Wilford Brimley, ‘Cocoon’ Star, Dies at 85

David Stern

The former longtime commissioner of the NBA died Jan. 1 following a brain hemorrhage, according to a statement from current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He was 77.

Andrew Burkle  

Andrew Burkle, an aspiring film producer and the son of billionaire Ron Burkle, died Jan. 6 in his Beverly Hills home, according to People Magazine. He was 27.

Silvio Horta 

Silvio Horta, creator of ABC comedy series “Ugly Betty,” was found dead in a Miami motel room Jan. 7. He was 45.

Neil Peart 

The drummer and lyricist for the ’70s and ’80s Canadian progressive rock band Rush  died on Jan. 7, according to the band’s Twitter account. He was 67.

Harry Hains 

Harry Hains, an actor and producer who had appeared on “American Horror Story: Hotel,” “The OA,” “Sneaky Pete” and “The Surface,” died on Jan. 7. He was 27.

Buck Henry 

The actor-screenwriter-director who co-created “Get Smart,” co-wrote “The Graduate” and co-directed the hit 1978 Warren Beatty film “Heaven Can Wait” died on Jan. 8 in Los Angeles. He was 89.

Edd Byrnes

The actor, who played Vince Fontaine in “Grease” and also starred on the series “77 Sunset Strip” as the teen idol “Kookie,” died on Jan. 8. He was 87.

Ivan Passer 

Ivan Passer, a pioneering filmmaker in the Czech New Wave, a frequent collaborator with the late Milos Forman and the director of the 1981 film “Cutter’s Way,” died on Jan. 9. He was 86.

Stan Kirch 

Stan Kirsch, one of the stars of the syndicated ’90s fantasy drama “Highlander: The Series,” died on Jan. 11. He was 51.

Rocky Johnson 

Rocky Johnson, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame and the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died on Jan. 15 at the age of 75.

Terry Jones 

Terry Jones, a beloved member of the Monty Python comedy troupe who directed many of its classic films, died Jan. 21. He was 77.

Tyler Gwozdz 

Former “Bachelorette” contestant Tyler Gwozdz, who appeared on the 2019 season of the reality series, died Jan. 22 of a suspected drug overdose at age 29.

Kobe Bryant 

Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant was killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on that killed four others. He was 41

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Kirk Douglas 

Kirk Douglas, the prolific actor and producer whose “Spartacus” is credited with helping to end the Hollywood blacklist, patriarch of a successful entertainment dynasty and one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s golden age, died Feb. 5 at age 103.

F.X. Feeney 

F.X. Feeney, a longtime film critic for LA Weekly, a film historian and a screenwriter, died on Feb. 5 after suffering several strokes over the previous few days. He was 66.

Kevin Conway 

Kevin Conway, known for his roles in films like “Gettysburg” and ‘Thirteen Days,” died on Feb. 5 of a heart attack. He was 77.

Orson Bean 

Veteran character actor Orson Bean, a regular on shows like “To Tell the Truth” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and star of “Being John Malkovich,” died the night of Feb. 7 at age 91 after he was struck and killed by a car in Los Angeles.

Robert Conrad 

Robert Conrad, who was the star of the 1960s TV series “Wild Wild West,” died from heart failure on Feb. 8 at the age of 84.

Raphael Coleman 

Raphael Coleman, who starred as Eric in the 2005 Emma Thompson movie “Nanny McPhee” and went on to devote himself to environmental activism, died suddenly on Feb. 7 at the age of 25.

Paula Kelly 

Paula Kelly, an Emmy-nominated actress known for TV series like “Night Court” and films like “Sweet Charity” and “The Andromeda Strain,” died on Feb. 8 in Whittier, California. She was 77.

Joseph Vilsmaier 

Joseph Vilsmaier, a German director and cinematographer behind the acclaimed 1993 World War II drama “Stalingrad” died “peacefully” at his home in Bavaria. He was 81.

Caroline Flack 

Caroline Flack, former host of “Love Island,” died at the age of 40 on Feb. 15. A lawyer for the family told BBC that Flack died by suicide. 

Daniel Lee Martin 

Daniel Lee Martin, country singer and host of “Brotherhood Outdoors,” was found dead in his Pasco County, Florida, home on Feb. 14 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 54.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa 

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress seen in the 2016 Disney film “Queen of Katwe,” died on Feb. 15, according to the Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor. Waligwa, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, was 15.

Jason Davis 

Jason Davis, best known as the voice of Mikey Blumberg on Disney Channel’s “Recess,” died on Feb. 16. He was 35.

Ja’net Dubois

Ja’net Dubois, starred on the CBS sitcom “Good Times” and wrote and performed the theme song to “The Jeffersons,” passed away on Feb. 18. She was 74.

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson, a pioneering mathematician and NASA employee who was pivotal in helping in America’s space race and was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the film “Hidden Figures,” died on Feb. 24. She was 101.

James Lipton

“Inside the Actors Studio” host James Lipton passed away on March 2 after a battle with bladder cancer. He was 93.

Max von Sydow

“The Exorcist” star Max von Sydow died on March 8 at the age of 90. 

Lorenzo Brino 

Lorenzo Brino, a former child star in the family drama “7th Heaven,” died in a car accident on March 9, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

Beatrice 

Beatrice, who played the beloved French bulldog Stella on the last seven seasons of “Modern Family,” died March 9 shortly after the cast shot the series finale.

Stuart Whitman 

Stuart Whitman, a star of Westerns alongside John Wayne like “The Comancheros” and the war movie “The Longest Day,” died in his home March 16, his son told TMZ. Whitman was 92.

Lyle Waggoner 

Lyle Waggoner, an actor known for starring on “The Carol Burnett Show” and the ’70s “Wonder Woman” TV series, died March 17 at age 84.

Maggie Griffin 

Maggie Griffin, Kathy Griffin’s mother and co-star of her Bravo reality series “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” died March 17 at age 99.

Kenny Rogers

Country music legend Kenny Rogers passed away on March 20 at the age of 81. According to a statement, he died of natural causes.

Terrence McNally

Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally died on March 24 of complications from the coronavirus. He was 81.

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Adam Schlesinger

Adam Schlesinger, the lead singer-songwriter from the rock band Fountains of Wayne and a music producer and composer on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” died on April 1 due to complications from the coronavirus.

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Ellis Marsalis Jr.

Ellis Marsalis Jr., New Orleans jazz legend and father of Wynton and Branford Marsalis, died from COVID-19 complications April 1. “Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz… He was a teacher, a father, and an icon — and words aren’t sufficient to describe the art, the joy and the wonder he showed the world,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. He was 85.

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Eddie Large

Eddie Large, one-half of the comedy duo Little and Large, died April 2 after contracting coronavirus while hospitalized for heart failure. He was 78.

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Ed Farmer

Ed Farmer, MLB player turned White Sox radio announcer, died April 1. He was 70.

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Jeff Grosso

Jeff Grosso, the legendary skateboarder who hosted Vans’ “Loveletters to Skating” video series, died March 31 in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 51.

Bill Withers

Bill Withers, the 1970s singer of classics like “Lean On Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” died on March 30 at the age of 81.

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Patricia Bosworth

Patricia Bosworth, a stage and screen actress turned journalist who penned celebrity biographies, died April 2 from complications of the coronavirus. She was 86.

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Honor Blackman

Honor Blackman, the British actress best known for her roles in “The Avengers” series and “Goldfinger” film of the 1960s, died at the age of 94, her family announced on April 6.

Chynna Rogers

Rapper and model Chynna Rogers died on April 8. She was 25.

Dieter Laser

Dieter Laser, the German actor best known for his role as the deranged doctor in “The Human Centipede,” died on Feb. 29. He was 78.

Brian Dennehy

Actor Brian Dennehy, a Tony and Golden Globe-winning actor, passed away on April 15 of natural causes. He was 81.

Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan, the Indian actor who increased his fame beyond Bollywood with his roles in English-language hits such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Life of Pi,” died April 29 in Mumbai at age 53.

Sam Lloyd

Sam Lloyd, best known for his role as downtrodden lawyer Ted Buckland on “Scrubs,” died on April 30. He was 56.

Don Shula

Legendary NFL coach Don Shula passed away on May 4 at the age of 90.

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Brian Howe

Brian Howe, the lead singer for the British rock supergroup Bad Company and a former vocalist for Ted Nugent, died on May 6. He was 66.

Andre Harrell

Longtime music executive Andre Harrell, who founded the hip-hop label Uptown Records and mentored Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, died on May 7 at age 59

Roy Horn

Magician Roy Horn, best known as half of the legendary Siegfried & Roy magic and animal act in Las Vegas, died on May 8 from complications due to coronavirus.

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Little Richard

Little Richard, the singer and pianist who became a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer with his high-energy musicianship and boundary-pushing personality, died on May 9 at age 87 from unspecified causes.

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Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller, the Emmy-nominated comedy legend of TV sitcoms “Seinfeld” and “King of Queens,” passed away on May 11. He was 92.

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Phyllis George

Phyllis George, a former Miss America winner who went on to become one of the first female broadcasters covering the NFL — and later, the First Lady of Kentucky — died on May 14 at the age of 70.

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Fred Willard

Comedic actor Fred Willard, best known for his roles in “Spinal Tap” and “Modern Family,” passed away on May 15 at the age of 86.

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Lynn Shelton

Director and producer Lynn Shelton, who worked on indie films as well as several big-name television series, died on May 16 from a previously undisclosed blood disorder. She was 54.

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Ken Osmond

Ken Osmond, best known for his role as Eddie Haskell on “Leave It to Beaver,” died on May 18 at the age of 76.

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Chris Trousdale

Chris Trousdale, a former member of the boy band Dream Street, died on June 2. His former bandmate, Jesse McCartney, said he died “due to complications from COVID-19.” He was 34.

Bonnie Pointer

Bonnie Pointer, a member of the iconic R&B group The Pointer Sisters, passed away on June 8. She was 69.

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Ian Holm

“Lord of the Rings” star Ian Holm passed away on June 19. He was 88.

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Joel Schumacher

Joel Schumacher, director of films like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Client” and “A Time to Kill,” died on June 22 after  a long battle with cancer. He was 80. 

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Carl Reiner

Legendary entertainer Carl Reiner, perhaps best known as the creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” died on June 29. He was 98.

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Ronald L. Schwary 

Ronald L. Schwary, Oscar-winning producer of Robert Redford’s 1980 drama “Ordinary People,” died on July 2 at age 76, his family announced.

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Hugh Downs

Longtime TV news anchor Hugh Downs passed away on July 2 at the age of 99.

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Nick Cordero

Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero died on July 5 due to complications from coronavirus. He was 41.

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Ennio Morricone 

Oscar-winning Italian composer Ennio Morricone, died on July 6 at age 91, his lawyer told the New York Times. Morricone became famous for his melodic scores for 1960s Westerns like “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” He drew on his work in so-called spaghetti Westerns for Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 Western “The Hateful Eight,” which earned the composer his first Academy Award after five previous nominations and an honorary award in 2007.

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Charlie Daniels 

Charlie Daniels, a country music and Southern rock legend known for his song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” died on July 6. He was 83.

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Lil Marlo 

Atlanta rapper Lil Marlo (né Rudolph Johnson), best known for his 2017 hit “2 the Hard Way” with Lil Baby, was shot and killed in his native Atlanta on July 12, Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office said. He was 30.

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Kelly Preston 

Actress Kelly Preston, who starred in such films as “Twins” and “Jerry Maguire,” died on July 12 after a two-year battle with breast cancer. The star, who had three children with husband John Travolta, was 57.

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Naya Rivera 

Former “Glee” star Naya Rivera was found dead on July 13 after going missing the week prior while out on a boat with her son in Ventura County, California. She was 33. 

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Grant Imahara 

Grant Imahara, the engineer and roboticist who helped test some of the world’s most famous rumors on the iconic Discovery Channel series “Mythbusters,” died on July 13 at the age of 49.

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John Lewis

John Lewis, the civil rights icon who played a key role in some of the most important battles of the era, died on July 17 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80.

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