He died on November 20, 2021 in Henderson, Nevada, USA. Leakes became a cast member on the popular Bravo reality show 11 years after the two became married and the show documented the couple's divorce in 2011. The guitarist for the iconic 1960s pop band The Monkees, Nesmith was recognizable for being the tallest of the foursome and often sporting a wool cap. Kay Hawtrey was born on November 8, 1926 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The band, which was formed in 1964, had a revolutionary sound which has stood the test of time thanks to iconic songs like "Nights in White Satan" and "Tuesday Afternoon." But he had a slew of memorable roles on the small and big screen. The song "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" for the 1991 film "Dick Tracy," won him an Academy Award. Brother of Dan Aykroyd, Peter was a former cast member and writer for "Saturday Night Live.". He was previously married to Virginia Jo Fields. Leachman died of natural causes on January 27. She died on June 11, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a director, known for Wheel of Fortune (1983), The Merv Griffin Show (1962) and Get Smart (1965). Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Sondheim composed and wrote lyrics for several of Broadway's most original and iconic musicals, including "Company," "Follies," "Sweeney Todd," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Into the Woods," and "Assassins.". No cause was given. But his talents went beyond music, as his performance as a drug dealer trying to get to kingpin level in 1998's "Belly" put him at cult icon status. She died on June 11, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies "Norman, can't believe you have been gone a year. Moving to Los Angeles in the late 2000s, she attended UCLA's Professional Producing program and was a graduate of the AFI Conservatory, which in 2019 named her a raising star. Thomas died on August 7 in New Jersey "peacefully in his sleep," according to the statement by the band. The duo relocated to California where they got the opportunity to write and record wacky songs for Disneyland Records. Unfulfilled by Hollywood, Vicki Bart the Bear II is an 8.5-foot tall, 1,110-pound Alaskan brown bear whose impact on wildlife has been even bigger than his body or his acting accomplishments. "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Jeff Witjas, White's longtime agent and friend, told People magazine at the time of her death. Known in the music world as a producer who worked alongside everyone from the Beatles to the Ronettes, Spector was known later in life for being convicted of murder. Phil Margo was born on April 1, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. Focused on a lady's man (Van Peebles) who turns into a hero in the neighborhood after he goes on the run following an encounter with white police officers, the movie went on to earn over $15 million and proved to Hollywood that Black-focused stories could be profitable. Also known as Little Bart, Bart II is small only in comparison to his predecessor, Bart the Bear, who stood a foot taller and 400 pounds Vicente Fernndez was born on February 17, 1940 in Huentitn El Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. He directed Black List, C.R.A.Z.Y., The Young Victoria, Wild, Dallas Buyers Club, Los Locos, Loser Love and Caf de Flore. Asner died on August 29, no cause was given. His film "Putney Swope," about a Black advertising executive who is accidentally put in charge of a big firm and proceeds to upend the business, was a landmark work of the time and would make Downey a star on the scene. He was a writer and producer, known for Spies Like Us (1985), Nothing But Trouble (1991) and My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988). Roberts also starred in the final season of "Charlie's Angels" in 1980 as Julie Rogers and played Midge Pinciotti in "That '70s Show. Before comedy clubs existed, Sahl began performing at the hungry i music club in San Francisco in the early 1950s. Philip died on April 9, according to Buckingham Palace. Sadly, the comedy icon - who starred in 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' 'Golden Girls' and more -. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, celebrity lawyer Raoul Felder told the Associated Press. Getty Images Beloved actress Betty White died on New Year's Eve 2021, her rep. LaFleur died on November 17 after battling Parkinson's for 10 years. We love you.". Shock G's eye for talent was also realized when he brought on a then unknown Tupac Shakur to be a roadie for the band and then a background singer. Sophie. J.A.E. Starring in movies like 1971's "Walkabout," 1976's "Storm Boy," the "Crocodile Dundee" franchise, and 2002's "Rabbit-Proof Fence" made him a beloved actor in the country and brought a much-needed spotlight to the world on Aboriginal culture. He was previously married to Martha Faith Nessel and Juliette Colden. Billy Hinsche was born on June 29, 1951 in Manila, Philippines. The renowned broadcaster had been on radio or TV since the 1950s speaking to all types of people, and was regarded as one of the best interviewers ever thanks to his friendly style with his subjects. The actress and model is best known for playing Bond girl Stacey Sutton in 1985's "A View to a Kill." "We are deeply saddened to report that Joan Didion died earlier this morning at her home in New York due to complications from Parkinson's disease," Knopf said in a statement shared with New Republic reporter Alex Shephard. By 2013, they were married again and their second wedding was filmed for a special limited series called "I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding.". 559. A master at deadpan humor, Charles Grodin became a comedy fixture in the 1980s and 1990s for roles in "The Great Muppet Caper," "Midnight Run," and "Beethoven. A boxer in high school, he continued in the service. Roberts died on January 4 due to complications from a urinary tract infection. He was previously married to Nomalizo Leah Shenxane. He died on November 14, 2021 in Austin, Texas, USA. Williams' memorable roles include playing Prince's abusive father in "Purple Rain," Mr. Simms in 1995's "Tales from the Hood," and playing the memorable Sampson Simpson in the 1998 cult hit "Half Baked," written by and starring Dave Chappelle. Hutchins was born in the Ukraine and began her career working on British documentary productions in Eastern Europe. He differed from other comedians, Joanna Cameron (born Patricia Kara Cameron) was an American actress and model, whose relatively brief acting career lasted from 1969 to 1980. Stars Who Died In 2021: Betty White, Peter Scolari, Willie Garson, & More Betty White has died. Her first novel, "Interview with the Vampire," brought her instant fame and the book itself has become a classic. He was an actor, known for Laverne & Shirley (1976), Dreamgirls (2006) and A League of Their Own (1992). He died on November 13, 2021 in Tarzana, California, USA. Howes' death was confirmed by her nephew . Dean Robert Stockwell grew up in North Hollywood, the son of Broadway performers Harry Stockwell and Elizabeth "Betty" Stockwell (ne Veronica). The artist died on November 26 at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Later in the month the cause of death was ruled to be an accidental drug overdose. He is known for Hell Ride (2008), Murderers' Row (1966) and Automan (1983). ", Starring in over 50 TV shows and movies over his career, Mekka earned a Tony Award nomination playing the lead in the 1975 Broadway musical "The Lieutenant.". He even choreographed the the dancing for the hit 1994 music video "Pure Love" by Crystal Waters. getty TV's perennial Golden Girl. Over the decades she won the National Book Award, the American Academy of Arts & Letters Gold Medal in Criticism and Belles Letters, the National Medal of Arts and Humanities, and the PEN Center USA's Lifetime Achievement Award. ", She won eight Emmy awards and a Grammy for a spoken word recording of her best-selling autobiography, "If You Ask Me. Crowned as leading the new breed of modern comedians by Time magazine in 1960, Mort Sahl is the first entertainer ever to appear on its cover. Jean-Marc Valle was a Canadian filmmaker, editor and screenwriter from Montreal. The London-born Leicester-bred son of Barbadian parents who came to Britain in the 1950s, actor, writer, poet and storyteller Victor Richards has been perfectly positioned throughout his life to observe and commentate on the trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows of British West Indian culture Henry chose to help aspiring actors improve their craft, instead of continuing with his movie career. The year 2021 took away several celebrities from us. In 2021, many celebrities died, including actors, singers and other entertainers. Nominated for a Grammy, his songs like "Get at Me Dog" and "X Gon' Give It to Ya" made him a major fixture in the gritty 1990s rap scene. Hill died at his home in Houston, Texas, on July 28. "She called me son. Alec Monteath was born in 1941 in Doune, Perthshire, Scotland, UK. He played Brother Cavil in the early 2000s revival of "Battlestar Galactica. Carmen Salinas was born on October 5, 1939 in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. He died on November 18, 2021 in Victoria, British Columbia, Actor | He died on November 9, 2021 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, Gavan O'Herlihy was born on July 29, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Instead, he let his music do the talking. His performances always stood out for his stilled acting, booming voice, and intensity which could spark at a moment's notice. Olga Kennard, 98, Hungarian-born British crystallographer, founder of the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. Betty White, Michael K. Williams, Norm Macdonald, Cicely Tyson, and DMX died this year. The group's mix of funk and jazz arrangements has become one of the popular, influential, and heavily sampled sounds in contemporary music and has been featured in several film soundtracks, including "Saturday Night Fever," "Rocky," and Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction. The versatile actor was also a mainstay in many films, such as "Little Manhattan," "There's Something About Mary," and "Groundhog Day.". This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. He was a composer, known for Journey Into Amazing Caves (2001), Ready, Steady, Go! Fearlessly. Hank Aaron, 87 Hank Aaron. Singer Whitney Houston also died in early 2021, as did singer Prince. He died on November 6, 2021 in Spokane, Washington, USA. He was previously married to Mara del Refugio Abarca Villaseor. He was married to Chantal Harvey Evans was born on January 7, 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. In a statement on the Gulpilil's passing, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall called the actor a "once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen.". Peter Scolari. He also found work as an actor, appeared in everything from "The Twilight Zone" and "Matlock," to William Friedkin's neo-noir "To Live and Die in LA" and two Paul Thomas Anderson movies ("Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia"). No cause was given. The legendary actor Dilip Kumar, popular Hindi television actor Sidharth Shukla and actor Puneeth Rajkumar were among those who passed away. She was born Donna Lee Hickey, the daughter of a vaudevillian. It also launched several sequels. Jerry Douglas was born on November 12, 1932 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA. She's most known for her Oscar-nominated performance in the 1972 drama "Sounder," her Emmy-winning role as Ophelia Harkness in "How to Get Away with Murder," and her countless stage performances. Art lives on through his work, stories about his life and the relationships he built with everyone he knew.". He later starred in the movie adaptation. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1926, he graduated from NYU and started as a janitor at the DuMont Television Network, working his way through at first as a studio assistant, then as a cameraman on "The Honeymooners" and "Captain Video and Rose Lee Maphis was born on December 29, 1922 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for West Side Story (1961), Seems Like Old Times (1980) and Operation Petticoat (1977). Gina Krasley died on August 1, 2021 in Tuckerton, New Jersey, USA. Doug's film Producer | "Today, the Leakes family is in deep pain with a broken heart. (2009). He was an actor, known for West Side Story (1961), Enchanted (2007) and Ravagers (1979). Celebrities Who Died in 2021 Vol. Known best as the lovable Central Perk barista Gunther on the hit show "Friends," James Michael Tyler's obsessive behavior over Rachael (Jennifer Aniston) brought laughs to millions. He was previously married to Pati and Sheila Rock. Colin Powell, a former top military officer who rose to become the first Black Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, died on October 18, 2021 at age 84 of complications from COVID . "She died as she lived. This Grammy-nominated producer died due to a sudden accident in Athens, Greece. Celebrity Celebrities Who've Died in 2021 Gone, but never forgotten By Sophie Dodd Published on January 13, 2021 02:03 PM 01 of 99 Betty White Betty White. Hollywood mourned the loss of icons such as Betty White and John Madden in the final days of 2021 and unfortunately, 2022 also. There she worked for several years as a studio actress for Columbia Pictures. As one of the faces of the "New Journalism" movement in the 1960s and 1970s, Didion's work became a major staple in the era. He was a director, known for The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), David Bowie: John, I'm Only Dancing (1972) and David Bowie: The Jean Genie (1972). Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Getty We say goodbye to the famous people that touched our lives. She was an actress, known for Take the High Road (1980), Postmortem (1998) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). Vicki attended the University of Nebraska for one year before detouring to Hollywood, California. He received an outstanding writing Emmy nomination with the rest of the writers of "SNL" in 1980. ", "It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica," Walter's daughter, Brooke Bowman, told Deadline. Stockwell was a Hollywood lifer. Garson died on September 21, the cause of death was pancreatic cancer. Gerry Marsden 24 Gerry Marsden sadly passed away at the beginning. In addition to a career on the stage and screen, Tommy was a jazz musician who played the trumpet and David "Dave" Draper was a bodybuilding champion noted for his blond hair and 24 inch. ", Director David Lynch cast him in his 1984 adaptation of "Dune," and later chose him to played Ben in 1986's "Blue Velvet," in which he performs a memorable lip-synch of Roy Orbison's "In Dreams.". Holbrook died at his home in Beverly Hills on January 23. In the 1990s, he showed a different side of his talents, talk show host, when he did "The Charles Grodin Show" on CNBC. He died at home of natural causes on November 7. However, it was the 1974 movie "The Street Fighter" which led to international acclaim for Chiba. "A breaker of records and racial barriers, his remarkable legacy will continue to inspire countless athletes and admirers for generations to come," said former president Jimmy Carter in a statement to the Associated Press, who attended Braves games and called Aaron "a personal hero.". The veteran character actor was known best for playing Bond villain Mr. Big in 1973's James Bond movie "Live and Let Die" and Parker in the sci-fi classic "Alien.". Vilified as much as he was revered over his career, Limbaugh was a controversial figure over the decades in which he was often accused of saying sexist and racist remarks. Some of the most notable deaths included actors James Gandolfini, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robin Williams. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Larry King, Christopher Plummer and Cecily Tyson are among the celebrities who died in 2021, leaving those in their wake heartbroken. It was confirmed by Kotto's agent, Ryan Goldhar, The New York Times reported. He was an editor, known for G.I. Hello. At the age of four, she moved with her parents and older sister Mary-Jo to Edmonds, Washington, where her younger sister Molly was later born. He produced Bernard Holley was an English actor who worked consistently in television and theatre for more than 40 years.His television appearances included Z Cars (for 3 years) Doctor Who, Elizabeth R, Now and Then, Birds of a Feather (two series), Carry on Laughing, Ahead of the Class, Keeping up Appearances Keith Dinicol was born on August 12, 1952 in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. ", She was also known for playing Polly Gray on the series "Peaky Blinders" and roles in movies ranging from 2006's "The Queen" to the James Bond 2012 movie, "Skyfall. His parents were emigrants who hailed from an area near Casale Monferrato, a region noted for its viticulture, in Piedmont, Italy. She was a writer, known for A Star Is Born (2018), A Star Is Born (1976) and Up Close & Personal (1996). God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. Stockwell formed a respected character actor filmography with movies like "To Live and Die in L.A," "Beverly Hills Cop II," and 1988's "Married to the Mob," in which he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar. A police spokesperson says the 65-year-old Banes died Monday, June 15, 2021, at Mount Sinai . He died on December 8, 2021 in Inglewood, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Shake Back (2020), J Stone Feat. He was previously married to Trudy Moss and Barbara Gelman. She died on December 9, 2021 in Mexico City, Mexico. The thick glasses with fake big nose turned the Humpty character into rap's first comedic icon. He would go on to star in several more of his dad's films before becoming a global star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other blockbusters. Character actor Michael Constantine was best known for his role as family patriarch Gus Portokalos in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Weeks before his death he announced he was withdrawing for the band's upcoming US tour. As the drummer of The Rolling Stones, he didn't have the flash of its frontman Mick Jagger or the flamboyance of its lead guitarist Keith Richards, instead Watts kept in the background often staying quiet when the band had to do press. He died on February 8, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Dustin did not suffer. He died on November Young Dolph was born on July 27, 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She won an Oscar for her performance as a timid school teacher in 1971's "The Last Picture Show" and her work on television earned her an astounding eight Emmy wins. Having been the director of photography on movies "Archenemy," "Snowbound," "Darlin,'" "Blindfire" and "The Mad Hatter," she was praised by those who worked with her thanks to a creative eye and dedication to her craft. ", In movies he's best known for are his commanding performances in movies like "Wall Street," "The Firm," and most memorably playing Deep Throat in 1976's "All the President's Men.". ", For movies he has been in "Cobra," Field of Dreams," and "The Santa Clause 2. King was regarded as one of the great interviewers of his generation, honing his. After wowing audiences on the Broadway stage in the mid-1960s (earning a Tony nomination along the way), Clarence Williams III found mainstream stardom playing Linc Hayes in the hit TV series "The Mod Squad," which ran from 1968 to 1973. He earned an Emmy for being one of the writers on the 1977 "Paul Simon Special.". Dustin Diamond . Williams began his career as a backup dancer for artists like George Michael and Madonna. Responsible for crafting one of the most memorable TV characters of all time playing Baltimore gangster Omar Little in HBO's "The Wire," Williams went on to forge a respected career playing complex roles.