The entertainment industry lost Ryan O’Neal and Matthew Perry in 2023. The world also said goodbye to big names like Norman Lear, Suzanne Somers, Michael Gambon, and more.
Here is an incomplete list of the celebrities who died in 2023.
Ryan O’Neal (April 20, 1941–Dec. 8, 2023)
Ryan O’Neal, the heartthrob actor who went from a TV soap opera to an Oscar-nominated role in “Love Story” and delivered a wry performance opposite his charismatic 9-year-old daughter Tatum in “Paper Moon,” died on Dec. 8.
“My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us,” Patrick O‘Neal, Mr. O’Neal’s son, a Los Angeles sportscaster, posted on Instagram.
“My father, Ryan O’Neal, has always been my hero,” Patrick O’Neal wrote, adding, “He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop.”
“He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too,“ Tatum O’Neal told People magazine in a statement. ”I’ll miss him forever. and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms.”
Charles Patrick Ryan O’Neal was born on April 20, 1941, and was the son of screenwriter Charles O‘Neal and actor Patricia Callaghan O’Neal.
Norman Lear (July 27, 1922–Dec. 5, 2023)
Norman Lear, the writer, director, and producer who revolutionized prime-time television with “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of TV sitcoms, died on Dec. 5.
He was 101.
A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were seen by viewers who had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped shape prime-time comedy in the 1970s, launched the careers of Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli, and made middle-aged superstars of Carroll O’Connor, Bea Arthur, and Redd Foxx.
In his later years, Lear joined with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country. He also founded the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, exploring entertainment, commerce, and society, and also spent time at his home in Vermont. In 2014, he published the memoir “Even This I Get to Experience.”
Matthew Perry (Aug. 19, 1969–Oct. 28, 2023)
Matthew Perry, best known for his role in the sitcom “Friends,” passed away at 54.
The cherished actor was found lifeless in a jacuzzi at a residence located in the upscale Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles around 4 p.m. on Oct. 28.
Mr. Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the TV sitcom “Friends.”
“We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing,” the official “Friends” Twitter account issued at the time. “He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans.”
Suzanne Somers (Oct. 16, 1946–Oct. 15, 2023)
Actress Suzanne Somers, who rocketed to fame as Chrissy Snow on ABC’s “Three’s Company” in the late 1970s and later enjoyed a successful career as a businesswoman and author, died on Oct. 15 after a long battle with breast cancer, one day before her 77th birthday.
“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of Oct. 15th,” her publicist R. Couri Hay said in a statement released to the media. “She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years. Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family. Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”
Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. In July of this year, she posted on Instagram that her cancer had returned.
“As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down,” she wrote. “I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter.”
Michael Gambon (Oct. 19, 1940–Sept. 27, 2023)
Michael Gambon, the Irish-born actor knighted for his storied career on the stage and screen and who gained admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died. He was 82.
A statement by his family, issued by his publicist Thursday, said the actor died following “a bout of pneumonia.”
“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside,” his family said.
Mr. Gambon was knighted for services to drama in 1998.
Bob Barker (Dec. 12, 1923–Aug. 26, 2023)
Bob Barker, a game show icon and longtime “Price Is Right” host died on Aug. 26, his publicist Roger Neal announced.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us,” Mr. Neal said in a statement.
Mr. Barker was also known for his advocacy for the protection of animals. He had been working with Nancy Burnet and her organization, United Activists for Animal Righters, in these efforts.
“I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker, and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,” Ms. Burnet, a long-time friend of Mr. Barker, said in a statement.
Tony Bennett (Aug. 3, 1926–July 21, 2023)
Tony Bennett, the timeless and illustrious crooner whose career spanned eight decades, even garnering a number-one album at age 85, died on July 21, two weeks before his birthday.
Mr. Bennett died in his hometown of New York, his publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed with The Associated Press.
He is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Johanna and Antonia, sons Danny and Dae, and nine grandchildren.
Besides singing, Bennett pursued his lifelong passion for painting by taking art lessons and bringing his sketchbook on the road. His paintings, signed with his family name Benedetto—including portraits of his musician friends and Central Park landscapes—were displayed in public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
(Nov. 26, 1939–May 24, 2023)
Tina Turner, the American-born singer who became one of the top recording artists of all time, died on May 24 at the age of 83.
Sometimes nicknamed the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Turner won six of her eight Grammy Awards in the 1980s. The decade saw her land a dozen songs on the Top 40. Her 1988 show in Rio de Janeiro drew 180,000 people, which remains one of the largest concert audiences for any single performer.
She is survived by Bach and two sons of Ike’s that she adopted.