Sidney Poitier, Oscar-winning actor, director and diplomat, has died, the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office announced on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. He was 94.
In memoriam: Remembering the famous figures we lost in 2021
Take a look through to remember the talents who passed away in 2021.
Sidney Poitier, Oscar-winning actor, director and diplomat, has died, the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office announced on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. He was 94.
Betty White, Hollywood’s “Golden Girl,” died Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. She was 99.
John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster whose exuberant calls combined with simple explanations provided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades, died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, the NFL said. He was 85.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s non-violent foe of aparthaid and a Nobel Prize-winning activist of racial justice and LGBT rights, died on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021. He was 90.
Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée, who directed “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Big Little Lies,” was found dead on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in his cabin in Quebec City. No cause of death has been announced. He was 58.
Joan Didion, the revered author and essayist whose provocative social commentary and detached, methodical literary voice made her a uniquely clear-eyed critic of a uniquely turbulent time, died Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. She was 87.
British actress Sally Ann Howes, who famously starred as Truly Scrumptious in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” died at the age of 91.
Black feminist author Gloria Jean Watkins, who wrote more than 30 books under the pseudonym bell hooks, died Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. She was 69. The trailblazer writer, professor and feminist penned “Aint I A Woman” and “All About Love,” among many more.
Vicente Fernández, an iconic and beloved singer of regional Mexican music who was awarded three Grammys and nine Latin Grammys and inspired a new generation of performers, including his son Alejandro Fernández, died on Sunday, Dec.12, 2021. He was 81.
Mike Nesmith of The Monkees singing group appears at press conference at Warwick Hotel in New York on July 6, 1967. Nesmith, the guitar-strumming member of the 1960s, made-for-television rock band The Monkees, died at home Friday of natural causes, his family said in a statement. He was 78.
Italian director Lina Wertmuller poses for a portrait in 2019 in Los Angeles. Wertmueller, the first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for directing, has died, news reports and the Italian Culture Ministry said Thursday Dec. 9, 2021. She was 93.
Bob Dole, former GOP presidential candidate, died Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. He was 98. Dole ran for president against Bill Clinton in 1996.
Actress Arlene Dahl, the actor whose charm and striking red hair shone in such Technicolor movies of the 1950s as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Three Little Words,” died Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at age 96.
David Gulpilil has died of lung cancer, a government leader said on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. Gulpilil found his widest audiences with his roles in the 1986 hit film “Crocodile Dundee” and in director Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic “Australia” in a career that spanned five decades. He was often described as a bridge between Indigenous Australia and the outside world who never fit comfortably in either place. He was 68 years old.
Lee Elder, golf trailblazer who made a name for himself as the first Black man to play at the Masters, died on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. He was 87.
Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton artistic director, died Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, following a secret battle with cancer. He was 41. The Chicago-born designer made a name for himself in many fashion houses, from Fendi to Louis Vuitton, as well as his own streetwear brand Off-White.
Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, the songwriter who reshaped the American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century, died Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. He was 91.
Rapper Young Dolph, widely admired in the hip-hop community for his authenticity and fierce independence, was shot and killed Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, inside a beloved local cookie shop in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, authorities said. He was 36. Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., was born in Chicago but moved to Memphis with his family as a toddler and grew up there.
Graeme Edge, drummer for The Moody Blues, a drummer and co-founder of the band, has died. He was 80. The band’s frontman, Justin Hayward, confirmed Edge’s death Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, on the group’s website. The cause of his death has not been revealed. Hayward called Edge the backbone of the British rock band. The band’s last album was released in 2003.
Actor Dean Stockwell poses in Feb 1989 at an unknown location. Stockwell, a top Hollywood child actor who gained new success in middle age, garnering an Oscar nomination for “Married to the Mob” and Emmy nominations for “Quantum Leap,” died of natural causes at his home on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. He was 85.
In this Jan. 3, 1977, photo, Comedian Mort Sahl sits for an interview in San Francisco. Sahl, who helped revolutionize stand-up comedy during the Cold War with his running commentary on politicians and current events, died Tuesday, Oct. 26. 2021. He was 94. His friend Lucy Mercer said that he died “peacefully” at his home in Mill Valley, Calif.
Actor James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on “Friends,” died Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, after battling stage 4 prostate cancer. He was 59.
Peter Scolari, a versatile character actor whose television roles included a yuppie producer on “Newhart” and a closeted dad on “Girls” and who was on Broadway in “Hairspray” and “Wicked,” died Friday morning in New York after fighting cancer for two years, according to Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, his longtime manager. He was 66.
Colin Powell, who served as the first Black and youngest Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, has died from COVID-19 complications despite being fully vaccinated, his family announced Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. He was 84.
Comedian and actor Ricarlo Flanagan died over the weekend after a battle with COVID-19. He was 40. Flanagan acted on shows like “Shameless,” “Insecure” and “Walk the Prank.” He also made the semifinals of “Last Comic Standing.”
Actor, director, writer Melvin Van Peebles, the champion for a new wave of modern Black cinema in the 1970s, died Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. He was 89. Van Peebles created and starred in “Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song,” as well as directed “Watermelon Man.”
Actor Willie Garson, who played Stanford Blatch, on TV’s “Sex and the City” and its movie sequels, has died, his son announced Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. He was 57. In this undated photo provided by HBO, Garson appears as Stanford Blatch in “And Just Like That.”
Richard Buckley, fashion editor and Tom Ford’s husband, died Sunday night, Sept. 19, 2021, at home in Los Angeles, Calif. He was 72. Buckley and Ford have been together for more than 30 years and share one son together.
R&B icon Sarah Dash, “Lady Marmalade” singer and co-founder of Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles, died Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. She was 76.
“Saturday Night Live” comedian Norm MacDonald died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. He was 61.
Actor Michael K. Williams, who famously played Omar Little in HBO’s “The Wire,” was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. He was 54.
Legendary actor Ed Asner, who played Lou Grant on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show,” died on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, surrounded by loved ones. He was 91.
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in a London hospital surrounded by family. He was 80.
In this March 25, 1974, photo, New York Rangers’ Rod Gilbert displays a hockey stick marked with a “300,” the total number of goals he has scored in his career, in the Rangers’ locker room in New York. Gilbert, the Hall of Fame right wing who starred for the Rangers and helped Canada win the 1972 Summit Series, died Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021. He was 80.
Don Everly, left, of the Rock and Roll brother duo Everly Brothers, died Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021. He was 84. Phil Everly died in 2014.
The Hall of Fame college football coach Bobby Bowden died Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 91. Exuding charm and wit, Bowden led Florida State to two national championships and a record of 315-98-4 during his 34 seasons with the Seminoles. In all, Bowden had 377 wins during his 40 years in major college coaching.
Actress Markie Post, who played the public defender in the 1980s sitcom “Night Court” and was a regular presence on television for four decades, died Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. She was 70. Post’s manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, said Post died after a years-long battle with cancer.
Dusty Hill, of ZZ Top, the group has announced that Hill, one of the Texas blues trio’s bearded figures and bassist, has died at his Houston home. He was 72. In a Facebook post, bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard revealed on July 29, 2021, that Hill had died in his sleep.
Slipknot band member Joey Jordison, the founding drummer of the band Slipknot, has died at age 46. Jordison’s family says he died peacefully in his sleep Monday, July 26, 2021.
Actor/comedian Jackie Mason stands beside a bus displaying a sign advertising his TV show, 1992. Mason, a rabbi-turned-jokester whose feisty brand of standup comedy got laughs from nightclubs in the Catskills to West Coast talk shows and Broadway stages, has died. He was 93. Mason died Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Manhattan.
Biz Markie, born Marcel Theo Hall, died Friday, July 16, 2021. He was 57. Markie was a rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ and record producer was famously known for his 1989 singer, “Just a Friend.”
<img loading="" class="lazyload size-article_feature" data-sizes="auto" alt="Filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr., died Wednesday, July 7, in his sleep at his home in New York City. Downey had been battling Parkinson’s disease, also appeared in the movies “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” and “To Live And Die in L.A.”” title=”Filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr., died Wednesday, July 7, in his sleep at his home in New York City. Downey had been battling Parkinson’s disease, also appeared in the movies “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” and “To Live And Die in L.A.”” data-src=”/wp-content/uploads/migration/2022/01/07/DFCEYYPT2BHLRJSAFXBZ3CCYBI.jpg”>
Filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr., died Wednesday, July 7, in his sleep at his home in New York City. Downey had been battling Parkinson’s disease, also appeared in the movies “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” and “To Live And Die in L.A.”
Veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar, right, hailed as the “Tragedy King” and one of Hindi cinema’s greatest actors, died on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 in a Mumbai hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 98.
Richard Donner, the filmmaker, who helped create the modern superhero blockbuster with 1978’s “Superman” and mastered the buddy comedy with the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, has died. He was 91. Lauren Shuler Donner, his wife and producing partner, told the Hollywood trade “Deadline” that Donner died Monday, July 5, 2021.
“Gone Girl” and “Cocktail” actress Lisa Banes died Monday, June 14, 2021. She was 65. Banes succumbed to her head injuries in the hospital after being injured in a hit-and-run accident on June 4.
Actor Ned Beatty, the indelible character actor whose first film role, as a genial vacationer raped by a backwoodsman in 1972’s “Deliverance,” launched him on a long, prolific and accomplished career, died Sunday, June 13, 2021. He was 83. Beatty memorably played Otis, Lex Luthor’s henchman in the first two “Superman” movies starring Christopher Reeve. He also appeared in “All The President’s Men,” “The Front Page,” “Nashville,” and “The Big Easy.”
Former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel died Monday, June 7, 2021. He was 71. Fassel was named NFL coach of the year in 1997 and led the team to the 2001 Super Bowl.
Clarence Williams III, who starred as Linc Hayes in the TV series “Mod Squad” (pictured here) in the ’60s and ’70s, died Friday, June 4, 2021, of colon cancer. He was 81. The New York City-born actor also starred in films like “Purple Rain,” “Tales from the Hood, “Half Baked” and more.
Stand-up comedian Paul Mooney, who played Sam Cooke in “The Buddy Holly Story” and appeared as a regular on “Chapelle’s Show,” died Wednesday, May 19, 2021, after suffering a heart attack. He was 79.
Film and TV star Charles Grodin, who appeared in “The Heartbreak Kid,” “Beethoven,” “Midnight Run” and “Same Time, Next Year” on Broadway, died Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at his home in Conn. He was 86.
Tawny Kitaen, music video siren from the 1980’s and “Bachelor Party” actress, died in her Newport Beach home on Friday, May 7, 2021. She was 59. Her cause of death hasn’t been released.
Astronaut Michael Collins, who piloted the ship from which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left to make their historic first steps on the moon in 1969, died Wednesday, April 28, 2021, of cancer, his family said. He was 90.
Designer Alber Elbaz, the Israeli designer responsible for breathing life back into top Paris fashion house Lanvin, died Saturday, April 24, 2021, from COVID-19. He was 59.
Greg “Shock G” Jacobs, leader for Digital Underground, who blended whimsical wordplay with reverence for ’70s funk as leader of the off-kilter hip-hop group Digital Underground, has died. He was 57. Nzazi Malonga, a longtime friend who served as head of security and helped manage the group, said the rapper-producer was found unresponsive Thursday, April 22, 2021, in a hotel room in Tampa, Fla.
Actress Helen McCrory, who starred in the television show “Peaky Blinders” and the “Harry Potter” movies, has died. She was 52 and had been suffering from cancer. Her husband, actor Damian Lewis, said Friday that McCrory died “peacefully at home” after a “heroic battle with cancer.”
New York financier turned Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff died early Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in prison. The 82-year-old mastermind of America’s biggest investment fraud was serving 12 years of his 150-year sentence when he died of natural causes.
James Hampton, “Teen Wolf,” “F Troop” and “Longest Yard,” star died Wednesday, April 7, 2021, in his home from complications due to Parkinson’s. His acting career spanned decades. He was 84.
Midwin Charles, legal analyst for CNN and MSNBC, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 47, her family confirmed on social media Tuesday, April 6, 2021. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
The family of rapper DMX says he has died at age 50, on Friday, April 9, 2021, after a career in which he delivered iconic hip-hop songs such as “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” A statement from the family says the Grammy-nominated rapper died at a hospital in White Plains, New York, “with his family by his side” after being placed on life support for the past few days. He was rushed to a New York hospital from his home April 2.
Paul Ritter, who starred in “Chernobyl” and appeared in franchises like “Harry Potter” and the James Bond series, died after a battle with a brain tumor on April 5, 2021. He was 54.
Jessica Walter, “Arrested Development” and “Archer” star, died in her sleep Wednesday, March 24, 2021. She was 80. Walter was an award-winning actress whose career spanned five decades.
Oscar-nominated actor George Segal, who starred in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and “The Goldbergs,” died Tuesday, March 23, 2021. He was 87. The veteran drama and comedy actor passed away due to complications from bypass surgery.
“Degrassi” star Jahmil French died Monday, March 1, 2021. He was 28. A cause of death has not been revealed.
Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio talk show host, died Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 70.
Larry Flynt, who turned “Hustler” magazine into an adult entertainment empire while championing First Amendment rights, has died at age 78. His nephew, Jimmy Flynt Jr., told The Associated Press that Flynt died Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, of heart failure at his Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles.
Mary Wilson, founding member of The Supremes, poses on the roof of Capitol Records in 2014, in Hollywood Calif. Wilson, the longest-reigning original Supreme died on Monday night at her home in Las Vegas and the cause was not immediately clear, said publicist Jay Schwartz. She was 76.
Christopher Plummer, the dashing award-winning actor who played Captain von Trapp in the film “The Sound of Music” and at 82 became the oldest Academy Award winner in history, has died. He was 91. Plummer died Friday morning, Feb. 5, 2021, at his home in Connecticut with his wife, Elaine Taylor, by his side, said Lou Pitt, his longtime friend and manager.
“Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond, best known for his role as Screech on the 90s sitcom, died Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, following a cancer diagnosis less than a month ago. He was 44.
Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Hal Holbrook, who starred in films like “All The President’s Men” and “Into The Wild,” died Jan. 23, 2021. He was 95.
Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actress who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder,” a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” has died. She was 96. Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson.
Emmy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman, who got her fame on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1970, died Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. She was 94.
Legendary talk show host Larry King died Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021, at the age of 87. The famous interviewer spent half a century on radio and television.
Baseball legend Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron died Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Hall of Famer with 755 career home runs died peacefully in his sleep, according to a statement released by the Atlanta Braves.
Music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector, famously known for his development of the “Wall of Sound” and working with artists like The Beatles, Ike and Tina Turner, The Ronettes and more, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, of COVID-19 complications. He was 81. Spector was serving a 19 to life prison sentence at the time of his death for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson.
John Reilly, soap opera star and actor, died at the age of 84, his daughter announced Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. Reilly spent 11 seasons on “General Hospital” as Sean Donely, Robert Scorpio’s former boss.
Baseball Hall of Famer and legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, just days after being released from the hospital. He was 93.
“Police Academy” and Broadway star Marion Ramsey died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in L.A. She was 73.
“That ’70s Show” star and former Bond girl Tanya Roberts, pictured here in her role from “The Beastmaster,” died on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, at the age of 65. No cause of death was reported for the otherwise healthy 1980’s icon, however, her publicist said it was not COVID-19.
Food Network star Kerry Vincent, who hosted shows like the “Food Network Challenge” and “The Great Australian Bake Off,” died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, after battling an illness. She was 75.
Gerry Marsden, of British pop group Gerry & The Pacemakers, died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, of a heart infection. He was 78. The bandleader also wrote many songs for the group, including, “I’m the One” and “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying.”
