Singers Sinead O’Connor and Tony Bennett and actors Lance Reddick and Raquel Welch are among the celebrities who have died in 2023.
Topline
From daytime television star Billy Miller to musicians Steve Harwell and Sinead O’Connor, the following celebrities are among the biggest stars who have died this year.Key Facts
Listed below, by date, are celebrities who have died in 2023, leaving behind storied legacies in the film, television and music industries.
Suzanne Somers (october 15)
Actress and fitness guru Suzanne Somers died on the eve of her 77th birthday after battling an aggressive form of breast cancer for more than 23 years, her publicist told the New York Times on Sunday. She first broke into Hollywood by uttering just three words (”I love you”) in George Lucas’ 1973 comedy American Graffiti and was best-known for her role as one of two female leads in Three’s Company. Her character, Chrissy Snow, was an effervescent blonde known for her unfortunate double-entendres while living with roommates played by Joyce DeWitt and John Ritter. She stared in eight seasons of the sitcom Step By Step in the 1990s before making a career switch to the world of personal fitness with the ThighMaster. She and her husband, Alan Hamel, made $300 million from her ThighMaster business, which included two dozen books. She hosted a short-lived talk show on Lifetime called The Suzanne Show in 2012 and appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2015.Phyllis Coates (october 11)
Known for her portrayal of Lois Lane on television’s Adventures of Superman in 1952, making her the first actress to play the iconic character on TV, Coates died of natural causes Wednesday at age 96, her daughter Laura Press confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She only played the role for one season before being replaced by Noel Neill, reportedly because of conflicts with producers and other projects she had committed to (the show ran for six seasons before ending in 1958). Coates first assumed the role of Lois Lane in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men, the first feature film to star the titular hero, or any DC Comics character. Coates began her show business career as a chorus girl, touring with the United Service Organizations to perform for U.S. Armed Forces members, before landing small roles in films like Smart Girls Don’t Talk (1948) and My Foolish Heart (1949). Coates starred in an extensive number of film and television projects throughout the 1950s following her Superman success, including Jungle Drums of Africa (1952), Panther Girl of the Kongo (1954) and Girls in Prison (1956). Though she starred in few projects after the 1960s, Coates made her final appearance on screen in Hollywood: The Movie (1996), according to her IMDB page. Coates was portrayed by actress Lorry Ayers in the film Hollywoodland (2006), a fictionalized account of the mysterious circumstances of the death of actor George Reeves, who played Superman opposite Coates’ Lois Lane.Dianne Feinstein (september 28)
Feinstein died Thursday night at age 90 as the longest-serving woman in U.S. Senate history. She was elected as California’s first female senator in 1992 in a special election (alongside Barbara Boxer, who was elected the same night) and won reelection five times. Feinstein was known for her gun control advocacy and authored the 1994 assault weapons ban (which expired in 2004) and repeatedly pushed for stricter gun laws, stating in 2018 she was “a woman on a mission to ban assault weapons.” Feinstein has attributed her gun control efforts to the 1978 assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk; Feinstein, then the president of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, was the first to find Milk’s body and shortly after announced their deaths to the press. After Moscone’s death, Feinstein automatically became acting mayor of San Francisco, winning reelection twice and holding that office for a decade. As mayor, Feinstein passed a ban on handgun possession and dedicated funding to HIV/AIDS research. Feinstein faced numerous health complications over the past year, including a bout with shingles that kept her out of the Senate for more than two months, and ensuing encephalitis and vision and balance issues. Feinstein faced, and resisted, calls to resign, though she pledged earlier this year not to run for re-election in 2024. Her death prompted tributes from politicians on both sides. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held a moment of silence for Feinstein Friday and called her “one of the most amazing people who ever graced the Senate, who ever graced the country.” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) called Feinstein “a political giant whose tenacity was matched by her grace . . . a dear friend, a lifelong mentor, and a role model not only for me, but to my wife and daughters for what a powerful, effective leader looks like.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Feinstein gifted him a depiction of the Capitol in 1992, which he said he looked at Friday morning and “remembered our dear colleague as a truly remarkable individual.”Michael Gambon (september 28)
Gambon, an Irish actor best known for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films, died on September 28 at age 82 after becoming ill with pneumonia. Gambon’s career as an actor spanned six decades, beginning with his professional stage debut in a 1962 production of William Shakespeare’s Othello. He performed on the stage for much of his early career and earned a Tony Award nomination in 1997 for his performance in Skylight. Gambon made his film debut in 1965, also in a production of Othello, and has starred in such films as The Wings of the Dove (1997), The Insider (1999) and The King’s Speech (2010). He was also renowned for his work on British television, winning four BAFTA Awards for his performances in The Singing Detective (1986), Wives and Daughters (1999), Longitude (2000) and Perfect Strangers (2001). Gambon assumed the role of Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the third film in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), after the death of Richard Harris in 2002. Gambon played Dumbledore until the conclusion of the series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (2011). The official Harry Potter social media accounts paid tribute to Gambon following his death. “We are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Gambon. He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humour, kindness and grace. We will forever hold his memory in our hearts,” the account posted on X.Billy Miller (september 15)
Miller, best known for his roles in The Young and the Restless and General Hospital, died at 43 in Austin, just two days before his 44th birthday, multiple news outlets reported. In a statement to Variety, Miller’s manager said he was “struggling with manic depression when he died,” though his cause of death hasn’t been released. Miller was a daytime television star for years, with his first role being Richie Novak in All My Children in 2007. He later went on to win three Daytime Emmys for his work on The Young and the Restless. According to IMDb, Miller’s last acting appearance was on NCIS in 2022.Steve Harwell (september 4)
Best known as the former lead singer of Smash Mouth, Harwell died of liver failure at age 56. Harwell co-founded the rock band in 1994 alongside Kevin Coleman, Greg Camp and Paul De Lisle. The band released its debut album, Fush Yu Mang, in 1997, which contained the band’s debut single, and its first hit, “Walkin‘ on the Sun,” and a cover of War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” Greater recognition came with the band’s second album, Astro Lounge, which has been certified 3x platinum in the United States and contains the band’s most well known and only Grammy-nominated track, “All Star.” The song became a popular culture staple, largely thanks to its use in several films, most notably Shrek (2001) in which “All Star” plays over the opening credits. When “All Star” became the subject of internet parodies nearly two decades after its release, Harwell joked that the band had “invented the meme.” After nearly three decades with the band, Harwell retired in 2021 citing health issues, following a performance in which he appeared intoxicated, slurred his words, threatened fans and appeared to do what some say looked like a Nazi salute onstage. At the time, Harwell’s representatives said videos of the performance were taken out of context and the musician had been battling with cardiomyopathy. Harwell’s manager Robert Hayes announced he was receiving hospice care and was expected to have just days to live on September 3; he died the next day. “Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom,” Hayes said in a statement.Jimmy Buffett (september 1)
Jimmy Buffett, the musician known for his tropical rock sound, died of a rare form of skin cancer on September 1 at age 76. Buffett was most widely known for his hit song “Margaritaville,” an ode to the cocktail and island relaxation, which he capitalized on and turned into a billion-dollar fortune. In 1985, Buffett turned Margaritaville into a business empire, first launching retail stores and merchandise lines and ultimately opening a restaurant chain and resorts inspired by his biggest hit. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Buffett’s net worth to be $1 billion. Buffett was also known for his other hits, like “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” Tributes to Buffett poured in on social media shortly after his death, including tributes from President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and Paul McCartney. “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement posted to Buffett’s website says. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”Bob Barker (august 26)
Bob Barker, who hosted mid-day game show “The Price Is Right” from 1972 until his retirement in 2007, died on Saturday, according to his publicist Roger Neal. He was 99. In a statement, Neal called Barker the “World’s Greatest MC who ever lived.” Barker got his start in showbusiness in the 1950s, becoming the host of “Truth or Consequences” in 1956, and hosting the game show for 20 seasons through 1975. He was awarded the world record for consecutive appearance hosting game shows by the Guinness Book of World Records with more than 6,800 episodes (late “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek surpassed him in 2014). Barker, who handed the reigns of the show to Drew Carey in 2007, has received 19 Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2004.Clarence Avant (august 13)
Avant, who had the unofficial title of “godfather of Black entertainment,” died Sunday in his home in Los Angeles at the age of 92, multiple outlets reported. His family, who announced the news in a statement, did not provide a cause of death. Avant’s influence spread from music—where he started labels and managed musicians—to sports, where he produced a television special for Muhammad Ali and helped athletes like Hank Aaron secure partnerships, the Associated Press reported. In the political world, Avant served as an unofficial, and sometimes official, adviser to Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama, Variety reported. Despite his various pursuits, he was most known for his role as a mentor in the entertainment industry. In 2021, Lionel Richie inducted Avant into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and he was awarded the Industry Icon Award at the Grammys.Mark Margolis (august 3)
Margolis, best known for his role as Mexican cartel boss Hector Salamanca in director Vince Gilligan’s hit series Breaking Bad, passed away on August 3 at New York City’s Mt. Sinai Hospital, his son Morgan Margolis announced on Friday, multiple outlets reported. He was 83. Margolis, whose credits include the Al Pacino thriller Scarface (1983) and the Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly mind-bender Requiem for a Dream (2000), was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2012 for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for his role in AMC’s Breaking Bad, and reprised the role in the Bob Odenkirk-led prequel Better Call Saul.Angus Cloud (announced July 31)
Cloud, a young actor best known for his role in Euphoria as warmhearted drug dealer Fezco, died at the age of 25, according to a statement from his family reported by multiple outlets. The statement from Cloud’s family did not make clear when the actor passed, nor the nature of his death. However, the family noted Cloud recently buried his father and “intensely struggled” with the loss. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend,” the statement said, adding Cloud “was open about his battle with mental health.” Cloud’s role as Fezco, a protective and considerate drug dealer that befriends Zendaya’s Euphoria character, Rue Bennett, was lauded by fans as one of the show’s more likable characters. The teen drama won nine Emmy Awards of the 25 distinctions it was nominated for. Cloud has acting credits for North Hollywood and The Line and music video roles with artists like Becky G and the later rapper Juice WRLD.
