OK Magazine
Gone too soon.
2021 has been a tumultuous year for many across the nation — and our favorite celebrities are no exception.
From Sex and The City‘s Willie Garson to Boardwalk Empire‘s Michael K. Williams, all of these renowned Hollywood names will never be forgotten.
Scroll through the images below to see some of the beloved celebrities who passed away in 2021:
Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh — a renowned fashion designer — passed away at the age of 41 on Sunday November 28 following a private battle with a rare form of heart cancer.
Abloh was widely known and respected for being the founder and CEO of Off-White and an artistic director at Louis Vuitton. A good friend of Kanye West, he also was known for dressing a number of celebrities, including Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber — who he designed a custom wedding dress for.
He is survived by his wife Shannon and his two children Grey and Lowe.
Young Dolph
Young Dolph passed away on Wednesday November 17, after being tragically shot and killed while in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
The rapper — who was only 36 — was murdered after a vehicle pulled up and fired gunshots through the front window. The gunman has not yet been identified.
His partner, Mia Jaye, shared a message following his tragic death, asking for God’s strength as she deals with the devastating loss alongside the pair’s two children: Ari and Tre.
James Michael Tyler
James Michael Tyler died on Sunday, October 24 at the age of 59 following a difficult battle with prostate cancer. The actor is most well-known for his iconic role on the hit show Friends, where he played coffee shop worker Gunther.
Before his death, he appeared virtually for the Friends: Reunion Special, where he reflected on his time on the award-winning sitcom.
“It was the most memorable 10 years of my life, honestly,” he said at the time. “I could not have imagined just a better experience. All these guys were fantastic and just a joy to work with. It felt very, very special.”
Peter Scolari
Peter Scolari — known for his roles in The West Wing, HBO’s Girls, and Bosom Buddies — died at the age of 66 on Friday, October 22 after a tough battle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife Tracy Shayne and his four children.
Willie Garson
The Sex and the City alum passed away on Tuesday, September 21. As OK! reported at the time, Garson was believed to have been suffering from pancreatic cancer at the time of his death.
Garson — who was 57-years-old when he died — was known for playing Stanford Blatch in the beloved HBO show alongside Sarah Jessica Parker‘s character Carrie Bradshaw.
The actor also appeared in the show’s revival series And Just Like That…, which began filming earlier this year and premiered this month.
Richard Buckley
Richard Buckley — the husband of famed designer Tom Ford— died of natural causes at the age of 72 on Sunday, September 19.
He was in the company of Ford and their son Jack in their Los Angeles home when he peacefully passed away.
Norm McDonald
Beloved comedian Norm Macdonald passed away at the age of 61 on Tuesday, September 14.
The Saturday Night Live veteran had reportedly been battling cancer in private for nearly a decade before his death earlier this year.
Michael K. Williams
Williams, 54, was found dead in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment on Monday, September 6 after suffering an apparent drug overdose. A medical examiner later ruled his death an accident caused by “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine.”
At the time, the NYPD announced they would be launching an investigation into who sold the actor the deadly dose of narcotics.
Prince Philip
The Duke of Edinburgh,Prince Philip, died at the age of 99 on Friday, April 9. The beloved husband of Queen Elizabeth II“passed away peacefully” at Windsor Castle, per an announcement from the Palace.
Gregg Leakes
Gregg Leakes— the husband of reality star NeNe Leakes— lost his battle with colon cancer at the age of 66 on September 1.
The former The Real Housewives of Atlanta star announced the news of her husband’s cancer returning over the summer, where she asked her fans to pray for their family.
Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts, the renowned drummer for The Rolling Stones, died peacefully in a hospital in London on Tuesday, August 24 at the age of 80.
A cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
Robert Downey Sr.
Robert Downey Sr., the father of Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr., passed away in his sleep in New York City on Wednesday, July 7 after suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for over five years.
He worked in the industry as a beloved filmmaker, director, actor and writer in the years before his death. He was 85 years old.
Larry King
The legendary TV personality passed away at the age of 87 on Saturday, January 23.
The former broadcast journalist was hospitalized in December 2020 following a case of COVID-19, and that a sepsis infection eventually led to his death.
“Well, he was finally ready to go, I will tell you that,” his wife told Entertainment Tonight. “You know, he never wanted to go but his sweet little body was just, it had just been hit so many times with so many things and once we heard the word COVID, all of our hearts just sunk. But he beat it, you know, he beat it, but it did take its toll and then the unrelated infection finally is what took him, but boy, he was not gonna go down easily.”
Dustin Diamond
Beloved actor Dustin Diamondfrom Saved by the Bell passed away at the age of 44 after battling stage 4 small cell carcinoma. According to the announcement of his death, he passed away just three weeks after he was given the diagnosis.
As OK! previously reported, the series reboot is planning to honor the actor in season 2 following his tragic death.
Christopher Plummer
Sound Of Music star Christopher Plummer — who was famous for his portrayal of Captain Georg von Trapp in the iconic film — died at the age of 91 on Friday, February 5.
He also starred in a number of major films throughout his prolific career, including All the Money in the World, Beginners, Knives Out and many more. He was also the proud owner of one Academy Award, two Emmys and two Tony Awards.
He is survived by his daughter Amanda Plummer and his wife Elaine Taylor, who was reportedly by his side at the time of his death.
Anthony Morales AKA Prince Markie Dee
Prince Maarkie Dee — whose given name was Mark Anthony Morales — died in February at the age of 52.
Best known for being a member of the Fat Boys, Morales suddenly passed away just one day before his own birthday.
Cicely Tyson
Legendary actress Cicely Tyson died in January at the age of 96.
Notable names including Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama penned heartfelt messages to honor the late actress after her passing was announced.
Clarence Williams III
The actor best known for his role as Linc Hayes in The Mod Squad died on Friday, June 4 after a battle with colon cancer. He was 81-years-old.
Cloris Leachman
Actress Cloris Leachman died at the age of 94 in February after suffering what appeared to be a stroke.
Her death certificate also cited COVID-19 as a significant condition that contributed to her passing, although it wasn’t considered the underlying cause.
Deezer D
Actor Dearon “Deezer D” Thompson, known for his role as Nurse Malik McGrath on the hit medical drama series ER passed away at the age of 55.
At the time, it was reported that Dearon was found unresponsive at his L.A. home, leading his family to believe he suffered a heart attack.
Dave Creek
Bob’s Burgers animator Dave Creektragically died from injuries sustained during a skydiving accident in January, although the specific injuries were not disclosed. He was 42-years-old.
20th Television, FOX Entertainment and Bento Box Entertainment released a statement at the time, writing: “We are heartbroken at the tragic passing of Dave Creek, an extraordinary artist who had been with Bob’s Burgers from day one. He was not just an incredible talent but a beautiful person as well, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and all his colleagues at the show who loved him and are grieving today.”
DMX
In April, the rap legend, actor and songwriter DMXpassed away after suffering a drug overdose that reportedly triggered a heart attack.
To celebrate his life, other celebrity pals including Eve and Swizz Beats came together to hold a hopeful ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Ernie Lively
Actor Ernie Lively — the father of A-lister Blake Lively— died at the age of 74 in early June.
The actress’ father — who played her character’s dad in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, worked in the industry for over five decades before succumbing to cardiac complications earlier this year.
George Segal
The Goldbergs actor George Segal died at 87-years-old on Wednesday March 23.
His wife, Sonia Segal announced the somber news in a statement at the time, where she revealed that her husband died following “complications from bypass surgery.”
Gerren Taylor
Gerren Taylor — known for starring on BET’s Baldwin Hills passed away at the age of 30 in April of this year.
A cause of death was not revealed, although Taylor was believed to have been treated with dialysis at the time following a battle with Lupus.
Harry Bryant
Style icon Harry Bryant tragically passed away at the young age of 24 on Sunday, January 17 after struggling with addiction for years.
Bryant — who grew up with a wealthy father and a supermodel mother — reportedly got involved with drugs after being surrounded by lavish parties and over-the-top lifestyles from a young age.
Jahmil French
Jahmil French, known for his role as Dave Turner on the hit series Degrassi passed away at the age of 29 in March of this year. A cause of death was not revealed.
Some of his former costars penned messages on social media to honor the late actor, including Cristine Prosperi,who played Imogen Moreno, and Melinda Shankar, who played Alli Bhandari.
Jessica Walter
Actress Jessica Walterdied in her sleep on Wednesday, March 24 at the age of 80.
Her daughter Brooke Bowman confirmed the news, remembering the Arrested Development star by writing: “Her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”
Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman — who has been known to collaborate withCéline Dion, Barbara Streisand, Def Leppard and more legendary music stars — died on Monday, April 19 following an undisclosed medical emergency.
Joanne Rogers
Joanne Rogers — the wife of the late Mr. Rogers died at 92 years old in January of this year.
The Fred Rogers foundation released a statement at the time, saying: “Joanne was a brilliant and accomplished musician, a wonderful advocate for the arts, and a dear friend to everyone in our organization. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Joanne’s family and the thousands of people who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.”
John Langley
John Langley, the mind behind the hit reality series Cops died of an apparent heart attack on Saturday, June 26. He was 78 years old.
Lisa Banes
Broadway star Lisa Banes died at 65-years-old following a tragic hit-and-run accident in New York City in June.
Banes was walking in a crosswalk when a motorcycle “with no plate” ran a red light and hit her. The Gone Girl actress reportedly suffered a “traumatic brain injury and was unable to recover.”
Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson passed away in her sleep on Monday, February 8 at her home in Los Angeles, Calif.
Known for being the co-founder of the beloved girl group The Supremes, Wilson was aged 76 at the time of her death. She is believed to have died of natural causes after suffering from a cardiovascular disease.
Olympia Dukakis
Olympia Dukakis died on Saturday, May 1 at the age of 89. The news was announced by her brother Apollo, who revealed the Moonstruck actress was “finally at peace,” but did not disclose any details regarding the circumstances of her death.
Richard Donner
Richard Donner — whose full given name was Richard Donald Schwartzberg — died at the age of 91 on Monday, July 5.
The legendary film director is known for his work in Superman starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, which was nominated for a total of four Academy Awards in 1979.
Richard Gilliland
Designing Women star Richard Gilliland — the husband of Jean Smart — died in March following what was described as a “brief illness,” although no further details were given.
He was 71 at the time of his death.
Robert Hogan
Actor Robert Hogan — who appeared in more than 100 television shows during his career — passed away at the age of 87 back in May. He died at his home in Maine following complications from pneumonia.
Roger Mudd
The beloved CBS and NBC news reporter Roger Mudd died in March following complications of kidney failure.
The broadcast journalist passed away at his home in McLean, Virginia at the age of 93.
Sabine Schmitz
German race car driverSabine Schmitz lost her battle with cancer after suffering with the illness since 2017.
The former Top Gear host was only 51 when she died.
Samuel E. Wright
Samuel E. Wright,famous for voicing the iconic character Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, died on Tuesday, May 25 after a 3-year battle with prostate cancer.
Aside from his work as the voice of Ariel’s animal friend, he was also featured in the The Lion King Broadway Show as Mufasa when the show opened back in 1997.
Gregory ‘Shock G’ Jacobs
Digital Underground’s Gregory Jacobs — who used the stage name Shock G — died at the age of 57 on Thursday, April 22.
His death was later revealed to have been caused by an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol and methamphetamine.
Suzanne Douglas
The Parent ‘Hood actress died at the age of 64 on Tuesday July 6, as announced on a family member’s Facebook page at the time.
She is survived by husband and neuro-radiologist Roy Jonathan Cobb and their daughter Jordan Cobb. Her cause of death was not shared.