "All My Children," died on Saturday, March 28, 2020, after having a massive stroke on Friday at his home in Palm Desert, Calif. He was 66. Callahan's career spanned almost four decades with roles in TV shows including "Falcon Crest," "Days of Our Lives," "Santa Barbara" and "The Bay" among others.

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By Muri Assunção | massuncao@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News

UPDATED: April 12, 2020 at 12:13 AM EDT

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Nobuhiko Obayashi, one of the most influential voices in Japanese cinema is dead at 82.

He died late Friday of cancer in Tokyo, an announcement posted on the official site for his latest film, “Labyrinth of Cinema,” confirmed.

“Director Obayashi fought his sickness to the day of the scheduled release of his film. Rest in peace, director Obayashi, you who loved films so much you kept on making them,” the note read.

The prolific filmmaker was diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer in 2016, and was told that he only had a few more months to live.

He defied all expectations and made two more films, according to Variety: “Hanagatami” in 2017, and this year’s “Labyrinth of Cinema,” which was originally scheduled to be released Friday, but postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The prolific director was born in 1938 in Onomichi, a port on Japan’s Inland Sea.

He started making films as a kid, using a projector and film owned by his father, a physician. By the 1960s, he was directing top-notch names such as Charles Bronson and Catherine Deneuve in some of his nearly 3,000 commercials.

He’s perhaps best known for his 1977 cult horror film “House,” a box office hit in his native Japan, and a perennial cult favorite among cinephiles around the world.

His films, which often had “kaleidoscopic, fairy tale-like imagery,” as described by The Hollywood Reporter, frequently touched on young love and the injustices of war.

“Movies are not weak,” he told The Associated Press in 2019. “Movies express freedom.”

Originally Published: April 11, 2020 at 11:21 AM EDT