Some of the greatest actors pass away without making the news headlines, even though you’ve watched them for years and years. Then, one day, out of the blue, you see them again in your favourite TV shows and movies, and suddenly you realise they’ve died and the reporters forgot to tell you. This list is dedicated to Hollywood actors who died in 2025 but didn’t quite make the news.
Björn Andrésen
Björn Andrésen hit fame at 15 in Death in Venice, called “the most beautiful boy in the world,” juggling homework, music, Midsommar, gone at 70.
Betty Harford
Betty Harford cooked up laughs as Dynasty’s Hilda Gunnerson, born 1927, from Gumby’s mom to Hitchcock, Paper Chase legend, gone at 98, thanks for dinner.
Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd scored three Oscar nominations: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, Rambling Rose. You remember her from Chinatown.
Pauline Collins
Pauline Collins made you believe Shirley Valentine was your neighbor. She won an Olivier, a Tony, a BAFTA, plus an Oscar nod for that 1989 film. Remember Sarah Moffat in Upstairs, Downstairs? She kept switching lanes with Forever Green and City of Joy.
Floyd Roger Myers Jr.
Floyd Roger Myers Jr. popped up early as young Will in Fresh Prince season 3’s “Will Gets Committed.” He later played Marlon Jackson in a 1992 miniseries. Acting shifted, so he co-founded Fellaship Mens Group in Atlanta. He died from a heart attack at 42, friends still miss him today.
Sally Kirkland
Sally Kirkland racked up over 250 roles across six decades, refusing to hit pause. She blew up with Anna in 1987, grabbing a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod like it was no big deal. You’ve seen her in JFK or Bruce Almighty. She kept grinding till 84.
Joan Plowright
Dame Joan Plowright died at 95 on January 16, leaving you a reminder to keep showing up. She owned Jane Eyre and stole scenes in 101 Dalmatians as Nanny. Stay grounded, stay kind, keep working. She made royalty look casual, proving you don’t need to try hard to be unforgettable.
Paula Shaw
Paula Shaw, who died on September 10, 2025, at 84, was Hallmark royalty before Hallmark even knew it. From Cedar Cove to decades of TV classics like Little House on the Prairie and Starsky and Hutch, she did it all. Horror fans, of course, remember her as Mrs. Voorhees in Freddy vs. Jason.
Joe Don Baker
Joe Don Baker, who died of lung cancer at 89 on May 7, 2025, built a six-decade career on grit and presence. From Cool Hand Luke to Mud, he played the kind of tough guys who didn’t need speeches—they just walked in, stared you down, and stole the scene.
Valerie Mahaffey
Valerie Mahaffey, who died of cancer at 71, lit up screens big and small. From The West Wing and Seinfeld to ER and Frasier, she always stood out. But it was her turn as Eve in Northern Exposure—the role that won her an Emmy—that cemented her place in TV history.
Rene Kirby
Rene Kirby, who died on July 11, 2025, at 70, spent two months in the hospital before his final curtain. A former gymnast turned actor, he’s best remembered as Walt in Shallow Hal—a role that let his humor and heart shine through, both on-screen and off.
Peter Jason
Robert Desiderio, who died of cancer on February 20, 2025, at 80, brought quiet intensity to every role. Whether as Con Stapleton in Deadwood or Dr. Paul Leahy in John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, he was the kind of actor who didn’t need the spotlight to own the scene.
Tony Roberts
Wallace Shawn, who died of lung cancer at 85 on February 7, was more than just Woody Allen’s frequent collaborator—he was a Broadway lifer with unmatched wit. For over forty years, he juggled sharp dialogue and quirky charm, proving brains and humor make the best double act.
Francisco San Martin
Iván Hernández, who died at 39 on January 16, packed plenty into a short career. From Days of Our Lives to Jane the Virgin and Behind the Candelabra, he left an impression that outlasted his time on screen—a reminder that presence, not longevity, defines a performer.
Kenneth Colley
Kenneth Colley, who died of pneumonia on June 30, pulled off one of cinema’s strangest résumés—playing both Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back. From holy robes to Imperial command, few actors balanced comedy and control quite like he did.
Ron Dean
Ron Dean, who died at 87, was Chicago through and through—tough, loyal, and a little world-weary. Director Andrew Davis once said he was “the essence of what Chicago talent represented.” From The Breakfast Club to The Dark Knight, Dean didn’t just act; he sounded like the city telling its own story.
Patricia Routledge
Dame Patricia Routledge, who died peacefully at 96, made perfection look effortless. Born in 1929, she gave Britain Hyacinth Bucket—“It’s pronounced Bouquet!”—and became sitcom royalty. From Keeping Up Appearances to Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Routledge turned ordinary life into comedy gold, delivering laughs with precision only she could manage.
Brad Everett Young
Brad Everett Young, who died at 46 on September 15 from injuries in a car crash, left more than his Grey’s Anatomy cameo behind. His publicist Paul Christensen said, “Brad’s passion for both the arts and the people behind them was unmatched.” Through Dream Loud Official, that passion still speaks.
Prunella Scales
Prunella Scales made bossing Basil around into an art form as Sybil Fawlty. Before and after that chaos, she delivered in Room at the Top, Howards End, and even Johnny English. The Marriage Lines launched her, the CBE honored her. She entertained Britain for decades. She died at 93.
Samantha Eggar
Samantha Eggar proved range counts. Oscar-nominated for 1965’s The Collector, she later embraced horror in The Brood and even voiced Disney’s Hercules. Stage to Dr. Crippen, Doctor Dolittle to Columbo, she kept saying yes to work that stretched her. You remember talent like that. She died at 86.
RELATED: Actors Who Can’t Act (But Somehow Keep Getting Cast)
