40 Stars You Might Not Know Passed Away In 2020

The year 2020 is one most of us want to forget – for lots of different reasons. And because we were busy dealing with the terrifying global news, many high-profile celebrities passed away without fans even realizing. This includes the deaths of box-office titans, celebrated sportsmen and musicians. Do you remember that both Eddie Van Halen and Sean Connery passed in October 2020? They’re not even the biggest names on this list, either. So let’s take a moment to appreciate the trailblazers who’ll be greatly missed. We’ll then spare a thought for past celebs – such as Michelle Thomas – who died without fanfare.

Little Richard

Little Richard really was one of a kind. The rock ’n’ roll pioneer was publicly noted as an influence on future icons such as Elton John, Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Flamboyant and exuberant, the singer had a string of hits in the 1950s – including “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Tutti Frutti.” Unfortunately, though, the 87-year-old legend died at his home in Tennessee over complications brought on by bone cancer.

Fred Willard

Fred Willard’s death was first announced on social media in May by actress Jamie Lee Curtis – the wife of Willard’s long-time creative partner Christopher Guest. Of the Modern Family and Best In Show star, Curtis wrote, “How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts.” His daughter, Hope, tweeted, “He kept moving, working, and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much!”

Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller was a comedy giant and best known as the eccentric-yet-loveable Arthur Spooner in The King of Queens and Frank Costanza in Seinfeld. The 92-year-old’s death was announced by his son, Ben, on Twitter. The actor, who appeared alongside his father in the Zoolander franchise, wrote, “He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed.”

Honor Blackman

“It’s with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Honor Blackman, aged 94,” read a statement given to The Guardian. “She died peacefully of natural causes at her home in Lewes, Sussex, surrounded by her family.” Blackman was fondly remembered for her trailblazing roles as Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger and Cathy Gale in the 1960s TV series The Avengers.

Naya Rivera

Glee star Naya Rivera lost her life in a tragic accident in July after a boat trip with her son went horribly wrong. Police later ruled Rivera’s death as an accidental drowning. Fortunately, the star’s young son was found alive in their rented pontoon boat. The child told authorities that his mother had saved him by pushing his body into the boat before she fell beneath the waves.

Brian Dennehy

During an illustrious career over five decades, Brian Dennehy won six Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and two Tonys. He’s perhaps best known to film fans for his role as the over-zealous sheriff going up against Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo in First Blood. The 81-year-old died from a cardiac arrest brought on by sepsis.

Kirk Douglas

Spartacus star Kirk Douglas – a man synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood – lived to the ripe old age of 103. When he passed in February, his leading actor son, Michael, released a poignant statement. He said, “Kirk’s life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.”

Diana Rigg

English actress Diana Rigg played Tracy in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – the only Bond girl to actually marry the dashing superspy. She was also an icon in her homeland for her role as Emma Peel in The Avengers and as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones. Rigg sadly died in September from cancer, which she had been diagnosed with earlier in March.

Kenny Rogers

In March, 81-year-old country music icon Kenny Rogers died in hospice care surrounded by his family. The husky-voiced legend sold 120 million records globally and saw 24 of his songs hit the top of the U.S. charts. The musician’s publicist said in a statement, “Kenny Rogers left an indelible mark on the history of American music. His songs have endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world.”

Terry Jones

In February, Monty Python members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Sir Michael Palin attended a humanist funeral ceremony in London for Terry Jones. The celebrated actor and director had helmed many of the comedy outfit’s most beloved sketches. Jones died in January at the age of 77 from frontotemporal dementia – a condition he’d been diagnosed with five years earlier.

Eddie Van Halen

Guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen died of a stroke in October 2020. Over the course of 40 years, Van Halen – the band he formed with his brother, Alex, and singer David Lee Roth – recorded 12 albums. They also had many hit singles, including “Hot For Teacher” and “Jump.” And Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello expressed some warm words for him at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony that year. He said, “Eddie Van Halen was the Mozart of our generation.”

Rocky Johnson

Rocky Johnson was the 75-year-old father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and one half of the first-ever black duo to win the WWE tag team championships. He died in January. His son posted a video on Instagram explaining that his father had experienced a heart attack brought on by deep vein thrombosis. A bittersweet Rock joked, “I can also hear him now, ‘Make sure you put me over in the speech, say good stuff about me.’”

Neil Peart

In 2020 the world lost one of the best drummers of all time. Neil Peart – who was part of Canadian prog-rockers Rush for 45 years – died of brain cancer in January. In an official statement posted on the band’s Twitter account, Peart was described as a friend and soul brother. He will be remembered by his photographer wife, Carrie, and daughter Olivia.

K.T. Oslin

Country music star K.T. Oslin passed in December. The “80’s Ladies” singer had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015 and died only a week after contracting coronavirus. She is celebrated for her history-making career thanks to being the first-ever woman to win the CMA Award for Song of the Year.

John le Carré

In December, at the age of 89, John le Carré died from pneumonia – and the world lost arguably the greatest spy novelist of all time. The British writer – who Stephen King referred to as “a literary giant and a humanitarian spirit” – wrote the classic novels The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. His agent, Jonny Geller, told the BBC that le Carré “defined the Cold War era and fearlessly spoke truth to power.”

Diego Maradona

Argentina went into a state of mourning after Diego Maradona died of a heart attack in November at the age of 60. Enormous crowds gathered to say their goodbyes when the soccer star’s coffin was displayed for the public at the country’s presidential palace. Many cried, prayed and blew kisses to their departed hero – a man they loved for his incredible talents and, equally, for his flaws.

Ann Reinking

“The world and our family have lost a vibrant, amazing talent and beautiful soul.” These words were part of an emotional statement issued by Broadway icon Ann Reinking’s family after the Tony Award winner passed in December. It continued, “She was visiting our brother in Washington state when she went to sleep and never woke up. We will miss her more than we can say. Heaven has the best choreographer available now.”

Alex Trebek

Quick-witted Canadian television host Alex Trebek fronted Jeopardy! for more than 8,200 episodes across three decades. He was a TV institution, and the world was deeply saddened when the 80-year-old died in November from stage-four pancreatic cancer. Though some comfort was taken by the fact that he passed peacefully at home with family and friends by his side.

Kelly Preston

In the ’90s, Kelly Preston starred in hit films such as For Love of the Game and Jerry Maguire. She married Hollywood leading man John Travolta in 1991, and the couple had three children together. Then, shockingly, the 57-year-old died in July from breast cancer. A devastated Travolta posted on Instagram, “[Preston’s] love and life will always be remembered.”

Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister

Known for his intimidating presence in movies such as Friday and The Dark Knight, Tommy “Tiny” Lister was a unique presence in Hollywood. He even took Zeus – his character from No Holds Barred – into the WWE wrestling ring to face down Hulk Hogan. The 62-year-old died in December from what was officially listed as “natural causes.” But Lister’s manager confirmed that Lister had displayed coronavirus symptoms in the week before his passing.

Clark Middleton

In October The Blacklist and Twin Peaks star Clark Middleton lost his life to the West Nile virus at the age of 63. The character actor had lived with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis from the age of four years old. In a statement, his wife, Elissa, paid tribute to him by saying, “[Middleton] was a beautiful soul who spent a lifetime defying limits and advocating for people with disabilities.”

Conchata Ferrell

Conchata Ferrell played irascible housekeeper Berta in 12 seasons of the massively successful sitcom Two and a Half Men. Oh, and she also collected two Emmy nominations in the process. She died in October at 77 after cardiac arrest complications – leaving her castmates devastated. Long-time co-star Charlie Sheen posted on Twitter that Ferrell was “an absolute sweetheart, a consummate pro [and] a genuine friend.” He called it “a shocking and painful loss.”

Jon Huber

In December, the pro-wrestling community was dealt a terrible blow when Jon Huber – known as Luke Harper in WWE and Brodie Lee in other promotions – died unexpectedly. The 41-year-old passed from an unspecified lung issue. Many people in the wrestling business paid him widespread tributes. His wife, Amanda, posted on Instagram, “He was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet.”

Michael Lonsdale

Michael Lonsdale played Bond villain Hugo Drax in 1979’s Moonraker. It was the role that defined the Anglo-French actor for many film fans. But over the course of an extensive career, he also appeared in Munich, Ronin and The Day of the Jackal – among more than 200 credits. His agent, Olivier Loiseau, revealed the 89-year-old died in September in Paris at home.

Chi Chi DeVayne

Chi Chi DeVayne – a star of RuPaul’s Drag Race whose real name was Zavion Davenport – tragically died in August at only 34. She had been in hospital in July with kidney failure and high blood pressure. She was then released – only to be readmitted a month later suffering from pneumonia. RuPaul said in a statement, “I am so grateful that we got to experience her kind and beautiful soul. She will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.”

Regis Philbin

At the age of 88, legendary TV host Regis Philbin died in July from a myocardial infarction brought on by coronary artery disease. He had previously undergone triple bypass surgery in 2007. His loved ones released a beautiful statement, saying, “[Philbin’s] family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about...”

Jackie Stallone

In September, Jackie Stallone died in her sleep at the age of 98. The sad news was announced by her son Frank, who posted on Instagram, “It was hard not to like her, she was a very eccentric and flamboyant person.” Her other son – Hollywood icon Sylvester – wrote on the platform, “A mother who has always believed and encouraged her sons. She was the number one fan of Sly and Frank. She will be remembered forever for her charisma and love.”

Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone – the man who created the score for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – left us in July at the age of 91. A man whose work will forever be synonymous with Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood’s Spaghetti Westerns, the genius composer also scored films such as The Untouchables and The Hateful Eight. Fittingly, in his birth city of Rome, Italy, he was known to the locals as “maestro.”

Joel Schumacher

Director Joel Schumacher died in June following a cancer diagnosis the previous year. He helmed the 1980s classics St. Elmo’s Fire and The Lost Boys, hit legal thrillers A Time to Kill and The Client, and he ventured into the superhero arena with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Schumacher will also be remembered as an openly gay director who forged a path in Hollywood that others have since followed.

Adam Schlesinger

Adam Schlesinger was a founding member of pop-rock outfit Fountains of Wayne, who had a major hit in 2003 with the hilarious “Stacy’s Mom.” In more recent years, he had transitioned into writing songs for The CW’s popular show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and won an Emmy in the process. The 52-year-old died in April from coronavirus complications – leaving behind his partner, Alexis, and daughters Claire and Sadie.

Roy Horn

Roy Horn – one half of iconic magic act Siegfried and Roy – died in May after contracting coronavirus. His on-stage partner, Siegfried Fischbacher, performed alongside him for an astonishing 40 years in Las Vegas. He said in a statement, “Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend. From the moment we met, I knew [Horn] and I, together, would change the world.”

Irrfan Khan

Jurassic World star Irrfan Khan lost his life in April at the age of 53. In 2018 he had been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor. A week before his death, Khan was taken to an intensive care unit in his native India with a colon infection. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Irrfan Khan’s demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theater.”

Bill Withers

With iconic songs such as “Lean On Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” to his name, Bill Withers left an indelible impression on the world of R&B. The singer passed in April at the age of 81 from heart complications. His family’s statement read, “With his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other.” It added, “In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.”

Ian Holm

Esteemed British character actor Ian Holm played Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises. He also starred in seminal films such as Alien and Chariots of Fire. At the age of 88, Holm died of an illness connected to the Parkinson’s disease he’d had for several years.

James Lipton

“He lived each day as if it were his last,” said Kedakai Lipton of her husband, James – the beautifully articulate host of Inside the Actor’s Studio. “His work was his passion, [he] loved what he did and all the people he worked with.” The 93-year-old died from bladder cancer in March but left behind an archive of fascinating episodes in which he’d interviewed more than 300 actors about their craft.

Vera Lynn

Dame Vera Lynn became deeply entrenched in the psyche of Britain during World War II. Her songs – including “We’ll Meet Again” and “The White Cliffs of Dover” – helped boost the morale of soldiers. She passed in June at the incredible age of 103 with her family and friends by her side. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poignantly wrote on Twitter, “Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come.”

Max von Sydow

Swedish actor Max von Sydow enjoyed an astounding career that spanned seven decades. From The Exorcist and The Seventh Seal, all the way to Game of Thrones, he was known to many generations. Sydow passed in March at the age of 90. Director Martin Scorsese – who worked with von Sydow on Shutter Island – told The Guardian, “[von Sydow was] a consummate actor, with a pride in his art and a dedication to his craft that I’ve encountered in very few people in my life.”

Sean Connery

Scottish acting legend Sir Sean Connery died in October at 90. His son, Jason, announced that he passed peacefully in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas. He added, “A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor.” Connery was the first James Bond and starred in hit films such as Highlander, The Untouchables and The Rock.

Kobe Bryant

In January, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash alongside seven other members of Gianna’s basketball team and their parents. Understandably, this tragedy shocked the world. In December, Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, posted a Christmas photo on Instagram with her other daughters, Bianka, Capri and Natalia. The moving caption read, “Always together, never apart, together forever in our hearts.”

Chadwick Boseman

The death of 43-year-old Chadwick Boseman in August hit fans hard. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Da 5 Bloods star died of colon cancer. This came as a total shock as his condition had been kept from the public. His family’s statement read, “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all.” The message went on, “It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”

It’s not just the awfulness of 2020 that makes fans miss news of celebrity deaths, of course. The passings of these familiar faces – including Michelle Thomas, Gary Coleman, Chris Penn, and more – were noted with only the minimum of fanfares. Arguably, this makes their early deaths all the more tragic. You may recognize them – and love the roles in which they starred – and yet may not even have realized that they had died.

40. Chris Penn

Some people might not know that Sean Penn’s brother was also an actor. Indeed, Chris Penn turned up in movies as famous as Reservoir Dogs – where he memorably played Nice Guy Eddie – and Footloose. However, both Penn’s career and his 2006 death from cardiomyopathy at the age of just 40 may have been somewhat overshadowed by his more famous sibling’s life and work.

39. Rob Knox

British star Rob Knox may look familiar thanks to his turn as Marcus Belby in the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He was all set to appear in the franchise’s follow-up film as well but, heartbreakingly, was murdered while backing up his brother during a fracas in 2008. The young actor was only 18 years old.

38. Lee Thompson Young

At the time of his death, Lee Thompson Young had shaken off his Disney Channel past to shine as detective Barry Frost in TNT cop show Rizzoli & Isles. Behind the scenes, though, Young was afflicted with depression and bipolar disorder – factors that may have contributed to him deciding to take his own life in 2013, aged only 29.

37. Heather O’Rourke

Better known as little girl Carol Anne Freeling from horror classic Poltergeist, Heather O’Rourke tragically passed away while undergoing surgery, aged just 12. Her role in the aforementioned film secured her a place in pop culture history, but few people these days are likely to know of her 1988 death unless they take a “Haunted Hollywood” tour, where her grave is rather ghoulishly an attraction.

36. Andy Whitfield

Andy Whitfield looked lined up to hit the big time after coming to prominence as the eponymous hero of Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. However, before the Welsh-born actor ever got to make a second season of the show, he sadly became a victim of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, dying at the age of 39. News of Whitfield’s passing may have been overshadowed owing to the time at which it occurred, coinciding as it did with the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

35. Lisa Robin Kelly

Anyone who watched That ’70s Show during its first five seasons will recognize Lisa Robin Kelly, who as the manipulative Laurie Forman portrayed a character that fans loved to hate. That said, Kelly’s troubled personal life rather than her talent was to the forefront in many obituaries when she passed away in 2013. The cause of the 43-year-old’s death was ruled as “multiple drug intoxication.”

34. Justin Pierce

Justin Pierce’s turn as Casper in Larry Clark’s provocative 1995 movie Kids was outstanding – so much so, in fact, that it netted the young actor an Independent Spirit Award. Tragically, though, rising fame and acclaim didn’t stop Pierce from committing suicide in 2000 when he was still just 25 years old.

33. Judith Barsi

Millions of people heard Judith Barsi’s voice in The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven, but what they may well not have known is that they were listening to a dead girl. In 1988, at just ten years old, Barsi – already a prolific actress – was killed by her abusive father. The two aforementioned animated films were released posthumously.

32. Thuy Trang

Vietnamese actress Thuy Trang was beloved of ’90s kids everywhere as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ first Yellow Ranger. Roles in The Crow: City of Angels and Spy Hard followed, but unfortunately her life was cut short before she ever made it to the top. Trang died in a traffic collision in September 2001. She was 27.

31. Andy Hallett

Andy Hallett was only really known for a single acting role, but it was a good one: the demon Lorne in Joss Whedon’s cult Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off show Angel. Hallett’s character was beloved by geeks everywhere, yet his death from congestive heart failure in 2009 at the all-too-young age of 33 passed by unnoticed by all but the most avid fans of the show.

30. Dana Hill

Dana Hill’s voice most likely makes her familiar to anyone who has watched an episode of Rugrats, Goof Troop or Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. Her role as Griswold child Audrey in National Lampoon’s European Vacation may also be instantly recognizable. What’s less known, however, is that Hill is now dead, having tragically succumbed to complications from diabetes in 1996. She was 32.

29. Glenn Quinn

Roseanne actor Glenn Quinn’s battle with addiction ended tragically in 2002 when he passed away as a result of a heroin overdose at only 32 years of age. His story is a desperately sad one about the dangers of drugs: by the end of his life he had been fired from his role as Doyle in Angel and needed to resort to sleeping on a friend’s couch.

28. Nicole DeHuff

Nicole DeHuff’s acting career got off to a good start when she played Deborah Byrnes in 2000’s smash hit movie Meet the Parents. Sadly, though, the promise shown in that performance and DeHuff’s ensuing string of other minor film and TV roles never saw her make it to the top, as by 2005 the 30-year-old had passed away following a bout of viral pneumonia. At least her character apparently lives on in the Meet the Parents sequels, where Deborah is still alluded to although never seen.

27. Brad Renfro

Like way too many child stars, Brad Renfro met a tragic end. After making his debut on the silver screen in The Client at only 12, the actor netted plum roles in the likes of Bully and Ghost World only to succumb to a heroin overdose before 30. Yes, Renfro’s checkered life ended in 2008 when he was just 25 years of age.

26. Skye McCole Bartusiak

Skye McCole Bartusiak charmed audiences worldwide as the young daughter of Mel Gibson’s character in 2000’s The Patriot, a role that brought her to prominence at just seven years old. McCole Bartusiak would go on to get various other respectable acting credits to her name. However, fourteen years after her most famous role, she died, aged 21, owing to an accidental drug overdose, making her Patriot screen time even more poignant.

25. Christopher Pettiet

Cult ’90s comedy Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead made a star out of Christopher Pettiet, who played young Lothario Zach Crandell in the movie. Watching it now, though, may be bittersweet, for the actor passed away in 2000, aged just 24, as a result of an accidental substance OD. A scholarship named for Pettiet at his old acting school has helped keep his name and legacy alive since.

24. Dana Plato

Dana Plato found fame in ever-popular ’70s and ’80s sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, but once her days playing Kimberly Drummond were over, she sadly descended into poverty and substance addiction. A hostile reception from callers when Plato was on The Howard Stern Show in 1999 may have been the final straw, as the day after the broadcast she tragically committed suicide – at the all-too-young age of 34.

23. Jonathan Brandis

The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter star Jonathan Brandis was once a teen idol, but as he got older his career started to slide. This turn of events may, it’s said, have contributed to Brandis making the heartwrenching decision to take his own life in 2003, aged 27.

22. David Strickland

David Strickland’s sad passing in 1999 meant that his Suddenly Susan alter ego Todd Stities was written out of the sitcom, with a tribute show that was later broadcast seemingly honoring both the on-screen character and, by consequence, the man who played him. During that episode no mention was made of Strickland’s suicide, though, which – although understandable – may have helped his death fly somewhat under the radar to this day.

21. Zoë Tamerlis Lund

Abel Ferrara’s cult movies Ms. 45 and Bad Lieutenant made Zoë Tamerlis Lund a star, but her death in 1999 at the age of 37 may have gone unnoticed by both fans of those films and the wider public at large. Tragically, Lund passed away due to heart failure, prompted by her cocaine use – a habit the actress acquired as a reported replacement for taking heroin.

20. David Graf

In 2004 David Graf’s widow Kathryn debuted a one-woman play in which she spoke about her late husband and her loss – perhaps to the surprise of some, who may not have known that the Police Academy star had even died. The Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry actor – who also had a recurring role in The West Wing – passed away in 2001, aged 50, owing to a heart attack suffered while at the wedding of his brother-in-law.

19. Windell Middlebrooks

Anyone who has ever watched TV has probably seen Windell Middlebrooks, even if they didn’t know his name, for his acting career took in everything from Hannah Montana to Body of Proof and from Scrubs to those famous Miller High Life beer ads. Fewer people, though, will know that Middlebrooks’ life was cut tragically short in 2015, after the 36-year-old suffered a pulmonary embolism at his San Fernando Valley home.

18. Marque Lynche

After his time as a Mouseketeer in the ’90s, Marque Lynche popped up on TV again as an adult, getting as far as the semi-finals of American Idol’s third season in 2004. The star’s career also saw him take in time as a Broadway actor, although his full potential was sadly never quite realized owing to his sad early death in 2015 at the age of 34.

17. Nathaniel Marston

Although he appeared in several movies – most notably, alongside a young Angelina Jolie in 1996’s Love Is All There Is – Nathaniel Marston was best known as a soap star. Sadly, though, the As the World Turns and One Life to Live actor would never recover from a car crash in which he was involved in October 2015, passing away owing to surgical complications less than two weeks later. He was just 40 years old.

16. Ben Woolf

Ben Woolf took on several small roles on both the big and small screens before finally winning wider recognition in American Horror Story, in which he played both Thaddeus Montgomery and, famously, Meep. Still, even avid fans of the FX show might not know of Woolf’s premature death in February 2015; the 34-year-old succumbed to a head injury after being hit by a side-view mirror from a passing vehicle.

15. Heavy D

Heavy D’s performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards was his first to be shown on TV for 15 years, and it could very well have led to a career renaissance. But that wasn’t to be: the ex-Heavy D & the Boyz frontman would collapse at his home less than a month later, in November 2011, then pass away thanks to a pulmonary embolism. He was only 44.

14. Lynne Thigpen

A generation of children grew up watching Lynne Thigpen on such shows as Bear in the Big Blue House and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? – then, perhaps, when the viewers were slightly more grown-up, on All My Children and The District. But Thigpen’s absence from TV screens in recent years is down to one sad reason: she passed away in 2003 of a cerebral hemorrhage, aged only 54.

13. Rose Siggins

Rose Siggins may have only been two feet, six inches tall, but she made a big impact on the small screen as Legless Suzi in American Horror Story: Freak Show. Before fame beckoned further, though, Siggins’ life was sadly cut short when complications after a kidney stone surgery led to her death, aged 43, in 2015.

12. Suzanne Crough

Suzanne Crough found the spotlight in the ’70s as The Partridge Family’s adorable Tracy, even if it was a level of fame that she would fail to replicate with future roles. Perhaps Crough decided that acting wasn’t for her, though, as she appeared for the last time on screen in 1980. And that decision to step out of the limelight may have meant that her April 2015 death, at the age of 52 and due to cardiomyopathy, went rather unnoticed by many.

11. Kyle Jean-Baptiste

Kyle Jean-Baptiste wasn’t a star of the screen but was certainly a rising star of the stage. In fact, when he was cast in the Broadway production of Les Misérables, he became both the first African-American and the youngest person ever to portray Jean Valjean. There’s little doubt, then, that the 21-year-old would’ve gone on to bigger things; tragically, though, he passed away after a fall in August 2015 before ever achieving them.

10. Bob Peck

Remember Robert Muldoon from Jurassic Park and his iconic “clever girl” scene? The actor who played him, British star Bob Peck, shone as the doomed game warden, which makes it arguably all the sadder that he isn’t gracing movie screens today. Peck died from cancer in 1999 at 53 years old.

9. Ashleigh Aston Moore

1995 coming-of-age flick Now and Then was chock-full of fledgling and future young stars, with the likes of Christina Ricci, Thora Birch and Gaby Hoffman among them. And Ashleigh Aston Moore, who played Chrissy Dewitt, might have had a career as successful as, if not more so, those of any of her co-stars. It was success that Moore sadly never lived to find, however, as she passed away in 2007, aged only 26, of pneumonia and bronchitis.

8. Michael Clarke Duncan

Michael Clarke Duncan was incandescent as John Coffey, the falsely accused gentle giant in The Green Mile. Moreover, the power of that performance, and of many of those that followed, perhaps makes it all the more surprising that the actor’s death went by relatively under the radar. In 2012 Duncan sadly passed away in hospital, a few weeks after a heart attack, aged 54.

7. Trevor Goddard

Mortal Kombat fans may remember Trevor Goddard; he memorably played Kano in the 1995 movie adaptation of the game franchise. Future forays for the British actor included small parts in the likes of Gone in 60 Seconds and the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Still, perhaps such roles weren’t memorable enough to ensure that his 2003 death thanks to a drug overdose at the age of 40 didn’t go unnoticed.

6. Michelle Thomas

With The Cosby Show, The Young and the Restless and Family Matters all on her resume, countless people around the world would have caught at least a glimpse or two of Michelle Thomas during her time on TV. Unfortunately, though, that time was cruelly cut short when Thomas succumbed to a rare sort of stomach cancer in 1998. She was just 29 years old.

5. Wendie Jo Sperber

Of the millions across the planet who know and love Back to the Future, perhaps only a small fraction of them know of the sad fate of Wendie Jo Sperber, who played Marty’s sister Linda. Sperber, who also starred in the trilogy’s third film, died in 2005 of breast cancer, aged 47. Her last role was voicing a character on American Dad! who would be touchingly renamed Wendie Jo as a tribute to the late actress.

4. Sawyer Sweeten

Everybody Loves Raymond turned out to be a family affair in more ways than one for Sawyer Sweeten: not only did the Geoffrey Barone actor star next to his twin brother Sullivan, who played Michael, but the pair’s older sister Madylin featured alongside them as Ally. And it was Madylin Sweeten who released a heartwrenching statement in April 2015 confirming that, tragically, her little brother had taken his own life a matter of weeks from his 20th birthday.

3. Natasha Richardson

Natasha Richardson was not only the spouse of an acclaimed actor in Liam Neeson, but also a star in her own right – taking home a Tony Award for playing Sally Bowles in a Broadway production of Cabaret and lighting up the silver screen in the likes of The Parent Trap and Nell. More stellar performances could very well have come from Richardson, then, were it not for the fatal brain injury she suffered after a skiing accident in 2009. The British actress was only 45 years old at the time of her death.

2. Gary Coleman

As the inimitable Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes, Gary Coleman became one of the most popular child stars of the ’80s. Sadly, though, the fame and success didn’t last as Coleman transitioned into adulthood, where financial difficulties and scandal started to blight his life. This coincided with the actor slipping out of public view, and when he died in 2010, aged only 42, his memory was kept alive more through court battles between his survivors than anything else.

1. Carl Switzer

Carl Switzer’s name by itself might not mean much to many, but the handle of his most famous character most likely will. That’s because Switzer played lovable tyke Alfalfa in the Our Gang series of short movies, otherwise known popularly as The Little Rascals. The young boy who found fame never made it to a ripe old age, though, for in 1959 he was killed in a fight about money, fatally shot at only 31. What’s more, Switzer had the misfortune to die on the same day as celebrated director Cecil B. DeMille, ensuring that his death was overshadowed at the time by that of the older man.