Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2023 — A Tribute

It’s become an annual ritual as each year comes to a close — and this one is no different — as we look back at the stars we lost in 2023. And this year we were met with some unexpected losses. It’s one thing when you hear that someone like Norman Lear has died at 101,, and a little more surprising — probably because of her pop culture status more than anything — when Suzanne Somers left us, but positively shocking to hear the news that Friends star Matthew Perry has been taken as well.

In the following look back at — and tribute to — the stars we lost in 2023, we look at more than 60 celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music unable to delight us with new performances while their old ones will continue to live on (thankfully).

Alan Arkin

BORN: March 26, 1934 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: A career on stage, the big screen and television for 70 years which garnered him, among other things, Golden Globe, Tony and Academy Awards as well as six Emmy nominations. His movie career spanned from 1957’s Calypso Heat Wave to 2024’s forthcoming The Smack, with 80 films in between. Married three times, he was the father or three and passed away on June 29th at age 89 as a result of heart problems.

Jack Axelrod

BORN: January 25, 1930 in Los Angeles

BEST KNOWN FOR: He appeared on a wide variety of television and movies over the years, but is perhaps best known for playing mob boss Victor Jerome on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. He died at age 93 of natural causes on November 28th.

Burt Bacharach

BORN: May 12, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri

BEST KNOWN FOR: His work as a composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist has been highly-acclaimed. He wrote 73 U.S. and 52 UK Top 40 hits, including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” “(They Long to Be) Close to you,” “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” and “That’s What Friends Are For.” He won six Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and one Emmy Award. He was married to actresses Paula Stewart and Angie Dickinson, lyricist and singer Carole Bayer Sager, and Jane Hanson (who he was with since 1993). He died of natural causes at age 94 on February 8th.

Bob Barker

BORN: December 12, 1923 in Darrington, Washington

BEST KNOWN FOR: His animal rights activism and, of course, hosting TV game show The Price Is Right for 50 years. Bob Barker was married to Dorothy Jo Gideon from 1945 until her death in 1981. Struggling for a number of years with Alzheimer’s disease, he died on August 26th at age 99.

Harry Belafonte

BORN: March 1, 1927 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: His work as an actor, civil rights activist and singer, really launching the latter with his 1956 album Calypso, which became the first disc from a single artist to sell more than a million copies. His more popular songs include “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song,” “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora),” and “Mary’s Boy Child.” Belafonte, who was just as devoted to his humanitarian causes as he was his music, had been married three times and had four children, including actress Shari Belafonte. He died in the city of his birth on April 25th at age 96 from congestive heart failure.

Richard Belzer

BORN: August 4, 1944 in Bridgeport, Connecticut

BEST KNOWN FOR: There is a huge part of Richard Belzer that exists in the comedy world, including his work as a stand-up comic, and while he also portrayed a number of different characters over the years, the one for which he gained the most acclaim for was Detective John Munch. That character was introduced on the police drama Homicide, but the actor brought him over to a regular role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and then guest appearances on The X-Files, The Beat and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. A cousin to Happy Days star Henry Winkler, he was married three times. Richard died at age 78 on February 19th from complications of a circulatory and respiratory condition.

Nick Benedict

BORN: July 14, 1946 in Los Angeles

BEST KNOWN FOR: An actor who made a number of guest appearances on TV and in a few films, in the world of daytime soap operas he played Curtis Reed on Days of Our Lives and Philip Brent on All My Children, for which he was nominated for a daytime Emmy Award. He was married twice. Nick died on July 14th at 77 from complications of an emergency spinal cord surgery.

Tony Bennett

BORN: August 3, 1926 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Being nothing less than a music legend, known as a singer of jazz and traditional pop. Earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in his lifetime he sold more than 50 million records around the world. His biggest hits include “Because of You,” “Rags to Riches,” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” He released more than 70 albums, including 2021’s Love for Sale, recorded with Lady Gaga, the two of them having previously collaborated on 2014’s Cheek to Cheek, which saw them touring together. Married three times and the father of four, he died on July 31, 2023 at age 96 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was the winner of 20 Grammy Awards.

Andre Braugher

BORN: July 1, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois

BEST KNOWN FOR: Andre Braugher gained attention from early performances on the stage, beginning with Much Ado About Nothing as part of The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park in 1988, and in a number of feature films, but television was really the place that most people got to know him. Dramatically, as Detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993 to 1999) and comically as Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013 to 2021). In between there was Gideon’s Crossing (2000 to 2001), Hack (2002 to 2004) and, alongside Scott Bakula and Ray Romano, Men of a Certain Age (2009 to 2011). He married Ami Brabson in 1991 and was the father of three. He died December 11th at age 61 from lung cancer.

Jimmy Buffett

BORN: December 25, 1946

BEST KNOWN FOR: “Island escapism” was a term he coined to describe his approach to life and music, the idea being to enjoy that life and follow your passions. Musically, that’s certainly what he did, recording more than 30 albums and giving the world such hits as “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” and, with Alan Jackson, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” The father of three, he was married twice and died on September 1st at age 76, suffering from a rare form of skin cancer known as Merkel-cell carcinoma.

Michael Chiarello

BORN: January 26, 1962 in Red Bluff, California

BEST KNOWN FOR: He was a celebrity chef known for his Italian-influenced California cuisine, and the host of Food Network’s Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello and Fine Living Network’s NapaStyle. He was the owner of a winery as well as the Italian restaurant Bottega and the tapas restaurant Coqueta. He was married to Eileen Chiarello in 2003 and fathered four children. He died October 6, 2023 at age 61 from anaphylaxis that was triggered by an allergic reaction.

Tyler Christopher

BORN: November 11, 1972 in Joliet, Illinois

BEST KNOWN FOR: Portraying Nicolas Cassadine from 1996 to 1999, 2003 to 2011 and 2013 to 2016; and Connor Bishop from 2004 to 2005 on the daytime soap General Hospital. Additionally, from 2017 to 2019 he played the son of Stefano DiMera and Vivian Alamain on Days of Our Lives. He was married to actress Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004 and reporter Brienne Pedigo from 2008 to 2021. He has two children. Tyler Christopher died on October 31st at age 50 from what is believed to have been a “cardiac event.”

Phyllis Coates

BORN: January 15, 1927 in Wichita Falls, Texas

BEST KNOWN FOR: Although she had a career in film and on television that spanned about 50 years, Phyllis Coates could never distance herself — as much as she tried — from having played Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane opposite George Reeves’ Superman in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men as well as the first season of the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman. Married and divorced four times, she had three children. Phyllis died on October 11th at the age of 96

David Crosby

BORN: August 14, 1941 in Los Angeles

BEST KNOWN FOR: He’ll always be remembered for his career as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career started as a member of the Byrds, helping to usher in both folk rock and psychedelia. Later he was credited with helping to start the California music sound of the 1970s as a part of the group Crosby, Stills & Nash (the other members being Stephen Stills and Graham Nash). Eventually Neil Young became a part of the group as well. He continued to record solo albums and live shows throughout the rest of his life. He married Jan Dance in 1987 and was the father of four. He died January 18th at age 81 reportedly from complications of COVID-19.

Kamar de los Reyes

BORN: November 8, 1967 in San Juan, Puerto Rico

BEST KNOWN FOR: Soap fans remember Kamar de los Reyes for his roles as Antonio Vegas on One Life to Live from 1995 to 2009. Besides making some TV guest appearances, he was villain Raul Menendez in the 2012 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Melinda Dillon

BORN: October 13, 1939 in Hope, Arkansas

BEST KNOWN FOR: Melinda Dillon was an actress best known for her roles as Jillian Guiler in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and as Mother Parker in A Christmas Story (1983). Her final on screen acting performances were in 2007 in the film Reign Over Me and three episodes of the television series Heartland. Married once, she has one child. Melinda passed away on January 9, 2023 at age 83.

Carol Duvall

BORN: January 10, 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

BEST KNOWN FOR: Carol Duvall was prominent on television for hosting arts and craft-themed shows, first on Michigan local television and then on a much bigger stage at HGTV and DIY Network, where she was featured in The Carol Duvall Show from 1994 to 2005. The mother of two and married once, she died on July 31st at age 97.

Andrea Evans

BORN: June 18, 1957 in Aurora, Illinois

BEST KNOWN FOR: Despite making guest appearances and appearing in TV miniseries and movies, as well as a few feature films, Andrea Evans is best known for her work on daytime soap operas. She had an extensive stint as Tina Lord on One Life to Live, first portraying her from 1978 to 1981, then again from 1985 to 1990 with appearances in 2008 and 2011. From 1983 to 1984 she was Patty Williams on The Young and the Restless, from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2010 to 2011, Tawn Moore on The Bold and the Beautiful and finally, from 2007 to 2008, Rebecca Hotchkiss on Passions. Married twice with one child, she died on July 9th at age 66 of breast cancer.

Nancy Frangione

BORN: July 10, 1953 in Barnstable, Massachusetts

BEST KNOWN FOR: Just six years after her high school graduation, Nancy Frangione made her debut as Tara Martin on the soap opera All My Children. In 1979, she left the series and would join Another World in 1980, playing the part of villainess Cecile DePoulignac regularly until 1984, returning from 1995 to 1996. Additionally, she was a temporary replacement for Andrea Evans in the role of Tina Clayton on One Life to Live in 1985. Nancy was married to Christopher Rich (her co-star from Another World) from 1982 to 1996 and has one child. She died on August 18th at age 70.

William Friedkin

BORN: August 29, 1935

BEST KNOWN FOR: William Friedkin directed 20 films between 1967’s Good Times and 2023’s The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. His most famous, though, came early in his career in the form of Gene Hackman’s The French Connection (1971), which won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director; and the Linda Blair horror masterpiece The Exorcist (1973). He was married to actresses Jeanne Moreu (1977 to 1979) and Lesley-Anne Down (1982 to 1985), journalist Kelly Lange (1987 to 1990) and former studio executive Sherry Lansing (1991 until his death on August 7th). Friedkin was 87 when he died of heart failure and pneumonia.

Andrea Fay Friedman

BORN: June 1, 1970 in Santa Monica, California

BEST KNOWN FOR: Andrea Fay Friedman made appearances on a number of TV shows and a few films, but is most recognized for her portrayal of Amanda, Corky’s girlfriend turned wife on the ABC series Life Goes On. Her final role was in the 2019 film Carol of the Bells. She passed away on December 3rd at 53 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

Michael Gambon

BORN: October 19, 1940 in Dublin, Ireland

BEST KNOWN FOR: Michael Gambon had a long and distinguished career on stage (primarily productions of Shakespeare), British television and in dozens of films between 1965’s Othello and 2019’s Coredelia, in which he played Moses. But today’s audience undoubtedly recognize him as wizard Albus Dumbledore in six of the Harry Potter movies. He was married to Anne Miller since 1962 and has three children. Following a bad case of pneumonia, he died on September 27th at age 82.

Mark Goddard

BORN: July 24, 1936 in Lowell, Massachusetts

BEST KNOWN FOR: Actor Mark Goddard starred on the series The Detectives (1958 to 1961) and opposite Guy Williams on Lost in Space (1965 to 1968). On soap operas he played Ted Clayton on One Life to Live (1981), Lt. Paul Reed on The Doctors (1982) and Derek Barrington on General Hospital (1984 to 1986). There would be other roles in films (1979’s Roller Boogie) and Broadway (co-starring with Liza Minelli in 1978’s The Act). Married three times, he has five kids. Goddard passed away on October 10th at 87 from pulmonary fibrosis.

Len Goodman

BORN: April 25, 1944 in Farnborough, Kent, England

BEST KNOWN FOR: Len Goodman spent much of his life immersed in dance, specifically as a ballroom dancer himself, a dance teacher and as a judge on dancing competition shows, most notably Britain’s Strictly Come Dancing and, from 2005 to 2022, as a judge on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Married once with a single child, Goodman died on April 22 just shy of his 79th birthday from prostate cancer that spread into bone cancer.

Brett Hadley

BORN: September 25, 1930 in Louisville, Kentucky

BEST KNOWN FOR: Brett Hadley is most recognized by soap opera fans for his role as police detective Carl Williams on The Young and the Restless from 1980 until the character disappeared in 1990. He returned in 1998 as a character named Jim Bradley, who was going to be revealed as Carl after having suffered amnesia, but Hadley left the show in 1999. Married once, he died of sepsis on June 15th at 92.

Steve Harwell

BORN: January 9, 1967 in Santa Clara, California

BEST KNOWN FOR: Steve Harwell was the lead singer of the band Smash Mouth from 1994 until he retired in 2021. The father of one, he was married once and died on September 4th at 56 of liver failure. Smash Mouth’s most popular songs include “Walkin’ on the Sun,” “All Star,” “Then the Morning Comes” and their cover version of The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.”

Elizabeth Hoffman

BORN: February 8, 1926 in Corvalis, Oregon

BEST KNOWN FOR: While Elizabeth Hoffman had a long and varied career, television audiences will recognize her roles as Miss Mason on “Little House on the Prairie,” Judge Mary Russell on Matlock, Eleanor Krieger on Thirtysomething, Beatrice ‘Bea’ Reed Ventnor on Sisters and Catherine Langford on the sci-fi series Stargate SG-1. She died on August 21, 2023 at age 97.

Ellen Holly

BORN: January 16, 1931 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Equally comfortable on film and the stage, Ellen Holly is most recognized as Clara Hall/Clara Scott and Carla Bonari in 91 episodes of One Life to Live between 1968 and 1986, where she had the distinction of being the first black actor to secure a leading role in a daytime drama. Her romantic partners have included Roger Hill, Harry Belafonte and Ron O’Neal. She died on December 6th at age 92.

Elizabeth Hubbard

BORN: December 22, 1933 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Elizabeth Hubbard had a long history of starring on soap operas, among them Guiding Light as Anne Fletcher (1962), The Edge of Night as Carol Kramer (1963), The Doctors as Dr. Althea Davis (1964 to 1977 and again from 1981 to 1982), One Life to Live as Estelle Chadwick (1983 to 1984), As the World Turns as Lucinda Walsh (1984 to 2010), and the web series Anacostia as Eva Montgomery (2015 to 2018). Married once, she has one child and died on April 8th at 89 of cancer.

Glenda Jackson

BORN: May 9, 1936 in Birkenhead, England

BEST KNOWN FOR: A highly-acclaimed actor, Glenda Jackson’s film career spanned from 1967’s Marat/Sade to the 2023 posthumous release The Great Escaper; on British television from 1957’s ITV Play of the Week to the 2019 TV film Elizabeth is Missing, and on stage from 1952’s Mystery of Greenfingers to 2019’s King Lear, with dozens of appearances in each medium. Along the way she won two Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. She was married from 1958 to 1976 and has one son. She died on June 15th at 87.

Ron Cephas Jones

BORN: January 8, 1957 in Paterson, New Jersey

BEST KNOWN FOR: Ron Cephas Jones had recurring roles in shows like Mr. Robot (2015 to 2016), Luke Cage (2016 to 2018), Looking for Alaska (2019), Truth Be Told (2019 to 2023) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021 to 2022), with many film appearances in between, but his most acclaimed and recognizable work has been as William ‘Shakespeare’ Hill, biological father to Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson, on This Is Us (2016 to 2022). He has a daughter named Jasmine. He died August 19th at 66 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Charles Kimbrough

BORN: May 23, 1936 in St. Paul, Minnesota

BEST KNOWN FOR: There would be 15 movies and numerous guest star appearances, but viewers loved Charles Kimbrough for his portrayal of anchorman Jim Dial in the Candice Bergen series Murphy Brown, which ran from 1988 to 1998 with a brief revival in 2018. Charles was married twice and had one child. He passed away on January 11th at age 86.

Marty Krofft

BORN: April 9, 1937 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

BEST KNOWN FOR: Marty Krofft, along with his brother Sid, will be remembered for the joy they brought viewers on Saturday mornings and in prime time. As producers, their shows include H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Donny & Marie, The Brady Bunch Hour and the bizarre and unforgettable Paul Lynde Halloween Special. Marty Krofft died November 25th at age 86 from kidney failure.

Denny Laine

BORN: October 29, 1944 in Tyseley, Birmingham, England

BEST KNOWN FOR: English rocker Denny Laine, along with Brian Hines, formed the band the Moody Blues and he would later be one of the founders of Paul McCartney’s follow-up group to The Beatles, Wings. How’s that for a career? He died on December 5th at age 79 from interstitial lung disease.

Piper Laurie

BORN: January 22, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan

BEST KNOWN FOR: Piper Laurie was a working actress for an incredible 68 years, but there’s no question that her most fondly-remembered roles are for the films The Hustler and Children of a Lesser God, as well as the TV miniseries The Thorn Birds and show Twin Peaks. At the same time, there are a couple of generations of movie fans who were creeped out by her portrayal of Sissy Spacek’s religious fanatic of a mother in the 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie. The mother of one, she was married to writer Joe Morgenstern from 1962 to 1982. She died on October 14th at 91.

Norman Lear

BORN: July 27, 1922 in New Haven, Connecticut

BEST KNOWN FOR: Besides his many humanitarian efforts, Norman Lear is credited with changing the face of television as a writer/producer with such shows as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. His awards collection included six Emmys, two Peabodys, the 1999 National Medal of Arts, the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors and the 2021 Carol Burnett Award from the Golden Globes. He was married three times and had six kids. He died at 101 on December 5th from cardiac arrest.

Lisa Loring

BORN: February 16, 1958 in Kwajalein Atoll, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (now known as Marshall Islands)

BEST KNOWN FOR: Actress Lisa Loring is, of course, best remembered for her portrayal of Wednesday Addams on the 1964 to 1966 fantasy sitcom The Addams Family, a role she reprised in the 1977 reunion film Halloween with the New Addams Family. Following the end of the series, she was made part of the cast of 1966’s The Pruitts of Southampton. Soap fans, of course, would recognize her as Cricket Montgomery on As the World Turns from 1980 to 1983. She was married four times and had two children. She passed on January 28th at 64 from a stroke.

Ben Masters

BORN: May 6, 1947

BEST KNOWN FOR: Ben Masters’ acting career began off-Broadway before moving to Broadway itself. Films and TV guest spots followed, but from 1999 to 2008 he portrayed Julian Crane on the soap Passions for a total of 749 episodes. He died January 11th at 75 from a combination of dementia and COVID-19.

David McCallum

BORN: September 19, 1933 in Glasgow, Scotland

BEST KNOWN FOR: In the 1960s David McCallum became a cult sensation as Russian secret agent Illya Kuryakin opposite Robert Vaughn’s Napoleon Solo on the James Bond-inspired The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Other series would include Colditz (1972 to 1974), The Invisible Man (1975 to 1976), Sapphire & Steel (1979 to 1982), Mother Love (1989), Trainer (1991 to 1992), VR-5 (1995), Team Knight Rider (1997 to 1998), The Education of Max Bickford (2001 to 2002), and NCIS (2003 to 2023). There were lots of movies as well, but that’s a heck of a TV resume! He married twice and had five kids. McCallum died on September 25th at 90 of natural causes.

Billy Miller

BORN: September 17, 1979 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

BEST KNOWN FOR: Billy Miller played Richie Novak on All My Children from 2007 to 2008 and Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless from 2008 to 2014. He died on September 15th due to suicide as a result of bipolar depression.

Richard Moll

BORN: January 13, 1943 in Pasadena, California

BEST KNOWN FOR: Another actor who worked constantly in film and television, but Richard Moll has largely been recognized for his role as Aristotle Nostradamus “Bull” Shannon on 193 episodes of the original Night Court between 1984 and 1992. Married twice, he had two children. Moll died on October 26th at 80.

Sinead O’Connor

BORN: December 8, 1966 in Dublin, Ireland

BEST KNOWN FOR: A singer, songwriter and activist, Sinead O’Connor’s activism oftentimes overshadowed her music (i.e. ripping up a photo of the Pope following a performance on Saturday Night Live). She recorded 10 studio albums between 1987’s The Lion and the Cobra and 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss. Married four times, she had four kids and died on July 26th at 56, cause of death unknown.

Ryan O’Neal

BORN: April 20, 1941 in Los Angeles

BEST KNOWN FOR: Ryan O’Neal’s acting career was launched with the primetime soap opera Peyton Place in 1964, though it was elevated to the next level in 1970 when he co-starred with Ali MacGrow in the romantic tear-jerker Love Story. He would follow that with an additional 30 film roles between 1971’s Wild Rovers and 2015’s Unity. His last recurring acting role on television, following quite a number of others, was as Max Keenan in 24 episodes of David Boreanaz’ Bones from 2006 to 2017. He was married a total of four times, twice to Farrah Fawcett, who he was with throughout her cancer battle. He has four children and died on December 8th at 82 of congestive heart failure.

Lara Parker

BORN: Born October 27, 1938 in Knoxville, Tennessee

BEST KNOWN FOR: Guest spots and movie roles aside, Lara Parker was remembered by several generations for her riveting performance of witch Angelique Bouchard, who was responsible for turning Jonathan Frid’s Barnabas Collins into a vampire on the daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. It was a role she reprised in the 1971 film Night of Dark Shadows. Lara was a frequent guest at conventions and wrote several Dark Shadows novels as well. Married twice, she had three children and passed away on October 12th at 84.

Matthew Perry

BORN: August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts

BEST KNOWN FOR: With Matthew Perry, in some ways things begin and end with his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the iconic sitcom Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004. There would be so many other performances, and a number of television shows that followed (The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and the new version of The Odd Couple among them), but it’s Friends above all else that people turn to. In his private life, Matthew waged a war against addiction that haunted him through much of it, chronicled in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. He died October 28th at 54 due to acute effects of ketamine.

Lisa Marie Presley

BORN: February 1, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee

BEST KNOWN FOR: Lisa Marie Presley is, of course, the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. She became sole heir of Elvis’ estate and was involved in turning Graceland into a true tourist attraction. She recorded three solo albums, as well as singles that featured her in a duet with her dad. She formed the Presley Charitable Foundation that gradually became The Presley Foundation Inc., which is designed as a public benefit and grantmaking foundation. She was married four times (including to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage) had four kids, one of whom Benjamin Keough, committed suicide. Lisa Marie herself died January 12th at 54 of a small bowel obstruction caused by bariatric surgery.

Paul Reubens

BORN: August 27, 1952 in Peekskill, New York

BEST KNOWN FOR: It feels dismissive to take a person like Paul Reubens and condense his life to one thing, but what’s more appropriate than recognizing the impact he made as his Pee Wee Herman persona on stage, in films and television? Oh, sure there were a lot of other appearances in those mediums, but it’s Pee Wee!! He died on July 30th at 70 of myelogenous leukemia and metastatic lung cancer.

Adam Rich

BORN: October 12, 1968 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Adam Rich touched America’s heart with his portrayal of Nicholas Bradford on ABC’s Eight is Enough from 1977 to 1981, but like a lot of child actors, he had a tough time taking childhood success and parlaying it into an adult career. There were some guest appearances and commercials, but he was mostly dealing with addiction issues, entering rehab three times while also getting a ticket for DUI. He died on January 7th at age 54 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.

Richard Roundtree

BORN: July 9, 1942 in New Rochelle, New York

BEST KNOWN FOR: Richard Roundtree appeared in 70 movies, dozens of TV shows and four stage shows, but when he passed away one word came to everyone’s lips: “Shaft!” He made such an impression as private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film, it led to a pair of sequels, a short-lived TV show and a series of remake films in which he plays the father to Samuel L. Jackson’s John Shaft Jr. Married twice with five kids, he passed on October 24th at 81 of pancreatic cancer.

Arleen Sorkin

BORN: October 14, 1955 in Washington, D.C.

BEST KNOWN FOR: Arleen Sorkin is the one who created the voice for the Batman-related character Harley Quinn on Batman: The Animated Series from the ’90s, which inspired everything that’s followed in both animation and live action. Additionally, she was Calliope Jones on Days of Our Lives from 1984 to 1990, then again in 1992, 2006 and 2010 for a total of 427 episodes. She married TV producer Christopher Lloyd in 1995 and they had two children. She died August 24th at age 67 of pneumonia and multiple sclerosis.

Tom Smothers

BORN: February 2, 1937 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Tom Smothers was, of course, one-half of the Smothers Brothers act with younger sibling Dick. Probably the peak of their fame was when they served as hosts of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from 1965 to 1966, which was completely mired in controversy due to the brothers’ intent to keep the humor topical. Tom was married three timers and had three kids. He died December 26th at 86 of lung cancer.

Suzanne Somers

BORN: October 16, 1946 in San Bruno, California

BEST KNOWN FOR: Just for starters insofar as Suzanne Somers is concerned, there’s Chrissy Snow on ’70s sensation Three’s Company (1977 to 1981), and subsequent series She’s the Sheriff (1987 to 1989) and Step by Step (1991 to 1998). On top of that is the fact that she wrote 25 books, among them four diet books, two autobiographies and a book of poetry; and her ventures as a businesswoman. Health wise, she had hyperplasia while in her 20s, skin cancer in her 30s, in 2000 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought valiantly — sometimes controversially — to regain her health. On October 15th she lost the battle after having been diagnosed with hydrocephalus. She was just shy of turning 77. Suzanne was married twice, but she’d been with second husband Alan Hamel since 1977.

Inga Swenson

BORN: December 29, 1932 in Omaha, Nebraska

BEST KNOWN FOR: Television audiences knew her as Gretchen Kraus, the German cook on the sitcom Benson, for which she was nominated for three Emmy Awards. However, it was the theatrical world that truly recognized all of her talents as she appeared in more than 20 shows and national tours for My Three Angels, Carousel and 100 in the Shade. She was married to Lowell Harris since 1953 and has two kids. She died on July 23, 2023 at age 90.

Tina Turner

BORN: November 26, 1939 in Tennessee

BEST KNOWN FOR: Tina Turner was the trifecta of singer, songwriter and actress, given the nickname the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Her rise to fame came with husband Ike Turner, but as their marriage fell apart she embarked on a highly successful solo career. Hit songs have included “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me,” “Private Dancer,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome),” and the James Bond theme “GoldenEye.” Her film roles include the Who’s Tommy (1975) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). She was married twice and had four kids. She passed on May 24th at age 83 from the results of intestinal cancer.

Raquel Welch

BORN: September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois

BEST KNOWN FOR: Arguably one of the greatest sex symbols of the 1960s and ’70s, Raquel Welch also lit up the movie screen with films like Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. (both 1966), Hannie Caulder (1971), The Three Musketeers (1974) and Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976). She impressed people with a series of TV variety specials, and would even go on to Broadway, filling in for Lauren Bacall for two weeks on Woman of the Year in 1981. In 1997, she returned to the stage in Victor/Victoria, and would continue to make appearances on film and in TV. Married four times, she has two children and died on February 15th at 82 of cardiac arrest.

Peter White

BORN: October 10, 1937 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Peter White was greeted with critical acclaim for his portrayal of Alan McCarthey in an off-Broadway production of The Boys in the Band in 1968, and would join the rest of the cast in director William Friedkin’s film version in 1970. Over the course of 30 years he would play the part of Lincoln ‘Linc’ Tyler, son of Phoebe Tyler, a dozen times on the soap opera All My Children, and appeared on many series as a guest star. He died November 1st at 86 of melanoma.

Cindy Williams

BORN: August 22, 1947 in Van Nuys, California

BEST KNOWN FOR: One of Cindy Williams’ earliest roles was one of her biggest, playing Laurie Henderson opposite Ron Howard in George Lucas’ hit American Graffiti. This would eventually inspire producer Garry Marshall to cast her opposite his sister, Penny, in ’70s hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley, which she was on from 1976 to 1982. Subsequent series would include Normal Life (1990) and Getting By (1993 to 1994). Additionally, she appeared on a wide number of different shows as a guest star and in films. She was married once and had two children. Shirley died on January 25th at 75.

Treat Williams

BORN: December 1, 1951 in Stamford, Connecticut

BEST KNOWN FOR: Treat Williams earned early acclaim for his roles in the movie version of Hair and Steven Spielberg’s big screen comedy 1941, both released in 1979 and has worked consistently since then in both film and television. in terms of the latter, he recently starred as Mick O’Brien on the Hallmark series Chesapeake Shores from 2016 to 2022. He was married to Pan Van Sant since 1988 and had two children. He tragically passed away on June 12th at 71, victim in a. motorcycle crash, the driver of a Honda Element striking him.

Burt Young

BORN: April 30, 1940 in New York City

BEST KNOWN FOR: Between movies, TV shows and television movies, Burt Young has hundreds of credits to his name. But what do most people remember him for? Naturally it’s playing Paulie Pennino, brother-in-law to Rocky Balboa and brother of Adrian in the first six films featuring the Italian Stallion between 1976’s Rocky and 2006’s Rocky Balboa. “Yo, Burt,” Rocky might say, “we’re sorry, but the universe decides these things for us, you know?” Married once, he had one kid and died on October 8th at 83 of cardiac arrest.

Jacklyn Zeman

BORN: March 6, 1963 in Englewood, New Jersey

BEST KNOWN FOR: The soap world loses yet another legend in 2023. Jacklyn Zeman made one appearance in 1976 on The Edge of Night, was a series regular from 1976 to 1977 as Lana McClain on One Life to Live and was Bobbie Spender on General Hospital from 1977 to 2010 and then again from 2013 to 2023. Just an incredible run! The mother of two, she died on May 9th at 70 of what’s described as a short battle with cancer.