Steve Franken is dead, the actor who starred in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," died Friday after a cancer battle at the age of 80.
Franken's wife, Jean, confirmed his Aug. 24 death to The New York Times. In the statement, Jean did not specify what type of cancer he suffered from.
Franken appeared in dozens of roles, ranging from guest appearances in TV series "Bewitched" and "Seinfeld" to film roles in "Nurse Betty" and 2009's "Angels and Demons." He was also a stage actor.
Other roles include "Love," "American Style;" the television show "Mission: Impossible" and n film, Franken appeared in "The Party," "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu," "Which Way to the Front?," "Hardly Working," "The Missouri Breaks," and "The Americanization of Emily."
Steve Franken's public memorial is scheduled for Sept. 22 at Theatre West in Los Angeles.
Jean Franken says her husband never stopped working and loved acting.
Born in Queens in May 1932, Franken remained in LA throughout his career. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and two grandchildren.
Meanwhile, fellow celebrities have fallen victim to a bizarre online celebrity death hoaxes. Eddie Murphy dead? Bill Cosby Dead? For the past two weeks, many celebrities including Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Rihanna and even Bill Nye the Science Guy have been targets of such rumors.
Rumors began swirling that the funny man had died when an "R.I.P. Bill Cosby" Facebook page popped up, sending Twitter into a frenzy. It's not the first inaccurate report of his demise. In 2010, the veteran comedian mentioned to CNN it was his fourth time being reported [dead]."
Grammy-award winning singer Rihanna was reported to have had a heart attack on Monday.A photoshopped fake article, made to look like it was from a French news site, alleged the singer "sunk into an [alcohol-induced] coma before succumbing to a heart attack."
The phony "news" story spread rapidly on social media Monday night, leading many to believe Rihanna had died.
