From Olivia Newton-John to Leslie Jordan, SAG Awards 2023 pays tributes to the stars that ceased to shine
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: February is the busiest time of the year for actors due to the number of award fundtions lined up. The Screen Actors Guild Awards 2023, held at Los Angeles's Fairmont Century Plaza on Sunday, February 26, is among the major events in Hollywood since 1995. The other two major ceremonies are the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Along with the prestigious awards, SAG Awards paid tributes to all the actors who died in 2022.
An emotional video was played during the ceremony. The list of actors included Olivia Newton-John, Kirstie Alley, Leslie Jordan, Barbara Walters, Angela Lansbury, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Cindy Williams and Anne Heche among others.
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'We were their friends, colleagues, and their fans'
Don Cheadle, known for his work in 'House of Lies' and 'Iron Man 3' introduced the montage of pictures and clips about the late actors and actresses. "We were their friends, colleagues, and their fans. Regardless of relationship, we knew and loved the actors that we loved and lost last year," He said, adding, "We traveled with them on unforgettable journeys; they told us the best stories," per PEOPLE. Cheadle went on to speak about the best moments he had with the late movie and TV stars, and how their talent inspired fans while bringing great cinema into their homes.
Olivia Newton-John
On 8 August, 2022, Olivia Newton-John died after a 30-year-long battle with cancer at her Ranch in Southern California, surrounded by friends and family. She was a British and Australian singer, actress, activist and a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The actress is also known for her greatest-of-all-time role in the movie 'Grease', sharing great chemistry alongside John Travolta.
Leslie Jordan
Leslie Jordan died on On October 24, 2022, after having a medical episode due to which he crashed his car into the side of a building. He was best known for his role as Beverley Leslie on 'Will & Grace'. He had taken on several different characters on television. He played Quentin Fleming in Season 3 of 'American Horror Story', Sid on 'The Cool Kids', Phil on 'Call Me Kat', and Lonnie Garr on 'Hearts Afire'. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jordan joined Instagram contributor and soon had over 5.8 million followers in 2020. He published his autobiography 'How Y'all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived' in April 2021.
Cindy Williams
Cindy Williams will forever be cherished in TV history and in the hearts of her fans as Shirley Feeney, the other half of the duo at Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee on the long-running hit '70s ABC series 'Laverne & Shirley'. Originally from Van Nuys, Los Angeles, Williams moved to Dallas when she was a year old and returned when she turned 10. Growing up, she had a keen interest in singing and writing. She contributed her talent to her family's church during childhood and later acted in theatre productions at Birmingham High School. She was always determined on making it in Hollywood, hence she studied in Los Angeles City College and majored in theatre. Williams died at 75 after a brief illness in on January 25, 2023, in Los Angeles.
