It's often distressing to hear about the death
of a famous actor. Their passings can evoke the feeling of an
end to an era, as once-vital, charismatic performers head offstage for good after a
final bow. These actors made us laugh, made us cry, and
made us feel - and many of them seem like they're gone too soon. Let's remember some of the actors that we've
lost in 2018. Verne Troyer Verne Troyer, best known as the actor who
plays Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies, died of alcohol poisoning on April 21 at the
age of 49. Troyer, who stood at 2 feet, 8 inches, was
born with achondroplasia dwarfism - a condition that often results in undersized arms and
legs. He grew up in an Amish community in Michigan
and achieved fame when he debuted opposite Mike Myers in 1999's Austin Powers: The Spy
Who Shagged Me. Troyer had more than 50 acting credits to
his name, with roles including Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and
Coach Punch Cherkov in The Love Guru. A message announcing his death posted to his
Facebook page said, "Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy,
and laugh." Stefán Karl Stefánsson Stefán Karl Stefánsson, an Icelandic actor
most known for his role as Robbie Rotten on the TV series Lazy Town, died on August 21
among his friends and family following a years-long battle with cancer of the bile duct. He was 43 years old. As an actor, Stefánsson was most readily
identifiable with his work on the popular children's series, which aired in more than
100 countries, and on which he starred for more than ten years. A huge portion of his notoriety came from
a popular meme that sprung from the series, based on the exuberant musical number "We
Are Number One." "We are number one, hey!" Whatever its ironic roots may have been, the
appreciation for Stefánsson grew deeply in online meme communities over the years, and
he showed much appreciation to fans in return. He is survived by his wife and four children
- and he is forever number one. Jackson Odell Jackson Odell, an actor, musician, and songwriter,
was found dead in his home on June 8th, according to a report by TMZ. 20 years old, he died
of an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine. Odell began his acting career at the age of
11, making his debut on the series Private Practice. He landed his first major part in the 2011
feature Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, going on to make appearances on iCarly, Modern
Family, and Arrested Development. As an actor, Odell is most known to audiences
for his work on The Goldbergs, where he played recurring character Ari Caldwell. In recent years, Odell's work had pivoted
toward a role as a singer-songwriter, with several of his compositions appearing on the
soundtracks to the 2016 movie Great Plains and the 2018 release Forever My Girl. Jon Schnepp Jon Schnepp, a writer, director, editor and
animator known for his many contributions to Adult Swim programming, died on July 19th
from complications following a massive stroke. He was 51. Primarily known for his work on Metalocalypse,
Schnepp also occasionally contributed to that series and others as a voice actor, with his
other appearances including Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast. He directed several documentaries, including
The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?. He was also an on-camera personality for entertainment
website Collider, appearing as a panelist on Collider Movie Talk and hosting Collider
Heroes. Anthony Bourdain Anthony Bourdain, a writer, presenter, producer
and performer who helped shape the way we see international food culture, took his own
life on June 8th in France during the production of his CNN travelogue series Parts Unknown. He was 61. Bourdain rose to prominence in 2000 on the
back of his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. His unapologetic attitude and confessional
style helped endear him to a wide audience, with the book being adapted into a television
series in 2005. That show, also called Kitchen Confidential,
starred Bradley Cooper as a "bad boy chef" based on Bourdain himself. Bourdain grew to be a charismatic presence
on the international food scene as he began appearing on television as the host of several
shows, including A Cook's Tour, No Reservations, and The Layover. His notoriety also led to winking cameo appearances,
with Bourdain appearing as himself in the 2015 film The Big Short. He also lent his voice to characters inspired
by him in the animated series Archer and Sanjay and Craig. He was decorated with awards from the entertainment
industry for his work, earning five Emmys and a Peabody Award. Pamela Gidley Model-turned-actress Pamela Gidley passed
away at the age of 52 on April 16th, dying peacefully of natural causes. Gidley's debut role was in the 1986 skateboarding
movie Thrashin', in which she appeared alongside Josh Brolin and childhood friend Sherilyn
Fenn, who would later play Audrey on the series Twin Peaks. Early in her career, Gidley appeared in the
cult sci-fi comedy movie Cherry 2000, playing a lifelike android designed to be "the perfect
mate." She went on to have her own notable role in
the 1992 Twin Peaks prequel feature Fire Walk With Me, appearing as the first victim of
the killer who would later haunt the series. She also had a regular role on the buddy cop
series Angel Street and starred on the mystery series Strange Luck. with later roles including
work on The Pretender, CSI, and Skin. Her last credited role is Twin Peaks: The
Missing Pieces, a long-lost compilation of extended and deleted scenes from Fire Walk
With Me. Mickey Jones Mickey Jones, a musician and character actor
known for his roles in Home Improvement and Justified, died on February 7th at the age
of 76. Jones worked as an entertainer since his teenage
years, working as a drummer with the likes of Trini Lopez, Bob Dylan, and Kenny Rogers
and The First Edition. He began pivoting to an acting career in the
late '60s; by 1976, Jones was a full-time actor, and went on to appear in a number of
TV shows and movies including The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, The Dukes of Hazzard,
and The Incredible Hulk. Jones' regular role on Home Improvement as
construction worker Pete Bilker made use of both his talents, with the character playing
the drums in a company band. He also had a recurring role in Justified,
playing marijuana distributor Rodney "Hot Rod" Dunham. His film roles include Tin Cup, Total Recall,
and Sling Blade, in which he also put his drumming talents to use. His final roles include the NBC comedy series
Growing Up Fisher and a 2015 appearance in the Adult Swim comedy Newsreaders. Leon White Professional wrestler Leon Allen White, better
known as Vader, died on June 18 from complications from pneumonia after a years-long battle with
congestive heart failure. He was 63. Also known as Baby Bull and Big Van Vader,
White rose to prominence in wrestling during the early '90s, coming into his own as a formidable
heel who entered rings with a distinctive and imposing dark helmet. Like many wrestlers, White occasionally took
his charismatic performing talents to more mainstream productions, appearing on episodes
of Baywatch and Boy Meets World. His character also appeared in a WCW-themed
comic book series published by Marvel Comics. In November 2016, White was diagnosed with
congestive heart failure and given less than two years to live. He faced the development as only a professional
wrestler would, selling T-shirts with slogans such as "Big Vader Just Won't Die" and "2
Years to Live My Ass." He is survived by two children, including
the second-generation professional wrestler Jesse White, who is also known by the stage
name of Jake Carter. Stanley Anderson Stage and screen actor Stanley Anderson died
on June 24th at his home in Santa Rosa, California at the age of 78, six weeks after receiving
a diagnosis of brain cancer. Anderson was born in 1939 in Billings, Montana. While he would go on to leave his mark on
a number of TV shows and movies, he didn't segue into onscreen work until he was already
a practiced veteran of the stage. His career on screen began in the 1990s with
appearances on such series as The Drew Carey Show, The Practice, and NYPD Blue. Among his more notable performances was his
role as the judge in the widely seen series finale of Seinfeld, and as an early adversary
of the Green Goblin in the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man. In addition to his work as a performer, Anderson
was also a voiceover talent, reading scripts for documentaries on National Geographic,
Discovery, TLC, PBS, and the History Channel. He also lent his voice to nationwide advertisements
for Democratic party candidates and causes. According to his family, quote, "He was most
proud, ultimately, of the part he played in politics." Robert Mandan Robert Mandan, an actor who held a consistent
presence on television for more than four decades, died on April 29th in Los Angeles
following a long period of illness. He was 86 years old. Born in Missouri in 1932, Mandan appeared
on a number of soap operas throughout his career, such as General Hospital, Santa Barbara,
and Days of Our Lives. But his most acclaimed role was on the parody
sitcom Soap, which ran from 1977 to 1981. Beyond Soap, Mandan appeared on the sitcom
Three's Company, continuing on to that show's 1984 spin-off Three's a Crowd. His other notable television roles include
turns on Married… With Children, Sanford and Son, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - among
many, many more over a long and robust career. Eunice Gayson Eunice Gayson, who helped establish a cinematic
tradition as the first "Bond girl" of the James Bond film series, died on June 8th at
the age of 90. Gayson's most well-known role remains her
turn as Sylvia Trench in Dr. No and From Russia with Love, from which she became connected
to one of the all-time classic lines in cinema. Introducing herself as "Trench, Sylvia Trench,"
her character prompted the immortal introduction of Sean Connery's MI6 agent, "Bond, James
Bond." Her performance as a capable foil for Bond
established a template for the movies that's still in use today. After her turn in the Bond series, Gayson
continued to act on-screen until 1972, after which she exclusively performed on-stage. She is survived by a daughter, Kate, who followed
up on her mother's James Bond legacy with an appearance in the 1995 film GoldenEye. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal
thoughts, please call or chat online with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
1-800-273-TALK. That's 1-800-273-8255. If you or someone you know is struggling with
addiction, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's 24/7 National
Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. That number again is 1-800-662-4357.
