Death is a fact of life for everyone. It’s understandable that many of us have no idea when our loved ones will leave us, but sometimes it’s too soon. Although we may not be friends with the deceased celebrities who entertained us for years or decades, we are still connected to them. Whether they were on the red carpet, behind the glass in the recording studio, or on television and movie screens, these deceased celebrities are greatly missed. Some of these celebrities have been around since our parents were kids, while others have only emerged in the last few years, but they have all made significant contributions to our culture and influence. Remember all of the celebrities who have passed away for the selfless contributions they made to their fields. Their work continues to inspire us on a daily basis.
Kobe Bryant
As a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers during his two-decade career, Kobe Bryant was dubbed the “Black Mamba” by his teammates and fans alike. As a result of his expertise, leadership, and competitiveness in the arena, he has won five NBA championships and 18 All-Star awards. After his career ended, he was honored with the 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his short film Dear Basketball. He and his daughter Gianna were on their way to a basketball tournament when their private helicopter crashed.
Kobe Bryant
Juice WRLD
Juice Wrld, the stage name of the late Chicago rapper and singer Jarad Anthony Higgins, was well-known around the world. His song “Lucid Dreams” has been streamed more than a billion times on Spotify. Juice Wrld was able to secure contracts with Lil Bibby’s Grade A Productions, Interscope Productions, and All Girls Are the Same thanks to Lucid Dreams. During a flight from Van Nuys, California, to Chicago, Illinois, Higgins died after ingesting a number of unknown pills.
Juice WRLD
Cameron Boyce
Older viewers may recognize Boyce from his roles in Eagle Eye with Shia Lebouf and as Adam Sandler’s son in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. Jessie, Gamer’s Pretty Much Everything Guide and Jake and the Never Land Pirates were just a few of his many roles on the Disney Channel. Boyce, who was only 20, died as a result of complications related to his epilepsy.
Cameron Boyce
Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson was the family’s original professional wrestler, even if his son Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has since surpassed him in terms of fame. Rocky, a native of Canada, began his professional wrestling career in 1964 after capturing numerous NWA championships. Wrestling’s first black champions, they took home the World Tag Team Championships in 1983 alongside teammate Tony Atlas. Johnson passed away from a pulmonary embolism in early January 2020 after ignoring a prospective doctor’s visit because he thought he had the flu. Johnson had believed that he had the flu at the time.
Rocky Johnson
Rip Torn
Rip Torn, with a career spanning over 60 years, was a noted actor and voice actor. As Patches O’houlihan, Zed in the Men in Black Franchise, and as Arties on The Larry Sanders Show, he’s immortalized in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Torn passed away at the age of 88 from Alzheimer’s and its complications.
Rip Torn
Neil Peart
The main lyricist and drummer of the band Rush was Neil Peart, known for being the youngest person to be inducted into the 1983 Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame. Also, during his travels, a noted author, Canadian songwriter, and musician created many memoirs while integrating fantasy, philosophy, and humanitarian themes into his lyrics. After a three-plus-year illness, Neil passed away from his glioblastoma fight at age 67.
Neil Peart
Chuy Bravo
Chuy Bravo, the famous Mexican-American actor, born as Jesus Melgoza, was Chelsea Handler’s sidekick on her talk show, Chelsea Lately. Bravo, who had immigrated to the California San Fernando Valley with his family at the age of 15, started acting during the early 90s. He was even featured in Pirates of the Caribbean 2007: At the World’s End. As one of his enduring decisions to help his Latin community talents find work in different entertainment projects, Chuy founded the Bravo Academy in Los Angeles.
Chuy Bravo
Stephanie Sherk
Stephanie Sherk, who was born in Ontario, Canada, relocated to the US to further her modeling career, producer, as well as actress. The CSI: Cyber actress and her role in #Hashtag: The Series may be recognized by you. Valentine’s Day, Crash Landing, and Big Date are included in the writing credits.
Stephanie Sherk
Beth Chapman
Beth Chapman, Dog the Bounty Hunter’s famous wife, co-starred with Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman’s husband on the reality television series Dog the Bounty Hunter, Dog, and Beth: On the Hunt Dog’s Most Wanted. Two years after the filming of Dog’s show began, however, the two got married in 2006. In 2019, in late June, she was placed in a medical coma, passing away from cancer complications days later.
Beth Chapman
Ashley Massaro
Former WWE wrestler, radio, TV host, glamorous model, Survivor: China contestant, Massaro. As a wrestler, Massaro was best known for her career and joined WWE in 2005. She was first seen moving to SmackDown on the Raw brand! The WWE Tag Team champions are Paul London and Brian Kendrick. She left and appeared in TV and music videos in July 2008 and even worked as a DJ for 94.3 The Shark.
Ashley Massaro
Danny Aiello
Danny Aiello was a great Italian-descended American actor. His credits include Once Upon a time in American, The Purpose Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Harlem Nights, and of course, The Godfather Part II. Aiello was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor to portray Salvator “Sal” Frangione in Do the Right Thing.
Danny Aiello
John Witherspoon
John Weatherspoon (AKA Witherspoon) appeared in Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats, Vampire in Brooklyn, TV shows such as The Boondocks, and The Tracy Morgan Show Wayans Bros. began his Hollywood career in 1965. The Detroit-born actors have also appeared in Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U,” LL Cool J’s “Ain’t Nobody,” and Goodie Mob’s “They Don’t Dance No Mo” music videos.
John Witherspoon
Regis Philbin
This official statement was released after Regis ‘passing – “His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about,” the statement read. “We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career…”
Regis Philbin
Grant Imahara
On July 13th, 2020, MythBusters’ star Grant Imahara passed away from a brain aneurysm at 49. In season 3, the engineer joined the Discovery Channel series, quickly becoming a fan-favorite team member.
Grant Imahara
Naya Rivera
The victim of a tragic accident while spending the day on Lake Piru with her four-year-old son was Naya Rivera, best known for her time on ‘Glee.’ After they had gone swimming together, the young boy was found alone on the rental pontoon. She never made it back to the boat.
Naya Rivera
Kelly Preston
Actress Kelly Preston fought cancer for two years before succumbing to it on July 12, 2020, at 57. John Travolta’s late wife was best known for her roles in ‘Jerry Maguire,” For Love of the Game’ and What A Girl Wants.’
Kelly Preston
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner had over six decades of a long and illustrious career as a comedy writer, director, and actor. On June 29th, 2020, at the age of 98, Reiner died of natural causes. His work on television, film, and the stage led to nine American Humor Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and the Mark Twain Prize.
Carl Reiner
Mary Pat Gleason
On June 2nd, 2020, at 70, Mary Pat Gleason died. You may not be familiar with her name, but you know her face and her iconic personality. Her acting credits list continues, but French teacher Madame Oeuf on Saved by the Bell, dressing room attendant Lucille on Sex and City, elementary school teacher Mrs. Butters on Desperate Housewives, and homeless woman Sally on Will & Grace were the outstanding TV roles. Her best-known film appearances were in A Cinderella Story, Intolerable Cruelty, The Crucible, and I Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
Mary Pat Gleason
Fred Willard
Fred Willard was a comedy legend and was featured in your long list of favorite TV shows and films. He died of natural causes on 15 May 2020 and left behind a legacy that greatly affected both the comedy and Hollywood genre.
Fred Willard
Jerry Stiller
On May 11th, 2020, Jerry Stiller, the actor, and director Ben Stiller’s father, died of natural causes. He tweeted, “He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you, Dad.” Jerry Stiller was known for his role in the show “Seinfeld” as Frank Costanza and about a decade later in the sitcom, “The King of Queens,” as Arthur Spooner.
Jerry Stiller
Little Richard
On May 9, 2020, at the age of 87, Little Richard, the wild man of early rock n’ roll, died following his bone cancer battle. He was responsible for “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally” hits like that.
Little Richard
Sam Lloyd
Comedy actor Sam Lloyd lost his battle with lung cancer on April 30th, 2020. If you were a fan of ‘Scrubs’ and ‘Seinfeld,’ then you surely know his face, and without his presence, what the shows would have been. Actor Zach Braff tweeted, “Rest In peace to one of the funniest actors I’ve ever had the joy of working with.” “Sam Lloyd made me crack up and break character every single time we did a scene together. He could not have been a kinder man. I will forever cherish the time I had with you, Sammy.”
Sam Lloyd
Howard Finkel
The legendary Hall of Fame ring announcer for the World Wrestling Federation, now known as WWE, was Howard Finkel. In 2018, Finkel allegedly suffered a major stroke and had been in poor health ever since. Iconic is his deep, booming voice, introducing to the ring the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Ric Flair. On April 16th, 2020, he passed away.
Howard Finkel
Shirley Douglas
Shirley Douglas, Keifer Sutherland’s actress and mother, died from pneumonia complications on April 5, 2020. The actress appeared as Mrs. Starch in director Stanley Kubrick’s “Lolita” (1962) and David Cronenberg’s “Dead Ringers” (1988) and as a widowed mother during the Depression in the television drama “Wind at My Back” (1996). For her performance in the 1999 TV film “Shadow Lake,” she won a Gemini Award.
Shirley Douglas
Bill Withers
Regardless of the generation in that you were born, it would be a sin not to know Bill Withers’ songs. For such hits as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me and “Use Me,” he was the singer/songwriter. He died from a long battle with cardiovascular disease on March 20th, 2020.
Bill Withers
Kenny Rogers
Rogers was one of the true crossover artists in music, and scoring hits with songs like “Islands in the Stream” and “Lucille” in both country and pop. “The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25 p.m. at the age of 81,” his rep said. “Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family. The family is planning a small private service out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency. They look forward to celebrating Kenny’s life publicly with his friends and fans at a later date.”
Kenny Rogers
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow passed away in Provence, France, on March 8th, 2020. In The Exorcist’ and ‘Game of Thrones,’ he is most famous for his roles. He was renowned as one of the most successful Swedish actors ever for the gravitas he brought to his roles.
Max Von Sydow
James Lipton
At the old age of 93, James Lipton died following his battle with bladder cancer. He was the ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ creator and hod, where he interviewed some of Hollywood’s top stars about their acting methods and inspirations that made their careers so successful.
James Lipton
Esther Scott
At the age of 66 in L.A., Esther Scott suffered a heart attack. In The Birth of a Nation’ and ‘Boyz n the Hood,’ she was best known for her roles. In over seventy movies and countless TV shows, she made a career of being the nurturing yet strict motherly figure.
Esther Scott
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas, the legendary actor, passed away when he was 103. Michael wrote on Instagram, “It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103.” He continued, “To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in setting a standard for all of us to aspire to.”
Kirk Douglas
John Singleton
Known for directing Boyz n the Hood in 1991, the director was the first African American and youngest person ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director at 24. Singleton also directed 2 Fast 2 Furious, Shaft, Higher Learning, Poetic Justice, and Rosewood, the 1997 drama. Singleton passed away in April 2019, after being taken off life support, days before the stroke.
John Singleton
Sue Lyon
Sue Lyon became a model in the entertainment industry at the very young age of 13. However, she would win a Golden Globe in the 1962 film for her role as the title character, Lolita. Lyon’s other credits include The Night of the Iguana, Evel Knievel, Tony Rome, and 7 Women.
Sue Lyon
Silvio Horta
For adapting the Colombian soap opera, Yo soy Betty, la fea, to ABC’s Ugly Betty, Silvio Horta, an American screenwriter, and producer, will be remembered. He accepted the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series-Ugly Betty-mentioning, “Like most of us up here, Betty is an immigrant, and The American Dream is alive and well and in reach of anybody who wants it.” The first ten Cuban-Americans began their own production company, Silent H Productions, often mispronounced as a humorous mention of their last name.
Silvio Horta
Elizabeth Wurtzel
Elizabeth Wurtzel, best known as the American writer/journalist for publishing Prozac Nation, often focused her work on her personal struggles involving addiction, depression, and personal/work life. She became a Generation X voice because of her confessional-style memoirs, driving an uptick in this very personal writing style. At the age of 52, Wurtzel died in 2020 of complications related to metastasized breast cancer.
Elizabeth Wurtzel
Buck Henry
Known for co-writing The Graduate, What’s Up, Doc?, Henry, an American actor, director, and screenwriter, Mel Brooks co-created Get Smart. Between 1976 and 1980, he went on to host SNL 10 times and guest star in Will & Grace, 30 Rock, and Hot in Cleveland. After a heart attack at 89 in Los Angeles, Henry passed away in 2020.
Buck Henry
Alexis Eddy
Alexis Eddy was a contestant for MTV reality on Are You the One? Her past drug abuse history has become a large portion of her screen persona. She described herself as “just a washed-up MTV reality star wondering why people still care what she’s up to….,” She died at her home in early 2020 from cardiac arrest.
Alexis Eddy
Ed Byrnes
The American actor best recognized as the lead in 77 Sunset Strip was Edward Byrne Breitenberger, even better known as Eddy Byrnes. In 1978’s Grease, he was also a notable cast member as the teen-dance host, Vince Fontaine. His son, Logan, an anchor for KUSI-TV News, San Diego, California, continues the Byrnes-family television history.
Ed Byrnes
Emily Hartridge
Emily was a well-known YouTuber and TV presenter from Britain. Her vlogs started in 2012 and were published in the series Ten Reasons Why… Modern life, love, sex, relationships, and mental health were often discussed in her videos. She was struck by a truck in South West London while riding an e-scooter in July 2019. She is supposedly the first person to succumb in the country to injuries involving an e-scooter.
Emily Hartridge
Kevin Fret
The first openly gay Latin trap artist, Kevin Fret, was also a popular Puerto Rican rapper and vocalist. In Springfield, Massachusetts, Fret graduated from Roger L Putnam Vocational-Technical High School. In a country where gay people are still mocked, bullied, and killed, Fret was known for “breaking gender norms […] and stigma about being gay, gender nonconforming, and expressing gender identity freely – in a country where gay people still get mocked, bullied and killed,” mentioned queer activist and filmmaker, Samy Nemir Olivares. Fret was gunned down while riding his motorcycle in January 2019.
Kevin Fret
Scott Patric
At the age of 53, Patric, a makeup artist on the Project Runway All-Stars, died due to a heart attack in his sleep. The artist has worked with many celebrities in demand, such as Taylor Swift, Kate Moss, and Madonna. His friends noted that he would be greatly missed because of his warmth, creativity, and hearty mustache.
Scott Patric
Stan Kirsch
Stan Kirsch began his entertainment career at just four years of age by appearing in several Campbell’s soup commercials. He appeared in the fast-living soap opera Riders at the Sky and General Hospital in 1992. In Highlander: The Series, the actor is recognized for his role as Richie Ryan, but he also played Friends, Family Law, and JAG.
Stan Kirsch
Norma Michaels
Norma Michaels is best known for portraying Josephine in The King of Queens, with a Hollywood career spanning 6 decades. Michaels got her to start the Jack Benny Show, but she would end up earning credits for her work in Modern Family, Highway to Heaven, Everybody Loves Raymond, and in the Wedding Crashers and Easy A movies.
Norma Michaels
Chadwick Boseman
As his wife revealed that he had been fighting colon cancer for the past four years, Chadwick Boseman’s loss was a complete surprise to the fans and costars. All the while, Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and of course, King T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther” were incredibly determined to work through the treatment, giving the world performances.
Chadwick Boseman
Diana Rigg
Actress Dame Diana Rigg was most recently renowned as Olenna Tyrell for her role in ‘Game of Thrones.’ Her daughter said that after being diagnosed in March of 2020, she died of cancer at 84. She added, “She spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter, and a great pride in her profession.”
Diana Rigg
Alex Trebek
Legendary Jeopardy-host! A year before Alex Trebek announced pancreatic cancer. Luckily, that gave his fans time to appreciate what they had in the host and prepare for what would be an unimaginable loss for all. During the pandemic, Trebek said he spent the last year of his life doing small house projects, as he was too immune to leave. At age 80, he was surrounded by his family and a small gathering of friends as he passed. Trebek wrote about his memoir hopes for his legacy. “I’d like to be remembered first of all as a good and loving husband and father, and also as a decent man who did his best to help people perform at their best,” he wrote. “I’ll be perfectly content if that’s how my story ends: sitting on the swing with the woman I love … my wonderful children nearby.”
Alex Trebek
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile, was best known by his stage name MF Doom or Doom. He was a British-American rapper and record producer. During the 2000s, Dumile became a huge figure of underground hip hop, celebrated for his elaborate wordplay, signature metal mask, and stage persona ‘supervillain.’ He was characterized by many after his death as one of the scene’s “most celebrated, whimsical and mysterious figures.” The British rapper died at the age of 49, on October 31, 2020.
MF Doom
Dawn Wells
Wells was crowned Miss Nevada in 1959 and represented her state in the 1960 pageant of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Wells debuted on ABC’s The Roaring 20s and The New Interns in Hollywood and also appeared in episodes like The Joey Bishop Show, the 77 Sunset Strip, Cheyenne, Maverick, and Bonanza. During 1964, on Gilligan Island, she starred as Mary Ann and played her signature role. At the age of 82 Wells died in Los Angeles on December 30, 2020. According to many sources her death was due to causes related to COVID-19 during the California pandemic.
Dawn Wells
Joe Clark
Clark received national fame when he was the principal of Paterson, New Jersey, Eastside High School. This was all because of the measure he took to improve school standards. The high school principal, was also the inspiration for Morgan Freeman’s 1989 film Lean On Me. Joe Clark passes away on December 29 at 82 after fighting an unspecified illness. According to a statement that was released by his family, Clark died in Gainesville, Florida, and was surrounded by loved ones at the time.
Joe Clark
Phil Niekro
Phil Niekro is the renowned MLB player, whose signature knuckleball got him inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Sadly, on 26 December 2020, after a long battle with cancer, Niekro passed away in his sleep at 81 years old. In a statement, the Atlanta Braves paid tribute to him by saying “a constant presence over the years, in our clubhouse, our alumni activities, and throughout Braves Country.”
Phil Niekro