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Filmmakers David Lynch and Rob Reiner were among the noteworthy and influential people who died in 2025 where the deaths themselves had a widespread impact.
The deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife became a source of both sadness and mystery after their bodies were found in their home in February. Authorities ultimately determined that Hackman, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, died of heart disease, likely unaware that Betsy Arakawa had died from hantavirus a week earlier.
Some of the stars who died in the second half of 2025 include Giorgio Armani, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Diane Ladd.
Meanwhile, the death of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, which came just weeks after his farewell concert, marked the end of an era in music.
Here is a roll call of some influential figures in the arts who have died this year (cause of death cited, if available):
Wayne Osmond, 73. The singer and guitarist was a founding member of The Osmonds, a million-album-selling family act known for such 1970s teen hits as “One Bad Apple,” “Yo-Yo” and “Down By the Lazy River.” Jan. 1.
Rosita Missoni, 93. She was the matriarch of the iconic Italian fashion house that made colorful zigzag-patterned knitwear high fashion and helped launch Italian ready-to-wear. Jan. 1.
Peter Yarrow, 86. The singer-songwriter was best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war. Jan. 7.
Sam Moore, 89. He was the higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave, known for such definitive hits of the era as “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin.’” Jan. 10.
David Lynch, 78. The filmmaker was celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” and the TV series “Twin Peaks.” Jan. 16.
Joan Plowright, 95. She was an award-winning British actor who, with her late husband Laurence Olivier, did much to revitalize the U.K.’s theatrical scene after World War II. Jan. 16.
Garth Hudson, 87. The Band’s virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Weight” and “Rag Mama Rag.” Jan. 21.
Marianne Faithfull, 78. The British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied. Jan. 30.
Barbie Hsu, 48. A Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama “Meteor Garden” that swept Asia, she died of pneumonia triggered by the flu. Feb. 2.
Irv Gotti, 54. A music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records, he was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule. Feb. 5.
Tony Roberts, 85. The versatile, Tony Award-nominated performer in plays and musicals appeared in several Woody Allen movies – often as Allen’s best friend. Feb. 7.
Gene Hackman, 95. The Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers. Feb. 18. Found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
Paquita la del Barrio, 77. The Mexican musical legend was known for her powerful voice and fierce defense of women. Feb. 17.
Souleymane Cissé, 84. The Malian filmmaker was a pioneer of African cinema with a career spanning 50 years. Feb. 19.
Roberta Flack, 88. The Grammy-winning singer and pianist’s intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after that. Feb. 24.
Michelle Trachtenberg, 39. A former child star in the hit 1996 movie “Harriet the Spy,” she went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows – “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl.” The cause and manner of her death were officially listed as undetermined. Feb. 26.
Boris Spassky, 88. A Soviet-era world chess champion, he lost his title to American Bobby Fischer in a legendary 1972 match that became a proxy for Cold War rivalries. Feb. 27.
Angie Stone, 63. The Grammy-nominated R&B singer, a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence who was known for the hit song “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” died when her van crashed. March 1.
Roy Ayers, 84. The jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist was known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” sampled by such R&B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube. March 4.
D’Wayne Wiggins, 64. He co-founded the Grammy-nominated group Tony! Toni! Tone! behind the classic songs “Anniversary,” “It Never Rains (In Southern California)” and (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow.” March 7.
Émilie Dequenne, 43. The Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in “Rosetta” died of a rare form of cancer. March 16.
Richard Chamberlain, 90. The handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” came out as gay four decades later and was known as the “king of the miniseries” for his roles in “The Thorn Birds” and “Shogun.” March 29.
Val Kilmer, 65. The brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in “Top Gun,” wore a voluminous cape as Batman in “Batman Forever” and portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” died of pneumonia. April 1.
Jay North, 73. He starred as the towheaded mischief-maker on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” for four seasons starting in 1959. April 6.
Clem Burke, 70. His versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes. April 6.
Rubby Pérez, 69. Known for songs such as “Volveré,” “El Africano” and “Tu Vas a Volar” during a career devoted to merengue, the signature musical style of the Dominican Republic, he died after a nightclub roof collapsed. April 8.
Mario Vargas Llosa, 89. The Peruvian author was a Nobel literature laureate and a giant of Latin American letters. April 13.
Wink Martindale, 91. The genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough” also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley. April 15.
Nora Aunor, 71. She became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades. April 16.
Ruth Buzzi, 88. She rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made more than 200 television appearances during a 45-year career. May 1.
Jill Sobule, 66. The award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a house fire. May 1.
Johnny Rodriguez, 73. The country music star was a popular Mexican American singer whose 1970s hits included “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” and “That’s the Way Love Goes.” May 9.
Robert Benton, 92. The Oscar-winning filmmaker co-created “Bonnie and Clyde,” and received mainstream validation as the writer-director of “Kramer vs. Kramer” and “Places in the Heart.” May 11.
George Wendt, 76. An actor with an everyman charm, he played the affable barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and performed on Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf.” May 20.
Susan Brownmiller, 90. A feminist whose landmark 1975 book “Against Our Will” was an intensely debated bestseller about sexual assault. May 24.
Phil Robertson, 79. The “Duck Dynasty” patriarch turned his small duck-calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon. May 25.
Presley Chweneyagae, 40. The South African actor gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film “Tsotsi,” which won South Africa’s first-ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. May 27.
Loretta Swit, 87. She won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a Korean War surgical unit on the pioneering hit TV series “M.A.S.H.” May 30.
Sly Stone, 82. The revolutionary musician and dynamic showman led Sly and the Family Stone, transforming popular music in the 1960s and ’70s and beyond with such hits as “Everyday People,” “Stand!” and “Family Affair.” June 9.
Frederick Forsyth, 86. The British author wrote “The Day of the Jackal” and other bestselling thrillers. June 9.
Brian Wilson, 82. The Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls” and other summertime anthems, becoming one of the world’s most influential recording artists. June 11.
Ananda Lewis, 52. The former MTV and BET host who became a beloved television personality in the 1990s with her warmth and authenticity died of breast cancer. June 11.
Mick Ralphs, 81. The guitarist, singer and songwriter was a founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople. June 23.
Bobby Sherman, 81. His winsome smile and shaggy mop top helped make him into a teen idol in the 1960s and ’70s with bubblegum pop hits like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.” June 24.
Michael Madsen, 67. The actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino, including “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2.” July 3.
Connie Francis, 87. The wholesome pop star’s 1950s and ’60s hits included “Pretty Little Baby” and “Who’s Sorry Now?” – the latter serving as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy. July 16.
Alan Bergman, 99. The Oscar-winning lyricist teamed with his wife, Marilyn, in a loving partnership that produced “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?,” “It Might Be You” and the classic “The Way We Were.” July 17.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 54. His 40-year career as an actor and director began as teenage son Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” a cultural phenomenon that helped define the 1980s. He drowned in the Caribbean Sea. July 20.
Ozzy Osbourne, 76. The gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath became the godfather of heavy metal and then a doddering dad on reality TV. July 22.
Chuck Mangione, 84. The two-time Grammy Award-winning musician achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single “Feels So Good” and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy “King of the Hill.” July 22.
Hulk Hogan, 71. The mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act. July 24.
Cleo Laine, 97. Her husky contralto was one of the most distinctive voices in jazz, and she was regarded by many as Britain’s greatest contribution to the quintessentially American genre. July 24.
Flaco Jimenez, 86. The legendary accordionist from San Antonio won multiple Grammys as he expanded the popularity of conjunto, Tejano and Tex-Mex music. July 31.
Jeannie Seely, 85. She was the soulful country music singer behind such standards as “Don’t Touch Me.” Aug. 1.
Loni Anderson, 79. She played a struggling radio station’s empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati.” Aug. 3.
Tristan Rogers, 79. He played super spy Robert Scorpio on ABC’s “General Hospital.” Aug. 15.
Terence Stamp, 87. The British actor often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films. Aug. 17.
Graham Greene, 73. A trailblazing Indigenous actor, his long career included an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in “Dances with Wolves.” Sept. 1.
Giorgio Armani, 91. The iconic Italian designer turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire. Sept. 4.
Polly Holliday, 88. The Tony Award-nominated screen and stage actor turned the catchphrase “Kiss my grits!” into a national retort as the gum-chewing, beehive-wearing server on the long-running CBS sitcom “Alice.” Sept. 9.
Bobby Hart, 86. The songwriter was a key part of the Monkees’ multimedia empire, teaming with Tommy Boyce on such hits as “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone.” Sept. 10.
Robert Redford, 89. The Hollywood golden boy became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters. Sept. 16.
Brett James, 57. The Grammy award-winning country songwriter whose top hits included “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney died in a plane crash. Sept. 18.
Sonny Curtis, 88. A vintage rock ‘n’ roller, he wrote the raw classic “I Fought the Law” and posed the enduring question “Who can turn the world on with her smile?” as the writer-crooner of the theme song to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Sept. 19.
Claudia Cardinale, 87. The acclaimed Italian actor starred in some of the most celebrated European films of the 1960s and 1970s. Sept. 23.
Jilly Cooper, 88. The bestselling British author chronicled class and sex in risqué novels, including “Rivals” and “Riders.” Oct. 5.
Diane Keaton, 79. The Oscar-winning star’s quirky manner and emotional depth enthralled fans in movies including “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” films and “Father of the Bride.” Oct. 11.
D’Angelo, 51. The Grammy-winning R&B singer recognized by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” music video died of cancer. Oct. 14.
Ace Frehley, 74. The original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam-rock band Kiss captivated audiences with his elaborate galactic makeup and smoking guitar. Oct. 16.
Susan Stamberg, 87. The “founding mother” of National Public Radio was the first female broadcaster to host a national news program. Oct. 16.
Daniel Naroditsky, 29. The chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport. His cause of death was not made public. Oct. 20.
June Lockhart, 100. She became a mother figure for a generation of television viewers, whether at home in “Lassie” or “Lost in Space.” Oct. 23.
Prunella Scales, 93. A versatile actor, she was best known as acid-tongued Sybil Fawlty in the classic British sitcom “Fawlty Towers.” Oct. 27.
Diane Ladd, 89. The actor was nominated three times for Academy Awards, as the brash waitress in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” the scheming parent in “Wild at Heart” and her role with daughter Laura Dern in “Rambling Rose.” Nov. 3.
Sally Kirkland, 84. The stage, film and TV actor was best known for sharing the screen with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in “The Sting” and her Oscar-nominated title role in the 1987 movie “Anna.” Nov. 11.
Todd Snider, 59. The singer’s thoughtfully freewheeling tunes and cosmic-stoner songwriting made him a beloved figure in American roots music. Nov. 14.
Dharmendra, 89. A defining screen presence of 1970s and 1980s Bollywood films, he was one of Indian cinema’s most popular stars. Nov. 24.
Jimmy Cliff, 81. The charismatic reggae pioneer and actor starred in the landmark movie “The Harder They Come” and preached joy, defiance and resilience in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam.” Nov. 24.
Tom Stoppard, 88. The British playwright was a playful, probing dramatist who won an Academy Award for his screenplay for 1998’s “Shakespeare In Love.” Nov. 29.
Steve Cropper, 84. A lean, soulful guitarist and songwriter, he helped anchor the celebrated Memphis backing band Booker T. and the M.G.’s at Stax Records and co-wrote the classics “Green Onions,” ”(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour.” Dec. 3.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, 75. A Tokyo-born actor, he was known for his roles in the film “Mortal Kombat” and the TV series “The Man in the High Castle.” Dec. 4.
Rafael Ithier, 99. He was a beloved musician and a founder of the legendary salsa band El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, whose hits have inspired Bad Bunny and other icons from the U.S. territory and beyond. Dec. 6.
Raul Malo, 60. He was the soulful tenor and frontman of the genre-defying, Grammy-winning band The Mavericks. Dec. 8.
Sophie Kinsella, 55. Her effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series. She died after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Dec. 10.
Rob Reiner, 78. The son of a comedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation with movies such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” he was fatally stabbed along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner in their home. Dec. 14.
Anthony Geary, 78. He rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s as half of the daytime TV super couple Luke and Laura on “General Hospital.” Dec. 14.
Gil Gerard, 82. He played television’s hunky sci-fi hero William “Buck” Rogers soon after the Star Wars franchise took hold in the late 1970s. Dec. 16.
Mohammad Bakri, 72. The Palestinian director and actor sought to share the complexities of Palestinian identity and culture through a variety of works in both Arabic and Hebrew. Dec. 24.
Brigitte Bardot, 91. The French 1960s sex symbol who became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist and far-right supporter. Dec. 28.
