News

Joey D. Vieira, who portrayed the farm boy Sylvester “Porky” Brockway on the first four seasons of the long-running CBS series Lassie, has died. He was 80.

Vieira died Monday — the day before his birthday — in hospice care, his Lassie co-star Jon Provost announced on Facebook.

Viera also appeared in some notable films, among them Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Red Heat (1988) and The Patriot (2000).

Billed as Donald Keeler — his aunt was Ruby Keeler, who starred in Warner Bros. musicals — Vieira appeared on 91 episodes of Lassie from 1954-57. At the start, the show revolved around the Miller family — Tommy Rettig as Jeff, Jan Clayton as his mom, Ellen, and George Cleveland as Gramps — living on a farm with their collie.

Quite often, Porky, who also had a dog, a basset hound named Pokey, was seen wearing a beanie and huffing and puffing, trying to keep...

Ken Weatherwax, who played the brilliant but decidedly odd Pugsley Addams on "The Addams Family," has died at the age of 59.

The actor passed away after a heart attack in his home in Box Canyon, California. His niece, Shanyn Vieira, confirmed the news on Facebook.

As Pugsley, Weatherwax was part of a macabre and weird tribe that included father Gomez, mother Morticia, and sister Wednesday. The boy was fascinated by insects and explosive toys, and he was an inventive engineer who created an anti-gravity gun and a robot. Weatherwax portrayed Pugsley for the two seasons that the show aired on ABC from 1964 to 1966; reruns continued for years after.

After "The Addams Family," Weatherwax attempted to continue his acting career, but didn't land any major roles. He joined the Army and later worked as a grip and set builder, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also made several appearances in "Addams Family"-related follow-ups.