Stars We Sadly Lost In 2017

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When a celebrity passes away, it can feel like we're losing a friend. Whether we watched them on the big screen or let them into our lives through our TVs, the world seems darker knowing we've had to say goodbye to a favorite star—even though we can continue enjoying their work indefinitely, letting their legacies live on forever. Here's a fond look back at some of the screen talents we've lost this year.

John Hurt, the legendary British actor widely known for Midnight Express, The Elephant Man, and Alien, died Jan. 25. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he had been battling pancreatic cancer. He was 77.

He had a career than spanned six decades and is most remembered for his work as Kane in Alien, Winston Smith in 1984, a heroin addict in Midnight Express, and the title character in David Lynch's The Elephant Man; he earned Oscar nominations for his performances in the latter two films. He also appeared in many notable television roles, including Doctor Who.

In his later years, he played the wandmaker Ollivander in the Harry Potter series, the evil Chancellor in V for Vendetta, the surrogate father of Hellboy, and Indiana Jones' old friend "Ox" in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He was still very active in acting up until the time of his death: he'd recently appeared in Snowpiercer, The Journey, and Jackie.

Don Rickles, the popular insult comic who rose to fame through decades of memorable TV and film appearances, died April 6 at his home in Los Angeles after succumbing to kidney failure at the age of 90.

Known for his abrasive style of comedy, Rickles had a career that spanned six decades. A regular at celebrity roasts and an honorary member of the Rat Pack, he would often take jabs at audience members with two signature phrases: "dummy" and "hockey puck."

He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson and The Late Show With David Letterman, and he had a multitude of guest spots on TV shows like Archie Bunker's Place, The Lucy Show, Get Smart, F Troop, and Newhart. He also showed up on Murphy Brown, The Single Guy, and Hot in Cleveland. In 2007, he won an Emmy for the John Landis-directed documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. In his later years, he voiced Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story movies and also appeared in Martin Scorsese's Casino.

He's survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, their daughter Mindy, and two grandchildren. Rickles' only son, Larry, passed away in 2011.

Charlie Murphy, the actor and comedian who became a household name on Chappelle's Show, died of leukemia on April 12. He was 57.

The older brother of Eddie Murphy, he shared stories about his time in Los Angeles during the peak of his brother's fame during the '80s on the recurring Chappelle's Show segment "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories." The first, about musician Rick James, became a cultural sensation and spawned more than a few catchphrases. The second installment, about a surreal encounter with Prince, proved equally memorable.

Murphy also appeared in numerous movies including Night at the Museum and Norbit, and TV series like Are We There Yet? and Black Jesus. He also did voicework for the animated series The Boondocks and the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Erin Moran, the actress who played Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi, died from complications of cancer on April 22, according to TMZ. She was 56.

Moran rose to fame in the '70s after appearing as the little sister of Ron Howard's Richie Cunningham on Happy Days from 1974 to 1984. She reprised the role on the short-lived 1982 series Joanie Loves Chachi alongside Scott Baio, which lasted two seasons.

She also appeared on Family Affair, The Smith Family, Gunsmoke, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, The Bold and the Beautiful, and in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. Her last project was the 2010 film Not Another B Movie.

Michael Parks, a veteran character actor who appeared in more than 100 films and TV shows, died May 9 at the age of 77.

His film career began in 1961 on the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys, and Parks went on to co-star in the 1966 religious drama The Bible: The Beginning, the NBC series Sam Benedict, and the medical drama The Eleventh Hour. He played the leading role on the adventure series Then Came Bronson, and recorded the theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway," which hit the Billboard charts, launching a recording career that led to several albums in the late '60s and early '70s. He also played French-Canadian drug runner Jean Renault on the ABC television series Twin Peaks.

Later in his career, Parks became a favorite of directors Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith, playing Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Esteban Vihaio in Kill Bill Vol. 2. Smith said he wrote the movies Red State and Tusk specifically for Parks.

Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau died July 15 after a short hospitalization at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where he suffered unexpected complications, according to TMZ. He was 89.

Landau was a cartoonist before he rose to fame with his portrayal of a homosexual henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 classic North by Northwest. In the '60s, he turned down the role of Spock on Star Trek and played Rollin Hand, the "man of a million faces," on Mission: Impossible for three seasons. He later starred as Commander John Koenig on the '70s sci-fi series Space: 1999. He was also a respected acting teacher who instructed the likes of Jack Nicholson.

He experienced a career revival in the late '80s with Francis Ford Coppola's Tucker: The Man and His Dream and Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors. Tim Burton cast him as horror legend Bela Lugosi in 1994's Ed Wood, which brought him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Landau collaborated with Burton again in Sleepy Hollow and Frankenweenie, and he also appeared in The X-Files: Fight the Future.

On television, Landau earned Emmy nominations for performances on the CBS series Without a Trace and HBO's Entourage. 

Chester Bennington, singer for the rock band Linkin Park, committed suicide by hanging on July 20, according to TMZ. He was 41.

Bennington joined Linkin Park before the release of the band's debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000. He served as one of two singers in the band along with guitarist and primary songwriter Mike Shinoda. Hybrid Theory was a massive commercial success, paving the way for six more studio albums through One More Light, which was released in May 2017. In 2005, Bennington formed a side project, Dead by Sunrise, and released the band's debut album, Out of Ashes, in 2009. He also served as the singer of Stone Temple Pilots after the band parted ways with original frontman Scott Weiland. Bennington can be heard on the band's 2013 EP High Rise. 

Bennington also worked as an actor, appearing in Crank, Crank: High Voltage, and Saw 3D: The Final Chapter.

Joseph Wapner, who became famous as Judge Wapner on the reality series The People's Court, died of respiratory failure on Feb. 26 at the age of 97.

A graduate of USC Law School, Wapner served in World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star while serving in the South Pacific. In the '60s and '70s, he served as a judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court before retiring, after which he became a TV star on the groundbreaking The People's Court, which debuted in 1981. He became something of a pop culture icon during his tenure on the show, which ended in 1993.

Wapner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, and on his 90th birthday, he returned to The People's Court to serve as guest judge.

Michael Mantenuto, an actor and college hockey player who starred in Disney's 2004 movie Miracle, died April 24 as the result of an apparent suicide at the age of 35. TMZ reports that police found him inside his car in Des Moines, Wash., where he had reportedly shot himself.

Mantenuto, who was a former University of Maine hockey player, played real-life defenseman Jack O'Callahan in Miracle, which tells the story of the U.S. men's hockey that won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The victory over the heavily favored Soviet team was dubbed the "Miracle on Ice," and the U.S. team went on to beat Finland to win the gold. Mantenuto had a limited acting career beyond Miracle, but he did appear in the 2006 TV movie Dirtbags and 2008's Surfer, Dude.

He later joined the military, and in a news release announcing Mantenuto's death, Col. Guillaume Beaurpere wrote, "Those of you that knew Mike will remember him for his passionate love for his family and his commitment to the health of the force."

MTV reality star Clay Adler, 27, died of an apparent suicide on March 26. According to TMZ, Adler had been shooting guns with friends in the desert the day before when he turned the gun and shot himself in the head.

In 2007, Adler starred on eight episodes of MTV's Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, a spinoff of the popular Laguna Beach. He also appeared in the 2009 TV movie The Fish Tank and an episode of Make It or Break It.

Francine York, who played Lydia Limpet on the '60s Batman TV series, died after a battle with cancer on Jan. 6 at the age of 80.

A former model and showgirl, she got her big break in the 1962 Jerry Lewis comedy It's Only Money. She then appeared in five more of his films including The Nutty Professor, The Patsy, and Cracking Up. She also appeared opposite Marlon Brando in 1964's Bedtime Story and with Elvis Presley in 1965's Tickle Me, then played Lydia Limpet, the henchwoman of The Bookworm (Roddy McDowall) in two episodes of Batman in 1966.

York also appeared on many TV series, including My Favorite Martian, Perry Mason, Lost in Space, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie, Mission: Impossible, Kojak, Columbo, and Matlock. In her later years, she landed roles on The King of Queens and Hot in Cleveland.

Barbara Hale, who played secretary Della Street in the Perry Mason television series and movies, died Jan. 26, according to The Washington Post. She was 94.

Hale starred as Street, assistant to Raymond Burr's titular lawyer, during nine seasons of the series from 1957 to 1966 and in 30 television movies. She won an Emmy in 1959 and reprised the character when Perry Mason was revived in the '80s. Earlier in her career, she acted opposite Frank Sinatra in Higher and Higher and with Charlton Heston in The Far Horizons.

Hale was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Powers Boothe, the Emmy-winning actor known for Deadwood and Sin City, died on May 14. He was 68. CNN reports that he died of natural causes in his sleep.

In 1980, his leading role in the TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones brought him an Emmy for lead actor in a limited series or special, and he accepted his award in person, unlike many nominees who boycotted the event as part of a Screen Actors Guild strike. He then starred on HBO's first drama series, Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, beginning in 1983, and later played the villainous Curly Bill Brocius in 1993's Tombstone.

More recently, he played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on the HBO series Deadwood, Senator Roark in the Sin City franchise, Vice President (and later President) Noah Daniels on 24, Lamar Wyatt on Nashville, and Gideon Malick on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He also provided the voice of Gorilla Grodd on the animated Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.

John Cygan, who played Lt. Paulie Pentangeli on the '90s TV series The Commish and loaned his voice to dozens of films and video games, died May 13 after a long battle with cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 63.

Cygan appeared on 35 episodes of The Commish as Pentangeli, who worked for police commissioner Tony Scali (Michael Chiklis) in upstate New York. His character was fired at the beginning of the second season, but returned in season 4. Cygan also starred opposite Bob Newhart on the short-lived sitcom Bob, which ran on CBS from 1992 to 1993. He also appeared on episodes of Frasier, Becker, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, The Shield, and Modern Family.

He was a prolific voice actor, contributing to Pixar's Cars, WALL-E, Up, Toy Story 3, Monsters University, and Inside Out, along with Ice Age: The Meltdown, Horton Hears a Who!, The Lorax, and Despicable Me 2. Cygan was also the voice of Solidus Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, and also worked on video games in the Star Wars, Halo, Medal of Honor, Lord of the Rings and Grand Theft Auto franchises. 

Peter Sallis, the voice of Wallace in the animated Wallace & Gromit films, died June 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 96.

Sallis first rose to fame in the U.K. in the '70s as the mild-mannered Norman Clegg on the long-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. He was the only actor to appear in all 295 episodes of the show, which aired from 1973 until 2010. 

However, he'll likely be remembered most for his work in Nick Park's animated Wallace & Gromit series. Sallis provided the voice of Wallace, a cheerful, cheese-loving inventor who first appeared in 1989's A Grand Day Out. He reprised the role in the Oscar-winning films The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, along with the TV show Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention. His final film as Wallace was 2008's A Matter of Loaf and Death. 

Sallis retired from acting in 2010.

Robert Michael Morris, a director, acting teacher, playwright, and actor best known for the HBO series The Comeback, died May 30, according to Deadline. He was 77.

After teaching theater at high schools and colleges across the U.S., Morris moved to New York City, where he performed in off-Broadway shows including Tommy Tune's Cary Churchill Cloud Nine.

He gained notoriety as Mickey Deane on The Comeback, a role that co-creator and star Lisa Kudrow wrote with him specifically in mind. Morris later appeared on Will & Grace, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother, and 2 Broke Girls, reprising his role on The Comeback when HBO revived the series in 2014. He'd most recently appeared as Stan Hoister on the ABC sitcom The Middle.

Elena Verdugo, a pioneer for Latina actresses, died May 30, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 92.

Verdugo was best known for her role as nurse and office assistant Consuelo Lopez on the ABC medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D., which ran from 1969 to 1976. The character is considered to be the first professional Latina woman working on TV, and Verdugo earned two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination.

She also appeared opposite Lon Chaney Jr. in the 1945 Universal horror films House of Frankenstein and The Frozen Ghost. An accomplished singer and dancer, she performed in the '40s with the Xavier Cugat Orchestra and sang on the hit "Tico Tico."

Glenne Headly, the Emmy-nominated actress known for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and the movie adaptation of Dick Tracy, died June 8, according to Deadline. She was 63.

She started out as a stage performer and was an original member of the Steppenwolf Theatre company, appearing appeared in productions opposite Susan Sarandon in Extremities and Kevin Kline in Arms & The Man, the latter of which was produced by her ex-husband John Malkovich. Eventually turning her focus to television and films, Headly was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove and the 1996 drama Bastard Out of Carolina. She was perhaps best known for playing a con woman in the comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 1988 and Tess Trueheart in Warren Beatty's live-action Dick Tracy in 1990.

Headly's later work included appearances in films such as Mr. Holland's Opus, Mortal Thoughts, and 2 Days in the Valley, and TV shows including Monk and HBO's The Night Of.

Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, who starred in the original The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo movies and later appeared in John Wick, died June 27 after a battle with lung cancer, according to Variety.

Nyqvist first gained attention as Mikael Blomkvist in the Swedish miniseries Millennium, based on Stieg Larsson's books that follow the character of Lisbeth Salander. The show was expanded into three theatrically released movies in 2009: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Nyqvist later played the villain opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and Keanu Reeves in John Wick. He also appeared in 2015's Colonia with Emma Watson and this year's Hunter Killer with Gerard Butler.

Ji-Tu Cumbuka, who appeared in Roots and Harlem Nights, died July 4 after a long illness, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 77.

The Alabama native's grandmother gave him the name Ji-Tu, which means "giant" and Cumbuka "to remember" in Swahili. He made his debut in 1968's Uptight and appeared in Blacula, Mandingo, and Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory before playing the slave Wrestler on the landmark 1977 miniseries Roots. He co-starred opposite Richard Pryor in Brewster's Millions, Moving, and Harlem Nights. Cumbuka also appeared in the comedies Bachelor Party, Volunteers, and Outrageous Fortune.

He published a memoir called A Giant to Remember in 2012.

Comedy legend Jerry Lewis, one of the most recognizable and influential American performers of the 20th century, died Aug. 20 at the age of 91. People reports that he succumbed to heart failure after decades of ailing health.

The son of professional entertainers, Lewis started performing when he was five, but he skyrocketed to fame in the '50s when he teamed with crooner Dean Martin for the comedy duo Martin and Lewis. At the height of their popularity, they dominated nightclubs, radio, and the box office; they were the top draw at theaters from 1950 to 1956. After a bitter split with Martin, Lewis remained a top-grossing movie star through the mid-'60s with classics like The Bellboy (1960) and The Nutty Professor (1963).

Although his success tapered off, he gave a critically acclaimed performance opposite Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy (1982) and later appeared in movies like Arizona Dream (1993) and Funny Bones (1995). He guest-starred on a 2006 episode of Law & Order: SVU and recently appeared in The Trust (2016).

Lewis also became well-known as national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and hosted an annual Labor Day telethon from 1955 until 2011, raising almost $2.5 billion. He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

Sonny Landham, known for Predator and 48 Hrs., died Aug. 17 at age 76. Variety reports that he passed away from congestive heart failure.

Part Seminole and part Cherokee Native American, Landham began in show business in several X-rated films during the '70s, but he transitioned into more traditional acting roles in movies like The Warriors (1979). He gained attention for playing the Native American tracker Billy Sole alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator (1987) and appeared in more action movies including Action Jackson (1988) and Lock Up (1989). He continued to act through the '90s, compiling more than 50 credits to his name.

In 2003, he embarked upon a brief campaign to become governor of Kentucky and also ran for the Kentucky State Senate in 2004. He was nominated for the U.S. Senate by Kentucky's Libertarian party in 2008, but the party withdrew its support after Landham advocated for Muslim genocide.

Joe Bologna, an Oscar-nominated actor and writer, died Aug. 13, according to Entertainment Weekly. He was 82.

After serving with the Marines, he made his Broadway debut as the star and co-author of the comedy Lovers and Other Strangers. With his wife Renee Taylor, he wrote and starred in the movie Made For Each Other (1971), which opened the door to roles in films including Cops and Robbers (1973), Honor Thy Father (1973), The Big Bus (1976), and Chapter Two (1979). He also co-starred with Taylor in the Emmy-winning special Acts of Love and Other Comedies (1973), then starred in the made-for-TV movie Torn Between Two Lovers (1979). Bologna continued working in the '80s with My Favorite Year (1982), Blame It on Rio (1984), and The Woman in Red (1984).

In 1991, he starred with Matt LeBlanc in the short-lived Married With Children spinoff Top of the Heap, and he later appeared opposite Adam Sandler in Big Daddy (1999). He also voiced Dan Turpin in the animated Superman series from 1997 to 1998 and Mr. Start in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006).

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor Sam Shepard died July 27 at age 73. The New York Times reports that he succumbed to complications of ALS.

The winner of 13 Obie Awards, he won his first six for plays he wrote between 1966 and 1968. He soon made the transition into screenwriting with films like Me and My Brother (1969) and Zabriske Point (1970). In 1978, he stepped in front of the camera for roles as a land baron in Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven and the part of Rodeo in Bob Dylan's experimental Renaldo & Clara, which Shepard wrote with Dylan. 

He continued to work as a playwright, and penned his critically acclaimed Family Trilogy (1978's Curse of the Starving Class and Buried Child and 1980's True West); Buried Child won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He also thrived as a character actor, earning an Oscar nomination for playing Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff (1983). He starred in Fool for Love (1983), which was based on his play, and co-wrote Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas (1984).

In his later years, Shepard appeared in movies including Black Hawk Down (2001), The Notebook (2004), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), Midnight Special (2016), and the Netflix series Bloodline.

Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell died of suicide by hanging on May 18. According to TMZ, the 52-year-old singer was found in his hotel room at the MGM Grand Detroit hours after Soundgarden performed a concert. 

Cornell founded Soundgarden in 1984 and the band became one of the most popular and influential groups in the burgeoning Seattle scene that would come to define grunge, reaching the mainstream with their 1994 album Superunknown, which featured the Grammy-winning singles "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman." After the band broke up in 1997, Cornell remained in the spotlight with a string of solo albums and as singer of the supergroup Audioslave with members of Rage of Against the Machine. Soundgarden reunited in 2010.

Cornell contributed to several movie soundtracks including those for Singles (in which he had a cameo), Mission: Impossible 2, and 12 Years a Slave. He received a Grammy nomination for his Casino Royale theme "You Know My Name" and an Emmy nomination for "The Keeper" from 2011's Machine Gun Preacher.

Chuck Low, best known for Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, died Sept. 18 at a nursing home in New Jersey, according to The New York Times. He was 89.

Low spent four years on active duty as an army major and served with the U.S. National Guard from 1957 to 1965. He was also a member of the U.S. Army Reserve for more than 30 years. He owned properties in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, which led to a friendship with Robert De Niro in the '70s. Their relationship opened the door for Low's first onscreen appearance opposite De Niro in 1982's The King of Comedy. He also acted in other De Niro movies, including Once Upon a Time in America and The Mission, but he's best remembered for playing flamboyant wig shop owner Morris "Morrie" Kessler in Goodfellas.

He later guest starred on The Sopranos and 100 Centre Street. His last screen role was in the 2003 drama Kill the Poor.

Anne Jeffreys, best known for her work on the soap opera General Hospital, died Sept. 27, according to Deadline. She was 94. 

Jeffreys began her career in the '40s when she was under contract to both RKO and Republic Studios. That led to several appearances as Tess Trueheart in the Dick Tracy series along with performances in the 1944 Frank Sinatra musical Step Lively, the horror-comedy Zombies on Broadway, and 1945's Dillinger. She moved on to leading roles in Broadway productions, then starred on the CBS sitcom Topper from 1953 to 1955. In 1979, she guest starred as Siress Blassie on Battlestar Galactica and played Prime Minister Dyne in an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

From 1984 to 2004, she played wealthy socialite Amanda Barrington on General Hospital. She also co-starred as David Hasselhoff's mother on Baywatch and had a recurring role on Falcon Crest.

Jake LaMotta, the champion boxer portrayed by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, died Sept. 19 at the age of 95. TMZ reports he died in a nursing home from complications of pneumonia.

Fighting primarily as a middleweight from 1941 through 1954, LaMotta started his career with a 14-0-1 record before suffering a knockdown. He fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times, winning only one of the matches. LaMotta won the World Middleweight Championship by knocking out Marcel Cerdan in 1949.

Scorsese based 1980's Raging Bull on LaMotta, and the gritty, black-and-white film earned eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture. After LaMotta retired from boxing, he also did stand-up comedy and appeared in more than 15 movies, including the Oscar-nominated The Hustler in 1961 and New Jack City in 1991. He also appeared as different characters in five episodes of the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? in the '60s.

Frank Vincent, best known for playing gangsters in Goodfellas and on The Sopranos, died Sept. 13. According to Deadline, the 78-year-old actor died due to complications from open-heart surgery.

He was a successful recording drummer before he made his film debut in 1976's The Death Collector, which caught the attention of Martin Scorsese, who offered Vincent a supporting role in 1980's Raging Bull. He appeared in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing in 1989, and famously played Billy Batts in Scorsese's Goodfellas the following year. He teamed up with the director again in 1995 for Casino, then played mob boss Phil Leotardo on The Sopranos from 2004 to 2007. He also voiced characters in the animated Shark Tale in 2004 and the Grand Theft Auto video game series.

Shelley Berman, the Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated actor and comedian known for playing Larry David's dad on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died Sept 1 at the age of 92. According to Deadline, he died of complications from Alzheimer's at his home in Bell Canyon, California.

After serving in the Navy, Berman joined the Chicago improv company the Compass Players, which eventually became Chicago's Second City. His 1959 LP Inside Shelley Berman became the first comedy album to receive gold status and the first non-musical album to win a Grammy. His career continued for decades with appearances in 1964's The Best Man and episodes of Peter Gunn, The Twilight Zone, Rawhide, Bewitched, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Night Court, MacGyver, L.A. Law, Friends, The King of Queens, The Bernie Mac Show, Grey's Anatomy, Entourage, Hannah Montana, CSI: NY, and Boston Legal.

From 2002 to 2009, Berman played Larry David's father, Nat, on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, for which he earned an Emmy nomination in 2008.

Tobe Hooper, the director of horror classics The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, died Aug. 26, according to Variety. He was 74.

Hooper shot 1974's Texas Chain Saw Massacre for less than $300,000 and it became one of the most influential horror films of all time. Although it was banned in several countries for violence, it was one of the most profitable independent films of the '70s. He also directed the 1986 sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

In 1979, Hooper helmed the CBS miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, then directed 1982's Poltergeist, written and produced by Steven Spielberg, which also became a classic. After that, he directed Lifeforce and a remake of the 1953 alien movie Invaders From Mars. He continued working through the '90s and 2000s; his final movie, 2013's Djinn, was set in the United Arab Emirates.

David Cassidy, a pop culture icon of the '70s thanks to the musical sitcom The Partridge Family, died of organ failure on Nov. 21, according to Variety. He was 67.

He grew up as part of a show business family that included his father, Tony-winning actor Jack Cassidy, stepmother Shirley Jones, and half-brother Shaun Cassidy. After starring in a Broadway musical that closed after just four performances, he signed on to play Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family in 1970 alongside his stepmother Jones. The pair were the only cast members on the show who were actually allowed to sing, and Cassidy performed the theme song "C'mon Get Happy," which helped launch his music career. With hit singles including "I Think I Love You" and "Cherish," Cassidy became a multimedia superstar.

He received an Emmy nomination for a guest role on an episode of Police Story and made guest appearances on Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. Cassidy also performed in musical theater with roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Little Johnny Jones, and he created the Las Vegas shows The Rat Pack Is Back and At the Copa. 

His daughter, Katie Cassidy, is also an actress, playing Laurel Lance in the Arrowverse.

Earle Hyman, the actor best known for playing Cliff Huxtable's father on The Cosby Show, died Nov. 17. He was 91.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hyman made his Broadway debut in 1944 in Anna Lucasta and first appeared onscreen in an uncredited role in the Oscar-winning 1945 movie The Lost Weekend. An acclaimed theater performer, he played Othello hundreds of times and received a Tony nomination for his performance in the original 1980 production of Edward Albee's The Lady From Dubuque. Hyman guested on many TV shows during the '50s and '60s, including Camera Three, East Side/West Side, and The Defenders, and he also appeared on the big screen in The Bamboo Prison (1954) and the crime drama Fighting Back (1982).

From 1984 to 1992, he played Russell Huxtable on The Cosby Show, appearing as the former jazz trombonist in 40 episodes, and was nominated for an Emmy in 1986 for the episode "Happy Anniversary." In real life, he was just 11 years older than Cosby. Hyman also lent his voice to Panthro on the animated Thundercats during the '80s, working on 125 episodes.

Robert Guillaume, the Emmy Award-winning actor known for the sitcoms Benson and Soap, died Oct. 24 after battling prostate cancer. He was 89.

According to Deadline, Guillaume served in the Army before appearing in the first all-black production of Guys and Dolls, which brought him a Tony nomination in 1977. He was also the first black actor to play the Phantom of the Opera.

He made a splash on TV as quick-witted butler Benson DuBois on Soap from 1977 to 1979 and reprised the character on the spinoff Benson from 1979 to 1986, winning Emmys for playing the character on both shows. He appeared on All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Robert Guillaume Show, A Different World, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and also starred on Aaron Sorkin's short-lived series Sports Night, which ran from 1998 to 2000.

Guillaume was also very accomplished as a voice actor, providing the voice of Rafiki in The Lion King and Dr. Eli Vance in the video game Half-Life.

Alfie Curtis, who played Dr. Cornelius Evazan in the original Star Wars, died Dec. 26, according to Jedi News. Mark Hamill broke the news on Twitter.

Curtis, who was born in England, began acting in 1973 with appearances on TV series including Bowler and Larry Grayson. He then famously played Evazan, a patron at the Mos Eisley Cantina in 1977's Star Wars. Although his role is brief, it's very memorable: when Luke Skywalker enters, Evazan and Ponda Baba pick a fight with him, which leads Obi-Wan Kenobi to draw his lightsaber.

After Star Wars, he appeared in films including The Elephant Man, Take It Or Leave It, and The Wildcats of St. Trinian's along with TV shows like The Jim Davidson Show, Grange Hill, Legacy of Murder, Q.E.D., The Gentle Touch, and Tucker's Luck.

Julio Oscar Mechoso, a veteran actor known for The Legend of Zorro and Little Miss Sunshine, died Nov. 25, according to Variety. He was 62.

Mechoso began his career with small parts in movies including Flight of the Navigator in 1986 and Police Academy 5 in 1988 before becoming a prolific performer in movies including Toys (1992), Bad Boys (1995), Jurassic Park III (2001), Lords of Dogtown (2005), and Little Miss Sunshine (2006). He also appeared on many TV series, including Seinfeld, Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series.

At the time of his death, he was reportedly writing several projects, including a script about his time running the Mutiny Hotel in Miami.

John Hillerman, the actor best known for playing Jonathan Higgins opposite Tom Selleck on the hit CBS series Magnum, P.I., died Dec. 20, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 84.

A veteran of the United States Air Force, he made his first onscreen appearance at age 39 in 1971's Lawman. Later that year, he had a small role as a teacher in The Last Picture Show, then appeared in 1973's Paper Moon and 1974's Blazing Saddles and Chinatown. Although he was from Texas, Hillerman specialized in snooty characters with the Mayfair accent. His signature role was as Higgins on Magnum, P.I., which premiered in 1980. His character was a British Army veteran who served as caretaker of Magnum's estate and the role brought him Emmy nominations each year from 1984 to 1987. He finally won in 1987. He also won a Golden Globe in 1982 and was nominated for the next four years.

After Magnum, P.I. came to an end in 1988, Hillerman starred in the 1989 miniseries Around the World in 80 Days, he had a recurring role on the sitcom Valerie, and later appeared in 1996's A Very Brady Sequel.

Brent Briscoe, a character actor who appeared on Twin Peaks and Parks and Recreation, died Oct. 18, according to Deadline. He was 56.

Briscoe first landed a job as an apprentice at the Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre and eventually became a staff writer for the CBS series Evening Shade. He made his breakthrough as Scooter Hodges in 1996's Sling Blade, then continued to collaborate with Billy Bob Thornton on other films like U Turn (1997), Mr. Woodcock (2007), The Smell of Success (2009), and Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012). 

He received critical acclaim for his performance as Lou Chambers in Sam Raimi's 1998 film A Simple Plan. He also appeared in The Green Mile (1999), The Majestic (2001), Mulholland Drive (2001), Driven (2001), Madison (2001), and Spider-Man 2 (2004). Briscoe had a recurring role as diner owner J.J. on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation and also acted on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Goliath, Justified, and NCIS. He recently appeared as Det. Dave Macklay on the revival of Twin Peaks.

Roy Dotrice, who played Hallyne the Pyromancer on Game of Thrones, died Oct. 16, according to Variety. He was 94.

Dotrice served in the British Royal Air Force during WWII and was imprisoned in a German POW camp. He began working as an actor in the '60s and made his film debut in the 1965 movie The Heroes of Telemark. He later appeared in films including Amadeus, Lock Up Your Daughters, Played, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. On television, he appeared on Treasure Island, Magnum P.I., Beauty and the Beast, Babylon 5, Picket Fences, and Angel. In 2000, he won a Tony Award for his role in the Broadway revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten.

However, Dotrice is perhaps best known for Game of Thrones. He was reportedly offered the larger role of Maester Pycelle, but had to back out due to health issues. Instead, he played the head of the Alchemists' Guild in King's Landing. But before that, Dotrice provided voices for 224 characters in the audiobook of the first novel in George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired Game of Thrones. He holds the Guinness World Record for playing the most characters in an audiobook performance.

Rose Marie, best known for playing Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show, died Dec. 28, according to Variety. She was 94.

Born Rose Marie Mazetta, she began her career as a child star under the name Baby Rose Marie. She starred on her own NBC radio show at the age of 5, appeared in vaudeville, and had parts in the 1929 short Baby Rose Marie the Child Wonder and the 1933 feature International House. As a teenager, Marie became a nightclub singer before returning to radio. During the early '50s, she appeared on television variety shows and sitcoms including My Sister Eileen, The Doris Day Show, and S.W.A.T, and she starred on her own series Honeymoon Suite. In 1961, she was cast as Sally Rogers, a comedy television writer on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and earned three Emmy nominations for the role. 

She was a fixture on game shows, serving as the upper center square on Hollywood Squares for 14 years. In her later years, she worked the nightclub circuit and continued to make appearances on sitcoms like Murphy Brown, Wings, and Caroline in the City.