Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis, the brash slapstick comic who teamed with Dean Martin in the 1950s and later starred in “The Nutty Professor” and “The Bellboy” before launching the Muscular Dystrophy telethon, has died in Las Vegas. He was 91.

Dick Gregory
Dick Gregory
Dick Gregory, the pioneering standup comedian and civil rights activist who made his advocacy work a key component of his on-stage persona, died Aug. 19 in Washington, D.C. He was 84.
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Shepard the acclaimed playwright who was also praised as an actor, screenwriter, and director, died July 27 following complications with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 73.
John Heard
John Heard

John Heard, best known as Peter McAllister in the “Home Alone” movies who appeared in a wide range of TV and film roles, died on July 21. He was 71.

Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was found dead on July 20. The coroner later confirmed his death as suicide by hanging. He was 41.

Michael Nyqvist

Michael Nyqvist

Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, who starred in the original “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” films alongside Noomi Rapace, died on June 27 following a battle with lung cancer. He was 56.

Prodigy
Prodigy

Prodigy, the rapper best known for his work as half of long-running New York duo Mobb Deep, died in Las Vegas on June 20, after a hospitalization due to complications from sickle-cell anemia. He was 42.

Adam West

Adam West

Adam West, an actor defined and also constrained by his role in the 1960s series “Batman,” died on June 9 in Los Angeles after a short battle with leukemia. He was 88.

Glenne Headly

Glenne Headly

Emmy-nominated actress Glenne Headly died on June 8 at age 62.

Roger Moore
Roger Moore

Roger Moore, the English actor who appeared in seven films as James Bond — the most of any Bond actor — died in Switzerland after a short battle with cancer, his family annouced on May 23. He was 89.

Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell died by suicide on May 18 in Detroit after performing with his longtime band Soundgarden the night before. He was 52.

Christopher “Big Black” Boykin

Christopher “Big Black” Boykin

Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, half of MTV’s “Rob & Big” duo, died on May 9. He was 45.

Bill Paxton

Bill Paxton

Bill Paxton, the versatile actor who appeared in films including “Aliens” and “Titanic,” and played a polygamist on HBO’s “Big Love,” died on Feb. 25 from complications following heart surgery. He was 61.

Erin Moran

Erin Moran

The actress who played Joanie Cunningham on the 1970s sitcom “Happy Days” died on April 22. She was 56.

Miguel Ferrer

Miguel Ferrer

“NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Crossing Jordan” actor Miguel Ferrer died on Jan. 19 from throat cancer. He at 61.

John Hurt

John Hurt

John Hurt, the wiry English actor who played a drug addict in “Midnight Express,” Kane in “Alien,” the title character in “The Elephant Man,” and Winston Smith in “1984,” died on Jan. 25. He was 77.

Michael Mantenuto

Michael Mantenuto

Michael Mantenuto, a hockey player and actor who starred in Disney’s 2004 film “Miracle,” died on April 24. He was 35.

Neil Fingleton

Neil Fingleton

Neil Fingleton, who played the colossal warrior Mag the Mighty on “Game of Thrones,” died from heart failure on Feb. 25. He was 36.

Jimmy Snuka

Jimmy Snuka

WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka died on Jan. 15 after battling stomach cancer. He was 73

Om Puri

Om Puri

Bollywood legend Om Puri died on Jan. 6 from a heart attack. He was 66.

—variety.com