My Favorite Year (1982). An aging, dissolute matinee idol is slated to appear on a live TV variety show in 1954, and a young comedy writer is tasked with the thankless job of keeping him ready and sober for the broadcast.

This movie really is just an okay, sorta fun backstage comedy, but Peter O'Toole is, as always, transcendent, lending real authenticity and emotional weight to a character that veers between slapstick and tragedy. His performance really elevatese the movie overall, and I just wish it had a bit of a better sense of tonal balance to be as good as he is. 6/10.

"My Favorite Year" (1982) - Richard Benjamin

Films I've watched in 2022 (197/210)

Full film on Archive.org

I've been reading Writing from the Inside Out by Dennis Palumbo and holy shit this book has some relevant "why don't you just come to my house and punch me in the face" moments in it

Dennis F Palumbo, CPA, PA

"I have been in public practice as a CPA since October 1980, I have worked in both industry and public accounting over the years. I have been working with many of my existing clients between 10 and 20 years and love to develop long term relationship. I always work to exceed client's expectations for service and always had a passion for my work and been a creative problem solver. - - "My philosophy is relationship is everything in business and in life". -Dennis F. Palumbo - - My Degrees: BBA in Accounting Degree - Western Michigan University MBA degree in Finance - Wayne State University Master in Taxation degree - University of Denver. - - Contact me today and let me be your financial advisor or CPA professional."

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Somebody asked me one time what’s the most important trait to be a screenwriter and I said 'an ability to tolerate despair'.

Dennis Palumbo

Every hour you spend writing is an hour not spent fretting about your writing.

Dennis Palumbo

Interview with Richard Benjamin on Making Comedy Look Easy in MY FAVORITE YEAR (’82) By Donald Leibenson

To hear Richard Benjamin tell it, MY FAVORITE YEAR was a charmed production. For his first film as a director, he had been looking for a comedy (“I’m just kind of bent that way,” he jokes) and the stars aligned to bring him a script that, he says, was everything he knew. He had Mel Brooks as the film’s guardian angel. He had a bona-fide movie star that his wife, Paula Prentiss, recommended after another actor regretfully declined the film’s plum role. And he heeded Carl Reiner, who gave him succinct advice about making a comedy: “Get funny people.”

Which he did. The film is character actor heaven, with Joseph Bologna, Anne de Salvo, Selma Diamond, Adolph Green, Basil Hoffman, Lainie Kazan and Bill Macy.

MY FAVORITE YEAR is set in the mid-1950s when television was live and comedy was king. Mark Linn-Baker stars as Benjy Stone, a young comedy writer on a variety show reminiscent of Your Show of Shows, where he ardently pursues the show’s not-amused production assistant (Jessica Harper). During one life-changing week, he is assigned to chaperone the show’s guest star, his idol, former swashbuckling screen hero, Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole in an Oscar-nominated performance), who has a penchant for drink, womanizing and otherwise behaving badly. 

Benjamin spoke with TCM about casting O’Toole, trying to pin down Mel Brooks and why you should never end a comedy in a graveyard.

To quote Alan Swann’s great line, dying is easy, comedy is hard. With MY FAVORITE YEAR, you make it look so easy. How did the project come to you?

Paula and I were in New York. My agent, David Gersh, sent the script by Norman [Steinberg] and Dennis [Palumbo, credited as co-writer due to the Screen Writers Guild arbitration]. I remember reading it in the hotel room and as I finished, I said, ‘This is everything I know.’ I was in high school when Your Show of Shows was on. I would get on the phone with my friend Shelley Berger, who I am still close to, and we would do all these routines they had done on the show on Saturday night. I grew up loving Errol Flynn and those swashbuckling movies. I had also worked at 30 Rockefeller Plaza [the film’s setting] as an NBC page and guide, and I knew every inch of that place. [The script] was right up my alley, as they say.

Brooksfilms produced the film, and Mel Brooks was a writer on Your Show of Shows. Did he serve as the film’s guardian angel or offer any input?

Guardian angel’s good. He kept saying he would give Norman and I two full days to sit down and go over the script to see if we could make it even funnier. The truth of the matter is that the script didn’t need much of anything, but he promised that. Trying to get Mel to stop moving is a feat. We went to his house, and he invited us in and then said he was going out. He said he had to walk the dog. Then he comes back, and he said he had to go, that there was a crisis at Fox. I said, ‘No there’s not,’ and he said, ‘Well, there could be.’ So, what he ended up giving us was two hours, but it was a great two hours. And the next thing you know, he was gone.

But Norman and I came up with one of the best jokes in the movie while we were standing in his driveway watching him drive away. It’s the one where Swann falls off the roof and plummets past the two elitist guys. And one says, ‘I think Alan Swann’s beneath us,’ and the other guy says, ‘Of course he’s beneath us, he’s an actor.’

I cannot imagine anyone but Peter O’Toole as Alan Swann. Was he the first choice?

Albert Finney had been offered the role, but he had not committed. He was up in Sausalito making SHOOT THE MOON [’82]. They told me I had to go up there and convince him to do the film; otherwise they couldn’t make the movie. The list of people M-G-M would go with was very short, because who are you going to believe with a sword in their hands? So, I’m on this mission, because if he says yes, I’m going to get to make a movie. We arranged to have lunch together. He’s completely charming. I get ready to ask the question – which could change my life, by the way: ‘Will you do it?’ He said, ‘Well…,’ and I could tell it was going to be a no. He thought the script was really good, but he had done two or three movies in a row and he said he wanted to get back to the theater. Then he said to me, ‘Why don’t you get O’Toole?’ He said, ‘We do this all the time. I turn something down, he does it, he turns something down, I do it.’ When I got back home, Paula who had made WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT? [’65] with Peter, said, ‘Get Peter. He is perfect for this.’ Finney said it, Paula said it. And I asked [co-producer] Michael Gruskoff if M-G-M would make the film with O’Toole, and Michael said yes.  

What was the meeting with Peter like?

(Laughs) That meeting! That meeting was quite something. First of all, we couldn’t find him. We could tell we had the right person because the behavior was just like the character. He had a farm in Ireland with no phone. You had to call this pub to get a message to him. I called the pub and they said Peter wasn’t there. His agent didn’t know where he was. I called his manager and said, ‘We’re trying to find your client.’ He said, ‘He’s at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He’s been here for a week.’ 

So, I’m actually talking to Peter O’Toole, and he said he had heard about the project and to send him a script and we would get together the next day. I go over and there he is in a beautiful suite wearing a smoking jacket; he is the character. He said, ‘Here’s the thing…’ and I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ He said he liked it very much, but he hadn’t read the last ten pages and to please indulge him and he would call tomorrow. The next day, on the dot, he called and he said to turn to the last page of the script.

Now, in the original script, there’s a scene which I shot that would have played after what’s in the movie. It took place in a Hollywood cemetery, and Benjy is walking past the gravestones. He says in voiceover that Alan Swann made him promise he would do something on his birthday every year. Alan has passed away, and Benjy comes to his grave, kneels down and pours a bottle of Courvoisier over the tombstone. That’s what’s on the last page. Peter asked me to read the date that was on the tombstone. It was Aug. 2. He said, ‘Aug. 2 is my birthday; did you know that?’ I asked Norman if he knew that, and Norman said no, he had made it up. And Peter says, ‘Therefore, I must do the film.’

What happened to that scene?

I was terribly reluctant to take that out because Peter did the movie because of it. But people at M-G-M said I couldn’t end a comedy in a cemetery. We had two audience screenings, one with that ending and one without it. In the screening with it, the audience enjoyed the picture, but the scene put a pall over things. Then we had the screening without it and the audience was very enthusiastic and very up as they came out.

How did you find Mark Linn-Baker?

Our casting director Ellen Chenoweth said the first person to get was Mark Linn-Baker. Mark came in and read and was terrific. I said, ‘This is my first movie, I can’t cast the first person who walks in here.’ I saw maybe 25 to 35 more—some really good people—but she was right, so after all of that, I said to get him.

Peter and Mark had great chemistry.

They seemed to hit it off right away, but later, back in L.A. after we shot the long scene on the roof, which played like a mini-farce, Peter came up to me and said, ‘I like the lad, you cast him well.’

Was Peter game for the physical stunts?

I couldn’t stop him from doing them! The bathroom scene required him to fall headfirst into the wall. I came to him before we shot and I said, ‘The camera is so close, I can’t pad this wall.’ He said, ‘I was brought up in music hall. I can do this all day. Don’t concern yourself.’

Director Howard Hawks once said that a good movie was three or four good scenes and no bad scenes. I lose count watching MY FAVORITE YEAR of how many great scenes there are in it. Between those driven by comic banter, the TV sketches, the physical comedy scenes, the quieter romantic scenes and even the dramatic confrontations, did you have a favorite type to direct?

I can’t say there was a favorite. It’s all of a piece. I will tell you that one of the scenes I like is in the Stork Club and getting to do something that reminded me of all these kinds of wonderful comic movies I loved growing up. I do remember that one of the first things we shot was the scene in Central Park where Alan Swann mounts the horse. It just seemed to lack energy. And I was thinking, ‘I have to go tell Peter O’Toole that he has to pick up the pace and it has to be lighter.’ I went up to him and said, ‘It’s good, but…’ and before I could finish, he said, ‘You want it faster and funnier.’ I said, ‘You’ve got it,’ and he said, ‘And you shall have it.’ And I thought, ‘This directing thing is not so hard.’ (laughs)

Were there directors you worked with as an actor who particularly inspired you when you became a director? For example, you worked with one of the best, Mike Nichols.

Mike, yes. He directed me in the national company of Barefoot in the Park and [the film] CATCH-22 [’70]. Mike’s thing was he’d come up to you very quietly and say, ‘Just like in real life.’ That was his main thing. It meant that there should be no ‘acting’ here; your character responds to situations as they would in life. It’s like what [critic] Walter Kerr once said about Neil Simon’s jokes: They have the truth in them. This is what funny people know: You can’t try to get a laugh, because you won’t get it.  

At one point, Alan Swann says that doing the TV show was the most fun and the hardest work since the world was young. Was that what making MY FAVORITE YEAR was like for you?

It was the most fun, there’s no question of that. It was a magical experience because of the screenplay and everyone involved. Everyone’s game came up because of Peter. You don’t need many takes with him, that’s for sure. But how all of this came about and got to the point where I would be offered this, and what has to happen in your life to come to that moment – you can’t make it up. And when that moment comes, you’re hopefully ready. I was really fortunate.

Top 5 Books To Read This Year (in no particular order)

Thank you so much for the tag, @displayheartcode! Your list looks super interesting! 

1. Kings Rising by C. S. Pacat (third in the Captive Prince trilogy) - I read the first two of this trilogy in two and a half days last year. It’s so good! I needed a little break before finishing the last book. I’ve already started and gotten over 50% through it. The trilogy’s premise isn’t for everyone, but the C. S. Pacat’s writing is absolutely amazing and continues to blow my mind.

2. Writing from the Inside Out by Dennis Palumbo - Known as the writer’s therapist, Palumbo has helped many writers with their writer’s block. I’ve always been interested in writing as a craft, and hopefully this book will help me with my own writer’s block.

3. The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk - This is the book on trauma. Since I read it in 2019, I’ve suspected I suspected that I suffered from PTSD, but I wasn’t officially diagnosed until a few months ago. Since being diagnosed, I’ve realized I hardly recognized all the ways my body has reacted to trauma. Sounds strange, but I didn’t really realize I was experiencing flashbacks or my fight/flight/freeze responses to normal everyday interactions (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg). It’ll be an interesting to revisit this book with new, opened eyes. 

4. There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura - I randomly picked this up at a bookstore last year that sparked my interest given my own feelings and thoughts about my job/career and whether I should make a big change. It’s about a young woman who walks into an employment agency looking for a job near her home that requires very little thinking and, ideally, involves sitting in a chair. Apparently as she goes through gig after gig, it becomes clear that she is not searching for the easiest job at all, but something altogether more meaningful. 

5. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong - I started this book last year but didn’t get to finish before I had to return to the library. It was so beautiful and lyrical, packing such an unexpected punch to my solar plexus. I look forward to finishing it.

Unlisted: A ton of fanfics, probably tripling or quadrupling the wordcount of whatever number of published books I end up reading. 

Tagging @fightfortherightsofhouseelves @theroomofreq @whathefawkes @clarensjoy if you feel like it and whomever wants to play.

I’m trying to get better at writing case fic. With a bit of smut of course. What are your favourite MFMM case fics?

Whodunnit?

Oh, what an ask! Most sincere apologies for the delay in this reply–it’s a great topic, and the librarians spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to answer it thoroughly and with extra resources.

For the purposes of this question, we’ll be defining a casefic as a story where the investigation and denouement are the central core of the story–there are some fantastic fics with cases that weave into the background but are more focused on other elements, which doesn’t sound quite what you are looking for. We are also only suggesting fics which are marked as complete.

Stand Alone Stories

Impossible Death(2016) by @gaslightgallows captures a whole mystery in a single scene–Phryne arrives at the station to find Jack reading the notes on a long-unsolved case, and they discuss the evidence over whiskey until the truth is uncovered.

Impostor Syndrome (2017) by Quailitea takes advantage of Phryne’s journey to London and Jane Ross’s European tour to set her story in Greece, and the unusual setting gives room for extra conflict.

Phryne Fisher and the Lost City (2013) by resolute is an epistolary casefic–the entire story is told through a series of letters and advertisements

A day at the seaside turns into an investigation into a series a thefts in @oldshrewsburyian‘s The White Elephant (2017), a crossover with British mystery series Foyle’s War which cleverly draws parallels between two detectives who seem to find crime at the worst times.

Mystery and Millinery (reposted 2017) by @flashofthefuse, featuring a suspicious death and hat band patents, is inspired by a real news article from 1931, proving that inspiration can be found in many places.

A Recompense of Rescue (2015) by LovelyPoet makes Jack–or someone claiming to be Jack–as the only suspect in a double murder on board a ship to London. Thankfully, Phryne is ready to come to the rescue. 

@scruggzi‘s The Catacombs of Rylia (2018) explores many of the same issues as the show, including poverty, but with a sci-fi twist. Also features Jack in a towel for most of the story, if that’s your sort of thing.

First in a Series

Manhattan Murder Mystery (2017) listed under orphan_account is the first in a series of fics called The American Episodes, and the “episode” is rather literal–each fic is a self-contained mystery with a similar structure and beats to a television episode.

Seldarius’s Phryniverse opens with A Time for Everything (2013, posted on ao3 2018), a canon-divergent story set after Blood at the Wheel.

Things Said by @inzannatea begins her series The Least of Your Worries with Jack missing in Egypt, and Phryne undercover as she attempts to find him. This series is rich in secondary characters, which can many times make or break a mystery.

Strange Capers (2016) by @firesign23 is the first in This Strange Eventful History, a series of casefics that begins when Phryne returns to Melbourne after two years away and is immediately thrown into an investigation where Jack is a suspect. Each fic in the series is written with a slightly different mystery style in mind.

Someone We Don’t Fool (2017) by @missingmissfisher is the opening to Double 0 Phrack, a series where Phryne and Jack go undercover for an investigation.

And @edeainfj‘s Fall Where They May is going to get a special shoutout for the shortest casefic in the fandom, at 15 words, before seguing into Phrack intimacy.

Another suggestion is to look for resources outside of the MFMM fandom–a few personal favourites are The Mystery Writers of America notes on Dramatic Structure and Plot; Jolie_Black’s How to Write a Casefic, written for the Sherlock fandom; and Dennis Palumbo’s Taking the Mystery Out of how to Write a Mystery.

While there are some commonalities in these casefics, what stands out to me personally is how each author can bring their own style, insights, and preferences into the stories to craft distinct tales that thrill us. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things as you master the genre! 

In Conversation with Dennis Palumbo about HEAD WOUNDS

Mike Barson: HEAD WOUNDS is the fifth novel in your series about psychologist Daniel Rinaldi, who consults with the Pittsburgh police. Unlike some authors, you do not write a new book every year… Is that because you spend a lot of time doing research for each new entry? Dennis Palumbo: Research is always an important aspect of each novel, but the primary reason for the gap between books is that I…

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CALIFICACIÓN PERSONAL: 6.5 / 10

Título Original: My Favorite Year

Año: 1982

Duración: 92 min

País: Estados Unidos

Director: Richard Benjamin

Guion: Norman Steinberg, Dennis Palumbo

Música: Ralph Burns

Fotografía: Gerald Hirschfeld

Reparto: Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper, Joseph Bologna, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, Lou Jacobi, Cameron Mitchell

Productora: Brooksfilms, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Género: Comedy, Drama

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084370/

TRAILER:

A (Very Rough & Ready) Guide to Alex’s Tattoos

I’ve been putting this off for a LONG time because I like to be meticulous especially with character visuals but with the amount of tattoos Alex has, especially on his expansive canvas of a 6 foot body, trying to find a pictoral example for EVERY bit of ink is... YEAH lmfao.

* As a guiding note, the indicating ‘left’ & ‘right’ etc. is from HIS left and right. All heart designs are typical cartoon shape unless stated as (anatomical).

NECK //

Underneath his ear lobe, on the left side of his neck is a hand holding a needle -- designed to look as if it’s pierced through his skin. At the top of the needle is a red thread which curves semi-loosely around the back of his neck and wraps around a red heart below his right earlobe.This can only be seen if you lift (or pull) up his hair since he never, if rarely ever, ties it back high enough. 

LEFT ARM // 

FINGERS: Simplified red rose gradually blooming from little to index finger, from bud to full bloom. This is just below the top of his knuckles, below them (closer to his nails) on each finger is a stem with thorns.  HAND: Bull face, directed towards viewer -- lineart with minimal black shading. FOREARM: Basically a flash tattoo / pork-chop sheet mixture (see here & here  -- middle pic). Omitting anything explicitly religious (apart from a cross or two) and culturally appropriative. Includes a range of panthers, snakes, skulls, hummingbird with beak in flower, handcuffs, full figure Betty Boop, inkwell and heart wrapped in barbed wire. All interspersed with Felix the Cat faces and little stars to fill blank spaces. Very clear linework and simple shading, only using bright colours: red, green, blue and yellow. Some of these are done by Alex himself, his first tattoo on his own body being an ouroboros snake.  UPPER ARM: Much of the same as above, except with the addition of a Sailor Jerry style pin-up with blonde hair in a corset and heels. Also a chain band just below his shoulder. SHOULDER: Lucifer from Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. First tattoo with complex colour-shading, done by his first employer in London who he worked with as apprentice. 

RIGHT ARM //

FINGERS: Skeleton anatomy on the full-length of his middle finger and knuckles, the rest of his fingers (near nails) and his thumb are blocked with plain black. HAND: Continues with skeleton anatomy. Entire design is clearly inked style shading (as in nothing that looks anatomically realistic) like this. FOREARM: Contemporary & post-modern designs. Inner forearm is covered with praying mule from And the Ass Saw the Angel book cover. Outer forearm is design pictured on the left here, picture was taken at an exhibition which I have the guide to and artist credit but .. whoever edited it  helpfully didn’t align credit with the picture so I need to manually look up each artist listed to HOPEFULLY find the one who did it.  UPPER ARM / SHOULDER:  Literally cannot describe but is piece by Jef Palumbo. Due to technique being incredibly skilled, I am taking full advantage of fictionality and tattooist with these mad skillz existing in early nineties for Alex’s sake... let him have this ..

CHEST / TORSO //

The largest / most expansive singular piece on his body. His chest and torso are fully covered with a design I lifted off a Jean Paul Gaultier add and tried editing onto his bawdy for promo graphic a while ago -- unlike graphic, the tattoo would still be in the same colour as Gaultier ad, but yellow of skull would be red instead -- less tribal texture and more lined mark-making like the skull featured in me blog background to the left of Alex’s head (I can’t find the pic in my folder..)

BACK //

UPPER BACK: This is where a little imagination is required as I’ll just be listing a bunch of images but they’re all collaged in a cohesive/overlapping way like Duncan X’s back -- pic taken by Liam Sparkes. So;  Saint Sebastian by Myles Karr down Alex’s spine. On the left: text from this photo by Tish Murtha complete with exposed brick effect -- in black and white. On the right: text from this, including a stencilised Pauline Boty rendered in Lichtenstein-ish comic print style, with matching Lichtenstein bright colour scheme. These three images together and with a certain scaling form an arc shape across his upper back, and the thread mentioned earlier on the back of his neck hangs an inch above the Saint Sebastian’s hands. Spaces in between filled by Jemma Jones style flash tattoos. LOWER BACK: I’m getting lazy so again, just imagine in style of Sparkes tattoos summat like this mixed with this on the left and again more flash tattoos imposed between and over blank spaces.

HIPS //

Handprints on each harr harr.

ASS // 

🙊 Only his partners know ... unless you attend classes where he poses for life drawing

LEFT LEG // 

THIGH (FRONT): Entire leg is surrealist/dadaist themed. Whole front of thigh is coverd by this collage by Otto D’Ambra. THIGH (BACK): Under his butt: Eliott Lane. Under that, another Otto D’Ambra. Around them, these (1, 2) by Caleb Kilby, and top middle illustration by Kathryn Kirk. KNEE: Left eye of Siouxsie Sioux, (right eye on his right knee). I’m imagining these are also embellished around the edges by a circular labyrinth symbol pattern to fit the shape of his knee joint.  SHIN: Fish-head man by Kerry-Anne Richardson, black and white. CALF: Hannah Hoch collage, but in black and white -- rendered much like D’Ambra tattoo on the front of his thigh (semi-realistic pointilism shading for woman’s face, simplified basic outline for images surrounding it). ANKLE: Smoking bunny by Sarah Whitehouse. * Spaces between these main pieces are filled by flash tattoos in style of Liam Sparkes. Entire leg is only black ink.

RIGHT LEG // 

THIGH (FRONT): Entire leg mirrors left arm in a mixture of classic tattoo designs/styles with pop-culture & illustrative character leanings. Multi-eyed devil (??) piece by Kerry-Anne Richardson. Full colour. Fishnet leggies by Just Jen on inside of thigh. THIGH (BACK): Skull emerging from chrysanthemum by Ben Shaw, underneath that: crescent moon by Kerry-Anne Richardson. KNEE: Aforementioned Siouxsie Sioux eye in labyrinth. SHIN: Wolf in sheep’s clothing by Iain Sellar.  CALF: THIS!!!!!!!! by Charissa Gregson. He hasn’t got a name yet.. suggestions welcome. Below him, more Iain Sellar stuff. ANKLE: Peachy-keen, piece by Holly Ashby. * Spaces in between main pieces on thigh are filled by Dennis the Menace & Peanuts panel. Out of sheer self-indulgence I’m adding this lady. Every other blank space refers back to Sparkes and Jemma Jones flash tattoos.

He doesn’t have any on his feet because he’s ticklish there..

Denny Esposito feat Piero Palumbo - Duje Capitane (Official video)

Zoom and I

I’m Zooming these days.  Oh, not a lot.  But when I do, I always think about how convenient it is to participate in various meetings without leaving home.

Last weekend, I joined in a Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles chapter meeting, where author and psychologist Dennis Palumbo was speaking about how to handle writing and your mind these days.  Very interesting, especially since I’m always…

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28 Bodybuilders Who Passed Away In 3years (2017-2020)

The previous few years have been tough for the bodybuilding and fitness group with the lack of many nice people. Man, girl, previous, younger… dying is not any respecter of individuals. Today, we bear in mind a number of names some you could know of, and a few you could not.  Bodybuilders Who Passed Away (2017-2020) 1. Rich Piana Rich Piana was an icon within the trade. He received the Mr. California bodybuilding competitors in 1998 in addition to a number of different competitions. But his excessive reputation was extra attributable to the truth that he had a bigger than life persona and wasn’t afraid to be actual and trustworthy. Piana ran a YouTube channel the place he gave inspirational speeches, exercise recommendation, day within the life, and extra content material. As a consequence, he turned some of the adopted and liked people in fitness. But at age 46, Piana collapsed at home and died a number of weeks after being in a coma. He had enlarged organs however the reason for his dying wasn’t solely confirmed. Date of dying: August 25, 2017

Rich Piana 2. Dallas McCarver Dallas ‘Big Country’ McCarver was an up and coming Open division bodybuilder who positioned eighth on the 2016 Olympia and 2nd on the 2017 Arnold Classic Ohio to call his most notable achievements. He earned his Pro card at solely 21 years of age and it was evident he had all of the potential. However, he handed away at age 26 from cardiac arrest, simply when his profession was beginning to take off. Fellow bodybuilder Josh Lenartowicz discovered him mendacity on the ground in his Florida home nevertheless it was too late. His dying got here just some days previous to the passing of Rich Piana which marks some of the devastating weeks in bodybuilding historical past. Date of Death: August 22, 2017

3. Sifiso Lungelo Thabethe It was a horrible destiny for South African bodybuilder and IFBB Junior World Champion Sifiso Lungelo Thabethe who died after breaking his neck whereas making an attempt a backflip. The incident was captured on video the place the 23-year-old tried the backflip in entrance of a crowd and landed on his neck in 2017. Date of dying: August 5, 2017

4. Michael Bekoev Michael Bekoev was a Ukrainian bodybuilder who handed away attributable to a coronary heart assault at age 54. Death of Death: July 19, 2017 5. Sean Harris Just days earlier than the Tampa Pro bodybuilding contest in 2017, Sean Harris fell asleep behind the wheel and died in a reasonably tragic accident. Harris turned Pro after profitable the masters over-35 heavyweight and total titles within the 2015 IFBB North American Championships. Date of Death: July 27, 2017

6. Scott Wilson Scott Wilson first discovered his ardour for bodybuilding after coming into (and profitable) a present on a dare. He then went on to win the AAU Mr. California the very subsequent year and from there, he received Mr. America and Mr. International. But Wilson would in the end succumb to pores and skin most cancers at age 67. Date of Death: May 6, 2018

Scott Wilson 7. Franco Columbu Franco Columbu was an absolute legend in bodybuilding. Not to say, he was a freakishly robust powerlifter by the identical token. Columbu was Italian-born of which he got here to the U.S. within the late ’60s though he had met Arnold Schwarzenegger in Germany earlier than that. He’s famously identified for profitable the Mr. Olympia title in 1976 and 1981 along with starring alongside Schwarzenegger within the 1977 film Pumping Iron. Columbu suffered a coronary heart assault whereas swimming off the coast of San Teodoro, Sardinia Italy at age 78. Date of Death: August 30, 2019

Photo via Instagram @francocolumbu 8. Ed Corney Hawaiian bodybuilder Ed Corney additionally appeared within the film Pumping Iron with Arnold Schwarzenegger and different in style bodybuilders from the 70s. He received the Mr. Universe twice, Mr. America as soon as, and Mr. World twice. Corney suffered a coronary heart assault in 1999 throughout shoulder substitute surgical procedure though, he ultimately recovered. However, a mind aneurysm in 2018 would show to be deadly as he handed on the primary of January 2019. Death of Death: January 1, 2019

9. David Dearth Dearth was a bigger than life particular person who was very open about his life-style, and he competed within the IFBB however then transitioned to Vince McMahon’s WBF (World Bodybuilding Federation) within the 90s for a quick stint. He was named the “The Rock’N’ Roll Wild Child which McMahon felt was suitable for his personality. Although he’d return to IFBB competition even competing at the 1994 Olympia of which he did not place. Dearth had an accident with a horse at age 56 which resulted in a shoulder cuff and biceps injury. He eventually went in for surgery but abscesses developed after some complications. Following a second surgery, Dearth suffered a heart attack and died. Date of Death: August 5, 2019

Photos via Facebook David Dearth 10. Daryl Stafford Daryl Stafford started bodybuilding at age 25 in 1984 and earned his Pro card in 1993. He was a USA and National champ from the who went on to have a competitive career up until 2010. Stafford died at 58 due to what was reported as a heart attack. Date of Death: January 5, 2019

11. Mariola Sabanovic-Suarez  Female Physique competitor Mariola Sabanovic-Suarez died of a heart attack at age 43 a few days after her 2019 Tampa Pro showing where she placed 16th. Date of Death: August 2019

Mariola Sabanovic Suarez At Tampa Pro 12. Stacey Bentley Stacey Bentley most notably placed fourth at the IFBB Women’s World Bodybuilding Championships, in 1979 before going on to win the Frank Zane Pro the same year. She then retired in 1981 to pursue a career in nursing which she had a passion for. She was a kind soul and a great role model for up and coming female competitors. Date of Death: December 31, 2019

13. Paul Love  An icon of the sport, Paul Love was a Pro in the 50s and 60s. Although, he was acknowledged most for promoting big shows in the 80s including the World Games Bodybuilding Championships. Shawn Ray posted a message about his death along with several others including former Mr. and Ms. Olympia champions Samir Bannout and Corey-Everson Donia. Love was 86 when he passed away. Date of Death: December 2019 14. Zhanna Rotar Ukraine IFBB Bikini competitor Zhanna Rotar moved to the US from her home country in 1996 at age 16. She developed a passion for fitness and had a good run in competition although not winning any major competitions. Rotar retired from competing in 2010 to become an NPC/Pro League judge and focused on training others. However, on Christmas Day and at 39, she was struck by a vehicle that killed her according to the reports. Date of Death: December 25, 2019

Zhanna Rotar 15. Jusup Wilkosz The Late 70s-80s bodybuilder Jusup Wilkosz was a twice Mr. Universe winner (79-80) who also placed third at Mr. Olympia (84) competition. The German bodybuilder was known to train with Arnold Schwarzenegger but he retired in 1994 after dealing with injuries. Wilkosz passed away at age 71 due to causes unknown at the time. Date of Death: November 19, 2019

16. Pit Trenz Pit Trenz was a veteran of the sport from Germany and was the trainer of well-known bodybuilders Dennis Wolf and Markus Ruhl. He suffered from many illnesses throughout his life and near the end, his heart health got worst of which pneumonia caused serious complications. His lungs collapsed as a result and it was long before he died at age 53. Date of Death: November 3, 2019 17. Daniel Alexander The last on our list was a Mr. USA middleweight champion (2017) who also won the 2015 California Championships. Alexander was preparing for the Legion Sports Fest in 2019 after having not competed since 2017. But unfortunately, he tragically passed away before his Pro debut of which he planned to compete in the 212 division. Date of Death: November 9, 2019 18. Tiffany-Victoria Enriquez  The death of Tiffany-Victoria Enriquez was an absolutely devastating one. She was a Bikini competitor out of  Hawaii who also worked as a police officer. But she got a call to an apartment complex to deal with an angry tenant who shot and killed Enriquez along with another officer. Date of Death: January 19, 2020

Photos via Instagram @_tiffanyvictoria_ 19. Scott Milne Scott Milne was a Canadian bodybuilder who turned Pro 2002 and competed from 1996-2004. He suffered many injuries which ultimately led him to focus on training others and Canadian television. He died of a heart attack at 45. Dave Palumbo posted the following message about the unfortunate death. “Sorry to hear that one of the true Super Freaks Scott Milne has passed away from a heart attack. The “Canadian Moose” as he was identified might be missed however not forgotten.” At 6’3″ 250lbs, Milne was referred to as a big-hearted big that was beloved by many. Date of Death: February 2020 20. Eddie McDonough Eddie McDonough was a legend, profitable the 1974 and 1977 NABBA Mr. Britain whereas putting third within the Mr. Britain in 1973 and 1976. He had an excellent profession competing in NABBA, WABBA, and AAU and for a number of years earlier than retiring in 1980. McDonough was 85 when he handed. Date of Death: March 2020

Photos via Facebook – Si Sweeney 21. Novoa Mendez  Novoa Mendez was a Dominican Pro bodybuilder who was shut mates with the man Pro Victor Martinez. Although, the 2 solely competed towards and met one another as soon as on the 2013 Toronto Pro present. However, Martinez observed how spectacular his physique was and appeared out for his fellow countryman. Here’s a chunk of what Martinez wrote about Mendez on Instagram following his passing. “I got the chance to compete with him in the Toronto pro show in 2013 and his physique caught my eyes because he was very impressive and after learning he was from the same side of town in the #dominicanrepublic el cibao I definitely had to make sure he was ok and understood the prejudging rules.” Mendez had well being points and suffered a stroke at 49 years previous which resulted in his dying. Date of Death: March 24, 2020 22. Joanna Thomas Joanna Thomas was a really promising bodybuilder who was additionally one of many youngest feminine bodybuilder to earn her Pro Card in 1998 at age 21. She competed at Ms. Olympia and different large exhibits whereas even changing into a nurse within the course of. But the British bodybuilder would ultimately endure from Osteoarthritis that in the end meant the tip of her profession and it additionally made life very difficult for her up till her dying. Date of Death: April 26, 2020 23. Aleksandar Srdoc Croatian bodybuilder Aleksandar Srdoc made a reputation for himself in his homeland having competed for greater than a decade. He additionally competed in about 4-5 nationwide stage exhibits. Srdoc served a while after being in bother with the regulation and subsequently, was additionally in a number of media advertisements attributable to his robust and vascular look. But he handed at age 35 attributable to what was stated to be well being points. His brother-in-law posted a photograph and message in honor of the younger bodybuilder. Date of Death: April 23, 2020   24. Mirosław Daszkiewicz  Not lengthy earlier than Luke Sandow’s dying, Polish bodybuilder/worldwide champion Miroslaw Daszkiewicz died of hereditary illness. He was the primary Polish man to win the title of Master of the Universe and received a number of IFBB beginner exhibits. Daszkiewicz was 60 on the time of his passing. Date of Death: May 5, 2020 25. Luke Sandoe Luke Sandoe was a very talked-about bodybuilder from the UK who had loads of promise within the Open bodybuilding division. He turned Pro in 2016 and had his greatest end on the 2019 Arnold Classic Ohio. His final present earlier than he handed was the 2019 Mr. Olympia which was additionally his debut the place he got here in 11th place. At age 30, Sandoe took his personal life after having been identified to wrestle with points from his previous. Many paid their respects together with the Arnold Sports Festival via Instagram. Date of Death: May 7, 2020

Photo via Instagram @lukesandoe 26. Mikayla Kingman Mikayla Kingman was a 23-year-old Figure competitor who most notably received the general on the 2017 NPC Jay Cutler Classic. Her dying was by suicide and this was solely days after Luke Sandoe took his personal life. Date of Death: May 10, 2020 27. Joshua Foster Another very latest and premature dying, Wheelchair Pro bodybuilder Joshua Foster also called the “The Freak,” was discovered useless in his home final month. His dying was stated to be attributable to pure causes. Foster suffered a spinal twine harm in 2013 after a automobile accident and needed to discover ways to construct his physique whereas in a wheelchair. He was profitable though his passing got here a lot too early. Date of Death: May 21, 2020 28. Beverly DiRenzo Bodybuilder Beverly DiRenzo was an Open competitor who did pretty properly within the competitors after starting her aggressive profession in 2000. She received the NPC National Championships and made a reputation for herself. Her husband introduced her dying on social media. Apparently, she handed in her sleep. ”RIP.. MY LOVE ETERNAL.. PASSED THE WAY SHE WANTED AT PEACE FALLING ASLEEP TOGETHER….NO MORE PAIN 😢” Date of Death: May 29, 2020 Although this record consists of simply 28 bodybuilders who died from 2017-2020, it’s nonetheless too many. But we are able to take the time to recollect their lives and what they contributed to the game and life usually. Read the full article