# 1980 in film

The following is an overview of events in 1980 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

## Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1980 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
Highest-grossing films of 1980 :
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
| 1 | The Empire Strikes Back | 20th Century Fox | $209,398,025 |
| 2 | 9 to 5 | 20th Century Fox | $103,290,500 |
| 3 | Stir Crazy | Columbia | $101,300,000 |
| 4 | Airplane! | Paramount | $83,453,539 |
| 5 | Any Which Way You Can | Warner Bros. | $70,687,344 |
| 6 | Private Benjamin | Warner Bros. | $69,847,348 |
| 7 | Coal Miner's Daughter | Universal | $67,182,787 |
| 8 | Smokey and the Bandit II | Universal | $66,132,626 |
| 9 | The Blue Lagoon | Columbia | $58,853,106 |
| 10 | The Blues Brothers | Universal | $57,229,890 |

## Worldwide gross revenue

The following table lists known worldwide gross revenue figures for several high-grossing films that originally released in 1980. Note that this list is incomplete and is therefore not representative of the highest-grossing films worldwide in 1980.
| Title | Gross | Country |
| The Empire Strikes Back | $538,375,067 | United States |
| The Gods Must Be Crazy | $200,000,000 | South Africa |
| Airplane! | $130,000,000 | United States |
| The Blues Brothers | $115,229,890 | United States |

## Events

* April 29 – Sir Alfred Hitchcock, known as "the Master of Suspense", dies at his home in Bel Air, California, at the age of 80.
* May 21 – The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the highest-grossing film of the year (just as its predecessor, Star Wars, was three years prior).
* June 9 – Richard Pryor sets himself on fire while free-basing cocaine and drinking 151-proof rum. Pryor ran down his street in Northridge, California, until subdued by police.
* June 20 – The Blues Brothers is released, and in addition to becoming one of the top-grossing films of the year, it also became the first feature film to be based on characters created on Saturday Night Live.
* November 4 – Former Screen Actors Guild president and film actor Ronald Reagan wins the 1980 United States presidential election in a landslide victory.
* November 7- Legendary actor Steve McQueen dies at the age of 50 after surgery to remove tumours in his neck after previously been diagnosed with lung cancer.
* November 19 – Heaven's Gate becomes one of the biggest box office bombs of all-time and its colossal failure bankrupts United Artists.
* Allied Artists is sold to Lorimar Productions.

## Context

Industry professionals predicted comedy films and upbeat entertainment to dominate theaters in 1980. This was a response to poor morale in a nation suffering through economic recession, which generally increased theatrical visits as audiences sought escapism and ignored romantic films and depictions of blue-collar life. The financial success and low cost of production cost of comedies such as Blazing Saddles (1974) and Animal House (1978), had further driven demand for comedies; Airplane!, The Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, and The Jerk, were all scheduled for release that year. The average cost of making films had risen to $6 million which had reduced the number of films being made for niche audiences. Some studios continued to release a wide variety of films, hoping that few significant successes would compensate for other failures.
A surge of interest in science-fiction following Star Wars' release had led to many low-budget entries in the genre attempting to profit by association, and big budget entries such as Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Black Hole, both of which were released in late 1979, just months before The Empire Strikes Back.

## Awards

| Category/Organization | 38th Golden Globe Awards January 31, 1981 | 38th Golden Globe Awards January 31, 1981 | 34th BAFTA Awards March 22, 1981 | 53rd Academy Awards March 31, 1981 |
| Category/Organization | Drama | Musical or Comedy | 34th BAFTA Awards March 22, 1981 | 53rd Academy Awards March 31, 1981 |
| Best Film | Ordinary People | Coal Miner's Daughter | The Elephant Man | Ordinary People |
| Best Director | Robert Redford Ordinary People | Robert Redford Ordinary People | Akira Kurosawa Kagemusha | Robert Redford Ordinary People |
| Best Actor | Robert De Niro Raging Bull | Ray Sharkey The Idolmaker | John Hurt The Elephant Man | Robert De Niro Raging Bull |
| Best Actress | Mary Tyler Moore Ordinary People | Sissy Spacek Coal Miner's Daughter | Judy Davis My Brilliant Career | Sissy Spacek Coal Miner's Daughter |
| Best Supporting Actor | Timothy Hutton Ordinary People | Timothy Hutton Ordinary People | N/A | Timothy Hutton Ordinary People |
| Best Supporting Actress | Mary Steenburgen Melvin and Howard | Mary Steenburgen Melvin and Howard | N/A | Mary Steenburgen Melvin and Howard |
| Best Screenplay, Adapted | William Peter Blatty The Ninth Configuration | William Peter Blatty The Ninth Configuration | Jerzy Kosinski Being There | Alvin Sargent Ordinary People |
| Best Screenplay, Original | William Peter Blatty The Ninth Configuration | William Peter Blatty The Ninth Configuration | Jerzy Kosinski Being There | Bo Goldman Melvin and Howard |
| Best Original Score | Dominic Frontiere The Stunt Man | Dominic Frontiere The Stunt Man | John Williams The Empire Strikes Back | Michael Gore Fame |
| Best Original Song | "Fame" Fame | "Fame" Fame | N/A | "Fame" Fame |
| Best Foreign Language Film | Tess | Tess | N/A | Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears |
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
    All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse, United States
    Kagemusha, 影武者 (Shadow Warrior), directed by Akira Kurosawa, Japan
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
    Atlantic City, directed by Louis Malle, US / Canada / France
    Gloria, directed by John Cassavetes, United States
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
    Heartland, directed by Richard Pearce, United States
    Palermo or Wolfsburg (Palermo oder Wolfsburg), directed by Werner Schroeter, West Germany

## Notable films released in 1980

United States unless stated
* 9 to 5, directed by Colin Higgins, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman

### A

* Agency, starring Robert Mitchum, Lee Majors, Valerie Perrine – (Canada)
* Airplane!, starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
* Alien Dead, directed by Fred Olen Ray, starring Buster Crabbe
* Alligator, directed by Lewis Teague, starring Robert Forster, Robin Riker, and Michael Gazzo
* Altered States, directed by Ken Russell, starring William Hurt and Blair Brown
* American Gigolo, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton and Héctor Elizondo
* Antropophagus, directed by Joe D'Amato, starring George Eastman, Tisa Farrow, Zora Kerova, Saverio Vallone, and Serena Grandi (Italy)
* Any Which Way You Can, directed by Buddy Van Horn, starring Clint Eastwood, Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith, Barry Corbin, Ruth Gordon
* Arrebato (Rapture), directed by Ivan Zulueta, starring Eusebio Poncela, and Cecilia Roth (Spain)
* Atlantic City (Released in the U.S. in 1981), directed by Louis Malle, starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon – (Canada/France) – Golden Lion winner
* The Awakening, starring Charlton Heston, Susannah York and Stephanie Zimbalist – (U.K.)

### B

* Babylon, starring Brinsley Forde – (U.K.)
* A Bad Son (un mauvais fils), directed by Claude Sautet – (France)
* Bad Timing, directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring Art Garfunkel, Theresa Russell, Denholm Elliott, Harvey Keitel – (U.K.)
* The Baltimore Bullet, starring James Coburn
* Berlin Alexanderplatz, a TV mini-series directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Gunther Lamprecht, Hanna Schygulla, Barbara Sukowa – (West Germany)
* The Big Brawl, starring Jackie Chan – (Hong Kong/United States)
* The Big Red One, directed by Samuel Fuller, starring Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine
* Bizalom (Confidence), directed by István Szabó – (Hungary)
* The Black Marble, directed by Harold Becker, starring Robert Foxworth, Paula Prentiss, Harry Dean Stanton
* The Blood of Hussain, directed by Jamil Dehlavi – (Pakistan)
* The Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins
* The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis, starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Henry Gibson
* Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)
* Borderline, directed by Jerrold Freedman, starring Charles Bronson, Wilford Brimley, Bruno Kirby, Ed Harris, Kenneth McMillan, John Ashton
* Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford, starring Edward Woodward – (Australia)
* Bronco Billy, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Sam Bottoms, Scatman Crothers
* Brubaker, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, starring Robert Redford, David Keith, Jane Alexander, Yaphet Kotto

### C

* Caboblanco, directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Dominique Sanda
* Caddyshack, directed by Harold Ramis, starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, Bill Murray
* The Candidate (Der Kandidat), directed by Volker Schlöndorff – (West Germany)
* Cannibal Holocaust, directed by Ruggero Deodato, starring Robert Kerman – (Italy)
* Can't Stop the Music, directed by Nancy Walker, starring Valerie Perrine, Caitlyn Jenner, Steve Guttenberg, Village People
* Carny, starring Jodie Foster, Gary Busey and Robbie Robertson
* Chann Pardesi, starring Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Om Puri – (India)
* A Change of Seasons, starring Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Hopkins, Bo Derek
* The Changeling, starring George C. Scott – (Canada)
* Cheech & Chong's Next Movie
* Children's Island (Barnens ö) – (Sweden)
* La Cicala (The Cicada), starring Anthony Franciosa and Virna Lisi – (Italy)
* City of Women (La città delle donne), directed by Federico Fellini, starring Marcello Mastroianni – (Italy)
* The Club, starring Jack Thompson – (Australia)
* Coal Miner's Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones
* The Competition, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving, Lee Remick, Sam Wanamaker
* The Constant Factor (Constans) – (Poland)
* The Crime of Cuenca (El crimen de Cuenca) – (Spain)
* Cruising, directed by William Friedkin, starring Al Pacino
* Cutting It Short (Postřižiny), directed by Jiří Menzel – (Czechoslovakia)

### D

* Dadar Kirti (Deeds of My Elder Brother) – (India)
* Death Watch (La Mort en direct), directed by Bertrand Tavernier, starring Romy Schneider and Harvey Keitel – (France)
* Delusion directed by Alan Beattie, starring Patricia Pearcy and Joseph Cotten
* Die Laughing, starring Robby Benson and Bud Cort
* Dinosaurs, directed by Will Vinton
* The Dogs of War, starring Christopher Walken – (US/UK)
* Dostana (Friendship), starring Amitabh Bachchan – (India)
* Dressed to Kill, directed by Brian De Palma, starring Michael Caine, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Angie Dickinson

### E

* Elisita – (Spain)
* The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch, starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins – (US/UK)
* The Empire Strikes Back, directed by Irvin Kershner, starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
* Encounters of the Spooky Kind (Gui da gui), directed by and starring Sammo Hung – (Hong Kong)
* Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie)), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jacques Dutronc and Isabelle Huppert – (France)
* The Exterminator, starring Robert Ginty and Samantha Eggar

### F

* Fade to Black, starring Dennis Christopher
* The Falls, directed by Peter Greenaway – (U.K.)
* Fame, directed by Alan Parker, starring Irene Cara
* Fatso, directed by and starring Anne Bancroft, with Dom DeLuise
* The Final Countdown, starring Kirk Douglas, Katharine Ross, Martin Sheen
* The First Deadly Sin, starring Frank Sinatra, David Dukes, Martin Gabel, Brenda Vaccaro, Faye Dunaway
* First Family, directed by Buck Henry, starring Bob Newhart, Madeline Kahn, Gilda Radner
* Flash Gordon, directed by Mike Hodges, starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Chaim Topol – (US/UK)
* The Fog, directed by John Carpenter, starring Adrienne Barbeau and Jamie Lee Curtis
* Foolin' Around, starring Gary Busey, Annette O'Toole, Eddie Albert, Cloris Leachman
* The Formula, starring George C. Scott and Marlon Brando
* Foxes, directed by Adrian Lyne, starring Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Scott Baio and Adam Faith
* Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Harry Crosby

### G

* The Gamekeeper, directed by Ken Loach – (U.K.)
* Gamera: Super Monster (Uchu Kaijū Gamera) – (Japan)
* Germany, Pale Mother (Deutschland bleiche Mutter), starring Eva Mattes – (West Germany)
* Gilda Live, starring Gilda Radner, Father Guido Sarducci
* Gloria, directed by John Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands – Golden Lion winner
* The Gods Must Be Crazy, directed by Jamie Uys, starring N!xau, Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers – (South Africa)
* Good Riddance (Les Bons débarras) – (Canada)
* The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, a mockumentary directed by Julien Temple, featuring The Sex Pistols and Malcolm McLaren – (U.K.)

### H

* Hangar 18, starring Darren McGavin and Robert Vaughn
* Health, a.k.a. H.E.A.L.T.H., directed by Robert Altman, starring Carol Burnett, Lauren Bacall, Glenda Jackson, James Garner
* Heart Beat, starring Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, John Heard
* He Knows You're Alone, starring Don Scardino and Caitlin O'Heaney
* Heaven's Gate, directed by Michael Cimino, starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Jeff Bridges
* Herbie Goes Bananas, directed by Vincent McEveety, starring Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman and Charles Martin Smith
* Hero at Large, starring John Ritter and Anne Archer
* Hey Babe!, starring Yasmine Bleeth and Buddy Hackett – (Canada)
* Hirak Rajar Deshe (Kingdom of Diamonds), directed by Satyajit Ray – (India)
* The Hit (Trhák) – (Czechoslovakia)
* Home Movies, directed by Brian De Palma, starring Kirk Douglas, Vincent Gardenia, Gerrit Graham, Nancy Allen
* Hopscotch, directed by Ronald Neame, starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson
* How to Beat the High Cost of Living, starring Susan Saint James, Jessica Lange, Jane Curtin, Dabney Coleman, Richard Benjamin
* Humanoids from the Deep, starring Vic Morrow, Doug McClure, Ann Turkel
* The Hunter, starring Steve McQueen (in his final film), Kathryn Harrold, LeVar Burton, Ben Johnson, Eli Wallach

### I

* The Idolmaker, directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Ray Sharkey and Peter Gallagher
* Inferno, directed by Dario Argento – (Italy)
* Inside Moves, directed by Richard Donner, starring John Savage, David Morse, Diana Scarwid
* The Island, directed by Michael Ritchie, starring Michael Caine
* It's My Turn, directed by Claudia Weill, starring Jill Clayburgh, Michael Douglas, Charles Grodin

### J

* The Jazz Singer, starring Neil Diamond, Lucie Arnaz, Laurence Olivier
* Just Tell Me What You Want, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Ali MacGraw, Alan King, Peter Weller, Myrna Loy

### K

* Karz (In Debt), starring Rishi Kapoor – (India)
* Kagemusha, directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara – (Japan) – Palme d'Or winner
* Khubsoorat, starring Ashok Kumar and Rekha – (India)
* Klondike Fever, starring Jeff East, Rod Steiger, Angie Dickinson, Gordon Pinsent – (Canada)

### L

* Ladies' Choice (Dami Kanyat), directed by Ivan Andonov, starring Stefan Danailov – (Bulgaria)
* The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, starring Elliott Gould, Geneviève Bujold, Ricky Schroder
* The Last Married Couple in America, starring Natalie Wood, George Segal, Valerie Harper, Richard Benjamin
* The Last Metro (Le dernier metro), directed by François Truffaut, starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu – (France)
* The Last Witness (Choehuui jeungin) – (South Korea)
* The Lathe of Heaven, starring Bruce Davison
* Legend of Tianyun Mountain (Tiān yún shān chuán qí) – (China)
* The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, a documentary film
* Little Darlings, starring Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Armand Assante and Matt Dillon
* Little Miss Marker, starring Walter Matthau, Julie Andrews, Tony Curtis, Bob Newhart
* The Long Good Friday, directed by John Mackenzie, starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren – (U.K.)
* The Long Riders, directed by Walter Hill, starring the Keach brothers, Carradine brothers and Quaid brothers
* Loulou, starring Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu – (France)
* Loving Couples, directed by Jack Smight, starring Shirley MacLaine, James Coburn, Stephen Collins, Susan Sarandon

### M

* The Magician of Lublin, starring Alan Arkin, Valerie Perrine, Louise Fletcher
* The Man with Bogart's Face, starring Robert Sacchi, Misty Rowe, Victor Buono, Yvonne De Carlo, Herbert Lom
* Manila by Night – (Philippines)
* McVicar, directed by Tom Clegg, starring Roger Daltrey, Adam Faith, Cheryl Campbell – (U.K.)
* Melvin and Howard, directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Paul Le Mat, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen
* Midnight Madness, directed by Michael Nankin and David Wechter, starring David Naughton, Debra Clinger, Stephen Furst, Eddie Deezen, Maggie Roswell, Brad Wilkin, Michael J. Fox, Alan Solomon
* The Mirror Crack'd, directed by Guy Hamilton, starring Angela Lansbury, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson – (U.K.)
* Mon oncle d'Amérique, directed by Alain Resnais, starring Gérard Depardieu – (France) – Cannes Special Jury Prize
* Motel Hell, starring Rory Calhoun
* The Mountain Men, starring Charlton Heston and Brian Keith
* My Bodyguard, directed by Tony Bill, starring Matt Dillon, Adam Baldwin, Chris Makepeace, Martin Mull

### N

* The Nest (El Nido) – (Spain)
* Nightkill, starring Robert Mitchum
* Nijinsky, starring George de la Peña and Alan Bates
* The Ninth Configuration, directed by William Peter Blatty, starring Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jason Miller

### O

* O Megalexandros (Alexander the Great), directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos – (Greece)
* Oh, God! Book II, starring George Burns
* One Trick Pony, written by and starring Paul Simon, with Blair Brown, Joan Hackett, Rip Torn
* The Orchestra Conductor (Dyrygent), directed by Andrzej Wajda, starring John Gielgud – (Poland)
* Ordinary People, directed by Robert Redford, starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Judd Hirsch, Elizabeth McGovern
* Out of the Blue, directed by and starring Dennis Hopper, with Linda Manz, Raymond Burr – (Canada)

### P

* Pepi, Luci, Bom, directed by Pedro Almodóvar – (Spain)
* Palermo or Wolfsburg – (West Germany) – Golden Bear winner
* Permanent Vacation, directed by Jim Jarmusch
* The Pilot, directed by and starring Cliff Robertson, with Diane Baker and Gordon MacRae
* Playing for Time, directed by Daniel Mann, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Alexander
* Popeye, directed by Robert Altman, starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall
* Pray TV, starring Dabney Coleman
* Private Benjamin, directed by Howard Zieff, starring Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Armand Assante, Robert Webber, Harry Dean Stanton
* The Private Eyes, starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts
* Prom Night, starring Leslie Nielsen and Jamie Lee Curtis

### Q

* Qurbani (Sacrifice), directed by and starring Feroz Khan – (India)

### R

* Raging Bull, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty
* Resurrection, starring Ellen Burstyn and Eva Le Gallienne
* The Return of the King, animated film, voices of Orson Bean, John Huston, William Conrad
* Return of the Secaucus 7, directed by John Sayles
* El Retorno del Hombre Lobo (Return of the Werewolf) – (Spain)
* Roadie, directed by Alan Rudolph, starring Meat Loaf and Kaki Hunter
* Le Roi et l'oiseau (The King and the Mocking Bird), animated film – (France)
* Rockshow, concert film featuring Paul McCartney and Wings – (U.K.)
* Rough Cut, directed by Don Siegel, starring Burt Reynolds, Lesley-Anne Down, David Niven
* Rude Boy, a rockumentary featuring The Clash – (U.K.)

### S

* Sällskapsresan (The Charter Trip), directed by and starring Lasse Åberg – (Sweden)
* Saturn 3, directed by Stanley Donen, starring Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas, Harvey Keitel
* The Sea Wolves, starring Gregory Peck, David Niven, Roger Moore – (UK/US/Switzerland)
* See You in the Next War (enja u sledećem ratu) – (Yugoslavia)
* Seems Like Old Times, starring Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase and Charles Grodin
* Serial, starring Martin Mull, Tuesday Weld, Christopher Lee, Bill Macy, Sally Kellerman, Tom Smothers
* The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
* Simon, starring Alan Arkin
* A Small Circle of Friends, starring Brad Davis and Karen Allen
* Smokey and the Bandit II, directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed and Dom DeLuise
* Solo Sunny – (East Germany)
* Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour
* Special Treatment (Poseban tretman) – (Yugoslavia)
* Stardust Memories, directed by and starring Woody Allen, with Charlotte Rampling and Jessica Harper
* Stir Crazy, directed by Sidney Poitier, starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder
* Stalker, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and released in 1979 but later released in 1980
* The Stunt Man, directed by Richard Rush, starring Peter O'Toole, Barbara Hershey, Steve Railsback
* Sunday Lovers, starring Gene Wilder, Roger Moore, Lino Ventura
* Superman II, starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Terence Stamp

### T

* Terror Train, starring Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner
* La terrazza (The Terrace), starring Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassman, Ugo Tognazzi – (Italy)
* That Sinking Feeling, directed by Bill Forsyth, starring John Gordon Sinclair – (U.K.)
* Those Lips, Those Eyes, starring Frank Langella, Glynnis O'Connor, Tom Hulce
* Times Square, directed by Allen Moyle, starring Robin Johnson, Trini Alvarado, Tim Curry
* To Love the Damned (Maledetti vi amerò) – (Italy)
* Tom Horn, starring Steve McQueen, Richard Farnsworth, Linda Evans
* Tribute, starring Jack Lemmon – (Canada)
* Twelve Months (Sekai Meisaku Douwa Mori wa Ikiteiru / Dvenadtsat mesyatsev) – (Japan/U.S.S.R.)

### U

* The Unseen, starring Barbara Bach and Stephen Furst
* Up the Academy, directed by Robert Downey Sr.
* Urban Cowboy, directed by James Bridges, starring John Travolta, Debra Winger, Scott Glenn, Madolyn Smith, Barry Corbin
* Used Cars, directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Deborah Harmon and Gerrit Graham

### V

* Virus (Fukkatsu no hi), starring Sonny Chiba and Glenn Ford – (Japan)
* Le Voyage en douce, starring Dominique Sanda and Geraldine Chaplin – (France)

### W

* Waiter, Scarper! (Vrchní, prchni!) – (Czechoslovakia)
* The Watcher in the Woods, starring Bette Davis – (UK/US)
* When Time Ran Out, starring Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, William Holden, Burgess Meredith, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons
* Where the Buffalo Roam, directed by Art Linson, starring Bill Murray and Peter Boyle
* Wholly Moses!, starring Dudley Moore, Laraine Newman, Paul Sand, Dom DeLuise
* Who's Singin' Over There? (Ko to tamo peva) – (Yugoslavia)
* Why Would I Lie?, starring Treat Williams, Lisa Eichhorn, Valerie Curtin
* Willie & Phil, directed by Paul Mazursky, starring Margot Kidder, Ray Sharkey, Michael Ontkean
* Windows, starring Talia Shire and Elizabeth Ashley
* Witches' Brew, starring Teri Garr and Richard Benjamin

### X

* Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, Gene Kelly

### Y

* The Young Master (Shi di chu ma), directed by and starring Jackie Chan – (Hong Kong)
* Yūgure made – (Japan)

### Z

* Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), directed by Seijun Suzuki – (Japan)

## Births

* January 2 - David Gyasi, British actor
* January 4
** June Diane Raphael, American actress and comedian
** D'Arcy Carden, American actress and comedian
** Greg Cipes, voice actor
* January 7
** Hele Kõrve, Estonian actress and singer
** Simon Woods, English actor and writer
* January 8
** Rachel Nichols, American actress and model
** Sam Riley, English actor and singer
* January 10
** Katie Dippold, American actress, writer and screenwriter
** Sarah Shahi, American actress and former model
* January 16 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, American singer-songwriter and actor
* January 17 – Zooey Deschanel, American singer-songwriter and actress
* January 18
** Estelle, British singer, songwriter, record producer and actress
** Jason Segel, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, author and producer
* January 19
** Luke Macfarlane, American actor
* January 21
** Nana Mizuki, Japanese singer and voice actress
** Kim Sharma, Indian actress
* January 29 - Jason James Richter, American actor and musician
* January 30 – Wilmer Valderrama, American actor
* February 2 – Zhang Jingchu, Chinese actress
* February 3 - Ben Turner, British-Iranian actor
* February 6 - Ben Lawson, Australian actor
* February 8
** William Jackson Harper, American actor
** Sinead Matthews, English actress
* February 11 – Matthew Lawrence, American actor
* February 12
** Christina Ricci, American actress
** Enver Gjokaj, American actor
** Sarah Lancaster, American actress
* February 14 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress and producer
* February 17 - Jason Ritter, American actor, voice actor and producer
* February 21 - Brendan Sexton III, American actor
* February 22 - Haven Paschall, American actress, voice actress, and singer
* February 25
** Chris Knowings, American actor
** Christy Knowings, American actress and comedian
** Rashaan Nall, American writer, director, screenwriter and actor
* February 26 - Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Icelandic actor
* February 28
** Denise Gough, Irish actress
** Charles Halford, American actor
* February 29
** Steven Cree, Scottish actor
** Peter Scanavino, American actor
* March 2 - Rebel Wilson, Australian actress, comedian, writer and producer
* March 3
** Meiling Melançon, American actress and screenwriter
** Katherine Waterston, American actress
* March 5 - Jessica Boehrs, German actress and singer
* March 7
** Laura Prepon, American actress
** Mart Toome, Estonian actor
* March 9 – Matthew Gray Gubler, American actor
* March 13 - Nathan Phillips, Australian actor
* March 17 - Katie Morgan, American pornographic actress
* March 18 - Sophia Myles, English actress
* March 20 - Mikey Day, American actor and comedian
* March 23 - Itay Tiran, Israeli actor and director
* March 25 - Tinsel Korey, Canadian actress and singer-songwriter
* March 30 - Fiona Gubelmann, American actress
* March 31
** Kate Micucci, American actress
** Maaya Sakamoto, Japanese singer and voice actress
* April 4 - Collette Wolfe, American actress
* April 8
** Carrie Savage, American voice actress
** Katee Sackhoff, American actress
* April 10 – Charlie Hunnam, British actor and screenwriter
* April 11 - Julia Chantrey, Canadian actress
* April 13
** Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress
** Kelli Giddish, American actress
* April 14
** Tom Franco, American actor
** Claire Coffee, American actress
* April 15 - Arian Moayed, Iranian-born American actor, writer and director
* April 17
** Nicholas D'Agosto, American actor
** Samantha Soule, American actress
* April 21 - Hadley Fraser, English actor and singer
* April 22 - Rodrigo Hilbert, Brazilian television presenter, actor, and former model
* April 24 - Reagan Gomez-Preston, American actress
* April 25 - Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor and television presenter
* April 26
** Jordana Brewster, American actress
** Anna Mucha, Polish actress
** Marnette Patterson, American actress
** Channing Tatum, American actor
* April 29
** Jo Martin, British actress
** Damien Dante Wayans, American actor, screenwriter, producer and director
* April 30 - Sam Heughan, Scottish actor
* May 2 - Ellie Kemper, American actress and comedian
* May 5 - Zach McGowan, American actor
* May 8
** Jasen Fisher, American former child actor
** Kimberlee Peterson, American actress
* May 14 - Sérgio Guizé, Brazilian actor
* May 18 - Matt Long, American actor
* May 19 - Chris Jarvis, English actor
* May 20 - Cauã Reymond, Brazilian actor
* May 22
** Nazanin Boniadi, British actress
** Lucy Gordon, English actress and model (died 2009)
** Evelin Võigemast, Estonian actress
* May 23
** D. J. Cotrona, American actor
** Chris Gethard, American actor, comedian and writer
* May 25 - Will Janowitz, American actor
* May 27 - Ben Feldman, American actor and producer
* May 28 - Kelly Fremon Craig, American screenwriter, producer and director
* May 29 - Adam Brown, English actor and comedian
* June 3 - Billy Slaughter, American actor
* June 10 - Jessica DiCicco, American film, television and voice actress
* June 15 - Candace Brown, American actress and comedian
* June 16 – Sibel Kekilli, German actress
* June 18 - David Giuntoli, American actor
* June 19 - Neil Brown Jr., American actor
* June 20 - Tika Sumpter, American actress, singer, producer, television host and model
* June 21 - Preeya Kalidas, British singer and actress
* June 23
** Heath Freeman, American actor (died 2021)
** Melissa Rauch, American actress and comedian
* June 24 – Minka Kelly, American actress
* June 26 - Jason Schwartzman, American actor, producer and musician
* July 1 - Fortune Feimster, American writer, comedian and actress
* July 3 – Olivia Munn, American actress
* July 4 - Max Elliott Slade, American former child actor
* July 6 – Eva Green, French actress
* July 7 - Marika Domińczyk, Polish-American actress
* July 10
** James Rolfe, American filmmaker, actor, YouTuber and online personality
** Jessica Simpson, American singer and actress
** Thomas Ian Nicholas, American actor
** Aaron Staton, American actor
* July 12 - Kristen Connolly, American actress
* July 15 – Jasper Pääkkönen, Finnish actor and film producer
* July 17 – Brett Goldstein, British actor and comedian
* July 18 – Kristen Bell, American actress
* July 19
** Mark Webber, American actor, screenwriter and director
** Chris Sullivan, American actor
* July 27 - Ewen Leslie, Australian actor
* July 29 - Rachel Miner, American actress
* July 30 - April Bowlby, American actress
* August 3
** Hannah Simone, Canadian actress
** Teuku Rifnu Wikana, Indonesian actor
* August 5 - Sophie Winkleman, English actress
* August 6
** Monique Ganderton, Canadian stunt performer and actress
** Rory Scovel, American actor and comedian
* August 8 – Marisa Quintanilla, American actress
* August 9 - Stephen Schneider, American actor
* August 10
** Pua Magasiva, New Zealand actor (died 2019)
* August 11 - Merritt Wever, American actress
* August 12 - Dominique Swain, American actress and producer
* August 13 - Álex González, Spanish actor
* August 15 - Natalie Press, English actress
* August 18 – Preeti Jhangiani, Indian actress
* August 19
** Adam Campbell, English actor
** Aaron Horvath, American animator, screenwriter, producer and director
* August 21 - John Brotherton, American actor
* August 23 - Joanne Froggatt, English actress
* August 25 – Jackie Tohn, American actress and singer
* August 26
** Macaulay Culkin, American actor
** Chris Pine, American actor
* August 31 - Leo Bill, English actor
* September 1 - Lara Pulver, English actress
* September 7
** J. D. Pardo, American actor
** Alex Hassell, English actor
* September 9 – Michelle Williams, American actress
* September 12 - Hiroyuki Sawano, Japanese music composer
* September 13 – Ben Savage, American actor
* September 13 – Cristiana Capotondi, Italian actress
* September 18 - Charity Wakefield, English actress
* September 19 - Benjamin Davies, Scottish actor
* September 21
** Kareena Kapoor, Indian actress
** Autumn Reeser, American actress
* September 25
** T.I., American actor and rapper
** Chris Owen, American actor
* September 29
** Zachary Levi, American actor and singer
** Chrissy Metz, American actress
* September 30 - Toni Trucks, American actress
* October 1 - Sarah Drew, American actress
* October 3 - Daniel DeSanto, Canadian actor and voice actor
* October 4
** Nick Mohammed, English actor, comedian and writer
** Morgan Spector, American actor
* October 6
** David Alpay, Canadian actor, musician and producer
** Jenny Wade, American actress
* October 8
** Nick Cannon, American comedian, rapper and television host
** Nathan Head, British actor
* October 14 – Ben Whishaw, English actor
* October 18
** Erin Dean, American former actress
** Natasha Rothwell, American writer, actress and comedian
* October 19 – Benjamin Salisbury, American actor
* October 21
** Kim Kardashian, American media personality, model and actress
** Lino Musella, Italian actor
* October 23 - Robert Belushi, American actor
* October 24
** Casey Wilson, American actress and comedian
** Monica, American singer-songwriter, producer and actress
* October 25 - Mehcad Brooks, American actor
* October 28 - Wes Ball, American film director and artist
* October 29 – Ben Foster, American actor
* October 30 - Sarah Carter, Canadian actress
* October 31
** Samaire Armstrong, American actress
** Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor
* November 1 - Dani Rovira, Spanish comedian and actor
* November 2 - Kim So-yeon, South Korean actress
* November 5 - Luke Hemsworth, Australian actor
* November 8 - Brooke Lyons, American actress
* November 9 - Vanessa Lachey, American actress, fashion model and television host
* November 10 - Alberta Mayne, Canadian actress
* November 12
** Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor
** Gustaf Skarsgård, Swedish actor
* November 13 - Monique Coleman, American actress
* November 18 - Mathew Baynton, English actor, writer, comedian, singer and musician
* November 29 - Jason Griffith, American actor and voice actor
* December 3
** Anna Chlumsky, American actress
** Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer
* December 5 - Jessica Paré, Canadian actress
* December 9 – Simon Helberg, American actor and comedian
* December 13 - Satoshi Tsumabuki, Japanese actor
* December 15 - Yuri Kolokolnikov, Russian actor
* December 16 - Michael Jibson, English actor, director, writer and voice over artist
* December 18
** Christina Aguilera, American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality
** Neil Fingleton, English actor (died 2017)
* December 19
** Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
** Marla Sokoloff, American actress
* December 22 - Chris Carmack, American actor
* December 26 - Jared Van Snellenberg, American former actor
* December 27 - Elizabeth Rodriguez, American actress
* December 30 – Eliza Dushku, American actress
* December 31 – Rosanne Mulholland, Brazilian actress

## Deaths

| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
| January | 1 | Adolph Deutsch | 82 | US | Composer, Arranger | Oklahoma!The Apartment |
| January | 3 | Ivan Triesault | 81 | Estonia | Actor | NotoriousThe Bad and the Beautiful |
| January | 14 | Robert Ardrey | 71 | US | Screenwriter | The Three MusketeersKhartoum |
| January | 17 | Barbara Britton | 60 | US | Actress | The VirginianCaptain Kidd |
| January | 18 | Cecil Beaton | 76 | UK | Costume Designer, Production Designer | GigiMy Fair Lady |
| January | 22 | Iris Meredith | 64 | US | Actress | The Green ArcherThe Spider's Web |
| January | 23 | Leonard Strong | 71 | US | Actor | ShaneThe Naked Jungle |
| January | 24 | Lil Dagover | 92 | Germany | Actress | The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariDestiny |
| January | 24 | James Poe | 58 | US | Screenwriter | Around the World in 80 DaysLilies of the Field |
| January | 27 | Peppino De Filippo | 76 | Italy | Actor | Toto, Peppino, and the HussyBoccaccio '70 |
| January | 28 | Erle C. Kenton | 83 | US | Director | House of FrankensteinWho Done It? |
| January | 29 | Jimmy Durante | 86 | US | Actor, Singer | The Man Who Came to DinnerIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World |
| February | 1 | Romolo Valli | 54 | Italy | Actor | The Leopard1900 |
| February | 3 | Ray Heindorf | 71 | US | Composer | Yankee Doodle DandyThe Music Man |
| February | 9 | Renée Houston | 77 | UK | Actress | RepulsionThe Horse's Mouth |
| February | 13 | David Janssen | 48 | US | Actor | The Green BeretsThe Shoes of the Fisherman |
| February | 17 | Jerry Fielding | 57 | US | Composer | The Wild BunchThe Outlaw Josey Wales |
| February | 17 | Ed Graves | 62 | US | Art Director | Doctor DolittleOur Man Flint |
| February | 18 | Gale Robbins | 58 | US | Actress, Singer | Calamity JaneThree Little Words |
| February | 26 | Mario Mattoli | 81 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | Funniest Show on EarthImputato, alzatevi! |
| February | 27 | George Tobias | 78 | US | Actor | The Glenn Miller StorySergeant York |
| March | 5 | Jay Silverheels | 67 | Canada | Actor | The Lone RangerOne Little Indian |
| March | 8 | Frank McDonald | 80 | US | Director | Isle of FuryIn Old Missouri |
| March | 17 | Farciot Edouart | 85 | US | Special Effects Artist | Double IndemnityVertigo |
| March | 27 | Philip W. Anderson | 64 | US | Film Editor | GiantThe Parent Trap |
| March | 27 | Steve Fisher | 67 | US | Screenwriter | Dead ReckoningLady in the Lake |
| March | 28 | Dick Haymes | 61 | Argentina | Actor, Singer | One Touch of VenusState Fair |
| March | 30 | David Sharpe | 70 | US | Stuntman, Actor | Dick Tracy ReturnsTrail Riders |
| April | 3 | Mary McCarty | 56 | US | Actress | The French LineAll That Jazz |
| April | 6 | John Collier | 78 | UK | Screenwriter | DeceptionThe War Lord |
| April | 9 | Kathleen Burke | 66 | US | Actress | Island of Lost SoulsThe Lives of a Bengal Lancer |
| April | 10 | Kay Medford | 65 | US | Actress | Funny GirlA Face in the Crowd |
| April | 11 | Charlotte Henry | 66 | US | Actress | Alice in WonderlandBabes in Toyland |
| April | 14 | Tom Fadden | 85 | US | Actor | Invasion of the Body SnatchersFlareup |
| April | 15 | Raymond Bailey | 75 | US | Actor | VertigoThe Gallant Hours |
| April | 17 | Alf Sjöberg | 76 | Sweden | Director | Only a MotherWild Birds |
| April | 19 | Tony Beckley | 50 | UK | Actor | The Italian JobGet Carter |
| April | 25 | Mario Bava | 65 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer | Black SabbathThe Whip and the Body |
| April | 26 | Cicely Courtneidge | 87 | Australia | Actress, Singer | Take My TipUnder Your Hat |
| April | 29 | William Clemens | 74 | US | Director | The Case of the Stuttering BishopCalling Philo Vance |
| April | 29 | Alfred Hitchcock | 80 | UK | Director | PsychoRear Window |
| May | 1 | Henry Levin | 70 | US | Director | Murderers' RowWhere the Boys Are |
| May | 1 | Gene Markey | 84 | US | Screenwriter | On the AvenueLuxury Liner |
| May | 2 | George Pal | 72 | Hungary | Producer, Director | War of the WorldsThe Time Machine |
| May | 4 | Kay Hammond | 71 | UK | Actress | Blithe SpiritFive Golden Hours |
| May | 12 | Lillian Roth | 69 | US | Actress | Animal CrackersLadies They Talk About |
| May | 14 | Hugh Griffith | 67 | UK | Actor | Ben-HurTom Jones |
| May | 15 | Gordon E. Sawyer | 74 | US | Sound Engineer | West Side StoryThe Alamo |
| May | 16 | José Calvo | 64 | Spain | Actor | A Fistful of DollarsI Giorni dell'ira |
| May | 19 | Ray Rennahan | 84 | US | Cinematographer | Blood and SandLady in the Dark |
| May | 21 | Ida Kamińska | 80 | Ukraine | Actress | The Shop on Main StreetThe Angel Levine |
| May | 26 | Franz Bachelin | 84 | Germany | Art Director | Journey to the Center of the EarthStalag 17 |
| June | 4 | Gloria Saunders | 52 | US | Actress | Captive WomenNorthwest Territory |
| June | 12 | Milburn Stone | 75 | US | Actor | Captive Wild WomanThe Judge |
| June | 18 | Terence Fisher | 76 | UK | Director | DraculaThe Curse of Frankenstein |
| June | 22 | Monang Carvajal | 82 | Philippines | Actress | Anak DalitaThe Moises Padilla Story |
| June | 23 | John Laurie | 83 | UK | Actor | The 39 StepsHobson's Choice |
| June | 23 | Odile Versois | 50 | France | Actress | To Paris with LoveThe Young Lovers |
| June | 24 | Boris Kaufman | 73 | Poland | Cinematographer | On the Waterfront12 Angry Men |
| June | 28 | José Iturbi | 84 | Spain | Conductor, Actor | Anchors AweighThree Daring Daughters |
| June | 30 | Thomas Browne Henry | 72 | US | Actor | 20 Million Miles to EarthJulius Caesar |
| July | 6 | Frank Cordell | 62 | UK | Composer | CromwellKhartoum |
| July | 6 | Gail Patrick | 69 | US | Actress | My Man GodfreyMy Favorite Wife |
| July | 7 | Reginald Gardiner | 77 | UK | Actor | The Great DictatorThe Man Who Came to Dinner |
| July | 7 | Dore Schary | 74 | US | Producer, Screenwriter, Executive | Boys TownSunrise at Campobello |
| July | 11 | Peggy Knudsen | 57 | US | Actress | The Big SleepHalf Past Midnight |
| July | 24 | Peter Sellers | 54 | UK | Actor | Dr. StrangeloveBeing There |
| July | 30 | Charles McGraw | 66 | US | Actor | The Narrow MarginSpartacus |
| July | 31 | Bobby Van | 51 | US | Actor, Dancer | Kiss Me KateLost Horizon |
| August | 1 | Strother Martin | 61 | US | Actor | The Wild BunchButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid |
| August | 2 | Donald Ogden Stewart | 85 | US | Screenwriter | The Philadelphia StoryHoliday |
| August | 9 | Elliot Nugent | 83 | US | Director | My Favorite BrunetteUp in Arms |
| August | 14 | Dorothy Stratten | 20 | Canada | Actress | GalaxinaThey All Laughed |
| August | 17 | Harold Adamson | 73 | US | Lyricist | An Affair to RememberHigher and Higher |
| August | 24 | Yootha Joyce | 53 | UK | Actress | A Man for All SeasonsGeorge and Mildred |
| August | 25 | Gower Champion | 59 | US | Actor, Dancer, Director | Show BoatTill the Clouds Roll By |
| August | 25 | Lester Dorr | 87 | US | Actor | Behind Prison GatesThe Shadow Returns |
| August | 26 | Tex Avery | 72 | US | Animator, Director | DroopyScrewy Squirrel |
| August | 27 | Douglas Kenney | 33 | US | Screenwriter | Animal HouseCaddyshack |
| September | 3 | Barbara O'Neil | 70 | US | Actress | Gone with the WindAll This, and Heaven Too |
| September | 4 | Duncan Renaldo | 76 | Romania | Actor | Lady LuckThe Cisco Kid Returns |
| September | 5 | Barbara Loden | 48 | US | Actress, Director | Splendor in the GrassWanda |
| September | 12 | Lillian Randolph | 81 | US | Actress | It's a Wonderful LifeThe Onion Field |
| September | 17 | Michael Strong | 62 | US | Actor | Point BlankThe Great Santini |
| September | 19 | Sol Lesser | 90 | US | Producer | Tarzan the FearlessStage Door Canteen |
| September | 25 | Lewis Milestone | 84 | Moldova | Director | All Quiet on the Western FrontOcean's 11 |
| October | 6 | Hattie Jacques | 58 | UK | Actress | Carry OnScrooge |
| October | 10 | Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas | 49 | US | Actor | Our GangGeneral Spanky |
| October | 28 | Leon Janney | 63 | US | Actor | CharlyPenrod and Sam |
| November | 4 | Noel Langley | 68 | South Africa | Screenwriter | The Wizard of OzIvanhoe |
| November | 7 | Emilio Cigoli | 70 | Italy | Actor | ShoeshineSunday in August |
| November | 7 | Steve McQueen | 50 | US | Actor | The Great EscapePapillon |
| November | 9 | Carmel Myers | 81 | US | Actress | All NightBen-Hur |
| November | 9 | Victor Sen Yung | 65 | US | Actor | Across the PacificCharlie Chan in Honolulu |
| November | 14 | Nick Dennis | 76 | US | Actor | A Streetcar Named DesireKiss Me Deadly |
| November | 15 | Bill Lee | 64 | US | Actor, Singer | Mary PoppinsAlice in Wonderland |
| November | 16 | Imogen Hassall | 38 | UK | Actress | When Dinosaurs Ruled the EarthToomorrow |
| November | 22 | Mae West | 87 | US | Actress, Screenwriter | She Done Him WrongI'm No Angel |
| November | 24 | Nancy Hsueh | 38 | US | Actress | TargetsHouse Calls |
| November | 24 | George Raft | 79 | US | Actor | Some Like It HotThey Drive by Night |
| November | 26 | Conrad A. Nervig | 91 | US | Film Editor | A Tale of Two CitiesKing Solomon's Mines |
| November | 26 | Rachel Roberts | 53 | UK | Actress | Murder on the Orient ExpressPicnic at Hanging Rock |
| November | 28 | Sarah Y. Mason | 84 | US | Screenwriter | Little WomenMagnificent Obsession |
| November | 29 | Edith Evanson | 84 | US | Actress | RopeThe Big Heat |
| December | 8 | John Lennon | 40 | UK | Singer, Actor | A Hard Day's NightHow I Won the War |
| December | 12 | Urie McCleary | 75 | US | Art Director | Blossoms in the DustPatton |
| December | 16 | Peter Collinson | 44 | UK | Director | The Italian JobAnd Then There Were None |
| December | 20 | Ben Sharpsteen | 85 | US | Director, Producer | PinocchioDumbo |
| December | 21 | Marc Connelly | 90 | US | Actor, Screenwriter | The Spirit of St. LouisTall Story |
| December | 22 | Lesser Samuels | 86 | US | Screenwriter | No Way OutAce in the Hole |
| December | 23 | Memmo Carotenuto | 72 | Italy | Actor | Big Deal on Madonna StreetBread, Love and Dreams |
| December | 28 | Sam Levene | 75 | US | Actor | Sweet Smell of SuccessBrute Force |
| December | 31 | Raoul Walsh | 93 | US | Director, Actor | White HeatHigh Sierra |

## Film debuts

* Christopher Atkins – The Blue Lagoon
* James Avery – The Stunt Man
* Michael Badalucco – Raging Bull
* Adam Baldwin – My Bodyguard
* Adrienne Barbeau – The Fog
* Drew Barrymore – Altered States
* Jennifer Beals – My Bodyguard
* Pierce Brosnan – The Long Good Friday
* Cherie Currie – Foxes
* Julie Carmen – Night of the Juggler
* Jim Carter – Flash Gordon
* Rosalind Chao – The Big Brawl
* Robbie Coltrane – Death Watch
* Barry Corbin – Urban Cowboy
* Tony Cox – Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype
* Peter Coyote – Die Laughing
* Joan Cusack – Cutting Loose
* Willem Dafoe – Heaven's Gate
* John Diehl – Falling in Love Again
* Billy Drago – Windwalker
* Frankie Faison – Permanent Vacation
* Miriam Flynn – First Family
* Michael J. Fox – Midnight Madness
* Peter Gallagher – The Idolmaker
* Richard Gant – Night of the Juggler
* Michael Gross – Just Tell Me What You Want
* Julie Hagerty – Airplane!
* Tom Hanks – He Knows You're Alone
* Robert Hays – Airplane!
* Linda Hunt – Popeye
* William Hurt – Altered States
* Jeremy Irons – Nijinsky
* Gregory Itzin – Airplane!
* O-Lan Jones – Die Laughing
* Don Lake – Don't Answer the Phone!
* Adam LeFevre – Return of the Secaucus 7
* Juliette Lewis – Bronco Billy
* William H. Macy – Somewhere in Time
* Ann Magnuson – The Long Island Four
* Michael Maloney – Richard's Things
* Sophie Marceau – La Boum
* Francis Xavier McCarthy – Altered States
* Christopher McDonald – The Hearse
* Elizabeth McGovern – Ordinary People
* Micole Mercurio – Alligator
* Cathy Moriarty – Raging Bull
* David Morse – Inside Moves
* Taylor Negron – The Gong Show Movie
* Cynthia Nixon – Little Darlings
* Richard Norton – The Octagon
* Catherine O'Hara – Nothing Personal
* Ed O'Neill – Cruising
* Terry O'Quinn – Heaven's Gate
* Michelle Pfeiffer – The Hollywood Knights
* Cindy Pickett – Night Games
* Richard Portnow – Roadie
* Harold Ramis – Caddyshack (director)
* Judge Reinhold – Running Scared
* Marco Rodríguez – The Baltimore Bullet
* John Rothman – Stardust Memories
* Saul Rubinek – Death Ship
* David Schofield – The Dogs of War
* Armin Shimerman – Stardust Memories
* Jean Smart – Hoodlums
* Kurtwood Smith – Roadie
* Sharon Stone – Stardust Memories
* David Strathairn – Return of the Secaucus 7
* David Suchet – Schiele in Prison
* John Turturro – Raging Bull
* Gedde Watanabe – The Long Island Four
* Hugo Weaving – ...Maybe This Time
* Dianne Wiest – It's My Turn
* Bruce Willis – The First Deadly Sin
* Mare Winningham – One-Trick Pony
* John Witherspoon – The Jazz Singer
* Nicholas Woodeson – Heaven's Gate
* Sean Young – Jane Austen in Manhattan
* Lenore Zann – Hounds of Notre Dame