TV Stars Who Died In 2019

As 2019 comes to a close, TVLine is remembering the many television stars and producers we lost this year, including Luke Perry, Valerie Harper, Doris Day and more. Scroll through the gallery below to see the Hollywood names that left us in the last 12 months.

Jan-Michael Vincent

Vincent died of cardiac arrest in February at age 74. On the small screen, he was best known as helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the 1980s action drama Airwolf, and he scored a Golden Globe nomination for his work in the ABC miniseries The Winds of War. Vincent also carved out a robust film career, with credits including Big Wednesday, The Mechanic and Buffalo '66.

Jed Allan

Soap vet Allan died in March at age 84. The actor was best known for his roles on Days of Our Lives (as Don Craig) and Santa Barbara (as patriarch C.C. Capwell). After wrapping his seven-year run on Santa Barbara, Allan went on to appear in Beverly Hills, 90210 and General Hospital, among other shows.

Janice Freeman

Freeman, who competed on Season 13 of NBC's The Voice, died in March at age 33. She passed away from a severe case of pneumonia and a blood clot that traveled to her heart. During her time on The Voice, Freeman was coached by Miley Cyrus and made it to the Top 11 before she was eliminated.

Katherine Helmond

Helmond died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in February at the age of 89. Best known for her scene-stealing, Emmy-nominated turns as Soap's Jessica Tate and Who's the Boss' Mona Robinson, Helmond also appeared in Coach, The Love Boat and Everybody Loves Raymond, among other series.

Kristoff St. John

St. John, best known for his Daytime Emmy-winning work as The Young and the Restless' Neil Winters, died of a possible alcohol overdose in February at age 52. The actor got his start on TV when he was just 8 years old, appearing in shows such as That's My Mama, Happy Days and Wonder Woman. He later made his soap opera debut in 1989 as Generations' Adam Marshall, then originated the role of Y&R's Neil in 1991.

Luke Perry

Perry died in March at age 52 after suffering a massive stroke. Though his TV career spanned four decades, Perry is best remembered for his portrayal of Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210, a role that cemented his status as a teen heartthrob. At the time of his death, the actor co-starred on Riverdale as Fred Andrews, Archie's father.

Peter Tork

Monkees bassist Tork died in February at age 77 after a battle with cancer. In addition to his 58-episode run on The Monkees' self-titled NBC sitcom, Tork's TV credits included Boy Meets World, The King of Queens and California Dreams.

Bob Einstein

Two-time Emmy winner Einstein died in January at age 76 after a battle with cancer. He was best known for his satirical character Super Dave Osborne, an optimistic but hapless stuntman who appeared on numerous variety and talk shows beginning in the 1970s. He also recurred as Marty Funkhouser, one of Larry David's closest friends, on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Carol Channing

Broadway legend Channing, who won a Tony Award for her starring role in Hello, Dolly!, died of natural causes in January at the age of 97. Though she was best known for her stage work, which earned her three additional Tony nominations, Channing's career also included a recurring role on The Love Boat (as Aunt Sylvia Duvall) and numerous voiceover gigs.

Fatima Ali

Top Chef contestant Ali died in January at the age of 29 following a battle with cancer. A chef specializing in modern Pakistani cuisine, Ali competed on Season 15 of the Bravo competition series, after winning a 2013 episode of Food Network's Chopped. Though she was eliminated from Top Chef in Week 9, Ali went on to be named the Fan Favorite at season's end.

Gene Okerlund

Okerlund, affectionately called "Mean Gene" throughout his career, died in January at the age of 76 after his health declined following a bad fall. Originally an interviewer in the American Wrestling Association, Okerlund joined World Wrestling Entertainment in 1984 as a regular correspondent and went on to become one of the organization's most prolific personalities.

Kevin Barnett

Barnett, a stand-up comedian and TV writer, died of complications from pancreatitis in January at the age of 32. Previously a scribe for Broad City and The Carmichael Show, Barnett co-created the Fox sitcom Rel with Josh Rabinowitz and star Lil Rel Howery.

Richard Erdman

Erdman, best known as Greendale student Leonard on Community, died in March at the age of 93. He worked steadily as a character actor for more than 70 years, appearing in episodes of Alice, The Bionic Woman, Cheers, Felicity, Lou Grant, One Day at a Time and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Eunetta Boone

Television sitcom veteran Boone, who served as showrunner on Disney Channel's Raven's Home, died of a heart attack in March at age 63. Prior to joining Raven's Home, Boone worked as a writer, producer and story editor on beloved series like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single and My Wife and Kids, among others.

Georgia Engel

Engel, a five-time Emmy nominee, died of an undisclosed cause in April at the age of 70. Though she was best known for her roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (as Ted's ditzy girlfriend, Georgette) and Everybody Loves Raymond (as Robert's mother-in-law, Pat), Engel's TV credits also included Coach, Hot in Cleveland and The Office.

Ken Kercheval

Kercheval died in April at the age of 83. He was best known for portraying Dallas' Cliff Barnes, a role he played during the show's original run and in its 2012 revival. He also appeared in episodes of Starsky and Hutch, L.A. Law and ER, among other shows.

John Singleton

Oscar-nominated director Singleton died in April at the age of 51 after suffering a stroke. Though he was best known for his work in cinema (including the 1991 flick Boyz N the Hood, which earned him an Academy Award nod), he also co-created the FX drama Snowfall and directed episodes of Empire and American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.

Peggy Lipton

The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks star passed away in May at the age of 72 following a battle with cancer. Lipton first shot to fame as undercover cop Julie Barnes on ABC's The Mod Squad, which aired from 1968 to 1973, and also played diner owner Norma Jennings on ABC's original Twin Peaks and reprised the role on Showtime's Twin Peaks: The Return. 

Doris Day

The iconic entertainer and TV star died in May at the age of 97. Day starred in her own CBS sitcom, The Doris Day Show, from 1968 to 1973, along with a big-screen career that included films such as Pillow Talk and That Touch of Mink and a music career that encompassed 20 albums.    

Tim Conway

The Emmy-winning Carol Burnett Show star died in May at the age of 85. After starring in McHale's Navy, Conway joined Burnett's CBS sketch comedy show as a series regular, creating popular characters including Mr. Tudball and The Oldest Man. He won a total of six Emmys, including one in 2008 for a guest role on 30 Rock.  

Beth Chapman

The Dog the Bounty Hunter co-star and wife of Duane "Dog" Chapman died in June at the age of 51 after a battle with throat cancer. Bail bondsmen by trade, Beth and Dog teamed up to catch fugitives on A&E's Dog the Bounty Hunter, which ran for eight seasons, along with a number of spinoffs. 

Max Wright

The ALF co-star passed away in June; he was 75 years old. Wright was best known for playing dad Willie Tanner on the NBC sitcom ALF, which ran for four seasons. He also appeared on Cheers, Quantum Leap, Mad About You and Friends. 

Arte Johnson

The Laugh-In star passed away in July at the age of 90 from heart failure. Johnson was part of the ensemble on NBC's iconic sketch series, famously playing German soldier Wolfgang, whose catchphrase was "Verrrry interesting..." Johnson won an Emmy in 1969 for his Laugh-In work, and later lent his voice to cartoons like DuckTales and The Smurfs.

Cameron Boyce

The Disney Channel star was just 20 years old when he passed away in July following an epileptic seizure. Boyce starred as Luke Ross on the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie before playing Cruella de Vil's son Carlos in the Descendants movies.  

Rip Torn

The Emmy-winning Larry Sanders Show co-star died in July at the age of 88. Torn played gruff producer Artie opposite Garry Shandling on the HBO comedy The Larry Sanders Show, winning an Emmy for the role in 1996. He also played executive Don Geiss on 30 Rock, along with roles on Columbo, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Will & Grace.   

Stephanie Niznik

The Everwood co-star passed away in July at just 52 years old. She was best known for playing Nina Feeney, the sweet neighbor of the Brown family and the eventual love interest of Treat Williams' Dr. Andy Brown on the WB family drama. Niznik also had roles on Diagnosis Murder, Star Trek: Enterprise and Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman.

Gabe Khouth

The Once Upon a Time cast member passed away in July after appearing to suffer a cardiac arrest while riding his motorcycle; he was 46 years old. Khouth played Sneezy/Tom Clark on the ABC fairy-tale drama, along with roles on Life Sentence, iZombie and Supernatural.

Russi Taylor

The longtime voice of Disney's Minnie Mouse died in July at the age of 75. Taylor brought the iconic mouse to life for more than 30 years in TV shows, movies, theme-park attractions and other Disney endeavors, along with voice roles on The Simpsons, Muppet Babies and DuckTales.

Jessi Combs

The former MythBusters host was just 36 years old when she was killed in a high-speed car accident in August, attempting to break her own land-speed record. Combs stepped in for Kari Byron in 12 episodes of MythBusters, along with hosting shows like Xtreme 4x4 and All Girls Garage. 

Valerie Harper

The legendary TV actress died in August after a long battle with brain cancer; she was 80 years old. Harper played Mary's brash roommate Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and reprised the role in her own self-titled spinoff, winning a total of four Emmys for the role. She went on to star in the NBC family sitcom Valerie, which was retitled Valerie's Family after her very public exit, and later appeared on Dancing With the Stars. 

Haley Smith

Smith, who was a contestant on Season 11 of American Idol, died at just 26 years old following a motorcycle crash in August. The singer was 18 when she first appeared on Idol in 2012, impressing judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson at the Aspen, Colorado auditions. All three judges voted yes to send her to Hollywood, though she was later eliminated in the Hollywood rounds.

Chris March

March, a celebrity fashion designer, died of a heart attack in September at the age of 56. After memorably competing on Season 4 of Project Runway, March returned for the fourth season of Project Runway All Stars, where he finished in 12th place. He also had his own Bravo reality series, Mad Fashion, which ran for one season in 2011.

Cokie Roberts

The ABC News journalist and political commentator died in September at the age of 75, due to complications from breast cancer. Dubbed "Cokie" by her brother Thomas during childhood, Roberts started her career at the Washington, D.C. station WRC-TV, where she hosted a public affairs program. She joined NPR's team in 1978, then moved to ABC News 10 years later.

Aron Eisenberg

Eisenberg, best known for playing Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, died of heart failure in September. He was 50 years old. In addition to his stint on DS9, Eisenberg's TV credits included episodes of The Wonder Years, Tales From the Crypt and The Division, among others.

Linda Porter

Porter, who most recently played Superstore's elderly Cloud 9 employee Myrtle, died in September at the age of 86. In addition to her 35 episodes of the NBC sitcom, Porter had a long TV résumé: Past gigs included 2 Broke Girls, American Horror Story, Twin Peaks: The Return and a stint as beloved bakery owner Fran Weston on Gilmore Girls.

Diahann Carroll

Carroll passed away in October at the age of 84, following a long battle with cancer. During her six-decade career in Hollywood, Carroll notably portrayed Dynasty's Dominique Deveraux, one of the first major black characters on a primetime soap. She also held the title role on the 1970s comedy Julia, which was groundbreaking in that its black protagonist was not a maid, butler or servant. Carroll's more recent TV credits included episodes of Grey's Anatomy and White Collar.

Rip Taylor

Legendary comedian Taylor, who dubbed himself the "King of Confetti," died of congestive heart failure in October at the age of 84. Throughout his six-decade career, Taylor racked up more than 2,000 small-screen credits, including guest stints on Santa Barbara, The Monkees, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Will & Grace, to name but a few. He also made dozens of appearances on talk shows and game shows, and his voiceover résumé included work on DuckTales, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Scooby-Doo.

Robert Forster

Oscar nominee Forster died in October at the age of 78 following a battle with brain cancer. In addition to his film work (including titles like Jackie Brown and Reflections in a Golden Eye), Forster's career included TV appearances on shows such as Karen Sisco, Heroes, Last Man Standing and Breaking Bad. 

Bill Macy

Macy, best known to TV audiences as Maude's Walter, died of an undisclosed cause in October. He was 97. Following his six seasons as the husband of Bea Arthur's title character, Macy's TV credits included St. Elsewhere, L.A. Law and Seinfeld, among others.

John Clarke

Clarke, who originated the role of Days of Our Lives' Mickey Horton, died in October at the age of 88, due to complications from pneumonia. Clarke portrayed Mickey for 39 years until he departed Days in 2004, and he went on to receive the Daytime Emmys' Lifetime Achievement Award that same year.

John Witherspoon

Witherspoon, a comedian best known to TV audiences as John "Pops" Williams from The WB's 1990s sitcom The Wayans Bros., died in October at the age of 77. He also voiced Robert "Granddad" Freeman on The Boondocks, and co-starred on The Tracy Morgan Show, The First Family and Black Jesus.

Brian Tarantina

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor, who played Jackie the emcee at the Gaslight comedy club, died in November at the age of 60. Though a cause of death was not disclosed, Tarantina was reportedly recuperating from a heart-related issue when he passed. His TV credits also included Gilmore Girls, where he played newsstand owner Bootsy, as well as Heroes, The Black Donnellys and other series.

Rudy Boesch

Boesch, a retired United States Navy SEAL who competed on two seasons of CBS' Survivor, died in November due to complications from Alzheimer's Disease. He was 91. 

Stewart the Corgi

Stewart, who played Capt. Holt's beloved dog Cheddar on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, died in July at age 13. Though Cheddar has been played by several dogs during the show's run, Stewart had held the role the longest.

Grumpy Cat

Tardar Sauce, better known as the feline Internet sensation Grumpy Cat, died in May at the age of 7, following complications from a urinary tract infection. In addition to her Internet fame, Grumpy Cat made appearances on American Idol, The Bachelorette and WWE's Monday Night Raw, and she starred in the 2013 Lifetime holiday movie Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever (where she was voiced by Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza).

Gary Rhodes

Celebrated British chef Gary Rhodes died in November at age 59, after reportedly falling ill while filming a new TV show in Dubai. After hosting a number of cooking shows in the United Kingdom, including BBC's MasterChef, Rhodes presided over PBS' MasterChef USA, which ran for two seasons. His MasterChef format went on to inspire Gordon Ramsay's version on Fox, and Rhodes also co-hosted a U.K. season of Hell's Kitchen after Ramsay departed.

Shelley Morrison

Morrison, best known for playing maid Rosario Salazar on Will & Grace, died of heart failure in December. She was 83. In addition to her 68 episodes of the NBC sitcom, Morrison appeared in The Flying Nun (as Puerto Rican nun Sister Sixto), Gunsmoke, The Partridge Family and Murder, She Wrote, among many other shows in her career of more than 50 years.

Ron Leibman

Leibman, an Emmy and Tony winner who memorably played Rachel Green's father on Friends, died of complications from pneumonia in December. He was 82. The actor snagged an Emmy in 1979 for playing the title role in CBS' crime drama Kaz, and his TV work also included The Sopranos, Archer and Law & Order: SVU.

Caroll Spinney

Spinney, the legendary puppeteer behind Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, died in December at the age of 85. After originating both of his Sesame Street roles in 1969, Spinney stayed with the program for five decades until his retirement in 2018. He received four Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award, among many other accolades.

René Auberjonois

Auberjonois died in December at the age of 79, following a battle with metastatic lung cancer. The actor was best known for his roles on Benson (as chief of staff Clayton Endicott III) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (as head of security Odo), though his credits also included Madam Secretary, The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy and an Emmy-nominated turn on The Practice.

Danny Aiello

Oscar nominee Aiello passed away in December at the age of 86, following an unspecified sudden illness. Though he was widely recognized for his film work, including roles in Do the Right Thing and Moonstruck, he appeared on TV shows such as Lady Blue, Dellaventura and the miniseries The Last Don.

Chuy Bravo

Bravo, who served as Chelsea Handler's sidekick on her E! talk show Chelsea Lately, died of a heart attack in December at the age of 63. In total, he appeared alongside Handler on more than 1,000 episodes of her late-night series, which ran from 2007 to 2014.

Cosmo the Dog

Golden retriever Cosmo, who played the Fullers' faithful dog of the same name on Fuller House, passed away in December after suffering complications from surgery. Throughout the Netflix series' run, Cosmo played the great-grandson of Comet, who spent eight seasons as the Tanners' pet on Full House.

Philip McKeon

Best known for playing the title character's son Tommy on the 1970s/'80s CBS sitcom Alice, McKeon — brother of Facts of Life's Nancy — died in December at age 55, after a long illness. He also guested on TV series such as The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Amazing Stories.