Actors And Actresses Who Died In 2022
- Photo: Gracenote
Ronan Vibert passed on December 22, 2022. He was 58.
Vibert was a veteran actor, well known for his roles in Saving Mr. Banks and The Pianist. Throughout his career, he worked with some of the top directors and actors in the business. Some of his other film roles include The Snowman, Dracula Untold, Shadow of the Vampire, The Cat's Meow, Tomb Raider 2, and Tristan and Isolde.
Actress Kathy Burke tweeted, “Just heard about the death of lovely, Ronan Vibert. We first worked together at Manchester Royal Exchange back in the 80’s. We had great times together. Our favourite was seeing The Pogues, Glasgow Barrowlands on Paddy’s night. Oh, how we jumped.”
- Photo: Parks and Recreation / NBC
Helen Slayton-Hughes passed away on December 7, 2022. She was 92.
Slayton-Hughes was widely known for portraying beloved character Ethel Beavers, a cranky court stenographer, in Parks and Recreation. Beyond her days on the popular NBC sitcom, Slayton-Hughes had over 200 theatre and television credits under her belt. She starred in her first Hollywood movie at the age of 50 in Mafia On The Bounty. Later on in her career she found her niche in sitcoms like New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Arrested Development, Rutherford Falls, and Fresh Off The Boat.
Her Parks and Recreation co-star Aubrey Plaza, who played the apathetic April Lundgate, posted a tribute to Slayton-Hughes on her Instagram. In the caption, she wrote: “It was always Ethel Beavers. Always. Rest in Peace Helen. You were so loved and admired and I wanna be you when I grow up ❤️❤️❤️”
- Photo: Cindy Ord / Getty Images
Kirstie Alley passed away on December 5, 2022. She was 71.
Alley was an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning beloved actress whose breakout role as Rebecca Howe on the popular ‘80s sitcom Cheers catapulted her to stardom. She stepped in to replace actress Shelley Long at the height of the show’s popularity, and was a part of the ensemble until the end of the show's run. In addition to Cheers, Alley also starred in the critically-acclaimed tv series David's Mother, as well as NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet. She made the jump to the big screen with her role as a half-Vulcan in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Her other film credits include Look Who's Talking with John Travolta, after which they were thick as thieves.
In tribute of his late best friend, Travolta posted sweet photos of Alley on his Instagram with the caption reading: “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”
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Bob McGrath passed away on December 4, 2022. He was 90.
McGrath was an actor, musician, singer, and children's book author best known for his role as friendly neighbor Bob Johnson on the beloved children's tv program Sesame Street. He was an original, founding cast member of the show, having appeared in Sesame Street pilot in 1969. He went on to work on 47 seasons of the show and left the series in 2017. His singing voice cemented Sesame Street songs like “People in Your Neighborhood” and “Sing a Song” as inescapable childhood earworms.
Fellow Sesame Street cast member Alan Muraoka wrote a heartfelt Instagram caption saying: “Just heard the news that dear Bob McGrath has passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family. Words cannot begin to express what Bob meant to me: a role model, a mentor, a friend. His kindness and wicked sense of humor were such a joy, and I loved him so much. We all gathered in July to wish him a happy 90th birthday, and that was the last time Herb and I saw him. Rest well my friend. You did good.”
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Brad William Henke passed away in his sleep on November 29, 2022. He was 56.
Henke was a former NFL player for the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, and after he got bit by the acting bug, Henke started appearing in TV shows like Orange is the New Black, Justified, and Lost. His first major tv roles included a stint on the WB's Nikki, and Showtime's Going to California opposite Sam Trammell of True Blood fame, which lasted only one season. He also starred in action films like Bright, Fury, World Trade Center, and the Pacific Rim series.
He won a Screen Actors Guild Award along with the rest of the Orange is the New Black cast for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2017.
Frank Vallelonga Jr.
Frank Vallelonga Jr. passed away November 28, 2022. He was 60.
Vallelonga Jr. starred in the Academy Award-winning film Green Book which was based on the memoir of his father, Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga Sr. According to the Hollywood Reporter, his body was found unresponsive outside of a sheet-metal factory in the Bronx. Vallelonga Jr. also starred in The Birthday Cake alongside Val Kilmer and Ewan McGregor. He had a guest starring role in The Sopranos in 2004.
Clarence Gilyard
Photo: user uploaded imageClarence Gilyard passed away on November 28, 2022. He was 66.
Gilyard was an American professor and actor famous best known for his role as one of Hans Gruber's hackers, Theo, in the Bruce Willis action blockbuster Die Hard, and Officer Marcus “Sundown” Williams in Top Gun, the film that cemented Tom Cruise as a movie star. On television, he got his breakthrough role as Conrad McMasters on NBC's primetime legal drama Matlock opposite Andy Griffith. Later on, he also starred in Walker, Texas Ranger as Chuck Norris' badass partner Jimmy Trivette. Gilyard also starred in The Karate Kid II, CHiPS, and the Left Behind films.
Gilyard reprised his role as Die Hard's Theo for a commercial for Advanced Auto Parts alongside fellow cast members including Bruce Willis.
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Irene Cara passed away on November 25, 2022. She was 63.
Cara was an Academy Award-winning actress and singer was widely known for her role in the 1980 musical film Fame, of which she also sang the titular song that reached number one in countries all over the world. The songs she recorded for the movie led to her being nominated for a Golden Globe and two Grammys. A few years later, Cara co-wrote the smash hit “Flashdance… What a Feeling” for the film Flashdance, which led to her winning an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Cara also saw success with songs like “Why Me” and “Breakdance.”
Cara started out acting in the kids tv show Electric Company before moving onto teenage roles in Aaron Loves Angela. Prior to her breakout role in Fame, Cara also played the titular role in the 1976 musical Sparkle. Some of Cara's other roles include City Heat alongside Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood, D.C. Cab, and Certain Fury.
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Nicki Aycox lost her battle with leukemia on November 16, 2022. She was 47.
Aycox was known for her popular character, the badass demon Meg Masters, on the CW's Supernatural. She also had recurring roles Providence, Ed, Over There, Cold Case and Dark Blue. Not only that, but she appeared in films like Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) and The Girl on the Train (2014). Former Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke tweeted, “Gutted to hear the great #NickiAycox, our first #MegMasters, passed away. Too young. She was a delight & delivered lines like honey & venom. I marvel at how she made a simple word like ‘lackluster’ legendary.”
In a Facebook post, her sister said, “My beautiful, smart, fierce, incredibly talented, and loving sister-in-law, Nicki Aycox Raab, passed away yesterday with my brother, Matt Raab, by her side. Nicki and Matt had a wonderful life together in California. She was definitely a fighter and everyone who knew her loved her 💔.”
- Photo: Saban Brands / @jdffn via Instagram
Jason David Frank took his life on November 20, 2022. He was 49.
He was widely known for his portrayal of Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, in multiple generations of the Power Rangers franchise. He started out in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and continued to be a part of multiple series from then on. His character was so popular, they kept bringing him back for Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, and Power Rangers Super Megaforce. He appeared in more than 200 episodes in the franchise, appearing more than any other ranger.
Frank had a Black Belt in Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo. He also had a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and an Ajarn degree in Muay-Thai. In 2003, he was inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame.
The original Black Ranger, Walter Emanuel Jones, posted on Instagram, “Can’t believe it…. RIP Jason David Frank🙏🏾. My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family.”
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John Aniston passed away on November 11, 2022. He was 89.
Aniston was a soap opera actor known for his role as Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives, which he had originated in 1985 and since then has appeared in 2,888 episodes of the NBC daytime drama series. Aniston also appeared in popular tv shows such as Gilmore Girls, The West Wing, Mad Men, Search For Tomorrow and That Girl.
In a heartfelt Instagram caption, Jennifer Aniston wrote about her father: "You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace - and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now 🕊️I’ll love you till the end of time💔"
Leslie Phillips passed away on November 7, 2022. He was 98.
Phillips was a decorated actor who was well known for his suave comedic roles starting all the way in the 1950s with popular catchphrases like “ding dong” or “hello.” He was a mainstay in both the Carry On and Doctor in The House film series. He also starred in The Navy Lark, a BBC radio comedy series which ran from 1959 to 1977. Later in his career, he had a BAFTA-nominated turn in 2006's Venus alongside Peter O' Toole and Vanessa Redgrave. To younger generations, he's perhaps best known for voicing the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter film franchise.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan tweeted, “RIP Leslie Phillips, 98. Wonderful character & superb comedy actor, best known for his what he called his 'lecherous twit' roles in the Carry On & Doctor In The House films with his catchphrases, 'Ding Dong', 'Well, Hello' and 'I Say..' Sad news.”
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Douglas McGrath passed away on November 3, 2022. He was 64.
McGrath was a critically acclaimed director and screenwriter. His work has been nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Tony Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He got his start as a writer for Saturday Night Live and then took his writing to the big screen with his directorial debut Emma, which starred Gwyneth Paltrow. He went on to direct Company Man (2000), Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Infamous (2006), His Way (2011), I Don't Know How She Does It (2011), and Becoming Mike Nichols (2016). McGrath also wrote the book for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and received a Tony Award nomination for his work.
His friend and director of his Off-Broadway one man show Everything's Fine, John Lithgow, tweeted: “We’ve lost Doug McGrath. Words can’t express our grief and shock.”
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Sacheen Littlefeather passed away on October 2, 2022. She was 75.
Littlefeather was an American actress and a Native American civil rights activist. She is best known for her speech at the 45th Academy Awards in which she declined Marlon Brando's award on his behalf in protest of Hollywood’s depictions of Native Americans. At the 45th Academy Awards, she became the first Native American woman to have stood onstage at the ceremony. After her speech, she continued to act and went on to produce movies about Native Americans and for Native Americans.
Her participation in the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island was what initially brought her into the world of Native American activism.
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Louise Fletcher passed away on September 23, 2022. She was 88.
Fletcher was well-known for her iconic portrayal of the villain Nurse Ratched from 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a performance which won her an Oscar for Best Actress. For her Academy acceptance speech, she was the first actor to use sign language in her speech. Beyond her famous character, Fletcher had fruitful acting career spanning sixty years in both television and film. On television she had a recurring role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Emmy-nominated roles on Picket Fences and Joan of Arcadia.
She got her start on television in late ‘50s. She starred in Lawman, Bat Masterson, Maverick, The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Sugarfoot, Perry Mason, and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. After these roles, she began to pivot her career into film roles such as 1963's A Gathering of Eagles and 1974's Thieves Like Us. Her performance in the latter is what drew director Miloš Forman to cast her in his film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
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Marsha Hunt passed away on September 7, 2022. She was 104.
Hunt, who appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows, was one of the last surviving actors from Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. She starred in Born To the West, Pride and Prejudice, Kid Glove Killer, The Human Comedy, Raw Deal, The Happy Time and Johnny Got His Gun.
She worked with performers ranging from Laurence Olivier to Andy Griffith in a long career that was disrupted by McCarthyism. In 1947, she protested the House Un-American Activities Committee alongside fellow Hollywood stars Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Danny Kaye, but she was ultimately blacklisted and struggled to find work in film for the rest of the decade. During blacklist era, she not only pivoted into work in the theatre, but also became an active humanitarian, something. Way into her later years, Hunt aided homeless shelters, supported same-sex marriage, and raised awareness for climate change.
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Henry Silva passed away on September 14, 2022. He was 95.
Silva was a prolific character actor known for specializing menacing villains. From gangsters to outlaws, Silva has hundreds of film credits under his belt including: The Manchurian Candidate, Ocean's Eleven, A Hatful of Rain, Green Mansions, Johnny Cool, The Return of Mr. Moto, Manhunt, The Boss, Sharky's Machine, Code of Silence, Above the Law, and Dick Tracy. Silva was born and raised in Spanish Harlem, his parents were Italian and Puerto Rican. When he was thirteen, he quit school and began to take acting classes while waiting tables on the side. In 1955, Silva was one of 5 students accepted into the Actor's Studio, selected from a pool of over two thousand applicants. His silver screen debut was in an uncredited role in Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata! alongside Marlon Brando.
Dean Martin’s daughter Deana Martin, who wrote on Twitter, “Our hearts are broken at the loss of our dear friend Henry Silva, one of the nicest, kindest and most talented men I’ve had the pleasure of calling my friend. He was the last surviving star of the original Oceans 11 Movie. We love you Henry, you will be missed.”
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Charlbi Dean
Photo: IMDbCharlbi Dean passed away from a sudden illness on August 29, 2022. She was 32.
Dean was an up-and-coming actress who recently starred in Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or-winning Triangle of Sadness alongside Harris Dickinson and Woody Harrelson. She also had a recurring role on the CW's Black Lightning as orphan-turned-assassin, Syonide, for two seasons. Her other film credits include Spud (2010), Death Race 3: Inferno (2013), Blood in the Water(2016), Don’t Sleep (2017) and Porthole (2018).
David A. Arnold
Photo: David A. Arnold / InstagramDavid A. Arnold passed away from natural causes on September 7, 2022. He was 54.
Arnold was an American stand-up comedian, sitcom writer, producer, and actor. He began performing stand-up comedy in 1997. He performed at the Canadian Montreal Comedy Festival, on Jamie Foxx Presents Laffapalooza (Comedy Central) with Jamie Foxx and Cedric the Entertainer, The Tom Joyner Show, Baisden After Dark, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, ComicView (BET), The Mo'Nique Show (BET), Entourage (HBO) and Def Comedy Jam.
He was later on widely known for headlining two Netflix comedy specials. In another collaboration with Neflix, he also served as the producer/writer for the streamer's Full House reboot, Fuller House. He also created the series, That Girl Lay Lay, for Nickelodeon.
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Robert LuPone passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 27, 2022. He was 76.
LuPone was well-known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano's next door neighbor, Dr. Bruce Cusamano, on HBO's iconic mafia drama The Sopranos. He also appeared on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: SVU. He also earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for his role in All My Children.
Beyond his television career, LuPone was also a Tony-nominated for his role as Zach in A Chorus Line (1976). His other Broadway performances include The Magic Show (1974), Saint Joan (1977), Last Nite Comic (1987), A View from the Bridge (1997), True West (2000), and A Thousand Clowns (2001).
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Joe E. Tata passed away from Alzheimer's disease on August 24, 2022. He was 86.
Tata was best known for his portrayal of Nat Bussichio, the owner of the Peach Pit in Beverly Hills 90210. He also starred in TV shows like No Time for Sergeants and The Rockford Files. His last television appearance was in 2014 for Mystery Girls on ABC Family.
Former 90210 costar, Tori Spelling, posted on Instagram recalling him to be “one of the kindest, funniest, most professional, amazing humans I've ever had the pleasure of working with and more importantly being friends with in my entire life.”
Read More: People
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Leon Vitali passed away on August 20, 2022. He was 74.
Vitali was known for being one of Stanley Kubrick's closest collaborators. Often described as his assistant, Vitali handled so much more, from casting to coaching actors to overseeing restorations of Kubrick's work. From The Shining through Eyes Wide Shut, Vitali was involved in the creative process from beginning to end. He was an up-and-coming English actor before Kubrick cast him in Barry Lyndon, and after working with him, Vitali decided to make the career-altering decision to devote his professional life to Kubrick for the next twenty years.
Matthew Modine who starred in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket tweeted his condolences, “There are people we meet who have a profound impact upon our lives. Leon Vitali was one such person in mine. An artist in every aspect of his life. A loving father & friend to so many. A kind, generous & forgiving nature. He exemplified & personified grace.”
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Virginia Patton Moss passed away on August 18, 2022. She was 96.
Patton, the niece of legendary World War II Gen. George Patton, had her acting career kickstarted when Frank Capra cast her Ruth Bailey in his 1946 holiday classic, It's A Wonderful Life Throughout the '40s, she went on to act in a four more feature films including The Burning Cross (1947), Black Eagle (1948), and The Lucky Stiff (1949). She retired from acting in 1949, and within the same year married Cruise W. Moss and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Her It's A Wonderful Life co-star and former child actor, Karolyn “Zuzu” Grimes, confirmed Patton's death in a loving Facebook tribute, “We have another angel! Virginia Patton Moss. She was 97 years old. She is now with her beloved Cruse. She will be missed!”
She was the last surviving adult actor from It's A Wonderful Life.
- Photo: Teddy Ray / IMDb
Teddy Ray has passed away on August 13, 2022. He was 32.
Ray was an up-and-coming comic who was just making headway in the comedy world. Ray had previously worked for Issa Rae's Hoorae production company, and in a twitter post said, “Rest in Power to our longtime creative collaborator and friend, Teddy Ray. Grateful for the energy you always brought to our projects and sets!”
Ray not only performed stand-up comedy sets across the country, he was also involved in YouTube comedy sketches and skits for All Def Digital, which led to a strong social media presence and active fanbase online. He was also featured on Sam Jay's HBO Max series Pause with Sam Jay.
Read More: Page Six
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Robyn Griggs passed away from cervical cancer on August 13, 2022. She was 49.
Griggs was a television and film star well known for her roles in soap operas Another World and One Life to Live. She also starred in films like Severe Injuries, Dead Clowns, The Absence of Light, and Hellweek. She got her start in the entertainment industry by appearing on Nickelodeon's Rated K, and had the acting bug ever since.
Her longtime friend announced her passing on the star's Facebook page in a statement: ""I will never forget how open she was to telling her story and accepting of me helping her tell it. She wanted to help people and spread the word of her story to do it. I was honored to do so."
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Anne Heche passed away from a brain injury sustained from a car crash on August 12, 2022. She was 53.
Heche was a Emmy-winning television and stage actress. She starred in TV shows Another World, Gracie's Choice and Men in Trees. Some films she starred included Donnie Brasco, Wag The Dog, Walking and Talking, and Six Days, Seven Nights. She and Ellen DeGeneres were one of the few public same-sex couples in Hollywood from 1997-2000.
Heche's eldest son, Homer, released a statement to People Magazine saying: “My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom. After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.”
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Olivia Newton-John passed away from breast cancer on August 8, 2022. She was 73.
"Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time," her husband, John Easterling, wrote on the singer's Instagram account. “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.”
Newton-John was a pop cultural icon, notably for her starring roles in Grease and Xanadu, and above all else, her breathtaking vocals. She first began to take off on the pop charts in Australia before she made the transition to America in 1973 with hits like "I Honestly Love You," "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please."
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Pat Carroll
Photo: ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons / Public domainPat Carroll died of pneumonia on July 30, 2022. She was 95.
Carroll was an Emmy-winning comedienne with a decades long television career that cemented her as a household name. Her famous pals Mickey Rooney, Jimmy Durante and more often called upon her to imbue their programs with her impeccable timing and screwball wit. In 1957, she won an Emmy for her acting in Ceasar's Hour. She's appeared on The Danny Thomas Show, Too Close for Comfort, She's The Sheriff, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was also a gameshow mainstay as well, having played it all from To Tell The Truth to The Match Game.
Eventually, Carroll segued into a lucrative voice acting career that reached its apex in the ‘80s. She voiced characters for Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, Galaxy High School, Foofur, Pound Puppies and Superman. Most notably, however, she voiced the character of Ursula for Disney’s The Little Mermaid in 1989, which would go on to be one of her favorite roles.
Of the role, she told author Allan Neuwirth in Makin‘ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies that, “It was a lifelong ambition of mine to do a Disney film. So, I was theirs hook, line and sinker.”
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Nichelle Nichols died of heart failure on July 30, 2022. She was 89.
Nichols was a trailblazer in her own right, according to The Guardian, she was “one of the first black women to be featured on American television in a non-subservient role when she played the communications officer Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek series (1966-69).” During her time on the original Star Trek series, she and William Shatner had what is believed to be first interracial kiss on television, a groundbreaking moment in television history.
Although she initially thought of Star Trek as a stepping stone to Broadway, Nichols returned to play Uhura in the subsequent Star Trek films after Martin Luther King Jr. praised her performance and implored her to keep playing the role. She began to understand what her character represented to so many and took it seriously. She inspired a generations of black scientists and astronauts, who like her character Uhura are curious about space, the final frontier.
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Mary Alice died on July 28, 2022. She was 80.
Alice was a Tony award-winning actress, she won for her performance in August Wilson's 1987 Broadway production of Fences. She was an Emmy-winner as well with an award for her performance in I'll Fly Away. She's perhaps more widely known for her role as Lettie Bostic on The Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World, and her appearance as The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions, in which she imparted words of wisdom to Keanu Reeves' Neo.
She was notably a prolific character actor and inspired generations of black actors after her. Viola Davis, having played the same role in Fences, tweeted out in her honor, “You were one of the greatest actresses of all time!! Thank you for the work, inspiration and thank you for Rose. Godspeed Queen.”
Read More: Deadline
