This year isn’t being any kinder in terms of celebrities being laid to rest, but if anyone expected it to be then they haven’t been paying attention since people are getting older, and those that have been in show business for decades are reaching the end years when they’ve either been nearly forgotten or are going out on a high note. George Segal, one of the many names that people might not remember right away, but will recall once they see his work, passed away recently due to complications during bypass surgery. The actor was 87 years old, which does mean that he had a nice long run in the business and no doubt lived a very full life that touched many people over the course of his career. It’s better to remember the good times at this moment in order to pay a bit of honor to one of the many actors that continued to pave the way for others to follow, as his contributions to the big and small screens are quite extensive and more than a little impressive. George’s talents were pretty impressive during his tenure as an actor, and while a lot of us probably remember him as an older individual since by the time those born in the 80s and 90s were old enough to recognize him, George was well into middle-age and moving onward. But the funny thing is that as he got older and couldn’t do quite as much his acting talent didn’t fade and he became even funnier.
On a personal note, the first movie that I can remember him in is Look Who’s Talking, as he played the jerk boyfriend Albert, who was messing around with another woman despite still being attached to Kirstie Alley’s character, Mollie. The funny thing about this is that Albert was married as well, and his status as a womanizer got him in a bit of trouble obviously. But while he was the instigator throughout part of the movie his role kind of came and went since John Travolta’s role really overshadowed him in a big way, especially since the way it was written, Albert had to hit the bricks eventually while Travolta took over. The movie would go on to spawn a couple of sequels that didn’t really do that great but were still watched by quite a few people that didn’t mind the change in quality. In all honesty, the first movie wasn’t exactly something that would be deemed as the greatest movie in the world, but it was enough fun to appreciate for what it was, an attempt to create something new and entertaining.
One of his best roles, apart from his time on The Goldbergs, came during the show Just Shoot Me, as Jack Gallo. While he wasn’t the sole comedian in the room most times he was one of those that managed to get the attention of the fans since he was the type of character that people might have been divided about. The reason for this was that while he did work with his eldest daughter, or rather she worked for him since he was the owner and publisher of the magazine that was a big part of the show, he wasn’t always the best father figure and he was even married to one of his daughter’s old classmates and had a daughter by her, who he spoiled and tried to spend as much time with lest he make the same mistake of not paying attention to his family once again, as he did with Maya, who was played by Laura San Giacomo. The show was pretty funny during its run, and it ended on a good note since Jack ended up giving his business to Maya after all was said and done, which was a great way to close out the show.
George was successful on the stage as well and has many credits between TV and movies that many people likely still remember to this day. I could say that actors like George don’t come around all the time, but that tired old cliche wouldn’t do really since like so many others, George was unique in his own manner and there’s never been another like him. Hopefully no one is thinking that there will be again since as similar as some people can be, many folks are unique enough that they can’t be replaced or forgotten so easily. George created a great career for himself over the years and it’s very easy to say that he’s going to be remembered fondly since he gave a great deal to the business and received a good amount from the fans. The list of names will continue to grow as people take the final bow, and all we can do is respect their passing and say thank you for what they’ve given. Rest in peace sir, you’ll be missed.
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