Switzer, 31, had recently been in the Tony Curtis film The Defiant Ones.

The Defiant Ones: In today's picture books, the kids are in charge.

Switzer's final film role was in the film drama The Defiant Ones.

One newspaper article has described the movie as a cross between "The Defiant Ones" and "Topper."

The basis of The Defiant Ones was revisited several times in popular media:

Like "The Defiant Ones," this film employed the theme of partnership by necessity: two characters thrown together under circumstances they'd rather have avoided.

Stevens credits The Defiant Ones for having the most impact, however:

The piano-shoving is like watching "The Defiant Ones" set in a music school.

In the episode "The Defiant Ones", she is mentioned.

Essandoh is also the co-founder of The Defiant Ones writing and performance group.