Actors We've Lost In 2023 So Far

Because they're in the business of making entertaining and emotionally resonant films and television shows, actors seem immortal. Their art lives forever, after all — we can revisit their greatest performances long after they've passed on. But Hollywood stars really are just like the rest of us: They're not immune to the frailties of existence, and their time on Earth is limited. Actors die, and because we love their work, they're widely and deeply mourned. 

Many beloved actors died in 2022. We said goodbye to Oscar winners like Sidney Poitier, William Hurt, and Louise Fletcher; popular comics including Louie Anderson and Bob Saget; small screen icons including Angela Lansbury, Kirstie Alley, and Nichelle Nichols; and tough guy movie stalwarts such as James Caan and Ray Liotta. As 2023 marches on, it too will bring the deaths of some of our best and most admired performers. Here are the actors we've lost this year.

Updated on December 19, 2023: We've lost a number of beloved performers in 2023. We'll be honoring them here as the year goes on.

Earl Boen was a consummate character actor, highly recognizable by his face, voice, and demeanor for any number of the nearly 300 projects he was involved with from the mid 1970s to the 2010s. He was probably best known for his recurring role across two decades' worth of "Terminator" movies: In the first three entries of the sci-fi franchise, Boen played persistent criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman. Boen also co-starred in "Alien Nation," "9 to 5," and "My Stepmother is an Alien." On the small screen, Boen enjoyed recurring roles on "Mama's Family," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," and "Webster." He also had an illustrious career as a voice actor, contributing to animated projects like "Kim Possible," "The New Batman Adventures," "Pinky and the Brain," and "Clifford the Big Red Dog."

On January 6, 2023, TMZ reported that the character actor had died the previous day in Hawaii. A family friend told Variety that Boen had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 81.

Annie Wersching was a prolific actress, booking roles on dozens of TV shows throughout the 2000s, along with work in the original "The Last of Us" video game. Wersching earned particular acclaim for her performances as Julia Brasher on "Bosch," the Borg Queen on "Star Trek: Picard," and Emma Whitmore on "Timeless." She further distinguished herself by appearing in a number of fiercely beloved sci-fi, action, and fantasy television series: Her first-ever credit comes from an episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise," and she later popped up on series like "Angel," "Charmed," "Supernatural," and "Revolution." 

Viewers might also remember Wersching from "The Vampire Diaries," on which she played wicked vampire family matriarch Lily Salvatore, or "24," which saw her portray FBI agent Renee Walker. Wersching also portrayed duplicitous cult leader Leslie Dean on the Marvel series "Runaways." According to Deadline, doctors diagnosed Wersching with cancer in 2020. She passed away on January 29, 2023, at the age of 45.

Lisa Loring cemented her legacy at a very early age when she portrayed the iconic and enduring character of Wednesday Addams. Loring was the first actor to ever play the somber girl on screen, making her mark in 1964's "The Addams Family." This performance is still making waves: Her frenetic dance with co-star Ted Cassidy became a meme in recent years. A breakout child star, Loring acted only occasionally after "The Addams Family" ended, with appearances on "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.," "Fantasy Island," "Barnaby Jones," and a long stint on "As the World Turns" in the early 1980s. Her final work came in the 2015 indie horror movie "Doctor Spine."

Loring's friend Laurie Jacobson reported on Facebook that on January 25, 2023, the actor suffered a severe stroke. She died on January 28, at the age of 64.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Melinda Dillon kicked off her acting career in a big way by earning a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the original 1963 production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" In the '70s, she lead the casts of three classics of the era: Hal Ashby's Woody Guthrie biopic "Bound for Glory," hockey comedy "Slap Shot," and Steven Spielberg's sci-fi smash "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Dillon landed her most iconic and enduring role in the 1980s, however. Every year, millions of people watch her play the Parker family's doting mother in perennial holiday favorite "A Christmas Story." Dillon followed that era-spanning hit with supporting turns in well-received movies like "Harry and the Hendersons," "The Prince of Tides," and "Magnolia."

Twice nominated for Academy Awards for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Absence of Malice," Dillon was a giant of 20th century film. She passed away on January 9, 2023, at the age of 83.

Al Brown didn't even approach acting professionally until the 1990s, when he was in his mid-50s. Before he was a performer, he served in the U.S. Air Force and put in two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. His acting career ultimately consisted of small but memorable roles, usually uniformed professionals or authority figures. Brown played officers of the law in "12 Monkeys," "Liberty Heights," "Red Dragon," and "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit." Brown's first role was as a sheriff's deputy in a 1995 episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street," and when that show's creator, David Simon, launched "The Wire" on HBO in 2002, the actor landed the role of Baltimore police commissioner Stan Valchek. Brown would recur across all six seasons of the acclaimed drama.

Brown's Facebook page relayed the news of the death. "My name is Michael. I manage Al's Facebook page," the post reported. "I am sad to let you know that angels came for Al yesterday morning, Friday, January 13, 2023." Brown's daughter told TMZ that the cause was Alzheimer's disease. Brown was 83.

An actor and entertainment industry professional with screen credits going back more than six decades, George P. Wilbur's best-known achievements arrived via the horror genre. His face obscured behind a grotesque mask, he played hard-to-kill murderer Michael Myers in "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" and "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers." A veteran and highly sought-after stunt professional, Wilbur also did the stunts for those two horror movies, as well as action-heavy classics like "Planet of the Apes," "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Towering Inferno," "Escape From New York," "Poltergeist," "Firestarter," "Ghostbusters," "Die Hard," and "Monster Squad." 

Christopher Durand donned the Michael Myers mask for 1998's "Halloween: H20," and it was he who let the world know of Wilbur's death on February 1, 2023. "George, you were a class act and well loved. You will be missed," Durand wrote on Facebook. Wilbur was 81.

Raquel Welch was among the most iconic and glamorous movie stars of the 20th century. She made a big move into acting in 1966 with the sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage," in which she played a scientist who is shrunken down and sent into a sick man's body to investigate his illness. That same year, Welch starred in the prehistoric adventure "One Million Years B.C.," which saw her don a fur bikini. Images of her in this unique garment became the cornerstone of the film's marketing blitz and a legendary pin-up. Many vampy and showy roles followed in the 1960s and 1970s, with "Bedazzled," "The Three Musketeers," and "Myra Breckinridge." Her most notable recent role came in "Legally Blonde," in which she played the widow of a wealthy man whose murder is one of the central points of the film.

According to a statement provided by her manager, the actor died on February 15, 2023, following a short period of illness. Welch was 82.

You might not recognize Ricou Browning by name, but you definitely know his work. In a trio of films in the 1950s, he portrayed the iconic Gill-Man, aka the Creature, in Universal's "Creature from the Black Lagoon," "Revenge of the Creature," and "The Creature Walks Among Us." 

Highly proficient in the sought-after skillset of stunt performance and underwater cinematography, Browning pulled off expressive and entirely silent acting while completely submerged. He played the Creature in the movies' many underwater scenes, some of which are seriously lengthy (other actors played the Creature — aka the Gill-man — on land). Browning continued to carve out a niche in Hollywood as a creator and facilitator of waterlogged projects, directing the underwater scenes in "Caddyshack" and "Never Say Never Again," as well as co-creating the friendly dolphin TV series "Flipper."

Browning was part of a very small club of actors who portrayed the titular monsters in Universal's beloved slew of midcentury horror films. In fact, he was the last surviving original performer of the "Universal monsters," as they're typically known. The actor and filmmaker died on February 27, 2023, at his home in Florida. He was 93.

"Fiddler on the Roof" wasn't the likeliest candidate to be a smash-hit musical. Based on Sholem Aleichem's beloved tales of Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement, the musical tells the story of a milkman named Tevye who struggles to maintain his traditions, accept his daughters' potential husbands, and navigate a hostile world. Israeli actor Chaim Topol — or just Topol, as he was usually billed — was a big part of the success of "Fiddler on the Roof," and would forever be linked to the role of Tevye. The signature performance of his career, Topol portrayed Tevye in thousands of individual stage productions of "Fiddler on the Roof": He played the part in the original 1967 West End production, revivals in 1983 and 1994, and a Broadway revival in 1990. Most prominently, he starred in the hit 1971 film adaptation, which landed him a nomination for best actor at the Academy Awards.

After establishing his fame and a following, Topol portrayed Dr. Hanz Zarkov in the 1980 movie version of "Flash Gordon," smuggler Columbo in the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only," and Berel Jastrow in the blockbuster miniseries "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance." Topol, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, died in Tel Aviv on March 8, 2023. He was 87.

Lance Reddick brought star power and irresistible energy to a series of high profile and cult projects over the years. His intensity and deep character work often made them unforgettable. Reddick broke out on the HBO prison drama "Oz," where he played undercover narcotics officer Johnny Basil. He then appeared on celebrated drama "The Wire" as police lieutenant Cedric Daniels. Reddick once again played a complex authority figure on "Fringe": federal agent Phillip Broyles, head of the titular paranormal office. Many more TV roles followed for Reddick, including Deputy Chief Irving on "Bosch," Albert Wesker on Netflix's "Resident Evil" spin-off series, and deeply evil boss Christian DeVille on Comedy Central's "Corporate." Film fans know him best as Charon, the concierge-turned-sidekick of the "John Wick" movies, while gamers  will remember him for years to come as Commander Zavala of the "Destiny " video game series.

Reddick was discovered dead of natural causes in his home outside Los Angeles on the morning of March 17, 2023. He was 60 years old.

Michael Lerner was a character actor, but never one that retreated into the scenery or the ensemble. A dominant and commanding force in most every role he took, Lerner was a quintessential supporting actor who specialized in portraying adversarial authority figures and bullying blowhards. 

After starting out in San Francisco theater in the 1960s, Lerner took on many dues-paying roles on '70s and '80s TV shows like "Hill Street Blues" and "The Rockford Files" and in movies such as "Eight Men Out" and "Harlem Nights." Probably his best known role, and the one for which he received the most accolades, was as the tyrannical movie studio boss Jack Lipnick in "Barton Fink." That part in the 1992 Coen brothers cult classic earned Lerner an Academy Award nomination. 

Lerner worked often through the '90s, co-starring in "Newsies," "Blank Check," and in 1998's Godzilla as the ineffectual mayor of a besieged New York City. Later gigs included that of a nasty children's book publisher in "Elf" and an anti-mutant senator in "X-Men: Days of Future Past." "The Goldbergs" star Sam Lerner, Michael Lerner's nephew, broke the news of his uncle's death on Instagram on April 9, 2023. He was 81.

Born in the New York neighborhood of Harlem to a family from the Caribbean, Harry Belafonte was America's biggest Black multi-hyphenate superstar during the mid-20th century. Just before the emergence of rock n' roll in the 1950s, Belafonte was the biggest pop singer in the United States. He sang traditional and new songs in Caribbean-based styles — including his signature tune, "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" — and topped the Billboard album chart with "Calypso" for 31 weeks. 

His success on records and as a captivating live performer demonstrated the public's demand for Belafonte-based content, and Hollywood obliged. In the 1950s, the singer starred in the musical movie "Carmen Jones," the romance "Island in the Sun," and the post-apocalyptic "The World, the Flesh, and the Devil." After a long break to focus on the Civil Rights Movement, where he was a prominent and outspoken advocate for African-American equality and systemic change and worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Belafonte returned to acting in the 1970s, appearing in "Buck and the Preacher" and "Uptown Saturday Night." His final on-screen work was a supporting role in 2018's "BlacKkKlansman," where he delivered a speech that's absolutely devastating.

Belafonte died of congestive heart failure at his home in New York on April 25, 2023. The entertainer was 96 years old.

Jacklyn Zeman is known primarily for one role, which she played for more than 45 years. It elevated her to icon status within a fiercely beloved television genre. From 1977 until 2023, Zeman portrayed nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABC's daytime soap "General Hospital." Outlasting dozens of costars and figuring in hundreds of storylines, Zeman appeared in nearly 900 episodes of the serial drama. Strongly associated with both her character and soaps in general, Zeman also enjoyed cameos in soap-spoofing projects like "Young Doctors in Love" and "Chicago Hope," and had a continuing role as Sofia Madison on the Peacock serial "The Bay." For her work on "General Hospital," Zeman was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards, along with one nod for "The Bay."

On May 10 2023, "General Hospital" executive producer Frank Valentini announced Zeman's death on Twitter. Zeman's family told ABC News that the actor died from complications of cancer. The soap star was 70 years old.

The NFL became nationally popular in the 1960s thanks to television and explosive stars like running back Jim Brown. In a nine-year career stretching from 1957 to 1965, Brown was named to nine Pro Bowl squads, never missed a game, and set the records for yards and touchdowns. And after leading the Cleveland Browns to its last league championship and being named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1965, Brown decided to apply his attention and talents to acting. 

Brown tendered his resignation to the Browns while shooting his first major film role, in the classic war movie "The Dirty Dozen." He'd go on to star in numerous action films in the 1960s and 1970s, including "The Grasshopper," "Ice Station Zebra," and "Three the Hard Way." In the '80s and '90s, Brown settled into episodic TV work, appearing on "CHiPs," "Knight Rider," and "The A-Team," before poking fun at his career and tough guy persona in comedies like "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" and "Mars Attacks!"

For all his professional accomplishments, Brown's personal life was full of controversy, and he faced multiple assault charges. In 1968, for example, he allegedly threw a female partner from a balcony, and in 1999, he was arrested after taking a shovel to his wife's car and allegedly threatening murder. In both cases, the women withdrew their stories. A family representative told the Associated Press that Brown died at his home in Los Angeles on May 18, 2023. The athlete and actor was 87.

All-male vocal quartets dominated pop music in the early 1950s. Ed Ames was a major part of this wave as a member of the Ames Brothers: The group topped the charts with "Rag Mop," "Sentimental Me," and "You, You, You." After rock took over by the decade's end, Ames moved into stage acting. He starred in productions of "The Crucible," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "The Fantasticks," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "I Do, I Do," which generated a solo hit single for Ames in "Who Will Answer?" 

However, history buffs and fans of old-timey TV will probably recognize Ames for his turn on "Daniel Boone." From 19647 to 1970, he played Mingo, an Oxford-educated Cherokee guide. Interestingly, while promoting "Daniel Boone," Ames featured in one of the most famous bits on "The Tonight Show." In demonstrating how to throw a hatchet, he comically nailed a cowboy silhouette in the groin, eliciting howls of laughter from the audience and host Johnny Carson.

Ames' spouse, Jeanne Ames, told the media that the actor and singer died on May 21, 2023, from complications of Alzheimer's. He was 95 years old.

Starring as Buz Murdock on the atmospheric 1960s road drama "Route 66" made George Maharis into a TV star. But partway through the show's third season — and on the heels of an Emmy nomination — Maharis contracted hepatitis. This caused a cascade of events that ended with him walking away from the hit series entirely. 

Maharis resumed his career swiftly, though, starring in 1960s movies like "The Satan Bug," "Sylvia," "Quick Before It Melts," and "The Happening." The actor returned to TV in the 1970s and enjoyed a comeback, starring on the quickly canceled "The Most Deadly Game" and playing a boxer on the top-rated miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man." Some more TV and B-movie appearances followed, and Maharis retired from acting after completing work on the 1993 film "The Evil Within."

On May 24, 2023, the actor died at his Beverly Hills home. He was 94.

Mike Batayeh appeared in an episode or two of dozens of TV shows from the late 1990s on, particularly comedies like "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Boy Meets World," "The Bernie Mac Show," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." All that work culminated in the two recurring roles for which he's best known: Ziad on the Showtime terrorism drama "Sleeper Cell" and Dennis Markowski on "Breaking Bad." On three episodes of the acclaimed crime saga, Batayeh portrayed the manager of Lavanderia Brillante, the laundromat that serves as a cover for drug kingpin Gus Fring's meth lab. Concurrent with this acting career, Batayeh was an active stand-up comic, performing at major clubs like The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, and The Improv. He was also one of the first American comics to perform in the Middle East.

Batayeh died on June 1, 2023, as the result of a heart attack in his sleep. The actor and comic was 52 years old.

Starting out in acclaimed films during the 1970s, Treat Williams spent the 1980s and 1990s popping up in everything from prestige movies to crowd-pleasers to made-for-television fare. Williams broke out with a major role as hippie leader Berger in the 1979 film adaptation of the musical "Hair," then appeared in Steven Spielberg's "1941" and the harrowing police drama "Prince of the City," which earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination. He'd never be off the screen for long, co-starring in crime sagas such as "Once Upon a Time in America" and "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead." 

Over the course of his prolific career, Williams racked up more than 100 acting credits, and these days, he's best remembered for numerous Christmas projects for Hallmark and Netflix, as well as playing dads of characters in "Chicago Fire," "White Collar," and "Chesapeake Shores." What many consider Williams' signature role came in The WB's family drama "Everwood," where he starred as kindly neurosurgeon (and compassionate single father) Dr. Andy Brown.

Williams' agent, Barry McPherson, told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor was riding his motorcycle near his home, outside Dorset, Vermont, on June 12, 2023, when he was struck by a car, throwing him from the bike. After an airlift to Albany Medical Center in New York for treatment of severe injuries, Williams was pronounced dead at age 71.

In the "auteur" days of 1970s American cinema, filmmakers relied on the services of trusted collaborators to express their vision. For example, Francis Ford Coppola frequently cast Frederic Forrest in his movies. In 1974, he portrayed Mark in "The Conversation," and eight years later, he landed the romantic lead of Hank in "One From the Heart." In between those films, there was 1979's "Apocalypse Now," where Forrest gave a riveting performance as Jay "Chef" Hicks, a culinary student turned drafted troop who suffers a breakdown in the Vietnam War. 

That same year, Forrest received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for "The Rose," playing Huston Dyer, an AWOL army sergeant and limousine driver who provides guidance for the titular rock star character. In the '80s and '90s, Forrest would pop up in the "Lonesome Dove" miniseries, originate the role of Captain Jenkins on Fox's early hit "21 Jump Street," and appear in "Valley Girl," "The Two Jakes," and "Tucker: The Man and His Dream," another Coppola picture. Forrest retired following his work in the 2006 version of "All the King's Men."

Forrest's friend Barry Primus told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor had suffered from a lengthy period of illness before dying at his Santa Monica, California, home on June 23, 2023. Forrest was 86 years old.

A prolific character actor and leading man, Alan Arkin consistently appeared in films and TV series since the 1960s, specializing in playing gregarious, over-the-top, and self-deprecating figures. An early figure in the improv movement that would shape 20th-century comedy, Arkin was among the first members of Chicago's Second City group. Part of the program's Broadway debut in 1961, Arkin would win a Tony Award in 1963 for "Enter Laughing." Just four years after that, he'd receive an Emmy nomination for "The Love Song of Barney Kempinski" and an Oscar nomination for the Cold War farce "The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming."

The Oscars would recognize Arkin a few more times, with nods for 1968's "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" and 2012's "Argo" (as conspiring film producer Lester Siegel) and a win for 2006's "Little Miss Sunshine" for the role of unhinged grandpa Edwin. In between those career bookends, Arkin starred in numerous and various well-received films, including "Wait Until Dark," "Catch-22," "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "The In-Laws," "Edward Scissorhands," and "Grosse Pointe Blank."

According to a statement from Arkin's sons, the actor died on June 29 at his Carlsbad, California, home. Arkin was 89 years old.

A major character actor with prominent roles in mid-20th century film, Lelia Goldoni had a knack for collaborating with major auteurs. Trained as a dancer with the Lester Horton Dancers, Goldoni switched to acting in her late teens and studied with John Cassavetes. In 1958's "Shadows," a largely improvised film about then-controversial issues like interracial relationships (which also happened to be the actor-turned-filmmaker's first major work), he cast Goldoni as Lelia, a Black woman believed by others to be white. 

"Shadows" garnered Goldoni a BAFTA Award nomination for most promising newcomer; soon after, she appeared in "The Italian Job," "The Day of the Locust," and Philip Kaufman's 1978 remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Goldoni earned a second BAFTA nod for her supporting role as Bea, friend to Ellen Burstyn's main character, in Martin Scorsese's "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." Later in her career, Goldoni showed up on TV programs including "Cagney and Lacey" and "L.A. Law" and taught at UCLA and the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.

According to a friend, Goldoni died on July 22, 2022, at The Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey. She was 86.

In the 1970s, Paul Reubens helped turn the Los Angeles comedy collective the Groundlings into a workshop for top-level sketch comedians. He parlayed that into 1980's "The Pee-wee Herman Show," a full-length production that sent-up and darkly skewed old-fashioned kiddie TV shows, and he played the title role — a high-voiced, overly made-up, effervescent man-child. 

The show was such a hit that HBO taped it and brought Pee-wee mania national, leading to the 1985 feature film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (directed by Tim Burton), the 1988 sequel "Big Top Pee-wee," and the live-action, Emmy-winning Saturday morning classic, "Pee-wee's Playhouse." In the 1980s, Reubens almost always appeared in public fully in character and costume as Pee-wee, even hosting "Saturday Night Live" in that guise.

After "Playhouse" ended in 1990, Reubens retired Pee-wee and delved into primarily comedy character work, popping up briefly with memorable roles in film and TV. Reubens portrayed The Penguin's father in "Batman Returns," a vampire lackey in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," a criminal/faux-crime-stopper on "Reno 911," a monstrous blue-blood on "30 Rock," Spleen in "Mystery Men," and a powerful vampire on "What We Do in the Shadows." In 2016, he revived Pee-wee for the Netflix original "Pee-wee's Big Holiday."

On July 31, 2023, a message on Reubens' Instagram account revealed that the actor and comedian died the previous evening. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit," the item shared. Reubens was 70.

A highly recognizable and prolific actor, Mark Margolis brought a palpable and captivating intensity to his roles, which often called for intimidating dangerous underworld figures. Margolis broke out as Alberto the Shadow in the 1983 crime classic "Scarface." For five years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Margolis portrayed organized crime lord Antonio Nappa on HBO's bleak prison drama "Oz." Around the same time, Margolis began a long collaboration with filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, playing a math genius in "Pi," a priest in "The Fountain," a landlord in "The Wrestler," an arts enthusiast in "Black Swan," and an angel-like figure in "Noah." 

But Margolis is best known for his portrayal of high-ranking drug trafficking figure Hector Salamanca on "Breaking Bad" and its prequel, "Better Call Saul." The character couldn't speak, requiring Margolis to do all his acting with his face and a bell. In 2012, the performance earned Margolis an Emmy Award nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series.

Following a brief period of sickness, Margolis died at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital. The actor was 83.

Darren Kent broke into acting with the 2008 horror movie "Mirrors." This first screen role eventually became part of a resume bursting with high-profile horror, period, and fantasy pieces. After roles in "Snow White and the Huntsman, "The Frankenstein Chronicles," "Blood Drive," and "Les Miserables," Kent was prominently featured on an episode of "Game of Thrones" as a goatherd in Slaver's Bay. Then in the 2023 film "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," Kent portrayed a zombified human. 

Kent additionally won best actor at the 2012 Van D'Or Awards for portraying Danny, a character coping with a skin disease, in "Sunny Boy." Also a filmmaker, Kent took home a January Award for his short film "You Know Me." Sadly, on August 15, 2023, Kent's agency, Corey Dodd Associates, revealed that the actor had died. "Darren Kent passed away peacefully on Friday," the release, posted to X, read. "His parents and best friend by his side." The actor was 36 years old.

Arleen Sorkin was a consistent presence on network television for decades. In 1984, she started a 400-plus episode run on "Days of Our Lives" as Calliope Jones Bradford, a role that would garner her four Soap Opera Digest Awards and two Daytime Emmy Award nominations. Sorkin parlayed that into a supporting role on the 1987 sitcom "Duet," one of the first ever Fox shows, and its spin-off "Open House." The actor also appeared on "Dream On" and "The New Mike Hammer," starred in "Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss," and hosted the "America's Funniest Home Videos" spinoff "America's Funniest People." 

In addition to winning a Peabody Award for her work producing the 2010 documentary "Bhutto," Sorkin's grandest achievement is originating and defining the role of Harley Quinn in numerous animated DC Comics projects. Beginning with "Batman: the Animated Series" in 1992, Sorkin voiced the character in 12 projects total across video, TV, and the internet.

Sorkin's death was announced on August 26, 2023. She was 67.

Initially a stage actor in his native South Korea, Byun Hee-bong moved into voice acting on television in the 1960s. He'd eventually become a prolific, often-cast, award-winning character actor on popular and notable Korean TV shows including "The Legendary Doctor Hur Jun," "The First Republic," "Grandpas Over Flowers Investigation Team," and "The Joseon Dynasty 500 Years: Seouljungmae." 

However, Byun would find international recognition when he began a series of collaborations with acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon-ho. He portrayed the janitor in 2000's "Barking Dogs Never Bite," Sgt. Koo Hee-bong in 2003's "Memories of Murder," and Park family patriarch Hee-bong in 2006's box office smash "The Host." Byun was most likely best known for his role as the lead character's grandfather in Bong's Cannes Film Festival and Netflix hit fantasy "Okja."

On September 18, 2023, Byun died after experiencing medical issues related to a recurrence of diagnosed and treated pancreatic cancer. Byun was 81 years old.

One of the most acclaimed and employed actors of his generation, Michael Gambon began his long cinematic career in 1965, starring opposite Laurence Olivier in an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Othello." Following steady work in British films, Gambon broke out internationally in the '80s with the 1985 romance "Turtle Diary" and the 1986 TV series "The Singing Detective." That show won Gambon his first BAFTA TV Award — a prize he also took home for "Wives and Daughters," "Longitude," and "Perfect Strangers." 

In the U.S., the Emmys nominated Gambon for his work in "Path to War" and 2009's "Emma." Also a star of the British stage and winner of three Olivier Awards, Gambon is probably best known for his post-2000 work, such as voicing Uncle Pastuzo in the "Paddington" films and the villainous Bean in "Fantastic Mr. Fox," as well as showing up in projects such as the "Doctor Who" episode "A Christmas Carol," "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," and Kevin Costner's "Open Range." Of course, we're saving his most famous role for last. After the late Richard Harris died in 2002, Gambon was picked to play the part of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the "Harry Potter" series, guiding and assisting the titular Boy Who Lived over the course of six beloved films.

Sadly, on September 28, 2023, Gambon's family announced that the actor had died after contracting pneumonia. Gambon was 82 years old.

Debuting in 1965 and lasting three seasons, "Lost in Space" was one of the first hit science fiction TV series. It followed the cosmos-wandering Robinson family, whose ship was piloted by the brash Major Don West. He was portrayed by Mark Goddard, already familiar to television viewers of the '60s from his roles on action shows like "The Detectives" (as Sgt. Chris Ballard), "Johnny Ringo" (as Deputy Cully), a starring role on the short-lived sitcom "Many Happy Returns," and appearances on "Perry Mason" and "The Beverly Hillbillies." 

As the decades marched on, Goddard took on supporting roles in movies and guest-starred on sitcoms, soaps, and crime dramas. He enjoyed a prominent cameo in the 1998 big-screen adaptation of "Lost in Space," where Matt LeBlanc played Major West and Goddard portrayed a general. Goddard died from pulmonary fibrosis on October 10, 2023, in Hingham, Massachusetts. The actor was 87 years old.

Rosetta Jacobs landed a contract with Universal Studios while still in school. By 1950, she was starring opposite Ronald Reagan in "Louisa" as Piper Laurie. Laurie would earn her first Academy Award nomination by 1962 for playing the love interest in pool drama "The Hustler." For the next decade or so, she moved away from film and into Broadway and television. In the former category, she starred in projects like the 1965 revival of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," and in the latter, she ultimately received nine Emmy Award nominations for productions including "Days and Wine and Roses," "The Thorn Birds," and "St. Elsewhere." A return to film proved fruitful; Laurie earned more Oscar recognition for "Carrie" and "Children of a Lesser God." She enjoyed a particularly major comeback in David Lynch's surreal murder mystery series "Twin Peaks," receiving another two Emmy nominations for her role as Catherine Martell. Laurie last appeared on screen in 2018, in an episode of "MacGyver" and the film "White Boy Rick."

According to a representative of the actor, Laurie died in Los Angeles on October 14, 2023, after a lengthy period of illness. She was 91.

Burt Young acted in more than 160 films and TV shows, most prominently gritty 1970s and 1980s crime-based classics like "Chinatown," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Last Exit to Brooklyn," and "The Pope of Greenwich Village." He often played toughs and brutes, utilizing the edge he developed in the U.S. Marines and his 17-and-1 record as a professional boxer. His experience with the sport informed his signature and most acclaimed role, that of cornerman, butcher, and matchmaker Paulie in 1976's "Rocky." Among the film's many Academy Award nominations, Young received a nod for best actor in a supporting role. After writing and starring in the jazz drama "Uncle Joe Shannon" in 1978, Young reprised the role of Paulie in four more "Rocky" films, and appeared on episodes of "Miami Vice," "Law and Order," "The Equalizer," and "Russian Doll."

Young's daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, told The New York Times that her father died on October 8, 2023. No cause of death was noted. Young was 83 years old.

When Richard Moll made a simple choice about his appearance for a prominent role in a B-movie, it helped him land the signature part of his career — one he'd play for eight years. With a head shaved to portray Hurok in the sci-fi B-movie "Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn," Moll got the attention of "Night Court" producers who cast him as courtroom bailiff Bull Shannon. Writers reimagined the character with Moll's input as a gentle giant and sweet goofball, abandoning their idea of making him a tough guy. Moll portrayed Bull from 1984 to 1992, spawning a catchphrase ("ooo-kay!") and a puppet in his likeness.

Before and after "Night Court," Moll appeared on TV a lot, guest starring on "The Rockford Files," "Happy Days," "Mork & Mindy," "Alice," and, most recently, as The Drifter on Nickelodeon's "100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd." He also voiced characters in "American Pop" and "Mighty Max," as well as multiple animated Batman projects as Harvey Dent / Two-Face. Moll died at home in Big Bear Lake, California, on October 26 at the age of 80.

Tyler Christopher appeared in dozens of projects, but it was his very first role that brought him fame and kept him working for 20 years: Nikolas Cassadine — a character later revealed to be a prince — on "General Hospital." He portrayed Nikolas for more than 1,000 episodes. After departing "General Hospital," Christopher moved to "Days of Our Lives" from 2018 to 2019, playing Stefan DiMera, a role that earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Christopher also made time for other work, particularly a string of natural disaster B-movies including "Super Volcano," "20.0 Megaquake," and "Ice Storm."

Christopher's "General Hospital" co-star Maurice Benard announced the actor's death on Instagram on October 31, 2023. "Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment," Benard explained. "We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend." Christopher was 50 years old.

A chief instructor at one of Chuck Norris' karate academies and a ninth-degree black belt, Pat E. Johnson was perhaps most famous for teaching martial arts to the actors of "The Karate Kid." As a nod to his monumental influence on the look, feel, and veracity of the film, Johnson was cast as a karate tournament referee in the classic movie. He served as the official martial arts supervisor and trainer in both sequels, "The Karate Kid Part II" and "The Karate Kid Part III," while also reprising his role as the referee in those films. He then organized the karate for the 1994 franchise reboot "The Next Karate Kid."

Johnson also co-starred in '70s martial arts movies like "Enter the Dragon" and "A Force of One." After this period, he put his skills to the test as both a stunt coordinator and stunt performer in action-heavy films of the 1990s, including "Mortal Kombat," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." On November 5, 2023, Johnson's niece broke the news that the actor and martial artist had died at home in Los Angeles at the age of 84.

An acclaimed and highly trained actor in the British tradition with well over 100 screen credits and a long theatrical resume (including star turns in significant productions of "Evita" and "A Little Night Music"), Joss Ackland was named a Commander of the British Empire in 2001 for his contributions to the arts. But to contemporary American audiences, he's likely best known for scene-stealing roles as colorful, over-the-top, fiendish villains. 

In 1991's "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey," Ackland played the nasty, anti-utopian, time-traveling villain De Nomolos, and in 1989's "Lethal Weapon 2," he played the entitled and connected Arjen Rudd, who gets away with his crimes by crying "diplomatic immunity." Ackland also played Russian ambassador Andrei Lysenko in "The Hunter for Red October" and contributed to "K-19: The Widowmaker" and "Watership Down." His two most critically recognized works are the BAFTA-nominated "First and Last" and "White Mischief."

Ackland died on November 19, 2023. He was 95.

As an actor with Down syndrome who appeared regularly on screen, Andrea Fay Friedman advocated for and demonstrated the importance of inclusion and representation. In the early 1990s, she appeared on 14 episodes of the ABC family drama "Life Goes On" as Amanda Swanson, romantic partner of regular character Corky Thatcher (Chris Burke). She went on to earn guest roles on many TV series, including "Baywatch," "ER," "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Family Guy." Friedman was also the focus of the documentary "A Possible Dream: The Andrea Friedman Story." The actor last appeared onscreen in the 2019 holiday movie "Carol of the Bells."

Friedman died on December 3, 2023 from complications of Alzheimer's disease. The actor was 53 years old.

Ellen Holly portrayed Carla Gray on the long-running ABC soap opera "One Life to Live" from its first season in 1968 until 1980 — a span of over 500 episodes. This made Holly the first Black actor to star on a soap opera. Along with spots on primetime shows including "Dr. Kildare," "The Defenders," "Spenser: For Hire," and "In the Heat of the Night," Holly returned to soaps in the late 1980s, co-starring for five years on "Guiding Light" as Judge Frances Collier. Largely retiring from acting in the 1990s, both on screen and stage, Holly worked as a public librarian in White Plains, New York.

Holly died in the Bronx on December 6, 2023. The actor was 92 years old.

Already a huge TV star and teen idol thanks to a five-year run on salacious TV soap opera "Peyton Place" in the 1960s, Ryan O'Neal shot to the top of the movie star A-list in the 1970s by headlining box office smashes and critical darlings alike. He played cocky Ivy Leaguer Oliver in the tragic romantic drama "Love Story," the top-grossing film of 1970, which earned O'Neal an Oscar nomination for best actor. He followed that up with a starring role opposite Barbra Streisand in the hit 1972 farce "What's Up, Doc?" and a part as a con artist in "Paper Moon," alongside his daughter, actor Tatum O'Neal. 

Then in Stanley Kubrick's Oscar-nominated 1975 period piece "Barry Lyndon," O'Neal portrayed the title character. This winning streak continued into the latter half of the '70s and the '80s, as O'Neal starred in well-received mainstream fare including "The Main Event" and "Irreconcilable Differences," often working with his on-again-off-again romantic partner of many years, Farrah Fawcett. O'Neal's final role was shifty Max Keenan across two dozen episodes of "Bones."

More than 20 years after getting a chronic leukemia diagnosis and a decade after developing prostate cancer, O'Neal died in Santa Monica on December 8, 2023. He was 82.

A consummate and prolific character actor, James McCaffrey scored more than 100 acting roles over a career that began with a bit part in the 1987 sex comedy "New York's Finest." After a few more supporting gigs, McCaffrey landed a prominent supporting role as Joe Astor in the 1994-1999 syndicated action drama "Viper." A couple of years later, he'd first portray what's probably his signature role as rogue, vengeance-minded detective Max Payne in the video game "Max Payne." 

McCaffrey would reprise the voice performance in "Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne" and "Max Payne 3" while continuing to appear in indie movies and on television series. Notably, he starred on FX's "Rescue Me" as ghostly New York City firefighter Jimmy Keefe, as Ryan Huntley on ABC's primetime soap "Revenge," and as Danton Phillips on Prime Video's Spike Lee adaptation "She's Gotta Have It." On December 17, 2023, McCaffrey, diagnosed with myeloma — a form of cancer that affects the blood — died at home in Larchmont, New York. The actor was 65.