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Where Are They Now - July 18, 2014
Hello fans,Working on this week's issue of WATN makes me want to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We are catching up with Richard O'Brien who wrote the musical, co-wrote the screenplay of the 1975 film adaptation and played the character Riff Raff in the film. What is he up to now?
Take care,
MelissaP.S. Did you miss an issue? You can read every issue from the Gophercentral library of newsletters on our exhaustive archives page. Thousands of issues, all of your favorite publications in chronological order. You can read AND comment. Just click
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Email Melissa *View Past Issues: Where Are They Now Archives*--DEAD OR ALIVE?--See if you know if the following celebrities have had a visit from the "Grim Reaper":
Andrea Martin: A regular on the TV series "SCTV"
Michael Landon: Starred in the TV series "Bonanza", "Little House on the Prairie" and "Highway to Heaven"
Tuesday Weld: Known for playing precocious innocents early in her career, appeared in the movies "Pretty Poison", "Looking for Mr. Goodbar", and "Falling Down"
(Answer at the bottom)*Richard O'BrienLearn More About Richard O'Brien on Celebrity Nooz BIRTH DATE: March 25, 1942, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
BIRTH NAME: Richard Timothy Smith
CLAIM TO FAME: He is best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show. He also co-wrote the screenplay of the 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and appeared in the film as the character Riff Raff.
FAMILY LIFE: O'Brien has currently been married to Sabrina Graf since 2013. He was previously married to actress Kimi Wong, and they have a son named Linus (b. 1972). His second marriage to Jane Moss produced two children: Joshua (b. 1983) and Amelia (b. 1989).
INFO: O'Brien moved to New Zealand in 1952 after his father purchased a sheep farm, and got his start as a stuntman in Carry on Cowboy. He returned to England in 1964 and launched his acting career, changing his name to O'Brien since there was already an actor named Richard Smith.
He appeared in London stage productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar in the early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman helped O'Brien turn his idea for a gothic-themed, comic-book fantasy show into reality, and The Rocky Horror Show opeend at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in June 1973. It quickly became the show to see in London theatre.
O'Brien continued writing musicals with arranger Richard Hartley, including: T.Zee (1976), Disaster (1978), The Stripper (1982- based on the Carter Brown novel and produced in Australia), and Top People (1984). He became the presenter of UK Channel 4's popular game show The Crystal Maze in 1990 and left in 1993 after the fourth series.
He has also played the role of the Child Catcher in the West End theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and has done cabaret-style music and comedy performances on stages around the world.
TRIVIA: Took the last name O'Brien after his grandmother.
Wrote The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) in six months.
Based the character Frank-N-Furter on Alice Cooper.
Is a patron of the Five Stars Scanner Appeal, which benefits the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.
In 2004, his contributions to the arts were honored with the erection of a statue of Riff Raff at a theater in Hamilton, New Zealand.
WHERE IS HE NOW: In late 2008, his script for Pig in Boots was converted into an audio pantomime by the Wireless Theatre Company. It was recorded live at the Headliners Comedy Club in front of a studio audience with live FX and music.
In 2012, he judged "Stage Fright" with the Wireless Theatre Company as part of the London Horror Festival and performed an acoustic set of Rocky Horror songs.
Also in 2012, he performed "It's Party Time with Richard O'Brien" at the Hamilton Founders Theatre to celebrate his 70th birthday, and appeared on stage as Fagin with the Hamilton Operatic Society's production of Oliver! at the Founders Theatre.
O'Brien is also the voice of Lawrence Fletcher, the title characters' father in the animated kids TV series Phineas and Ferb.
* CREDITS:2007-2014 Phineas and Ferb (TV Series)...Lawrence Fletcher / Dad / Additional Voices / ...
2011 Mongrels (TV Mini-Series)...Zombie Dog
Kali and the Rickshaw Inferno (2011)
2011 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (TV Movie)...Lawrence Fletcher / Lawrence-2 (voice)
2010 Jackboots on Whitehall...Himmler (voice)
2009/I Night Train...Mrs. Froy
2009 Tales of the Fourth Dimension (Video)...Time Master
2006 The Children's Party at the Palace (TV Special)...The Childcatcher
2006 The Ten Commandments (TV Movie)...Anander
2001 Elvira's Haunted Hills...Lord Vladimere Hellsubus
2000 Dungeons & Dragons...Xilus
2000 The Mumbo Jumbo...Archie
2000 Urban Gothic (TV Series)...Thin Man
Thirteen (2000)
1999 The Rocky Interactive Horror Show (Video Game)...The Game Devil
1998 Ever After: A Cinderella Story...Pierre Le Pieu
1998 Dark City...Mr. Hand
1997 Spice World...Damien
1995 The Detectives (TV Series)...Dr Phibes
On Thin Ice (1995)
1994 The Ink Thief (TV Series)...The Ink Thief
1993 Full Stretch (TV Series)
Cadillac Dreams (1993)
1991 Mystery Train (TV Mini-Series)...Host
1989 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase...James
1986 Robin Hood (TV Series)...Gulnar
1985 Revolution...Lord Hampton
1983 Digital Dreams (TV Movie)...Butler
1981 Shock Treatment...Dr. Cosmo McKinley
1980 Flash Gordon...Fico
1980 Rushton's Illustrated (TV Series)
1979 The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game (TV Series)...Cowboy
Horsenap (1979)
1978 The Odd Job...Batch
1978 Jubilee...John Dee
1977 Premiere (TV Series)...Reporter
A Hymn from Jim (1977)
1977 ITV Playhouse (TV Series)...Dave Head
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (1977)
1977 The Contraption (Short)...The Man
1975 The Rocky Horror Picture Show...Riff Raff - A Handyman
1975 Caribe (TV Series)...General Desmond
Assault on the Calavera (1975)
1972 Four Dimensions of Greta...Balding Hippy
1972 X, Y and Zee...Party Guest (uncredited)
1966 Carry on Cowboy...Rider (uncredited)
To see Then & Now pictures of Richard O'Brien, visit: Celebrity Nooz*--Answers to DEAD OR ALIVE--Andrea Martin - ALIVE
Born: 01/15/1947
Michael Landon - DEAD (Cancer)
Born: 10/31/1936 Died: 07/01/1991
Tuesday Weld - ALIVE
Born: 08/27/1943
*WHO PASSED ON THIS WEEK...7/15
Oscar Acosta, 81, Honduran author, diplomat and poet, Ambassador to Spain, Italy and the Holy See.
Aqeel Ahmed, 80, Indian Agra gharana vocalist and musician.
Adhu Awiti, Kenyan politician, Minister of Planning (2001-2002), MP for Karachuonyo (1997-2007), cancer.
James MacGregor Burns, 95, American historian (Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom) and political scientist, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize (1971).
Erosi Kitsmarishvili, 49, Georgian diplomat, Ambassador to Russia (2008), suspected suicide.
John Milne, 72, Scottish broadcaster (BBC Scotland).
Pietro Giacomo Nonis, 87, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Vicenza (1988-2003).
Gerallt Lloyd Owen, 69, Welsh poet.
Robert A. Roe, 90, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey's 8th district (1969-1993).
Madhukar Singh, 87, Indian writer.
Sulekha Hussain, 85, Indian Urdu novelist.
7/14
Alice Coachman, 90, American Olympic champion high jumper (1948), first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
Alistair Hanna, 69, Northern Irish managerial consulting executive, cancer.
Gavin Jones, 47, Australian media executive, founder of the Deadly Awards.
Guillermo Leaden, 100, Argentine Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires (1975-1992).
Gary Lee, 63, American motorsports broadcaster (Saturday Night Thunder), heart attack.
Vange Leonel, 51, Brazilian singer, writer, feminist and LGBT activist, ovarian cancer.
Josh Liavaa, 65, Tongan-born New Zealand rugby league player (national team), shot.
George McCague, 84, Canadian politician, Ontario MPP for Dufferin-Simcoe (1975-1987) and Simcoe West (1987-1990), leukemia.
John Victor Parker, 85, American judge, member of the U.S. District Court for Middle Louisiana (1979-2014).
Igor Shustikov(es), 42, Belarusian footballer.
Horacio Troche, 79, Uruguayan footballer (national team).
Jack Tocco, 87, American mafioso, head of the Detroit Partnership, suspect in the Jimmy Hoffa disappearance, natural causes.
Vintage Crop, 27, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse, won Melbourne Cup (1993).
7/13
Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo, 75, Irish hereditary peer.
Nadine Gordimer, 90, South African writer (The Conservationist, Burger's Daughter, July's People) and anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Prize laureate in Literature (1991).
Giriraj Kishore, 94, Indian Hindu political activist.
Lorin Maazel, 84, American conductor, violinist, composer and music director (New York and Vienna Philharmonics, Cleveland Orchestra), complications of pneumonia.
Judith McCulloh, 78, American folklorist and editor (University of Illinois Press).
Cledan Mears, 91, Welsh Anglican clergyman, Bishop of Bangor (1982-1992), short illness.
Jan Nolten, 84, Dutch racing cyclist, brain hemorrhage.
Peter Sainsbury, 80, English cricketer (Hampshire).
Gert Voss, 72, German actor, leukemia.
Jim Richard Wilson, 61, American abstract artist and gallery curator, cancer.
7/12
Jamil Ahmad, 83, Pakistani author, heart attack.
Nestor Basterretxea, 90, Spanish Basque artist.
Emil Bobu, 87, Romanian communist activist and politician, Interior Minister (1973-1975), Labor Minister (1979-1981), heart attack.
Alberto Cassano, 79, Argentine engineer and academic.
Alfred de Grazia, 94, American political scientist and author.
Kenneth J. Gray, 89, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois (1955-1974, 1985-1989), heart attack.
Red Klotz, 92, American basketball player (Baltimore Bullets).
Hullad Moradabadi, 72, Indian Hindi language poet, cardiac arrest.
Valeriya Novodvorskaya, 64, Soviet Russian politician and dissident, septic shock.
Jehangir Pocha, 45, Indian journalist, editor (Businessworld) and media executive (NewsX), cardiac arrest.
Charles P. Smith, 88, American politician, Wisconsin State Treasurer (1971-1991).
Rod Taylor, 70, American skier (national team), owner of Woodbury Ski Area.
Barbara Turf, 71, American home furnishing executive, CEO of Crate and Barrel (2008-2012), pancreatic cancer.
Tommy Valentine, 64, American golfer, cancer.
7/11
R. Perry Beaver, 75, American Muscogee politician, Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (1995-2003).
Sir Howard Cooke, 98, Jamaican politician, Governor-General (1991-2006), MP (WIF) (1958-1962) and MP for St James (1962-1980), Senate President (1989-1993).
Bill Drake, 73, American radio personality (WSPA, WOLT), complications from esophageal cancer surgery.
Jean-Louis Gauthier, 58, French racing cyclist, heart attack.
Dulce Maria Gonzalez(es), 56, Mexican writer, cancer.
Charlie Haden, 76, American jazz bassist and bandleader, three-time Grammy Award winner (Nocturne, Land of the Sun, The Shape of Jazz to Come), post-polio syndrome.
Ray Lonnen, 74, British actor (Harry's Game, The Sandbaggers, Z-Cars), cancer.
Kodali Kamalamma, 100, Indian freedom fighter, political activist and prisoner, involved in the Salt March.
Carin Mannheimer, 79, Swedish author and screenwriter, cancer.
Bill McGill, 74, American basketball player (Chicago Zephyrs, New York Knicks).
Diarmaid O Muirithe, 78, Irish columnist (Irish Times).
Ron Oestrike, 82, American baseball coach (Eastern Michigan Eagles), NAIA Champion (1970), namesake for Oestrike Stadium.
Tommy Ramone, 65, Hungarian-born American Hall of Fame record producer and drummer (The Ramones), bile duct cancer.
John Seigenthaler, 86, American newspaper journalist and editor (The Tennessean, USA Today), editor for team that won Pulitzer Prize (1962).
7/10
Jose Manuel Abdala, 57, Mexican journalist and politician, MP for Tamaulipas (2003-2006), colon cancer.
Yann Andrea(fr), 61, French writer.
Robert C. Broomfield, 81, American judge, member (since 1985) and Chief Judge (1994-1999) of the U.S. District Court of Arizona, member of the FISC (2002-2009).
Juby Bustamante, 76, Spanish writer and journalist, cancer.
John R. Driscoll, 90, American politician, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1975-1992).
Paul Gibson Jr., 86, American airline executive (American Airlines), Deputy Mayor of New York City (1974-1977).
Douglas Goodfellow, 97, New Zealand dairy executive and philanthropist.
Chris Grier, American musician (To Live and Shave in L.A.) and journalist, cardiac arrest.
Flor Hayes, 70, Irish Gaelic footballer (Cork).
On Kawara, 81, Japanese conceptual artist.
Juozas Kazickas, 96, Lithuanian billionaire philanthropist, financier, natural resources and telecommunications executive, founder of Omnitel.
Paul G. Risser, 74, American educator and ecologist, President of Oregon State University (1996-2002) and Miami University (1993-1996).
Bruce Saurs, 88, American sports franchise executive, owner of the Peoria Rivermen.
Gloria Schweigerdt, 80, American baseball player (Chicago Colleens, Battle Creek Belles).
Zohra Sehgal, 102, Indian actress (Bend It Like Beckham, The Mistress of Spices, Doctor Who) and choreographer, heart failure.
Abdul Ahad Vakil, 80, Indian politician, MP for Baramulla (1977-1980), Jammu and Kashmir Speaker and MLA for Sopore, multiple organ failure.
Salleh Yaakob, 63, Malaysian politician, Kedah MLA