Celebrity Deaths 2026: All The Actors Who Died This Year

Every year brings fresh talent onto the scene in Hollywood. Yet, sadly, that same time also takes away some of the most memorable and beloved actors to ever grace our screens. In 2025 we lost greats like Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Gene Hackman, and Val Kilmer, to name just a few.

2026 has already seen its share of major deaths as well, including the hilarious Catherine O'Hara, action legend Chuck Norris, and former teen heartthrob James Van Der Beek. The film industry's losses are tallied each year in the Oscars' In Memoriam segment, but since that roll call always has a few snubs, let's make sure the celebrities we've lost are remembered right here. Here are the actors who have died in 2026 so far.

Nicholas Brendon passed away on March 20, 2026, aged 54. At the time, his family announced that he died of natural causes in his sleep. Since then, reports have revealed cardiovascular disease as the official cause of death, which came following years of health struggles pertaining to heart issues and cauda equina syndrome.

Brendon is primarily known for playing Xander Harris, the loyal sidekick of Sarah Michelle Gellar's eponymous character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Elsewhere, he had a recurring role on "Criminal Minds," portraying the technical analyst Kevin Lynch.

Most people agree that 54 is too young an age to pass away, but Brendon will always be fondly remembered among "Buffy" fans. He was a pivotal member of the show's Scooby Gang, and the series remains a cult classic to this day. In fact, many fans would have loved to have seen him return as Xander in the now-canceled "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reboot, which was in the works until earlier this year.

Robert Carradine, perhaps most famous for playing the put-upon Lewis Skolnik in four "Revenge of the Nerds" movies, and Sam Maguire in the hit sitcom "Lizzie Maguire," passed away on February 26, 2026 at the age of 71. According to an obituary in the Associated Press, his death was deemed a suicide. Carradine had been living with bipolar disorder for many years.

Part of a widespread acting family, Robert Carradine made his film debut in 1972 in the John Wayne movie "The Cowboys." He had worked consistently in films and on TV ever since, racking up over 140 credits, including notable films like Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets," Hal Ashby's "Coming Home," and Samuel Fuller's "The Big Red One." He worked with John Carpenter on "Escape from L.A." and "Ghosts of Mars," and had a small role in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained." Classy directors loved him.

He also had a huge TV career, which included shows like "Kung Fu" (starring his half-brother David), the '80s revival of "The Twilight Zone," "ER," "NYPD Blue," "Nash Bridges," and many others. By all accounts, Robert was classy and kind. (Witney Seibold)

On February 11, 2026, Bud Cort, most famous for playing the titular role in Robert Altman's "Brewster McCloud" and Harold in Hal Ashby's 1971 classic, "Harold and Maude," passed away after a long bout of pneumonia at the age of 77. Cort's career spanned decades, with film roles in "She Dances Alone," "Electric Dreams," and "The Life Aquatic," as well as "Heat," "Dogma," "Coyote Ugly," "But I'm a Cheerleader," and "Pollock." Cort was also a decorated voice actor who brought to life the Toyman in "Superman: The Animated Series," "Static Shock," and "Justice League Unlimited." A filmmaker in his own right, he also co-wrote, starred in, and directed the 1991 film "Ted and Venus."

Bud Cort embraced his reputation as a cult hero, and the legacy of his performance as Harold Chasen inspired countless filmmakers. As The Guardian wrote, he "set the mould for mordant bedroom iconoclasts in successive generations of indie films, from 'Rushmore' to 'Ghost World' to 'Submarine.'" He was a singular talent and will be dearly missed. (BJ Colangelo)

The degenerative disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is an incredibly painful and terminal diagnosis — and in February of 2026, we lost Eric Dane to this specific illness. Though Dane was a major part of many projects throughout his career (including "Euphoria," which features a posthumous performance from him in Season 3), he's likely best known for playing the absurdly handsome plastic surgeon on "Grey's Anatomy," Dr. Mark Sloan ... also known as "McSteamy."

Dane's Dr. Sloan began his life on "Grey's Anatomy" as a reckless playboy and somehow morphed into the show's emotional core before departing the series in its ninth season. Throughout his sweet and enduring romance with Chyler Leigh's Dr. Lexie Grey, his sweet friendship (with occasional benefits) with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) — with whom he raises a daughter — and the fact that Dane's comedic timing was impeccable, fans of "Grey's Anatomy" came to love Mark, and losing Dane was devastating. Queue up a marathon of his seasons on "Grey's Anatomy" in Dane's memory, if the spirit moves you. (Nina Starner)

One of the seminal "hey, it's that guy" actors, Shailesh "Shelly" Desai passed away on February 10, 2026 at the age of 90. One may not have been able to name Desai, but there's no doubt one would recognize his face. Perhaps most visibly, Desai played Charlie and Frank's landlord, Hwang, in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," but he has over 90 credits to his name, including movies like "Phantom of the Paradise," "Q: The Winged Serpent," "Maniac Cop 2," "Barb Wire" (pictured above), and "Escape from L.A." He was on dozens of TV shows, too, including "St. Elsewhere," "Hill Street Blues," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "ER," and "Men of a Certain Age."

According to his obituary in Variety, Desai was born in Bombay in 1935, and came to the United States sometime in the 1960s to pursue an engineering degree. He discovered acting instead, however, and shifted careers. He rose through the theater scene throughout the 1970s, while also landing his early film roles. His expressive face and outsize acting style earned him a lot of work as a character performer, and, as we all know, show business would collapse without the constant work of expressive, striking character actors like Desai. (Witney Seibold)

When Robert Duvall died on February 15, 2026 of undisclosed causes, he left behind 60-plus years' worth of unforgettable film, television and theater performances. He made alternately the loudest and quietest film debut of all time with his wordless portrayal of Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird," and quickly became one of the most sought-after character actors in the business. He was an integral, iconic piece of numerous New Hollywood classics ("Bullit," "M*A*S*H," "THX 1138," "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "Network," "Apocalypse Now"), but he popped as a full-blown star as barely principled criminal Earl Macklin in "The Outfit."

Duvall finally got to dominate a movie in "The Great Santini," where he was mesmerizing as a hard-charging military patriarch. Four years later, he won his first and only Oscar for playing an alcoholic country music singer desperate for a save in Bruce Beresford's splendid "Tender Mercies." He also won a Primetime Emmy as a weatherbeaten cowboy in "Broken Trail." Duvall might've written and directed himself to his best performance in "The Apostle," where he blazes the screen as a fiery Pentecostal pastor. Duvall left one helluva mark on his profession and the planet in general. (Jeremy Smith)

There was no defining Mary Beth Hurt performance. There was just a series of sustained greatness that sadly drew to a close on March 28, when she died due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. Hurt's breakthrough arrived in 1975's Broadway revival of "Trelawny of the 'Wells'," for which she received her first of three Tony Award nominations. In 1978, she made her film debut in Woody Allen's "Interiors." Hurt's talent was undeniable, but her presence was inscrutable. She could've been a leading lady (and was clearly up to the task in "Chilly Scenes of Winter" and "The World According to Garp"), but, by her own admission, she didn't want the responsibility of being "good." This led to brilliantly idiosyncratic performances in "Light Sleeper," "The Age of Innocence" and "Six Degrees of Separation." But Hurt saved her best for the stage, most notably in the dynamite 1996 Broadway revival of Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance," where she deftly traded barbs with guns-blazing legends Rosemary Harris and Elaine Stritch. We expected the fireworks from the heavyweights, but Hurt's portrayal was all surprises. Like the greatest actors of all time, she just loved to play. (Jeremy Smith)

I know I'm not alone when I say that news of Catherine O'Hara's sudden and untimely death hit me really hard. One of the sharpest and funniest comedic actresses of her generation — or, frankly, any generation at all — this Canadian-born comedienne died at the end of January 2026 from a pulmonary embolism (later revealed to be a symptom of rectal cancer). As the world mourned O'Hara, it became clear that you could pick any one of her projects to point to the fact that she was an absolute genius.

From her previously promiscuous terrier lover Cookie Fleck (née Guggleman) in "Best in Show" to her Emmy-winning turn as the beautifully bizarre soap opera star Moira Rose in "Schitt's Creek" to her recent and now final turn as former studio head Patty Leigh in Seth Rogen's Apple series "The Studio," O'Hara made every movie and TV show better and funnier. We may never see a performer like her again, but at the very least, she left the world with an astounding body of work. (Nina Starner)

Blessed with an imposing 6'8" physique, Tom Noonan earned a scholarship to play college basketball for Yale University in 1971. He might've made something of it, but an ankle injury kiboshed that dream and sent him out on the road where he found his calling as an actor. His portrayal of the hulking, haunted Tilden in the 1978 Off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard's play "Buried Child" launched his New York City stage career, but his great global becoming arrived in 1986 with his nightmare-inducing turn as Francis Dolarhyde aka "The Tooth Fairy" in "Manhunter."

Hollywood would cast Noonan time and again as monsters like Cain ("Robocop 2"), Ripper ("Last Action Hero"), and a heart-meltingly friendly Frankenstein's Monster ("The Monster Squad"), but the full range of his talents exploded in 1994 when he wrote, directed and co-starred in the ineffable indie film masterpiece "What Happened Was..." As a filmmaker or an actor (particularly in "Heat," "Synecdoche, New York" and "The X-Files," where he played the terrifying killer John Lee Roche), Noonan rattled us like none other. He died at the age of 74 on Valentine's Day of undisclosed causes. (Jeremy Smith)

The world said goodbye to a bona fide action legend on March 19, 2026. Chuck Norris passed away at the age of 86, with his family choosing to keep his cause of death private at the time of this writing.

Norris leaves behind an action-packed body of work on screens big and small. The actor and martial artist rose to prominence starring opposite Bruce Lee in 1972's "Way of the Dragon" — a collaboration that blossomed after the pair met at a real-life karate tournament. However, fans of militaristic action might associate him with the "Missing In Action" franchise, which established Norris as a bankable box office star in the '80s.

Of course, we can't talk about Norris' career without mentioning "Walker, Texas Ranger," a crime action series that enjoyed a long and successful run on CBS. Even if you aren't familiar with his screen work, you've probably seen the countless memes that celebrated Norris' toughness. He was a true pop culture icon, and a superstar of macho cinema. (Kieran Fisher)

James Tolkan passed away on March 26, 2026 at the age of 94. Tolkan appeared in multiple high-profile blockbusters and genre films in the 1980s, and is perhaps best known for playing the stern Principal Strickland in Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" movies, and for playing Stinger in Tony Scott's "Top Gun."

Tolkan's career, however, spanned decades. His first film credit was a 1966 adaptation of Anton Chekhov's "The Three Sisters." In 1971, he appeared in the Sherlock Holmes riff "They Might Be Giants," and he was a cop in 1973's "Serpico." Indeed, Tolkan's assertive performing style often had him playing cops, soldiers, and FBI agents in films like "Author! Author!," "WarGames," "Masters of the Universe," and many others. His TV career was even more extensive and included regular roles on "Mary" and on "Cobra," and guest spots on shows like "The Equalizer," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and "Tales from the Crypt."

Most impressively, Tolkan was part of the 2001 anthology series "Nero Wolf," for which he played 14 roles in 14 episodes. He directed two episodes as well.

Tolkan was a stalwart, reliable presence on TV, in blockbusters, and in B-movies. No one can replace him. (Witney Seibold)

James Van Der Beek, the titular dreamboat star of the teen drama "Dawson's Creek," passed away at the age of 48 on February 11, 2026, less than two years after he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. A pop culture sensation in the 1990s and early 200s, Van Der Beek starred in beloved films like "Varsity Blues" and "The Rules of Attraction," in addition to TV roles like FBI agent Elijah Mundo on "CSI: Cyber," providing the voice of Boris Hauntley on "Vampirina," and portraying a fictionalized version of himself on "Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23."

He competed on Season 13 of "The Masked Singer" and had a guest role on "Overcompensating" in 2025. Van Der Beek was candid about his cancer diagnosis on social media until the very end, maintaining a positive attitude even through the worst of it all. He was, simply put, a quintessential idol of the Gen X/Millennial cusp generations, and will be greatly missed. Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. (BJ Colangelo)