In Memoriam: Remembering the Actors We Lost in 2026 - Page 3

The entertainment world has said goodbye to a number of beloved actors in 2026, with losses spanning generations of film and television. From Oscar-winning performers and sitcom favorites to stars behind some of pop culture’s most recognizable characters, these actors left behind work that continues to connect with audiences.

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The losses have touched nearly every corner of the entertainment industry, from comedy and drama to action movies, prestige television and blockbuster franchises. Here’s a look at some of the notable actors we lost in 2026, the movies and television shows they were best known for, when they died and their reported causes of death.

T.K. Carter

Notable Credits: “The Thing,” “Punky Brewster,” “Runaway Train,” “Space Jam,” “The Corner”

Died: January 8, 2026

Cause of Death: Not publicly disclosed. Carter, 69, was found during a wellness check at his home in Duarte, California.

Catherine O’Hara

Notable Credits: “Home Alone,” “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Best in Show,” “SCTV”

Died: January 30, 2026

Cause of Death: Pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer listed as an underlying cause.

Demond Wilson

Notable Credits: “Sanford and Son,” “Baby… I’m Back!,” “The New Odd Couple,” “Me and the Kid”

Died: January 30, 2026

Cause of Death: Complications from cancer.

James Van Der Beek

Notable Credits: “Dawson’s Creek,” “Varsity Blues,” “The Rules of Attraction,” “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23”

Died: February 11, 2026, at age 48

Cause of Death: Colorectal cancer. Van Der Beek had publicly revealed his diagnosis in 2024.

Robert Duvall

Notable Credits: “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Tender Mercies,” “Lonesome Dove”

Died: February 15, 2026, at age 95

Cause of Death: Not publicly disclosed. Duvall died peacefully at his Virginia horse farm.

Eric Dane

Notable Credits: “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Euphoria,” “The Last Ship,” “Marley & Me,” “X-Men: The Last Stand”

Died: February 19, 2026, at age 53

Cause of Death: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Chuck Norris

Notable Credits: “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Way of the Dragon,” “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force,” “The Expendables 2”

Died: March 19, 2026, at age 86

Cause of Death: Not publicly disclosed. Norris’ family said his death was sudden and that he was surrounded by family.

Nicholas Brendon

Notable Credits: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Criminal Minds,” “Kitchen Confidential,” “Coherence”

Died: March 20, 2026, at age 54

Cause of Death: Natural causes. The coroner later determined the official cause was atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with other contributing factors including acute pneumonia. Brendon died in his sleep and had a history of heart problems.

Anthony Head

Notable Credits: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Ted Lasso,” “Merlin,” “Little Britain,” “The Iron Lady”

Died: June 5, 2026, at age 72

Cause of Death: Complications from pneumonia. His daughters said he died peacefully surrounded by his family.

Daveigh Chase

Notable Credits: “The Ring,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Donnie Darko,” “Big Love”

Died: June 16, 2026, at age 35

Cause of Death: Bacterial meningitis and a blood infection, with chronic polysubstance use reported as a contributing factor.

Michael Byrne

Notable Credits: “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “Braveheart,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Sum of All Fears,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”

Died: June 20, 2026, at age 82

Cause of Death: Not publicly disclosed.

Ann Blyth

Notable Credits: “Mildred Pierce,” “The Great Caruso,” “Kismet,” “The Helen Morgan Story,” “Our Very Own”

Died: June 24, 2026, at age 98

Cause of Death: Natural causes. Blyth, one of the surviving stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, died peacefully.

Louise Lasser

Notable Credits: “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” “Bananas,” “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex,” “Requiem for a Dream”

Died: July 6, 2026, at age 87

Cause of Death: Natural causes. Lasser died in Manhattan.

Sam Neill

Notable Credits: “Jurassic Park,” “The Piano,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Jurassic World Dominion”

Died: July 13, 2026, at age 78

Cause of Death: Pneumonia. Neill had previously battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer.

Hayden Panettiere

Notable Credits: “Heroes,” “Nashville,” “Remember the Titans,” “Scream 4,” “Scream VI”

Died: August 16, 2026, at age 36

Cause of Death: An official cause of death has not yet been determined. Emergency dispatch information indicated an apparent overdose before Panettiere went into cardiac arrest, and first responders administered advanced cardiac life support before she was pronounced dead. Authorities have said there were no signs of foul play, and an autopsy is pending.

Kianna Underwood

Notable Credits: “All That,” “Little Bill”

Died: January 16, 2026, at age 33

Cause of Death: Underwood was killed in a hit-and-run in Brooklyn after being struck by two vehicles while crossing an intersection. Both drivers fled the scene.

Judy Pace

Notable Credits: “Cotton Comes to Harlem,” “Brian’s Song,” “Peyton Place,” “The Young Lawyers”

Died: March 11, 2026, at age 83

Cause of Death: Pace died peacefully in her sleep while visiting family in Marina del Rey, California.

Hal Williams

Notable Credits: “Sanford and Son,” “227,” “Private Benjamin,” “The Waltons,” “Moesha”

Died: July 15, 2026, at age 91

Cause of Death: Natural causes. Williams died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.