WebKittyn Warbles
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
This One HURTS
I've never been a celebrity watcher. I don't care what stars do in their free time and nothing annoys me more than those gossip TV shows. I've never been one to fawn over a pretty face or a sexy bod, they may be stars but they burp and fart just like the rest of us.
But every once in a while there is a star who touches the soul and becomes as much a part of the fan's life as they can from the boob tube. These stars to me are far and few between and when one dies, it hurts. A lot.
Carroll O'Connor was one of those stars for me, I shed many tears when he died. Roddy McDowall was another one. And now today I find out Jerry Orbach died, beaten by prostate cancer.
This hurts, this brings waves of tears to my eyes. For the past 12 years Jerry Orbach has made at least one appearance in my life every single day. Yes, I can say without a doubt that I have watched at least one episode of Law and Order every day. It's not just a tv show, it's an obsession that I have happily lived with for 14 years and 12 of those were with Jerry Orbach.
He was much more than just Law and Order, though. He was born in da Bronx and never lost that die-hard New York edge. He was an accomplished Broadway actor and it was only because of his presence that I sat through Dirty Dancing. But for twelve years he was Lennie Brisco and he was Law and Order.
I can't express how much I was looking forward to the new L&O in January and how heartbroken I was when I learned he was leaving L&O for the new role. I know tonight when I watch L&O I'm going to cry like a baby.
I don't understand men. Women go through the same intrusions when they go for the PAP smears and gyno tests but we go. We sit through mammography which has improved but for the longest was a traumatic experience. Yet men simply will NOT go and get their prostates checked. Please, all of you men who read this and who have people in your life who care for you, get off your ass and stop being a chicken and get the prostate checked. He wasn't supposed to die, he was by all means supposed to recover but he didn't.
This is a sad day for all New Yorkers, we lost a "true New York institution."
Rest in peace, Jerry. Thank you for thirty plus years of true star-quality acting and for twelve years of the best show on television, period. You will be greatly missed.
<-- Steal me!
