Actors Who’ve Died in 2021 So Far

2021 has already seen the loss of a number of hollywood stars from screen legends of bygone eras to the people who were still in their prime that we said goodbye to way too soon these are the actors we lost in 2021. new york-born actor jafet koto who appeared opposite roger moore as a corrupt caribbean politician in the james bond film live and let die and later played engineer dennis parker in ridley scott's 1979 sci-fi flick alien died in the philippines in march 2021 his wife confirmed the news in a facebook post writing you played a villain on some of your movies but for me you're a real hero a good man a good father a good husband and a decent human being he was 81. koto made his movie debut aged 23 in nothing but a man a film about a black couple dealing with racial discrimination in 1960s alabama his sheer size led to him being cast in a variety of hard man roles in the years that followed something that always bothered him he once told the baltimore sun and want to try to play a much more sensitive man there is an aspect of black people's lives that is not running or jumping other notable credits include the stephen king adaptation the running man in which koto fought for his freedom alongside arnold schwarzenegger and the 90's police procedural series homicide life on the street award-winning actress jessica walter who won an emmy for her turn as a san francisco cop in ironside spin-off amy prentice and became known to later generations for playing lucille bluth in arrested development and voicing mallory archer in archer died in her sleep in march 2021 daughter brook bowman said in a statement a working actor for over six decades her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off while her legacy will live on through her body of work she will also be remembered by many for her wit class and overall joy de verve she was 80 years old the new york-born walter began her career on broadway and quickly started turning heads picking up the clarence darwin award for most promising newcomer for her work in the show photo finish she continued to impress after making the move to the big screen where walter played clint eastwood's knife-wielding ex-girlfriend in the actor's directorial debut 1971's play misty for me earning a golden globe nomination in the process she was up for multiple enemies over the course of her career including for arrested development i don't have the milk of mother's kindness in me anymore yeah that otter's been dry for a while though hasn't it kind of british character actor paul ritter who went praise for his powerful performance in hbo's golden globe winning mini-series chernobyl died of a brain tumor in april 2021 at the age of 54. rita was well known in theater communities on both sides of the atlantic having been nominated for both an olivier award and a tony award in his time he made his on-screen bow in 1992 with an appearance in a long-running police procedure called the bill he went on to carve out a career as a prolific tv actor alongside his appearance in chernobyl his best known performance came in the british sitcom friday night dinner where he played oddball dad martin goodman robert popper creator of friday night dinner said that he was devastated at this terribly sad news in a tribute tweet paul was a lovely wonderful human being kind funny super caring and the greatest actor i ever worked with grammy nominated rapper and actor dmx whose songs regularly broke the billboard hot 100 in the late 90s and early north died after being hospitalized in april 2021. he was rushed to a critical care unit following a drug overdose but ultimately passed away at the age of 50. born earl simmons in mount vernon new york dmx spent much of his childhood in the care system after being removed from his physically abusive mother he began developing his gritty stage persona darkman x during his time and he remained true to his name as his peers started to gravitate towards designer labels and smoother beats songs like what's my name and party up up in here had made him a star come the turn of the millennium and hollywood soon came calling dmx appeared in a string of action movies around this time for example there was 2000's romeo must die a martial arts heavy shakespeare transplant starring jet li and aaliyah and then dmx headlined in 2001's exit wounds and 2003's cradle to the grave alongside steven seagal and jet li respectively he never walked away from acting and he was still active in the industry at the time of his death british actress helen mccrory best known for her terms as narcissa malfoy in the harry potter movies and aunt polly in all five series of peaky blinders died in april 2021 she was 52. mccrory was born in london but moved to cameroon and then tanzania with her diplomat dad when she was just a toddler she returned to the uk for her studies and after a year in italy she enrolled at drama center london she made her tv debut in 1993 and appeared in her first movie the kate beckinsale led thriller uncovered the following year she went on to appear in films like the count of monte cristo helen mirrens the queen and the james bond installment skyfall but she never lost touch with her theatre roots olympia dukakis the star of the stage and screen who won an oscar for her turn as cher's meddling mother in hit 80s rom-com moonstruck died in may 2021. her brother confirmed in a facebook post she was 89 a daughter of greek immigrants dukakis was born in massachusetts and attended boston university where she mastered in performing arts she met actor producer louis zorich after moving to new york and they would tie the knot in 1962 the year she made her debut by the mid-1960s she had two obie awards to her name and was well on her way to becoming a respected broadway star though she'll likely be remembered by most for her work on the screen dukakis was named best supporting actress at both the academy awards and the golden globes for her performance as rose castorini in moonstruck sally field who worked with dukakis on steel magnolias called her quote unique and talented and one-of-a-kind in her own tribute beloved hollywood veteran norman lloyd who was one of the oldest living actors in the business died in may 2021 at the age of 106. the new jersey born brooklyn reyes lloyd got his first break in 1932 when he was a student at new york university he would eventually end up working with orson welles playing cena the poet in wells famous adaptation of julius caesar his first film alfred hitchcock's saboteur soon followed the hit spy thriller was the beginning of a long-lasting professional relationship between hitchcock and lloyd he went on to produce and or direct over 250 episodes of alfred hitchcock presents and the alfred hitchcock in the 50s and 60s lloyd was nominated for a prime time emmy for his work on the tv movie steam bath in the seventies and in the following decade he became known for nbc medical drama saint elsewhere appearing as daniel auslander between 1982 and 1988. other notable roles include peter weir's dead poets society martin scorsese the age of innocence and charlie chaplin's limelight comedian and actor paul mooney who regularly collaborated with richard pryor in the 1970s and 80s and later became known for his work on in living color and chappelle show died of a heart attack in may 2021 he was 79. mooney met prior at a party in the late 1960s and the pair quickly hit it off they ended up pending an episode of samford and son together and would collaborate many more times in the years that followed including on the variety series the richard pryor show the stand-up film richard pryor live on the sunset strip and on prior's biographical vehicle jojo dancer your life is calling mooney brought his patented style of comedy to kenyan ivory wayans in living color in the 90s coming up with characters like homey d clown and in the following decade he became a writer on another hit sketch show chappelle's show mooney also appeared on screen in chappelle's show playing characters such as a very opinionated movie critic and a nostradamus parody notable big screen credits include the buddy holly story in which he played seminal singer sam cook spike leaves bamboozled and the mike epps led comedy meet the blacks mooney's final film former child actor kevin clark who played percussionist turned drummer freddie jones in the jack black film school of rock died after being hit by a motorist in may 2021 clark was riding his bicycle in his home city of chicago when he was struck by a car he was pronounced dead at illinois masonic medical center around 45 minutes later he was 32. clark landed his part in richard linklater's school of rock his one and only acting credit after he tagged along with a friend to the auditions his mother alison clark told the chicago sometimes he just kind of shined he took it on right away but he never really acted afterward he did however keep the music up clark went on to play in a number of bands in the chicago area and even taught some classes robbie goldberg who played with clark in the band robbie gold said he was motivated and loved to write songs his hollywood career was short but clark was a standout performer in school of rock a cult favorite that spawned a broadway show and a tv adaptation he was photographed alongside co-star jack black as recently as 2018 and black said in an instagram tribute kevin is gone way too soon beautiful soul so many great memories heartbroken two-time tony award nominee samuel e wright most famous for his iconic portrayal of sebastian the crab in disney's a little mermaid died of prostate cancer in may 2021 deadline confirmed he was 74. a south carolina native began his career on broadway appearing in the original production of jesus christ superstar in 1971. he made his tv debut in 1976 and went on to land apart in 1988's bird the forest whitaker led biopic about jazz musician charlie parker he voiced king triton's fourth right advisor sebastian in disney's animated classic the little mermaid the following year a role he would reprise many times in tv spin-offs and related disney media he once told entertainment weekly sebastian has given me what i've always wanted as an actor and that's immortality as far as i'm concerned that's why i'm in the business i want the whole world to love me remember me forever wright got the chance to portray another iconic disney character when the lion king came to broadway in 1997 playing the role of simba's father mufasa veteran tv actor robert hogan died of complications from pneumonia in may 2021. he was 87. the new york-born actor served with the u.s army in korea and briefly trained as an engineer upon returning but an aptitude test told him that he was in the wrong field hogan secured a place at the american academy of dramatic arts and went on to become a stalwart on the small screen for many hogan was best known for his recurring roles on classic abc shows the young marrieds peyton's place and petticoat affair though younger viewers will no doubt remember him from his turn in hbo's the wire hogan portrayed louis sodbarka father and moral compass to pablo scribers nick sabatka in 4 2002 episodes of the hit show renowned character actor ned beatty who played ill-fated city boy bobby tripp in john borman's 1972 classic deliverance died of natural causes in june 2021. he was 83 a native of kentucky beatty made his acting debut in his late teens scoring a singing part in a local stage production he went on to feature in the original production of the great white hope which moved to broadway and ran until 1970. two years later beatty made his memorable and haunting movie debut and deliverance he would remain best known for borman's film but baiti's most celebrated performance actually came a few years after it he was nominated for best supporting actor for his work in sydney lumay's critically acclaimed black comedy network you have meddled with the primal forces of nature and i won't have it betty would go on to work with many more of hollywood's biggest directors including richard donner steven spielberg john cassavetes and robert altman ohio native lisa baines who was in 80s films cocktail and young girls and later appeared in gone girl and a cure for wellness died after a hit-and-run in june 2021 baines was taken to mount sinai morningside hospital but she died 10 days later she was 65. bane's career in acting began in the city where her life was tragically taken she studied at new york's juilliard school and appeared in numerous broadway shows she made her movie debut in tony richardson's the hotel new hampshire in 1984 and by the end of the decade she was sharing the screen with tom cruise playing wealthy butterfly bonnie in cocktail she worked largely in tv during the 1990s co-starring in the emmy nominated drama series the trials of rosie o'neill before a string of guest roles in the likes of l.a lore star trek deep space nine and frasier banes would continue to appear regularly on american tv screens with casting directors often keen to take advantage of her age-defying looks philadelphia-born actress marion ramsey best known for playing soft-spoken officer laverne hooks in the police academy movies died in january 2021. her agency told the hollywood reporter the statement read marion carried with her a kindness and permeating light had instantly filled a room upon her arrival the dimming of her light is already felt by those who knew her well we will miss her and always love her no cause of death was released she was 73. ramsay made her first appearance as officer hooks in 1984's police academy after spending more than a decade in the theater world she remained a mainstay of the wacky comedy franchise over the coming years working on sixth installments rapper and actor diron thompson better known by stage name dzd died of a suspected heart attack in january 2021. thompson who appeared as affable nurse malik mcgrath in all 15 seasons of the beloved medical drama er was discovered in an unresponsive state at his los angeles home his brother told tmz he was 55 thompson made his first feature film appearance in 1991's caller's ice the critically panned movie debut of vanilla ice he made his er debut in 1994 beginning a near 200 episode run on the nbc hit thompson had been dealing with heart issues for over a decade in 2009 he told radar online that he was awaiting surgery after quote over 10 episodes of heart failure in the last eight months alone doctors identified a problem with his aorta the los angeles native was still making music and actively promoting his songs at the time of his death british actress barbara shelley who appeared in numerous hammer horror films during the 1950s and 60s died in january 2021. the veteran scream queen contracted kovit 19 after a routine hospital visit her agent thomas bowington told the bbc she was 88. shelley trained in theater as a child but her good looks naturally led her into the world of modelling her dream was to act however so when she was approached with an offer while vacationing in rome she took a chance shelley went on to appear in a string of italian movies over a four year period but it would be the work she did after returning to the uk that she would be best remembered for the londoner became the go-to female star for hammer horror appearing in eight of the studio's classic pictures let me kiss you beloved soap star john riley best known for his 11 year run on abc's general hospital died in january 2021. the actor's death was confirmed by one of his daughters in a tribute instagram post she wrote imagine the best person in the world now imagine that person being your dad i'm so grateful he was mine i'm so grateful i got to love him i'm so grateful i made it in time to hold him and say goodbye he was 86. riley made his on-screen debut in the midwest set soap opera as the world turns in the mid-70s and would go on to become a regular face on american daytime television he scored recurring roles on shows like the bionic woman and how the west was won tanya roberts was best known for playing geologist stacy sutton opposite a much older roger moore in 1985's her view to a kill the 14th installment in the british james bond franchise the actress died from a urinary tract infection that quote got into her blood and developed into sepsis a longtime partner lance o'brien told fox news she was 65. the new york native started out as a model but made the transition to acting a decade before her james bond appearance landing apart in the horror flick forced entry her first major role came in 1980 when she joined the cast of the then struggling charlie's angels she remained busy during the 1990s when she made her first appearance on that 70s show playing midge pinciatti croatian american actress mira furlon best known for her stints on babylon 5 and last died in january 2021 her death was announced on her official twitter account the cause of death was not revealed she was 65 born in zagreb ferlan and her husband emigrated to america in the early 90s amid rising tensions in their home country settling in new york city three years after the move she landed what would become her most iconic role in barrie ambassador dilen in babylon 5. she briefly returned to croatia before jetting off to hawaii to play the part of danielle russo in lost she appeared as a french loner in 20 episodes of abc's hit show you offered to fix my music box after all i've done to you striking you shocking you new york-born actor gregory sierra who appeared in 70 sitcoms samford and son and barney miller died of cancer in january 2021. his widow helen tabor told cnn he was doing the best he could and just couldn't do it anymore he was quite wonderful and my heart has broken into 400 million pieces he was 83. according to deadline tierra began his career as a member of the national shakespeare company appearing in a number of off-broadway productions during the 1960s he made his screen debut in a 1969 episode of the robert wagner spy series it takes a thief he would go on to become a mainstay of the american tv in the years that followed popping up in numerous sitcoms and cop shows award-winning actress cloris leachman best known for playing phyllis lindstrom on the mary tyler moore show and frau blewer in mel brooks young frankenstein died of natural causes in january 2021 she was quote one of the most fearless actresses of our time her weapon friend julia greene told variety adding you never knew what cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic she was 94 a native of iowa leachman moved to neighbouring illinois to study theater at northwestern university she dropped out before she could graduate and took an unconventional route to hollywood that included an appearance at the 1946 miss america pageant her acting career began when she landed in new york and got him with the actor studio but she wouldn't come to national attention until she debuted on the mary tyler moore show some 20 years later she won two of her eight primetime emmy awards for playing the catty phyllis lindstrom who would later get her own spin-off phyllis i'm afraid i've just been too much of a real woman hollywood trailblazer sicily tyson who paved a path for black actresses during a career that spanned more than six decades died in january 2021 her manager confirmed to variety she was 96 the east harlem native worked as a model before breaking into acting appearing in top publications like vogue she learned her craft at the actor's studio and became a regular face on the new york theater scene but she'll no doubt be best remembered for the work she did and didn't do on the screen tyson made her debut in short drama carib gold and moved into feature films proper when she appeared as a jazz club worker in the harry belafonte picture odds against tomorrow she largely avoided movies in the decade that followed making a conscious effort to turn down roles that demeaned black women she returned to the big screen with a bang in 1972's sounder earning a best actress nomination for her turn as depression-era sharecropper rebecca morgan you've got your low-life job mr sheriff tyson was awarded an honorary oscar in 2019 by which point she was widely recognized as one of the industry's pioneers actor dustin diamond who played iconic 90s geek samuel screech powers and the sitcom saved by the bell died of cancer in february 2021 just three weeks after it was revealed that he'd been diagnosed with stage four small cell carcinoma in a statement published in variety his agent said in that time it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system the only mercy he had exhibited was its sharp and swift execution dustin did not suffer he was 44 a naturally funny child diamond landed the role of screech with next to no on-screen experience he debuted as a lovable loser in 1988 on the disney channel's good morning miss bliss which would be picked up and revamped into saved by the bell by nbc when it was canned after a single season saved by the bell finished in 1992 but diamond reprised the role of screech on several occasions in the years that followed most notably and saved by the bell to college years and saved by the bell the new class a california native appeared in 130 episodes of the new class from 1994 to 2000 award-winning star of stage and screen hal holbrook best known for his portrayal of mark twain and his enjoying one man show mark twain tonight died at his california home in january 2021. his agent told the new york times he was 95. he studied drama at denison university after graduating from high school but world war ii forced him to put his career dreams on hold his first on stage performances took place when he was stationed in newfoundland with the us army he joined the theater group and appeared in a number of local productions he began working on what would eventually become mark twain tonight in 1952 and four years later he shot to prominence after ed sullivan invited him onto his variety show remarkably holbrook would go on to perform as twain over 2000 times including two stints on broadway the first run scored him a tony award and he was nominated for an emmy when mark twain tonight transferred to tv star of the stage and screen christopher plummer known for a prolific career that included playing captain von trapp in the iconic best picture winner the sound of music and later becoming the oldest ever oscar recipient died in february 2021. he was 91. the toronto native made his broadway bow in 1954's the star cross story and debuted on the big screen four years later starring alongside henry thunder and susan strasberg in stage struck the actor disliked many of the films he appeared in during the 1960s including the one he would come to be best known for he famously called robert wiser's musical quote the sound of mucus in the 1970s plummer bagged a tony award for his work on the musical cyrano and then a prime time emmy for the money changers nbc's adaptation of arthur haley's political thriller he was named best supporting actor for his turn as a gay man who comes out late in life in 2010's beginners making him the oldest academy award winner at the age of 82. he was nominated in the same category for 2017's all the money in the world a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that he stepped in to replace kevin spacey in the role of j paul getty just six weeks before the film was due to be released actress and singer trisha noble who played the mother of natalie portman's padme amidala in the star wars universe died in january 2021. the australian died quote after an 18-month battle with mesothelioma a tumor caused by inhaled asbestos fibers the daily mail reported she was 76 born patsy and noble in marriageville sydney she got her start on the aussie variety show bandstand which featured regular performances from the likes of the bee gees and grease star olivia newton-john noble saw success in australia but her career wouldn't take off internationally until she moved to britain where she secured a record deal with columbia records she later relocated again taking the stage name trisha upon her arrival in the states she's perhaps best known for playing jabal nabery in 2005's star wars episode 3 revenge of the seth actor christopher penick who appeared in 126 episodes of the gothic soap opera dark shadows and later occurred on general hospital died in february 2021. he had been given a melanoma diagnosis the previous year deadline confirmed he was 76. panic studied at the american academy of dramatic arts in new york and would go on to fine-tune his craft of the actor's studio before making his debut on broadway he began with understudy work but he quickly levelled up and started landing roles in productions like 1969's patriot for me which is where dan curtis first laid eyes on him the dark shadows creator kaspernick as leviathan the first of many characters he would portray he's perhaps best known for the twin roles of cyrus longworth and john yeager the in-universe versions of dr jekyll and mr hyde check out one of our newest videos right here plus even more looper videos about your favorite actors are coming soon subscribe to our youtube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one you

Channel: Looper

Views: 1,109,776

Rating: 4.8486257 out of 5

Keywords: looper, actors, 2021 actors, actors who died in 2021, tv stars

Id: 4Fk9cujIGOY

Length: 25min 58sec (1558 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 22 2021