Charlie Callas (not Sheen) dead at 86

Comedian Charlie Callas was indeed a funny man and much beloved by fans and friend Mel Brooks, who cast him in both "Silent Movie" and "High Anxiety." And, as a character actor, he was all over the TV dial (yes, they used to have dials) with multiple appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and cameos in everything from "The Fall Guy" to "L.A. Law."

Though, noting that news of his death is burning up the Internets, we have to ask: who are these hordes of heretofore hidden Charlie Callas fans?

Could it be the hundreds of dedicated "Pete's Dragon" groupies? Callas voiced the animated dragon, Elliott in the 1977 Disney flick. Or perhaps the cultish devotees of "Hollywood Squares," a show on which Callas made repeated appearances?

Alas, Callas' name is so close to another Charlie in the news -- Charlie Sheen -- that he's tragically been sucked in to the feeding frenzy surrounding Sheen's recent shenanigans.

So, just to be clear:

Charlie Callas, dead and fondly remembered.

Charlie Sheen, alive and -- depending on who you ask -- possibly fondling a porn star.