Where Are They Now - Friday, May 11, 2018

Hello fans,

Today's celebrity suggestion comes to us from reader Natalie W.

Natalie wants to know what Missy Gold has been up to since she starred as Katie Gatling on the TV sitcom Benson back in the early '80s.

Not much has been publicized about Missy, mostly because she quit acting right after leaving Benson. You might be surprised to learn what she is doing now! Read on to find out more about this childhood star...

And be sure to 'Suggest a Celebrity' for a future issue of 'Where Are They Now?'. Click here to visit the site or Go to CelebrityNooz.com and suggest your celebs.

Take care,
Steve

Questions? Comments? Email Steve

View Past Issues: Where Are They Now Archives



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--DEAD OR ALIVE?--
See if you know if the following celebrities have had a visit from the "Grim Reaper":

Danny Aiello: He has appeared in "Moonstruck", "Do The Right Thing" and many other movies

Cloris Leachman: Played Phyllis on the TV series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: He appeared in "The Prisoner of Zenda" and "Gunga Din", among other movies

(Answer at the bottom)



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Missy Gold
Learn More About Missy Gold on Celebrity Nooz

BIRTH DATE: July 14, 1970, Great Falls, Montana

BIRTH NAME: Melissa Ann Fisher

CLAIM TO FAME: She is best known for portraying the Governor's daughter, Katie, on the TV sitcom Benson (1979-1986).

FAMILY LIFE: Her older sister is actress Tracey Gold (Carol on Growing Pains). Birth parents are Joe and Bonnie Fisher. In 1973, her mother got remarried to Harry Goldstein, and both Missy and Tracey were legally adopted by their stepfather and became known as Tracey and Melissa Goldstein. The sisters, along with their two younger siblings, Brandy and Jessie, shortened their family name to Gold for professional use. The youngest sister Cassie is the only non-acting member of the siblings.

INFO: Missy was already a veteran of miniseries and commercials when she joined the cast of Benson at the age of nine. She earned fame for her role as the governor's precocious daughter Katie Gatling, and won the award for best young actress in a comedy series in 1984. Missy also had regular roles on Eight is Enough, Fantasy Island, Nancy Drew, and Trapper John, M.D.

TRIVIA: Is left-handed.

Has a tattoo on her left ankle.

Sister-in-law of Roby Marshall.

Auditioned for roles in various soap operas, but never accepted any because she didn't want to be committed to five-year contracts.

Was very close to Inga Swenson, who played the housekeeper on Benson.

Her Benson colleagues felt she was too smart to be in acting.

WHERE IS SHE NOW: Missy left show business after her role on Benson to pursue an education. She used her earnings from the show to pay for a B.A. at Georgetown University and a Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology.

She worked with LAPD crisis negotiators as well as patients with eating disorders. Although her older sister Tracey endured a well-publicized battle with anorexia, Gold credits fans with inspiring her career choice.

Now known as Dr. Melissa Gold, she resides in Maine where she is a practicing psychologist.

CREDITS:

1986 The Blinkins (TV Movie)...Blink (voice)

1979-1986 Benson (TV Series)...Katherine 'Katie' Olivia Gatling / Katie Gatling

1984 Trapper John, M.D. (TV Series)...Rachel McCall
Moonlighting Becomes You (1984)

1981 Blind Tom: The Story of Thomas Bethune (Short)

1981 Twirl (TV Movie)...Traci Jordan

1980 Fantasy Island (TV Series)...Stephanie Hendricks
- The Love Doctor/Pleasure Palace/Possessed (1980)

1979 Project U.F.O. (TV Series)
- Sighting 4025: The Whitman Tower Incident (1979)

1979 How the West Was Won (TV Mini-Series)...Stacy Willow
- The Forgotten (1979)

1979 Eight Is Enough (TV Series)...Missy Kappleton
- Best of Friends (1979)

1978 The Kid from Not-So-Big...Bobbi

1978 Ishi: The Last of His Tribe (TV Movie)...Little Girl

1978 Sword of Justice (TV Series)...Nancy
- Aloha, Julie Lang (1978)

1978 Little Mo (TV Movie)...Brenda Brinker

1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV Series)...Grace
- Will the Real Santa Claus...? (1977)

1977 Rafferty (TV Series)...Judy Cardler
- The Epidemic (1977)

1976 Captains and the Kings (TV Mini-Series)...Mary Armagh as a Child

To see Then & Now pictures of Missy Gold, visit: CelebrityNooz

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--Answers to DEAD OR ALIVE--
Danny Aiello - ALIVE
Born: 06/20/1933

Cloris Leachman - ALIVE
Born: 04/30/1926

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. - DEAD
Born: 12/09/1909 Died: 05/07/2000

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WHO PASSED ON THIS WEEK...
5/9
Lolita Chatterjee, 81, Indian actress, cerebral stroke.
Omar Daoud, 35, Libyan footballer (Al Ahli SC, JS Kabylie, national team), traffic collision.
Arthur Fitzsimons, 88, Irish football player (Middlesbrough) and manager.
Carl Perkins, 59, New Zealand musician (House of Shem), bowel cancer.

5/8
Oleg Belous (ru), 66, Russian diplomat, ambassador to Portugal (since 2013).
Big Bully Busick, 63, American professional wrestler (WWF), spinal fluid cancer.
Anne V. Coates, 92, British film editor (Lawrence of Arabia, The Elephant Man, Fifty Shades of Grey), Oscar winner (1963).
George Deukmejian, 89, American politician, Governor of California (1983-1991).
Julio López Hernández (es), 88, Spanish sculptor.
Irena Orlov, 76, Russian-born American piano teacher.
Lara Saint Paul, 73, Italian-Eritrean singer, cancer.
Rauf Talyshinski, 61, Azerbaijani journalist and editor (Echo).

5/7
Antonio Fernández Valenzuela (es), 71, Spanish businessman and politician, President of Province of Alicante (1983-1991), heart attack.
Mikhail German, 85, Russian writer.
Thomas Hempel, 76, Swedish radio journalist (Dagens Eko).
Søren Hyldgaard, 55, Danish composer (Red), diabetes.
Jesús Kumate Rodríguez, 93, Mexican physician and politician, Secretary of Health (1988-1994).
Maurane, 57, Belgian singer and actress.
Russell McPhedran, 82, Australian news photographer.
Miki Muster, 92, Slovenian artist.
César Paredes Canto (es), 76, Peruvian academic and politician, Vice President (1995-2000), heart attack.
Isyaku Rabiu, 90, Nigerian businessman and Islamic scholar.
Charlie Russell, 76, Canadian naturalist.
Jeremy D. Safran, 66, American psychotherapist, beating and stabbing.
Gayle Shepherd, 81, American singer (Shepherd Sisters), dementia.
Roman Toi, 101, Estonian-Canadian composer, choir conductor, and organist.
Tore Torell, 76, Norwegian magician, esophageal cancer.
Oleksandr Vozianov (uk), 79, Ukrainian physician.

5/6
Sam Aanestad, 71, American politician, member of the California State Assembly (1998-2002) and Senate (2002-2010).
Cirilo Bautista, 76, Filipino writer and poet.
Jack Chamangwana, 61, Malawian football player and coach.
Jean-Claude Decagny, 78, French politician, MP (1993-2010), Mayor of Maubeuge (1984-1989, 1995-2001).
Leonard Faulkner, 91, Australian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Adelaide (1985-2001).
Paolo Ferrari, 89, Italian actor (Susanna Whipped Cream, White Voices, Lo scippo).
Eric Geboers, 55, Belgian motocross racer, five-time world champion, drowned.
Tarcisio Gitti, 82, Italian politician, President of Brescia province (1972-1975) and deputy (1979-1994).
Gurukrushna Goswami, 84, Indian lyricist.
Lai Meng, 90, Malaysian actress (Dance Dance Dragon, Taxi! Taxi!).
Josef Mladý (cs), 63, Czech conferencier, actor and entrepreneur.
Khaled Mohieddin, 95, Egyptian military officer, member of the Revolutionary Command Council.
Vladimir Sapunov (ru), 65, Russian band manager (Mashina Vremeni, Voskreseniye).
Charles W. Steger, 70, American academic, President of Virginia Tech (2000-2014).
Brad Steiger, 82, American author and paranormal researcher.
Ray Szmanda, 91, American radio personality and Menards spokesman (1976-1999).

5/5
Randy Alexander, 69, American drag racing driver (NHRA), race collision.
Michele Castoro, 66, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Manfredonia-Vieste-S.Giovanni Rotondo (since 2009), cancer.
Klaus Dede, 81, German writer and journalist.
Peter Duhan (cs), 71, Czech journalist and manager, Czech Radio director (2010-2015).
Frederic H. Dustin, 88, American businessman and philanthropist.
Wilson Frost, 92, American politician, member of the Chicago City Council (1967-1987).
Ludwig Harig (de), 90, German writer.
Arjun Hingorani, 92, Indian film producer and director (Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere, Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?, Katilon Ke Kaatil).
José María Íñigo, 75, Spanish journalist (RTVE) and commentator (Eurovision Song Contest), cancer.
Adolfo Lastretti (it), 80, Italian actor (Massacre in Rome, Borsalino & Co., Four of the Apocalypse), heart failure.
Robbie Little, 73, British film producer (The Prophecy II, Tsotsi, An American Haunting).
Ermanno Olmi, 86, Italian film director and screenwriter (Il Posto, The Tree of Wooden Clogs, The Legend of the Holy Drinker), complications from Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Aaron D. Panken, 53, American rabbi, President of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (since 2014), plane crash.
Fuad Poladov, 69, Azerbaijani actor.
Pierre Rissient (fr), 81, French film director and producer.
Lawrence Simbarashe, Zimbabwean actor and comedian (Cry Freedom, Jit, Flame).
Norma Vermeulen (es), 87, Argentine human rights activist.
Dick Williams, 91, American singer (The Williams Brothers).

5/4
John Altamura, American actor (The Toxic Avenger Part II, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie), heart attack.
Paul Bloodgood, 58, American artist, Alzheimer's disease.
Edwin G. Burrows, 74, American historian.
Naser Cheshm Azar, 68, Iranian composer, heart attack.
Steve Coy (it), 56, British musician (Dead or Alive).
Renate Dorrestein, 64, Dutch writer and journalist, esophageal cancer.
Billy Fourquet, 57, Puerto Rican radio host and film actor, liver cancer.
Cathy Godbold, 43, Australian actress (The Saddle Club, Home and Away), brain cancer.
Larry Hunter, 68, American college basketball coach (Wittenberg Tigers, Ohio Bobcats, Western Carolina Catamounts), complications from a stroke.
Katie Kelly, 81, American entertainment reporter (Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show), Alzheimer's disease.
Lionel Lamy, 74, French footballer.
Patricia Lascelles, Countess of Harewood, 91, Australian-British violinist and fashion model.
Jeffrey Lawton, 78, British opera singer.
André Le Dissez, 88, French racing cyclist.
Bill MacGowan, 66, New Zealand sports administrator (Auckland Warriors, New Zealand Football).
Juan Morano, 76, Spanish politician, member of the Congress of Deputies (2004-2015), mayor of León (1979-1987, 1989-1995).
Luyanda Ntshangase, 21, South African footballer (Maritzburg United), lightning strike.
Abi Ofarim, 80, Israeli musician ("Cinderella Rockefella") and dancer.
Tony Steel, 76, New Zealand rugby union player (national team) and politician, MP for Hamilton East (1990-1993, 1996-2002).
Alexander Tschäppät, 66, Swiss politician, National Councillor (1979-1991, 2011-2018), Mayor of Bern (2005-2016), cancer.

5/3
Monica Barnes, 82, Irish politician, Teachta Dála (1982-1992, 1997-2002), Senator (1982).
Carlos Carvalho, 47, South African filmmaker, struck by giraffe.
Doina Cornea, 88, Romanian human rights activist and professor.
Afonso Dhlakama, 65, Mozambican politician and opposition leader (RENAMO), heart attack.
Luiz Antonio Gasparetto (pt), 68, Brazilian writer, psychologist and TV presenter, lung cancer.
Dan Grimm, 77, American football player (Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons), Parkinson's disease and dementia.
Tony Kinman, 62, American rock singer and bass guitarist (Rank and File, The Dils).
Maria Paris (it), 85, Italian singer.
David Pines, 93, American physicist.
Bob Prewitt, 93, American college basketball coach (SMU Mustangs).
Joe Scannella, 89, American football coach (Oakland Raiders, Montreal Alouettes, Cleveland Browns).
Paolo Signorelli, 79, Italian footballer.
Ivan Steblin-Kamenskiy (ru), 72, Soviet-born Russian linguist.
Demetrio Túpac Yupanqui (es), 94, Peruvian academic and Quechua translator.