Celebrity Deaths In 2023: The Legends We Lost

HOLLYWOOD, CA — In 2023, we lost icons and political powerhouses, music legends, jesters, groundbreaking actors, television hosts and beloved performers.

We lost Chandler Bing from “Friends” and Pee-wee Herman. We lost a few stars that we loved to rock out to, such as Tina Turner and Jimmy Buffett, and actors such as Piper Laurie and Lance Reddick who will live on forever in our favorite movies and television shows.

Some died young and unexpectedly, and others spent long lives in the public eye. This year, we lost long-running political powerhouse Dianne Feinstein, musician and activist Sinead O’Connor, and actresses Suzanne Somers and Raquel Welch.

We lost television hosts who raised us, such as Bob Barker and Jerry Springer. We lost civil rights activists like Jim Brown, who changed our world for the better.

To all the greats who entertained and inspired us, rest in peace.

Jerry Springer, 79.

While the well-known television host may be known best for his eponymous — and sometimes controversial — tabloid talk show, “Jerry Springer,” which aired from 1991 through 2018, he also served as a council member and mayor to the City of Cincinnati before he got his start on television.

The Northwestern University School of Law graduate started his long career in politics after working for the campaign of Robert Kennedy in 1968. He died at age 79 after battling pancreatic cancer.

Alan Arkin, 89.

Known for his characteristically dry wit and ability to play tragedy with equal expertise, Alan Arkin’s body of work spans seven decades of stage and screen acting. Arkin is best known for his role in “Little Miss Sunshine,” which he received an Oscar for.

He also scored an encore nomination for his role in Ben Affleck’s best picture winner, “Argo.”

Arkin died at his home in San Marcos, California, on June 29, 2023, at the age of 89. His death was attributed to heart problems, of which he had a history.

Jimmy Buffett, 76.

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett is perhaps best known for his special Gulf Coast mix of country, pop, folk and rock — he is credited with popularizing beach bum soft rock with his song “Margaritaville.”

He died Sept. 1 at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, due to complications from Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer.

Suzanne Somers, 76.

Best known for her starring role as Chrissy Snow on the 1970s and ’80s sitcom “Three’s Company,” Somers lit up screens across the country all throughout her career. She played the starring role on “She’s the Sheriff” and was featured in “American Graffiti.”

Somers died on Oct. 15 in her Palm Springs home. According to reports, she passed away due to breast cancer at the age of 76.

Jim Brown, 87.

Jim Brown was an American football player, civil rights activist and actor and is largely considered to be one of the greatest running backs of all time, as well as one of the greatest players in NFL history.

Brown was also one of the few athletes to speak out on racial issues in the ’50s as the civil rights movement was growing.

In 1967, Brown, alongside Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Carl Strokes, were all members of the Cleveland Summit, a meeting wiht Muhammad Ali held with the intention of convincing the four to rally behind and recruit others to help Ali’s cause of civil rights in the United States.

Brown died of natural causes in his Los Angeles home with his wife by his side. He was 87.

Bob Barker, 99.

Television media personality and animal rights activist Bob Barker is best known for hosting CBS’s “The Price Is Right,” the longest-running game show in North American television history, from 1972 to 2007.

He died at his home in Los Angeles on Aug. 26 at the age of 99 following several years with Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that his publicity team kept hidden from the public.

Michael Gambon, 82.

Irish-English actor Michael Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Over his six-decade-long career, he received three Olivier Awards and four BAFTA TV Awards. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.

He is perhaps best known for his role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series from 2004 to 2011, replacing Richard Harris following his death in 2002. He died on Sept. 27 due to pneumonia.

Dianne Feinstein, 90.

Dianne Emiel Feinstein was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023.

By the time of her death, Feinstein was the oldest sitting U.S. senator and member of Congress. She was also the longest-serving U.S. senator from California and the longest-tenured female senator in history.

Feinstein died in her home in Washington, D.C. of natural causes. She was 90.

Piper Laurie, 91.

Piper Laurie was an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films “The Hustler,” “Carrie,” and “Children of a Lesser God.” Laurie is also known for her performances as Kirsten Arnesen in the original TV production of “Days of Wine and Roses“, and as Catherine Martell in the television series Twin Peaks.

She died on Oct. 14 in Los Angeles after having been unwell for some time. She was 91.

Matthew Perry, 54.

Matthew Perry, who gained sitcom superstardom as Chandler Bing on the long-running show, “Friends,” died suddenly on Oct. 28. He was 54.

Perry was best known for his role as Bing and also appeared on Ally McBeal and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The West Wing and The Ron Clark Story.

Sinéad O’Connor,

Irish singer, songwriter, and activist Sinéad O’Connor reached worldwide acclaim after releasing her debut album, “The Lion and the Cobra,” in 1987. She was known for her passionate voice and her ability to draw attention to issues such as child abuse, human rights, racism, organized religion and women’s rights.

She died on July 26 after being found unresponsive at her home in Herne Hill, South London. She was 56. The cause of her death was not released.

Keith Jefferson, 53

The Houston, Texas native is best known for his roles in “Django Unchained,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Day Shift.” Besides being an actor, singer and accomplished dancer, Jefferson offered workshops to aspiring entertainers and worked as a voiceover artist and director. He resided in Los Angeles, and was a proud member of Actors’ Equity and Screen Actors Guild of America.

He died on Oct. 5 at age 53.

Raquel Welch, 82

American actress Jo Raquel Welch first garnered attention for her role in “Fantastic Voyage,” after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox and later made “One Million Years B.C.”

She is widely considered a defining actress and sex symbol of the ’60s. She died at age 82.

Tina Turner, 83.

Known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Tina Turner rose to prominence as the lead singer of the husband-wife duo Ike & Tina Turner before launching a successful career as a solo performer. As a singer, songwriter and actress, Turner is considered one of the greatest singers of all time. She was noted for her “swagger, sensuality, gravelly vocals and unstoppable energy”, along with her career longevity and her famous legs.

Turner died on May 24 at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland following years of illness. She was 83.

Jane Birkin, 76

British and French actress and singer Jane Birkin attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical and romantic partnership with Serge Gainsbourg. In addition, she had a prolific career as an actress — mostly in French cinema — and a lasting impact on fashion and culture.

Birkin was found dead at home in Paris on July 16. She was 76. Her cause of death was not released.

Tony Bennett, 96.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto, known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Bennett died at his home in New York City on July 21, following a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 96.

Paul Reubens, 70

Paul Reubens may best be known for his creation and portrayal of the character Pee-wee Herman.

Reubens also had scores of acting credits in a career that began in the 1960s, including roles on “Murphy Brown,” “The Blacklist” and many other television series and in movies like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Batman Returns” and “Blow.”

He died on July 30 at the age of 70 from acute hypoxic respiratory failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Mark Margolis, 83

Mark Margolis was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and “Better Call Saul.” His performance in Breaking Bad was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2012.

Margolis died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness, on Aug. 3. He was 83.

Angus Cloud, 25.

Angus Cloud was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Fezco in the HBO drama series “Euphoria.” He also had small roles in the independent films “North Hollywood” and “The Line.”

Cloud was found dead at his family home in Oakland on July 31. On the last days of his life, he had been mourning the death of his father, whose funeral he had attended in Ireland a week earlier.

Lance Reddick, 60

Lance Solomon Reddick was an American actor and musician. He played Cedric Daniels in “The Wire,” Phillip Broyles in “Fringe,” and Chief Irvin Irving in “Bosch.” In film, he starred as Charon in the “John Wick” franchise and as General Caulfield in “White House Down.”

He died from heart disease on March 17 at his home in Studio City, Los Angeles. He was 60.

Lisa Marie Presley, 54.

Lisa Marie Presley was an American singer and songwriter, as well as the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley. She was also the sole heir to her father’s estate after her grandfather and great-grandmother died.

She died on Jan. 12 at her home in Calabasas after suffering from cardiac arrest. According to her autopsy report, Presley died of “small bowel obstruction” caused by a bariatric surgery she had undergone. She was 54.