TV Stars Who Died In 2017
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JAY THOMAS
Sitcom veteran Thomas died in August at age 69 after a battle with cancer. He was best known for his recurring roles on Cheers (as Carla's husband, Eddie LeBec) and Murphy Brown (as talk show host Jerry Gold). Recent TV credits included NCIS: New Orleans, Bones and Ray Donovan.
TV-MDA Telethon, Los Angeles, USA
JERRY LEWIS
Legendary entertainer Lewis died in August at age 91 from natural causes. The comedian earned fame as one-half of the iconic duo Martin & Lewis, before kicking off a robust television and film career. He hosted the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon from 1966 to 2010, raising more than $2.45 billion over 44 years and earning Lewis a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 1977.
'COLLECTORMANIA' FANS CONVENTION, MILTON KEYNES, BRITAIN - MAY 2005
DEBORAH WATLING
Watling died in July at age 69 of lung cancer. After getting her big break in 1967, when she was cast as Victoria Waterfield, the companion to Patrick Troughton's Doctor on the original incarnation of Doctor Who, she went on to appear in countless TV shows throughout the '70s and '80s.
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HARVEY ATKIN
Atkin, best known for his role as Desk Sgt. Ronald Coleman on Cagney and Lacey, died in July at age 74 after a battle with cancer. In addition to his voice work on ALF and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Atkin's TV credits included Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Suits.
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JOHN BERNECKER
In July, the Walking Dead stuntman sustained severe head injuries after falling 20 feet onto a concrete floor during production on Season 8 of the AMC drama, and succumbed to his injuries a day later. Bernecker was 33 at the time of his death; he also had worked on such series as The Vampire Diaries, Scream Queens and Into the Badlands.
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JOHN HEARD
Heard, familiar to many as the father of Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in Home Alone, died in July at age 72 following a heart attack. His TV credits included Prison Break, NCIS: Los Angeles and an Emmy-nominated turn on The Sopranos.
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JUNE FORAY
Foray, best known for voicing Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, died in July at age 99 after a 2015 car accident caused declining health. She also lent her voice to How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Twilight Zone, among other programs, and received an Emmy in 2014 for her work as Mrs. Cauldron on The Garfield Show.
Netflix FYSee event, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 07 May 2017
MARTIN LANDAU
Following a brief stay at UCLA Medical Center, the Oscar winner (for 1995's Ed Wood) died of unexpected complications in July at age 89. After nabbing a 1968 Golden Globe for his portrayal of master of disguise Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible, the actor reteamed with then-wife Barbara Bain for the mid-'70s sci-fi series Space: 1999.
True Blood - 2008
NELSAN ELLIS
The True Blood alumnus — who'd brought to life flamboyant badass Lafayette Reynolds for all seven of the HBO series' seasons — died of heart failure at age 39 in July. He'd also appeared on Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, and had been a series regular on Elementary during its fifth season.
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SAM SHEPARD
Shepard, who last appeared in Netflix's Bloodline before his death, died in July at age 73 from ALS. He was also an accomplished film actor, earning an Oscar nod for 1983's The Right Stuff, and a prolific playwright, receiving the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Buried Child.
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ADAM WEST
The Bat-Signal was dimmed in June when West, who'd played the Caped Crusader in ABC's 1966-68 Batman series, died in the wake of a short battle with leukemia. On top of his decades of episodic work (on everything from Perry Mason to The Big Bang Theory), he'd been providing the voice of Family Guy's Mayor "Adam West" since 2000.
'The Joneses' film premiere, Los Angeles, America - 08 Apr 2010
GLENNE HEADLY
The Emmy-nominated actress died in June at the age of 63. Known for film roles like Dick Tracy and Mr. Holland's Opus, Headly earned Emmy nods for her roles in Lonesome Dove and Bastard Out of Carolina; her other TV credits included ER, Monk and The Night Of.
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STEPHEN FURST
The St. Elsewhere star passed away in June following complications from diabetes; he was 62 years old. Rising to fame as fraternity pledge "Flounder" in the comedy classic Animal House, Furst went on to play Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. Elsewhere and Vir Cotto on Babylon 5.
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POWERS BOOTHE
The Deadwood actor died in May of natural causes at the age of 68. In addition to playing saloon owner Cy Tolliver on the HBO Western, Boothe won an Emmy for the 1980 miniseries Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and had prominent roles on 24, Nashville, Hatfields & McCoys and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hollywood Reporter 35 Most Powerful People in Media event, New York, America - 08 Apr 2015
ROGER AILES
The Fox News chairman and CEO passed away in May following complications from a blood clot; he was 77 years old. A former media consultant to Republican presidents, Ailes helped launch the Fox News channel in 1996, building it into a cable-news powerhouse over the next two decades.
Live and Let Die - 1973
ROGER MOORE
The former James Bond actor died in May after a battle with cancer; he was 89 years old. Along with his seven films starring as the iconic British spy in the '70s and '80s, Moore also played the title role in the 1960s TV series The Saint.
'Sleepover' Film premiere, Los Angeles, America - 27 Jun 2004
BRAD BUFANDA
Bufanda, best known to TV audiences as biker gang member Felix Toombs on Veronica Mars, died in November at age 34 of suicide. In addition to guest spots on such shows as CSI: Miami and Boston Public, Toombs was a series regular on Cinemax's rom-com Co-Ed Confidential, which ran from 2007 to 2010.
David Cassidy in concert, Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, America - 11 Jan 2015
DAVID CASSIDY
Cassidy, who rose to fame in the 1970s as The Partridge Family's Keith, died in November at age 67 from organ failure. His multi-decade career as an actor and musician included an Emmy nomination for his role in Police Story and numerous guest appearances; his last TV credit was a 2013 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
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DELLA REESE
Reese, who played Touched By an Angel's Tess for the CBS drama's entire run, died in November at home in California. She was 86. The gospel and R&B singer had a long TV career that included parts on MacGyver, Designing Women, That's So Raven and The Young and the Restless.
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EARLE HYMAN
Hyman died in November at age 91 from an undisclosed cause. He was best known for playing Cliff Huxtable's father, Russell, in The Cosby Show, which earned him a 1986 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. In addition to his roles on TV, he earned a Tony Award in 1980 for his work in Edward Albee's The Lady From Dubuque.
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JIM NABORS
Nabors, 87, passed away in November at age 87. To American TV audiences, he was Gomer Pyle, a character that was supposed to appear in only one episode of The Andy Griffith Show but wound up recurring for 23 episodes. Nabors' character eventually got his own spinoff, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which ran for five seasons. Nabors later headlined The Jim Nabors Hour variety show and The Jim Nabors Show talk show.
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JOHN DUNSWORTH
Dunsworth died in October at age 71 after battling a short illness. Best known for the Canadian mockumentary series Trailer Park Boys, where he played drunken trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey, Dunsworth also appeared on Syfy's Haven and several Canadian TV series.
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MYCHAEL KNIGHT
Knight, a fan-favorite Project Runway contestant, died in October at age 39 after suffering from intestinal issues. Knight finished in fourth place on Season 3 of Runway and went on to launch his own fashion label, later appearing on the All-Star Challenge special and on Season 3 of Project Runway All-Stars, where he finished in eighth place.
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RALPHIE MAY
May, who launched his comedy career on Last Comic Standing, died in October at age 45 from cardiac arrest after a battle with pneumonia. After finishing in second place on the NBC series, May went on to film several stand-up specials for Comedy Central and Netflix; his last TV appearance was a September episode of Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
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ROBERT GUILLAUME
The Emmy-winning Guillaume passed away in October at age 89 of complications from prostate cancer. In the 1970s and '80s, he starred in ABC's Soap and its spinoff Benson. He later appeared in Sports Night, CSI, 8 Simple Rules and Moesha.
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ROY DOTRICE
Dotrice, most recently known as Game of Thrones pyromancer Hallyne, died in October at age 94. His TV credits include Beauty and the Beast, Angel and Picket Fences.
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FRANK VINCENT
Vincent, best known for playing mob boss Phil Leotardo on The Sopranos, died in September at the age of 78 following complications from heart surgery. His career spanned both film (Goodfellas, Casino) and television (NYPD Blue; Walker, Texas Ranger).
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HARRY DEAN STANTON
Stanton died in September at age 91 of natural causes. His six-decade career in Hollywood featured a number of film roles, including Pretty in Pink, Cool Hand Luke and Alien. On television, he was best known as Big Love's self-proclaimed prophet Roman Grant; before his death, he reprised his Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me role in a handful of Showtime's Twin Peaks revival episodes.
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HUGH HEFNER
Playboy magazine founder Hefner died in September at age 91 from natural causes. He guest-starred as himself on myriad TV series throughout the years, including Laverne & Shirley, The Simpsons, Sex and the City and Entourage. He also starred in the E! reality show The Girls Next Door.
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MONTY HALL
Game show icon Hall died in September at age 96 from heart failure. Best known for co-creating and hosting the original Let's Make a Deal, Hall also headlined such game shows as The Hollywood Squares and Password All-Stars.
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MARK LA MURA
La Mura — best known for playing Erica Kane's half bother Mark Dalton on and off for decades on All My Children — passed away in September at age 68. His other television credits include appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation, L.A. Law, 30 Rock and Damages.
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SHELLEY BERMAN
Berman, who received an Emmy nod for his work as Larry's father on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died in September at age 92 from complications from Alzheimer's disease. His TV resumé also included roles on Boston Legal, Entourage and Grey's Anatomy, among others; his final small-screen appearance was a 2012 episode of Hawaii Five-0.
Mudcrutch in concert at The Fillmore, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America - 07 Jun 2016
TOM PETTY
When the legendary rocker took his final bow in October at age 66, it wasn't just music fans who mourned. In his five-decade career, the three-time Grammy winner had also voiced the role of Luanne's husband Lucky on Fox's King of the Hill and played himself in episodes of The Larry Sanders Show and The Simpsons.
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ROBERT MICHAEL MORRIS
The co-star of HBO's The Comeback passed away in May at the age of 77. Morris was best known for starring alongside Lisa Kudrow in the acclaimed comedy as Mickey, the flamboyant hairdresser/best friend of D-list actress Valerie Cherish.
Film and Television
RICHARD ANDERSON
Anderson died in August at age 91 of natural causes. Best known for playing handler Oscar Goldman on The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, he also appeared in such shows as Gunsmoke, Knight Rider and Dynasty.
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JOHN HILLERMAN
Hillerman died in November at age 84 from heart disease. He won an Emmy and Golden Globe for his work as estate caretaker Higgins on Magnum, P.I. His other TV roles included One Day at a Time, The Love Boat and The Hogan Family, before retiring from acting in 1999.
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CHARLIE MURPHY
The comedian and Chappelle's Show co-star died in April after a battle with leukemia; he was 57 years old. Murphy is best remembered for his Chappelle's Show appearances, telling outrageous "True Hollywood Stories" about his encounters with Rick James and Prince.
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DOROTHY MENGERING
David Letterman's mother, who made many memorable appearances on her son's Late Show, died in April at the age of 95. Mengering became a fan favorite while serving as a Late Show "correspondent" during the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Fox Reality Channel Really Awards at The Avalon Club, Hollywood, Los Angeles, America - 24 Sep 2008
ERIN MORAN
Moran was 56 years old when cancer claimed her life in April. In her Hollywood heyday, the actress not only played Joanie Cunningham on the long-running ABC hitcom Happy Days but on her own short-lived spinoff with leading man Scott Baio, Joanie Loves Chachi.
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PETER HANSEN
A 1979 Daytime Emmy winner for his work as Scotty Baldwin's alcoholic adoptive father Lee on General Hospital, Hansen passed away in April at the age of 95. In addition to his decades-long run on GH, the veteran actor starred on the ABC soap's spinoff, Port Charles.
Al Jarreau in concert at the 10th Gru Village in Turin, Italy - 19 Jul 2015
AL JARREAU
The legendary jazz and R&B singer/seven-time Grammy winner was 76 at the time of his death in February. He was perhaps best known to TV audiences for writing the lyrics and performing the theme to Moonlighting, though he dabbled in acting by playing the Rev. Gentry on Touched by an Angel and its spinoff, Promised Land.
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ALAN COLMES
The veteran broadcaster and liberal political commentator died in February following a brief illness. He was 66. He co-hosted Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes opposite Sean Hannity from 1996 to 2008.
NAACP Image Awards, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 11 Feb 2017
BILL PAXTON
Paxton, who played polygamist patriarch Bill Henrickson on HBO's Big Love, died in February due to complications from surgery. He was 61. At the time, he was starring in CBS' Training Day. Though known for his roles in movies like Aliens and Twister, his memorable TV appearances included Hatfields & McCoys and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
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JUDGE JOSEPH WAPNER
The man who presided over The People's Court from its launch in 1981 until its revamp in 1993 died in February at age 97.
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NEIL FINGLETON
The 7'7" Fingleton, best known to TV audiences as Mag the Mighty on Game of Thrones, died in February of heart failure. The 36-year-old former professional basketball player also played The Fisher King on Doctor Who.
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RICHARD HATCH
Hatch, Apollo on the original, late-1970s Battlestar Galactica, died in February at the age of 71 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Besides ABC's cult-classic sci-fi series, he also starred on All My Children as Phillip Brent and famously replaced Michael Douglas on The Streets of San Francisco.
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WARREN FROST
Frost, like his Twin Peaks co-star Miguel Ferrer, died this year after shooting his part in Showtime's revival of the quirky crime series. He passed away in February following a long illness. In addition to playing Peaks' Dr. Will Hayward, he also had a memorable recurring role on Seinfeld as Susan's father and appeared on series including Matlock, The Larry Sanders Show and Quantum Leap.
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BARBARA HALE
Where would Perry Mason have been without his faithful secretary Della Street, the role Hale made her own during the CBS legal drama's nine-season run? Hale died in January at age 94.
Command and Control
MIGUEL FERRER
Ferrer, who was starring on NCIS: Los Angeles at the time of his death, died in January at age 61 after a long battle with cancer. He also was known for his roles on Crossing Jordan and Twin Peaks; his last turn as Rosenfield became part of Showtime's Twin Peaks revival, which aired later this year.
Rome Film Festival John Hurt Red Carpet, Rome, Italy
JOHN HURT
Hurt died in January after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The 77-year-old actor's career included appearing in episodes of Doctor Who and the BBC's 1976 miniseries I, Cladius, as well as voicing The Great Dragon on BBC One's Merlin.
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MARY TYLER MOORE
The star of The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show died in January. She was 80. Moore was a multiple Emmy winner who also starred in a number of TV movies, including Stolen Babies and Mary and Rhoda, in which she and Valerie Harper reprised their Mary Tyler Moore Show roles.
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MIKE CONNORS
Connors, best known for his titular role in the long-running CBS procedural Mannix, died in January of leukemia at age 91. He won a Golden Globe in 1969 for playing the rogue private eye Joe Mannix, a part he held for all eights seasons of the series.
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CHUCK BARRIS
The creator and host of The Gong Show died in March at age 87 of natural causes. The so-called "King of Schlock" and "Baron of Bad Taste" also created The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game.
Regis Philbin and Don Rickles at Weldbend-IPD Breakfast at Bellagio, Las Vegas, America - 10 Sep 2014
DON RICKLES
The legendary comedian passed away in April of kidney failure; he was 90 years old. In addition to his long stand-up career, Rickles made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, and guest-starred on Hot in Cleveland, The Larry Sanders Show and Murphy Brown.
'Funny Girl' 45th anniversary film screening, 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival, Los Angeles, America - 25 Apr 2013
ROBERT OSBORNE
Turner Classic Movies host Osborne was the cable channel's primary on-air talent from its inception. He introduced classic films to TCM's audience, often speaking with major stars who co-hosted with him or were interviewed by him. He died in March at age 84.
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CHRISTOPHER "BIG BLACK" BOYKIN
The Rob & Big star passed away in May at the age of 45. Boykin starred opposite pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek on their MTV reality series from 2006 to 2008, then went on to appear with Dyrdek on Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness.