# List of television performers who died during production

The following is a list of television performers who died during production of the television show in which they were appearing. In many cases, a show will handle the death of an actor by killing off their character or otherwise writing them out of the show. In other cases, the show may recast the part with another actor. In extreme cases, the show may be cancelled outright.

## List

| Actor | Character | Show | Number of appearances | Date of death | Cause of death | Season in production | Effect on production |
| Robert Ripley | Presenter and participant | Ripley's Believe It or Not! | 13 | 1949-05-27 | Heart attack | 1 | Died three days after live broadcast of the 13th episode. Ripley's friends and associates filled in as presenters for the remainder of the first season. Robert St. John took over as host for the second season. The series' final episode was on October 5, 1950, more than a year-and-a-half following Ripley's death. |
| Don "Creesh" Hornsby | Presenter and star performer | Broadway Open House | 0 | 1950-05-22 | Polio | 1 | Scheduled to be the show's host, but died a week before the May 29, 1950, premiere. Replaced by Morey Amsterdam (Mondays and Wednesdays) and Jerry Lester (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays). |
| Richard Hart | Ellery Queen | The Adventures of Ellery Queen | 11 | 1951-01-02 | Heart attack | 1 | Character recast; taken over by Lee Bowman. |
| Barton Yarborough | Sgt. Ben Romero | Dragnet | 1 | 1951-12-17 | Heart attack | 1 | Romero was written out in the opening scene of the second episode of the series, shown in September 1952, with his character dying of the same cause as Yarborough. He was killed off. After a few episodes, the character of Romero was replaced by Frank Smith; played by Ben Alexander. |
| Hattie McDaniel | Beulah, the maid | Beulah | 6 | 1952-10-26 | Breast cancer | 3 | Character recast; taken over by Louise Beavers. |
| Nana Bryant | Julia – Margaret Williams's mother | Make Room for Daddy | | 1955-12-24 | Unknown | 3 | No on-screen explanation given; the character simply stopped appearing midway through the third season. |
| Fred Allen | Panelist | What's My Line? | 92 | 1956-03-17 | Heart attack | 6 | Died Saturday night, March 17, 1956. His place on the Sunday, March 18 live broadcast was taken by Steve Allen and subsequently by guest panelists. |
| Charles King | Various extras | Gunsmoke | 28 | 1957-05-07 | Cirrhosis of the liver | 2 | While an urban legend states that he died on the set after playing a corpse; the final episode he appeared in that aired during his lifetime was "Cheap Labor", which aired May 4, 1957, days before his death. Seven additional episodes featuring King were aired between May 11 and July 6, 1957. |
| George Cleveland | George "Gramps" Miller | Lassie | 116 | 1957-07-15 | Heart attack | 4 | Character killed off. |
| Ward Bond | Major Seth Adams | Wagon Train | Approximately 130 | 1960-11-05 | Heart attack | 4 | No on-screen explanation given; the character simply stopped appearing midway through the fourth season and was replaced by John McIntire (Christopher Hale) as the "new wagon master." |
| Joseph Kearns | George Wilson | Dennis the Menace | 100 | 1962-02-17 | Cerebral hemorrhage | 3 | Character written out. With Season 3 episodes still in production, the first two episodes filmed after Kearns' death do not feature Mr. Wilson nor any acknowledgement of why he is absent; the episodes simply focus on other characters. Starting with the last six episodes of Season 3, the character of John Wilson (Gale Gordon as George's brother) is introduced and will remain for the rest of the series' run; the initial explanation of George's absence is that he is "away" on business. George (along with wife, Martha) are officially written out in the fourth-season premiere as having moved, and after a few scattered mentions in a few subsequent episodes are not referred to again. |
| Dick Powell | Host/Occasional star | The Dick Powell Show | 41 | 1963-01-02 | Lung cancer | 2 | Replaced by several other actors who served as guest hosts (at which point the series was renamed The Dick Powell Theatre), until the series was cancelled at the end of the season. |
| Larry Keating | Roger Addison | Mister Ed | 81 | 1963-08-26 | Leukemia | 4 | Character written out without explanation. |
| John Larkin | Major General Wiley Crowe | Twelve O'Clock High | 25 | 1965-01-29 | Heart attack | 1 | Character written out without explanation. |
| Henry Kulky | Chief Curly Jones | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | 22 | 1965-02-12 | Heart attack | 1 | Character written out and replaced during the second season by Chief Sharkey, portrayed by Terry Becker. |
| Dorothy Kilgallen | Panelist | What's My Line? | 784 | 1965-11-08 | Combined drug and alcohol overdose | 24 | Died on the day following the Sunday, November 7 broadcast. Her place on the following Sunday's live broadcast was taken by Kitty Carlisle, a panelist from To Tell the Truth (which, like What's My Line?, was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions) and subsequently by guest panelists. |
| Alice Pearce | Gladys Kravitz | Bewitched | Approximately 60 | 1966-03-03 | Ovarian cancer | 2 | Character recast with Sandra Gould filling the role, starting with Season 3. With Season 2 production still continuing when Pearce died, an interim character – Harriet Kravitz (Mary Grace Canfield), Gladys' sister-in-law – is introduced, with the explanation that Gladys is away visiting her mother, while Harriet visits with Abner to keep house. |
| Ann Sheridan | Henrietta Hanks | Pistols 'n' Petticoats | 21 | 1967-01-21 | Cancer | 1 | Character is absent in the last five episodes. Afterwards, the series was canceled. |
| Smiley Burnette | Charley Pratt | Petticoat Junction | | 1967-02-16 | Leukemia | 4 | Character retired without explanation, and replaced by Floyd Smoot (Rufe Davis) and later, Wendell Gibbs (Byron Foulger). |
| Charles Bickford | John Grainger | The Virginian | 18 | 1967-11-09 | Pneumonia and blood infection | 6 | Character either written out or killed off and replaced by his brother, Clay Grainger, portrayed by John McIntire. |
| Marion Lorne | Aunt Clara | Bewitched | 27 | 1968-05-09 | Heart attack | 4 | Character written out without explanation and replaced during the sixth season by Esmeralda, portrayed by Alice Ghostley. |
| Bea Benaderet | Kate Bradley | Petticoat Junction | 163 | 1968-10-13 | Lung cancer | 5 | No on-screen acknowledgement or direct comment on her death is ever made. The character of Kate Bradley is said to be "out of town." Kate's absence is alluded to in passing in the season seven premiere episode when her daughters, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo (Meredith MacRae and Lori Saunders) comment wistfully, "Mom taught us to swim in that very same water tower." Benaderet's character was replaced by Dr. Janet Craig, played by June Lockhart. |
| Barton MacLane | General Martin Peterson | I Dream of Jeannie | 35 | 1969-01-01 | Double pneumonia | 4 | Character written out without explanation and replaced during the fifth season by General Winfield Schaeffer, portrayed by Vinton Hayworth. |
| Robert Taylor | Host | Death Valley Days | | 1969-06-08 | Lung cancer | 17 | Replaced by Dale Robertson. |
| Barbara Pepper | Doris Ziffel | Green Acres | 30 | 1969-07-18 | Coronary thrombosis | 4 | Character recast; role taken over by Fran Ryan. |
| Inger Stevens | Vanessa Smith | The Most Deadly Game | 1 | 1970-04-30 | acute barbiturate poisoning | 1 | Died more than five months before series premiere and her character was recast, with Yvette Mimieux taking over the part. The premiere was postponed from September to October and ultimately the series was canceled after production of 13 episodes. The pilot episode with Stevens was never broadcast. |
| Frank Silvera | Don Sebastian Montoya | The High Chaparral | 14 | 1970-06-11 | Accidental electrocution | 3 | Character written out. |
| Arthur Leslie | Jack Walker | Coronation Street | | 1970-06-30 | Heart attack | | Character killed off with a heart attack. |
| Pete Duel | Hannibal Heyes (Joshua Smith) | Alias Smith and Jones | 33 | 1971-12-31 | Suicide by gunshot | 2 | Character recast with Roger Davis, the series' narrator. |
| Dan Blocker | Hoss Cartwright | Bonanza | 400+ | 1972-05-13 | Pulmonary embolism following surgery | 13 | Character written out with no on-screen explanation, although Hoss' death is alluded to in at least two episodes. David Canary reprised his role as Candy Canaday to replace Hoss; however, Blocker's death was partially cited as a reason for the series' ratings going into decline in the fall of 1972 and eventual cancellation. |
| Roger Delgado | The Master | Doctor Who | 37 | 1973-06-18 | Traffic collision | 10 | Character regenerated. |
| James Beck | Private Joe Walker | Dad's Army | 58 | 1973-08-06 | Pancreatitis | 6 | Character written out during the episode The Recruit with a letter saying he was "gone to The Smoke". Character was never seen or mentioned again. |
| Glenn Strange | Sam | Gunsmoke | 238 | 1973-09-20 | Lung cancer | 14 | Character killed off. |
| Patricia Cutts | Blanche Hunt | Coronation Street | 2 | 1974-09-06 | Suicide by barbiturate poisoning | | Character recast, role taken over by Maggie Jones. |
| Barbara Colby | Julie Erskine | Phyllis | 3 | 1975-07-24 | Gunshot wound, inflicted during drive-by shooting | 1 | Character recast with Liz Torres taking over the role. |
| Graham Haberfield | Jerry Booth | Coronation Street | | 1975-10-18 | Heart failure | | Character killed off with a heart attack. |
| Freddie Prinze | Chico Rodriguez | Chico and the Man | 62 | 1977-01-29 | Suicide by gunshot | 3 | Episodes completed prior to Prinze's death were aired on schedule. The first aired episode after Prinze's death included an on-air acknowledgement from series creator and executive producer, James Komack. Following the airing of Prinze's last completed episode, for the rest of season three, Chico's absence is explained as being "away" (either on business or visiting his father), with completed scripts focusing on other characters and Chico's lines either removed or rewritten for other characters. Starting in season 4, Chico was replaced by a 12-year-old boy named Raul (Gabriel Melgar), while other characters initially continued to explain that Chico was away. Finally, in the season 4 episode, "Raul Runs Away," which aired January 20, 1978 (nearly one year after Prinze's death), it is explained that Chico had died but with no explanation of his cause of death. However, the ratings declined and, with Prinze's death a primary factor, the series was cancelled in the spring of 1978. |
| Diana Hyland | Joan Bradford | Eight is Enough | 4 | 1977-03-27 | Breast cancer | 1 | Character killed off before the beginning of the next season. Joan's death is addressed in the second-season premiere, and a new character, played by Betty Buckley, is introduced early in the second season. |
| Debbie Weems | Debbie, Phoebe, Baby Duck | Captain Kangaroo | | 1978-02-22 | Fall from a building, possible suicide | | Her characters were written out of the series. |
| Zara Cully | "Mother" Olivia Jefferson | The Jeffersons | | 1978-02-28 | Lung cancer | 4 | Character killed off and addressed briefly in an early Season 5 episode. |
| Will Geer | "Grandpa" Zeb Walton | The Waltons | | 1978-04-22 | Respiratory failure | 6 | Character killed off, with his death addressed in the seventh-season premiere. |
| Arthur Brough | Mr. Ernest Grainger | Are You Being Served? | 34 | 1978-05-28 | | 6 | Character written out without explanation and replaced by Mr. Tebbs, portrayed by James Hayter. |
| Karl Swenson | Lars Hanson | Little House On the Prairie | | 1978-10-08 | Heart attack | 4 | Character killed off, as having died from complications of a stroke he had suffered after the series' main setting, Walnut Grove (the town which he founded), had fallen into an economic depression. The final episode that featured his character aired eight days after his death. |
| Jack Soo | Detective Nick Yemana | Barney Miller | | 1979-01-11 | Esophageal cancer | 5 | Character written out without explanation, though some episodes allude to Yemana's death. His last appearance was season 5 episode 9 "The Vandal". The fourteenth episode from fifth season The Voice Analyzer was aired on the same day Jack Soo died. A special tribute episode, with Soo's castmates giving out-of-character tributes to him, was aired in the spring of 1979. |
| Ted Cassidy | Voice of Incredible Hulk and The Narrator | The Incredible Hulk | | 1979-01-16 | Complications from heart surgery | 2 | Character recast; replaced by Charles Napier. |
| Richard Beckinsale | Stan | Bloomers | 5 | 1979-03-19 | Coronary artery disease | 1 | Series cancelled, scheduled filming for a 6th episode was cancelled. |
| Bob Clayton | Announcer | The $20,000 Pyramid | approx. 1040 | 1979-11-01 | Cardiac arrest | approx. 5 | Replaced by Steve O'Brien. |
| Mary McCarty | Nurse Clara "Starch" Willoughby | Trapper John, M.D. | 22 | 1980-03-30 | Heart attack | 1 | Character written out, explained to have retired after getting married in the Season 2 premiere; Character was replaced by Nurse Ernestine Shoop (played by Madge Sinclair). |
| Patrick Campbell | Team captain | Call My Bluff | | 1980-11-10 | | 15 | Replaced by Arthur Marshall. |
| Jim Davis | Jock Ewing | Dallas | 75 | 1981-04-26 | Multiple myeloma | 4 | Character killed off with a helicopter crash after an extended absence. |
| Harold Bennett | Young Mr. Grace | Are You Being Served? | 50 | 1981-09-11 | Heart attack | 9 | Character written out, but continued to be mentioned. Later, character killed off in the first episode of the spinoff series Grace & Favour. |
| Johnny Jacobs | Announcer | Treasure Hunt | 25 | 1982-02-08 | Undisclosed | 1 | Replaced by Tony McClay, who had served as Jacobs' fill-in. |
| Michael Thoma | Greg Cranfield | Fame | 7 | 1982-09-03 | Cancer | 1 | His character was due to be fired but the pupils forced the school board to reconsider. His job was saved but Thoma died shortly after the episode was filmed. In the episode "Tough Act to Follow", the character was killed off with a heart attack; the episode was dedicated to Thoma. |
| Will Lee | Mr. Hooper | Sesame Street | | 1982-12-07 | Heart attack | 14 | Character killed off, with his death addressed in the season 15 episode, "Goodbye, Mr. Hooper", aired on November 24, 1983, almost a year after his death. Episodes featuring Mr. Hooper that were taped prior to Lee's death were aired posthumously, with no acknowledgement of the reason for his absence from between his final aired appearance in early 1983, until the airing of that episode on Thanksgiving Day. |
| Frank Reynolds | Co-Anchor (with Peter Jennings and Max Robinson) | World News Tonight | | 1983-07-20 | Hepatitis and Multiple myeloma | | Reynolds' last broadcast was on April 20, 1983, it was initially expected that he would return to the program, but died before he could; program revamped with Jennings becoming the sole anchor. |
| Carolyn Jones | Myrna Clegg | Capitol | 108 | 1983-08-03 | Colon cancer | 2 | Temporary substitute Marla Adams played Myrna Clegg during periods when Jones was too ill to perform. At the time of Jones' death, Marla Adams was cast in The Young and the Restless and the role was assigned to Marj Dusay, who continued in the part for nearly four years, until Capitol's cancelation in March 1987. |
| Peter Dudley | Bert Tilsley | Coronation Street | | 1983-10-20 | Heart attack | | Character killed off with a heart attack. |
| Jessica Savitch | Host | Frontline | 25 | 1983-10-23 | Drowned in a car accident | 1 | Replaced during the second season by Judy Woodruff. |
| Michael Conrad | Phil Esterhaus | Hill Street Blues | | 1983-11-22 | Urethral cancer | 4 | Character killed off while having sex with Grace Gardner. Episodes completed prior to his death were aired, with the first episode completed after Conrad's death addressing Esterhaus' death. |
| Ralph Wright | Eeyore | Welcome to Pooh Corner | | 1983-12-31 | | 2 | Character recast with Ron Gans taking over the role. |
| John Comer | Sid | Last of the Summer Wine | 47 | 1984-02-11 | Throat cancer | 7 | Character killed off, death mentioned on screen in following episodes. |
| Jack Howarth | Albert Tatlock | Coronation Street | | 1984-03-31 | Liver complaint | | Character killed off with a heart attack. |
| Jack Barry | Host | The Joker's Wild | | 1984-05-02 | Cardiac arrest | | Replaced by Bill Cullen. |
| Bernard Youens | Stan Ogden | Coronation Street | | 1984-08-27 | Gangrene | | Character killed off with gangrene. |
| Ève Gagnier | Cannelle | Passe-Partout | 125 | 1984-09-19 | Kidney Complications | 2 | Character recast; replaced by Lucie Beauvais. |
| Toke Townley | Sam Pearson | Emmerdale | | 1984-09-27 | Heart attack | | Character killed off in his sleep. |
| Charlotte Long | Eloise | The Tripods | | 1984-10-06 | Car crash | 1 | Character written out but was briefly recast, with Cindy Shelley appearing as Eloise during a dream sequence in an episode. |
| Jon-Erik Hexum | Mac Harper | Cover Up | 7 | 1984-10-18 | Gunshot wound to the head, accidentally self-inflicted with a blank cartridge | 1 | Character killed off and replaced by Jack Striker, portrayed by Antony Hamilton. |
| Lennard Pearce | Grandad | Only Fools & Horses | 26 | 1984-12-15 | Heart attack | 4 | Character killed off. Pearce died while filming the series four episode "Hole in One" (several scenes were subsequently reshot with Buster Merryfield). |
| Carol Wayne | Matinee Lady (in Art Fern's Tea Time Movie sketches) | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | | 1985-01-13 | Drowned | | Replaced by Teresa Ganzel. |
| Nicholas Colasanto | Coach Ernie Pantusso | Cheers | 71 | 1985-02-12 | Heart disease | 3 | Character killed off at the beginning of the next season and replaced as bartender by Woody Boyd, portrayed by Woody Harrelson. |
| Dolph Sweet | Chief Carl Kanisky | Gimme a Break! | 88 | 1985-05-08 | Stomach cancer | 4 | Character killed off, and his character's death was addressed in the fifth-season premiere. |
| Selma Diamond | Selma Hacker | Night Court | | 1985-05-13 | Lung cancer | 2 | Character killed off and addressed in the third-season premiere. |
| Samantha Smith | Elizabeth Culver | Lime Street | 4 | 1985-08-25 | Crash of Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 | 1 | Production initially continued, but series cancelled after airing only five out of eight episodes produced. |
| Sidney Clute | Detective Paul LaGuardia | Cagney & Lacey | 80 | 1985-10-02 | Cancer | 4 | Character written off, with an onscreen explanation that he retired and moved away. As a tribute, Clute's name was kept in the opening credits for the remainder of the series. |
| Johnny Olson | Announcer | The Price is Right | | 1985-10-12 | cerebral hemorrhage | 13 | Replaced in February 1986 by Rod Roddy (on-air auditions were held in the interim). |
| Bill Scott | Moosel, Brat | The Wuzzles | 13 | 1985-11-29 | Heart attack | 1 | Series cancelled. |
| Bill Scott | Gruffi Gummi, Toadwart, Sir Tuxford | Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears | 13 | 1985-11-29 | Heart attack | 1 | Characters recast for the second season; the former two were taken over by Corey Burton and the latter was taken over by Roger C. Carmel. |
| Anne Baxter | Victoria Cabot | Hotel | | 1985-12-12 | Stroke | 3 | Character killed off. |
| Dustin Gee | Himself (performer) | The Laughter Show | 12 | 1986-01-03 | Heart attack | 3 | No on-screen explanation given. |
| Florence Halop | Florence Kleiner | Night Court | | 1986-07-15 | Lung cancer | 3 | Character killed off and addressed in the fourth-season premiere. Her successor was played by Marsha Warfield, who remained for the rest of the series run. |
| Ted Knight | Henry Rush | The Ted Knight Show | 129 | 1986-08-26 | Colorectal cancer | 6 | Series cancelled; production was to have resumed in September 1986, with Knight planning on returning to work. First-run episodes that were completed prior to his death were aired on schedule through the end of the 1986–1987 season. |
| Roger C. Carmel | Cyclonus, Bruticus, Motormaster | The Transformers | | 1986-11-11 | Congestive heart failure | 3 | Bruticus and Motormaster both written out. Replaced as voice of Cyclonus during the fourth season by Jack Angel. |
| Roger C. Carmel | Sir Tuxford | Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears | | 1986-11-11 | Congestive heart failure | 2 | Character recast with Brian Cummings. |
| James Coco | Nick Milano | Who's the Boss? | 3 | 1987-02-25 | Heart attack | 3 | Character killed off, with his death addressed in a fourth season episode. |
| Joe Gladwin | Wally Batty | Last of the Summer Wine | 45 | 1987-03-11 | | 9 | Character killed off, death mentioned on screen in following episodes. |
| Eamonn Andrews | Host | This Is Your Life | | 1987-11-05 | heart failure | | Andews had completed his last edition of the show six days before his death on October 30. This and two others that had yet to be broadcast, were postponed until they were broadcast in January 1988 with his wife's permission. Replaced by Michael Aspel. |
| Grigory Tolchinsky | Filya | Good Night, Little Ones! | 1000+ | 1988-03-05 | Natural Causes | 24 | Character recast, replaced by Igor Galunenko. |
| Daws Butler | Various characters (most notably Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound) | Yogi's Treasure Hunt | 27 | 1988-05-18 | Heart attack | 3 | Series ended two months before Butler's death; replaced by sequel series The New Yogi Bear Show with the title character voiced by Greg Burson. |
| Jack Clark | Announcer | Wheel of Fortune | | 1988-07-21 | Bone cancer | 8 | Replaced by M.G. Kelly, and later by Charlie O'Donnell. |
| Jack Haig | Monsieur Roger LeClerc | 'Allo 'Allo! | 51 | 1989-07-04 | Cancer | 5 | Character written out as to have returned to prison (where he came from at the start of the show) because he liked the food better there than at René's Café. Replaced by his brother Ernest LeClerc, portrayed by Derek Royle. |
| Derek Royle | Monsieur Ernest LeClerc | 'Allo 'Allo! | 8 | 1990-01-23 | Cancer | 6 | Character recast, role taken over by Robin Parkinson. |
| David Rappaport | MAL | Captain Planet and the Planeteers | 4 | 1990-05-02 | Suicide by gunshot | 1 | Character recast; replaced by Tim Curry. |
| Jim Henson | various Muppets, most notably Ernie and Kermit the Frog | Sesame Street | | 1990-05-16 | Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome | 21 | Some characters recast with other Muppet performers, most notably Steve Whitmire, who assumed the roles of Ernie and Kermit. A number of other characters, however, were retired outside of special occasions. |
| Kevin Peter Hall | Harry | Harry and the Hendersons | 16 | 1991-04-10 | AIDS-related pneumonia | 1 | Character recast with Dawan Scott taking over the role. |
| Emily McLaughlin | Jessie Brewer | General Hospital | | 1991-04-26 | Cancer | | Character killed off. |
| Arthur Pentelow | Henry Wilks | Emmerdale | | 1991-08-06 | Heart attack | | Character killed off with a heart attack. |
| Redd Foxx | Alphonso Royal | The Royal Family | 7 | 1991-10-11 | Heart attack | 1 | Character killed off. The show was retooled with Jackee Harry being brought in as Al and Victoria's other daughter, who moved in with the Royals to help them overcome Al's death. Despite this move being well-received, the show was cancelled after one season. |
| Richard Hunt | Various Muppets | Sesame Street | | 1992-01-07 | AIDS complications | 23 | Some episodes already taped during fall months prior to his death were aired posthumously, with his characters retired from the show the following season and some of them recast by other Muppet performers, most notably David Rudman and Jennifer Barnhart. |
| Larry Riley | Frank Williams | Knots Landing | 111 | 1992-06-06 | AIDS-related kidney failure | 13 | Character written out; No on-screen explanation given. |
| John Hancock | Ike Johnson | Love & War | 7 | 1992-10-12 | Heart attack | 1 | Character killed off and replaced by his brother Abe, portrayed by Charlie Robinson. |
| Werner Stocker | Darius | Highlander: The Series | 5 | 1993-05-27 | Brain cancer | 1 | Character killed off in the episode that aired only a few days before his death. Was originally planned to appear in flashbacks in subsequent episodes, but had to be completely written out instead. |
| James Hunt | Color commentator | Grand Prix | | 1993-06-15 | Heart attack | | Replaced by Jonathan Palmer. |
| Raymond Burr | Perry Mason | Perry Mason (TV film series) | 26 | 1993-09-12 | Cancer | | Character written out as being out of town in the final four films (which were retitled A Perry Mason Mystery) and was replaced first by Paul Sorvino as Anthony Caruso, then by Hal Holbrook as Wild Bill McKenzie in the other three. |
| Raúl "Chato" Padilla | Various characters (most notably Jaimito, el cartero and Licenciado Morales) | Chespirito | 600+ | 1994-02-03 | Diabetes | 15 | Series ended. |
| MacDonald Carey | Tom Horton | Days of Our Lives | | 1994-03-21 | Lung cancer | | Character killed off. |
| Mark McManus | Jim Taggart | Taggart | 31 | 1994-06-06 | Alcohol induced liver failure | 11 | Character disappears and is subsequently killed off. |
| Dominic Lucero | Himself/Various characters | Roundhouse | 52 | 1994-07-01 | Lymphoma | 3 | His characters were recast by other cast members or written out without explanation, Lucero was paid tribute in the series finale. |
| Robert Lansing | Capt. Paul Blaisdell | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | 24 | 1994-10-23 | Cancer | 2 | Character written out; No on-screen explanation given. |
| Hugh O'Connor | Lonnie Jamison | In the Heat of the Night | | 1995-04-07 | Suicide by gunshot | 8 | Final TV movie, which had already completed production, was dedicated to O'Connor when it aired about a month after his death. |
| Kōhei Miyauchi | Kame Sennin | Dragon Ball Z | | 1995-06-02 | abdominal varices | | Miyauchi recorded dialogue for the role 3 months before his death. Character recast; replaced by Jōji Yanami for a single episode then Hiroshi Masuoka thereafter in Dragon Ball GT. |
| Linda Gary | Aunt May | Spider-Man | 28 | 1995-10-05 | Brain cancer | 3 | Character recast for the fourth season; taken over by Julie Bennett. |
| Kei Tomiyama | Yang Wen Li | Legend of the Galactic Heroes | 72 | 1995-09-25 | pancreatic cancer | 3 | Character killed off but Tomiyama had already completed his lines before his death; taken over by Hozumi Gōda for spin-off series. |
| Kei Tomiyama | Tomozou Sakura | Chibi Maruko-chan | | 1995-09-25 | pancreatic cancer | 2 | Character recast, taken over by Takeshi Aono. |
| Doris Grau | Lunchlady Doris | The Simpsons | 21 | 1995-12-30 | Respiratory failure | 7 | Character initially retired, but was brought back years later with Tress MacNeille taking over the role. |
| John Beradino | Steve Hardy | General Hospital | | 1996-05-19 | Pancreatic cancer | | Character killed off. |
| Ray Combs | Host | Family Challenge | | 1996-06-02 | Suicide by hanging | 2 | Replaced by Michael Burger, rebranded as "The New Family Challenge". |
| Dana Hill | Charles Duckman | Duckman | 49 | 1996-07-15 | Complications caused by diabetes | 4 | Character recast; replaced by Pat Musick. |
| Robert Ridgely | Commander | Dexter's Laboratory | 3 | 1997-02-08 | Cancer | 1 | Character recast; replaced by Earl Boen. |
| David Doyle | Grandpa Lou Pickles | Rugrats | | 1997-02-26 | Heart attack | 5 | Character recast; replaced by Joe Alaskey. |
| Iain Anders | Superintendent Jack McVitie | Taggart | 39 | 1997-09-05 | Infection following a short illness | 14 | Character written out; No on-screen explanation given. |
| Dermot Morgan | Father Ted Crilly | Father Ted | | 1998-02-28 | Heart attack | 3 | Production completed filming before his death. |
| Gera Sufimova | Karkusha | Good Night, Little Ones! | 1000+ | 1998-04-15 | Natural Causes | 34 | Character recast, replaced by Galina Marchenko. |
| Kevin Lloyd | DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines | The Bill | | 1998-05-02 | Asphyxia | 14 | Character written out; No on-screen explanation given. |
| Phil Hartman | Bill McNeal | NewsRadio | 75 | 1998-05-28 | Murdered by his wife, Brynn Hartman | 5 | Character killed off with a heart attack at the beginning of the season in a tribute episode. Replaced for the fifth (and final) season by long time friend Jon Lovitz as Max Louis. |
| Phil Hartman | Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz, et al. | The Simpsons | 54 | 1998-05-28 | Murdered by his wife, Brynn Hartman | 10 | Major recurring characters of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz retired, occasionally being used in background shots. |
| Shari Lewis | Herself, Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy, and Lewis | The Charlie Horse Music Pizza | 23 | 1998-08-02 | Pneumonia | 2 | Series cancelled. |
| Phil Leeds | Judge Dennis 'Happy' Boyle | Ally McBeal | 5 | 1998-08-16 | Pneumonia | 2 | Character killed off. |
| Bob Trow | Bob Dog, Robert Troll, and Harriet Elizabeth Cow | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | | 1998-11-02 | Heart attack | 29 | Characters retired. |
| Gene Siskel | Host | Siskel & Ebert | | 1999-02-20 | Complications from brain surgery | | Show renamed to Roger Ebert & the Movies, with Ebert accompanied by guest critics; Richard Roeper later joined Ebert as permanent co-host. |
| David Strickland | Todd Stities | Suddenly Susan | | 1999-03-22 | Suicide by hanging | 3 | Character written out without explanation, although an off-screen death was hinted. |
| Jill Dando | Presenter | Crimewatch | | 1999-04-26 | Murdered | | Replaced by Fiona Bruce. |
| Buster Merryfield | Uncle Albert | Only Fools & Horses | | 1999-06-23 | Brain tumour | 7 | Character killed off. |
| Bill Owen | Compo Simmonite | Last of the Summer Wine | 186 | 1999-07-12 | Pancreatic cancer | 21 | Character killed off with a heart attack and addressed in a season 22 episode. Bill Owen's son Tom Owen plays character's on screen son Tom Simmonite in following episodes. |
| Mary Kay Bergman | Liane Cartman, Sheila Broflovski, et al. | South Park | 44 | 1999-11-11 | Suicide by gunshot | 3 | Characters recast, taken over by Mona Marshall, Eliza Schneider, and later April Stewart. |
| Mary Kay Bergman | Jay Jay, Herky, Savannah, Revvin' Evan | Jay Jay the Jet Plane | 38 | 1999-11-11 | Suicide by gunshot | 2 | Characters recast; replaced by Debi Derryberry. |
| Mary Kay Bergman | Timmy Turner | Oh Yeah! Cartoons | | 1999-11-11 | Suicide by gunshot | 2 | Character recast with Tara Strong taking over the role. |
| Madeline Kahn | Pauline Fox | Cosby | 60 | 1999-12-03 | Ovarian cancer | 4 | Character presumably killed off. A special tribute episode, with Kahn's castmates giving out-of-character tributes to her, was aired a few weeks after her death. |
| Nancy Marchand | Livia Soprano | The Sopranos | | 2000-06-18 | Lung cancer and emphysema | 3 | Character killed off. |
| Myles Ferguson | Scott Linton | Edgemont | 13 | 2000-09-29 | Car accident | 1 | Character written out without explanation. |
| David Dukes | Joseph McPhee | Dawson's Creek | 7 | 2000-10-09 | Heart attack | 4 | Character written out. |
| Michael Cuccione | Jason "Q.T." McKnight | 2gether: The Series | 19 | 2001-01-13 | Respiratory failure | 2 | Series cancelled. |
| Kenneth MacDonald | Mike | Only Fools and Horses | 30 | 2001-08-07 | Heart attack | 9 | Character written out with the explanation of being in prison for fraud. |
| Kathleen Freeman | Mrs. Gordon | As Told by Ginger | | 2001-08-23 | Lung cancer | 2 | Character written out as having retired. Original ending of episode "No Hope For Courtney" was to have Mrs. Gordon come back to work as a teacher. |
| Ginzō Matsuo | Alexander T. Oyajiide | Ojamajo Doremi | | 2001-08-25 | Acute subarachnoid hemorrhage | 3 | Character recast for season 4; taken over by Nobuaki Kanemitsu. |
| Graeme Strachan | Host/Carpenter | Our House | | 2001-08-29 | Helicopter crash | 9 | A tribute episode to Shirl was aired several weeks after his death, series later cancelled. |
| Billie Lou Watt | Ma Bagge | Courage the Cowardly Dog | 6 | 2001-09-07 | Lung cancer | 3 | Character written out. |
| Natalia Derzhavina | Khryusha | Good Night, Little Ones! | 1000+ | 2002-03-10 | Heart Failure | 38 | Character recast, replaced by Oksana Chabanyuk. |
| Gordon Wharmby | Wesley Pegden | Last of the Summer Wine | 139 | 2002-05-18 | Lung cancer | 23 | Character killed off, death implied on screen in following episodes. |
| Josh Ryan Evans | Timmy Lenox | Passions | 302 | 2002-08-05 | Complications of heart surgery | 4 | Character was killed off in the episode that aired the day of his death. The character was originally planned to be brought back as an angel in later episodes, but had to be written out instead. |
| Yō Inoue | Ryo Bakura | Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters | | 2003-02-28 | lung cancer | | Character recast; replaced by Rica Matsumoto. |
| Lynne Thigpen | Ella Mae Farmer | The District | | 2003-03-12 | Cerebral hemorrhage | 3 | Character killed off from the cancer she was in remission from. Third season finale included a tribute to her character. |
| Lynne Thigpen | Luna the Moon | Bear in the Big Blue House | | 2003-03-12 | Cerebral hemorrhage | 4 | Production ended one year before her death, with last episodes airing posthumously in 2006, after three years of hiatus, replaced with Breakfast with Bear in 2005. |
| Thora Hird | Edie Pegden | Last of the Summer Wine | 152 | 2003-03-15 | Stroke | 24 | Character killed off, death implied on screen in following episodes. |
| Michael Jeter | Mr. Noodle's Brother, Mister Noodle | Sesame Street | | 2003-03-30 | Epileptic seizure | 34 | Character retired. |
| Gregory Hines | William "Big Bill" Glover | Little Bill | | 2003-08-09 | Liver cancer | 4 | Series ended. |
| Harry Goz | Captain Hazel "Hank" Murphy | Sealab 2021 | | 2003-09-06 | Multiple myeloma | 3 | Character written out as having left Sealab to fight in "The Great Spice Wars". Replaced by his son Michael as Captain Bellerophon "Tornado" Shanks. |
| Jaclyn Linetsky | Caillou | Caillou | | 2003-09-08 | Traffic accident | | Character recast; replaced by Annie Bovaird. |
| Jaclyn Linetsky | Megan O'Connor | 15/Love | 13 | 2003-09-08 | Traffic accident | 1 | Both characters killed off in a plane crash. |
| Vadim Schneider | Sébastien Dubé | 15/Love | 13 | 2003-09-08 | Traffic accident | 1 | Both characters killed off in a plane crash. |
| John Ritter | Paul Hennessy | 8 Simple Rules | | 2003-09-11 | Undiagnosed aortic dissection | 2 | Character killed off from an implied heart attack, with his character's death explained in the two-part episode "Goodbye". Two new characters, portrayed by James Garner and David Spade, were introduced to replace Ritter's character. |
| John Ritter | Clifford | Clifford the Big Red Dog | 65 | 2003-09-11 | Undiagnosed aortic dissection | 3 | Series ended five months before Ritter's death; replaced by prequel Clifford's Puppy Days (which debuted ten days before Ritter’s death) with the title character voiced by Lara Jill Miller. Later, character recast with Adam Sanders taking over the role on the 2019 revival series. |
| Tony Capstick | Policeman | Last of the Summer Wine | 33 | 2003-10-23 | | 25 | Character written out; No on-screen explanation given, and replaced by another policeman, portrayed by Louis Emerick. |
| Rod Roddy | Announcer | The Price is Right | | 2003-10-27 | Colon cancer | 32 | Replaced in April 2004 by Rich Fields (on-air auditions were held in the interim). |
| Richard Biggs | Milo Morton | Strong Medicine | | 2004-05-22 | Aortic dissection | 5 | Character killed off. |
| Richard Biggs | FBI Agent | Drake & Josh | 1 | 2004-05-22 | Aortic dissection | 2 | Biggs completed filming the episode he appeared on, "The Gary Grill", before his death, which aired posthumously and was dedicated to him. |
| David Bailey | Alistair Crane | Passions | | 2004-11-25 | drowned in his pool | 6 | Character recast with John Reilly taking over the role. |
| Jerry Orbach | Lennie Briscoe | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | 2 (Trial by Jury) 282 (all Law & Order programs) | 2004-12-28 | Prostate cancer | 1 | Character killed off; character's off-screen death mentioned on other shows within the Law & Order franchise. |
| John Vernon | Dean Toadblatt | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | 3 | 2005-02-01 | Complications from heart surgery | 5 | Character recast; replaced by Ronnie Schell. |
| Stan Richards | Seth Armstrong | Emmerdale | | 2005-02-11 | Emphysema | | Character killed off with a heart attack while flying home from Australia. |
| Richard Whiteley | Host | Countdown | | 2005-06-26 | endocarditis | | Replaced by Des Lynam. |
| Peter Jennings | Anchor | World News Tonight with Peter Jennings | | 2005-08-07 | Lung cancer | | Replaced by Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas in January 2006, and by Charles Gibson later in the year. |
| Pat Morita | Master Udon | SpongeBob SquarePants | 1 | 2005-11-24 | Kidney failure | 4 | Morita recorded dialogue for the episode "Karate Island" before his death and his character's screams and grunts performed by Tom Kenny; the episode was dedicated to him. |
| John Spencer | Leo McGarry | The West Wing | 155 | 2005-12-16 | Heart attack | 7 | Character killed off with a heart attack; running mate Matt Santos (portrayed by Jimmy Smits) wins presidential election. |
| Vernon Roberts | Papa Nichols | Drake & Josh | 1 | 2005-12-25 | Heart Attack | 3 | Roberts completed filming the episode he appeared on before his death, which aired posthumously. |
| Len Carlson | Buzz | Cyberchase | | 2006-01-26 | Heart Attack | 5 | Character recast with Philip Williams taking over the role. |
| Len Carlson | Minimus P.U., Greenbeard and Spindly Tam Kanushu | Atomic Betty | | 2006-01-26 | Heart Attack | 2 | Character recast with Dwayne Hill taking over the role. |
| Benjamin Hendrickson | Harold "Hal" Munson Jr. | As the World Turns | | 2006-07-02 | Suicide by gunshot | | Character killed off on the line of duty. |
| Mako Iwamatsu | Iroh | Avatar: The Last Airbender | 31 | 2006-07-21 | Esophageal cancer | 2 | Voice work already completed for the second season, had one non-speaking appearance in the beginning of the next season and was then recast with Greg Baldwin, who accurately imitated his predecessor's voice and voiced the character for the third and final season, along with two guest appearances in season two of the sequel series. |
| Tony Jay | Spiderus, Cloud King | Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends | 17 | 2006-08-13 | Complications from cancer surgery | 3 | Series ended. |
| Steve Irwin | Himself/Crocodile Hunter | The Crocodile Hunter | | 2006-09-04 | Fatal stingray injury | 5 | Series cancelled. In 2018, the remaining family members starred in the series, Crikey! It's the Irwins, following their work at the Australia Zoo. |
| Darlene Conley | Sally Spectra | The Bold and the Beautiful | | 2007-01-14 | Stomach cancer | | Character written out in the South of France, "surrounded by hunky cabana boys." |
| Christopher Allport | Andrew Campbell | Mad Men | | 2008-01-25 | Avalanche | 1 | Character killed off with a plane crash. |
| Ashley Callie | Lee Haines | Isidingo | 500+ | 2008-02-15 | Traffic Accident | 11 | Character went missing and later killed off-screen without specifying her cause of death. |
| Mark Speight | Presenter | SMart | 173 | 2008-04-07 | Suicide by hanging | 14 | A special tribute to Mark Speight was broadcast. Along with the final two series' new format, guest presenters appear each week to assist the two presenters, Kirsten O'Brien and Mike Fischetti. |
| Stanley Kamel | Dr. Charles Kroger | Monk | 46 | 2008-04-08 | Heart attack | | Character killed off with a heart attack and replaced as Adrian Monk's psychiatrist by Dr. Neven Bell, portrayed by Héctor Elizondo. |
| Tim Russert | Moderator | Meet the Press | | 2008-06-13 | Heart attack | | Replaced by Tom Brokaw, and later by David Gregory. |
| Clive Hornby | Jack Sugden | Emmerdale | | 2008-07-03 | Cancer | | Character killed off with a heart attack. |
| Kathy Staff | Nora Batty | Last of the Summer Wine | 246 | 2008-12-13 | Brain tumor | 29 | Character written out as visiting Australia, and replaced by Barbara Young as her sister, Stella, who is house-sitting for her. |
| Wayne Allwine | Mickey Mouse | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | 99 | 2009-05-18 | Complications caused by diabetes | 3 | Character recast for season 4; replaced by Bret Iwan as the current voice of Mickey Mouse. |
| Billy Mays | Himself (host) | PitchMen | 12 | 2009-06-28 | Hypertensive heart disease | 1 | Series continued with Anthony Sullivan becoming the sole host. |
| Maggie Jones | Blanche Hunt | Coronation Street | | 2009-12-02 | Undisclosed | | Character killed off. |
| Brittany Murphy | Luanne Platter and various characters | King of the Hill | | 2009-12-20 | Pneumonia | 13 | Original series ended before her death, revival series and fourteenth season currently in production. |
| Phil Harris | Himself | Deadliest Catch | | 2010-02-09 | Intracranial hemorrhage | 6 | Replaced by Derrick Ray as captain for the remainder of the season. |
| Charlie O'Donnell | Announcer | Wheel of Fortune | | 2010-11-01 | Heart failure | 22 | Replaced in June 2011 by Jim Thornton (on-air auditions were held in the interim). |
| Elisabeth Sladen | Sarah Jane Smith | The Sarah Jane Adventures | 53 | 2011-04-19 | Cancer | 5 | Production suspended before the commencement of filming of three planned 2-part serials, resulting in an abbreviated broadcast season and leaving some story arcs and plot points unresolved. Series later ended. |
| Ryan Dunn | Himself (host) | Proving Ground | 9 | 2011-06-20 | Car accident | 1 | Series cancelled. |
| Andy Whitfield | Spartacus | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | | 2011-09-11 | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 4 | Character recast with Liam McIntyre taking over the role. |
| Frances Bay | Aunt Ginny | The Middle | 11 | 2011-09-15 | Complications from pneumonia | 3 | Character killed off in Season 3 episode, "The Map". |
| Betty Driver | Betty Williams | Coronation Street | 2,800+ | 2011-10-15 | Pneumonia | | Character killed off with an illness. |
| Ian Abercrombie | Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 29 | 2012-01-26 | Kidney Failure | 5 | Character recast; replaced by Tim Curry. |
| Ernest Borgnine | Mermaid Man | SpongeBob SquarePants | 15 | 2012-07-08 | Kidney Failure | 8 | Character written out (alongside Barnacle Boy). |
| Jerry Nelson | The Count and other characters | Sesame Street | | 2012-08-23 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 44 | Many of Nelson's characters recast; taken over by Matt Vogel. An episode loosely inspired by Jerry's death and centered on The Count aired in 2013. |
| Larry Hagman | J.R. Ewing | Dallas | 356 (original series) 17 (revival series) | 2012-11-23 | Acute myeloid leukemia | 2 | Character killed off with two fatal gunshot wounds (a reference to the "Who shot J.R.?" cliffhanger of the original series), an episode revolving around his funeral, and an episode detailing his master plan. |
| Jenni Rivera | Herself | I Love Jenni | | 2012-12-09 | Crash of Mexico Learjet 25 | 3 | Series ended; In 2016, the remaining family members starred in the spin-off series The Riveras, which featured her daughter Chiquis Rivera. |
| Richard Collins | Philadelphia "Phil" Collins | Trailer Park Boys | 13 (excluding flims and specials) | 2013-04-15 | Heart attack | 7 | Character written out without explanation. Collins died between the series' original cancellation in 2007 and its revival in 2014; his final appearance as the character was in the 2014 feature film Trailer Park Boys: Don't Legalize It, which was dedicated to his memory. |
| Jeanne Cooper | Katherine Chancellor | The Young and the Restless | 1,296 | 2013-05-08 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 40 | Character killed off in her sleep. A tribute episode was later made in honor of Cooper. |
| Richard Thorp | Alan Turner | Emmerdale | | 2013-05-22 | | | Character killed off in his sleep. |
| James Gandolfini | John Stone | The Night of | | 2013-06-19 | Heart attack | 1 | Gandolfini was set to portray the role of John Stone. However, he died before filming began. Production delayed, character recast; replaced by John Turturro. Gandolfini was posthumously credited as executive producer. The first episode, "The Beach", which aired three years after his death was dedicated to him. |
| Cory Monteith | Finn Hudson | Glee | 81 | 2013-07-13 | Heroin and alcohol overdose | 5 | Production delayed; character killed off in the season 5 episode, "The Quarterback", without specifying cause of death. |
| Lee Thompson Young | Barold "Barry" Frost | Rizzoli & Isles | | 2013-08-19 | Suicide by gunshot | 4 | Production suspended; character was said to be on vacation at the end of the 4th season, then later killed off in a car accident on the way home and was given a funeral in a fifth-season premiere. |
| Marcia Wallace | Edna Krabappel | The Simpsons | 178 | 2013-10-25 | Pneumonia | 25 | Character retired, later killed off screen. Edna's death (which includes previously recorded dialogue by Wallace) is acknowledged in the season 25 episode "The Man Who Grew Too Much." |
| Christopher Evan Welch | Peter Gregory | Silicon Valley | 5 | 2013-12-02 | Cancer | 1 | Character killed off while taking a trip in Serengeti after suffering an implied heart attack while running away from a tent incident. |
| Ralph Waite | Jackson Gibbs | NCIS | 8 | 2014-02-13 | Natural causes | 11 | Character killed off with a stroke in Season 11 finale episode, "Honor Thy Father". Later, character recast by Robert Taylor in the prequel series, NCIS: Origins, in 2024. |
| James Rebhorn | Frank Mathison | Homeland | 8 | 2014-03-21 | Melanoma | 4 | Character killed off with a stroke while Carrie is working overseas, the season 4 finale was dedicated to him. |
| Walter Massey | Principal Haney | Arthur | | 2014-08-04 | Undisclosed | 19 | Character written out as having moved to Tanzania to build a school. |
| Don Pardo | Announcer | Saturday Night Live | 726 | 2014-08-18 | Natural causes | 38 | Replaced by former SNL cast member Darrell Hammond. |
| Joan Rivers | Host | Fashion Police | | 2014-09-04 | Anoxic encephalopathy due to hypoxic arrest | 5 | Replaced by Kathy Griffin, and later by NeNe Leakes and Margaret Cho. |
| Joan Rivers | Bubbe | Arthur | 2 | 2014-09-04 | Anoxic encephalopathy due to hypoxic arrest | 19 | Character killed off in the season 25 episode "Listen Up!". |
| Carol Ann Susi | Debbie Wolowitz | The Big Bang Theory | 39 | 2014-11-11 | Cancer | 8 | Character killed off in her sleep while on vacation in Florida. |
| Warren Clarke | Charles Poldark | Poldark | 4 | 2014-11-12 | Died in his sleep following a short illness | 1 | Character killed off in his sleep while on his deathbed in Season 1, Episode 4. |
| Anne Kirkbride | Deirdre Barlow | Coronation Street | 1,439 | 2015-01-19 | Breast cancer | | Character killed off, possibly with brain aneurysm. |
| Monty Oum | Lie Ren | RWBY | | 2015-02-01 | allergic reaction | 3 | Character recast; taken over by his older brother Neath Oum as the current voice of Lie Ren. |
| Shirley Stelfox | Edna Birch | Emmerdale | | 2015-12-07 | Cancer | | Character killed off with ovarian cancer. |
| Yūko Mizutani | Sakiko Sakura | Chibi Maruko-chan | | 2016-05-17 | Breast cancer | | Character recast with Machiko Toyoshima taking over the role. |
| Alan Young | Scrooge McDuck | Mickey Mouse | 2 | 2016-05-19 | Natural causes | 3 | Character recast; taken over by John Kassir. |
| Anton Yelchin | Jim Lake Jr. | Trollhunters | | 2016-06-19 | Blunt force trauma | 3 | Character recast; role taken over during season 3 by Emile Hirsch. The series premiered in December 2016, six months after his death. Yelchin had recorded dialogue for three seasons, the last of which aired in 2018. |
| John McLaughlin | Host | The McLaughlin Group | | 2016-08-16 | Prostate cancer | | Series ended. |
| Carrie Fisher | Angela | Family Guy | 32 | 2016-12-27 | Cardiac arrest | 15 | Character killed off with an implied drowning in Season 17 episode, Pawtucket Pete. |
| Carrie Fisher | Mia | Catastrophe | 6 | 2016-12-27 | Cardiac arrest | 4 | Character killed off in Season 4, Episode 6. |
| Miguel Ferrer | Owen Granger | NCIS: Los Angeles | 105 | 2017-01-19 | Throat cancer | 8 | Character killed off by dying under a tree after battling cancer. |
| Miguel Ferrer | Albert Rosenfield | Twin Peaks | 8 (original series) 11 (revival series) | 2017-01-19 | Throat cancer | 3 | Miniseries. Filmed before his death. |
| Miguel Ferrer | Stretch Monster | Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters | 10 | 2017-01-19 | Throat cancer | 1 | Character recast; replaced by David Kaye. |
| Bill Paxton | Detective Frank Rourke | Training Day | 13 | 2017-02-25 | Complications from heart surgery | 1 | Series cancelled. |
| Charlie Murphy | Victor "Vic" Hargrove | Black Jesus | 21 | 2017-04-12 | Leukemia | 2 | Character written out. |
| Glenne Headly | Diane Futterman | Future Man | 5 | 2017-06-08 | Pulmonary embolism | 1 | Character killed off. |
| Adam West | Mayor West | Family Guy | 117 | 2017-06-10 | Leukemia | 15 | Character killed off and has appeared as a ghost. West had recorded his voice for 5 episodes for season 16, which aired posthumously. |
| John Dunsworth | Jim Lahey | Trailer Park Boys | 99 | 2017-10-16 | Undisclosed | 12 | Series ended. Replaced with Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series. |
| Hiromi Tsuru | Bulma | Dragon Ball Super | | 2017-11-16 | aortic dissection | | Character recast; replaced by Aya Hisakawa for all future Dragon Ball roles. |
| Hiromi Tsuru | Dokin-chan | Soreike! Anpanman | | 2017-11-16 | aortic dissection | | Character recast; replaced by Miina Tominaga. |
| Reg E. Cathey | James Lucas | Luke Cage | 7 | 2018-02-09 | Lung cancer | 2 | Series cancelled. |
| Reg E. Cathey | Captain Quaid | Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure | 2 | 2018-02-09 | Lung cancer | 2 | Episodes Cathey appeared on aired posthumously. |
| DuShon Monique Brown | Connie | Chicago Fire | 59 | 2018-03-23 | Sepsis | 6 | Character written out and she became a Counsellor. |
| Anthony Bourdain | Himself (host) | Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown | | 2018-06-08 | Suicide | | Series ended. |
| Barry Elliott | Barry Chuckle | Chuckle Time | 12 | 2018-08-05 | Bone cancer | 1 | Series cancelled. |
| Unshō Ishizuka | Narrator, Professor Oak, et al. | Pokémon | 1,032 | 2018-08-13 | Esophageal cancer | 21 | Characters recast; roles taken over by Kenyu Horiuchi. |
| Scott Wilson | Hershel Greene | The Walking Dead | 33 | 2018-10-06 | Leukemia | 9 | Character was already killed off in the season 4 episode, "Too Far Gone", which aired five years before Wilson's death, Wilson reprised his role as Hershel in a dream sequence in the season 9 episode, "What Comes After", which was filmed before his death and aired on November 4, 2018, a month after his death. |
| Scott Wilson | Abel Johnson | The OA | 9 | 2018-10-06 | Leukemia | 2 | Series cancelled. |
| Stan Lee | Mr. Frederickson, Fred's father | Big Hero 6: The Series | 6 | 2018-11-12 | Respiratory failure | 2 | Production competed on the first and second seasons before his death. The episode "Supersonic Sue" was dedicated to him. |
| Ricky Jay | T.H. Vignetti | Sneaky Pete | 9 | 2018-11-24 | Natural causes | 3 | Series cancelled. |
| Kristoff St. John | Neil Winters | The Young and the Restless | 1,697 | 2019-02-03 | Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | 46 | Character killed off with a stroke. |
| Luke Perry | Fred Andrews | Riverdale | 42 | 2019-03-04 | Stroke | 3 | Character killed off with an off-screen hit-and-run accident in the season 4 premiere. |
| Cameron Boyce | Zach | Mrs. Fletcher | 5 | 2019-07-06 | Epileptic seizure | 1 | Miniseries. Completed before his death. |
| Cameron Boyce | Simon Ostergaard | Paradise City | 8 | 2019-07-06 | Epileptic seizure | 1 | Series premiered two years after his death, series renewed for second season in 2021, but no updates have been announced since then. |
| Russi Taylor | Minnie Mouse | Mickey Mouse | 61 | 2019-07-26 | Colon cancer | 5 | Series ended; replaced by The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse with Minnie recast by Kaitlyn Robrock. |
| Russi Taylor | Minnie Mouse | Mickey and the Roadster Racers | 70 | 2019-07-26 | Colon cancer | 2 | Character recast; taken over by Kaitlyn Robrock. |
| Russi Taylor | Various characters (most notably Martin Prince and Sherri and Terri) | The Simpsons | 193 | 2019-07-26 | Colon cancer | 30 | Certain characters recast, including Martin Prince, Sherri and Terri; taken over by Grey DeLisle. |
| Linda Porter | Myrtle Vartanian | Superstore | 35 | 2019-09-25 | Cancer | 5 | Character killed off. |
| John Witherspoon | Lloyd Hamilton | Black Jesus | 31 | 2019-10-29 | Heart attack | 3 | Series cancelled. |
| Brian Tarantina | Jacopo "Jackie" Dellapietra | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | 16 | 2019-11-02 | | 3 | Character killed off of a stroke in the season 4 episode "Everything is Bellmore". |
| Cha In-ha | Joo Won-seok | Love with Flaws | | 2019-12-03 | Suicide | 1 | Series ended. |
| Brian Dennehy | Dominic Wilkinson | The Blacklist | 9 | 2020-04-15 | Cardiac arrest due to sepsis | 7 | Character recast; taken over by Ron Raines in the season 8 premiere. Later, character killed off from his injuries. |
| Fred Willard | Albert "Pop-Pop" Johnson | The Loud House | 7 | 2020-05-15 | Heart attack | 5 | Character recast; replaced by Christopher Swindle for the episode "Resident Upheaval" and later by Piotr Michael. |
| Fred Willard | Fred Naird | Space Force | 3 | 2020-05-15 | Heart attack | 1 | Character killed off. |
| Naya Rivera | Collette Jones | Step Up | 20 | 2020-07-08 | Accidental drowning | 3 | Character recast; taken over by Christina Milian. Later, series cancelled. |
| Haruma Miura | Keita Saruwatari | Love Begins When the Money Ends | 4 | 2020-07-18 | Suicide by hanging | | Miniseries. |
| Chadwick Boseman | T'Challa / Star-Lord | What If...? | 4 | 2020-08-28 | Colon cancer | 1 | Character written out as having returned to his own universe. Later, character killed off in the 2022 film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. |
| Diana Rigg | Mrs Pumphrey | All Creatures Great and Small | 2 | 2020-09-10 | Cancer | 1 | Character recast; taken over by Patricia Hodge. |
| Archie Lyndhurst | Ollie Coulton | So Awkward | 6 | 2020-09-22 | Brain hemorrhage caused by acute lymphoblastic leukemia | 6 | Character written out. |
| Clark Middleton | Glen Carter | The Blacklist | 13 | 2020-10-04 | West Nile Virus | 8 | Character killed off with West Nile Virus. |
| Bobby Ball | Frank | Not Going Out | 21 | 2020-10-28 | COVID-19 | 11 | Character killed off-screen. |
| Alex Trebek | Host | Jeopardy! | 8000+ | 2020-11-08 | Pancreatic cancer | 37 | A series of interim hosts served as temporary replacements for the remainder of season 37; except for the first week where Mike Richards was host, Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings served as longer-term interim hosts for season 38. This arrangement was made permanent for season 39. |
| Kirby Morrow | Cole | Lego Ninjago | | 2020-11-18 | Accidental substance overdose | 14 | Character recast; taken over by Andrew Francis. |
| Christopher Plummer | Howard Lawson | Departure | 12 | 2021-02-05 | Complications from a fall | 2 | Character written out without explanation. |
| George Segal | Albert 'Pops' Solomon | The Goldbergs | | 2021-03-23 | Complications from bypass surgery | 8 | Character killed off. |
| Jessica Walter | Malory Archer | Archer | 110 | 2021-03-24 | Undisclosed | 12 | Walter finished recording lines for the twelfth season prior to her death, with the season ending with her character retiring to an unlocated island with her husband. |
| Helen McCrory | Elizabeth 'Polly' Gray (née Shelby) | Peaky Blinders | 30 | 2021-04-14 | Breast cancer | 6 | Character killed off, was assassinated before first episode of season 6. |
| Helen McCrory | Stelmaria, Asriel's dæmon | His Dark Materials | 4 | 2021-04-14 | Breast cancer | 3 | Character recast; taken over by Victoria Hamilton. |
| Lisa Banes | Speria Balask | The Orville | 4 | 2021-06-14 | Traumatic brain injury after struck by an electric scooter | 3 | TBD. Fourth season currently in production. |
| Philece Sampler | Rokuta Kamado | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (English dub) | 1 | 2021-07-01 | Heart attack | 2 | Series ended in 2024. |
| Philece Sampler | Sabine Cheng and Ms. Mendeleiev | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (English dub) | | 2021-07-01 | Heart attack | 4 | Characters recast; replaced as Sabine by Anne Yatco. Ms. Mendeleiev's new actress is currently unknown. |
| Sean Lock | Team Captain | 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | | 2021-08-16 | Cancer | 22 | Series continued with several guest star teams. |
| Ed Asner | Carl Fredricksen | Dug Days | 5 | 2021-08-29 | Natural causes | 1 | Series premiered three days after his death. Series later cancelled. |
| Michael K. Williams | Smokey Greenwood | F Is for Family | 18 | 2021-09-07 | Acute combined drug intoxication | 5 | Series ended. |
| Norm Macdonald | Yaphit | The Orville | 22 | 2021-09-14 | Acute leukemia | 3 | TBD. Fourth season currently in production. |
| Willie Garson | Stanford Blatch | And Just Like That... | 27 (original series as Sex and the City) 3 (revival series) | 2021-09-21 | Pancreatic cancer | 1 | Character written out as having moved to Tokyo. |
| Octavio Ocaña | Benito Rivers | Vecinos | 195 | 2021-10-29 | Gunshot wound | 12 | Character written out to have moved after landing a role for a television series. |
| Will Ryan | Willie the Giant | Mickey Mouse Funhouse | 5 | 2021-11-19 | Cancer | 1 | Character recast; taken over by Brock Powell. |
| Kim Mi-soo | Yeo Jeong-min | Snowdrop | 7 | 2022-01-05 | Undisclosed | 1 | Series ended. |
| Gaspard Ulliel | Anton Mogart | Moon Knight | 1 | 2022-01-19 | Skiing accident | 1 | Completed filming three months before his death. He appeared as a guest star on the third episode, "The Friendly Type", which aired two months after his death, on April 13, 2022, and was dedicated to him. |
| Gaspard Ulliel | Jérôme Attias | Of Money and Blood | 12 | 2022-01-19 | Skiing accident | 1 | Ulliel was on a break from filming the miniseries at the time of his death. Still had 84 more days of filming left. Production delayed; character recast; replaced by Niels Schneider. |
| Lindsey Pearlman | Karen | Haus of Vicious | 6 | 2022-02-18 | Suicide by intentional overdose of sodium nitrite. | 1 | Series premiered six months after her death, character's fate unknown. |
| Lindsey Pearlman | Martha | The Ms. Pat Show | 4 | 2022-02-18 | Suicide by intentional overdose of sodium nitrite. | 2 | Character written out. |
| William Hurt | Stephen Holstrom | Pantheon | 8 | 2022-03-12 | Prostate cancer | 1 | Character killed off from cancer in the season 2 episode, "Apokalypsis". |
| Papangkorn Rerkchalermpoj | Coach Eak | Thai Cave Rescue | 6 | 2022-03-23 | Died in his sleep | | Miniseries. |
| Gilbert Gottfried | Digit and Widget | Cyberchase | 86 | 2022-04-12 | Ventricular tachycardia | 13 | Character recast; replaced by Ron Pardo. |
| Robert Morse | Santa Claus | Teen Titans Go! | 10 | 2022-04-20 | Heart failure | | Character recast, replaced by Fred Tatasciore. |
| Mike Hagerty | Ed Miller | Somebody Somewhere | 6 | 2022-05-05 | Seizure caused by antibiotics | 2 | Character written out, Hagerty was paid tribute in the season 2 finale with his character's absence explained to have been on a boat trip. |
| Marnie Schulenburg | Maggie Caysen | City on a Hill | 6 | 2022-05-17 | Breast cancer | 3 | Series cancelled. |
| Ray Liotta | James "Big Jim" Keene | Black Bird | 6 | 2022-05-26 | Heart failure and pulmonary edema | 1 | Miniseries. Filmed a year before his death. |
| Billy Kametz | Ren and Ash's Rotom Phone | Pokémon (English dub) | 65 | 2022-06-09 | Colon cancer | 25 | Character recast; taken over by Barrett Leddy. |
| Billy Kametz | Niccolo | Attack on Titan (English dub) | 8 | 2022-06-09 | Colon cancer | 4 | Series ended. |
| Billy Kametz | Naofumi Iwatani | Rising of the Shield Hero (English dub) | | 2022-06-09 | Colon cancer | 2 | Character recast; taken over by Stephen Fu. |
| Billy Kametz | Macaque | Lego Monkie Kid | 37 | 2022-06-09 | Colon cancer | 4 | Character recast; taken over by Alejandro Saab. |
| Jak Knight | DeVon | Big Mouth | 28 | 2022-07-14 | Suicide by gunshot | 6 | Character written out without explanation. |
| Paul Sorvino | Frank Costello | Godfather of Harlem | 11 | 2022-07-25 | Undisclosed | 3 | Character written out without explanation. |
| Bernard Cribbins | Wilfred Mott | Doctor Who | 10 | 2022-07-28 | Undisclosed | 1 | Cribbins posthumously appeared in the 60th anniversary special, "Wild Blue Yonder", as he had filmed his scenes for the special shortly before his death. |
| Anne Heche | Jocelyn's mother | The Idol | 6 | 2022-08-12 | Injuries caused by motor vehicle crash | 1 | Character written out and scenes with her character filmed before her death were deleted. |
| Coolio | Kwanzaa-bot | Futurama | 4 | 2022-09-28 | Accidental fentanyl overdose | 8 | Recorded his lines for the revival before his death. 9th season currently in production. |
| Leslie Jordan | Phil | Call Me Kat | 39 | 2022-10-24 | Sudden cardiac dysfunction | 3 | Character written out as having moved to Tahiti. Jordan completed filming on eight episodes for the third season before his death, four of which aired posthumously. |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Himself/Judge | So You Think You Can Dance | | 2022-12-13 | Suicide | 17 | Replaced by a new judging panel. |
| Ignacio López Tarso | Don Lorenzo | Vecinos | 4 | 2023-03-11 | Pneumonia | 14 | Character killed off in season 15. His final appearance in Vecinos was the season 14 episode "Foto familiar", originally aired eight days after his death. |
| Lance Reddick | Zeus | Percy Jackson and the Olympians | 1 | 2023-03-16 | Heart disease | 1 | Filming completed before his death, the episode he appeared on, "The Prophecy Comes True", premiered ten months after his death, and was dedicated to his memory. Later, character recast by Courtney B. Vance in season 2. |
| Lance Reddick | Lex Luthor | Kite Man: Hell Yeah! | | 2023-03-16 | Heart disease | 1 | TBD. Series premiered over a year after his death. |
| Marion Game | Huguette | Scènes de ménages | 1504+ | 2023-03-23 | | 14 | Character killed off. |
| Charles Stanley | Host | In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley | | 2023-04-18 | | 27 | Series ended. |
| Jock Zonfrillo | Host/Judge | MasterChef Australia | 234 | 2023-04-30 | Undisclosed | 15 | Replaced by a new judging panel. |
| Jacklyn Zeman | Bobbie Spencer | General Hospital | 1,201 | 2023-05-10 | Cancer | 50 | Character killed off. |
| Ray Stevenson | Baylan Skroll | Ahsoka | 8 | 2023-05-21 | | 1 | Character recast by Rory McCann in season 2. |
| Treat Williams | Lenny Ross | Blue Bloods | 6 | 2023-06-12 | Motorcycle accident | 14 | Character killed off from cancer in the season 14 episode, "Fear No Evil". |
| Treat Williams | William S. Paley | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans | 8 | 2023-06-12 | Motorcycle accident | 1 | Miniseries. Filmed before his death. |
| Angus Cloud | Fezco "Fez" O'Neill | Euphoria | 16 | 2023-07-31 | Drug overdose caused by acute intoxication | 3 | TBD. Third season currently in production. |
| Johnny Hardwick | Dale Gribble | King of the Hill | 258 | 2023-08-08 | Undisclosed | 14 | Recorded his lines for the revival before his death. Fourteenth season currently in production. |
| Ron Cephas Jones | Elijah Muhammad | Genius: MLK/X | 8 | 2023-08-19 | | 4 | Miniseries. |
| David McCallum | Donald "Ducky" Mallard | NCIS | 372 | 2023-09-25 | Natural causes | 21 | Character killed off in his sleep in the season 21 episode, "The Stories We Leave Behind". |
| Haydn Gwynne | Queen Camilla | The Windsors | 20 | 2023-10-20 | Cancer | 4 | TBD. Fourth season currently in production. |
| Andre Braugher | A. B. Wyner | The Residence | 4 | 2023-12-11 | Lung cancer | 1 | Character recast; replaced by Giancarlo Esposito. |
| Steve Halliwell | Zak Dingle | Emmerdale | 2,795 | 2023-12-15 | Undisclosed | | Character killed off. |
| Kamar de los Reyes | Hector Ayala / White Tiger | Daredevil: Born Again | | 2023-12-24 | Cancer | 1 | TBD. |
| Kamar de los Reyes | Coach Montes | All American | 8 | 2023-12-24 | Cancer | 6 | TBD. Seventh season currently in production. |
| Adan Canto | Arman Morales | The Cleaning Lady | 26 | 2024-01-08 | Appendiceal cancer | 3 | Character killed off by sacrificing himself in the season 3 episode, "El Reloj". |
| Bill Hayes | Doug Williams | Days of Our Lives | 2,141 | 2024-01-12 | Undisclosed | 59 | His final appearance premiered on July 11, 2024, six months after his death. His onscreen death occurred on the November 28, 2024 episode. |
| Carl Weathers | Greef Karga | The Mandalorian | 10 | 2024-02-01 | Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease | 4 | TBD. Fourth season currently in production. |
| Kenneth Mitchell | Joe | The Old Man | 3 | 2024-02-24 | ALS | 2 | Series cancelled. |
| Tarako | Momoko "Maruko" Sakura | Chibi Maruko-chan | 1,421 | 2024-03-04 | Undisclosed | 34 | Character recast, replaced by Kokoro Kikuchi. |
| Chance Perdomo | Andre Anderson | Gen V | 8 | 2024-03-29 | Motorcycle accident | 2 | Production delayed, filming for the second season begin in May 2024, with Perdomo's character not recast. |
| Cole Brings Plenty | Pete Plenty Clouds | 1923 | 2 | 2024-04-04 | Undisclosed | 2 | TBD. Second season currently in production. |
| Brian McCardie | Isaac Grant | Outlander: Blood of My Blood | 10 | 2024-04-28 | Aortic dissection | 1 | TBD. First season currently in production. |
| Bernard Hill | Tom Carson | The Responder | 5 | 2024-05-05 | Undisclosed | 2 | TBD. Season 2 premiere aired on the day of his death. |
| Philip Williams | Buzz | Cyberchase | | 2024-09-08 | Undisclosed | 15 | TBD. |
| David Graham | Grandpa Pig and Mr. Zebra the Postman | Peppa Pig | 95 | 2024-09-20 | Undisclosed | 8 | TBD. |
| Drake Hogestyn | John Black | Days of Our Lives | | 2024-09-28 | Pancreatic cancer | 59 | His final appearance premiered on September 9, 2024, two weeks before his death, character to be written out. |
| Paul Teal | Pastor Pete | The Hunting Wives | 6 | 2024-11-15 | Neuroendocrine tumor | 1 | TBD. |
| Linda Lavin | Sybil Schneiderman | Mid-Century Modern | 7 | 2024-12-29 | Lung cancer | 1 | Died during production of the first season. Completed seven episodes of a ten-episode order before her death. Series to premiere three months after her death, with character to be written out in the episode, "Here's to You, Mrs. Schneiderman". |
| Linda Lavin | Phyllis | No Good Deed | 3 | 2024-12-29 | Lung cancer | 1 | TBD. |
| Lynne Marie Stewart | Bonnie Kelly | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | 18 | 2025-02-21 | Undisclosed | 17 | TBD. |