Comedic actor and chef Dom DeLuise, born Dominick DeLuise in New York on August 1, 1933, passed away in his sleep on Monday evening, May 4. Hospitalized in Los Angeles, California, the 75-year-old apparently succumbed to complications from kidney failure and/or respiratory problems he had suffered from for a long time.

In addition to writing two cookbooks — Eat This - It Will Make You Feel Better! in 1988 and Eat This Too! It’ll Also Make You Feel Good in 1997 — the popular character actor with a quirky sense of humor was well-known for his work in films. Some of his more high-profile roles were in several Mel Brooks movies, such as 1974’s Blazing Saddles, and in flicks starring Burt Reynolds, such as 1981’s The Cannonball Run.

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Celebrated actress Bea Arthur, born Bernice Frankel, a star of both television and stage, passed away from cancer early in the morning on Saturday, April 25, at her Los Angeles home. She was just weeks away from her 87th birthday on May 13.

The tall thespian known for her distinctive deep voice played two pivotal characters on long-running television comedies, for which she received two Best Actress Emmys and nine Emmy nominations, in addition to the two nods for Best Guest Comedy Actress for an episode of Malcolm in the Middle and Best Supporting Variety Actress for Laugh-In.

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Versatile actress Dody Goodman, born Delores Goodman, passed away in New Jersey on Sunday, June 22, at the age of 93 (although some reports claim she was 92) following a battle with illness. For the last eight months, she had resided in the Actors Fund Home located in Englewood, New Jersey.

Younger people probably know the talented entertainer with the distinctive comportment best for her role as Blanche Hodel, the principal’s assistant, in the movies Grease and Grease 2. Older fans will recall her larger body of work, however, which included the mother character Martha Shumway on the mid-1970s soap-opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and numerous memorable guest appearances on talk shows, ranging from The Jack Paar Tonight Show to The Merv Griffin Show. A formally trained dancer, she also performed regularly in Broadway musicals, such as Something for the Boys and Wonderful Town.

Goodman, who never married, is survived by seven nieces and nephews, eleven great nieces and nephews, and fifteen great-great nieces and nephews, according to family friend Joan Adams.

A video clip from the 1978 film musical Grease follows. Goodman is the actress at the very beginning, wearing the black-and-white polka-dot dress.

Another celebrated comedy entertainer has died this week. On Thursday, multiple Emmy winner Harvey Korman, probably best known for his hilarious work on CBS’ The Carol Burnett Show, passed away at the age of 81 following complications due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm suffered four months ago.

On Carol Burnett’s self-titled sketch-comedy television series, which aired for an impressive eleven seasons on CBS from 1967 to 1978, Korman portrayed a multitude of mostly normal characters alongside the wacky personalities played by his fellow regulars Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway, and Lyle Waggoner. Korman departed the show prior to the final season and was replaced by another beloved comedy legend, Dick Van Dyke.

During a career that began in the early 1960s, the actor also contributed his talents to numerous feature films and television series, including the Academy Award-nominated Mel Brooks Western parody Blazing Saddles and the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flinstones, on which he provided the voice of the Great Gazoo. All seven of Korman’s Emmy nominations were for his work on The Carol Burnett Show, however, and he was victorious four times.

Korman is survived by his second wife Deborah Fritz, their two daughters Katherine and Laura, and his son and daughter from his first marriage to Donna Ehlert, Maria and Christopher.

Take a look at a CBS news tribute to Harvey Korman after the jump, a segment that contains several clips of his memorable work on television and in movies.

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Today brings news of yet another death in the entertainment industry. Director, producer, and actor Sydney Pollack passed away of cancer on Monday, Memorial Day, at the age of 73.

Most prominent as a director of such multi-genre films as The Interpreter (2005), The Firm (1993), Out of Africa (1985), Tootsie (1982), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Way We Were (1973), and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Pollack also acted in numerous movies and television shows.

His TV-comedy appearances alone include Will & Grace (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006), King of the Hill (2000), Mad About You (1998), and Frasier (1994). The Academy Award and Emmy winner also lent his presence to other series, ranging from The Sopranos to the classic version of The Twilight Zone to Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Pollack was reportedly surrounded by family and friends at his death Monday afternoon in Los Angeles, and he’s survived by his wife Claire, two daughters named Rebecca and Rachel, his brother Bernie, and six grandchildren. A son named Steven died in 1993 in a plane crash in California.

Dick Martin, one-half of the duo that brought Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In to television viewers from 1968 to 1973, passed away of respiratory complications in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday. He was 86.

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, which Martin co-hosted with fellow nightclub comedian Dan Rowan, got its start as an NBC special that aired in September 1967. Intended as a one-time television event, the special was developed into a series after it delivered impressive ratings.

Laugh-In immediately set itself apart from other comedy and variety TV shows that preceded it. Instead of using scripted material to set up humorous situations, episodes incorporated an onslaught of various comedic styles, such as sketches and one-liners, delivered in a quick succession and with frequent sexual or political overtones. And, of course, there were the many cast members who later went on to achieve independent success as entertainers: Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi, Jo Anne Worley, Arte Johnson, Henry Gibson, and others.

After Laugh-In ended, Martin began a new career directing television series, including The Bob Newhart Show and Sledge Hammer!. Reports state that he was surrounded by family and friends at his death shortly after 6pm, and he’s survived by his wife Dolly Read, the first British Playboy Playmate, whom Martin married twice, and two sons, Richard Martin and Cary Martin.

On Tuesday, April 8, Monk co-star Stanley Kamel passed away due to an apparent heart attack. According to Access Hollywood, the 65-year-old New Jersey native was found in his California home.

Kamel portrayed Dr. Charles Kroger, the psychiatrist of OCD sufferer Adrian Monk, on the hit USA crime dramedy. He entertained fans as that character from the very beginning of the series in 2002, providing a perfect calm and rational counterpoint to Tony Shalhoub’s neurotic and obsessive detective. Kamel also appeared in numerous roles on other television series, including Murder One; Beverly Hills, 90210; Melrose Place; L.A. Law; Cagney & Lacey; and Hill Street Blues.

USA released a statement saying, “USA is deeply saddened by the news of Stanley Kamel’s passing. Stanley was an amazingly talented and extremely kind man, and an important member of the USA family. He will be sorely missed.”

Kamel’s absence from the dramedy will be very noticeable, especially among Monk fans who’ve become accustomed to his welcome presence each season. USA has a number of video interviews with the actor available on the Monk website, however. In them, he answers questions about topics ranging from his favorite episode of the series to the breakthrough that Dr. Kroger would most like to see Adrian experience.

Take a look at those revealing Q&A sessions at the Stanley Kamel Video Interviews webpage.

According to the Associated Press, 60-year-old Married with Children co-creator Ron Leavitt passed away of lung cancer on Sunday, February 10, in Los Angeles.

Married with Children made the central characters’ Bundy family name a pop-culture phenomenon, while elevating stars Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, David Faustino, and Christina Applegate to TV superstar status. Applegate, of course, currently helms the rookie sitcom Samantha Who?, which ABC just renewed for a second season on Monday in anticipation of the writers strike impending end.

Leavitt created the ten-season long Married with Children (1987–1997) in collaboration with Michael G. Moye. He also helped write almost 150 episodes of the FOX series and served as executive producer after logging time as a producer on The Jeffersons, another hit sitcom that lasted a decade, from 1975 to 1985.

The native Brooklynite leaves behind a daughter named Samantha and a son named Matt.