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Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the bold-faced names we lost in 2022, starting with this entertainer… Irene Cara — the singer behind the hit title tracks to the 1983 movie “Flashdance” and the 1980 film “Fame” — is dead at 63, publicist Judith A. Moose confirmed on Twitter on Nov. 26. “It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara. The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home,” her rep wrote, adding that “her cause of death is currently unknown and will be released when information is available.” Irene won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and two Grammys for the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which she performed and co-wrote, and also notably played Coco Hernandez in “Fame,” for which she sang the theme song. She also starred in the title role in the original 1976 version of the musical drama “Sparkle.” Stars took to social media to mourn the talent. “Thank you brilliant Irene for your open heart and your fearless triple threat talent,” “Flashdance” star Jennifer Beals wrote, adding, “It took a beautiful dreamer to write and perform the soundtracks for those who dare to dream.” Debbie Allen — who starred in the TV version of “Fame” — tweeted, “My Heart Is Broken. #IreneCara was such a gifted and beautiful genius. Her talent and her music will LIVE FOREVER! FOREVER REMEMBER HER NAME!”
Keep reading for more stars we lost this year…
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Former child actor Mickey Kuhn, who came to fame in the ’30s and ’40s and was the last surviving member of the “Gone With the Wind” cast — died on Nov. 20 in hospice care in Naples, Florida, his wife confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 90. Mickey played Beau Wilkes, the son of Olivia de Havilland’s Melanie and Leslie Howard’s Ashley in the 1939 CIvil War drama, and also appeared in projects including 1945’s “Dick Tracy,” 1948’s “Red River” and 1951’s “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
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Jason David Frank — a fan-favorite star of the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” franchise that kicked off in the ’90s — is dead at 49, TMZ reported on Nov. 20. The actor and mixed martial artist, who fans will remember as the Green Ranger who turns into the White Ranger, passed away in Texas, his rep told multiple outlets. The webloid cited sources in further reporting Jason died by suicide. “He was an inspiration to so many people. His presence will be dearly missed. It’s so sad to lose another member of our Ranger family,” Walter Jones — who played the Black Ranger — told TMZ, adding, “Jason was one of the biggest pranksters on the show. He had a wild sense of humor. We had our shares of ups and downs but I stayed consistent about being an ear if he needed one. My prayers go out to his family and all that will miss him.”
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Nicki Aycox — who was best known for her role as Meg Masters on TV’s “Supernatural” — died on Nov. 16, her sister-in-law announced on Facebook. Nicki was 47. Though a cause of death wasn’t publicly shared, in March 2021, Nicki revealed she’d been diagnosed with leukemia. “Supernatural” creator Eric Kripke mourned Nicki on Twitter, writing, “Gutted to hear the great #NickiAycox, our first #MegMasters, passed away. Too young. She was a delight & delivered lines like honey & venom. I marvel at how she made a simple word like ‘lackluster’ legendary. #RIP.”
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Actor and singer Robert Clary — a Holocaust survivor who spent 31 months in a concentration camp before forging a career in Hollywood, where he was best known for his role as Corporal LeBeau on the sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes” in the ’60s and ’70s — died at his home in Los Angeles on Nov. 16, granddaughter Kim Wright confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The French entertainer — who was the last the last surviving member of the hit series’ original main cast — was 96.
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“Days of Our Lives” star John Aniston — who played Victor Kiriakis on the popular soap opera from 1985 to 2022 — died at 89 on Nov. 11. Daughter Jennifer Aniston announced the sad news on NOv. 14 on Instagram, sharing photos of herself with her beloved father alongside the message, “Sweet papa… John Anthony Aniston … You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now … I’ll love you till the end of time … Don’t forget to visit.”
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Comedian Gallagher died in hospice care in the Palm Springs, California, area on Nov. 11, from organ failure after years of ill health and heart attacks, his manager told TMZ. He was 76. Gallagher (born Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.) — who was known for his prop comedy, which included smashing watermelons with a Sledge-O-Matic mallet during his act — became a household name after performing on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson in the 1970s. “Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades. He was pretty sure he held a record for the most stand-up dates, by attrition alone,” his manager told TMZ, adding, “While Gallagher had his detractors, he was an undeniable talent and an American success story.”
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Kevin Conroy, who was the voice of DC Comics superhero Batman and alter ego Bruce Wayne for more than 30 years, passed away at 66 on Nov. 10, Warner Bros. announced, reportedly from cancer. The prolific voice actor was best known for his work on “Batman: The Animated Series,” a slew of DC animated films and TV shows and the “Batman: Arkham” and “Injustice” video games.
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Former child pop star and reality TV star Aaron Carter — the younger brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter — was found dead at his home in Lancaster, California, on the morning of Nov. 5. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told TMZ that a housesitter (later described as a housekeeper) found the singer’s body in a bathtub. Aaron, who was mourned by many of his music peers and other celebrities, was deceased when authorities arrived. The star, who shot to fame at 12 with the release of sophomore album “Aaron’s Party” in 2000, was 34.
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Migos rapper Takeoff (real name: Kirshnik Khari Ball) died in the early morning hours of Nov. 1 in a shooting outside a bowling alley in Houston. He was 28. According to TMZ Hip Hop, he was playing dice with Quavo, his bandmate and uncle, when an altercation broke out with another party at the bowling alley, which doubles as a pool hall. Ultimately, someone opened fire, shooting Takeoff either in the head or near the head. Two other people were also shot, though Quavo was left unharmed. The third member of Migos, Offset, was not present at the time.
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Days after an erroneous report of his death made headlines, rock ‘n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis passed away at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi, on Oct. 28 at 87 following a period of ill health. The piano-playing “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” singer and Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer — who was memorably brought to life on screen by actor Dennis Quaid in the 1989 biopic “Great Balls of Fire,” which took its name from one of Jerry Lee’s biggest hits — was wed seven times. His 1958 marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, however, is perhaps his most famous and controversial union. Hollywood stars publicly mourned the music icon, with Elton John sharing, “Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn’t have become who I am today. He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverized the piano. A brilliant singer too. Thank you for your trailblazing inspiration and all the rock ‘n’ roll memories.”
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Beloved actor Leslie Jordan — who appeared on shows including “WIll & Grace,” “Hearts Afire,” “Call Me Kat” and “American Horror Story” — died at 67 on Oct. 24 after he suffered a suspected medical emergency and crashed his BMW into the side of a building in Beverly Hills, law enforcement sources told TMZ. The Tennessee-born actor, who was known for his thick drawl, became an unlikely social media star during the coronavirus pandemic thanks to his silly and sweet video posts.
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On Oct. 14, actor Robbie Coltrane’s agent confirmed to Deadline that the beloved Scottish actor who brought Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid to life in the “Harry Potter” movies was dead at 72. The actor — who also notably starred in the James Bond films “GoldenEye” and “The World is Not Enough” and won three consecutive best actor BAFTAs for his work on the series “Cracker” — died at a hospital near his home in Larbert, Scotland, following two years of ill health. His death certificate later revealed that the actor suffered multiple organ failure and was battling sepsis and a respiratory infection as well as blockages in his heart at the time of his passing.
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Actress Eileen Ryan — who was also famous for being the mother of actors Sean Penn (pictured) and Chris Penn and musician Michael Penn — died at her home in Malibu on Oct. 9. She was 94. The Broadway performer, who was married to actor-director Leo Penn until his death in 1998, appeared in more than 60 projects in the big and small screens over her six-decade career including movies like “Parenthood,” “Benny & Joon” and “Magnolia” and TV shows like “The Twilight Zone,” “ER,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and more.
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“Murder, She Wrote” actress Angela Lansbury — who won five Tony Awards, an honorary Oscar, three Academy Award nominations and 18 Emmy nominations during her long, incredible career — “died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles” on Oct. 11, just five days shy of her 97th birthday, her family announced in a statement.
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Country music icon Loretta Lynn — the singer-songwriter from Appalachia who used her experiences as a coal miner’s daughter living in poverty in Kentucky as inspiration for her lauded music — is dead at 90. “Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills [Tennessee],” her family announced on social media the same day. The Grammy winner — whose best known songs include “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (which inspired Loretta’s book about her life as well as a Hollywood movie of the same name), “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “The Pill,” “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Rated X” and “You’re Looking at Country” — was the first woman to ever win entertainer of the year at both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards, feats she accomplished in the ’70s. Of her music, she told the Associated Press in 2016, “It was what I wanted to hear and what I knew other women wanted to hear too. I didn’t write for the men; I wrote for us women. And the men loved it too.”
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Comedian Judy Tenuta — also known as “The Love Goddess” — died in Los Angeles on Oct. 6 from ovarian cancer. The talented accordion-playing beauty, who came to fame as a stand-up comic in the ’80s and later acted in a variety of projects, was 72. “Devastated to hear of the passing of my dear, dear friend, the lovely Miss Judy Tenuta. I can’t believe she’s gone. Earth has truly lost a goddess,” collaborator “Weird Al” Yankovich tweeted. Added “Spinal Tap” star Michael McKean, “One of a kind. Damn.”
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On Oct. 3, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Sacheen Littlefeather — the Native American actress and civil rights activist who famously took the stage at the 1973 Oscars to decline the best actor prize on behalf of “The Godfather” star Marlon Brando, who boycotted the ceremony — had passed away at 75. The Academy did not share a cause of death, but earlier this year, the Apache and Yaqui star shared on social media that she had metastasized breast cancer, CNN reported. Sacheen, who appeared in movies including “Winterhawk,” “Shoot the Sun Down” and “The Trial of Billy Jack,” was blacklisted from the film industry after participating in Brando’s Oscars protest over the portrayal of Native Americans on the big screen and federal law enforcement’s response to the occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, by members of the American Indian Movement. She died less than two months after the Academy finally formally apologized for her mistreatment.
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Rapper Coolio — who won a Grammy for his 1995 hit song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was featured in the Michelle Pfeiffer-led movie “Dangerous Minds” — died suddenly in Los Angeles on Sept. 28. He was 59. TMZ reported that the music star (real name: Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) was visiting the home of a friend, who called for help after discovering Coolio had collapsed in a bathroom, where paramedics performed CPR for 45 minutes before he was pronounced dead. Coolio’s manager told TMZ it’s believed he suffered a heart attack. TMZ further reported that law enforcement sources did not find drugs or paraphernalia at the scene.
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On Sept. 8 — after more than 70 years on the throne — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II “died peacefully at Balmoral,” her summer home in Scotland, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement, triggering the accession of her eldest son, the newly named King Charles III. She was 96. Her Majesty’s reign, which began in 1952 when she was 25, was the second-longest of any world sovereign and the longest for a British monarch. Three weeks after her passing, a document published by the National Records of Scotland shared new information including the official cause of death: The monarch died of old age at 3:10 p.m. Daughter Princess Anne was listed as the informant.
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Louise Fletcher, the actress best known for playing villainous Nurse Ratched opposite Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” — a performance that won her a best actress Oscar — died at her home in Montdurausse, France, on Sept. 23. She was 88.
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Acclaimed British writer Hilary Mantel — the author of lauded books “Wolf Hall,” “Bring Up the Bodies” and “The Mirror and the Light,” a trilogy based on the life of Thomas Cromwell — died at a hospital in Exeter, England, on Sept. 22, her longtime literary agent, Bill Hamilton, confirmed to The New York Times. “She had so many great novels ahead of her. It’s just an enormous loss to literature,” he said. Hilary — who wrote 17 books during her lifetime and twice won the Booker Prize, the most prestigious literary award in the U.K. and Ireland — passed away at 70 three days after suffering a stroke. “We’ve lost a genius,” “Harry Potter” series author JK Rowling tweeted upon hearing the news, while famed British historian Lucy Worsley added, “In 2009, a lady came to a conference we had at Hampton Court, about the life of Henry VIII. She sat quietly at the back making notes. She was reputed to be a novelist. I did not know then that a goddess was walking among us.”
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Marsha Hunt — a movie star during Hollywood’s Golden Age whose career suffered when she was blacklisted amid the government’s communist witch hunt in Hollywood and accused of being sympathetic to subversive causes — died on Sept. 7 of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, “Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity” documentary writer-director Roger C. Memos told The Hollywood Reporter. The actress-turned-activist — who notably starred alongside Lana Turner in 1939’s “These Glamour Girl,” Laurence Olivier in 1940’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Mickey Rooney in 1943’s “The Human Comedy” and many more films — was 104. “You know, I was never interested in communism,” she later told Film Talk. “I was very much interested in my industry, my country and my government. But I was shocked at the behavior of my government and its mistreatment of my industry. And so I spoke out and protested… I was an articulate liberal, and that was bad.” After Marsha was blacklisted, she said, “I was told that in fact it wasn’t really about communism — that was the thing that frightened everybody — it was about control and about power.”
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CNN’s first chief anchor, Bernard Shaw, died of pneumonia unrelated to COVID-19 on Sept. 7, his family announced in a statement. He was 82. “Bernie was a CNN original and was our Washington anchor when we launched on June 1st, 1980,” CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht said one day later. “He was our lead anchor for the next 20 years from anchoring coverage of presidential elections to his iconic coverage of the First Gulf War live from Baghdad in 1991. Even after he left CNN [in 2001], Bernie remained a close member of our CNN family providing our viewers with context about historic events as recently as last year. The condolences of all of us at CNN go out to his wife Linda and his children.”
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Broadway star Robert LuPone, who also memorably played Tony Soprano’s neighbor Dr. Bruce Cusamano on “The Sopranos,” died on Aug. 27 after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer, the MCC Theater, which he co-founded, confirmed. The actor and dancer — a Tony Award nominee for his work in “A Chorus Line” — was 76. His sister, Tony Award-winning actress Patti LuPone, honored the performer after news of his death was made public. “My brother Bobby was a dancer unparalleled. And it all started when he saw me in a dance recital wearing a hula skirt. I was 4, he was 7,” she told People magazine in a statement. “A life-sized picture of Bobby dancing in Jose Limon’s modern ballet ‘There Is a Time’ hung in the photo gallery of the Juilliard School, where Bobby preceded me as a student in the dance division. A few years later, as a student in the theater division, I would walk by it proudly as well as in awe.” Robert also appeared on “Sex and the City” and the daytime soap operas “Guiding Light” and “All My Children,” earning a Daytime Emmy nomination for his work on the latter.
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South African actress-model Charlbi Dean died on Aug. 29 at a hospital in New York from a sudden unexpected illness, her reps confirmed to the Associated Press. She was 32. The talented beauty — who walked runways and posed for magazine covers and was engaged to model-artist Luke Volker TMZ reported — played assassin Syonide on the DC Comics series “Black Lightning” on the CW and is the lead in the upcoming movie “Triangle of Sadness,” which co-stars Woody Harrelson. The acclaimed film took top honors, winning the Palme d’Or award, at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival a few months before her death.
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On Aug. 25, actor Ian Ziering announced on Instagram that actor Joe E. Tata — who’s best known for playing Nat, the owner of the Peach Pit, on “Beverly Hills, 90210” — was dead at 85. Joe was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, his daughter revealed in 2021, and his health had been in decline. “Joey was truly an OG, I remember seeing him on the Rockford files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210. He was often one of the background villains in the original Batman series. One of the happiest people I’ve ever worked with, he was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness,” co-star Ian wrote on Instagram. “Though the peach pit was a 90210 set, It often felt like the backdrop to the Joe E Tata show. The stories of days gone by that he would share, incredible experiences in the entertainment industry that he was a part of would keep us all captivated. He may have been in the back of many scenes, but he was a leading force, especially to us guys, on how to appreciate the gift that 90210 was. My smile dims today but basking in fond memories moves him from my eyes to my heart where he will always be.”
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German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen — who directed huge movies including “Das Boot,” “Air Force One,” “In the Line of Fire,” “Outbreak,” “The Perfect Storm” and “Troy” — died on Aug. 12, his rep told CNN. The Oscar-nominated writer-director was 81.
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Nicholas Evans — the British journalist and author who wrote the bestselling book “The Horse Whisperer,” which inspired the Robert Redford-Scarlett Johansson movie of the same name — died of a heart attack on Aug. 9, United Agents confirmed to Variety. He was 72. “He lived a full and happy life, in his home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon,” his agency added in a statement. Following his career as a political journalist, Nicholas was a screenwriter and producer whose projects include “Murder by the Book,” “Act of Betrayal,” “Secret Weapon” and “Just Like a Woman.” His other bestselling novels include “The Loop,” “The Smoke Jumper,” “The Divide” and “The Brave.”
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Actress Robyn Griggs — who appeared on the soap operas “Another World” and “One Life To Live” — is dead at 49, her loved ones announced on her Facebook account on Aug. 13. The actress was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer in 2020 and shortly before she passed away shared that she’d developed four new tumors.
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On Aug. 12, a rep for Anne Heche confirmed that the Daytime Emmy-winning actress was gone at 53 — a week after she crashed her car into a house, never regaining consciousness. “Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” a rep told People magazine on behalf of the actress’s family and friends. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.” The “Men in Trees,” “Donnie Brasco” and “Another World” star was “brain dead,” her rep told TMZ; that’s considered legally dead in California. A few days later on Aug. 14, Anne was “peacefully taken off life support,” her rep told People, after an organ recipient match was made.
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On Aug. 8, singer-actress and “Grease” star Olivia Newton-John lost her three-decade-long battle with cancer at 73. “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends,” husband John Easterling announced on Facebook, adding, “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.” TMZ reported that a source close to the “Physical” singer confirmed that Olivia died from “metastatic breast cancer.” She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992; more than 20 years later in 2013, the British-born Australian star learned it had returned in her shoulder, and in 2017, it returned for a third time, surfacing in the base of her spine.
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Prolific Motown songwriter and producer Lamont Dozier died on Aug. 8 in Arizona at 81, The New York Times confirmed. He was one-third of the dynamic Holland-Dozier-Holland team that penned dozens and dozens of hits including Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heat Wave” and “Jimmy Mack,” the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go?” and “Baby Love,” the Four Tops’ “Bernadette” and “I Can’t Help Myself” and many more. Lamont was 81.
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Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake died on Aug. 5 from liver cancer, the Miyake Design Office announced days later. The visionary — who was famous for his sculpted and pleated pieces, popular perfumes and for creating the black turtlenecks worn by late Apple CEO Steve Jobs — was 84.
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Roger E. Mosley — the actor best known as helicopter pilot T.C. on the original “Magnum P.I.” during its run in the 1980s — died on Aug. 7 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from injuries incurred in a car accident three days earlier, daughter Ch-a told The Hollywood Reporter. Roger, who was a licensed private helicopter pilot in real life, also notably starred in movies including “Leadbelly” and “The Greatest” as well as several 1970s blaxploitation films like “The Mack.” He was 83.
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On Aug. 2, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that sports broadcasting legend Vin Scully — who was the voice of the Dodgers for more than six decades, working as a baseball play-by-play announcer from 1950 to 2016 — had died at his home in the Los Angeles County enclave of Hidden Hills. Vin, who’d earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, was 94. “We have lost an icon,” Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. “The Dodgers’ Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian. He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family. His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever.”
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Emmy-winning actress Pat Carroll — who voiced villainous Ursula the sea witch in Disney’s animated movie “The Little Mermaid” — died of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on July 30, daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter. She was 95. Pat was a stellar comedienne who notably appeared on “Caesar’s Hour,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” “Too Close for Comfort,” “She’s the Sheriff,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Laverne & Shirley” and more television shows.
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Nichelle Nichols, who’s best known for her work as communications officer Lieutenant Uhura on TV’s “Star Trek,” died in Silver City, New Mexico, on July 30 of natural causes. She was 89. Nichelle — who before becoming a groundbreaking sci-fi icon sang and danced as a performer with Duke Ellington’s orchestra — had been living with her son, Kyle Johnson, and had recently been hospitalized, The Hollywood Reporter reported. “Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Kyle wrote on Facebook. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
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“Goodfellas” and “Law & Order” star Paul Sorvino passed away on July 25 at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, from natural causes, publicist Roger Neal confirmed to the Associated Press, after facing health issues over the last few years. He was 83. Oscar winner Mira Sorvino — one of Paul’s three children — took to Twitter to pay tribute to the “Reds,” “Nixon” and “The Rocketeer” star, who loved poetry, painting and opera as much as acting. “My father the great Paul Sorvino has passed. My heart is rent asunder — a life of love and joy and wisdom with him is over. He was the most wonderful father. I love him so much. I’m sending you love in the stars, Dad, as you ascend,” she wrote.
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Actor-director Tony Dow — who was best known for playing older brother Wally Cleaver on “Leave It to Beaver” and its spinoffs — died on July 27. He was 77. TMZ reported that liver cancer was the cause. “We have received confirmation from Christopher, Tony’s son, that Tony passed away earlier this morning, with his loving family at his side to see him through this journey,” his management shared on Facebook.
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Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actress Mary Alice died on July 27 in her New York City apartment, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 85. The American Theatre Hall of Famer notably starred in projects including the original Broadway production of “Fences,” “Sparkle,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “Awakenings,” “To Sleep With Anger,” “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” “A Different World,” “The Women of Brewster Place,” “Oz,” “The Matrix Revolutions” and more.
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British character actor David Warner — who was perhaps best known for his role as Billy Zane’s villainous sidekick Spicer Lovejoy in the blockbuster film “Titanic” and also appeared in notable projects like “The Omen” and “Tron” — died at England’s Denville Hall, a care home for people in the entertainment industry, from a “cancer-related illness” on July 24, the BBC reported. He was 80. “Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity,” his family said in a statement. “He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years. We are heartbroken.”
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Singer-actress Shonka Dukureh, who played Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 film “Elvis,” died on July 21. She was 44. According to police, she was found dead in the Nashville apartment she shared with her two young children. Police said no foul play was evident, and on Aug. 30, The Los Angeles Times and other media outlets reported that an autopsy confirmed Shonka died from natural causes of “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” according to Tennessee’s Davidson County Medical Examiner’s office.
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On July 21, the family of Emmy-nominated actor Taurean Blacque, who was best known for his work as detective Neal Washington on “Hill Street Blues” from 1981 to 1987, announced that he’d passed away in Atlanta following a brief illness. He was 82. The theater-trained actor — who also starred alongside Vivica Fox on the NBC soap opera “Generations” and enjoyed guest roles on TV shows like “Sanford and Son,” “What’s Happening,” “Good Times,” “Taxi” and “The Bob Newhart Show” — was also at one time the spokesman for the county of Los Angeles Adoption Service, as he was a father to 11 adopted children as well as two biological sons, ABC News reported.
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Ivana Trump — the Czechoslovakia-born former champion skier, model and businesswoman who came to fame as the first wife of former president Donald Trump — is dead at 73, her family confirmed on July 14 after New York City paramedics responded to a cardiac arrest call at her Upper East Side apartment, ABC News reported. The New York Post further reported, citing police sources, that she was discovered at the bottom of a staircase. On July 15, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that Ivana’s death, which was ruled an “accident,” was a result of blunt impact injuries to her torso, CNBC reported. “Our mother was an incredible woman — a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend,” the Trump family said in a statement. “Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination. She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children and 10 grandchildren.” Ivana’s first ex-husband paid tribute to her on his Truth Social platform, calling her a “wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life.” He added, “Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her.”
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L.Q. Jones, a veteran of Hollywood Westerns and more, died on July 9 of natural causes while surrounded by family at his home in the Hollywood Hills, his grandson confirmed to People magazine. The actor — who appeared in projects including “The Wild Bunch,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Virginian,” “Bonanza,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Hawaii-Five-0” and “The Incredible Hulk” — was 94.
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Gregory Itzin died on July 8 due to complications during an emergency surgery, his manager told People magazine. The actor — who memorably played President Charles Logan on the TV series “24” — was 74. The theater and screen actor also appeared in dozens of projects over the decades, from “Airplane,” Lincoln,” “Friends,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Mork and Mindy” to “Matlock,” “L.A. Law,” ‘Profiler,” “NCIS” and more.
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Tony Sirico — who played Paulie Walnuts on all six seasons of “The Sopranos” — died on July 8 at an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, TMZ reported. Tony, who’d been in failing health for years, was 79. “It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico wishes to inform you of his death on the morning of July 8, 2022,” his brother Robert announced in a Facebook post.
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“The Godfather,” “Misery” and “Elf” star James Caan passed away on July 6, his family announced on social media. “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,” they wrote on Twitter, adding, “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.” During his long career, the movie tough guy — who was 82 — earned nominations for an Oscar, an Emmy and four Golden Globes.
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Character actress Mary Mara drowned in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent, New York, on June 26 after going swimming, New York State Police confirmed. A family spokesperson told Deadline that Mary, who was 61, was staying at her sister’s summer home there. On June 29, rep Craig Dorfman told TMZ that investigators informed Mary’s family that new evidence revealed she may have died after slipping and hitting her head following her swim, causing her to fall into the water and drown, and that foul play is not suspected. The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy report confirmed she died of asphyxiation due to drowning. The prolific actress worked in the theater, on TV and in movies and was perhaps best known for her work as a single mom and prostitute on the NBC series “ER,” a killer on the CBS drama “Criminal Minds,” a police inspector on “Nash Bridges” and the vulnerable daughter of a washed-up comedian in the movie “Mr. Saturday Night.” She also appeared in myriad projects including “Love Potion No. 9,” “NYPD Blue,” “Law & Order,” “Ray Donovan,” “Nip/Tuck” and more.
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Brett Tuggle — a keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac for two decades who also played with Rick Springfield and was a founding member of the David Lee Roth Band — died from complications related to cancer on June 20, son Matt confirmed to Rolling Stone. Brett was 70. Rick took to social media to honor his old bandmate, writing, “Our sweet Brett Tuggle made it home tonight. God bless his beautiful spirit.” Matt told Rolling Stone of his father, who also played with Jimmy Page, David Coverdale, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Styx’s Tommy Shaw and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels during his lengthy career, “He was loved by his family so much. His family was with him throughout the entire time of his illness. He was a lovely father. He gave me music in my life.”
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Character actor Philip Baker Hall, who’s perhaps best known for his work in filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies including “Magnolia,” “Hard Eight” and “Boogie Nights” as well as his turn playing library investigations officer Lt. Joe Bookman on “Seinfeld,” died on June 12. He was 90. The star’s wife confirmed to CBS News that he passed away in Glendale, California, surrounded by loved ones.
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On June 3, Gerber announced on Instagram that Ann Turner Cook — the model for the original Gerber baby — recently died at 95. “Gerber is deeply saddened by the passing of Ann Turner Cook, the original Gerber baby, whose face was sketched to become the iconic Gerber logo more than 90 years ago. Many years before becoming an extraordinary mother, teacher and writer, her smile and expressive curiosity captured hearts everywhere and will continue to live on as a symbol for all babies. We extend our deepest sympathies to Ann’s family and to anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her,” the brand captioned a slideshow of photos of Ann, who was five months old when she posed for Gerber in 1928. According to TheWrap, Ann became the face of the brand after her neighbor at the time, Dorothy Hope Smith, drew a charcoal sketch of her for a contest promoting Gerber’s baby food.
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On June 5, the official Twitter account for Bon Jovi announced that the band’s founding bassist, Alec John Such, died at 70. (No cause of death was given.) “We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such. He was an original. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band. To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him — he was a childhood friend of Tico [Torres] and brought Richie [Sambora] to see us perform. Alec was always wild and full of life. Today these special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. We will miss him dearly,” they wrote. Alec left Bon Jovi in 1994 but reunited with the band in 2018 when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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On May 28, actor Bo Hopkins — who appeared in films including “The Wild Bunch,” “American Graffiti,” “Midnight Express” and “White Lightning” — died at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, California, after suffering a heart attack on May 9, his wife told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 84.
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Depeche Mode co-founder Andy Fletcher, who played synthesizers in the British music group, is dead at 60, his band announced on May 26. They didn’t share more details, but a source close to the musicians told The Associated Press that Andy — who along with his bandmates was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 — passed away the same day at his home in Britain.
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Ray Liotta, who became a household name after his breakout performance in Martin Scorsese’s Mob movie classic “Goodfellas,” died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film “Dangerous Waters,” Deadline reported on May 26. TMZ also confirmed the news, adding that foul play is not suspected, and that Ray’s fiancée, Jacy Nittolo, was with him in the DR at the time. The actor — who delivered memorable performances in “Field of Dreams,” “Blow,” “Cop Land” and more films and won an Emmy for his guest-starring performance on the TV drama “ER” — was 67.
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Brad Johnson, a former rodeo cowboy and Marlboro Man and Calvin Klein model who starred in Steven Spielberg’s romantic drama “Always” and appeared on “Melrose Place,” died from COVID-19 complications on Feb. 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on June 2. Brad — who also starred on TV shows like “Soldier of Fortune, Inc.” and “Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times” as well as the movie “Flight of the Intruder” and the miniseries “Rough Riders” — was 62. “Although he was taken too early, he lived life to the fullest and taught his children to do the same,” his family told THR in a statement. “Brad greatly enjoyed improving and enhancing land, in a way that maintained and respected its natural beauty. He always felt most at home outdoors, and his passion for the land made that evident. As much as he loved cowboying, hunting and land, Brad loved nothing more than his family.”
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Daytime Emmy-nominated actress Marnie Schulenburg — who was best known for her work on soap operas including the “One Life to Live” reboot and “As the World Turns” — died at 37 on May 17 in Bloomfield, New Jersey, after a cancer battle, her rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Marnie was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2020 five months after giving birth to her daughter, Coda, with husband Zack Robidas, an actor who’s appeared on “Succession” and “Sorry for Your Loss.” Marnie will posthumously appear on Showtime’s “City on a Hill.”
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Lil Keed, whose high-pitched yet soft voice often earned him comparisons to his mentor, Young Thug, died in Los Angeles on May 13. He was 24. His record label, 300 Entertainment, confirmed the news to The New York Times but has not yet shared his cause of death. Born Raqhid Jevon Render in Atlanta, Lil Keed was best known for his “Trapped on Cleveland” mixtape series featuring tales from his hardscrabble upbringing in Atlanta’s Cleveland neighborhood. Keed was also signed to YSL Records, Young Thug’s 300 Entertainment imprint. The week before Keed’s death, YSL was implicated as a criminal street gang in a RICO indictment that charged Young Thug and 27 of his associates with gang-related activities and crimes. According to the Times, Lil Keed was not charged, but he did post a reaction to the indictment on social media. “YSL is a family, YSL is a label, YSL is a way of life, YSL is a lifestyle,” he wrote. “YSL is not a gang.”
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Air Force veteran-turned-actor Fred Ward died on May 8 at 79. He appeared in movies including “Tremors,” “The Right Stuff,” “Short Cuts,” “Henry & June” and “The Player” as well as TV shows like “Quincy, M.E.,” “The Incredible Hulk” and “True Detective” during his five-decade career. His cause of death has not been publicly revealed, but his publicist told People magazine that “it was Fred Ward’s wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of donations to the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center.”
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Jack Kehler, the prolific character actor who played the landlord to Jeff Bridges’ the Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” died from complications of leukemia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 7, NBC News reported. He was 75. Jack appeared in everything from episodes of TV shows including “Hill Street Blues,” “Cagney & Lacey” and “St. Elsewhere” to ’90s action movies like “The Last Boy Scout,” “Wyatt Earp” and “Waterworld.” More recently, he had recurring role on “The Man in the High Castle” and played a landlord on the Disney+ series “Love, Victor.”
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Country music singer Mickey Gilley — who owned the Texas honky-tonk Gilley’s, which inspired the 1980 John Travolta movie “Urban Cowboy,” and who was a cousin of rock ‘n’ roll star Jerry Lee Lewis — “passed peacefully with his family and close friends by his side” in Branson, Missouri, on May 7, Mickey Gilley Associates said a statement. Mickey — who released hits including “Window Up Above,” “Room Full of Roses,” “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time” and “She’s Pulling Me Back Again” — was 86. According to the New York Post, though he was still performing as recently as April, Mickey, who also acted, popping up on episodes of “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Dukes of Hazzard,” had been in declining health in the week leading up to his death.
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“St. Elsewhere” and “Serpico” actor David Birney — who starred alongside future ex-wife Meredith Baxter on the lauded but short-lived ’70s sitcom “Bridget Loves Bernie” — died on April 27 in his home in Santa Monica, California, daughter Mollie confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The stage and screen actor — who was 83 — passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, which was diagnosed in 2017.
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Kailia Posey, who appeared on TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras” in 2012, died days after her 16th birthday, her mother announced on May 3. “I don’t have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone,” Marcy Posey Gatterma wrote on Facebook. DailyMail.com reported that the former reality TV star was found in a Washington state park, and later on May 3, her family confirmed her cause of death in a statement to TMZ. “Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous moment, she made the rash decision to end her earthly life,” they wrote, adding that Kailia had “won countless crowns & trophies after competing on the pageant circuit her entire life … Her highly acclaimed talent as a contortionist had already led to professional touring job offers, and she had recently been selected to be a cheerleader at her high school next fall,” and that the aviation buff planned to continue to work in the entertainment industry while pursuing her goal of earning her a commercial pilot’s license. As a 6-year-old, a clip of Kailia flashing a grin was turned into a popular GIF that she and her mom often posted alongside funny phrases. Kailia had been preparing to compete in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant and had just attended her prom when she died by suicide.
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Grammy-winning country music star Naomi Judd is dead at 76, her family announced on April 30. The singer, who was one-half of the duo The Judds, was 76. Her daughters, actress Ashley Judd and singer Wynonna Judd, shared the news in a heartbreaking statement. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” it read. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.” People magazine reported on May 2, citing multiple sources, that the beloved singer died by suicide.
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Kenneth Tsang — a Hong Kong movie actor who’s appeared in Hollywood films too including “Rush Hour 2” and the and James Bond movie “Die Another Day” — was found dead in his Hong Kong hotel room, where he was undergoing the city’s mandatory COVID-19 travel quarantine after returning from a trip to Singapore, on April 27. He was 86. The South China Morning Post reported that Kenneth was discovered unconscious in his room by health care workers conducting checks on travelers and was soon pronounced dead. Reports also note he was vaccinated for COVID and had tested negative the previous day. His cause of death has yet to be determined.
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Musician Andrew Woolfolk — who performed with Earth, Wind & Fire from 1973 to 1984 and again from 1987 to 1993 — died on April 24 from an undisclosed illness. He was 71. “I met him in High School, and we quickly became friends and band mates. Andrew Paul Woolfolk was his name. We lost him today, after being ill of over 6 years. He has Transitioned on to the forever, from this Land of the dying to the Land of the Living,” Earth, Winds & Fire lead singer Philip Bailey wrote on Instagram alongside a photo with the saxophonist. “Great memories. Great Talent. Funny. Competitive. Quick witted. And always styling. Booski… I’ll see you on the other side, my friend.”
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Lauded stage and screen actor Robert Morse — who’s best known for his work as Bertram Cooper on “Mad Men” and as ambitious J. Pierrepont Finch, the star of the original Broadway production and the film “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” — died peacefully at his Los Angeles home on April 20 after a short illness, agent David Shaul confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 90. Robert won two Tony Awards (for “Business” and for “Tru,” in which he played Truman Capote) as well as an Emmy during his long career. In more recent years, he played Dominick Dunne on “American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson” and voiced Santa Claus on the popular animated show “Teen Titans Go!”
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Actor Rio Hackford, the son of director Taylor Hackford and first wife Georgie Lowres — and the stepson of actress Helen Mirren — passed away on April 14 at 51 in Huntington Beach, California, after a brief battle with a rare disease. Rio, who appeared in “The Mandalorian,” “Pam & Tommy,” “Treme,” “American Crime Story” and more “died of uveal melanoma, a very aggressive and rare form of cancer,” Taylor and Helen told People magazine in a statement. “We would beg everyone reading this to get their eyes tested at least once a year, which might save their loved ones from this cancer.” In addition to Rio’s famous parents, more stars publicly mourned him, with Renee Zellweger calling him “a titan of kindness, love, class, courage. And cool. A legend.” Vince Vaughn, who appeared with Rio in films including “Fred Claus” and “Swingers,” called his friend “as loyal and funny as anyone could be. … Rio was the best ever. Truly one of a kind.” Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, who got a tribute tattoo of Rio’s name after his death, said of the actor, “Rio just knew things. Esoteric things. Off-the-map things. Secret things. Wonderful things. He knew these things because of his charm, wit, honesty, character and tough personality. He was a real man in a sea of poseurs.”
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Actress Liz Sheridan, who played Jerry Seinfeld’s mom on “Seinfeld” and the nosy neighbor on “Alf,” passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 15 — five days after her 93rd birthday, TMZ reported. The former dancer, who was also a successful Broadway actress, famously dated James Dean when they were both young performers in New York in the early 1950s. “Liz was always the sweetest, nicest TV mom a son could wish for,” Jerry tweeted, adding, “Every time she came on our show it was the coziest feeling for me. So lucky to have known her.”
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Gilbert Gottfried — the comedian known for his exaggerated voice and who played Iago in Disney’s animated “Aladdin” film and hosted television’s “USA Up All Night” in the ’80s and ’90s — died on April 12. He was 67. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” his family said in a statement. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.” The star’s longtime friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz shared more details with People magazine, including that Gilbert’s cause of death was due to complications from muscular dystrophy. “Beloved and iconic comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at 2:35 p.m. ET on April 12, 2022, from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II,” he said in a statement. Grieving Hollywood stars and friends took to social media to mourn the funnyman.
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1960s teen idol Bobby Rydell died on April 5, media outlets in his hometown of Philadelphia confirmed. The “Wild One” and “Volare” hitmaker — who appeared opposite Ann-Margret in the 1963 movie “Bye Bye Birdie” and inspired Rydell High’s name in the hit film “Grease” — was 79. His cause of death was complications of pneumonia, a spokeswoman told The New York Times.
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Estelle Harris — the actress who played George Costanza’s mother, Estelle, on “Seinfeld” and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in Disney’s “Toy Story” films — died on April 2 in Palm Desert, California, of natural causes, her family confirmed to Deadline. She was 93. “It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm,” son Glen Harris said. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.” Actor Jason Alexander mourned her on social media, writing, “One of my favorite people has passed – my tv mama, Estelle Harris. The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat. I adore you, Estelle. Love to your family. Serenity now and always.”
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Tom Parker, one of the singers in the boy band The Wanted, died on March 30 after a two-year battle with the brain cancer glioblastoma, wife Kelsey — with whom he shares children aged 1 and 2 — confirmed on Instagram. Tom was 33. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm Tom passed away peacefully earlier today with all of his family by his side,” Kelsea wrote. “Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you.”
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Famed fashion and portrait photographer Patrick Demarchelier died on March 31 at 78. Page Six and other outlets reported that the Frenchman passed away on the island of St. Barts. Patrick became an icon thanks to his work with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and was perhaps best known outside of fashion circles as the late Princess Diana’s personal photographer. “I am grateful to have been lucky enough to be in front of your lens. Most gentle, most legendary, soft but full of life. You will be missed Patrick. Rest In Peace,” supermodel Bella Hadid wrote on social media.
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Paul Herman — who played drug dealer-turned-pizza shop and club owner Peter “Beansie” Gaeta on HBO’s “The Sopranos” and appeared in movies including “The Irishman,” “Goodfellas” and “American Hustle” — died on March 29, which was his 76th birthday, TMZ confirmed. Former “Sopranos” co-star Michael Imperioli took to Instagram to share the sad news and mourn his friend, writing, “Paulie was just a great dude. A first class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor. Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America , The Irishman and of course The Sopranos are some highlights.” Michael continued, “Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and our community of actors and filmmakers.”
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Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters, died on March 25 during a South American tour with his band. The New York Post reported that he died at the Casa Medina Bogota hotel, a Four Seasons property, in Bogota, Colombia, where the band was scheduled to perform at a festival later that day. “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever,” his bandmates wrote on Instagram. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member — who previously played drums for Alanis Morissette and also had has own band, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders — was 50. On March 26, Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office released a preliminary “forensic medical study” report indicating that a preliminary toxicology test discovered 10 substances in the rocker’s urine including THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids. The AG’s office continues to investigate to determine Taylor’s cause of death as Hollywood mourns the beloved rocker, a married father of three.
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Madeleine Albright — the first female U.S. secretary of state — died from cancer in Washington, D.C., on March 23, her family confirmed. She was 84. The famed diplomat and champion of democracy — who guided America’s foreign relations in the wake of the Cold War — first served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during President Bill Clinton’s first term before ascending to her cabinet role, a position that made her the top-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government at the time.
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“The Big Chill” and “Body Heat” actor William Hurt — who won an Oscar for his performance in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and earned three more Academy Awards nods for his work in “Children of a Lesser God,” “Broadcast News” and “A History of Violence” — died of natural causes on March 13, Variety reported. He was 71. In more recent years, a new generation of fans got to know him as General Thaddeus Ross in Marvel’s Avengers films.
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On March 12, the family of singer-actress Traci Braxton — who appeared with her famous sisters on the reality TV show “Braxton Family Values” — announced that Traci was dead after a cancer battle. She was 50. “We have come to a time where we must inform the public that after a year of privately undergoing a series of treatment for Esophageal cancer our beloved Traci Braxton has gone on to glory,” her husband, Kevin Surratt, said in a statement. Sister Toni Braxton took to Instagram to mourn, writing on behalf of her family, “She was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer. We will miss her dearly.”
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On Jan. 31, TMZ reported that Moses J. Moseley — who’s best known for playing one of Michonne’s pet zombies on “The Walking Dead” and also appeared on HBO’s “Watchmen” and in the film “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” — was dead at 31. His body was found with a gunshot wound in Stockbridge, Georgia, the previous week after his family used OnStar to track his car after he went missing for several days, a family member told TMZ. Law enforcement sources confirmed to the webloid that the actor’s death was being investigated as a possible suicide, but weeks later, a police spokesman revealed that other leads were being “thoroughly investigated.” Moses’s sister Teera Kimbro told TMZ that people close to the actor believe he was kidnapped and then killed. On March 21, TMZ shared an update, revealing that according to the actor’s newly obtained death certificate, his cause of death — whether it was an accident, a suicide or a homicide — “could not be determined,” though the document stated that Moses “shot self with intent unknown.” His family, the webloid reported, continues to believe he was murdered.
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Clint Arlis — the contestant known for his slogan “villains gotta vill” on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season 11 of “The Bachelorette,” which aired in 2015 — died at 34 on Jan. 11, sister Taylor announced on Facebook. On March 11, TMZ reported that the coroner’s report revealed that Clint died by suicide at his parents’ Illinois home. Fellow contestant Nick Viall took to social media following his death to call Clint “a very kind, unique, and talented person who was taken from this world far too soon,” while Kaitlyn shared, in part, on her Instagram Story, “Even though things didn’t end on the best terms for us, from his time on the show to today, I have heard nothing but incredible things about that person. From his peers, his students, his coaches, his teachers, his friends, his family, Clint was very well respected in his world.”
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Emilio Delgado, who played Fix-It Shop owner Luis on “Sesame Street” for four decades, died on March 10 at his home in New York City surrounded by his family. His wife, Carol, told TMZ that the beloved actor, who was diagnosed with the blood cancer multiple myeloma in December 2020, had recently been in hospice care. Emilio was 81.
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Conrad Janis — the famed jazz trombonist, art gallerist and actor who was best known to TV audiences as Mindy’s father on the ’70s and ’80s sitcom “Mork & Mindy” — died on March 1 in Los Angeles, business manager Dean A. Avedon told The New York Times. Conrad was 94.
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Johnny Brown (right) — who played housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the hit show “Good Times” — died at 84. The actor’s daughter Sharon Catherine Brown told TMZ that he died suddenly after going into cardiac arrest and collapsing on March 2 following a routine doctor’s appointment to get his pacemaker checked. “Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond Heartbroken. Barely able to breathe,” Sharon told TMZ, which reports that Johnny was a protege of Sammy Davis Jr. He also worked on Broadway in “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights,” which was directed by Sidney Poitier, and in Neil Simon’s “The Out of Towners.” Additionally, he appeared on shows like “Laugh In,” “Julia,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” “Archie Bunker’s Place,” “Family Matters,” “Sister, Sister,” “Moonlighting” and “Martin.”
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Tim Considine — who played oldest son Mike on “My Three Sons” — died on March 3 in Los Angeles. The actor — who also notably appeared on Disney’s “Spin and Marty,” in “The Hardy Boys” serials and in movies like “The Shaggy Dog,” “The Clown” and “Patton” — was 81.
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Actress Farrah Forke — who’s best known for her role as helicopter pilot and Desert Storm veteran Alex Lambert on the hit ’90s NBC sitcom “Wings” — died of cancer in her Texas home on Feb. 25, a family friend confirmed to Variety. She was 54. Farrah also appeared on shows including “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Ned and Stacey,” “Party of Five” and more as well as in films like “Disclosure” and “Heat.”
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Character actor Ned Eisenberg, who was perhaps best known for his work on shows including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Mare of Easttown,” died of cancer at his home in New York on Feb. 27. He was 65. “As Ned would say, he was attacked by two very rare assassins — cholangiocarcinoma and ocular melanoma,” his wife, actress Patricia Dunnock, said in a statement, as reported by USA Today. “Over the course of two years, he bravely fought the cancers in private while continuing to work in show business to ensure that his medical coverage paid for himself and his family.” Ned’s four-decade career also includes credits in films including “Million Dollar Baby” and “Flags of Our Fathers” and appearances on TV shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Good Wife,” “NYPD Blue” and “30 Rock,” among others. “SVU” stars Mariska Hargitay took to Instagram to mourn Ned, writing, “My heart is so full of sadness over the loss of our dear, dear Ned Eisenberg. What a light and what a love. And such a first-rate actor, which pales next to him as a first-rate human. We will remember him always with his bright, mischievous smile and his wide-open heart. We love and miss you, sweet Ned.”
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Actress Sally Kellerman — who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in 1970’s “M*A*S*H” movie — died on Feb. 24 in Woodland Hills, California, her publicist, Alan Eichler, confirmed to Variety. Sally also notably appeared in other Robert Altman films as well as in the film adaptation of Neil Simon’s comedy “Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” in Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School” and more. She was 84.
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Entertainer Donny Davis — a star at Beacher’s Madhouse for two decades who’s also performed with celebrities including Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Seth MacFarlane, Joe Jonas and more — died in Las Vegas on Feb. 22 at 43. Two days later, TMZ reported that authorities believe his death could be the result of foul play. A police report obtained by the webloid reveals that Donny and another man spent time with two women at Resorts World’s Dawg House bar hours before he died and that one of the ladies later told cops that a bartender wouldn’t serve Donny because he was too intoxicated. A few hours later, Donny and the man went to the star’s room at the hotel for about an hour, at which point the man left and returned with one of the women who, as TMZ writes, “noticed Donny sitting in a chair and his hands looked pale and pink and began turning purple. The woman said Donny’s hands were ‘freezing’ and he was not breathing.” They moved him to the bed and called hotel security, who called 911; Donny was taken to a hospital and declared dead. Police suspect foul play, TMZ explained, because of the number of people in the room and because, according to the police report, Donny’s male guest wouldn’t talk to cops and wanted to speak to an attorney. Cops further said they had difficulties getting information from the people in his room.
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Mark Lanegan, the frontman of Screaming Trees — one of the pioneering bands in the Seattle grunge scene — is dead at 57. The musician, who’s also a former member of rock band Queens of the Stone Age, “passed away this morning at his home in Killarney, Ireland,” read a Feb. 22 statement on his Twitter account. “A beloved singer, songwriter, author, and musician he was 57 and is survived by his wife Shelley. No other information is available at this time. The family asks everyone to respect their privacy at this time.”
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Political satirist, author and journalist P.J. O’Rourke died on Feb. 15 from complications of lung cancer, his publisher, Grove Atlantic Inc. Books, confirmed. The former editor-in-chief of the National Lampoon and regular panelist on NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” show — who was known for his conservative and libertarian commentary — was 74.
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Oscar- and Emmy-nominated director-producer Ivan Reitman died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Montecito, California, on Feb. 12, his family confirmed to The Associated Press. The man behind movies like “Animal House,” “Ghostbusters,” “Stripes,” “Meatballs,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “Beethoven,” “Old School” and many more — was 75. “Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” his children — filmmaker son Jason Reitman and daughters Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman — said in a statement. “We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world. While we mourn privately, we hope those who knew him through his films will remember him always.”
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Comedian Bob Saget was found dead in his room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 9. The beloved “Full House” and “Fuller House” star — who in addition to playing dad Danny Tanner on the hit sitcoms also notably hosted “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and voiced future Ted Mosby on “How I Met Your Mother” — was 65. According to a social media post from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, “Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.” On Feb. 9, his family announced his cause of death after autopsy results came in. “The authorities have determined that Bob passed from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved,” the Saget family said in a statement. One day later, the chief medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties weighed in, stating that the beloved star’s death “was the result of blunt head trauma,” adding that “his injuries were most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall” and that “a toxicology analysis did not reveal any illicit drugs or toxins. The manner of death is accident.” Bob was performing Florida dates on his stand-up tour at the time of his passing. His “Full House” castmates and more stars took to social media to mourn their friend, with a grieving John Stamos writing, “I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete shock. I will never ever have another friend like him. I love you so much Bobby.”
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Donald May — the handsome actor best known for playing righteous attorney Adam Drake on the daytime soap opera “The Edge of Night” in the ’60s and ’70s — died on Jan. 28 at his home in Kent, New York. Donald, who also notably appeared on shows including “The Roaring 20s” and “Falcon Crest,” was 92. His wife, actress Carla Borelli, told The Hollywood Reporter he’d recently been diagnosed with cancer of the larynx after suffering a major stroke five years earlier.
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Howard Hesseman — who’s best known for his roles as radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on “WKRP in Cincinnati” and history teacher Charlie Moore on “Head of the Class” — died on Jan. 29 from complications related to colon surgery, his manager confirmed to CNN. The Emmy-nominated actor was 81.
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Cheslie Kryst, an attorney, died by suicide in New York City on Jan. 30. She was 30. “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined,” the former Miss North Carolina’s family said in a statement. “Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on ‘Extra,'” her loved ones added. “But most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”
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Jordan Cashmyer, who was featured on MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” in 2014 alongside then-boyfriend Derek Taylor — with whom she welcomed a daughter, Genevieve Shae — died in Maryland on Jan. 15. (MTV viewers will remember Jordan’s struggles with homelessness and her parents’ disapproval of Derek, which were chronicled on the show.) “Our hearts are truly broken. No parent should ever have to go through losing a child, ever. Please keep my family in your thoughts [and] prayers as we navigate through this terrible tragedy,” stepmother Jessica Cashmyer wrote on Facebook. Jordan — who gave birth to a second daughter, Lyla, in 2021, was 26. Later in the month, her family set up a GoFundMe to pay for a memorial and to raise money for 6-month-old Lyla’s future care — and revealed how they lost Jordan. “Addiction plagues many families, and our family was not immune to it,” the Cashmyers shared on the fundraising site, revealing that four months earlier, baby Lyla also “lost her father to addiction.” The heartbroken family added, “We are now faced with the grim outcome that our granddaughter that we have been raising will never get to make memories with her mother or father, never getting to know them. … We pray Jordan is finally at peace.” On Feb. 22, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner for the Maryland Department of Health confirmed to E! News that Jordan died of fentanyl and cocaine intoxication.
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Morgan Stevens — who was best known for his roles as teacher David Reardon on two seasons of “Fame” and as Nick Diamond on “Melrose Place” — was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Jan. 26. TMZ reported that a neighbor called police to do a wellness check after Morgan hadn’t been heard from in a few days; authorities confirmed the 70-year-old actor was found deceased in his kitchen. TMZ added that it’s believed he died of natural causes.
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Peter Robbins, the actor who voiced Peanuts character Charlie Brown — he started in 1963 — died by suicide in January, TMZ reported. The voice actor’s agent, Dylan Novak, told the webloid that Peter, who had bipolar disorder and struggled with addiction issues in the past, had sought in-patient treatment at a California mental health hospital but discharged himself on Jan 18. TMZ reported he was found dead sometime after that. Peter was 65.
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Actress Kathryn Kates, who appeared on shows including “Orange Is the New Black,” “Seinfeld” and “The Good Fight,” is dead at 73. “After a long, hard-fought battle with lung cancer, Kathryn passed away peacefully [on Jan. 22] surrounded by her brother Josh, his wife Sue Ann and her sister Mallory,” Headline Talent Agency told CNN in a statement. “Kathryn was our client for many years, and about one year ago, after finding out that the lung cancer she was treated for 20 years ago had returned, we grew even closer. She was incredibly brave, thoughtful, wise and loving. Kathryn approached every role she ever played, as well as her daily life with the greatest of passion. We will do our best to honor her incredible legacy. The world truly lost one of the good ones.”
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Vachik Mangassarian died from complications of COVID-19 on Jan. 22, his manager, Valerie McCaffrey, confirmed to USA Today days later. The actor was 78. Though Vachik posted memes on Facebook that appeared to oppose vaccines and downplay the coronavirus pandemic, the newspaper reported, Vachik’s manager said the actor — who appeared on shows including “NCIS,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and in movies like “The Stoning of Soraya M.” and “The Book of Daniel” — was vaccinated.
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Thierry Mugler — the iconic French fashion designer who’s dressed celebrities from Kim Kardashian and Cardi B to Demi Moore, Madonna and Beyonce — died on Jan. 23, his design house announced on Instagram. He was 73. No other details concerning the respected style star’s death were publicly shared.
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Don Wilson — the rhythm guitarist and last surviving founder of surf-rock pioneers The Ventures — died on Jan. 22 in Tacoma, Washington, of natural causes. He was 88. The influential band — who were inducted into the Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 — gave the world hits like “Walk, Don’t Run” and the “Hawaii Five-O” theme song.
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Meat Loaf passed away on Jan. 20, 2022, at 74, his manager confirmed. TMZ reported that the Grammy winner behind hits like “Bat Out of Hell,” “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” died from complications of COVID-19; his rep has not publicly shared his cause of death. It’s unknown if Meat Loaf (real name: Marvin Lee Aday) — who also appeared in films like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Fight Club” — was vaccinated, though he’d been publicly critical of masks and what he called being “controlled,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2021.
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Just three days after his diagnosis was shared publicly, beloved Emmy-winning comedian Louie Anderson died in a Las Vegas hospital on Jan. 21 from complications of cancer, longtime publicist Glenn Schwartz confirmed to The Associated Press. The former “Family Feud” host — who’d been fighting diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive cancer that’s a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma — was 68. Upon hearing the sad news, Hollywood friends and fans took to social media to mourn.
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French actor Gaspard Ulliel — who stars as Midnight Man in Marvel’s buzzy upcoming “Moon Knight” series — died on Jan. 19 following a ski accident in the French Alps, news agency AFP reported. The father of two was 37. Gaspard was a two-time César Award winner (France’s version of the Oscars) with his performances in “It’s Only the End of the World” and “A Very Long Engagement.” Variety reported that, according to AFP, Gaspard — who also modeled and was the face of the fragrance Bleu de Chanel — was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble, France, after suffering serious brain trauma when he collided with another skier at the intersection of two slopes on Jan. 18.
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Larger-than-life fashion editor André Leon Talley — Vogue’s famed former creative director — died on Jan. 18 at a hospital in White Plains, New York, following a series of health struggles, TMZ reported. He was 73.
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Famed country music radio and TV broadcaster Ralph Emery died at Tristar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville on Jan. 15 of natural causes after a week-long stay, son Michael told The Associated Press. He was 88. “Ralph Emery’s impact in expanding country music’s audience is incalculable,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “On radio and on television, he allowed fans to get to know the people behind the songs. Ralph was more a grand conversationalist than a calculated interviewer, and it was his conversations that revealed the humor and humanity of Tom T. Hall, Barbara Mandrell, Tex Ritter, Marty Robbins and many more. Above all, he believed in music and in the people who make it.”
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On Jan. 15, Nino Cerruti — the famed fashion stylist who founded the haute couture design house Cerruti in Paris in 1967 — died at a hospital in Vercelli, Italy, where he’d been hospitalized for a hip operation, the Italian family business Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti said in a statement. He was 91.
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The Ronettes leader Ronnie Spector — who sang hits like “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” with her girl group in the ’60s — died on Jan. 12 from cancer, her family confirmed to The Associated Press. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was 78. “Our beloved earth angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today after a brief battle with cancer. She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan,” her family said in a statement. (Ronnie wed manager Jonathan Greenfield in 1982 years after leaving an abusive relationship with famed Wall of Sound producer Phil Spector, who died in 2021 while serving a prison sentence for murder.) “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude,” the statement continued. “Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her. In lieu of flowers, Ronnie requested that donations be made to your local women’s shelter or to the American Indian College Fund.”
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Dwayne Hickman — who’s best known for his starring role on the sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” which ran from 1959 to 1963 — died on Jan. 9 from complications related to Parkinson’s disease, Variety confirmed. He was 87. After “Dobie,” he continued to act but in the 1970s, Dwayne transitioned to working behind the scenes in Hollywood, becoming a network exec at CBS Television where he supervised productions for shows like “Maude,” “M*A*S*H” and “Designing Women.”
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Lauded lyricist Marilyn Bergman — who won a trove of awards including Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and more — died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home on Jan. 8. Her husband and writing partner, Alan Bergman, was by her side when she passed away at 93, The New York Times reported. The pair, married since 1958, penned the lyrics for notable songs including “The Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “The Way We Were” from the Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford movie of the same name and “Moonlight” from “Sabrina,” plus the score for “Yentl” and more.
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On Jan. 7, “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer Sinéad O’Connor’s shared on social media that son Shane, the third of her four children, was dead at 17 following earlier posts revealing he was missing. “My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God,” tweeted the music star, who had Shane with ex Donal Lunny, an Irish folk musician. “May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.” In another post, she tweeted a Bob Marley song that she dedicated to her son — seen here as a teen — writing, “This is for my Shaney. The light of my life. The lamp of my soul. My blue-eye baby. You will always be my light. We will always be together. No boundary can separate us.” She also revealed Shane had been in the care of a state hospital at the time of his disappearance and accused the facility of allowing her son to get “out of their grasp.” She later added, “May God forgive the Irish State for I never will.”
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Sidney Poitier — the first Black performer to win an Oscar for best actor, for his performance in 1963’s “Lilies in the Field” — passed away at his Los Angeles home on Jan. 6. He was 94. The star of films including “To Sir With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” was a pioneering force in Hollywood who paved the way for other actors of color like Denzel Washington, who said of the icon, “It was a privilege to call Sidney Poitier my friend. He was a gentle man and opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years. God bless him and his family.” In addition to his Oscar, the Bahamian-American star received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
RELATED: Hollywood reacts to the death of Sidney Poitier
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Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich died at 82 on Jan. 6 at his home in Los Angeles. The director of celebrated ’70s films “The Last Picture Show,” “What’s Up, Doc?”and “Paper Moon” also notably appeared on TV’s “The Sopranos” as the psychiatrist who treats Tony Soprano’s psychiatrist, who was played by Lorraine Bracco. He made headlines for his romances with beauties like actress Cybill Shepherd and Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten — who was murdered by her estranged husband after moving on with Peter — and he later married and divorced Dorothy’s little sister, Louise Stratten.
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South Korean actress Kim Mi-soo, who had a supporting role on the Disney+ series “Snowdrop,” died at 29 at the start of the year. “Kim suddenly left us on Jan. 5,” her agency, Landscape, said in a statement, as reported by Variety and translated by Joongang Daily. “The bereaved are deep in their sorrow at the sudden sadness. Please refrain from reporting false rumors or speculation so that the family can mourn in peace.” A cause of death was not announced.
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Broadway and daytime drama actress Joan Copeland, famed playwright Arthur Miller’s sister, died at her New York City home on Jan. 4, Variety confirmed. She was 99. She appeared not only in Broadway shows including “Sundown Beach,” “Detective Story,” “Coco,” and “45 Seconds From Broadway” but had a following for her work on soap operas like “Search for Tomorrow,” “Love of Life,” “The Edge of the Night” and “How to Survive a Marriage.”
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Actor Max Julien, who was best known for his starring role in the classic 1973 Blaxploitation film “The Mack” with Richard Pryor, died on Jan. 1 at 88. He also notably appeared in 1968’s “Uptight” and co-wrote and co-produced the 1973 Blaxploitation flick “Cleopatra Jones” before appearances on shows like “The Mod Squad,” NPR reported.
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