Hollywood’s Most Notable Deaths of 2024

The entertainment industry has already had to say goodbye to several actors, singers, performers, creatives, executives and all-around industry legends this year.

The Hollywood Reporter is highlighting some of the most well-known names who have died in 2024, including Jon Landau, Carl Weathers, Donald Sutherland, Shannen Doherty, Liam Payne, Maggie Smith, Chita Rivera, James Earl Jones, Bob Newhart, Gena Rowlands, Richard Lewis, Chance Perdomo and Toby Keith, among others.

Weathers, who was best known for his role as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films as well as roles in Predator, Happy Gilmore and The Mandalorian, died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles in February. He was 76. “Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” his manager, Matt Luber, wrote at the time.

Landau, the Oscar-winning producer who worked alongside James Cameron to bring Titanic and Avatar blockbusters to the big screen, died in July after a 16-month battle with cancer, a Disney spokesperson said. He was 63. “He believed that film is the ultimate human art form, and to make films you have to first be human yourself,” Cameron wrote in a tribute. “He will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.”

Doherty, who starred on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, died in July following a long battle with cancer, her publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement. She was 53.

Sutherland, who proved his versatility with films such as M*A*S*H, Ordinary People and The Hunger Games, died in June. He was 88.

Rivera, who was a showstopping legend of Broadway for more than a half-century, died in January following a brief illness at age 91, her daughter, Lisa Mordente, said in a statement to THR.

Payne, a singer who got his start as a former member of the boy band One Direction, died in October after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to state police. He was 31.

Lewis was a self-deprecating comedian who made his way from stand-up to starring on Anything but Love and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He died at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack in February, his publicist told THR at the time. He was 76.

Curb creator Larry David wrote in a statement following Lewis’ death, “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital, and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me. He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob, and for that I’ll never forgive him.”

Smith, the two-time Oscar and four-time Emmy winner who became one of the most formidable British actors of all time for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Downton Abbey and Harry Potter films, among many others, died in September. She was 89.

Newhart, the beloved stand-up performer whose deadpan humor was highlighted on two critically acclaimed CBS sitcoms, died in July after a series of short illnesses, his longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, announced. He was 94.

Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died in September. He was 93.

Keith, a country music singer and songwriter, died in February at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer. Some of his biggest hits included “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Who’s Your Daddy?,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” “Beer for My Horses” and “Made in America.”

Rowlands, the wife and muse of John Cassavetes who became an acting legend for her performances in films such as Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night and Gloria, died in August. She was 94. 

Perdomo, who starred in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Gen V, died at age 27 as a result of a motorcycle accident. “His passion for the arts and insatiable appetite for life was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth will carry on in those who he loved dearest,” his rep wrote in a statement. 

Below are more of this year’s most notable deaths in Hollywood. And check out THR‘s obituaries page for other 2024 industry deaths, as well as last year’s entertainment deaths here.