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Greg Morris: Television actor
1934-1996
Greg Morris, who played the technical expert on the long-running television series "Mission: Impossible," died August 27 at his Las Vegas home. He was 62.
Morris earned critical acclaim for his role as electronics whiz Barney Collier on the popular CBS series that aired from 1966 to 1973. He was one of the nation's first black television stars.
After an absence from television, he re-emerged to play a supporting role in "Vega$" on ABC from 1979 to 1981. In 1981, he suffered a serious car accident, and did not return to television until a short-lived remake of "Mission: Impossible," which also featured his son, Phil, in 1989. The elder Morris appeared in a cameo role.
Morris was found dead in his flat by a maintenance worker. The actor had been fighting an admitted alcohol problem, and was suffering from lung and brain cancer.
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Marcello Mastroianni: Actor known as "Latin lover"
1924-1996
"Theater actors like to change character roles. They don't like to always do the same thing."
Marcello Mastroianni told interviewers that director Federico Fellini hired him for "La Dolce Vita" because he had a "terribly ordinary face." But audiences thought of Mastroianni as a "Latin lover," a reputation fueled by his real-life affair with French actress Catherine Deneuve.
Despite that affair -- and the birth of Chiara, Mastroianni's and Deneuve's daughter -- Mastroianni remained married to Flora Carabella for some 45 years. His professional partnerships also endured -- Mastroianni made four films with Fellini, and appeared on screen ten times opposite fellow Italian actor Sophia Loren.
Mastroianni died December 19, after struggling with pancreatic cancer. According to Italian state television, Deneuve and Chiara were at his side. Mastroianni was 72.
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Bill Monroe: 'Father of Bluegrass'
1911-1996
"That's the way it's got to be. I wanted it to go from my heart to your heart and let both of us hear it."
Bill Monroe, a country music pioneer and Grand Ole Opry fixture known as the "father of bluegrass," died September 9, just four days before his 85th birthday. He had suffered a stroke earlier in the year.
Monroe was a regular at the Opry from 1939 until the end of his career. His band -- called the "Kentuckians" after his home state -- later adopted the state's nickname and became the "Blue Grass Boys." The name "bluegrass" was later applied to the music Monroe made, which blended Scotch-Irish folk music with elements of country and blues.
Over the years, Monroe recorded more than 40 albums and sold more than 50 million records. His most famous song, "Blue Moon of Kentucky," was recorded in 1946, and was later recorded by Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley.
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