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The entertainment industry has already had to say goodbye to several actors, singers, performers, creatives, executives and all-around industry legends this year.
The Hollywood Reporter is highlighting some of the most well-known names who have died in 2024, including Jon Landau, Carl Weathers, Donald Sutherland, Shannen Doherty, Liam Payne, Maggie Smith, Chita Rivera, James Earl Jones, Bob Newhart, Gena Rowlands, Richard Lewis, Chance Perdomo and Toby Keith, among others.
Weathers, who was best known for his role as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films as well as roles in Predator, Happy Gilmore and The Mandalorian, died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles in February. He was 76. “Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” his manager, Matt Luber, wrote at the time.
Landau, the Oscar-winning producer who worked alongside James Cameron to bring Titanic and Avatar blockbusters to the big screen, died in July after a 16-month battle with cancer, a Disney spokesperson said. He was 63. “He believed that film is the ultimate human art form, and to make films you have to first be human yourself,” Cameron wrote in a tribute. “He will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.”
Doherty, who starred on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, died in July following a long battle with cancer, her publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement. She was 53.
Sutherland, who proved his versatility with films such as M*A*S*H, Ordinary People and The Hunger Games, died in June. He was 88.
Rivera, who was a showstopping legend of Broadway for more than a half-century, died in January following a brief illness at age 91, her daughter, Lisa Mordente, said in a statement to THR.
Payne, a singer who got his start as a former member of the boy band One Direction, died in October after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to state police. He was 31.
Lewis was a self-deprecating comedian who made his way from stand-up to starring on Anything but Love and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He died at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack in February, his publicist told THR at the time. He was 76.
Curb creator Larry David wrote in a statement following Lewis’ death, “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital, and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me. He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob, and for that I’ll never forgive him.”
Smith, the two-time Oscar and four-time Emmy winner who became one of the most formidable British actors of all time for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Downton Abbey and Harry Potter films, among many others, died in September. She was 89.
Newhart, the beloved stand-up performer whose deadpan humor was highlighted on two critically acclaimed CBS sitcoms, died in July after a series of short illnesses, his longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, announced. He was 94.
Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died in September. He was 93.
Keith, a country music singer and songwriter, died in February at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer. Some of his biggest hits included “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Who’s Your Daddy?,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” “Beer for My Horses” and “Made in America.”
Rowlands, the wife and muse of John Cassavetes who became an acting legend for her performances in films such as Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night and Gloria, died in August. She was 94.
Perdomo, who starred in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Gen V, died at age 27 as a result of a motorcycle accident. “His passion for the arts and insatiable appetite for life was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth will carry on in those who he loved dearest,” his rep wrote in a statement.
Below are more of this year’s most notable deaths in Hollywood. And check out THR‘s obituaries page for other 2024 industry deaths, as well as last year’s entertainment deaths here.
Harry Johnson Image Credit: Courtesy of ATB Talent Agency Dec. 27, 1941 – Jan. 2, 2024
Harry Johnson, an actor who appeared on dozens of shows throughout his 40-year career, including Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law & Order, died on Jan. 2. He was 81. Full obituary here.
Christian Oliver Image Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images March 3, 1972 – Jan. 4, 2024
Christian Oliver, a German-born actor known for roles in Speed Racer, Hunters, The Good German and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, died after a private aircraft carrying him and his two daughters crashed into the Caribbean Sea on Jan. 4. Read his obituary.
Adan Canto Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Dec. 5, 1981 – Jan. 8, 2024
The Cleaning Lady star Adan Canto died on Jan. 8 of appendiceal cancer, his rep told The Hollywood Reporter. His diagnosis had not been made public. He was 42. Full obituary here.
Bill Hayes Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Days Of Our lives June 5, 1925 – Jan. 12, 2024
Bill Hayes, the actor and singer who with his real-life wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, starred on NBC’s Days of Our Lives as the beloved first couple of daytime television, died Jan. 12 in Los Angeles, a rep from the show told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 98. Read his full obituary.
Margaret Riley Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Dec. 9, 1965 – Jan. 23, 2024
Margaret Riley, the respected agent, manager and Lighthouse Management & Media partner who served as a producer on the Fox News drama Bombshell, died on Jan. 23. She was 58. Read her obituary.
Chita Rivera Image Credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images Jan. 23, 1933 – Jan. 30, 2024
Chita Rivera, the sultry singer, dancer and actress who commanded the Broadway stage for more than a half-century, died on Jan. 30. She was 91. Read her full obituary here.
Carl Weathers Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney Jan. 14, 1948 – Feb. 1, 2024
Carl Weathers, the former NFL player who made his mark in Hollywood as the boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and with appearances in such other projects as Predator, Happy Gilmore and The Mandalorian, died on Feb. 1. He was 76. Read his full obituary.
Toby Keith Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia July 8, 1961 – Feb. 5, 2024
Toby Keith, the country music singer and songwriter known for his larger-than-life personality, died on Feb. 5. He was 62. Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022. Full obituary here.
Richard Lewis Image Credit: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage June 29, 1947 – Feb. 27, 2024
Richard Lewis, the master of self-deprecating comedy who whined his way to stardom with stand-up TV specials, a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall and turns on Anything but Love and Curb Your Enthusiasm, died on Feb. 27. He was 76. Full obituary here.
Iris Apfel Image Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Central Park Tower Aug. 29, 1921 – March 1, 2024
Iris Apfel, a businesswoman, interior designer and fashion icon known for her eccentric style, who was also the subject of Albert Maysles’ 2014 documentary Iris, has died. She was 102. Read her full obituary.
M. Emmet Walsh Image Credit: Angela Weiss/Getty Images March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024
M. Emmet Walsh, the wily character actor who became an audience favorite for his deliciously despicable performances in such films as Blood Simple, Blade Runner, Brubaker and The Jerk, died on March 19. He was 88. Read his obituary.
Chance Perdomo Image Credit: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Oct. 19, 1996 – March 30, 2024
Chance Perdomo, the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Gen V star, died in March. He was 27. The actor died as a result of a motorcycle accident, his representatives told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. Nobody else was involved in the accident. Full obituary here.
O.J. Simpson Image Credit: Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images July 9, 1947 – April 10, 2024
O.J. Simpson, the football star who later became an actor and then better known for being accused of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman amid a high-profile televised car chase and trial in which he was ultimately acquitted of murder charges, died on April 10 following a battle with cancer. He was 76. Full obituary.
Eleanor Coppola Image Credit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images May 4, 1936 – April 12, 2024
Eleanor Coppola, the matriarch of a Hollywood dynasty who won an Emmy for directing the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse and helmed her first narrative feature at age 80, died on April 12. She was 87. Read her obituary here.
Roberto Cavalli Image Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Nov. 15, 1940 – April 12, 2024
Roberto Cavalli, former designer and founder of the eponymous fashion brand, died April 12 after being ill for a long time. He was 83. Full obituary here.
Dabney Coleman Image Credit: Jeffery Newbury/TV Guide/NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Jan. 3, 1932 – May 16, 2024
Dabney Coleman, the popular comic actor from 9 to 5, Tootsie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman whose many redeeming qualities including a knack for portraying characters who had none, died on May 16. He was 92. Full obituary here.
Willie Mays Image Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024
Willie Mays, the incandescent center fielder for the New York and San Francisco Giants whose unmatched blend of speed and power made him a cultural icon and one of the finest players in the history of baseball, died on June 18. He was 93. Read his obituary.
Donald Sutherland Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images July 17, 1935 – June 20, 2024
Donald Sutherland, whose performances in such films as M*A*S*H, Ordinary People and The Hunger Games proved he could portray sinister, sympathetic, comedic or tragic with equal aplomb, died on June 20. He was 88. Read his obituary here.
Bill Cobbs Image Credit: Tim Boyles/Getty Images June 16, 1934 – June 25, 2024
Bill Cobbs, the convincing character actor who had pivotal turns in such films as The Hudsucker Proxy, Sunshine State and Night at the Museum, died on June 25. He was 90. Full obituary here.
Jon Landau Image Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images July 23, 1960 – July 5, 2024
Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning producer who made the dreams of James Cameron come to life by overcoming extreme logistical challenges to bring the filmmaker’s Titanic and Avatar blockbusters to the big screen, died on July 5. He was 63. Read his obituary here.
Shelley Duvall Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024
Shelley Duvall, the saucer-eyed, rail-thin waif who starred in seven films directed by her mentor, Robert Altman, and avoided the ax wielded by an unhinged Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, died on July 11. She was 75. Her full obituary’s here.
Shannen Doherty Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024
Shannen Doherty, who starred on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed before exiting both Aaron Spelling-produced shows amid conflicts with co-workers, has lost her long battle with cancer on July 13. She was 53. Full obituary.
Richard Simmons Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty July 12, 1948 – July 13, 2024
Richard Simmons, the goofy clown prince of fitness who turned his passion for weight loss into riches and fame as a Hollywood celebrity, died on July 13. He was 76. Read his obituary here.
Lou Dobbs Image Credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images Sept. 24, 1945 – July 18, 2024.
Lou Dobbs, one of CNN’s original anchors who later worked at the Fox Business channel, has died. He was 78. Full obituary here.
Bob Newhart Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Sept. 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024
Bob Newhart, the beloved stand-up performer whose droll, deadpan humor showcased on two critically acclaimed CBS sitcoms vaulted him into the ranks of history’s greatest comedians, died on July 18. He was 94. Read his obituary.
Gena Rowlands Image Credit: P. Shirley/Daily Express/Getty Images June 19, 1930 – Aug. 14, 2024
Gena Rowlands, the wife and muse of John Cassavetes whose unvarnished abilities found in such films as Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night and Gloria put her in the pantheon of acting legends, died on Aug. 14. She was 94. Read her full obituary here.
Phil Donahue Image Credit: Everett Dec. 21, 1935 – Aug. 18, 2024
Phil Donahue, the talk show innovator who changed the conversation and the course of daytime television with the weekday program he hosted for nearly three decades, died on Aug. 18. He was 88. Read his obituary.
James Earl Jones Image Credit: Jesse Dittmar for The Washington Post via Getty Images Jan. 17, 1931 – Sept. 9, 2024
James Earl Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died on Sept. 9. He was 93. Full obituary.
Tito Jackson Image Credit: Ian Gavan/Getty Images Oct. 15, 1953 – Sept. 15, 2024
Tito Jackson, the brother of Michael and Janet Jackson and a singer and guitarist who was part of the highly influential pop bands The Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, died on Sept. 15. He was 70. Read his obituary.
Maggie Smith Image Credit: Ian Gavan/Getty Dec. 28, 1934 – Sept. 27, 2024
Maggie Smith, the two-time Oscar and four-time Emmy winner whose work in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Downton Abbey — plus everything before and after — made her one of the most formidable British actors of all time, died on Sept. 27. She was 89. Read her full obituary here.
Kris Kristofferson Image Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images June 22, 1936 – Sept. 18, 2024
Kris Kristofferson, the soulful country music superstar who wrote “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” performed with the supergroup The Highwaymen and made audiences swoon in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and A Star Is Born, died on Sept. 28. He was 88. Full obituary here.
John Amos Image Credit: Craig Barritt/Getty Images Dec. 27, 1939 – Aug. 21, 2024
John Amos, the TV writer turned Emmy-nominated actor who starred as the stoic father on Good Times before he was fired from the landmark sitcom for objecting to stereotypes and admittedly letting his temper get the best of him, died on Aug. 21. He was 84. Read his obituary here.
Liam Payne Image Credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Aug. 29, 1993 – Oct. 16, 2024
Liam Payne, a former member of One Direction, died on Oct. 16. He was 31. Payne died after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to state police reported by ABC and CNN. Read his obituary here.
Lynda Obst Image Credit: John Parra/Getty Images April 14, 1950 – Oct. 22, 2024
Lynda Obst, the pioneering producer who put her mark on beloved films like Sleepless in Seattle, Contact, Flashdance, The Fisher King, Adventures in Babysitting, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Interstellar, died on Oct. 22. She was 74. Full obituary.
Teri Garr Image Credit: Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images Dec. 11, 1944 – Oct. 29, 2024
Teri Garr, the Oscar-nominated actress who capitalized on her adorable flightiness in such films as Tootsie and Young Frankenstein before her career was derailed by multiple sclerosis, died on Oct. 29. She was 79. Read her obituary.
Quincy Jones Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for NARAS March 14, 1933 – Nov. 3, 2024
Quincy Jones, the musical giant who did it all as a record producer, film composer, multi-genre artist, entertainment executive and humanitarian, died Nov. 3. He was 91. Read his full obituary here.
