A look at the stars in movies, TV, music, sports and media we lost this year


David SternThe former longtime commissioner of the NBA died Jan. 1 following a brain hemorrhage, according to a statement from current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He was 77.

Andrew Burkle  Andrew Burkle, an aspiring film producer and the son of billionaire Ron Burkle, died Jan. 6 in his Beverly Hills home, according to People Magazine. He was 27.

Elizabeth Wurtzel  The author of the seminal 1994 memoir “Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America” died in a Manhattan hospital on Jan. 7 at age 52.

Silvio Horta  Silvio Horta, creator of ABC comedy series “Ugly Betty,” was found dead in a Miami motel room Jan. 7. He was 45.

Neil Peart  The drummer and lyricist for the ’70s and ’80s Canadian progressive rock band Rush  died on Jan. 7, according to the band’s Twitter account. He was 67.

Harry Hains  Harry Hains, an actor and producer who had appeared on “American Horror Story: Hotel,” “The OA,” “Sneaky Pete” and “The Surface,” died on Jan. 7. He was 27.

Buck Henry The actor-screenwriter-director who co-created “Get Smart,” co-wrote “The Graduate” and co-directed the hit 1978 Warren Beatty film “Heaven Can Wait” died on Jan. 8 in Los Angeles. He was 89.

Edd ByrnesThe actor, who played Vince Fontaine in “Grease” and also starred on the series “77 Sunset Strip” as the teen idol “Kookie,” died on Jan. 8. He was 87.

Ivan Passer Ivan Passer, a pioneering filmmaker in the Czech New Wave, a frequent collaborator with the late Milos Forman and the director of the 1981 film “Cutter’s Way,” died on Jan. 9. He was 86.

Stan Kirch Stan Kirsch, one of the stars of the syndicated ’90s fantasy drama “Highlander: The Series,” died on Jan. 11. He was 51.

Rocky Johnson Rocky Johnson, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame and the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died on Jan. 15 at the age of 75.

Terry Jones Terry Jones, a beloved member of the Monty Python comedy troupe who directed many of its classic films, died Jan. 21. He was 77.

Tyler Gwozdz  Former “Bachelorette” contestant Tyler Gwozdz, who appeared on the 2019 season of the reality series, died Jan. 22 of a suspected drug overdose at age 29. 

Kobe Bryant Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant was killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on that killed four others. He was 41

Kirk Douglas  Kirk Douglas, the prolific actor and producer whose “Spartacus” is credited with helping to end the Hollywood blacklist, patriarch of a successful entertainment dynasty and one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s golden age, died Feb. 5 at age 103.

F.X. Feeney  F.X. Feeney, a longtime film critic for LA Weekly, a film historian and a screenwriter, died on Feb. 5 after suffering several strokes over the previous few days. He was 66.

Kevin Conway  Kevin Conway, known for his roles in films like “Gettysburg” and ‘Thirteen Days,” died on Feb. 5 of a heart attack. He was 77.

Orson Bean  Veteran character actor Orson Bean, a regular on shows like “To Tell the Truth” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and star of “Being John Malkovich,” died the night of Feb. 7 at age 91 after he was struck and killed by a car in Los Angeles.

Robert Conrad  Robert Conrad, who was the star of the 1960s TV series “Wild Wild West,” died from heart failure on Feb. 8 at the age of 84.

Raphael Coleman  Raphael Coleman, who starred as Eric in the 2005 Emma Thompson movie “Nanny McPhee” and went on to devote himself to environmental activism, died suddenly on Feb. 7 at the age of 25.

Paula Kelly  Paula Kelly, an Emmy-nominated actress known for TV series like “Night Court” and films like “Sweet Charity” and “The Andromeda Strain,” died on Feb. 8 in Whittier, California. She was 77.

Joseph Vilsmaier  Joseph Vilsmaier, a German director and cinematographer behind the acclaimed 1993 World War II drama “Stalingrad” died “peacefully” at his home in Bavaria. He was 81.

Caroline Flack  Caroline Flack, former host of “Love Island,” died at the age of 40 on Feb. 15. A lawyer for the family told BBC that Flack died by suicide. 

Daniel Lee Martin  Daniel Lee Martin, country singer and host of “Brotherhood Outdoors,” was found dead in his Pasco County, Florida, home on Feb. 14 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 54.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa  Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress seen in the 2016 Disney film “Queen of Katwe,” died on Feb. 15, according to the Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor. Waligwa, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, was 15.

Jason Davis  Jason Davis, best known as the voice of Mikey Blumberg on Disney Channel’s “Recess,” died on Feb. 16. He was 35.

Ja’net DuboisJa’net Dubois, starred on the CBS sitcom “Good Times” and wrote and performed the theme song to “The Jeffersons,” passed away on Feb. 18. She was 74.

Katherine JohnsonKatherine Johnson, a pioneering mathematician and NASA employee who was pivotal in helping in America’s space race and was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the film “Hidden Figures,” died on Feb. 24. She was 101.

James Lipton”Inside the Actors Studio” host James Lipton passed away on March 2 after a battle with bladder cancer. He was 93.
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