Actors And Actresses Who Died In 2021
- Photo: Alan Light / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Beloved comedian and actress Betty White passed away on December 31, 2021, reportedly due to natural causes, just weeks before her milestone 100th birthday. She was 99.
White had the longest running career for any woman in TV, having appeared on various shows over eight decades, beginning in 1939. She was perhaps most known for appearing as Rose Nylund in hit sitcom, The Golden Girls.
She first started in radio, with appearances on Blondie, The Great Gildersleeve, and This Is Your FBI. From there, she moved on to the TV variety show Hollywood on Television, before making appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She got her starring role in The Betty White Show, but went on to star in a number of series, including Hot in Cleveland, The Love Boat, Pound Puppies, The Bold and the Beautiful, and more.
White won five Emmy awards, a Grammy in 2012, and Screen Actors Guild awards. She starred in a myriad of films as well, including (but not limited to) The Proposal, Lake Placid, Ponyo, You Again, The Lorax, and Toy Story 4. She was set to celebrate her career, and life, with the special Betty White: 100 Years Young - A Birthday Celebration, which was to air on her 100th birthday (January 17, 2021).
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Candy Palmater
Photo: Denise Tompkins / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 3.0Canadian comedian Candy Palmater died on December 25, 2021, her wife and manager, Denise Tompkins, confirmed via a statement shared on Instagram. No cause of death was given. She was 53.
"I have few words. Candy passed away today at home suddenly. I will post information soon," Tompkins wrote, alongside a graphic that read, "A great glowing spirit left our world today." Though she did not give a cause of death, Palmater herself had shared posts from a hospital bed earlier in the month of December. On December 14, 2021, she revealed via social media that she had been diagnosed with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a rare ailment caused by inflammation of blood and/or tissue cells. However, the following day, she posted that it was her last day in the hospital.
Palmater was best known for her work on Trailer Park Boys and for creating and co-hosting APTN series The Candy Show. She also appeared on Forgive Me and Sex & Violence, and narrated the documentaries Skindigenous and True North Calling.
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- Photo: Julio Enriquez / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 2.0
Traditional Mexican musician Vicente Fernández died on December 12, 2021. He was 81.
An official cause of death was not given, but Fernández had been hospitalized since August 2021, after taking a fall on his ranch. The injury required emergency spinal surgery. His family also reported that he had been diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition.
“Rest in peace, Mr. Vicente Fernández. We regret to inform you of his death on Sunday, December 12 at 6:15 a.m. It was his honor and great pride to share with everyone a great musical career and to give everything for his audience. Thank you for continuing to applaud, thank you for continuing to sing," read a statement shared to his official Instagram page (translated from Spanish).
Fernández, known as "Chente" by his fans, was said to be the one of the last artists of the Mexican ranchera, a style of song rooted in traditions of rural Mexico. He was known for songs such as “Volver, Volver,” “El Rey,” and “Lástima que seas ajena." He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988, and throughout his career he won three Grammys, and eight Latin Grammys. He sold more than 50 million records, and appeared in more than 30 films throughout his career. Fernández performed his last large-scale concert in Mexico City in April 2016, to a crowd of more than 80,000.
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- Photo: CBS Television / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
Cara Williams passed away on December 9, 2021, due to a heart attack, her daughter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 96.
“My mom was a loving soul, she would take you in her arms and always help you,” Justine Jagoda said in the statement.
Williams got her start in Hollywood at only 13, voicing characters for Porky Pig cartoons. She signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, which led to appearing in films like Laura in 1944, The Spider in 1945, and Boomerang! in 1947. She starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in 1951's We Go to Monte Carlo and James Cagney in 1959's Never Steal Anything Small. She received an Oscar nomination for her work in The Defiant Ones in 1958.
The actress also made a host of TV appearances, including her role as as Gladys in Pete and Gladys, which earned her an Emmy nomination. She also appeared on The Cara Williams Show, Rhoda, Suspense, The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, and a few episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
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Tommy Lane
Photo: Live and Let Die / United ArtistsStuntman and actor Tommy Lane died on November 29, 2021, due to complications from COPD, his daughter Kamala confirmed to Variety. He was 83.
Lane was best known for starring as Adam in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die and Leroy in Shaft. He also appeared in films like Cotton Comes to Harlem, Ganja & Hess, and Shamus, as well as TV shows like Simon & Simon and Flipper.
Prior to becoming an actor and stuntman, Lane was a jazz musician, who played trumpet and flugelhorn at New York City’s Blue Note throughout the Eighties.
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- Photo: Young and Rubicam, publicists / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
MGM Star Arlene Dahl died on November 29, 2021. She was 96.
Her son Lorenzo Lamas announced the news on Facebook. “Mom passed away this morning in New York. She was the most positive influence on my life. I will remember her laughter, her joy, her dignity as she navigated the challenges that she faced. Never an ill word about anyone crossed her lips. Her ability to forgive left me speechless at times. She truly was a force of nature, and as we got closer in my adult life, I leaned on her more and more as my life counselor and the person I knew that lived and loved to the fullest," he wrote.
Dahl was known for being one of the iconic faces of MGM in the 1950s, starring in films like Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Bride Goes Wild, Reign of Terror, Three Little Words, and Slightly Scarlet. Prior to her movie career, Dahl was a model, and also appeared in a number of soap operas, including One Life to Live and All My Children.
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- Photo: Gracenote
Eddie Mekka passed away on November 27, 2021, a post on his official Facebook page confirmed. No cause of death was given. He was 69.
Mekka headed the Worcester County Light Opera in the 1970s, and made his Broadway debut in 1975. He earned a Tony nomination, as well as a Drama Desk Award nod for his performance in The Lieutenant.
However, he was most known for playing Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Ragusa on Laverne & Shirley. He remained with the series for its eight-season run. He also appeared in Dreamgirls, and made appearances on 24, ER, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
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Jonshel Alexander
Photo: Beasts of the Southern Wild / Fox SearchlightFormer child star Jonshel Alexander was fatally shot on November 27, 2021, in Louisiana. She was 22.
Alexander and an unidentified male were shot inside a vehicle at the 1500 block of North Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward at around 9 p.m., according to police reports.
The former actress achieved international acclaim at 12 for her role in the 2012 Oscar-nominated film Beasts of the Southern Wild. That was the breakout and only role for Alexander, who went on to graduate from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter High School.
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- Photo: Mark Furman / Facebook
Actor Lou Cutell passed away on November 21, 2021, his friend Mark Furman announced via Facebook. He was 91.
"After 91 years, and a great life, my friend Lou Cutell went home. A film, theater and character actor. Big Larry in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, A** Man in Seinfeld, Abe in Grey's Anatomy S12,E4. He took me to Lucille Ball's house in 1986. Rest in peace Lou," Furman wrote.
Cutell got his start on Broadway sixty years ago, appearing in The Young Abe Lincoln. As far as TV, he first starred in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1964. He went on to appear on many shows, including but not limited to The Wild Wild West, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Starsky & Hutch, The Love Boat, The Bob Newhart Show, and a recurring role on Alice. He was probably best known for appearing in the "Fusilli Jerry" episode of Seinfeld.
As far as film, he appeared in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
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- Photo: Gracenote
Actor Joey Morgan died on November 21, 2021, one of his representatives confirmed. No cause of death was given. He was 28.
“Joey Morgan passed away early Sunday morning. We hope everyone understands how painful this is for his loved ones and can respect boundaries and allow them to grieve in private," the actor's reps said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
Morgan was best known for playing Augie Foster in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. He also starred in Compadres, Camp Manna, and Flower. He also had a recurring role on Shudder series Critters: A New Binge, which was based on the 1986 cult classic Critters. Morgan's last big role was in 2020's Max Reload and the Nether Blasters.
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- Photo: Saturday Night Live / NBC
Peter Aykroyd passed away on November 20, 2021. No cause of death was given. He was 66.
The sad news was confirmed on Saturday Night Live, as well as via the SNL Twitter account. The Emmy-nominated former SNL cast member was also actor Dan Aykroyd's brother. The show paid tribute by showing a short film starring Peter, called The Java Junkie.
Peter launched his comedy career with Second City comedy troupe in Toronto, before joining SNL in 1979. He appeared as both a writer, and an actor on the series. Peter also appeared in many of his brother's films, including Doctor Detroit, Coneheads, and Dragnet. They co-wrote Nothing But Trouble. Peter created the Canadian sci-fi series PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, hosted by his brother Dan, in 1996. The following year, Peter had a voice role in The Blues Brothers animated series.
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- Photo: Field of Dreams / Universal Pictures
Art LaFleur died on November 17, 2021, due to complication from A-typical Parkinson's, his wife Shelley confirmed. He was 78.
"This guy…After a 10-year battle with A-typical Parkinson’s, Art LaFleur, the love of my life passed away. He brought laughter to so many people as Babe Ruth in the Sandlot, The Tooth Fairy in The Santa Clause 2 and 3, and Chick Gandil in Field of Dreams, to name just a few. He was a generous and selfless man, which carried over to his acting, but more importantly, it was who he was for his family and friends. Every location or set we visited him on, the cast and crew would introduce themselves and tell Molly, Joe, and me how Art spoke of us with such pride and love... I was so very lucky to have had a 43-year relationship with a man who cherished me and who I adored. Art was larger than life and meant the world to us," Shelley shared on social media.
LaFleur, who didn't begin acting until he was in his 30s, was best known for playing Babe Ruth in The Sandlot, with memorable quotes, like, "Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die!” He was also known for roles in films like Field of Dreams and The Santa Clause 2 and 3, as well as on TV series, such as M*A*S*H, Lou Grant, Soap, Webster, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Home Improvement, House, and The Mentalist.
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- Photo: @heathmonster / Instagram
Heath Freeman passed away on November 13, 2021, his manager Joe S. Montifore confirmed. He was 41. No official cause of death was released.
Freeman was best known for playing Howard Epps on FOX series Bones.
“We are truly devastated at the loss of our beloved Heath Freeman. A brilliant human being with an intense and soulful spirit, he leaves us with an indelible imprint in our hearts. His life was filled with deep loyalty, affection, and generosity towards his family and friends, and an extraordinary zest for life. He was extremely proud of his recent film work and was very excited for the next chapter of his career," Montifore said, in a statement to People.
Freeman also appeared on ER, NCIS, Raising the Bar, and Without a Trace.
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- Photo: The Young and the Restless / CBS
Jerry Douglas passed away on November 9, 2021, after a brief illness. No cause of death was given. He was 88.
Douglas was best known for playing John Abbott on The Young and the Restless for 25 years. He appeared on nearly 900 episodes of the soap opera, from 1981 to 2016.
He was initially enrolled in law school, but left to pursue acting. His first roles came in 1960 TV shows such as The Untouchables and The Donna Reed Show. He also had guest appearances on series like Mission: Impossible, The Incredible Hulk, The Rockford Files, and Cold Case. As far as films, he starred in Mommie Dearest, Good Guys Wear Black, and JFK.
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- Photo: Quantum Leap / NBC
Dean Stockwell passed away on November 7, 2021, "peacefully" and "of natural causes," his rep confirmed to TMZ. He was 85.
He was most known for playing Admiral Al Calavicci on Quantum Leap, having appeared in all 97 episodes of the hit show, which ran from 1989 to 1993. This role earned him multiple Emmy nominations, as well as the Golden Globe for best supporting actor in 1990. It also led to Stockwell becoming a staple at sci-fi conventions all over the United States.
Stockwell got his start acting for MGM Studios in the 1940s, appearing in films like Anchors Aweigh and Gentleman's Agreement. He got a Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for 1988's Married to the Mob. He also starred in Dune, Blue Velvet, and Paris, Texas. In 2006, he gained even more popularity when he joined the Battlestar Galactica cast.
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- Photo: NBC Television / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
Comedian Mort Sahl passed away on October 26, 2021, a friend confirmed to The New York Times. He was 94.
Sahl was known for his bold social commentary on current events. He was known for targeting big political figures in his act, like former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He hosted the first Grammy Awards in 1959, co-hosted the Academy Awards in 1959, and became the first comedian featured on the cover of Time magazine. He was also known to guest-host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during the 1960s.
He began doing standup in the '50s, releasing a recording of a 1955 performance that is considered to be the first stand-up album. He began taking acting roles in the late 1950s, including in In Love and War, All the Young Men, Johnny Cool, and You've Got to Be Kidding. His final role was in Max Rose in 2013.
In 1989, he was the subject of an American Masters documentary called Mort Sahl: The Loyal Opposition, directed and produced by Robert B. Weide.
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- Photo: Friends / NBC
James Michael Tyler, best known for playing coffee shop manager Gunther on Friends, passed away on October 24, 2021, his representative Toni Benson confirmed. He was 59.
Tyler had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. He shared the diagnosis with NBC's Today Show in June 2021, which explained why he was not able to attend the widely publicized Friends reunion in person. (He was shown via video call.) Tyler said that the cancer was discovered by his doctors in a routine physical. It then spread to his bones, leaving him unable to walk.
"The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh Friend), from the hit series Friends, but Michael's loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband. Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life," Benson's statement read.
Tyler also appeared on other series, such as Scrubs, Modern Music, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
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- Photo: Girls / HBO
Peter Scolari died Octobber 22, 2021, after having been ill for two years due to cancer, his manager Ellen Lubin Sanitsky confirmed to CNN. He was 66.
Scolari rose to fame starring alongside Tom Hanks in TV series Bosom Buddies. He also appeared in Newhart, Murphy Brown, and The Good Fight, and won an Emmy for his portrayal of Hannah's father on Girls in 2016. He also appeared in the TV adaptation of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Gotham, as well as in HBO's Madoff.
He also starred on Broadway, in productions of Hairspray, Sly Fox, Wicked, Magic/Bird, and Lucky Guy.
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- Photo: Winged Victory / Twentieth Century Fox
Jo-Carroll Dennison, Miss Texas 1941, passed away on October 18, 2021. She was 97.
Dennison, who went on to win Miss America in 1942, was known for refusing to parade around in a swimsuit, during her entire reign. She was also the oldest surviving woman to be crowned Miss America.
“Back in 1942, the pageant was supposed to be about looks. Yet, I never thought I had won because of the way I looked, but rather because of the way I felt about myself. With this in mind, I flat out refused to wear my bathing suit onstage after the pageant," she later said. As part of her World War II-era reign, she sold war bonds and visited soldiers in hospitals and camps.
She signed a movie deal with 20th Century Fox after winning the pageant, and appeared in films like The Jolson Story and Dick Tracy. She retired from acting in 1953.
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- Photo: Saturday Night Fever / Paramount Pictures
Actor Val Bisoglio died on October 18, 2021, his wife confirmed to NBC the following week. He was 95.
Bisoglio was best known for roles in Saturday Night Fever and The Sopranos. However, during his 50-year career he also appeared in M*A*S*H, Quincy, M.E., Miami Vice, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. His final role, in 2002, was playing Junior Soprano’s caretaker on The Sopranos.
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- Photo: Jerry / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
Chris Ayres, best known for voicing Dragon Ball villain Frieza, passed away on October 18, 2021. He was 56. No cause of death was reported, but Ayres had been open about his diagnosis of end-stage cardiac obstructive pulmonary disease since 2017.
"On October 18th at 8:40pm, my world went dark. Christopher Owen Ayres passed away peacefully, held close by his mother, brother, and girlfriend, and his arm wrapped around his Atticus pillow... Please be more like Chris. Please, if you learned anything from him, put it in this world. It needs him. Please fill it with love and laughter, always," his girlfriend, Krystal LaPorte wrote in a statement shared to Twitter.
Ayres first appeared in the Dragon Ball universe on Funimation’s dub of Dragon Ball Z Kai. He went on to voice Frieza in Dragon Ball and the movie spinoff Dragon Ball Super: Broly, as well as several DB video games.
Ayres also voiced characters in a myriad of other anime projects, including Maburaho, Black Butler, Sengoku Basara, Gantz, Tears to Tiara, and Fairy Tail.
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- Photo: Mad About You / NBC
Cynthia Harris passed away on October 3, 2021, her family confirmed. No cause of death was reported. She was 87.
Harris was probably most known for playing Paul Reiser's character's mom on Mad About You. She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of the Duchess of Windsor in 1979 miniseries Edward & Mrs. Simpson. She was also the artistic director and co-founder of the Actors Company Theater, and made numerous apperances on Broadway and in off-Broadway productions.
She also starred in movies, such as Three Men and a Baby and Reuben, Reuben.
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- Photo: Alex Lozupone / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0
Melvin van Peebles died on September 21, 2021, his family confirmed. No cause of death was revealed. He was 89.
“Dad knew that Black images matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a movie worth? We want to be the success we see, thus we need to see ourselves being free. True liberation did not mean imitating the colonizer’s mentality. It meant appreciating the power, beauty and interconnectivity of all people," his son, Mario Van Peebles, said in a statement.
Van Peebles started with short films, directing and writing 1967 short The Story of a Three-Day Pass. He directed Watermelon Man in 1970, a film about a racist white man who looks in the mirror one day and realizes his pigment has changed. It was a lesson on what it's like to be a Black man in Ameria. He may have been most known for 1971 blaxploitation film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a landmark film that was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2020.
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- Photo: Sex and the City / HBO
Sex and the City's Willie Garson passed away on September 21, 2021, due to cancer. He was 57.
HBO and HBO Max released a statement about his passing, "Willie Garson was in life, as on-screen, a devoted friend and a bright light for everyone in his universe. He created one of the most beloved characters from the HBO pantheon, and was a member of our family for nearly twenty-five years. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones."
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Garson appeared in projects such as Mr. Belvedere, Family Ties, Coach, Quantam Leap, Monk, Ally McBeal, Part of Five, and Friends. He was, however, perhaps most known for playing Carrie Bradshaw's gay best friend Stanford on HBO's Sex and the City, as well as in two films. Sarah Jessica Parker, Garson, and Marion Cantone (who played Stanford's husband), had recently reunited for HBO Max limited series And Just Like That.... Garson joined the cast of White Collar in 2009.
He also starred in a satirical web series called Whole Day Down. Garson appeared in many films, such as Troop Beverly Hills, Soapdish, Groundhog Day, Kingpin, Being John Malkovich, There's Something About Mary, Freaky Friday, and The Polka King.
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Gavan O'Herlihy
Photo: ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons / Public domainIrish actor Gavan O’Herlihy passed away on September 15, 2021, in Bath, England. No cause of death was given. He was 70.
He was most known for playing Richie Cunningham's older brother, Chuck Cunningham, on Happy Days for seven episodes. In a later episode, Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley) referenced his "two kids," meaning Richie (Ron Howard) and Joannie (Erin Moran). After that, a TV trope wherein characters vanish from shows without trace or explanation was dubbed "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome."
Other roles include in Willow in 1988, on the miniseries Lonesome Dove in 1989, as James Bond villain Jack Petachi in Never Say Never Again in 1983, and as a gang leader in Death Wish 3 in 1985.
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- Photo: My Big Fat Greek Wedding / IFC Films
Michael Constantine died from natural causes on September 8, 2021, his agent Julia Buchwald confirmed. He was 94.
Constantine was perhaps best known for his role as patriarch Kostas "Gus" Portokalos in 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the 2016 sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Before those films, he was known for playing principal Seymour Kaufman of Walt Whitman High in ABC series Room 222.
He began his career on Broadway in 1955, going on to star in Compulsion and The Miracle Worker. He appeared in films such as The Hustler, Thinner, and Voyage of the Damned, and on TV series, such as Naked City, Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Law & Order, Murder She Wrote, and more.
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- Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Michael K. Williams died of a suspected drug overdose on September 6, 2021. He was 54.
“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss,’’ spokeswoman Marianna Shafran told The Hollywood Reporter.
Williams started his career as a back-up dancer for the likes of Madonna and George Michael, before being encouraged by Tupac to go into performing. He was perhaps most known for playing Omar Little on The Wire and Albert "Chalky" White on Boardwalk Empire.
"I use my job to engage empathy and compassion for people society might stereotype or ostracize,” Williams told The Guardian in 2015. He also used his fame to promote social justice, such as when he was an ambassador for ending mass incarceration for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2015.
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- Photo: Friday / New Line Cinema
Anthony "AJ" Johnson passed away on September 6, 2021, his rep LyNea Bell told CNN on September 20, 2021. No cause of death was shared. He was 56.
"The world of Comedy has truly been shaken, again. Our BH Talent family is heartbroken about the loss of the iconic legend of stage and screen Mr. Anthony 'AJ' Johnson. He has left us with amazing memories of his laughter, dynamic acting skills, but most of all, his enormous personality and heart of gold," Bell's statement read.
Johnson was most known for playing Ezal in 1995 film, Friday.
He also appeared in House Party, Menace II Society, Lethal Weapon 3, The Players Club, and B.A.P.S, as well as TV series, like Martin and Malcolm & Eddie.
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- Photo: Jack Metzger - Comet Photo AG / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Jean-Paul Belmondo passed away on September 6, 2021, his lawyer confirmed. No cause of death was confirmed. He was 88.
Belmondo began as a promising boxer, but gave up fighting at 16 because he got tuberculosis. After recovering, Belmondo took up acting and was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire in 1952. He's perhaps best known for starring as Michel Poiccard in Jean-Luc Godard’s film Breathless. He also starred in Rene Clement’s Is Paris Burning? and Francois Truffaut’s Mississippi Mermaid. He spent the next few decades starring in (and performing his own stunts in) action movies, such as The Night Caller and The Burglars.
He appeared in films throughout the '80s and '90s, and in 2008 starred in A Man and His Dog after recovering from a 2001 stroke that left him paralyzed on the right side of his body. He was proud to star in the film, telling The New York Times, "It's me, without any special effects."
Belmondo received many awards in his career, including a Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 2016 Venice Film Festival.
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- Photo: Department of Defense / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Ed Asner passed away on August 29, 2021, his family confirmed via a statement shared to social media. He was 91.
"We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you," read the message, shared to Asner's official Twitter account.
Asner is probably best known for his role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Lou Grant. He was the most awarded male performer in Emmy history ,with seven wins, five of which were for playing Grant. Asner received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2001. He was also a former president of the Screen Actors Guild, after acting as a leader during the 1980 SAG strike. While he was president, he caused a stir by opposing U.S. policy in Central America. He was part of the movement to establish a single-player health care program in California.
Asner landed his first Broadway role in 1960 with Face of a Hero. In addition to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant, he also appeared in series such as Thunder Alley, The Bronx Zoo, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as miniseries Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man. He voiced a character in Pixar's Up, and most recently had appearances on Netflix series Cobra Kai, Grace and Frankie, and Dead to Me.
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