CHARLES GRAY 8.29.1928--3.7.2000
--Donald Pleasance and Telly Savalas had already put their stamp on Bond archnemesis Blofeld when Gray landed the part in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. But it was the British actor's ruthless (though not hairless) cosmopolite who gave 007 fans their final image of the SPECTRE chief. His last appearance was as an admiral in the 1999 BBC miniseries Longitude: a suitable end to a career riddled with military roles--evil military roles.
FRAN RYAN 11.26.1916--1.15.2000
--Acting since 6, Ryan first came to national attention in 1955 playing saloon keeper Hannah on TV's Gunsmoke and, later, bosom friend Aggie Thompson on The Doris Day Show. Later still, she made a name for herself as Barney Miller's memorable bag lady and as Rosie Carlson on Days of Our Lives. Her death closed the book on one of Hollywood's most eclectic careers.
DESMOND LLEWELYN 9.12.1914--12.19.1999
--Few character actors receive better send-offs than Llewelyn's dramatic descent into the bowels of his spy lab in the 1999 Bond outing, The World Is Not Enough. But the Welsh actor had planned to play cantankerous gadget-smith Q in the 20th installment of the franchise--a reasonable prediction, considering his role had spanned every Bond from Connery to Brosnan. Sadly, a tragic December car accident cut short that dream.
CRAIG STEVENS 7.8.1918--5.10.2000
--He played more than 100 roles on TV, but Stevens' greatest contribution to the medium was Peter Gunn, the hard-boiled private eye he originated for the eponymous series, which ran 1958-61. Stevens gave up the study of dentistry to pursue a career in show business; had he not, television's gumshoe image--go-it-alone tough guy both dissolute and principled--might have turned out very differently.
DAVID TOMLINSON 5.7.1917--6.24.2000
--Disney likes its villains witty, effete, and English--so it was only a matter of time before Tomlinson and the Mouse teamed up for some mustache-twirling fun in 1969's The Love Bug. But Tomlinson's first Disney role, as Mary Poppins' chilly patriarch George Banks, was his most memorable. Shortly after wrapping The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu in 1980, Tomlinson retired from acting to spend more time with his family. Ms. Poppins would have been proud.
