So far, 2025 has been a truly devastating year for the entertainment industry, particularly in Hollywood. And it’s not just Tinseltown: this year has gone through a particularly chaotic news cycle that, sometimes, eclipses even the most heart-wrenching personal tragedies. Unfortunately, this also means that we’ve lost some amazing actors this year, and no one could even process their loss as their legacies deserve. As we’re still reeling from the sudden departure of Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Ozzy Osbourne, here are 25 actors whose deaths unfortunately flew under the radar.
25. Claudia Cardinale
Claudia Cardinale’s rise was the kind Hollywood dreams of but Italy actually delivered. After winning a beauty contest in 1957, she found herself at the Venice Film Festival, and within a few years, she was working with Luchino Visconti in Rocco and His Brothers (1960) and The Leopard (1963). By 1968, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West made her an international star, putting her shoulder to shoulder with some of cinema’s biggest names.
24. Harry Jaglom
Harry Jaglom, the indie filmmaker who refused to play by Hollywood’s rules, has died at 87. A product of the Actors Studio, he first made his mark editing Easy Rider before turning to writing, directing, and acting in his own projects. Over five decades, Jaglom carved out a singular voice with films that spotlighted women’s lives and relationships in all their messy detail. His so-called “Women’s Trilogy”—Eating, Babyfever, and Going Shopping—cemented his reputation through the ’90s and early 2000s. Along the way, he collaborated with icons like Orson Welles and Jack Nicholson and even turned up in Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie.
23. Brad Everett Young
Brad Everett Young, who moved from acting to photographing Hollywood’s biggest names, has died at 46 in a car crash on California’s 134 Freeway on September 14. His publicist, Paul Christensen, said Young was returning from a movie screening when a wrong-way driver hit him. Born July 24, 1979, in Danville, Virginia, he first set his sights on medical school before chasing auditions instead, landing roles in Boy Meets World, Grey’s Anatomy, Jurassic Park III, and The Artist. Reflecting on his career pivot, Young once said, “I absolutely fell in love with everything in this business.”
22. Paula Shaw
Paula Shaw, a familiar face across five decades of film and TV, has died. Trained at the Actors Studio, she built a career on versatility, sliding from Starsky and Hutch to Little House on the Prairie and later Hallmark’s Cedar Cove. Horror fans know her best for her unsettling take on Jason Voorhees’ mother in Freddy vs. Jason (2003), a role that cemented her place in genre history.
21. Polly Holliday
Polly Holliday, who etched “Kiss my grits” into TV history as Flo on CBS’s Alice, has died at 88. Her sharp-tongued waitress turned into a sitcom icon, earning her awards and a spinoff, Flo. But Holliday’s career stretched far beyond Mel’s Diner. She brought laughs to Private Benjamin, dropped by The Golden Girls, and even gave Tim Allen grief as his mother-in-law on Home Improvement. With her passing, the original Alice cast is now gone, but Holliday’s one-liners and scene-stealing timing keep her firmly in sitcom legend status.
20. Graham Greene
Graham Greene, who made quiet power unforgettable, has died at 73. The Canadian actor earned an Oscar nomination as Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves (1990) and carried that same steady weight into The Green Mile and even The Twilight Saga. More recently, HBO’s The Last of Us reminded audiences how much range he still had to give. Greene wasn’t only about screen credits, though—he co-ran Toronto’s Native Theatre School, opening doors for Indigenous performers decades before Hollywood started catching up. Even in his later years, with roles in Reservation Dogs and Echo, he showed no signs of stepping back.
19. Verónica Echegui
Verónica Echegui, the Spanish actress who brought grit and fire to every role, has died at 42 after a battle with cancer in Madrid’s 12 de Octubre hospital. Born in 1981, she was discovered by director Bigas Luna in Yo soy la Juani (2006), a breakout that kicked off two decades of acclaimed work. She shined in El patio de mi cárcel, Katmandú, un espejo en el cielo, My Heart Goes Boom!, and even crossed paths with Sigourney Weaver and Bruce Willis in The Cold Light of Day. In 2022, she won a Goya Award for writing and directing Tótem Loba. Her final project, Ciudad de sombras, is slated to hit Netflix this year.
18. Jerry Adler
Jerry Adler, who quietly shaped Broadway before stealing scenes on screen, has died at 96. Born in Brooklyn, he stage managed My Fair Lady with Julie Andrews and Coco with Katharine Hepburn, later supervising smashes like Annie and Camelot. Just as he was ready to retire, Adler made a left turn into acting, debuting in The Public Eye (1992). TV soon came calling, and he cemented himself as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on The Sopranos, Tony’s trusted adviser. Adler kept busy with roles in The Good Wife, Rescue Me, and Northern Exposure, and even circled back to Broadway with Fish in the Dark.
17. Tristan Rogers
Tristan Rogers, forever etched in soap history as Robert Scorpio on General Hospital, has died at 79 from lung cancer. Born in Melbourne, he built a decades-long career bouncing between fan-favorite soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, and The Bay, while also popping up in Babylon 5 and even voicing Aaahh! Real Monsters. In 2020, he snagged a Daytime Emmy for playing Doc in Amazon’s Studio City. Remembering him, Jess Walton said, “We will miss you, Tristan, and your remarkable performance as Colin Atkinson.” Michelle Stafford called him “the sexiest man in daytime… free from pain.”
16. Danielle Spencer
Danielle Spencer, who perfected the art of sibling snark as Dee Thomas on What’s Happening!!, has died at 60 after a long fight with cancer. Born in the Bronx in 1965, she got her start at seven in a repertory company co-founded by her stepfather, actor Tim Pelt. By 1976, audiences were quoting her signature line—“Ooooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!”—as she roasted Raj and his friends with a look that could cut glass. When the sitcom wrapped, Spencer traded scripts for science, studying at UC Davis and Tuskegee before becoming a veterinarian in 1996. She leaves behind her mother, Cheryl, and brother Jeremy, a jazz musician.
15. David Ketchum
David Ketchum, who turned hiding in mailboxes and fire hydrants into comedy gold as Agent 13 on Get Smart, has died at 97. He popped up in 13 episodes of the classic sitcom with Don Adams and Barbara Feldon, later reprising the role in the 1989 TV movie and 1995 revival. But Ketchum wasn’t just the guy wedged in tight spaces—he also wrote for MASH*, MacGyver, Full House, and The Love Boat. His family said he “leaves behind a legacy of laughter, warmth and timeless television moments,” remembering his “quick wit, gentle heart and cinematic spirit.”
14. Ray Brooks
Ray Brooks, the English actor whose voice still echoes with “as if by magic!” from Mr Benn, died on August 9 at 86 after a short illness. Born in 1938, Brooks kicked off his career in 1963 as Terry Mills in Taxi before becoming one of the rare actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders. Film buffs know him from the Palme d’Or-winning The Knack … and How to Get It and Carry On Abroad, while TV fans caught him in The Avengers and Danger Man. On stage, he left his mark with Absent Friends and On the Razzle. His sons, Will and Tom, confirmed his death.
13. Jon Miyahara
Jon Miyahara, who played the quietly hilarious Brett on NBC’s Superstore, died on August 6 at 83. Born August 8, 1941, in Los Angeles, he stuck with the comedy through all six seasons and 105 episodes. Fans still talk about the season 2 finale tornado that seemingly killed Brett—only for him to casually return next season, driving home like nothing happened. Off-screen, Miyahara battled multiple health issues and ultimately died from cardiopulmonary arrest tied to heart failure and coronary artery disease. Co-star Colton Dunn remembered him as “a really awesome guy” who “could speak volumes with just a look.”
12. Loni Anderson
Loni Anderson, who turned Jennifer Marlowe into TV’s ultimate scene-stealer on WKRP in Cincinnati, died on August 3 at 79. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1945, Anderson didn’t waltz into fame—she put in the grind with guest spots on S.W.A.T. and Barnaby Jones before hitting it big in 1978. She wasn’t done with Cincinnati either, reprising her role in The New WKRP and jumping into projects like Nurses, Melrose Place, and even Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She also popped up in A Night at the Roxbury. Anderson leaves behind her husband, Bob Flick, her children Quinton and Deidra, and a big family of stepkids and grandchildren.
11. Kelley Mack
Kelley Mack, best known as Addy on The Walking Dead, passed away on August 2 at just 33 after battling a central nervous system glioma. Born Kelley Lynne Klebenow on July 10, 1992, in Cincinnati, she grew up moving between states, armed with a mini video camera and a love for storytelling. Her career stretched across 35 roles, from Chicago Med and 9-1-1 to films like Broadcast Signal Intrusion (2021) and Delicate Arch (2024). She even voiced Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse commercials. Her final project, Universal (2025), saw her step up as executive producer.
10. Julian McMahon
The star of Nip/Tuck and the OG Doctor Doom from the 2005 Fantastic Four film passed away on July 2 after an unpublicized battle with cancer. His sudden departure left fans speechless, especially since only McMahon’s loved ones knew about the severity of his illness.
9. Tony Roberts
A longtime Woody Allen collaborator and an incredibly accomplished Broadway actor, Tony Roberts had a busy career in the entertainment industry that lasted over four decades. The actor passed away from lung cancer at the age of 85 on February 7.
8. James Carter Cathcart
Cathcart shaped an entire generation with his voice alone, as the VA for Pokémon’s Gary Oak, Meowth, James, and Professor Oak. He retired in 2023 after a throat cancer diagnosis, passing away on July 8.
7. Francisco San Martin
San Martin’s career might have been brief, but he still landed some great roles in Days of Our Lives, Behind the Candelabra, and Jane the Virgin. Sadly, the 39-year-old Spanish-born actor took his own life on January 16.
6. Joan Plowright
Dame Joan Plowright’s unmatched tenderness made her an icon in the mid-90s, with appearances in dramas such as Jane Eyre, and even a memorable appearance as Nanny in the live-action 101 Dalmatians. She passed away peacefully at the age of 95 on January 16.
5. Rick Hurst
The one and only Deputy Cletus Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard and father of Sons of Anarchy’s Ryan Hurst passed on unexpectedly on June 26. He was 79 years old.
4. Kenneth Colley
From playing Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian to Admiral Piett in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Colley had an incredible acting range. He passed away from pneumonia earlier this year, on June 30.
3. Michelle Trachtenberg
Trachtenberg was an early-2000s sensation, becoming a legend with her roles in Buffy and Gossip Girl. She passed away unexpectedly following a liver transplant and complications from diabetes on February 26. She was only 39.
2. Tom Troupe
With guest roles in Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and Cheers, Tom Troupe is a veritable icon of TV history. The veteran star passed away on July 20 at the age of 97.
1. David Kaff
Spinal Tap’s legendary keyboardist Viv Savage passed away on July 11. Kaff, who played the eccentric musician, reprised his role in live performances after the iconic 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap.
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