Celebs You May Not Know Died In 2020

When NBA superstar Kobe Bryant died on January 26, 2020, the entertainment world screeched to such a halt that the Grammy Awards scrambled to re-tool it's entire intro to pay tribute to the fallen athletic legend. His death struck early in new decade, but Bryant certainly wasn't the only marquis star to shuffle of this mortal coil that year.

Comedic legends Jerry Stiller and Fred Willard also passed on to make their punchlines in another life. Music icons Kenny Rogers, Neal Peart, and John Prine took their talents to a whole new plane. And big-screen veterans Kirk Douglas, Max Von Sydow, Brian Dennehy, and Irrfan Khan all made their way to the inevitable "In Memoriam" segment at the next big award show. 

But there are many more wildly talented, yet less recognizable famous faces who also joined the dearly departed. And don't feel bad if you think you definitely know these stars, but you can't quite remember why. These are the celebs that you may not know died in 2020. 

Edd Byrnes died on Jan. 8, 2020 at 86 years old, The New York Times reported. His son told the outlet that the actor likely suffered a stroke.

Byrnes was born Edward Byrne Breitenberger in New York in 1933, to an alcoholic and alternatively absent and verbally abusive father. When Byrnes was 13, his father died from what was possibly a homicide. Byrnes dropped out of school two years later and began modeling at 17. He claimed to have been lured into male prostitution by older men and photographers. Throughout his life he found solace in movies, though his acting education was unique: He had a friend in the NYPD who'd let him play "bad cop" during interrogations despite not actually being an officer of the law.

He landed bit parts before being cast in Girl On The Run, which was the precursor to 77 Sunset Strip, where he starred as Kookie. He became a heartthrob, getting 15,000 fan letters a week. Unfortunately, he struggled with depression. When his fame began to fade, Byrnes turned to drugs and alcohol to cope; he did a 12-step program in 1982 and went on to recover and become sober.

Aside from starring as Kookie, his other best known role is that of TV host Vince Fontaine in Grease. He also had roles in Murder, She Wrote, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat. He is survived by his son Logan, partner Catherine Gross, a sister and a brother.

Actress Norma Michaels died peacefully on Jan. 11, 2020 at her Palm Springs, Calif. home, according to People. She was 95 years old. With her on-screen career spanning more than 60 years, Michaels began acting in 1954 and got her big break ten years later on The Jack Benny Show. She's since appeared on television shows like Modern Family, Lizzie McGuire, iCarly, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Days of Our Lives, Malcolm in the Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond, Gilmore Girls, and more, but her most famous role was as Josephine alongside Jerry Stiller in the Kevin James-led King of Queens. Michaels also had plenty of silver screen experience, including roles in Easy A, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and Wedding Crashers, as well as starring most recently as Sally Field's mother in the 2015 flick, Hello, My Name Is Doris.

Michaels' obituary in the Desert Sun reported that in addition to being a star, she was also a renowned counselor. Michaels is survived by several cousins, as well as her manager and close friend, Jasper Cole.

Folk singer David Olney died during a performance on Jan. 18, 2020. He was 71 years old. Variety reported that Olney grew silent and slumped on his stool at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida. The audience, as well as his accompanying musicians, reportedly believed at first that Olney was simply pausing until his fellow performers realized what happened.

Musician Amy Rigby, who was performing alongside Olney, wrote on Facebook (via Variety), "Olney was in the middle of his third song when he stopped, apologized, and shut his eyes. He was very still, sitting upright with his guitar on, wearing the coolest hat and a beautiful rust suede jacket [...] we laughed about because it was raining like hell outside the boathouse where we were playing — I just want the picture to be as graceful and dignified as it was, because it at first looked like he was just taking a moment." Rigby added that there were attempts to revive Olney, but they'd failed.

Olney recorded 20 albums and had other music legends, including Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and his own former roommate Steve Earle, cover his songs. He first gained popularity as a member of The X-Rays, opening for iconic artists like Elvis Costello, before going solo. His final full performance, from earlier in the day on Jan. 18, 2020, is immortalized on YouTube.

Actor John Karlen died from congestive heart failure on Jan. 22, 2020 while in hospice care, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. He was 86 years old. Karlen was most famous for his role of Willie Loomis in the original Dark Shadows TV series, as well as for starring as Harvey Lacey on Cagney & Lacey, for which he won an Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series Emmy in 1986. He also played Loomis in several Dark Shadows films.

Karlen was born John Adam Karlewicz in Brooklyn, N.Y. He studied at the American Academy Of Dramatic Arts and began his career in 1959 in Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird Of Youth. Karlen amassed more than 100 acting credits in his nearly 40-year career. In addition to Cagney And Lacey and Dark Shadows, Karlen also appeared in Charlie's Angels, Hill Street Blues, Mad About You, Hawaii Five-O, and Murder, She Wrote. His final role was a reprisal of Harvey Lacey in Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions in 1996, 10 years after winning his Emmy for the role.

Marj Dusay died of natural causes on Jan. 28, 2020. She was 83 years old, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She reportedly passed away peacefully at her home in New York City. The Kansas native was born Marjorie Mahoney and began modeling in the Big Apple during her first marriage in 1956. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles and joined Rob Reiner's improv group, The Session, before getting her big break in Elvis Presley's film Clambake in 1967 and alongside Sandy Dennis in 1968's Sweet November.

Dusay is widely remembered for her guest-starring role in a 1968 Star Trek episode called "Spock's Brain," in which she plays an alien who beams onto the Starship Enterprise and steals — you guessed it — Spock's brain and brings it back to her home planet. She was a soap opera staple, with roles in Capitol, Santa Barbara, All My Children, Days of Our Lives and Guiding Light. She also made memorable appearances in The Odd Couple, Mod Squad, Hart to Hart, Hogan's Heroes, Get Smart, Mannix and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Dusay is survived by her sisters Maryann and Kathleen, brother Timothy, daughter Debra and son-in-law David Blocker.

Kevin Conway died on Feb. 5, 2020 after suffering a heart attack, Deadline reported. He was 77 years old.

New York City native Conway's first breakthrough role was as Roland Weary in Slaughterhouse Five in 1972. He went on to score dozens of film and television credits throughout his career, including One Life to Live, Miami Vice, Thirteen Days, Funny Farm, In the Heat of the Night, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Northern Exposure, The Quick and the Dead, The Black Donnellys, Oz, The Good Wife and an uncredited recurring role as the control voice in The Outer Limits.

Conway had an illustrious stage career as well, winning a Drama Desk Award for an off-Broadway performance in When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? in 1974. He appeared in Indians with Stacy Keach and Raul Julia on Broadway in 1970, starred opposite James Earl Jones in Of Mice and Men on Broadway in 1975 and alongside Philip Anglim in The Elephant Man in 1979.

Conway's most famous role was in 1993 film Gettysburg, and, incidentally, his final credit was as the voice of Daniel Webster in an upcoming documentary called The Gettysburg Address.

Comedian and actor Orson Bean died on Feb. 7, 2020 after a tragic traffic incident in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 91 years old. TMZ reported that Bean "was allegedly jaywalking ... when he was clipped by one vehicle and then struck by another." The incident is reportedly currently under investigation, but that it's unlikely the drivers will be charged as no actual illegal activity occurred.

Bean had more than 100 film and screen credits, including Miracle On 34th Street, Being John Malkovich, Modern Family, Desperate Housewives, Grace and Frankie, Superstore and The Bold and The Beautiful, as well as more than 200 appearances on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson and Jack Parr years.

According to the AP, Bean lived a colorful life off-screen as well. According to the outlet, Bean's father "was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union." During Hollywood's blacklist era, Bean said he was forced out of the industry for a year "because [he] had a cute communist girlfriend." He turned to theater during this time to make ends meet, but eventually resumed his career in the 1970s after moving "to Australia, where he lived a hippie lifestyle."

Bean was married to actress Alley Mills, best known for playing mom Norma Arnold on The Wonder Years, for 27 years until his tragic passing, ABC 7 News reported. He was crossing the street to go to the Pacific Resident Theater where Mills was working when he was killed.

Actor Robert Conrad died on Feb. 8, 2020, People reported. He was 84 years old. The Chicago-born actor worked as a milkman and a nightclub singer before moving to Los Angeles to pursue stardom. He broke into the business in 1959 on Hawaiian Eye, then became a star as the titular Secret Service agent James T. West in The Wild Wild West from 1965 through 1969. Conrad's other memorable projects included Baa Baa Black Sheep (syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron), Samurai Cowboy, and Dead Above Ground. Conrad was also a singer in the 1950s and 1960s. He received a Distinguished Service Award in Broadcasting and is a member of the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame.

A consummate tough guy, Conrad performed his own stunts onThe Wild Wild West, which he didn't particularly enjoy, considering he once sustained a skull fracture after falling 15 feet onto concrete while shooting a fight scene.

Conrad is survived by eight children and 18 grandchildren from his two wives, Joan Kenlay and LaVelda Fann, the latter of whom he pursued while he was still married to the former ... and as soon as Fann turned 18 (to his 43). "That wasn't robbing the cradle, it was grand theft," he joked to People in 1988.

Conrad held a similarly breezy view of his on-screen legacy. "I did my acting tongue in cheek," he once said (via The Hollywood Reporter), adding, "I didn't take any of it seriously. The last year, I didn't even read the scripts, I just read my part. And it worked."

Dancer and actress Paula Kelly died on Feb. 9, 2020 following years of cardiovascular problems, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kelly was 76 years old. Kelly was a Broadway veteran, making her debut in 1964 musical Something More as Mrs. Veloz. In 1969, she appeared in The Dozens, followed by Paul Sills' Story Theatre in 1971, Ovid's Metamorphoses in 1971 and in Sophisticated Ladies in 1981. She also performed in London, starring in Sweet Charity as well as its film adaptation alongside Shirley Maclaine and Chita Rivera, winning a Best Supporting Actress London Variety Award.

Kelly also appeared in a number of TV specials and shows, including The Golden Girls, Sanford and Son, St. Elsewhere, Kojak, Hill Street Blues, The Richard Pryor Show and Gene Kelly's New York, New York. She earned Emmy nominations for her recurring role of public defender Liz Williams, then again in 1989 for The Women of Brewster Place.

Though acting was a major success for her, dancing is where Kelly's heart was. She said in a 1968 interview (via THR), "The only time I feel complete expression is when I'm dancing. Then, I have no problems, no worries, no hang-ups. I feel I could do anything in the world."

Lynn Cohen, famous for her role of Miranda Hobbes' housekeeper Magda in Sex and the City, died on Feb. 14, 2020, her manager confirmed to CNN. She was 86 years old. Cohen's other notable roles included Bubbabosia in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Joan Bailey in The Affair, Stefania McKee in Damages, and Judge Elizabeth Mizener in Law & Order. She also appeared in big screen blockbusters like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (as the oft-silent Mags), Across The Universe, and Munich.

Cohen was a Kansas City, Mo., native, who eventually became a Broadway regular. Deadline reports that she starred in Ivanov and Orpheus Descending. In addition to being nominated for the Drama League and Lucille Lortel Awards, the actress also won several awards during her stage career, including the New Dramatists' Bowden Award, Fox Fellow Award, Lilly Award, and the Richard Seff Award from Actor's Equity Association.

Known for her spritely sense of humor, Cohen joked in a 2014 CBS News interview about working with "It girl" Jennifer Lawrence and hunks Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth on Catching Fire: "Those three beautiful people ... it was so hard, I could hardly stand it. I was on [Claflin's] back for four months, it was just terrible ... He was very happy about it, too!" She is survived by her husband, Ronald Cohen.

M*A*S*H star Kellye Nakahara Wallett died on Feb. 16, 2020 at 72 years old, the Associated Press reported. Wallett's son told the outlet that the actress had suffered a short battle with cancer and passed away while surrounded by her loved ones at her Pasadena, Calif. home.

Wallett was an Oahu, Hawaii native, who started as an extra on M*A*S*H, but had a memorable turn in a 1982 episode when her character, Lt. Nurse Kellye Yamato, revealed her crush on star Alan Alda's Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce. In the end, the actress appeared in 185 episodes of the series, per Deadline, including the record-shattering series finale. Her other credits include Clue, Growing Pains, NYPD Blue, and Little House on the Prairie.

Wallett's M*A*S*H co-star Loretta Swit told Fox News in a statement, "She radiated sparkle and goodness and joy. The light that her presence brought will be deeply and forever missed." Alda expressed his condolences, as well, telling the publication, "Nakahara was a beautiful person and a natural as an actor. She began as a background performer and worked her way up to playing the lead in an episode I wrote for her. She was adorable and brilliant in the part. But you couldn't beat what she was as a person, funnier and warmer and kinder than most people I've known. We all loved her on M*A*S*H, and we're all heartbroken to know she's gone. Kelley was a treasure."

Esther Scott died on Feb. 14, 2020 at 66 years old. A relative of Scott's told TMZ that the veteran actress suffered a heart attack in her Santa Monica, Calif. home, and was found unconscious on Feb. 11, 2020. She'd been hospitalized for days before passing away, and she was in the presence of loved ones when she died.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Esther moved to Brooklyn as a child and became interested in acting in school plays at the Bronx High School of Science, her sister Shaun Scott told The New York Times. She went on to graduate with a theater arts degree from San Francisco State University. Esther had a remarkably long career as a character actress with a slew of iconic roles in Boyz In The Hood, Beverly Hills, 90210; Full House, Encino Man, The Pursuit Of Happyness, Hart Of Dixie, ER, King Of Queens, Martin, Birth Of A Nation, Dreamgirls, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and the Star Wars spinoff Ewoks. She amassed a total of 73 acting credits since 1986.

Shaun told TMZ of Esther, "She loved what she did. She would get stopped on the street often and people would recognize her — but they didn't know her name. Hopefully now people will remember her name, her work and the contributions she gave to the entertainment industry."

Ja'Net DuBois, most famous for her role as Willona on Good Times, died on Feb. 17, 2020. The New York Times reports that DuBois' family listed her age as 74, but that she may have actually been older. DuBois also performed and co-wrote "Movin' On Up," the theme song to The Jeffersons. DuBois' daughter, Kesha Gupta-Fields, said, "She wrote that song as a promise to her mother, that when she obtained a certain level of stardom, that her dream was to essentially have her mom live in a deluxe apartment."

DuBois grew up in Philadelphia, Pa. before moving to Brooklyn, N.Y. She had an illustrious Broadway career with roles in A Raisin In The Sun and Golden Boy, then started a young actors' workshop before moving to Los Angeles, Calif. After Good Times, DuBois kept acting, with roles in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and an Emmy-nominated turn as Mrs. Avery on The PJs.

Many of DuBois' contemporaries took to social media to mourn the loss of their friend and colleague. Janet Jackson, who co-starred on Good Times, wrote on Instagram that she was "so very saddened" over DuBois' death. Jackson added, "I saw first hand how she broke stereotypes and changed the landscape for Black women in entertainment. I'm grateful in recent years I had a chance to see her and create more lasting memories." Norman Lear, creator of Good Times, tweeted, "Ja'Net DuBois was all light and will be missed. I love that she wrote the theme song for her passing, 'Movin' on Up.'"

Candace Muzny, a former NASCAR racer, was found dead in her Oklahoma City, Okla. home on Feb. 17, 2020. She was 43 years old. ABC 13 reported that police initially declared Muzny's death as suspicious, though a later report claimed that her cause of death was "an accidental drowning." According to Bleacher Report, Muzny competed in NASCAR's Late Model Divisions and K&N Pro Series, among other top-level competitions.

Muzny was released from prison just a month before her death. The Associated Press reported that in January 2020, Muzny was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a police officer after getting into an altercation at a nail salon. Muzny was accused of slapping a manicurist for speaking Vietnamese to a colleague, as well as punching another salon worker in the face and threatening him with a pocket knife when he called police. When a responding officer tried to arrest Muzny, her dog allegedly attacked him and Muzny allegedly hit him with her pocket knife, cutting him near his ear.

In an interview with Heavy, Muzny denied striking the officer but snapped, "[The manicurist] needs to get back to Vietnam. If she wants to live in America and serve Americans, she needs to speak the language they speak." Muzny also said in the interview, "I'd give my last five dollars for anybody. I'm a very good person. I think all people have good and bad in them."

Actress Claudette Nevins died on Feb. 20, 2020 at 82 years old while in hospice care at her Los Angeles home, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

The Brooklyn-raised stage and screen veteran first performed onstage in a 1958 production of Waltz of the Toreadors, and spent the next 40 years acting in theater in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, including a starring turn in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite. Nevins also nabbed regular recurring roles on television and dabbled in film work. Appearing in the 1961 horror classic The Mask, starring as a cop's wife in Police Story, and playing a sketchy landlord in Police Squad, she also had memorable TV cameos in CHiPs, M*A*S*H, and Star Trek: Insurrection. Meanwhile, her recurring roles included Constance Fielding on Melrose Place, Clayton Webb's (Steven Culp) mother on JAG, Joyce Sidwell on Providence, Audrey Simmons on The Agency, Mrs. Rainy on 7th Heaven, and Andy Griffith's wife on Headmaster.

Nevins' family described her as philanthropic and a "staunch feminist." She's survived by her daughters, Jessica and Sabrina, and several grandchildren.

Longtime CNN anchor Bobbie Battista died on March 3, 2020, following a four-year battle with cervical cancer, the network reported. She was 67. "Bobbie was the consummate trooper in her struggle with cancer," her husband said in statement. "She was courageous and fearless in her battle and thoughtful for all the others in her life even as she fought through the pain. My dear partner of 25 years of marriage has cut her earthly bonds and is now in peace."

According to People, Battista began her television career at WRAL in Raleigh, N.C., producing and anchoring the network's morning news and several specials. She went on to win a George Foster Peabody Award for her 1981 documentary, Fed Up With Fear, and was named best newscaster in Cable Guide in 1986. Battista was one of the original anchors of CNN from its 1981 launch. In 2001, she said of her time at the network (via Page Six), "Whether the Challenger explosion, the assassination attack on Reagan, the Gulf War, certainly this terrorist attack. Those were memorable from the anchor desk."

Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner died on March 6, 2020 at 81 years old, his family announced in a statement via Twitter. "McCoy was an inspired musician who devoted his life to his art, his family, and his spirituality," the family's statement read in part. "McCoy Tyner's music and legacy will continue to inspire fans and future talent for generations to come."

A Philadelphia native, Tyner first began playing piano when he was 13, performed in an R&B band when he was in high school, and, by age 21, began performing with John Coltrane's quartet on influential albums like A Love Supreme, Crescent, and Live at Birdland (via Rolling Stone). In 1961, Coltrane told The New York Times of Tyner, "He's sort of the one who gives me wings and lets me take off from the ground from time to time." Following creative differences (though remaining amicable and friendly), Tyner parted ways with Coltrane's band and released his own works from the 1970s through 1990s, including some tributes to Coltrane.

Of his work with Coltrane, Tyner said in a 2001 interview, "The thing is, sometimes when you are in the middle of something, you don't realize the sort of impact it is having on the world. I knew that our band was very very special, and I knew it from the response we were getting from the public. But when I look back in retrospect, after I heard it, I remember saying to myself, 'That is really amazing!'"

Soap opera star Roscoe Born died on March 3, 2020, according to Variety. He was 69 years old.

Born had a nearly 40-year television career, beginning with guest roles in the late '70s and early '80s on The Incredible Hulk, The Rockford Files, and A Game Of Love, before landing the role of Mark Bailey in Paper Dolls in 1984. Born also played Joe Novak in Ryan's Hope, but left the series in 1983 and married co-star Randall Edwards in 1985; they divorced in 1990. He went on to earn an Emmy-nomination for playing twins Quinn Armitage and Robert Barr in Santa Barbara, and nabbed roles in All My Children, The City, As The World Turns, Guiding Light, Passions, and Days of Our Lives, followed by parts in The Young and the Restless and One Life To Live — his final regular role — between 2009 and 2012.

In a statement on Facebook, his family revealed that Born suffered from bipolar disorder and died by suicide: "We are grateful for the outpouring of kind words and memories. We only wish that Roscoe could have seen how much people still carry his daytime villains in their hearts. May his death remind us of the importance of opening up conversations around mental illness. May those who need help seek it. May those who seek help receive it. And may it serve them."

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Actor Stuart Whitman died from natural causes on March 16, 2020, at 92 years old, his son confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Brooklyn before serving in the Army, Whitman lost only one of his 24 bouts as a boxer and went on to study theater at Los Angeles City College and Ben Bard Drama acting school, while working as a bulldozer operator to pay his bills. His first big break was playing a boxer in the play Here Comes Mr. Jordan, followed by on-screen roles in When Worlds Collide and TV shows like Lux Video Theatre.

Whitman was nominated for an Oscar for his work in the 1961 film The Mark, in which he played a convicted child molester trying to rebuild his life. With other notable movie roles, including The Sound and The Fury with Joanne Woodward, and World War II dramas The Day and The Hour and The Longest Day (the latter alongside John Wayne), Whitman also starred in the 1967 Western series, Cimarron Strip: the one-season show was one of the only on television to boast 90-minute episodes. Friendly with Chuck Norris, Whitman also appeared in Walker, Texas Ranger and TV movie The President's Men with the martial arts expert.

Whitman's family said in a statement, "An avid storyteller, he was forever the center of attention, living by his mother's creed, which he took joy in repeating, 'Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.'"

Lyle Waggoner died on March 17, 2020, at 84 years old after a battle with cancer, The New York Times reported. 

The actor was born in Kansas City, Kan., and studied at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., before serving in the Army. Waggoner's first roles were in Gunsmoke and Lost In Space, before scoring his big break on The Carol Burnett Show in 1967. "Lyle walked in, and it was practically no contest," Burnett told the Los Angeles Times in 2015. "He was funny and didn't take himself seriously. He was hired on the spot, and we started using him in sketches." 

Waggoner's classic good looks even landed him in Playgirl magazine in 1973. He left The Carol Burnett Show the following year, and in 1975, starred as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman alongside Lynda Carter. The show, set in the 1940s, was too expensive to produce, so it was reworked in modern times as The New Adventures of Wonder Woman — with Waggoner recast as Steve Trevor Jr. "I couldn't believe they wanted me to play my own son," he explained in a 2011 interview. "I figured, 'Well, they're professionals. They must know what it is they're doing, but this doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense to me.'" Waggoner later poked fun at his career on That '70s Show and The Golden Girls. He is survived by his wife and children.

Prolific playwright Terrence McNally died on March 24, 2020 from coronavirus complications. He was 81 years old. McNally reportedly also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary heart disease for years before his passing. The Broadway icon wrote some of the world's best-loved and long-running productions.

McNally was born in St. Petersburg, Fla., and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, before moving to the Big Apple. He studied journalism at Columbia University before he began writing plays, according to The New York Post. He went on to win four Tony Awards throughout his dazzling career, beginning with And Things That Go Bump In The Night in 1965, Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1995 and Master Class in 1996. He won a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1982, the same year that Broadway hosted a revival of his play Frankie And Johnny At The Clair De Lune. Two of his other most famous plays were the stage adaptations of novels Kiss Of The Spiderwoman and Ragtime.

The stage icon is survived by his husband, Tom Kirdahy.

Actor David Schramm died on March 29, 2020, according to Deadline. He was 73 years old. As of this writing, no cause of death has yet been reported.

Best known for his role of Roy Biggins in Wings, Schramm was a New York City stage regular. He was born in Louisville, Ky., and studied at Juilliard. The New York Times reported that Schramm was one of the first to graduate from the prestigious art school's drama program, alongside fellow alumni Patti LuPone and Kevin Kline. Schramm made his Broadway debut in 1973 in Three Sisters and went on to star in numerous productions on both the East and West coasts, including alongside Rebecca DeMornay in Born Yesterday at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1988.

Schramm appeared in several movies throughout his career, including Johnny Handsome, A Shock to the System, and Let It Ride. His television work included the 1983 miniseries Kennedy, The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story, and guest roles in Another World and Miami Vice. His most famous work was in the airport-set NBC sitcom Wings, in which he starred for eight seasons.

Known as a comedic character actor, Schramm told The Los Angeles Times in 1989, "My specialty seems to be playing the loud, pompous, bombastic, verging-on-hysteria guy. But I'd rather establish a totally different persona each time. It's why I act."

Andrew Jack, a dialect coach and an actor in the Star Wars franchise, passed away from complications from coronavirus on March 31, 2020, TMZ reported. Jack was 76 years old when he died in a hospital outside London, and tragically, his wife, Gabrielle Rogers, was unable to be with him in his final moments, as she was under quarantine in Australia. Because of the pandemic, funeral plans are currently in limbo.

Jack appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and served as a dialect coach for British star John Boyega in the film. Jack also provided his linguistic talents to films including Avengers: Endgame, Captain America, Men In Black: International, Lord Of The Rings, Die Another Day, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Alien v. Predator and the upcoming The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson. He's worked with Robert Downey Jr., Christian Bale, and Viggo Mortensen during his 30-year career and was reportedly a master not only of Western dialects, but also of Japanese and Chinese dialects as well.

Jack's agent, Jill McCullough, told Deadline, "He loved his work and was funny, charming, and a joy to be around. He was a friend first and a client second, and I will miss doing silly voices and pissing around with him on set. Dialect coaching isn't just about being good at accents, you need to make your actors feel safe and confident, and Andrew's actors absolutely adored him."

Musician Genesis P-Orridge died on March 14, 2020 following a battle with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, the BBC News reported. They were 70 years old. P-Orridge, born Neil Megson in Manchester, U.K., was a founding member of industrial rock bands Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle. Throbbing Gristle were more notorious than famous, with controversial lyrics about sadistic murders and gruesome violence (song titles included "Maggot Death" and "Slug Bait"). The band reportedly also cut themselves onstage during performances. Genesis' Throbbing Gristle bandmate and former partner Fanni Tutti would later accuse them of physically and sexually abusive behavior in her own memoir; Genesis' response was simply, "Whatever sells a book sells a book."

Genesis later formed Psychic TV, breaking Guinness World Records for dropping 14 live recorded albums within 18 months; the band released 100 albums in total. Psychic TV's music had occultist themes, which may have helped ultimately lead to Genesis' being investigated by Scotland Yard after they were accused of heading a Satanic cult. No charges were filed, but Genesis left the U.K. for America, where they met partner and muse Jacqueline "Lady Jaye" Breyer. Genesis and Breyer, a dominatrix and nurse, eventually surgically altered their bodies to resemble one another and identified as a single "pandrogynous" being called Breyer P-Orridge. Lady Jaye died in 2007.

Legendary jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis died at age 85 on April 1, 2020, from complications from coronavirus. Marsalis was a musical patriarch, father to fellow jazz icons: trombonist Delfeayo, drummer and vibraphonist Jason, Grammy-winning saxophonist and bandleader Branford, and trumpeter and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Ellis and his sons were each named Jazz Masters by the National Endowment for the Arts, the first time the title was awarded to a group and not an individual.

In addition to cultivating his sons' talents, Ellis was also a prolific music teacher, instructing greats including Harry Connick Jr. and Terrence Blanchard. "Ellis Marsalis was a legend," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted after his passing. "He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz."

Branford told The New York Times, "My dad was a giant of a musician and teacher, but an even greater father. He poured everything he had into making us the best of what we could be." He later told WBUR he was still having a hard time processing his father's passing, but reflected on what Ellis taught him: "In your life, all you can do at any given time is the best that you can do at that time, and it is not a reflection on how you will be later. And that was the best lesson that he could have ever given us for music and for our lives."

John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli died on April 1, 2020, shortly after testing positive for COVID-19, according to Guitar World. He was 94 years old.

Pizzarelli was born in Paterson, N.J., and first played music professionally when he was just 17 years old as a member of Vaughn Monroe's band. Throughout his career as a backing guitarist for numerous other musicians, Pizzarelli featured on Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind," Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." He served as an NBC staff musician in the early 1950s, playing for The Tonight Show until Johnny Carson moved the show to California. In the late 1960s, he carved out a name for himself as a celebrated jazz guitarist through his work with George Barnes and Benny Goodman. Pizzarelli performed live with the likes of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Les Paul, Paul McCartney, George Benson, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, and Wes Montgomery. By the 1980s, Bucky began collaborating with his son, John, and those efforts would be his most famous.

Both Bucky and his son were known for playing seven-string guitars instead of the usual six. In 1997, Bucky said of performing live with John, "He got his baptism of fire ... with me giving him dirty looks when he played a wrong chord."

Bill Withers, legendary singer of classics "Lean On Me," "Just The Two Of Us," "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day," died on April 3, 2020 at 81 years old.

Withers' studio career was surprisingly short for the length and depth of his legacy, with his last album having been recorded in 1985. According to the AP, his first album, Just As I Am, dropped in 1971, spawning the Grammy-winning hit "Ain't No Sunshine" — which was initially a B-side. In 1972, he had more hits, including "Lean On Me," "Who Is He (And What Is He To You)," and "Use Me." Withers' career petered out in the late 1970s after his label, Sussex Records, was folded into Columbia Records, although he won another Grammy for "Just The Two Of Us" in 1981, a duet with Grover Washington Jr. on Washington's label.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other," Withers' family told the Associated Press in a statement. "As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones."

Actress Lee Fierro, who starred as Alex Kintner's mother in Jaws, died on April 5, 2020, after being diagnosed with COVID-19, The Martha's Vineyard Times reported. She was 91 years old and living in an assisted living facility in Ohio at the time of her passing.

Novelist Nicki Galland said she was inspired by Fierro, who was baffled and "tickled by" her notoriety for Jaws, even though her iconic scene — in which her character sobs as she slaps Chief Martin Brody while mourning the loss of her son — is a cinematic classic. "She found it really entertaining," Galland recalled. "She would say, 'If you told me that's what I'd be known for, I wouldn't believe it.' She had no screen training. She trained as a theater actor."

Fierro reprised her role as grieving mother Kintner in the 1987 sequel Jaws: The Revenge, opposite Michael Caine. When her film career quieted, Fierro went back to theater and supported local Martha's Vineyard theater projects. Kevin Ryan, artistic director and board president of Island Theatre Works, told the outlet, "The one word I would think of when I think of Lee is 'dedication.' I've watched her as a performer, director and businesswoman and then we became friends. She was my teacher and mentor." He added, "I want people to remember that she helped to build a community company that after 52 years is still here. ... She was a good friend, mentor and a very busy community member when she was in Martha's Vineyard."

Actress turned author Patricia Bosworth died on April 2, 2020 at 86 years old after suffering pneumonia complications from COVID-19, her stepdaughter confirmed to The New York Times. Bosworth studied at the Actor's Studio under the legendary Lee Strasberg with the likes of Paul Newman, Jane Fonda, Steve McQueen and Marilyn Monroe, and it paid off largely: She starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story and appeared on Broadway and TV shows including The Patty Duke Show and Naked City.

Once she left acting, Bosworth became an acclaimed journalist with bylines in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, McCall's, and New York magazine. She also wrote biographies for many celebrities, including Fonda, Hepburn, Marlon Brando, and Montgomery Clift, as well as photographer Diane Arbus. Bosworth also taught literary nonfiction at Barnard College and Columbia University and is the author of her own page-turning memoirs, Anything Your Little Heart Desires: An American Family Story and The Men in My Life: A Memoir of Love and Art in 1950s Manhattan. Bosworth is survived by her partner, Douglas Schwalbe, stepson Léo Palumbo, stepdaughter Fia Hatsav and five step-grandchildren.

Shirley Douglas, Canadian actress and mother of actor Kiefer Sutherland, died on April 5, 2020. Douglas was 86 years old and passed away from complications from pneumonia, Sutherland announced on Twitter, noting that her illness was not COVID-19 related.

Douglas starred in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita, as well as films including Dead Ringers, Mesmer and Shadow Dancing, with television appearances in Wind At My Back and Shadow Lake. Her stage work included a 1997 run alongside Sutherland in The Glass Menagerie in Toronto and The National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; three years later she performed in The Vagina Monologues. Douglas was also an avid activist, protesting the Vietnam War, supporting the civil rights movement and Friends of Black Panthers, Deadline reported.

"My mother was an extraordinary woman who led an extraordinary life," Sutherland wrote in his tribute tweet. "Sadly she had been battling for her health for quite some time and we, as a family, knew this day was coming. To any families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly to the coronavirus, my heart breaks for you. Please stay safe."

Honor Blackman, one of the most famous Bond girls ever, died from natural causes on April 6, 2020, her family announced in a statement to The Guardian. She was 94 years old.

Blackman was most famous for starring as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, Cathy Gale in 1960s TV series The Avengers (not to be confused with the Marvel blockbusters of the 2010s). She also famously portrayed Hera in Jason And The Argonauts, and starred in sitcom The Upper Hand in the 1990s. Her stage work included roles in productions of My Fair Lady, Cabaret and The Sound Of Music.

"As well as being a much-adored mother and grandmother, Honor was an actor of hugely prolific creative talent," her family said in a statement (per The Guardian). "With an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess, along with her unique voice and a dedicated work ethic, she achieved an unparalleled iconic status in the world of film and entertainment and with absolute commitment to her craft and total professionalism in all her endeavors she contributed to some of the great films and theatre productions of our times."

James Drury died on April 6, 2020. He was 85 years old. Drury appeared in several popular western series, including Broken Arrow, Cheyenne, and Wagon Train before having his breakout star turn in The Virginian as a rancher whose name is never revealed in the entire series — which lasted an impressive 249 episodes, The New York Times reported, with each episode clocking in at 90 minutes. The Virginian introduced Drury to some seriously stellar guest stars, including Bette Davis, Harrison Ford, Robert Redford and Leonard Nimoy. Drury did some of the show's many stunts himself, which he recalled didn't always end well: In one fight scene, a stuntman threw an impromptu punch "which was not in the script and hit me in the temple like a Missouri mule," Drury said. The blow earned him a lump on the side of his head "the size of a golf ball" for several days.

Drury grew up on his mother's ranch in Oregon where he learned to ride horseback and to shoot. His father was a professor at New York University, where Drury was enrolled until signing a contract with MGM Studios to appear in films including Elvis Presley's breakout Love Me Tender. His later television work included appearances in Walker, Texas Ranger and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.

Drury was married three times; his third wife passed away in 2019. The Times additionally reported that Drury "is survived by two sons, James and Timothy; a stepdaughter, Rhonda Brown; two stepsons, Frederick Drury and Gary Schero; four grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren."

German actor Dieter Laser died on Feb. 29, 2020, his wife Inge confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 78 years old. Laser was an acclaimed stage and film actor in his native Germany, but was most famous in the United States for his role of the sadistic Dr. Heiter in the controversial, gory, and gross The Human Centipede: The First Sequence in 2009. He also appeared in the third and final installment of the franchise, 2015's The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) as a prison warden who creates a 500-person human centipede.

Laser was "raised as a fundamentalist Christian" in his native Germany and later disavowed his upbringing and said he made a deal with the devil to become an actor, which some may believe explained his most famous efforts — and being often typecast as perverts and other unsavory types in German films and made-for-TV movies. Though best known for the shock-horror role, Laser had some serious bona fides outside of it: He appeared alongside Glenn Close in 1991's Meeting Venus and starred with John Malkovich in The Ogre in 1996. He began as an extra in projects in Hamburg, Germany, before getting consistent meatier roles in theater. He won the German Film Award for Best Actor for his first leading role in John Glückstadt and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum.

Actress Julie Bennett, who voiced Cindy Bear in The Yogi Bear Show cartoons, died from coronavirus complications on April 2, 2020, her talent agent Mark Scroggs told People. She was 88 years old. Bennett grew up in Los Angeles, Calif. before moving back to her birthplace, New York City, where she worked onstage and in radio soap operas and TV dramas. When she moved back to Los Angeles, Bennett acted in several television series, including Dragnet, Superman and Leave It to Beaver, and comedy specials with Bob Hope and variety shows like The Tonight Show and The Sid Caesar Show. She later became an in-demand voice over actress for popular cartoons, including The Bugs Bunny Show, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Mr. Magoo, The Bullwinkle Show and The Yogi Bear Show and its spinoff movie, Hey There, Yogi Bear.

In her later years, Bennett assumed the moniker Marianne Daniels and became a talent manager for other budding actors and actresses. Scroggs reminisced sweetly of his close friend, "She was definitely a personality and a throwback to Hollywood glamour."

Danny Goldman, the actor who voiced Brainy Smurf in the original 80's series, died on April 12, 2020, TMZ reported. He was 80 years old. Goldman reportedly was in hospice care after suffering several strokes around January 2020. Goldman's credits include General Hospital, Young Frankenstein, the movie M*A*S*H (not the TV series, however), Happy Days, Columbo, The Love Boat, Alice, The New Mike Hammer and Busting Loose. His most well-known and enduring role, however, was one in which his own likeness was never visible as the smartest little blue guy in Smurfs from 1981 to 1989. One of his most recent projects was a 2012 episode of Criminal Minds, as well as Robot Chicken and King of Queens.

Goldman's longtime agent honored him in a Facebook tribute, writing in part, "Danny was truly one of a kind. He always had strong opinions and didn't mind telling you about them. He was incredibly funny. He loved to root for the little guy and help wherever he could. He had a huge heart. We lost a good one today. He will be missed."

Hilary Heath, a horror film actress born Hilary Dwyer, died on March 30, 2020 at 74 from coronavirus complications, The Wrap reported. Heath starred in several films alongside genre icon Vincent Price, including Witchfinder General, Cry of the Banshee, and Oblong Box. She later went into producing, with credits including Nil By Mouth starring Gary Oldman and An Awfully Big Adventure starring Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. Eventually, she left Hollywood altogether, which made her family the most proud of all of her accomplishments.

Heath's godson wrote on Facebook, "Her most remarkable re-invention came in her mid-60s, when she won a master's degree from Oxford in psychology and became an addiction counsellor, specialising [sic] in CBT. She worked at clinics all over the world, often for free, often with very deprived and distressed individuals, and she regarded this as her most valuable work by far. She was a force of nature, and I can't bear it that she is no longer with us."

Allen Garfield, a character actor and frequent supporting player in film and TV, died on April 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, Calif. from complications from COVID-19, The New York Times reported. He was 80 years old. Garfield previously suffered two strokes, and spent his last years in the Motion Picture & Television Fund nursing home, which had been plagued by the virus.

Garfield, a former boxer and Newark, N.J., native, began his career by studying at the Lee Strasberg Actors' Studio at night while working as a sports reporter by day. He frequently played characters with nervous or sneaky energy, with roles in films from Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (alongside Gene Hackman and Harrison Ford), The Cotton Club (with Richard Gene, Diane Lane and Gregory Hines) and One From the Heart (with Teri Garr) to Nashville and Beverly Hills Cop II. He also worked in television, with a slew of credits including The West Wing, Law & Order, Chicago Hope, Dharma & Greg, and Matlock.

Garfield's first stroke left him partially paralyzed prior to his role in Roman Polanski's 1999 film The Ninth Gate, leading the director to write Garfield's condition into the script. Of his life's work, Garfield once said, "I became an actor in order to be trained by the masters, which I was, at the Actors Studio. From the moment I stepped foot in the Actors Studio, I audaciously stepped out and said who I was, for better or for worse. I put my stamp on things as an actor and as a director."

Actor Tom Lester died at age 81 on April 20, 2020, TMZ reported. The news was shared by his fiancée and caregiver, Jackie, with whom Lester was living in her Nashville, Tenn., home.

According to the tab, Lester was "the last surviving regular cast member of Green Acres," which premiered in 1965, and followed the Douglas family, consisting of an affluent attorney and high-maintenance wife (played respectively by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor), on their quest to become farmers. The series was a spinoff of The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction; Lester starred as Eb Dawson, a smart-mouthed young farmhand for the Douglas family who called his bosses "mom" and "dad."

Lester, who passed away from issues related to Parkinson's disease, was a Mississippi native who grew up on a farm before attending the University of Oklahoma with a chemistry major (per The Laurel Leader-Call). He taught science in Oklahoma before moving to Hollywood to pursue acting. Lester reportedly landed the role of Dawson over 400 other actors, because he actually knew how to properly milk a cow. He later went on to star in Benji and Gordy; he also appeared in Knight Rider. His most recent credit was in 2014's Campin' Buddies.

NFL Hall of Fame star Willie Davis died on April 15, 2020 at 85 years old, according to a statement from the Green Bay Packers. Davis reportedly "passed away peacefully" after being hospitalized for kidney failure for a month in Santa Monica, Calif. Davis was first drafted to the NFL in 1956, but didn't actually start playing until two years later because he was serving in the Army. He played for the Cleveland Browns in 1958 before trading to the Packers in 1960. He became the first African American Packers defense co-captain in 1965 and the first solo defensive captain in 1966. He led the Packers to victory in the first two Super Bowls and was both a five-time Pro Bowler and Associated Press All-Pro. Davis was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975 before entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said in a statement, "I enjoyed getting to know Willie and his wife, Carol, especially when he served as our honorary captain for the 2010 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XLV, and again for the 2014 NFC Championship Game. He also was a great role model for our players, having gone on to a very successful career after football and serving on the Packers Board of Directors. We extend our deepest condolences to Willie's wife, Carol, and his family and friends."

WWE Hall of Fame announcer and longest-serving employee ever, Howard Finkel, passed away on April 16, 2020, the WWE confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 69 years old. No cause of death has been reported, as of this writing, but Finkel suffered a stroke in 2018 and has reportedly been in ill health since.

Finkel made his World Wrestling Federation debut in 1977 and became the franchise's first hire in 1980, announcing stars from Hulk Hogan to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and more. He was so prominent and beloved in pro wrestling that in November 2011, when he made a then-rare appearance to introduce CM Punk at the Survivor Series event at Madison Square Garden, the 16,000-deep crowd chanted Finkel's name. He basked in the glory of the moment for so long that when CM Punk finally came out, he jokingly glanced at his watch before giving Finkel a hug.

WWE CEO and President Vince McMahon tweeted a photo with his daughter Stephanie, son-in-law Paul "Triple H" Levesque, and Finkel, writing, "Saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and WWE's first employee, WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel. The grandest moments in sports-entertainment history were made all the grander thanks to Howard's iconic voice."

Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers, died on April 24, 2020. He was 80 years old and suffered from kidney failure, The New York Times reported. Reid was a founding member and "de facto leader" of the superstar country vocal group, helping to propel them into the stratosphere with a whopping 32 Top 10 Country Singles hits (and 58 songs in the Country Top 40) between 1965 and 1989. The group's single crossover hit, "Flowers on the Wall," earned their first Grammy in 1966 (even beating out The Beatles). They won a second that year for best new country and western artist, and a third in 1973 for the track "Class of '57."

The group's popularity grew after opening for Johnny Cash from 1964 to 1971, with Reid often acting as comic relief during live shows and TV appearances. The Statler Brothers retired in 2002, and were inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2007 and Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Reid's nephew said of the crooner, "Harold possessed that unique, double-comedic gift of being able to perform a rehearsed comedy skit perfectly, with all the right timing and punches, and then could improvise a line that would bring you to your knees laughing. He was the same funny onstage as he was at the dinner table. He loved making people smile and laugh."

Reid is survived by his wife of 59 years, Brenda Lee; brother Don Reid; sister Faye Hemp; son Will; daughters Kim Weller, Karmen Harvill, Kodi Frye and Kasey Reid; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Bad Company frontman Brian Howe died on May 6, 2020 at age 66 after suffering cardiac arrest, TMZ reported. The singer had a history of cardiovascular issues and suffered a heart attack in 2017. Howe got his big break in 1984 singing on Ted Nugent's Penetrator album, then met Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs of Bad Company through Foreigner's Mick Jones, ultimately replacing Paul Rodgers as frontman of the band. Bad Company had seen steep drops in record sales from their 1970s heyday prior to his joining, but Howe returned the band to its rock roots and away from "the poppier sound" that had proved to not chart well, according to The Guardian.

Speaking with News-Press of the band's redirection, Howe said, "I kind of stamped my foot a little bit and said, 'Guys, this is a rock 'n' roll band! We need to toughen things up a little bit. This is a guitar band, you know! This is a bluesy guitar band, and we need to get back on that.' And with tremendous resistance, they were finally pushed into it, I guess." It worked: Howe took the band to platinum status once more in 1990 with their Holy Water album. He left the band in 1994, claiming no one else was "contributing anything to songwriting" and that his bandmates were "sloppy live." He released three solo albums and worked briefly with Megadeth; Howe continued touring for the rest of his life, including throughout 2019.

Geno Silva, most famous for delivering the killer shot to Tony Montana in Scarface, died on May 9, 2020, of complications from dementia, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Silva was 72 years old. Silva worked for four decades, appearing on stage alongside Edward James Olmos and Philip Seymour Hoffman, in TV series including Alias, Days Of Our Lives, MacGyver, Miami Vice, Star Trek: Enterprise and Walker, Texas Ranger, and in blockbuster movies including Amistad, Tequila Sunrise, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Mulholland Drive. His most memorable role was as The Skull in Scarface, one of the best assassins in cinematic history — and in which he doesn't say a word for the entire film, simply shooting Al Pacino's Montana and sending him plummeting into the fountain below.

Silva is survived by his wife Pamela, daughter Lucia, sister Elizabeth, and two grandchildren. John Ortiz, who co-starred with Silva in several projects, penned a long, moving tribute to the late actor on Facebook, calling him "A friend. A father figure. An artistic warrior brother. A confidante. A lover of life," adding, "He was generous, passionate, bold, strong, intelligent, joyful with a regally imposing physical presence which never shut down his magnetic curiosity or spirituality. He was proud of his roots, and even prouder of his friends and family."

Frank Bielec, a designer on TLC's Trading Spaces, died on May 15, 2020 in a Houston, Texas, hospital from complications following a heart attack, his wife Judy told TMZ. He was 72 years old. Bielec appeared in every season of the TLC hit home decor and renovation series, including the reboot in 2018. TLC said in a statement, "A sad day for the TLC family as we learn of the passing of beloved Trading Spaces designer Frank Bielec. We will miss and remember him fondly, his quirky style and wonderful sense of humor. We share our love and condolences with the entire Bielec family at this difficult time."

Bielec was an accomplished artist, but held two major day jobs before fame: He began his career as an elementary school art and social studies teacher, then became a florist for two decades, later starting a cross stitch business with Judy. He incorporated all of his passions, including cross-stitching, drawings and flowers, into his Trading Spaces designs. TMZ reports that Bielec was also an animal lover, adopting numerous pets, including sugar gliders.

Fellow Trading Spaces designer Vern Yip tweeted of Bielec, "Funny, wise, nice, and talented, he always lent perspective and levity to every situation. Thanks you [sic] for always being kind to me. I will miss you dearly friend." Ty Pennington tweeted an adorable photo of Bielec holding a possum, writing that Bielec was "one of the [best] humans I've had the fortune to call a friend."

Phyllis George, one-time Miss America and the first female host of NFL Today, died on May 16, 2020. The New York Times reported that George's cause of death was polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer, that the television personality was diagnosed with 35 years ago. George sometimes faced criticism for her lack of a sports writing background, but was renowned for her one-on-ones with athletes. After three seasons, Jayne Kennedy replaced George, who then returned to her anchor spot in 1980. She also briefly co-anchored The CBS Morning News as well as the original Candid Camera. She founded the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft and had her own beauty line on the Home Shopping Network as well as a business, Chicken by George, that she later sold to Hormel, CNN reported.

George was married twice, first to Kentucky Fried Chicken founder and Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown, Jr., and later to Hollywood producer Robert Evans; each union ended in divorce. She is survived by her son, Lincoln Tyler George Brown and daughter Pamela Brown (a CNN personality), and two grandchildren. Lincoln said in a statement, "Mom lived her life to a high standard and set a high standard for everyone else. What will forever stay with us are the defining qualities the public never saw, especially against the winds of adversity, that symbolize how extraordinary she is more than anything else. The beauty so many recognized on the outside was a mere fraction of her internal beauty and unwavering spirit."

Ken Osmond, most famous for playing Eddie Haskell on Leave It To Beaver, died on May 25, 2020, at home in Los Angeles and surrounded by loved ones, Variety reported. He was 76 years old; his cause of death hasn't been revealed, as of this writing, but he reportedly "suffered from respiratory issues." Osmond's son, Eric, said in a statement, "He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father. He had his family gathered around him when he passed. He was loved and will be very missed."

Osmond started his career as a child actor, with roles in Everything But the Truth and TV shows including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Wagon Train. His role in Leave It to Beaver was reportedly meant to be a guest appearance, but became a permanent fixture. He later went on to appear in Petticoat Junction and The Munsters.

In 1970, Osmond joined the Los Angeles Police Department, where he protected and served for 18 years until his retirement in 1988; in 1980 he was shot during a chase but was saved by his bulletproof vest. Osmond is survived by his wife, Sandra, and sons Eric and Christian. His Leave It to Beaver co-star Jerry Mathers tweeted, "I will greatly miss my lifelong friend Ken Osmond who I have known for over 63 years. I have always said that he was the best actor on our show because in real life his personality was so opposite of the character that he so brilliantly portrayed. RIP dear friend."

Richard Herd, best known for playing George Costanza's boss Mr. Wilhelm on Seinfeld, died on May 26, 2020 at his home in Los Angeles from colon cancer complications, The New York Times reported. He was 87 years old.

Born in Boston, Herd was diagnosed with osteomyelitis as a child, and he said that spending time in the hospital and at a special school made him creative and sparked his interest in the arts. In addition to acting, he worked as a painter and a sculptor. Herd served in the Korean War but was honorably discharged after an osteomyelitis "flare-up," after which he began working in theater.

Herd made his movie debut alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Hercules In New York in 1970 and worked steadily ever since, with film roles in The China Syndrome, All the President's Men, Quantum Leap, Desperate Housewives, T.J. Hooker, and Get Out. His 11 episodes of Seinfeld — including one episode in which he's held hostage and gives a nod to Patty Hearst — being his most famous work. He told the Burlington County Times in 2015, "Seinfeld was one of the best jobs I ever had. It got me a tremendous amount of recognition and still does, because it plays all the time."

Herd is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughter Erica, son Rick, stepdaughter Alicia and two step-grandchildren.

Actor Mary Pat Gleason died on June 2, 2020 at 70 years old following a battle with cancer, Variety reported, with her manager telling the outlet she was "a fighter until the end." Gleason began acting in 1982 on Texas, an NBC soap opera. Four years later, she won an Emmy as a writer on another soap opera, Guiding Light, in which she also starred as Jane Horgan.

Gleason worked consistently for decades, with appearances in Will & Grace, Desperate Housewives, How to Get Away With Murder, Sex and the City, Scandal, and more. Her longtime friend, writer and director Ron Fassler, wrote a tribute to Gleason on Facebook. "Mary Pat Gleason, one of the dearest and sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure to know, passed away last night at the age of seventy," he wrote. "She has 174 credits on her IMDB page (with one unreleased film still to come), but she was so much more than a wonderful actress: she was one of a kind. So caring, so funny, and so delicious to be around, that I find it hard to imagine a world without her shining presence and smiling face."