Stars we lost in 2020

Jessica Campbell, who starred in Election and Freaks and Geeks before going on to work as a physician, died of unknown causes on Dec. 29 at the age of 38. Campbell most famously portrayed Tammy Metzler in the 1999 dark comedy Election, opposite Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance. A year later, she appeared in two episodes of the cult-favorite TV series Freaks and Geeks as tuba player Amy Andrews, the love of interest of Seth Rogen's character Ken Miller. Her final Hollywood gig before her retirement was in the 2003 short Birth of the Vampire where she worked as a camera assistant.

Phyllis McGuire, the last surviving member of the  McGuire Sisters, died on Dec. 29 of natural causes. She was 89. The McGuire Sisters, including her siblings Dorothy and Christine McGuire, were center stage in the 1950s until 1968 when they reportedly split due to Phyllis' controversial relationship with mobster Sam Giancana. Mary Louise-Parker played her in Sugartime, an HBO film about the love affair.

Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quiñones, dance legend and star of the cult hit Breakin', died on Dec. 30 of unknown causes at the age of 65. Prior to venturing into film, he choreographed and appeared in Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" music video. His most famous movie role was the character of Ozone in the underground classic Breakin', one he reprised in the film's sequel Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. He also appeared in other big-screen titles including Lambada, Tango & Cash, and Xanadu.

Dawn Wells, the actress best known for portraying Mary Ann Summers on 1960s CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island, died on Dec. 30 at 82 from COVID-19. Summers would be associated with the lovable Kansas farm girl character her entire life, reprising the role in reunion specials and on episodes of Baywatch and Roseanne. She also co-wrote a cookbook and a memoir/advice-book using the Mary Ann branding. Wells also appeared in small roles in television shows like The Love Boat, Bonanza, and Alf, as well as a in a handful of films such as The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

Joe Clark, the tough-as-nails New Jersey principal who Morgan Freeman portrayed in the film Lean on Me, died from an undisclosed illness on Dec. 29 at 82. Lean on Me, directed by John G. Avildsen, was loosely based on Clark's real-life experience as an inner-city principal whose students were challenged every day to become better versions of themselves through their commitment to education.

Fashion designer Pierre Cardin died on Dec. 29 at 98. Cardin designed costumes for Jean Cocteau's film, Beauty and the Beast, before starting his own brand, the House of Cardin, in 1950. He designed collections well into the 21st century (including a creation for Lady Gaga), opened the Past-Present-Future museum in Paris in 2014 to display his work, and was last seen in September toasting 70 years of his brand where he hosted a special screening of the documentary, House of Cardin.

Actor and wrestler Jon Huber died on Dec. 26 at the age of 41 from lung issues not related to COVID-19. Huber wrestled in the WWE under the ring name Luke Harper and then performed with the AEW as Brodie Lee. He played a soldier named Lachlan Allsopp in the 2017 period action-horror film Mohawk. 

Michael Alig, the infamous leader of the "Club Kids" of the 1990s, died on Dec. 25 at the age of 54. Alig co-founded the group of eccentric partiers popular in NYC's club scene. He was later convicted of murdering and dismembering fellow club kid Andre "Angel" Melendez. His story was turned into the 2003 feature film Party Monster, starring Macaulay Culkin as Alig.

Legendary bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice died on Dec. 25 at the age of 69. The Grammy Award winner and International Bluegrass Music Hall of Famer was famous for his baritone voice and his flatpicking style. He famously collaborated with Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead during his lifetime.

Rock guitarist Leslie West died on Dec. 23, two days after going into cardiac arrest, at the age of 75. West founded Mountain in 1969, with who he performed on the second day of Woodstock. Throughout his career, he collaborated with The Who, Bo Diddley, Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, and Ozzy Osbourne. During one of Mountain's breakups, West appeared on the big screen in Family Honor and The Money Pit.

John Fletcher, also known as Ecstasy, of the pioneering hip-hop group Whodini, died Dec. 23 of undisclosed causes at age 56. Fletcher founded the group with fellow rapper Jalil Hutchins in 1982, with DJ Grandmaster Dee later joining. Whodini are considered pioneers of hip-hop. Their songs "Friends" and "Five Minutes of Funk" have been heavily sampled by other artists.

Broadway actress Rebecca Luker died on Dec. 23 at the age of 59, 10 months after she revealed publicly that she had been diagnosed with ALS.  The actress earned Tony nominations for the 2006 run of Mary Poppins, the 2000 revival of The Music Man, and the 1994 revival of Show Boat. She also appeared in the 1998 revival of The Sound of Music. Luker was married to fellow Tony-nominated Broadway star Danny Burstein.

Grammy-winning country star K.T. Oslin died on Dec. 21 a week after being diagnosed with pneumonia related to COVID-19. She was 78. The history-making singer-songwriter, best known for being the first-ever female to win song of the year at the CMA Awards back in 1988, also appearanced on TV in the '90s as a guest star and late-night host, as well as starring opposite Harry Hamlin in Poisoned by Love and in Peter Bogdanovich's 1993 film The Thing Called Love. She was inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014 and was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jeremy Bulloch, who played the role of Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, died Dec. 17 at age 75 following health complications, including several years living with Parkinson's disease. The U.K. actor was under the armor during Boba Fett's live-action introduction in The Empire Strikes Back and continued the role in Return of the Jedi. He also made appearances without the helmet in different roles, playing Lieutenant Sheckil in Empire and Captain Jeremoch Colton in Revenge of the Sith. Bulloch also appeared in the 1984 TV series Robin Hood, the 2009 TV series Starhyke, and the James Bond films Octopussy and For Your Eyes Only.

Lin Qi, producer on Netflix's upcoming series The Three-Body Problem, died after allegedly being poisoned on Dec. 16. He was 39. Lin was an executive producer on the streaming series based on the Liu Cixin novel with Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss. 

John le Carré, perhaps the most celebrated spy novelist of the 20th century, died Dec. 12 at age 89 from complications of pneumonia. Known for defining the spy genre with his body of work, and coining terms like "mole," Le Carré revolutionized espionage storytelling through the eyes of George Smiley, his most well-known character at the center of the "Karla" trilogy: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), The Honourable Schoolboy (1977), and Smiley's People (1979). Though he experienced a late-career boom in the 2000s, thanks to Hollywood adaptations of The Constant Gardener in 2005, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in 2011, A Most Wanted Man in 2014, and The Night Manager in 2016, he never mellowed in writing gripping spy stories and inventing his myriad characters. 

Ann Reinking, the Tony-winning actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer, died Dec. 12 at 71. Beloved for her skills as a triple threat on stage and screen, Reinking was perhaps best known for her personal and professional association with director-choreographer Bob Fosse. She famously replaced Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart in the original production of Chicago and reprised the role the 1996 revival, for which she also won the Tony for Best Choreography. (That production was still running until Broadway's COVID-19 shutdown.) Reinking also helped create the musical Fosse, a showcase of the legendary choreographer's work. Her other credits included Over Here, Goodtime Charley, A Chorus Line, Sweet Charity, and Bye Bye Birdie.

Charley Pride, the trailblazing performer considered country music's first Black superstar, died Dec. 12 of complications from COVID-19. He was 86. Known for his rich baritone voice, Pride was one of the most successful country musicians of all time, and the first Black artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister, the actor known for playing the neighborhood bully Deebo in the Friday movies, died on Dec. 10 at 62. Ice Cube remembered his Friday and Next Friday costar as "America's favorite bully" and "a good dude at heart." Lister's other TV and film credits include The Players Club, Posse, The Dark Knight, Little Nicky, Jackie Brown, and The Fifth Element.

Actress Natalie Desselle-Reid died on Dec. 7 after a private battle with colon cancer. She was 53 years old. A mainstay in Black entertainment, Desselle-Reid appeared in everything from Set It Off to the sitcom Eve to Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family. In addition to being a part of the groundbreaking, colorblind cast in Cinderella starring Brandy, Desselle-Reid's role in B.A.P.S is widely considered one of the earliest instances of a plus-size female lead in a comedy with a significant romantic storyline.

David Lander, who famously portrayed greaser Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley in the '70s, died on Dec. 4 at age 73 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Lander also appeared in beloved series like Happy Days, The Love Boat, Highway to Heaven, Married...With Children, Head of the Class, Twin Peaks, and even revived his Squiggy character on Saturday Night Live. After revealing his diagnosis in 1999, the actor took an active role in bringing awareness of the disease by speaking at medical conventions throughout the years.

Hugh Keays-Byrne, the actor known for portraying the antagonist in Mad Max and Mad Max: Fury Road, died in his sleep on Dec. 1 at the age of 73. Throughout his lengthy career, Keays-Byrne starred in a variety of film and TV projects including The Man from Hong Kong, The Blood of Heroes, Moby Dick, and Farscape. He made his directorial debut in the 1992 Australian film Resistance.

Italian actress and screenwriter Daria Nicolodi died on Nov. 26 at the age of 70. She began her career working in television but became well known for her film projects, including her collaborations with Dario Argento in Deep Red, Inferno, Tenebrae, Phenomena, and Opera. She was meant to play the lead in 1977's Suspiria, which she co-wrote with Argento, though a back injury led to the recasting of Stefania Casini. Nicolodi and Argento are parents to actress Asia Argento.

Soccer legend Diego Maradona died on Nov. 25 from a stroke at the age of 60. Maradona's extreme highs and lows were documented in an eponymous documentary released in 2019 by Academy Award-winning director Asif Kapadia.

Country singer Hal Ketchum died from complications of dementia on Nov. 23 at the age of 67. Ketchum's biggest commercial release was his 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue and song of the same name, though he had 17 entries on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including "Small Town Saturday Night" and "Hearts Are Gonna Roll," before retiring nearly three decades later after being diagnosed with dementia.

Comedian Joe Luna, who performed under the name Joe El Cholo, died on Nov. 23 due to complications from COVID-19 at the age of 38. He chronicled his battle with the novel coronavirus on social media, sharing his struggles amid the growing pandemic. Luna performed throughout his career in local Los Angeles comedy spots including the Ice House and the Improv Theatre.

Ben Watkins, a contestant on season 6 of MasterChef Junior, died Nov. 16 after an 18-month battle with a rare form of cancer. He was 14. Watkins, who began cooking at age 3, became a fan-favorite contestant on the culinary competition show, placing in the top 18.

Let's Stay Together actor Bert Belasco died at 38. The BET star was found dead in his hotel room in Virginia where he was quarantining in preparation of an upcoming movie role. In addition to playing Charles Whitmore on Let's Stay Together, Belasco appeared on Fox's Pitch and multiple episodes of Showtime's I'm Dying Up Here. He also had brief stints on shows like Justified, Superstore, NCIS: New Orleans, Key & Peele, and House.

Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek died Nov. 8 at age 80 following a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. A career emcee, Trebek began hosting game shows in his native Canada. He moved to the U.S. in the '70s to emcee The Wizard of Odds and High Rollers for NBC, as well as Double Dare and Pillsbury Bake-Off for CBS. He joined Jeopardy! in 1984, but continued holding the mic for shows like The National Geographic Bee from 1989-2013 and To Tell the Truth from 1990-91. In 2011, Trebek earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys. He's also won seven Emmys for Outstanding Game Show host. In 2014, Guinness World Records announced that Trebek had broken the record for the most game show episodes hosted by the same person on the same program.

Ken Spears, who co-created the Scooby-Doo franchise for Hanna-Barbera, died on Nov. 6 from Lewy body dementia at the age of 82. He and his business partner Joe Ruby, who died in August, also created Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, Captain Caveman, and Jabberjaw. The duo also produced the Saturday morning cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Sean Connery, the Scotland-born actor who was the first star to play James Bond and became one of the franchise's most iconic stars, has died at the age of 90 on Oct. 31. The Oscar winner died in his sleep while in the Bahamas, according to the BBC, and had reportedly been unwell for some time.

Eddie Hassell, an actor known for appearing in the film The Kids Are All Right and the TV series Surface, died on Oct. 31 at the age of 30 after being shot outside of his girlfriend's apartment. Hassell appeared in the shows Devious Maids, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Bones, and Longmire. He also had a small role in the Ashton Kutcher-led film Jobs in 2013.

Daniel Dumile, the legendary and enigmatic rapper known as MF Doom, died on Oct. 31 at the age of 49. Dumile performed with a metal mask modeled after the Marvel comic book villain Doctor Doom, and was rarely seen in public without it after debuting the Doom persona with the 1999 album Operation: Doomsday. He had previously rapped in the group KMD under the alias Zev Love.

Carol Arthur, Blazing Saddles actress and wife of Dom DeLuise, died on Oct. 31 after an 11-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 85.

The Great British Baking Show season 5 runner-up Luis Troyano died at age 48 following a battle with esophageal cancer. Troyano won Star Baker during his respective season's notoriously difficult Bread Week. Judge Paul Hollywood and season 7 winner Candice Brown were among GBBS alums who paid tribute to the Cheshire native on social media, with the latter writing: "Oh my goodness this is just heartbreaking. Luis was a complete gent and we had some great giggles at festivals. Send love and strength to his friends and family." 

Nikki McKibbin, American Idol season 1 finalist, died after suffering an aneurysm on Oct. 28. She was 42. 

Leanza Cornett, who was crowned Miss America in 1993, died on Oct. 28 after being hospitalized due to a head injury she sustained after a fall. She was 49. After winning the title of Miss America, Cornett appeared in several television series, including Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Grown Ups, The Tick, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Weeds.

Outlaw country singer/songwriter Billy Joe Shaver died in Waco, Texas on Oct. 28 after suffering a massive stroke. Shaver found success as a performer but was more famously known for writing some of the biggest hits performed by superstars like Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Kris Kristofferson.

Jerry Jeff Walker, a singer-songwriter and influential country musician known for penning the popular song "Mr. Bojangles," died Oct. 23 after a long battle with throat cancer. He was 78. Walker was a well-known figure in the Austin, Texas music scene and helped pioneer the "outlaw country" genre alongside such artists as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Michael Martin Murphey. 

William Blinn, a veteran TV writer, died Oct. 22 at age 83. A two-time Emmy winner for Roots and the acclaimed television film Brian's Song, Blinn was also known for co-writing the Prince film Purple Rain and creating the hit 1970s cop show Starsky & Hutch.

Disney legend Marge Champion died on Oct. 21 at age 101. Champion was a renowned dancer, actress, and character model for animated figures in animated classics Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and Fantasia. Her subsequent career saw her acting in small roles, and she later won an Emmy for choreographing the 1975 television film Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. She also performed on Broadway, with her final stage appearance coming at age 82 in Stephen Sondheim's Follies.

Spencer Davis, the British rock musician whose namesake band turned out such '60s hits as "Gimme Some Lovin'," "I'm a Man," and "Keep on Running," died from pneumonia on Oct. 19 at 81. Davis found moderate success as a solo artist after the Spencer Davis Group split which led to him pivoting behind-the-scenes. He took a job with Island Records as an A&R where he helped develop artists like Bob Marley and Robert Palmer.

Musician Tony Lewis, vocalist and bass player for the British band The Outfield, died "suddenly and unexpectedly" on Oct. 19 at the age 62. The Outfield's 1985 debut album Play Deep became a multi-platinum selling album with hits like "Your Love" and "All the Love." Despite only reaching No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1986, "Your Love" has become a widely known classic used in many TV spots, commercials, and films. In recent years, Lewis began releasing music as a solo artist, including his 2018 album Out of the Darkness and 2020 EP, Unplugged – The Acoustic Sessions.

James Redford, a filmmaker, activist, and the son of Robert Redford, died on Oct. 16 from cancer at the age of 58. The filmmaker often focused on the environment, science, and education, in documentaries he directed and produced, like The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, Paper Tigers, Resilience, and 2017's Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution.

Anthony Chisholm, a veteran actor of stage, film, and television and frequent collaborator of playwright August Wilson, died Oct. 16 at age 77. He appeared in such films as the cult classic Putney Swope and Spike Lee's Chi-Raq, and played Burr Redding on HBO's Oz for three seasons. On stage, he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Wilson's Radio Golf.

Rhonda Fleming, a classic film star once known as the "Queen of Technicolor," died on Oct. 14 due to complications from aspiration pneumonia. She was 97. Fleming was beloved by audiences for her presence in Technicolor movies, most notably 1949's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, opposite Bing Crosby. Some of her many film roles include Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound, Cry Danger, While the City Sleeps, The Killer Is Loose, Inferno, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and The Redhead and the Cowboy.

Saint Dog, a founding member of the hip-hop collective Kottonmouth Kings, was found dead at his home on Oct. 13. He was 44. Saint Dog founded the Kottonmouth Kings in 1996 with D-Loc, Johnny Richter, Daddy X, Lou Dog, and DJ Bobby B. He appeared in the band's first three projects: Stoners Reeking Havoc, Royal Highness, and Hidden Stash. Saint Dog also contributed to Mile High, Krown Power, and the group's last album, 2018's Kingdom Come.

Conchata Ferrell, the character actress known for her role as the witty housekeeper Berta on Two and a Half Men, died Oct. 12 of complications from a cardiac arrest after several months in poor health. She was 77. Ferrell appeared in over 100 films and TV shows, including Mystic Pizza, Edward Scissorhands, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Friends, and had a rare leading role in the acclaimed 1979 film Heartland, alongside Rip Torn.

Tom Kennedy, a veteran host of game shows like Name That Tune and Split Second, died after a long illness on Oct.7. He was 93. Kennedy hosted 16 shows between 1958 and 1987, including Name That Tune, Split Second, You Don't Say!, and Dr. I.Q. He also acted in shows like That Girl, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Hardcastle and McCormick, and stage productions like The Odd Couple, Tunnel of Love, and There's a Girl in My Soup.

Eddie Van Halen, influential guitarist and founding member of his namesake rock band Van Halen, died Oct. 6 from throat cancer. He was 65.

Johnny Nash, the singer and songwriter best known for his 1972 hit "I Can See Clearly Now," died from natural causes at his home on Oct. 6. He was 80. Nash began his pop music career in the 1950s and made his major-label debut with the 1957 single "A Teenager Sings the Blues." His other notable songs included "Hold Me Tight," "You Got Soul," "Rock Me, Baby," and covers of Doris Day's "A Very Special Love" and Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World."

Actress Margaret Nolan, who appeared onscreen alongside James Bond and the Beatles, died from cancer on Oct. 5. She was 76. The English performer was best known for playing Bond's masseuse Dink in Goldfinger and for appearing as the gold-painted model in the 1964 film's title sequence. She also appeared in the Beatles' musical comedy film A Hard Day's Night. 

Kenzo Takada, founder of the luxury Kenzo Global Brand, died due to complications from coronavirus on Oct. 4. He was 81. Takada was a renowned Japanese-French designer made his Paris debut with his eponymous collection featuring the trademark mix of patterns and loud colors he was famous for in the 1970's. Not even retirement could keep Takada from following his passion. In January, he announced the launch of home and lifestyle brand K3 with a focus on interior design.

Daisy Coleman, activist and documentary subject, died by suicide on Oct. 4 at the age of 23. Coleman shared her experience as a rape survivor and the subsequent abuse and cyberbullying she endured as a result of coming forward in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy.

Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a Tony Award-nominated actor who appeared in numerous Spike Lee movies, was killed on Oct. 3. He was 70. Byrd also appeared in films like F. Gary Gray's 1996 movie Set It Off, Antoine Fuqua's 2009 flick Brooklyn's Finest, the Lee-created Netflix series She's Gotta Have It, and The Last O.G. in 2020. He scored a Tony nomination for Best Actor in 2003 for a revival of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. 

Actor Clark Middleton, best known for appearing in The Blacklist and the recent Twin Peaks revival, died on Oct. 4 from the West Nile Virus. He was 63. His other TV credits include Fringe, The Path, Law & Order, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., American Gods, and Gotham. On the big screen, Middleton appeared in films like Sin City, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Snowpiercer, and Birdman. 

Mac Davis, the pop-country musician and occasional actor who wrote hits for Elvis Presley and a few in his own name as well, died following heart surgery on Sept. 29 at the age of 78. His biggest solo hit was 1972's "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, found crossover success on the country charts. Davis made his acting debut in the 1979 comedy North Dallas Forty, starring Nick Nolte. In recent years, he collaborated with 21st century pop stars like Avicii ("Addicted to You") and Bruno Mars ("Young Girls"). 

Bonni Lou Kern, one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club, died Sept. 28 at age 79. Kern rose to fame when she appeared as a Mouseketeer in Disney's The Wonder Mouseketeers! At just 14 years old, Kern starred in the inaugural episode and she went on to appear on the spin-off film Save the Wonder Mouseketeers! During her time with Disney, Kern was presented with the Mousecar Award — the highest honor bestowed by the company — as well as the key to Fantasyland, according to her family.

Helen Reddy, the 1970s pop star and cultural icon behind the hit song "I Am Woman," died Sept. 29, at 78. Australian-born Reddy was regarded as a queen of 1970s pop, reigning as the world's top-selling female singer in 1973 and 1974. Her biggest hit, 1971's ″I Am Woman,″ catapulted Reddy to new heights as a feminist icon, and the song became the unofficial anthem of the women's movement. Her other hits included ″Delta Dawn,″ ″Angie Baby,″ Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress),″ and ″Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady.″ Reddy also made waves on screen, starring in her own weekly television variety program, The Helen Reddy Show, and appearing in Disney's Pete Dragon and Airport 1975.

Tommy DeVito, founding member of 60s group the Four Seasons, has died from COVID-19 on Sept. 21. He was 92. During DeVito's tenure with the group, alongside Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, and Nick Massi, the climbed the charts with hit songs "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Sherry."

Michael Lonsdale died on Sept. 21 at age 89. The actor was best known for playing villainous Hugo Drax opposite Roger Moore's 007 in the 1979 James Bond adventure Moonraker. His many other film credits included The Day of the Jackal, Ronin, The Remains of the Day, Munich, and Of Gods and Men, for which he won a César award. On the small screen, Lonsdale appeared in the 1982 miniseries Smiley's People, based on the John le Carré novel of the same name.

Jackie Stallone, entertainer and Sylvester Stallone's mother, died in her sleep on Sept. 21. She was 98. While known as the mom of the Rocky star and musician Frank Stallone, she had a notable career in her own right. She starred in the '80s wrestling show GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, the organization which later inspired the Netflix series of the same name. Stallone was also an astrologist who published books, appeared on television, and had her own psychic hotline.

Japanese actress Yuko Takeuchi — who helped break barriers as the lead of HBO's female-led Sherlock Holmes adaptation Miss Sherlock — died on Sept. 20 from an apparent suicide. She was 40. In addition to her prolific career on Japanese television dramas. Takeuchi appeared in a small role in Hideo Nakata's J-horror hit Ringu, which inspired Gore Verbinski's 2002 English-language remake The Ring starring Naomi Watts.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Sept. 18 at the age of 87 from complications of metastatic pancreas cancer. Ginsburg was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a longtime legal champion of gender equality. She was appointed to the court by President Clinton in 1993. In her later years, she became a pop culture icon, referred to as "The Notorious RBG." Ginsburg was portrayed in 2018's On the Basis of Sex and in the same year was the subject of documentary RBG.

Georgia Dobbins, co-writer of Motown's first No. 1 hit "Please Mr. Postman" as part of The Marvelettes, died on Sept. 18 from cardiac arrest. She was 78. Even though Dobbins spent a short time with the quintet she helped found in the early 1960s, it was thanks to "Please Mr. Postman" that record executive Berry Gordy, Jr. gave the group a contract at his Motown Records.

Jeremy Hutchins, the showrunner for Entertainment Weekly's Quibi series Last Night's Late Night, died on Sept. 15. He was 37. Hutchins was a veteran television producer, having worked on The View, 106 & Park, Ice & Coco, post-shows for the BET and Soul Train Awards, Kandi Koated Nights, and After-Trek, a post-show for Star Trek: Discovery for CBS All Access.

Reggae legend Toots Hibbert died on Sept. 11 while in a medically induced coma. He had been hospitalized a month prior with symptoms of coronavirus. He was 77. As the frontman of Toots & the Maytals, Hibbert released a string of classic singles including "Monkey Man," "Sweet and Dandy," and "Pressure Drop," which was subsequently covered by The Clash. In 2004, Toots & the Maytals won a Grammy for the album True Love, which featured re-recordings of the group's best-known tracks and a guest list of musicians, which included Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Keith Richards.

Professional wrestler and actor Stevie Lee (born Stevie Lee Richardson), who performed under the name "Puppet the Psycho Dwarf" in the ring, died from a heart attack on Sept. 11. He was 54. Lee began his wrestling career on NWA: Total Nonstop Action in 2002 and went on to create the Half Pint Brawlers wrestling company, which secured its own reality series on Spike TV in 2010. He also appeared in Jackass 3D that year. Lee had several other acting credits, including Oz the Great and Powerful and American Horror Story: Freak Show.

Dame Diana Rigg has died at the age of 82. According to her agent, the British actress died peacefully at her home with her family on Sept. 10. Rigg initially found fame in the U.K. playing Emma Peel opposite Patrick Macnee's John Steed in the classic adventure show The Avengers. In 1969, she starred with George Lazenby in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. While the film itself would be much-maligned, Rigg's performance as Tracy Bond has become a favorite among 007 fans. In more recent years, the actress played fan-favorite Olenna Tyrell in HBO's Game of Thrones. 

Ronald "Khalis" Bell, a founding member of Kool & the Gang and a driving force behind many of the band's greatest hits, died on Sept. 9. He was 68. Bell formed the group that would become Kool & the Gang with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell in 1964, along with Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. Bell was co-writer, arranger and producer on "Ladies' Night," "Get Down on It," and the legendary No. 1 single "Celebration."

Actor Kevin Dobson, best known for starring in TV dramas like Kojak and Knots Landing, died Sept. 6 of a heart attack. He was 77. Dobson starred as Det. Bobby Crocker on the popular CBS crime drama Kojak from 1973 to 1978. The network was also home to Knots Landing, the soap the actor appeared in as M. Patrick "Mack" Mackenzie from 1982 to 1993. Dobson won five Soap Opera Digest Awards for the role, including Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role: Prime Time. Later on in his career, Dobson made guest appearances on series like House of Lies and Anger Management, and his last role was in the upcoming sci-fi series 12 to Midnight. 

The one-time lead singer of Motown group The Temptations died Sept. 6 at the age of 49 following a reported battle with COVID-19. Williamson was was a member of The Temptations from 2006 to 2015. As a Temptation, Williamson led the group in both concert and television performances. He featured on Temptations albums Back to Front and Still Here, as well as joined the group in a cameo in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. 

Erick Morillo, the DJ and producer known for his upbeat 1994 hit "I Like to Move It," was found dead in Miami on Sept 1. A cause of death was not immediately available.

Released under the stage name Reel 2 Real and featuring vocals by the Mad Stuntman, "I Like to Move It" propelled Morillo toward becoming a prominent member of the international house community. He was a three-time winner of Best House DJ at the DJ Awards, the most recent win being in 2009. The week of his death, Morillo was set to appear in court after being charged with sexual battery earlier in the year.

Clifford Robinson, an 18-year veteran of the NBA and onetime contestant on Survivor, died on August 29 from lymphoma at 53. Robinson played eight seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers beginning in 1989, helping the team reach the finals in 1990 and 1992 and the playoffs all eight years. After retiring in 2007, he was a contestant on the 28th season of Survivor, Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty, in 2014, becoming the fifth person to be eliminated that season.

Clifford Robinson, an 18-year veteran of the NBA and onetime contestant on Survivor, died Aug. 29 of complications from lymphoma. He was 53. Robinson spent eight seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, helping the team reach the finals in 1990 and 1992, and later appeared on the 28th season of Survivor, Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty, in 2014.

Chadwick Boseman, who played Marvel superhero T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, in 2018's Black Panther, died at 43 of complications from colon cancer, it was announced on Aug. 28. The charismatic actor built his career playing historic Black icons, including barrier-breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42, music icon James Brown in Get on Up, and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. Boseman also appeared as T'Challa in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and most recently, he starred in the crime drama 21 Bridges and Spike Lee's war drama Da 5 Bloods. He completed filming on the upcoming Netflix film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which is based on August Wilson's play and is expected to be Boseman's final film appearance.

Riley Gale, who is best known as the lead singer of thrash metal band Power Trip, died on Aug. 24 at age 34. A cause of death was not immediately known. Gale helped form the band in 2008. In 2009, their first EP Armageddon Blues was released, and was followed up by another EP, Power Trip, two years later. They went on to release two albums on Southern Lord: their 2013 debut Manifest Decimation and 2017's Nightmare Logic. This was followed by a compilation album, Opening Fire: 2008-2014, in 2018. In 2019, Power Trip tweeted that they were at work on their third album.

Award-winning Americana singer and songwriter Justin Townes Earle has died at the age of 38. His first EP, Yuma, was released in 2007, and he released his full-length debut, The Good Life, the following year. He won the Americana Music Association's Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2009, and he won Song of the Year there in 2011 for his "Harlem River Blues." That song came off his third studio album of the same name, which was his highest debut on the Billboard 200 charts at 47. In total, he released eight full-length albums. His last, The Saint of Lost Causes, was released in May 2019.

Jack Sherman, a guitarist who played on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' debut album, died Aug. 18 of undisclosed causes. He was 64. The band announced Sherman's death on social media, writing, "We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed....He was a unique dude and we thank him for all times good, bad and in between."

Frankie Banali, best known as the drummer for Quiet Riot and W.A.S.P, died Aug. 20 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68. Banali joined Quiet Riot in 1982, and played on the group's breakthrough album Metal Health, which was the first heavy metal album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Banali was the only member of the group to play on every single one of their albums since Metal Health, and took over managing the band in 1993. He was also a longtime advocate for animal rescue, a spokesperson for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and a sponsor of Children International.

RuPaul's Drag Race star Chi Chi DeVayne died at age 34, EW learned on Aug. 20. DeVayne — the stage name of Zavion Davenport — was an accomplished entertainer who competed season 8 of Drag Race and returned for All-Stars 3. DeVayne had been hospitalized with suspected kidney failure. In addition to her appearances on RuPaul's Drag Race, DeVayne had a small part on season 1 of the Apple TV+ anthology dramedy Little America, appeared on fellow Drag Race alum Yuhua Hamasaki's Bootleg Opinions YouTube series, and guested on an episode of the popular queer talk show Hey Qween in addition to her various performing gigs and tours as a drag artist.

diedThe veteran actor who starred in Chariots of Fire and appeared as Spock's dad in 2009's Star Trek died at the age of 72. 

Linda Manz, an actress known for her roles in Out of the Blue and Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, died Aug. 14 after a battle with lung cancer and pneumonia. She was 58.

Trini Lopez, the singer and actor known for his rendition of "If I Had a Hammer" and his role in The Dirty Dozen, died August 11 from complications of COVID-19 in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 83.

Raymond Allen, who appeared in Good Times and Sanford and Son, died from respiratory issues not related to COVID-19 on August 10. He was 91.

Brent Carver, the Canadian actor who won a Tony Award for his performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman, died on Aug. 4 at the age of 68. Carver won the Lead Actor in a Musical Tony for the production in 1993 alongside Chita Rivera. He also appeared on the small screen in the short-lived CBS series Leo and Me, as Ichabod Crane in a televised movie of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, in Michael Anderson's 1989 movie Millennium, in the "Room 2426" episode of The Twilight Zone, and in Greg Strangis' TV series adaptation of War of the Worlds.

Actor Wilford Brimley died Aug. 1 in Utah, the Associated Press reported. Brimley's many movie credits included The Thing, The Natural, Hard Target, The Firm, and Cocoon. The star passed away after battling a kidney ailment. He was 85.

Reni Santoni, known for his roles in Dirty Harry and Seinfeld, died on Aug. 1 at the age of 81 from natural causes after several months in hospice care in Los Angeles. Santoni played Inspector Chico Gonzalez in Clint Eastwood's famous 1971 action flick, and delivered the famous line: "No wonder they call him Dirty Harry; [he] always gets the s— end of the stick." He also appeared in four episodes of Seinfeld as Poppie the pizza chef. He had over 100 movie credits to his name, including roles in Eddie Murphy's Doctor Dolittle (1998), Sylvester Stallone's Cobra (1986), Sean Penn's Bad Boys (1983), and more.

British director Alan Parker died on July 31 at the age of 76 after battling a lengthy illness. The filmmaker's many — and varied — directorial credits included Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Fame, Shoot the Moon, Pink Floyd: The Wall, Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, Evita, and Angela's Ashes. Parker was twice nominated for the Best Director Academy Award, for Midnight Express and Mississippi Burning.

Mahlon Reyes, a deckhand who worked on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch, died July 26 at the age of 38 following a heart attack. Reyes worked on multiple boats featured on Deadliest Catch across eight years on the show, which follows crab fishermen aboard their vessels on the Bering Sea.

Rapper Malik B, founding member of The Roots, dies at 47. No information about his cause of death is immediately available.

Olivia de Havilland, classic star of Hollywood and two-time winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Paris on July 26. She was 104. The actress is known for her portrayal of Melanie in Gone With the Wind.