Alan Arkin (26 March 1934 – 29 June 2023)
Best known for his role as the foul-mouthed grandfather in the hit 2006 movie Little Miss Sunshine, Arkin died aged 89 in June. An actor who first appeared on the big screen in the late 1950s, he won Best Supporting Actor for Little Miss Sunshine at the 2007 Academy Awards, and earned three other Oscar nominations: for 2012′s Argo, 1966′s The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, and 1968′s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” Arkin’s sons, Matthew and Anthony, said in a statement after his death.
Andre Braugher (1 July 1962 – 11 December 2023)
Most familiar to recent TV audiences as Captain Raymond Holt on the police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Andre Braugher died of lung cancer this month, aged 61. Braugher won a Critics’ Choice Television Award for his portrayal of the deadpan Holt, the NYPD’s first Black and gay police captain. He also picked up two Primetime Emmy Awards during his career – for his performances in Thief and Homicide: Life on the Street – and was nominated for two Golden Globes. Braugher’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-star Terry Crews wrote on Instagram: “I’m honored to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts.”
Tyler Christopher (11 November 1972 – 31 October 2023)
An actor best known for playing Nikolas Cassadine on the soap opera General Hospital, Tyler Christopher died at the age of 50 in October. Christopher, who had several spells on the ABC show from 1996 to 2016, was found dead in his San Diego apartment after what his ‘GH’ co-star Maurice Benard described as a “cardiac event”. In an Instagram post, Benard said: “Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him.”
Angus Cloud (10 July 1998 – 31 July 2023)
Actor Angus Cloud, who rose to fame as Fezco on the popular HBO drama series Euphoria, died of an apparent accidental drug overdose in July. In the lead-up to his death, the 25-year-old had been coming to terms with the loss of his father, whose funeral he had attended a week earlier. In a statement to TMZ, Cloud’s family said: “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
Sir Michael Gambon (19 October 1940 – 27 September 2023)
Sir Michael Gambon, who is most recognisable to present-day movie fans for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, died at 82 in September. His acting career spanned nearly 60 years, having begun when he was hired by Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Gambon made his film debut in 1965′s Othello, which was based on the company’s staging of the Shakespeare play, and went on to enjoy a raft of notable screen roles, including his turn as Philip Marlow in the 1986 BBC series The Singing Detective. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama.
Mark Margolis (26 November 1939 – 3 August 2023)
Best known for his performance as Hector Salamanca in the hit AMC crime drama Breaking Bad, and the spin-off series Better Caul Saul, Mark Margolis died at the age of 83 in August, after a short illness. Other notable credits in Margolis’ 50-year career in TV and film include 1983′s Scarface and 1994′s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In 2012, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance on Breaking Bad. “He was one of a kind,” Margolis’s manager, Robert Kolker, said in a statement. “We won’t see his likes again.”
Matthew Perry (19 August 1969 – 28 October 2023)
Matthew Perry, who achieved global fame as the wise-cracking Chandler on the successful NBC sitcom Friends, died in October at the age of 54. Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home, with an autopsy later finding that he died as a result of the “acute effects of ketamine”. In a joint statement issued in the days after his death, his Friends co-stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – said: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
Watch – Perry stars in Hilarious Friends outtake:
Suzanne Somers (16 October 1946 – 15 October 2023)
A television actor most notable for her roles on the series Three’s Company and Step by Step, Suzanne Somers died of breast cancer in October, one day before her 77th birthday. First diagnosed back in 2000, Somers revealed in July this year that her cancer had returned, writing on Instagram: “I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter […]. Thank you for the continued love and support. It’s only about who you love and who loves you – and I love you!”
Raquel Welch (5 September 1940 – 15 February 2023)
Raquel Welch died of a cardiac arrest in February, aged 82. Chiefly thanks to her appearances in the movies Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C., the actor rose to prominence in the 1960s, with the latter film playing a major role in her emergence as an international sex symbol. The promotional still from the 1966 picture remains one of Hollywood’s most iconic posters – and was a memorable element of the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption, covering the hole in Andy Dufresne’s prison-cell wall as he digs a tunnel to freedom. Welch won a Golden Globe in 1975, for her performance in The Three Musketeers.
Tom Wilkinson (5 February 1948 – 30 December 2023)
An actor with well over 100 film and TV credits, Tom Wilkinson died at the age of 75 on Saturday. Wilkinson’s most famous role came in The Full Monty, the 1997 comedy smash about six unemployed men who form a male striptease act. He won a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild award for The Full Monty, and later picked up a Golden Globe for his performance in the 2008 miniseries John Adams. Twice nominated for Academy Awards, Wilkinson has been described by the Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw as “an actor so versatile, so confident, so intelligent and yet so discreet […] that there was genuine stardom in everything he did.”
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