Actors Who Died Within Days Of Each Other

Coincidence and fame have led many to believe in the so-called "Rule of Three," which says that when a famous person dies, it's likely that two more famous people will die shortly after that. This is one of those cultural signifiers that doesn't mean anything, because statistically there's a good chance that someone we deem to be "famous" will die within a few days of another famous death. Still, it's hard to resist thinking of links between these deaths, comparing and contrasting the parties involved.

That game is even more fun when you restrict the dead pool to strictly actors, as links between performers tend to be inevitable, especially if they had long careers before passing on. It turns out there have been a surprising number of times that actors died within a few days of each other — or even died on the same day. Call it probability, call it fate, but some of the links between the departed are fascinating. And for others, there are no links at all, other than that they were famous. Let's take a look at actors who died within days of each other. 

Comedic genius Fred Willard died on May 11, 2020 after a lifetime of playing oblivious, thickheaded characters. He mastered this craft on the '70s subversive talk show spoof "Fernwood Tonight" as Jerry Hubbard, a character who was equal parts obnoxious, blandly agreeable, and utterly unaware of the reactions of others. He earned Emmy nominations for his roles in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Modern Family," but he was probably best known as a member of Christopher Guest's improv movie ensemble. That began with his portrayal of a hopelessly square Air Force officer in 1984's "This Is Spinal Tap," but his most hilarious role may have been as a wildly inappropriate announcer in 2000's "Best in Show."

Another comedy legend, Jerry Stiller, died on May 15, 2020. His persona was the opposite of Willard's, with an unrelentingly abrasive personality that used those closest to him as targets. Stiller gained fame as a comedy duo on television in the '50s with his wife Anne Meara, an act that emphasized their ethnic and physical differences. He later pivoted to theater and Broadway before landing the role of Frank Costanza on "Seinfeld" in 1993, which earned him his only Emmy nomination. He followed that up with a similar but more nuanced role on "The King of Queens," one that allowed him to show some emotional vulnerability. 

Versatile character actor Ron Leibman died on December 6, 2019. He starred in movies, television, and theater, winning accolades along the way — including an Emmy for playing a criminal-turned-lawyer in 1979's "Kaz," a show that was canceled after just one season. He won a Tony in 1993 for his performance in "Angels in America" as closeted lawyer Roy Cohn, who helped Joseph McCarthy's hunt for suspected Communists in America. Leibman was also quite adept at comedic roles, playing Jennifer Aniston's father in "Friends." More absurdly, he voiced Mallory Archer's love interest Ron Cadillac on "Archer" from 2013-'16. 

René Auberjonois was similarly renowned on stage, screen, and television. He died on December 8, 2019 after a career that earned him a Tony and a couple of Emmy nominations. He won his Tony in 1970 for the play "Coco," which was about the fashion designer Coco Chanel, and picked up nominations on three other occasions. He played Father Mulcahy in the classic 1970 film "MASH" and worked steadily until he co-starred on the hit television show "Benson" in 1980. He excelled in portraying characters with fussy and permanently aggrieved personas, and he picked up an Emmy nomination for "Benson" in 1984. He later played fussy security chief Odo on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and garnered another Emmy nomination in 2001 for his role as a judge on "The Practice." 

Harry Dean Stanton died on September 15, 2017, after a career of playing haunted, angry men. His trademark sunken eyes and gaunt face dominated the screen, and while he never won any major acting awards, he never lacked for work. After a long career on television that started in the '50s, he had a memorable turn in 1979's horror sci-fi classic "Alien." He started picking up roles in offbeat movies like "Escape from New York," "Last Temptation of Christ," and "Red Dawn," as well as the 1984 punk classic "Repo Man" and his first leading role in "Paris Texas." You never knew when he'd show up, be it as a security guard giving Bruce Banner a pep talk in "The Avengers" or on David Lynch's revival of "Twin Peaks." 

Bernie Casey died on September 19, 2017, and he had a varied career as actor and artist after spending six years in the NFL. He starred in Blaxploitation films like "Cleopatra Jones" but also appeared in the David Bowie cult classic "The Man Who Fell to Earth." In 1977's "Brothers," he portrayed an activist similar to the assassinated Black Panther George Jackson. Casey brought a sense of gravitas to every role, making him a perfect comedic foil in movies like 1984's "Revenge of the Nerds" and 1989's "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." Casey was also a poet and painter who had shows worldwide. 

Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014, after a long career as a comedic and dramatic actor. Beginning as a stand-up comic, he got his big break on the television show "Mork and Mindy" in 1978. His frenetic sense of humor and ability to improvise made him a huge star, and it wasn't long before he was off to the movies, headlining hits like 1987's "Good Morning, Vietnam" as a subversive military DJ. He alternated between over-the-top comedic performances in 1993's "Mrs. Doubtfire" and 1992's "Aladdin" with more sensitive work, like the inspirational teacher in 1989's "Dead Poets Society," the delusional widower in 1991's "The Fisher King," and the psychologist in "Good Will Hunting" in 1997. That latter role won him an Oscar. 

Lauren Bacall died on August 12, 2014 after a career as a husky-voiced, thinking person's femme fatale in a number of classics. She debuted as a total unknown in 1944's "To Have and Have Not" at the age of 20. Her line "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and ... blow" remains one of the most famous in Hollywood history. Bacall enjoyed a career revival in the early '00s with a number of film and television roles, including a cameo as herself on "The Sopranos." 

Janet Leigh died on October 3, 2004. While she was a working actor for many years, she starred in three of the most critically acclaimed films of all time over a four-year span. The first was 1958's "Touch Of Evil," where she played Charlton Heston's wife. Director Orson Welles cast Leigh himself, sending her a note on how he was glad to work with her before she was even aware of the role. The second was 1960's "Psycho," where Leigh's morally ambiguous character is killed in the film's legendary shower scene. Finally, she was the romantic lead in 1962's "The Manchurian Candidate," the taut political thriller co-starring Frank Sinatra. She earned an Oscar nomination for "Psycho."

Rodney Dangerfield died on October 5, 2004. He transitioned into Hollywood with his rumpled personality and "I don't get no respect" catchphrase after years of work as a stand-up comic. He actually quit comedy for many years to earn a living for his family, starting over again when he was 42. His big break came stealing the show in "Caddyshack," a film that featured big names like Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. "Back to School" in 1986 was a wonderful spotlight for him as a comedian and a romantic lead, but he was terrifying cast against type in 1994's "Natural Born Killers." He was equally at home in 1992's "Ladybugs," a kids' sports movie. 

Peter Graves died on March 14, 2010 after a career portraying believably solemn and trustworthy good guys. His early career was highlighted in his role as a traitor in 1953's "Stalag 17" and later a long run on the '50s family western "Fury." He did a good job of taking ridiculous roles seriously in schlocky sci-fi films like "It Conquered the World," and became best known as Jim Phelps, the leader of a spy team in "Mission: Impossible," a smash hit from 1967-'73. Later, he spoofed his image in 1980's "Airplane," as one of many dramatic actors who sent up disaster movies. In the late '80s, his gravitas made him an ideal host of "Biography."

Robert Culp died on March 24, 2010, with his best-known role being that of Kelly Robinson on the '60s show "I Spy." Going undercover as a tennis star (his real-life tennis game was quite good), Culp co-starred with Bill Cosby on a show that crossed racial lines and emphasized humor as much as it did adventure. He followed that groundbreaking role with another in the 1969 sex comedy "Bob and Ted and Carol and Alice," which was about couples swapping partners. He later played the advisor to a superhero in the '80s show "The Greatest American Hero" and had a run on "Everyone Loves Raymond" in the late '90s.