Bob Hoskins has died - 30/04/2014

[Roareye]

BBC News has reported the unfortunate passing of Super Mario Bros star Bob Hoskins from pneumonia. His family have asked for privacy to be respected but support has been well received.

Any chance of a special commemorative extra for the SMB Blu-Ray to cement the life and career of this great actor? Maybe a special goodbye video made by/of the SMB cast either remembering him or just saying "Bye Bob" to a camera? it wouldn't matter if it was just to a Webcam, but some homage should be paid.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27224995

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

Man, what terrible news. I would say it's not news I wish to go to bed to, but nor is it news I'd want to wake up to.

Bottom line: This sucks.

R.I.P., Bob. You were great.

[Serum]

I got a phone call this morning informing me of this most gloomy news. I'm still at a loss for words...

[1upmushroom]

...Anyone else's jaw drop when they saw this headline?

I...I...literally have no words.

EDIT: Ok I'm better now. It's just...I'm shocked that this happened. Bob may have hated working on Super Mario Bros, but the one thing I always admired about him was that he tried his hardest with every role he had. Even in something like Son of the Mask, Bob Hoskins actually tried to make a good performance. He never half assed it, ever.

And I'm just...sad that he's gone honestly.

[Serum]

Yeah, I woke up this morning to my phone ringing and I answered it and it was my father and he told me Bob Hoskins had passed. Long silence... I'm really floored. I mean, we knew he'd fallen into ill health in the last few years, but I didn't realize he had pneumonia, that can be a tough thing to fix.

The man was my childhood hero and I'm still at a loss for proper words for this most unfortunate of news. But I can say that he'll live forever in the movies he made and in our minds not only as the plumber turned superhero Mario Mario, but as Eddie Valiant, as Smee, as Jack Moony, as Lou Landsky, as Spoor the Plumber and even as Pink's unnamed, but lifesaving manager in The Wall.

This one's hitting me really hard.

Robert William Hoskins Junior: 26 October, 1942 ~ 29 April, 2014

[Redstar]

Phlibbit texted me at 5am with the news. I couldn't process it at the time. I didn't want to. I've received notification of so many important deaths in the early morning that it has made me come to dread each new day. I'm scared of hearing of who might come next.

Bob was a brilliant man. We didn't know him and, unfortunately, never had the opportunity to speak with him personally. We were still friends with many of those that had worked with him over the years and, through them, felt his wonderful personality.

We have felt the grief and sense of loss from those that loved him as more than just a man on a screen. He was a colleague, a friend, a brother and a father. We cannot just remember him for being Mario Mario, or Eddie Valiant or Smee or any other character because he was so much more.

We will miss you, Bob. All of us.

[Serum]

That's beautiful.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry I don't have better words for this. It's really hard to process this, as I am certain it is for everyone here.

[1upmushroom]

"Here's to the pencil Pusher, may they all get lead poisoning huh?"

-Eddie Valiant.

[MrGoomba909]

I just heard about it. It's a shame. I wonder If he ever knew about how, even though he may have hated the movie, there are some people like us who genuinely appreciated the good work he put into it?

He'll be missed... Not just for this movie; but for his great performances in all the movies he was in, regardless of if he liked them or not; he always put his all in.

[MegaKoopaBro64]

I was told this terrible news by one of my buddies this morning during my creative writing class. I dismissed it as a joke at first, but it hit me immediately once I saw all the headlines on Google. Damn, it happened so fast. It feels just like a week ago he announced his retirement, and now all of a sudden he has passed on.

I've been editing together a few unofficial trailers for the blu-ray release, just to help spread the word over YouTube, but now with this news it's going to be hard to look through all these scenes again. Ironic, once we receive the greatest news of a quality blu-ray release, the most devastating death happened not long after. Who knows, maybe Disney will re-release that horrid Super Mario Bros. DVD for a THIRD time now after this horrible news!

Jokes aside, Bob will always be remembered. From Eddie Valiant to Harold Shand, and of course Mario Mario, he brought a remarkable charisma into each role. Whether playing a violent gangster, a Shakespearean character or a virtuous plumber, Bob made every role loveable and memorable. He was one of the last great British actors, and there will never again be an actor like him.



If there was one thing Bob Hoskins as Mario Mario taught us, it was to trust the fungus.

Trusting the fungus is adjacent to suspending your belief and trusting chance. Life is unpredictable and no one knows where it will take us. We must keep a susceptible mind and accept every challenge while trusting our strengths. Mario learns this principle in the film. Bob utilized this also when he tagged along to an audition with a friend, and look where that one incident took him throughout his life.

Rest in peace, Bob Hoskins. You have passed onto the next level.

[Serum]

If there was one thing Bob Hoskins as Mario Mario taught us, it was to trust the fungus.

Well said. Trusting the fungus isn't just a tagline or a phrase-- it's more than that. It's an idea. You put your trust, faith, superstition or science in something you believe is ultimately bigger than you and you can achieve anything with the help of that idea.

[Phlibbit]

Trusting the fungus is adjacent to suspending your belief and trusting chance. Life is unpredictable and no one knows where it will take us. We must keep a susceptible mind and accept every challenge while trusting our strengths. Mario learns this principle in the film. Bob utilized this also when he tagged along to an audition with a friend, and look where that one incident took him throughout his life.

Rest in peace, Bob Hoskins. You have passed onto the next level.

That's an awesome thought. Couldn't have said it better myself.

A text from a friend woke me up this morning with this sad news. I've got to say though--the outpouring of love and support from the SMB Movie community has been amazing today. Lots of tributes, stories, artwork, and the like. I'm glad that we've been able to interact with so many people who either got to work directly with Bob or who are just fans of his. That's what I've been trying to keep in mind all day--although Bob is gone, our community will continue to grow and we will be able to enjoy his interpretation of one of our favorite characters for years to come.

Mario aside, it was an honor to post Steven(Redstar)'s statement on the site today. Out of all of the articles and reports I've read today about Bob's passing, his statement was the most heartfelt and most meaningful.

[Serum]

Let me just reminisce a little, here... It's almost one in the morning, and between Bob's passing and some other personal stuff I don't need to divulge, I'm exhausted and can say with some certainty, if you forgive the expression, that this whole effing day has left a bad taste in my mouth. But let me look back at my time watching Bob's movies, for a minute...

Like many people my age (I'm 26, now), the first movie I saw him in was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, while many young people in my age group often connected more with the animated characters, at that young age I found Bob's character, Eddie Valiant, to be the most connectable character. I grew up in a weird home, when I was young, my parents got divorced and we went through many moves and it was just a bad time in my life. Then I saw this movie with this guy Eddie, who kind of reminded me of a mix between my cynical but funny Dad and my gruff but lovable Grandfather and I immediately connected with him.

I saw that Eddie had problems, his brother had been killed and he was lonely, bitter and disconnected from the world, as was I. But Eddie Valiant manages to work through many of his personal problems, prejudices and addictions throughout the course of the movie with the help of his new friends, the Toons and I found that really inspiring and it had a profound impact on my young mind and helped me through a weird time in my own childhood.

Some time later, I saw him in Hook, and while I'm not a big fan of that movie itself, I appreciated every moment he was on screen. What I really liked about him in that movie was that (forgive me, it's been many years since I've seen it so I don't know if I have this right) when they leave Neverland at the end of the movie, we see Bob as a sort of caretaker at the park, and he looks at someone who'd been in Neverland and smiles-- as if, maybe he is Smee, or maybe he's not but he knows that something magic has happened and I liked that, I thought it was really touching.

Then in 1996 or 1997 I started playing video-games for the first time. Super Mario 64 on the N64 was the first game I owned-- I still have my original copy and my original N64 which I've kept in utterly pristine condition for almost twenty years. But it was at this time I was told there was a Super Mario Bros. movie, and many of you have already heard this story, but I'm gonna tell it again. My Dad saw me playing Mario 64 and he says "Oh, yeah, the Mario Bros. movie was on TV the other day! I tried to call you but you were out." My reaction was: "There's a movie?!"

At this point my family knew I was a huge Roger Rabbit fan, I would always draw pictures of Eddie Valiant and walk around with a long coat and talk in that gruff voice when I played. So I asked my Dad: "So, who plays Mario in this movie?" And he chuckled and said: "Your buddy, Bob Hoskins, from Roger Rabbit!" My jaw dropped through the floor to the basement and I immediately dragged everyone out to BlockBuster and rented it. Several hundred times. I fell in love with the movie quickly and it's the film that made me want to be a filmmaker.

One thing about it was I thought it looked cool. It didn't bother me that for half the movie the Mario Brothers don't wear their traditional outfits or that the movie had a smaller resemblance to the game than one might think-- in fact, I took the opposite approach and asked: "Why aren't the games like this? This is AWESOME!" And it just kind of snowballed from there into the fandom I have for the movie, today.

From there I saw Bob perform a fatherly role in Mermaids, which I caught on TNN (which was a channel back then) and it was a touching performance, but at the young age I watched it at, I wasn't fully able to absorb everything in the film until some time later, but looking back on it, like my feelings towards his character in Roger Rabbit, I related to it in a sort of retrospective way even though that time in my life had long since passed.

For some time I forgot about movies and games and became absorbed in school, and after I graduated I found a copy of the Super Mario Bros. movie on DVD at Suncoast-- I had to pick it up because we'd all long stopped using VCRs by then. I watched it for the first time in what seemed like centuries and it all came flooding back to me.

After that I saw some of Bob's more mature performances, like as the MI5 agent in Doomsday (a remake of Escape From New York) and as the wicked anti-Mario type plumber, Spoor, in Terry Gilliam's masterpiece Brazil. Then there was his bit part in the Pink Floyd movie The Wall, in which he plays the rock star's manager who saves the life of a rockstar who apparently overdoses on some unspecified drug. Regretfully, I still have yet to see his big villain role in Unleashed aka Danny the Dog in which he plays a kingpin who uses mind control to harness fighting slaves.

I don't know... I grew up watching Bob Hoskins on TV. He was like a family member I could just see any time I wanted by popping a tape in the VCR. And while the man himself may be gone, his spirit lives on in the many films he made over the course of his career, and I take solace in knowing that if I ever want to see him again, all I have to do is put on a DVD of any movie of his.

In the last six years I've lost a lot of family members, most recently my grandfather, who I was very close to and always enjoyed watching Bob on the TV with me. I remember the last day I spent with him, I sat in his hospital room and read the entire book Who Censored Roger Rabbit? to him in one sitting because he was a fan of the movie it was based on. We had a good day, he seemed well, but the next day he passed away. And I can thank Bob in part for giving me the drive to do what I did that day, not just in reading that book to my grandfather but spending as much time as I could with him before he passed.

I like to think that maybe, somewhere, Bob Hoskins is with everybody who's gone on and they're smiling on us, knowing the joy he brought to all of us will live on not only throughout the rest of our lives but long beyond that, into future generations of filmgoers and children who haven't been born yet who he has yet to spark the imaginations of as he sparked mine. And so, with a heavy heart all I can say is...

Robert William Hoskins Junior, who was born October 26, 1942 and passed away on April 29, 2014-- may you rest in peace, knowing you lived a life that many can only dream of and bringing joy to untold numbers of people all around the world. Amen.

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

I just heard about it. It's a shame. I wonder If he ever knew about how, even though he may have hated the movie, there are some people like us who genuinely appreciated the good work he put into it?

One can hope. And from what I've read/been told, I'm not even sure he hated the movie so much as he hated the people in charge, i.e. the directors, and Hoskins was hardly unique in that regard, as I recall.

[Redstar]

Any chance of a special commemorative extra for the SMB Blu-Ray to cement the life and career of this great actor? Maybe a special goodbye video made by/of the SMB cast either remembering him or just saying "Bye Bob" to a camera? it wouldn't matter if it was just to a Webcam, but some homage should be paid.

I've sent the folks at Second Sight an E-mail to see if they have any ideas of what we could do to commemorate Bob. We've already shot most of our interviews, so I don't think it's possible to get a few comments that pay tribute to him.

I imagine the best we can do is an "In Memory Of..." for Bob and, now that I think of it, Dennis, Jake and Terry. We really need to honor these men that have given us so much, yet passed before we could let them know how much we appreciated it.

[ultimateemail5000]

I'm late to posting my thoughts about this, but I was honestly shocked. I saw on IGN a thumbnail of Bob Hoskins and for some reason thought "oh shit what happened to Danny Davito?" Then I click it and see, "Oh damn, it's Bob Hoskins." Was really surprised.

I feel like I am getting old now, most of the actors who portrayed my favorite plumbers have passed on. Officially all of the live action Mario's could be gone now. (I am not counting the actor who was in the DK(jr?) commercial) But all in all, may he rest peacefully and I'm glad to hear his family was with him.

[Mario500]

Today's edition of the radio program "Fresh Air" has audio of an interview with Bob Hoskins from a past edition.

[Phlibbit]

Thanks for posting that interview, Mario500. It's always fascinating to hear Bob talk about his acting process in interviews.

Listen at around 12:00 in. It's priceless.

[billbot85]

R.I.P. Bob Hoskins, you were an amazing actor and one of my favorite incarnations of Mario. It's such a shame that he passed so soon, not long after his diagnosis of Parkinson's (even though it was due to pneumonia). I've seen a lot of his films, and I've loved him in every single one.

Redstar, I hope that the bluray release of the movie can do some kind of tribute to him and Dennis Hopper, or at least have an "In loving memory of..." before or after the film plays. Please let us know if there is anything we can do here to help keep Bob's memory alive. Trust the Fungus!!

[Serum]

Yeah, also I think there should be a memorial somewhere on the Blu-Ray honoring Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and Terry Runtè.

[MrGoomba909]

Yeah, also I think there should be a memorial somewhere on the Blu-Ray honoring Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and Terry Runtè.

Briliant Idea, I agree.

[Redstar]

I've contacted Second Sight again to discuss the possibility of a memorium tribute. I can't see any reason why they would turn the suggestion down, but I will let everyone know as soon as I hear anything.

[Serum]

Considering the brief delay in the Blu-Ray's release and the circumstances-- do you have any word on that?

[Redstar]

They told me that they will be looking into the best means of memorializing Bob and the others, so I believe they want to do something a little better than just putting an "RIP" at the end of the documentary credits.