Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2017 (Photos)
TheWrap looks back at all of this year’s notable deaths from those in music, movies, TV and media.
Miguel Ferrer
Miguel Ferrer, the “NCIS: Los Angeles” star who played the role of Owen Granger died Jan. 19 from cancer at the age of 61.
Dick Gautier who starred in the original Broadway production of “Bye Bye Birdie” and played the role of Hymie the Robot on “Get Smart” died on Jan. 13 at the age of 85.
Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka
WWE legend Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka died from stomach cancer on Jan. 15 at the age of 73.
He was inducted into the WWF (now WWE) Hall of Fame in 1996 and was also the first WrestleMania opponent of The Undertaker.
William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty, the author of the famed horror novel “The Exorcist,” died from cancer on Jan. 12 at the age of 89.
Tony Rosato
Tony Rosato who was on the cast of “SCTV” and later joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1981, died of a heart attack on Jan. 10 at the age of 62.
Lee O’Denat aka “Q”
The founder and CEO of music and culture website WorldStarHipHop, Lee O’Denat, died on Jan. 23 in his sleep at the age of 43, according to TMZ.
Mary Tyler Moore
The legendary six-time Emmy winning star of the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the “Dick Van Dyke Show” died on Jan. 25 at the age of 80.
Mike Connors
The American actor, best known for playing a private eye on the long-running CBS action series “Mannix” (1967-75), died on January 26 at age 91.
Barbara Hale
The actress best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on the long-running legal drama “Perry Mason,” died Jan. 27 at the age of 94.
According to the Washington Post, Hale died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
John Hurt
The English actor whose career spanned six decades and starred in “The Elephant Man” and “Doctor Who” died at the age of 77 on January 27.
Although the cause of death is currently unknown, Hurt had been battling pancreatic cancer since 2015.
Richard Hatch
Richard Hatch, who played Captain Apollo on the 1970s sci-fi television series “Battlestar Galactica,” died at the age of 71 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer on Feb. 7.
Brenda Buttner
The senior business correspondent and host of “Bulls and Bears” for the Fox News Channel, Brenda Buttner died on Feb. 20 after a battle with cancer at the age of 55.
Robert Osborne
Film historian and longtime host on Turner Classic Movies, Robert Osborne, died Mar. 6 at the age of 84.
Joni Sledge
Joni Sledge of the 1970’s musical group, Sister Sledge, known for their single “We Are Family,” died Mar. 10 at 60-years-old.
Auntie Fee
Felicia O’Dell, better known as Chef Sista Girl or Auntie Fee, was a viral YouTube sensation known for her “good ass chicken” died Mar. 17 after suffering a heart attack. She was 59-years-old.
Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry, singer and songwriter of rock and roll classics such as “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Johnny B. Goode” died Mar. 18 at the age of 90.
Bernie Wrightson
Bernie Wrightson, famed comic book artist known for co-creating the DC comic book monster Swamp Thing, died Mar. 19 after a long battle with brain cancer at 68-years-old.
Jimmy Breslin
Jimmy Breslin, the Pulitzer-winning reporter and columnist whose life was as outsized as the New York City characters he depicted and exposed in print, died Mar. 19 at the age of 88.
He was known for reporting on letters he received from “Son of Sam” serial killer, David Berkowitz in 1977 and exposed one of the city’s worst corruption scandals in the ’80s.
Darlene Cates
“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” mom, Darlene Cates, died Mar. 26 peacefully in her sleep at the age of 69.
Erin Moran
Erin Moran, best known for playing Ron Howard’s kid sister in the classic 1970s sitcom “Happy Days,” died Apr. 22 at the age of 56.
Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme, Oscar winning director of “The Silence of the Lambs,” died Apr. 26 from esophageal cancer at the age of 73.
Michael Mantenuto
Michael Mantenuto, who starred in Disney’s 2004 film “Miracle,” died at the age of 35 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Apr. 24.
Roger Ailes
Former Fox News Chief, Roger Ailes, who resigned from the company in July after former anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit that resulted in multiple women coming forward with similar claims died on May 18 at the age of 77.
According to a family friend who spoke with CNN, Ailes fell at his home in Palm Beach, Florida last week, suffered complications, and slipped into a coma.
Gregg Allman
The organist and singer for The Allman Brothers, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gregg Allman died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Savannah, Georgia, at the age of 69, according to his official website. Allman helped create the Southern Rock genre, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
Lisa Spoonauer
Lisa Spoonauer, who played Caitlin Bree in the 1994 film “Clerks,” died at the age of 44. The film’s director, Kevin Smith, reported the news on June 6.
Adam West
Adam West, the titular star of TV’s “Batman” from 1966-1968, has died after battling leukemia at the age of 88 on June 9.
George Romero
George A. Romero, famed horror director who invented the modern zombie movie with 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead,” died July 16 at age 77 after a short battle with lung cancer.
Martin Landau
Martin Landau, star of “Ed Wood,” “North by Northwest” and the ’60s TV series “Mission: Impossible,” died July 15 at the age of 89 after experiencing unexpected complications during a short hospitalization.
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard, author, playwright and actor, died on July 27 from complications of ALS, theatre public relations firm Boneau/Bryan-Brown confirmed Monday. He was 73 years old.
Robert Hardy
Robert Hardy, the actor best known for playing Cornelius Fudge in the “Harry Potter” film franchise died Aug. 3 at the age of 91.
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna, the actor, director, playwright, and Oscar-nominated screenwriter, died Aug. 13 at the age of 82 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Lester Williams
Lester Williams, a former defensive tackle for the New England Patriots and a first round pick in the 1982 NFL Draft, died Aug. 16 at the age of 58.
Dick Gregory
Dick Gregory, the comedian and civil rights activist died Aug. 19 at the age of 84 from heart failure.
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis, one of Hollywood’s most famous comedians known for being one-half of a legendary comedy duo with Dean Martin, died Aug. 20 at the age of 91.
Felo Ramirez
Rafeal “Felo” Ramirez, the Hall of Fame Spanish-language radio broadcaster for Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, has died at the age of 94 on Aug. 22
Thomas Meehan
Thomas Meehan, the Tony Award-winning writer of “Annie,” “Hairspray” and “The Producers,” has died at the age of 88 on Aug. 22
Jay Thomas
Jay Thomas, known for roles on “Cheers” and “Murphy Brown,” died Aug. 24 at age 69 after a long battle with cancer.
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper, the director of horror classics such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Poltergeist,” died on Aug. 26 at age 74.
Bernard Pomerance
Bernard Pomerance, the American playwright and poet who wrote the Tony-winning 1977 play “The Elephant Man,” died Aug. 26 at the age of 74 from complications from cancer at his home in Galisteo, New Mexico.
Coach Rollie Massimino
Longtime Villanova basketball coach Rollie Massimino died Aug. 30 at the age of 82 after battling lung cancer.
Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson, an actor known for “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman,” died Aug. 31 at age 91.
Shelley Berman
Stand-up comedian and actor Shelley Berman, known for playing Larry David’s dad on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” died Sep. 1 due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 92.
Walter Becker
Walter Becker, co-founding guitarist of the jazz rock band Steely Dan, died Sep. 3 at age 67.
John Ashbery
John Ashbery, the acclaimed Pulitzer-winning American poet who challenged readers with musical verses that often defied easy understanding, died Sep. 3 at age 90.
Elizabeth Kemp
Elizabeth Kemp, actress and famed teacher at the Actors Studio, died Sep. 1 at age 65.
Troy Gentry
Troy Gentry, one half of Kentucky-based country music duo Montgomery Gentry, has died at the age of 50 after a tragic helicopter crash on Sep. 8.
Blake Heron
Blake Heron, the former child actor best known for playing Marty Preston in the 1996 family movie “Shiloh,” has died at the age of 35 on Sep. 8
Michael Friedman
Michael Friedman, a composer and lyricist whose musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” played on Broadway in 2010, died Sep. 9 at age 41 from complications of HIV/AIDS
Len Wein
Len Wein, died Sep. 10 at age 69 after creating a plethora of comics universe characters including Wolverine and Swamp Thing.
Mike Hodge
Mike Hodge, an actor who appeared in recurring roles on “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and was the president of SAG-AFTRA’s New York chapter, died Sep. 9 at the age of 70.
Don Ohlmeyer
Television executive Don Ohlmeyer, who coined the phrase “Must See TV” in the 1990s, died Sep. 10, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” play-by-play man Al Michaels announced during tonight’s telecast. Ohlmeyer was 72.
X Atencio
X Atencio, the legendary animator and imagineer behind classic Disney films such as “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia,” died Sep. 10 at the age of 98.
Mark LaMura
Mark LaMura, the actor best known for playing Mark Dalton on the late, great ABC soap “All My Children,” died Sep. 11 at the age of 68 after a battle with lung cancer.
Edith Windsor
Edith Windsor, LGBTQ activist and lead plaintiff in a pivotal Supreme Court marriage-equality case, died Sep. 12 at age 88.
Jessi Zazu
Jessi Zazu, frontwoman for the Nashville-based alt-country band Those Darlins, died on Sep. 12 at age 28 after a battle with cervical cancer.
Frank Vincent
Frank Vincent, a character actor best known for roles as Italian mafia members, has died at the age of 78 on Sep. 13.
Grant Hart
Grant Hart, drummer and singer of the alternative rock band Hüsker Dü, died at 56-years-old on Sep. 13.
Michelle Rounds
Michelle Rounds, Rosie O’Donnell’s ex-wife, died Monday, Sept. 11, at age 46 by apparent suicide.
Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton, who worked in Hollywood for over 60 years, died Sep. 15, at age 91 from natural causes.
Lillian Ross
Lillian Ross, longtime reporter for The New Yorker, died Sep. 20 at the age of 99.
Bernie Casey
Bernie Casey, who played national Tri Lams fraternity head U.N. Jefferson in the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds” and its sequels, died Sep. 19 at 78-years-old.
David Lyle
David Lyle, former head of National Geographic Channels and FremantleMedia North America, died Sep. 21 at 67 after battling cancer.
Charles Bradley
Acclaimed soul singer Charles Bradley who released his first album at the age of 62, died Sep. 23 at 68 following a long bout with cancer.
Jan Triska
Jan Triska, a Czech actor who starred in such Hollywood movies as “Ronin” and “Ragtime,” died Sep. 25 after a fall two days earlier from Prague’s iconic Charles Bridge. He was 80 years old.
Barry Dennen
Barry Dennen, member of the original cast of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” died Sep. 24 at age 79 in hospice care in Burbank after suffering a brain injury from a fall in June.
Paul Horner
Paul Horner, a writer of “fake news” who claimed to influence the 2016 election with his widely discredited stories, was found dead outside Phoenix on Sep. 18 at the age of 38.
Hugh Hefner
Playboy founder and icon Hugh Hefner died on Sep. 27 at the age of 91 from natural causes.
SI Newhouse Jr.
S.I. Newhouse Jr., who ran the Conde Nast publishing empire that included magazine giants such as Vanity Fair, Vogue and The New Yorker, died Oct. 1 at the age of 89.
Tom Petty
The leader singer of the Heartbreakers and a successful solo artist, known for hits like “Free Fallin'” and “Learning to Fly,” died at age 66 on Oct. 2 after being found unconscious in his Malibu home the previous night.
Charles ‘Chuck’ Low
Charles “Chuck” Low, a military vet turned real estate developer turned “Goodfellas” actor, died peacefully in his sleep on Sep. 18 at age 89.
Hervé L Leroux
French fashion designer Hervé L. Leroux, known for his bandage dresses, died Oct. 6 at age 60.
Connie Hawkins
NBA legend Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins, known for being a power forward known for his massive hands, scoop shots and football-like passes, died Oct. 6 at age 75.
Philip Reitnour
Philip Reitnour, who appeared on “Shark Tank” in 2014 to pitch his app EmergenSee, has been found dead in Philadelphia’s Schuylkill river at the age of 58.
John Dunsworth
John Dunsworth, star of the hit Canadian TV series “Trailer Park Boys,” died Oct. 16 at age 71.
Mychael Knight
Mychael Knight, a fashion designer who competed on the reality competition series “Project Runway,” died Oct. 17 at age 39.
Gord Downie
The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie died Oct. 17 at age 53 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in May.
Danielle Darrieux
Danielle Darrieux, the French actress whose career on screen and stage spanned eight decades and was known for “8 Women,” died at the age of 100 on Oct. 19.
Brent Briscoe
Brent Briscoe, a character actor known for roles in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” and “Mulholland Drive,” as well as “The Green Mile” and “Sling Blade,” died at age 56 on Oct. 20.
Robert Guillaume
Robert Guillaume, a two-time Emmy winner for his character Benson DuBois on “Soap” and the spinoff “Benson,” as well as the voice of Rafiki in “The Lion King,” died after a battle with prostate cancer on Oct. 24. He was 89.
Fats Domino
Rock and roll legend Fats Domino, known for singles like “Ain’t That A Shame,” “I’m Walkin” and “Blueberry Hill,” died at age 89 on Oct. 24.
Brad Bufanda
“Veronica Mars” actor Brad Bufanda died by suicide on Nov. 3. He was 34.
John Hillerman
John Hillerman, the Emmy-winning actor who portrayed Higgins opposite Tom Selleck on “Magnum P.I.,” died of natural causes on Nov. 9. He was 84.
Chuck Mosley
Charles Henry Mosley III, a former singer for the band Faith No More, died “due to the disease of addiction” on November 10. He was 57.
Liz Smith
Liz Smith, a legendary New York gossip columnist who helped usher in an era of celebrity journalism, died on Nov. 12 at the age of 94.
Lil Peep
Gustav Ahr, a rising rap star who performed under the name Lil Peep after releasing his first full album in August, died of a suspected overdose at the age of 21.
Earle Hyman
Earle Hyman, who played Grandpa Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” in addition to a career on stage as a Shakespearean actor, died Nov. 17 at age 91.
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young, one of the founding guitarists of rock band AC/DC, died on Nov. 18 after battling dementia. He was 64.
Mel Tillis
Country music star Mel Tillis, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, died of suspected respiratory failure on Nov. 19. He was 85.
Charles Manson
Charles Manson, the con man, cult leader and criminal who led the Manson Family murders in the ’60s, died on Nov. 19. He was 83.
Jana Novotna
Jana Novotna, a Czech tennis champion who won Wimbledon in 1998, died after a battle with cancer on Nov. 19. She was 49.
Della Reese
Della Reese, a jazz and pop singer who also starred on “Touched By An Angel,” died on Nov. 19. She was 86.
Peter Baldwin
Peter Baldwin, an Emmy-winning director of “The Wonder Years,” “The Brady Bunch” and “Sanford and Son,” died on Nov. 19. He was 86.
David Cassidy
David Cassidy, the star of “The Partridge Family” and a teen heartthrob from the ’70s, died on Nov. 21 after being placed into a medically-induced coma. He was 67.
Tommy Keene
Tommy Keene, a power pop singer-songwriter popular in the ’80s, died on Nov. 22 at the age of 59.
Rance Howard
Rance Howard, an actor who appeared in 15 films directed by his son Ron Howard, died on Nov. 26. He was 89.