Tag: News

Unlike typical granola fragments, my husband and I love that Trader Joe's granola bites come in more solid pieces. The bites are wrapped in pouches and come with good portions of chocolate chips.

The only drawback is that I can't limit myself to just one pouch, so I like to buy a few boxes at a time.

Despite appearances — yes, the floating meatballs admittedly look a bit strange — this soup is delicious. We tend to crave it in the winter since it has pasta and broth, like chicken noodle soup.

These sponges are compostable since they're made from natural vegetable cellulose, which makes me feel a lot less climate anxiety while using them.

They are also very effective in getting all the grease and grime off my cast-iron skillets and hold up well despite being biodegradable.

I can't be the only one who likes adding dried pepper to plain ravioli — but Trader Joe's cacio-e-pepe ravioli makes it so that I don't have to.

When paired with a side dish, the portion is large enough for two to enjoy. But by itself, it also works great as a larger lunch for one.

My fur babies love both peanut butter and bananas, so I use these treats for dog training. Sometimes, I'll even give my big dogs two at the end of the day as a reward.

I like to make pancakes on weekends when my husband and I can have breakfast together. Trader Joe's buttermilk-pancake mix is easy to make — all I need to do is add water and an egg.

I'm picky about maple syrup and tend to get mine from farmer's markets. But Trader Joe's organic Vermont maple syrup rivals the bottles I can get locally.

I love Trader Joe's dark-chocolate-covered almonds because the chocolate layer is decadently thick. The pop of almond flavor also complements the chocolate rather than being overpowering.

Like my dogs, my husband is receptive to bribery. Knowing there are cans of Simpler Times lager in the fridge, he's happy to do the bulk of the yard work on a weekend.

Even if you're not a fan of oatmeal-raisin cookies, these oats are delicious because of how crunchy and crispy they are from the toasting process. They're so rich and sweet that it's easy to forget they're healthy.

Because these cheese-flavored corn snacks are baked, they aren't greasy. However, they still have all the cheesy flavor you'd expect, making them the perfect snack to pull out from the pantry.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

On January 8, 2024, the official "Stranger Things" account posted on X that the show had entered production. 

"THIS IS A CODE RED," the post read. "STRANGER THINGS 5 production has officially begun!!!"

The post featured a photo of the Duffers and the show's cast lounging together next to a red, neon "5" sign.

On September 27, 2023, the show's writer's room account (@strangerwriters) posted an image with the text "we're back," heralding the end of the writers' strike. 

Netflix released a behind-the-scenes featurette from the set of "Stranger Things" season five in July, marking the halfway point of filming for the final season. 

The video is full of creepy tendrils, shots of Hawkins High School, and plenty of nostalgic callbacks to the show's early seasons. 

"I started when I was 10," Millie Bobby Brown says in one clip. "Now I'm turning 20 years old. It feels very weird."

The teaser also features appearances from members of the primary cast including Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Winona Ryder. Season five newcomer Linda Hamilton of "Terminator" fame also briefly gets the spotlight. 

There are some fun glimpses in the trailer of Dustin wearing a Hellfire Club shirt (RIP Eddie) and the original four — Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will — attending school together. There's also a brief shot of Hawke and Ryder sharing a scene, and one glimpse of Mike's younger sister Holly looking shocked by something off-screen.

The trailer, however, did not contain a release date.

In a May 6, 2023 tweet from the writers' room Twitter account, the Duffer brothers announced that production was on pause until the writers' strike had ended and the Writers Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had reached a "fair deal." 

"Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins," the tweet began. "While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong."

The account also liked several tweets supporting the strike, including one featuring an image of a picket sign reading, "Pay us or Steve Harrington is toast."

As of May 2, 2023 WGA writers went on strike after negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP stalled.

The issues at hand for writers include stagnating wages, practices like "mini rooms," and the threat that AI could replace writers, Insider previously reported. 

The Duffer brothers told Collider in July 2022 that after some time off that month following the release of season four, part two, they were planning on starting up the writers' room for season five of the series during the first week of August.

Later, the official writers room Twitter account for the show confirmed that writing had started on August 2, 2022.

The Duffer Brothers told Variety in May 2022 that the time between seasons "should be quite a bit shorter this time," given that their COVID-induced filming hiatus gave them time to outline season five. At the time, the Duffers said they "can't imagine there will be another six-month forced hiatus." Well. Oops.

Ahead of the dual writers' and actors' strikes, star Finn Wolfhard told GQ that he'd be 22 when the final season debuted on Netflix, suggesting that "Stranger Things" season five would be released in early 2025. Because of the production delay, many are speculating that the release might be pushed to late 2025 or even 2026. (Netflix hasn't addressed release date rumors.)

For context, there was a nearly three-year wait between seasons three and four. Season three premiered on July 4, 2019, and the first part of the fourth season was released on May 27, 2022.

During a July 2022 episode of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, the Duffer Brothers told host Josh Horowitz that they didn't expect the show's final season to be as long as season four, in part because it won't require the exposition that season four did. 

"I don't know if it's gonna be going 100 miles per hour at the start of five, but it's gonna be moving pretty fast," Matt Duffer said. "Characters are already gonna be in action, they're already gonna have a goal and drive, and I think that's gonna carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different. 

Ross Duffer said, however, that they're likely to have another "two-and-a-half-hour episode" for the series finale, in order to avoid a television phenomenon in which the series' final episode falls after the climax, and serves as a "wind down."

Still, the brothers said that during the writing process, things could turn out differently length-wise.

Ross Duffer told TV Line that he was "sure we will do a time jump" for the show's fifth season, given the young cast's increasing age. The series' young actors are now three to five years older than their characters in the show. 

"Ideally, we'd have shot [seasons four and five] back to back, but there was just no feasible way to do that," he told TV Line.

In February 2022, Netflix announced that the fifth season of "Stranger Things" would be its last. In a letter at the time, the Duffer brothers laid out their plans for the universe. While there was plenty left to explore, the letter read, the series finale would bring an end to its central story.

"We hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down," the brothers said in a letter.

The brothers told Collider in July 2022 that they have confidence in the show's ending, which they've already planned.

"We do feel good about the ending," Matt Duffer said. "I was like, okay, I think this ending is not… I'm not super insecure. I'm insecure about a lot of things, but I feel like this ending feels good." 

Ross Duffer told the publication that the final 20 minutes of the series were "locked in."

Matt Duffer told Collider that people were already asking which song they were going to bring back into the zeitgeist in season five, after catapulting Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" up the charts in season four.

"I'm like, 'We're not going to do that again,'" Matt said. "Because if we do it, it will fail."

The Duffer brothers said in a post-season four debrief with Netflix Geeked that they did consider permanently killing Max. 

"The fact that she's in a coma, I can't really get into the details, but it is important that she is," Matt Duffer said. "That is gonna have a major effect on five. So it's not a, oh well, you know, a cheat. It's incredibly relevant to five."

Russ Duffer told Netflix Geeked that lingering questions about the Upside Down, such as why it's frozen in time to the point where Will was taken in season one, will be answered in season five. 

"The answers to what the Upside Down actually is, is really gonna be the core of what season five is, and the mysteries of season five," Ross said. "And those answers are really gonna lead us to the conclusion of this story."

The Duffer brothers told Collider that the fifth season will take place mostly in Hawkins, Indiana, as well as the Upside Down. That's a direct contrast to season four, which saw the cast scattered between Indiana, California, and Russia. 

"This is about everyone finally coming back. Coming back together, coming back to Hawkins," Matt Duffer said. "Hopper is back in Hawkins. The original group [is] back together — the original group of boys plus Eleven. The OG group. There's something interesting to re-explore some of the season one dynamics again, except on this grander scale."

Ross Duffer told The Wrap that when he and Matt pitched season five to Netflix, it led to some tears being shed in the room.

"I mean, it was hard. It's the end of the story," he told the publication. "I saw executives crying who I've never seen cry before and it was wild. And it's not just to do with the story, just the fact that it's like, 'Oh my God, this thing that has defined so many of our lives, these Netflix people who has been with us from the beginning, seven years now,' and it's hard to imagine the journey coming to an end."

On the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Matt Duffer said that all the deaths on the show have ramifications on the series. 

"Eddie is gonna have huge repercussions on season five, so it's not just serving thematic purpose, it's serving narrative purpose," Matt Duffer said, while defending himself from Millie Bobby Brown's comments that the showrunning duo is reluctant to kill major characters.

Matt Duffer told Collider that Will, played by Noah Schnapp, is going to play a large part in season five.

"Will's going to be a big part and focus, is really all I can say of season five, in his journey. We're starting to see his coming of age, really," Matt told the publication. "Which has been challenging for a number of reasons, some of which are supernatural. But you're starting to see him come into his own."

With his tattoos, frosted tips, and high energy, Crazy Town lead singer Shifty Shellshock was the epitome of the late 1990s-early 2000s rap-rock front man.

With that also came a hit song: 1999's "Butterfly," which hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was a staple on the radio and MTV's "Total Request Live."

By 2003, the band had disbanded, and despite an attempt to reunite a few years later, Crazy Town was relegated to one-hit-wonder status.

Shifty Shellshock, whose real name is Seth Binzer, appeared on the first season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" in 2007 and the spin-off "Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House" a few years later.

Binzer died at his home in Los Angeles on June 24 from an accidental drug overdose, according to his manager.

Carmen was a rock ballad king whose songs still get constant play to this day.

"All by Myself" was a hit in the mid-1970s. It became an even bigger hit when Celine Dion did her own rendition in 1996.

The Grammy-nominated "Almost Paradise" from the soundtrack to the hit 1984 movie "Footloose" became a staple at school dances and weddings.

Carmen repeated the feat when his song "Hungry Eyes" showed up on the soundtrack for the 1987 classic "Dirty Dancing."

Carmen's death was announced on his website on March 12, stating he "passed away in his sleep, over the weekend." No cause was given.

The Italian fashion designer was known for his flamboyant designs and game-changing innovations.

Cavalli's use of leopard prints beginning in the 1970s became one of his trademarks. His revolutionary method of printing leather and patchwork denim was beloved by everyone from Madonna to Gwyneth Paltrow.

Cavalli died on April 12. No cause of death was given.

From playing the concerned manager opposite Whitney Houston in "The Bodyguard" to the kind-hearted coach in "Air Bud," Bill Cobbs' ability to play the voice of reason in his roles made him a memorable character actor for decades.

Cobbs' other titles include "The Color of Money," "New Jack City," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Demolition Man," and "Night at the Museum."

He died at his home in California on June 25 following a recent bout of pneumonia.

Dabney Coleman became a captivating scene stealer in the 1980s thanks to his gruff demeanor and booming voice. Whether he was playing the mean boss opposite Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin in 1980's "9 to 5," or the nasty TV producer in "Tootsie," or chasing Matthew Broderick in "WarGames," Coleman had a talent for playing the heel.

The Emmy winner most recently starred in the HBO hit series Boardwalk Empire from 2011 to 2014 and a 2019 episode of Yellowstone.

Coleman died on May 16. No cause was given.

As the wife of Francis Ford Coppola, Eleanor had to navigate the stress and complexities of living with one of the greatest directors of all time.

She channeled that by filming her husband while he made his landmark 1979 Vietnam movie "Apocalypse Now."

Her documentary, "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," has gone down as one of the most honest accounts of the making of a movie.

Eleanor died on April 12. No cause of death was given.

To say Roger Corman was the king of B-movies is too simple of a characterization.

For decades, Corman made ultra-low-budget genre movies that featured everything from cheesy monsters to crazed bikers. Corman-produced titles almost always made a profit, and many of them became proving grounds for the directors and actors who would go on to change Hollywood.

After directing the 1967 acid-trip fantasia "The Trip" starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda and written by Jack Nicholson, the trio went on to make "Easy Rider," which would usher in the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.

Corman also produced titles directed by then-unknowns like Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese before they went on to mainstream studio success.

Corman died on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members.

It was hard to separate the characters Shannen Doherty played from who she was in real life, and that genuine quality led to her becoming an icon to a generation growing up in the 1990s.

Teens were glued to their TV sets every week to see the latest drama on "Beverly Hills, 90210" between Doherty's character Brenda Walsh and heartthrob Dyan McKay (played by Luke Perry, who died in 2019).

The on-screen drama spilled into Doherty's personal life, with tabloids chasing her to find who she was dating; she ultimately left "90210" after season four.

Though her star would never return to the heights of her "90210" days (she reprised her role for the revival series "BH90210," which lasted for one season), Doherty worked steadily, starring in the popular series "Charmed," making an appearance on "Dancing with the Stars," and appearing in a TV reboot of the 1988 cult classic "Heathers" after starring in the original movie.

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015; two years later she announced it was in remission. In 2019, it returned and spread to her brain.

She died on July 13 due to cancer, according to her publicist.

With her striking features and formidable acting talent, Shelley Duvall was born to be on the big screen.

A muse of Robert Altman, Duvall appeared in seven of his films, including "Nashville," in which she played teen groupie, "L.A. Joan," and "Popeye," as Olive Oyl.

The two-time Emmy nominee also became a horror icon when she starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining."

Duvall died on July 11 due to complications from diabetes.

As one of the original cast members of the Canadian sketch comedy show "SCTV" in the late 1970s, Joe Flaherty — alongside the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, and Rick Moranis — created a brand of comedy that was edgier and more outlandish than their competition "Saturday Night Live."

In later decades, Flaherty made scene-stealing appearances as the Western Union worker who gives Marty McFly the 70-year-old letter from Doc Brown in "Back to the Future Part II" and the heckler Donald in "Happy Gilmore."

He was also a regular on TV through the decades, with roles in "Married… with Children," "Freaks and Geeks," and "The King of Queens."

Flaherty died on April 1 following a brief illness.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Louis Gossett Jr. made his stage debut at 17. After building his craft onstage through the 1960s, Gossett Jr. made the jump to screen and in 1977 was cast in the acclaimed miniseries "Roots" opposite the likes of Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, and John Amos. He went on to win an Emmy for his performance as Fiddler.

He was nominated for seven more Emmys after that, most recently in 2020 for playing William Reeves in the HBO limited series "Watchmen."

He made history in 1983 when he won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the strict drill instructor Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman." It would mark the first time a Black actor won the prize in that category.

Gossett Jr. went on to star in hit movies and TV shows like "The Principal," "Toy Soldiers," "Iron Eagle," and "Boardwalk Empire."

Gossett Jr. died on March 29. No cause was given.

The legendary director was best known for his eclectic filmography that included the drama "In the Heat of the Night," the musical "Fiddler of the Roof," and the beloved comedy "Moonstruck," all of which garnered him best director nominations at the Oscars.

The Canadian filmmaker's specialty was getting top-notch performances out of A-list actors like Steve McQueen ("The Thomas Crown Affair") and Denzel Washington ("The Hurricane").

It often led to Oscar glory for his movies and their stars. Twelve actors received nominations over his 40-year career, with five of his movies earning best picture noms.

Jewison died on January 20. No cause of death was given.

The English actor starred in over 60 films and 30 plays, and is known best for playing Mrs. Banks in the beloved 1964 Disney movie "Mary Poppins."

Legend has it that Johns originally thought she landed the role of Poppins. To let her down easy, Walt Disney made sure that she got to sing a big musical number in the movie. It led to the famous "Sister Suffragette" sequence.

In 1973, Johns' breathy voice caught the attention of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who cast her in the original Broadway production of "A Little Night Music." Sondheim wrote "Send in the Clowns," the song she performs, with her in mind. Johns would earn a Tony Award for her performance.

She was also nominated for an Oscar for her work in "The Sundowners" (1960).

Johns died on January 4. No cause of death was given.

Keith became prominent in the 1990s thanks to his hit single "Should've Been a Cowboy."

It would make him one of the decade's top draws in country music.

Keith released 19 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and dozens of songs that topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in his career.

Keith died on February 5 following a bout with stomach cancer.

Alongside James Cameron, producer Jon Landau was behind some of the most successful movies ever made.

Landau won the Best Picture Oscar with Cameron for 1997's "Titanic," which at the time was the highest-grossing movie ever.

He then broke the box office record again with Cameron's "Avatar" in 2009.

Landau also produced Steven Soderbergh's 2002 remake of "Solaris," Robert Rodriguez's 2019 "Alita: Battle Angel," and Cameron's upcoming "Avatar" sequels.

He died on July 5 of cancer.

In an era in the 1970s where stand-up comedy could be a path to superstardom, Richard Lewis was one of the biggest acts.

Often dressed in black and holding his hand up to his temple, his self-deprecating and neurotic style made him a constant visitor to Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show."

By the 1980s, he hit it big on TV, starring opposite Jamie Lee Curtis on the series "Anything but Love," which ran for four seasons.

His movie credits include the Mel Brooks comedy "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," "Leaving Las Vegas," and John Candy's final role before his death, 1994's "Wagons East." Lewis has said Candy's death was one of the things that finally got him sober.

Lewis introduced himself to a new generation when Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premiered on HBO in 2000. For 11 seasons, Lewis played a fictional version of himself as one of David's friends. Though he didn't return as a series regular for the series' final season, season 12, he popped up in a cameo in an episode that aired on February 18.

Back in April, Lewis revealed via a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would be retiring from stand-up comedy after undergoing four surgeries.

Lewis died on February 27 of a heart attack in his Los Angeles home.

Regarded as one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, Willie Mays was astounding to watch.

He could hit and catch, had speed, and pulled off amazing feats that are still remarkable to this day.

One of his most memorable plays happened in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, which is simply known as "The Catch."

Mays' New York Giants were facing the Cleveland Indians at the Polo Grounds in New York. With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth inning and runners on base, Indians player Vic Wertz hit a towering 420-foot blast to dead center that in today's baseball would be deep in the seats for a homerun. But due to the Polo Grounds' massive outfield, it was in play, and Mays used practically all of it to track down the ball on the run with an incredible over-the-shoulder catch and then threw it into the infield quickly so no runner could score. The Giants went on to win the game in extra innings 5-2, and would go on to win the World Series. Many still regard Mays' catch as one of the greatest moments in baseball history.

Mays would go on to play 21 seasons with the Giants before being traded to the New York Mets for the 1972-73 season, which would be his last. He finished his career with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Mays died on June 18, no cause was given.

A 1980s icon, Morgan found instant stardom in her film debut playing the stunning Lacey opposite Chevy Chase in the classic 1980 comedy "Caddyshack."

Two years later, she found herself in another iconic work, Disney's "Tron." As Dr. Lora Baines in the real world and Yori, who helps Jeff Bridges after he's sucked into the game world, Morgan once again showed she can shine opposite Hollywood's biggest leading men.

Though Morgan worked steadily the rest of her career, including a multi-episode run on the soap opera "Falcon Crest," she'll be forever known for her performances in two of the biggest movies of the '80s.

Morgan's death was first reported on January 6, though she died on December 30, 2023. No cause of death was given.

Mull could expertly play self-deprecating or the know-it-all jerk in everything from hit TV shows and movies to commercials. He was known for his roles in movies like "Clue" and "Mr. Mom," and in TV shows like "Rosanne," as boss Leon Carp, and "Arrested Development," as private detective Gene Parmesan. He was also the voice of Red Roof Inn commercials for many years.

Mull died on June 27. No cause was given.

The face of "CBS Sunday Morning" for over two decades, Osgood became a fixture in Americans' homes at the end of every weekend thanks to his wit, calming demeanor, and that bow tie.

Osgood had been at CBS since the early 1970s, first as a reporter, then the anchor of the "CBS Sunday Night News" from 1981 to 1987. From 1987 to 1992, he was often on "CBS This Morning."

In 1994, he became the face of "Sunday Morning," replacing Charles Kuralt. He would go on to earn two Daytime Emmys and a Peabody for his work on the show. He ended his run 2016, passing the reins to Jane Pauley.

Osgood died on January 23 after suffering from dementia.

Perdomo was a rising star in Hollywood, having starred in Netflix's reboot "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V."

The British-American actor died on March 30 as a result of a motorcycle accident, his publicist confirmed.

Perry, a professional surfer, appeared on screen in 2002's "Blue Crush" and 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

Perry died on June 23 after being attacked by a shark while surfing off the island of Oahu in Hawaii, according to the Associated Press. He was brought to shore by paramedics and pronounced dead at the scene.

Rivera was a Broadway legend who originated some of the stage's most memorable characters, including Anita in "West Side Story," Velma Kelly in "Chicago," and Rose in "Bye Bye Birdie." She would go on to be nominated for 10 Tony Awards and win twice.

With Broadway credits spanning seven decades, Rivera's singing and dancing shaped generations of performers.

Rivera died on January 30 following a brief illness.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, was often described as the matriarch of the White House during the Obama administration, but the Chicago-born daughter of seven never felt quite at home on Pennsylvania Avenue, according to her family.

"The trappings and glamour of the White House were never a great fit for Marian Robinson," a statement from former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and other family members said. "'Just show me how to work the washing machine and I'm good,' she'd say."

Robinson's death was announced on May 31.

A cause and place of death was not revealed.

Richard Simmons would use his drive for weight loss to become one of the most recognizable fitness gurus in the world.

Overweight in his youth, Simmons began opening gyms around Los Angeles in the 1970s after losing 123 pounds. Simmons found fame in the 1980s for his energetic aerobic videos like "Sweatin' to the Oldies" and his Emmy-winning daytime show, "The Richard Simmons Show," which captured the nation's obsession with weight-loss programs.

For the rest of his life, Simmons' celebrity would only grow thanks to his flamboyant personality, which made him a fixture on game shows and late-night talk shows.

Simmons died on July 13. No cause was given.

O.J. Simpson had a life of high highs and low lows.

Finding fame initially on the football field, he became one of the greatest running backs ever to play in the NFL in the 1970s. He had an MVP season in 1973 when he set a single-season rushing record and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1985 after his retirement.

He was set to live out his days as a hero and grow even more famous thanks to endorsements, movie roles, and broadcasting.

But all of that changed in June of 1994 after his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condo. Days later, Simpson, who was a person of interest in the murders, led Los Angeles police on a slow-speed chase in his Ford Bronco, finally giving up when he got back to his home.

Simpson's televised trial for the deaths of Nicole and Goldman a year later became one of the biggest spectacles in modern-day American history.

Simpson was acquitted of the murders, was found guilty in civil court in 1997.

The story of Simpson's incredible rise and fall still fascinates people to this day. The 2016 ESPN docuseries "O.J.: Made in America" won an Oscar and Emmy, and Ryan Murphy's 2016 scripted series "The People vs. O.J.: American Crime Story" won eight Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes.

Simpson died on April 10. He had been diagnosed with cancer, his family said.

Soul found instant fame in the mid-1970s playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson, one half of the hip crime solvers in "Starsky & Hutch."

Before hitting it big on the show, Soul was a folk singer through the 1960s, opening for the likes of Frank Zappa and The Byrds. At one time he even sang while his face was covered with a mask, calling himself "The Covered Man."

After "Starsky & Hutch," Soul went back to music and scored the No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Don't Give Up on Us."

Soul also made appearances on shows like "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," the Clint Eastwood movie "Magnum Force," and a miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King novel, "Salem's Lot."

Soul died on January 4. No cause of death was given.

In 2004, an unknown documentary filmmaker arrived in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. Overnight, his life was changed — because he made a movie about eating McDonald's.

If there's one thing Morgan Spurlock knew how to do, it was get people's attention. With a big personality and an unusual idea, Spurlock changed the way we look at fast food when he made "Super Size Me," a documentary in which he ate nothing but McDonald's for a full month, to stomach-churning effect.

The documentary earned an Oscar nomination and became a box-office sensation. Weeks after its release in theaters, McDonald's discontinued its supersize portions.

Spurlock used that success to become one of the stars in the documentary medium, which was growing in popularity in the early 2000s. He would go on to direct and produce dozens of documentaries for the big screen and TV, focused on everything from Osama bin Laden to One Direction.

His legacy would be tarnished in late 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, when Spurlock confessed to multiple acts of sexual misconduct in his past.

Spurlock died on May 23 due to complications related to cancer.

Donald Sutherland had the incredible talent to be the life of the party in one performance or a wallflower in the next. Need a dark and disturbing presence for a role? He's your guy. Or he could do a wise-cracking know-it-all character.

What we're trying to say is whatever the role, Sutherland could pull it off. And he did it so well that he delivered some of the most memorable roles ever put on screen over the last six decades.

Playing a Nazi-killing grunt in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), creating one of the greatest screen duos ever opposite Elliott Gould in "M*A*S*H" (1970), acting as a laid-back professor in "Animal House" (1978), delivering one of the best surprise endings ever in a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978) — he could do it all. He was both the man who knew the truth behind the Kennedy assassination in "JFK" (1991) and the villain in the "Hunger Games" franchise (2013-2015).

He was a fixture in our lives over generations.

Sutherland died on June 20 in Miami following a "long illness."

Towne is regarded as one of the greatest screenwriters who ever lived thanks to his contributions during the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.

Known best for penning the acclaimed script for Roman Polanski's 1974 classic noir "Chinatown," which earned Towne his only Oscar win, he was also Oscar-nominated for "The Last Detail" (1973), "Shampoo" (1975), and "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984). For the latter, Towne famously removed his name from the credits and replaced it with the nom de plume P.H. Vazak, which was later revealed to be the name of his sheepdog.

Towne's other credits include Tom Cruise movies like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "The Firm" (1993), and the first two "Mission: Impossible" movies from 1996 and 2000.

He also was a prolific script doctor, an uncredited but paid position in which the screenwriter helps punch up a movie. Classics like "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Godfather," and "Marathon Man" all received tweaks from Towne.

Towne died on July 1. No cause of death was given.

Wactor was best known for his role as Brando Corbin on the soap "General Hospital." He appeared in more than 160 episodes during his two seasons on the series before leaving in 2022.

His résumé included guest roles on "Westworld," "The OA," "Station 19," "Siberia," "Agent X," "Vantastic," "Animal Kingdom," "Hollywood Girl," "Training Day," "Criminal Minds," "Struggling Servers," "Age Appropriate," "NCIS," "The Passenger" and "Barbee Rehab."

He also starred in the 2016 Mario Van Peebles-directed movie "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage" alongside Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, and Thomas Jane.

His family confirmed that Wactor was shot and killed on May 25 in Los Angeles during a robbery.

You may not know the name, but you definitely know this face.

Character actor M. Emmet Walsh showed up in more than 150 movies over his career, many of which have gone on to become classics: "Blade Runner," "Blood Simple," "Slap Shot," "Fletch," "The Jerk," "Back to School," "My Best Friend's Wedding," and "Knives Out."

He also has appeared in many popular TV shows over the decades, including "Home Improvement," "The X-Files," and "Frasier."

Walsh died on March 19. No cause was given.

Thanks to his bravado and astounding physique, Weathers found fame when he was cast as heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in 1976's "Rocky."

The following years and decades brought more memorable roles, whether he was sizing up biceps with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987's "Predator," or trying to teach Adam Sandler how to play golf in 1996's "Happy Gilmore."

Most recently, he played Greef Karga in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian." Along with appearing in front of the camera, he also showcased his talents behind it, directing multiple episodes.

You can give several examples to show just how great a basketball player Jerry West was. He won an NBA title, an Olympic gold medal, and is the only player on the losing team of an NBA Finals to be named MVP.

But there's one that overshadows all of these accomplishments: he was the logo.

That's right. The actual NBA logo is a silhouette of Jerry West dribbling a basketball.

Known for his tenacious play and ability to score in the clutch, West was one of the stars in the NBA before its enormous popularity in the 1970s, when players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and later, Michael Jordan, became household names.

After his retirement, West became an executive of the Los Angeles Lakers and was instrumental in the "Showtime" Lakers' championship dynasty through the 1980s. He made the key signings to get Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, creating another dynasty in the early 2000s.

West died on June 12. No cause was given.