When these actors sadly died, their TV shows chose to have their characters pass away as well. For this list, we’ll be looking at beloved television characters who met their demises in their respective shows because the actor portraying them passed away. This means you can expect some prominent spoilers.
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00:00And it's time, time, time that you love
00:06Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're examining 20 times TV deaths happened because the actor died in real life.
00:12The funeral was for everyone, but I wanted to do something just for us.
00:16To memorialize him the only way we know how.
00:19For this list, we'll be looking at beloved television characters who met their demises in their respective shows
00:24because the actor portraying them passed away.
00:26This means you can expect some prominent spoilers.
00:29Do you remember feeling shocked about these characters' deaths? Let us know in the comments below.
00:34Peter Gregory, Silicon Valley
00:37A major character in the first season of Silicon Valley, Peter Gregory was a socially awkward tech investor hoping to get a piece of Pied Piper.
00:44I'm paying you $200,000 for 5% yet you're giving this man twice that in exchange for a futon and some sandwiches?
00:54He was played by Christopher Evan Welsh, who was unfortunately taken from us at a relatively young age.
00:59Welsh was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010 and passed away three years later at the age of 48.
01:05He died on December 2, 2013, four months before Silicon Valley premiered on HBO.
01:10Come back in 48 hours with an airtight business plan, a clear go-to-market strategy, and a three-year summary P&L or there will be no check!
01:20P&L was about midway through filming the first season, having completed five of its eight episodes.
01:24It was later explained that Peter Gregory died while on a trip to the Serengeti.
01:28Peter Gregory is dead.
01:31What?
01:40Holy shit!
01:41Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, Hill Street Blues
01:44A highly acclaimed police drama, Hill Street Blues was way ahead of its time and is regarded as a predecessor to the prestige cable dramas of the 2000s.
01:52Michael Conrad played Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, known for his iconic catchphrase,
01:56Let's be careful out here.
01:58Conrad won two Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor before passing away in November 1983 from urethral cancer.
02:05Off the record, you promised me you'd be careful out there, but you weren't.
02:09That goes double for me, Frank.
02:11Conrad was 58 years old, and the show was in the middle of its fourth season.
02:15Esterhaus was subsequently killed off, but not how you may think.
02:18Rather than going out in a blaze of glory, he dies while making love.
02:21Phil Esterhaus passed away this morning.
02:25Suffered a heart attack.
02:27It's different, but it sure is memorable.
02:29Selma Hacker and Florence Kleiner, Night Court
02:32This NBC sitcom suffered a number of tragedies with eerie similarities.
02:36The first two seasons starred a gruff, chain-smoking character named Selma Hacker,
02:40played by an actress named Selma Diamond.
02:42Selma, you haven't touched your food.
02:45I've touched it, I've chewed it, I've swallowed it. Now it's up to my enzymes.
02:50Unfortunately, Diamond died of lung cancer on May 13, 1985, just four days after the season two finale.
02:56Her character was killed off and replaced with Flo Kleiner, played by Florence Halep.
03:00What can I do for you?
03:01I'm here for the job.
03:03What job is that?
03:05What is this, a wetsuit?
03:08Well, we interviewed for bailiffs last week.
03:10I'm late.
03:11Like Diamond before her, Halep died of lung cancer shortly after the conclusion of season three.
03:16And like her predecessor, Flo Kleiner was killed off with her death being announced by Judge Harry Stone.
03:21When Selma died, I felt loss.
03:25When Florence died, I felt loss.
03:29Because I cared very much for them.
03:31Carl Koniski, Gimme a Break
03:34This was an incredibly successful sitcom in its day, running for six seasons between 1981 and 1987.
03:40It starred Dolph Sweet as Chief Carl Koniski, a widowed police officer who's often at odds with his daughters.
03:45What are you reading this garbage for?
03:48It's our schoolwork.
03:49Is that what they teach you? No wonder the schools are overcrowded.
03:53Sweet was informed midway through the fourth season that he had stomach cancer, but he continued to film the show.
03:58He ultimately died from the cancer on May 8, 1985, just three days before the fourth season finale.
04:03Wait a minute, Chief. Jonathan is a very nice young man.
04:07It's just that whenever he's around you, he falls apart.
04:10You just have to get to know him.
04:12No, I don't.
04:14Sweet's funeral was held on the night of its airing, with his co-star, Nell Carter, delivering the eulogy.
04:19Season five opens with an acknowledgment that Chief had died,
04:22and the episode is handled with mature grace as the characters learn to grieve his passing.
04:27Listen, Joey.
04:29The Chief is no longer with us, so you're just gonna have to show him some respect.
04:36Neil Winters, The Young and the Restless
04:39Perhaps the most famous soap opera in TV history, The Young and the Restless has been going strong since 1973,
04:45and has aired well over 12,000 episodes.
04:48Between 1991 and 2019, Christoph St. John starred as Neil Winters and won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance.
04:55Since 1991, he played Neil Winters on the soap opera and earned two Emmys for his role.
05:00St. John died at the age of 52 from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,
05:04a condition in which the heart thickens to an abnormal size and is thus unable to pump blood correctly.
05:09Christoph St. John also leaves behind two daughters, and tonight, so many questions over his untimely death.
05:17His death occurred on February 3, 2019, and just two months later, his character was killed off after suffering a stroke.
05:23You're the voice that carries through. I'm still learning, learning, learning.
05:30Sergeant Nick Yamada, Barney Miller
05:33A popular ABC sitcom, Barney Miller took place within a police station and concerned the wacky officers that inhabited it.
05:39One of them was Sergeant Nick Yamada, a philosophical man known for making a particularly bad cup of coffee.
05:45Come on, you know I depend on you for a hundred different things.
05:49Coffee, filing, spring cleaning.
05:53Yeah, but also for your experience, your sense of humor that gets us through the day.
05:59Nick was played by Jack Sue, who died of cancer midway through the show's fifth season on January 11, 1979.
06:05It was later implied that Nick had died, and the fifth season ends with the episode Jack Sue, a retrospective.
06:11He said to each of us, sit down and write something you'd like to say about your relationship with Jack.
06:19Whatever you'd like to say.
06:21It sees the actor's breaking character to acknowledge the legacy of their co-worker, and it closes with everyone raising a cup of coffee in salute.
06:28To you, Jack.
06:30Dr. Virgil Swan, Smallville
06:33This superhero show about a young Clark Kent features an exceptionally cool cameo from Christopher Reeve, who played the hero in four Superman movies.
06:41Easy, miss. I've got you.
06:43You've got me? Who's got you?
06:47In 1995, Reeve was in an accident that left him with paralysis, and his use of a wheelchair was written into the character of Dr. Virgil Swan.
06:55It's a message from the stars, Clark.
06:58All my life, I've been staring out into space, wondering.
07:01Wondering, is anybody else out there? And then, 13 years ago, I got an answer.
07:06It was a brilliant and touching passing of the torch that honored the series' iconic history.
07:11Unfortunately, Reeve fell into a coma after going into cardiac arrest and died on October 10, 2004.
07:17In the fourth season episode Sacred, which aired four months later, a newscast explains that Dr. Swan had also died.
07:24We have just confirmed that Dr. Virgil Swan passed away this morning.
07:29No further details have been released.
07:32The reclusive billionaire will be remembered as one of the leading philanthropists of his generation.
07:37Livia Soprano, The Sopranos
07:39Our vote for the worst mother in TV history has to go to Livia Soprano.
07:43Oh, listen to him. He knows everything.
07:45You want some lunch? I've got eggplant.
07:48No, no, I just ate.
07:49A real nasty piece of work.
07:51Livia served as a primary antagonist throughout the first two seasons, often coming into conflict with her son Tony.
07:57Before you do any more serious damage to yourself or your grandchildren's inheritance, you're going to stop living alone right now.
08:03This show is known for having some anti-climaxes, and Livia's role is one of them.
08:07A major plotline between Tony and Livia is established at the start of the third season,
08:12but then she randomly dies of a stroke offscreen and the story is promptly dropped.
08:15Your mother died.
08:17You're kidding.
08:21I mean, Jesus Christ.
08:25This is because Nancy Marchand, the woman who expertly portrayed Livia, had died in real life after a bout with various lung diseases.
08:32Barry Frost, Rizzoli and Isles
08:35A TNT police procedural, Rizzoli and Isles stars Angie Harmon as Boston detective Jane Rizzoli.
08:41This looks more like a squad room than a home.
08:45Jane, you need a break.
08:47A home is a refuge, a place where you're supposed to get away from your problems.
08:51Some psycho burns it down.
08:53Her partner through the first four seasons was a computer whiz named Barry Frost, who was played by Lee Thompson Young.
08:58Frost, your mom's here.
09:00Hey, Mom. How'd you get here so fast?
09:02We got off to an early start.
09:04In August of 2013, Young was filming the fourth season of Rizzoli and Isles when he failed to show up to set.
09:09A well-being check was conducted and it was found that Young had taken his own life.
09:13He was only 29 years old.
09:15Young's last appearance occurs in the penultimate episode of season four,
09:18and it's explained in the fifth season premiere that he died in a car accident.
09:22Barry was so many things to so many people.
09:26Mrs. Wolowitz, The Big Bang Theory
09:29Carol Ann Suzy was a highly talented voice actress.
09:32With nothing but her signature rasp, Suzy made the unseen Mrs. Wolowitz an enduring, hilarious and unforgettable character.
09:39I suppose I could stay for some dessert.
09:41Great. You like chocolate chip cheesecake?
09:43Sure.
09:44I'll make one.
09:45And she died as she lived, completely offscreen.
09:48Mrs. Wolowitz dies in the eighth season episode, The Comic Book Store Regeneration,
09:52and it's explained that she passed in her sleep while visiting her sister in Florida.
09:56What's wrong?
09:59My mom died.
10:01What?
10:04That was my aunt.
10:08Ma took a nap.
10:11She never woke up.
10:13Suzy's death was just as sudden and surprising.
10:15She went in for a medical procedure and discovered that she was suffering from cancer.
10:19Her health quickly worsened and she passed away just one week later at the age of 62.
10:24Bill McNeil, News Radio
10:26Phil Hartman brought his signature style of comedy to a variety of projects,
10:30including Saturday Night Live where he earned an Emmy.
10:33There's gonna be a whole bunch of things we don't tell Mrs. Clinton.
10:37Fast food is the least of our worries.
10:40One of his most beloved roles was on News Radio as Bill McNeil,
10:44an egotistical yet hilarious anchor at the WNYX station.
10:48Dave's gone too far this time.
10:50Imagine an office without snacks.
10:53Hartman played McNeil for four out of five seasons.
10:56Tragically, after the show's fourth season, Hartman was fatally shot by his wife
11:00before she took her own life.
11:01The show's fifth season premiere was able to act as a tribute to the character
11:05by saying his character died offscreen from a heart attack.
11:08As far as memorial services go, I thought that was very nice.
11:11His absence on the show was definitely felt by all.
11:14Ernie Coach Pantuso, Cheers
11:16Every character on this classic sitcom brings their specific charm.
11:20For the bartender Ernie Coach Pantuso, it was his sweet but very dim-witted nature.
11:24How many times did you play her at Sam?
11:26Now and then.
11:27I must have got hit by a hundred fastballs.
11:30Actor Nicholas Colasanto embodied Coach's personality flawlessly
11:34and turned him into one of the most popular characters.
11:37Sadly, the actor passed away in 1985 from a heart attack
11:40after playing Coach for the first three seasons.
11:42Coach, we were going to kiss.
11:45We were?
11:49Do you mind if I do this for a second?
11:51Since his passing occurred in the middle of season three,
11:54his character was initially just not around.
11:56But the season four premiere eventually confirmed Coach had died.
11:59Woody Harrelson was brought in to fill the role of the bar's resident dummy
12:02with a heart of gold.
12:03I'm a friend of Coach's. Is he around?
12:06I'm sorry, Woody. I guess you hadn't heard.
12:08No, uh, Coach passed away a couple months ago.
12:12But yeah, I'd like to think he's still around.
12:14During the finale, the show still took a moment to pay one final tribute to Coach.
12:19Edna Krabappel, The Simpsons.
12:21The Simpsons has an incredible cast of kooky recurring characters.
12:24One of the most frequently featured staples
12:26was the cynical elementary school teacher Edna Krabappel.
12:29Mrs. Krabappel, if I don't get at least a C average, I can't go to Camp Krusty.
12:34What a delightful summer.
12:36During Marsha Wallace's 14-year history as the character,
12:39she earned an Emmy for outstanding voiceover performance.
12:42In 2013, the actress passed away due to complications from pneumonia.
12:46Although Krabappel's death was never explicitly stated on the show,
12:49there are several hints towards that being the case.
12:51I have to stay here in Springfield because boys like Bart Simpson need me.
12:55Bart's chalkboard message to her following Wallace's passing
12:58and several mentions of her from other characters
13:01made it clear that Edna didn't simply retire.
13:04Mr. Hooper, Sesame Street
13:06Although the majority of the most famous characters from this educational series are puppets,
13:10Mr. Hooper certainly left his mark.
13:14While the owner of Hooper's store could be a bit harsh,
13:17he undeniably had a warm heart.
13:19Will Lee played Mr. Hooper from the show's beginning in 1969
13:23until 1982 when he died of a heart attack.
13:25No one would have blamed The Kid Show for writing the character off in a gentle way.
13:35However, the show decided to address his death through a storyline with Big Bird
13:39in a way its young viewers could understand.
13:41Big Bird, when people die, they don't come back.
13:46Ever?
13:48No, never.
13:50Sesame Street was praised for handling such a serious topic with sensitivity and understanding.
13:55They made sure that children and adults could say goodbye to Lee's Mr. Hooper.
13:59Owen Granger, NCIS Los Angeles
14:02Miguel Ferrer went from playing recurring character Owen Granger on NCIS Los Angeles
14:07to being a part of the main fabric of the show.
14:09Go into the main building, tell them to lock the doors and keep security and PD away.
14:13I'll handle this.
14:14While he was still acting on the program, he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
14:18A behind-the-scenes decision was made to reveal that the Granger character
14:21was also suffering from a cancer ailment caused by risky career choices.
14:25I'm afraid he's gone.
14:30Gone?
14:31From what I understand, one minute he was here and the next minute he wasn't.
14:36Within the show, the character left a hospital where he was being treated to spend time with his family.
14:40In real life, Ferrer had passed away in a house he shared with his loved ones.
14:44The show concluded Granger's storyline by letting the audience know
14:47he had died peacefully in a beautiful place.
14:50I got to know my father and he got to know me.
14:53It was a wonderful week.
14:55Leo McGarry, The West Wing
14:57Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing had a wonderful cast of deep characters
15:00and engaging plotlines that helped earn the show more than two dozen Emmys.
15:04One of its Emmys went to John Spencer, who played the president's chief of staff, Leo McGarry.
15:08Well, you're president of the United States.
15:10You're delivering the State of the Union address tomorrow night.
15:13India and Pakistan are pointing nuclear weapons at each other
15:16and you have 102 degree fever.
15:18So I guess we're out of the woods.
15:20McGarry's dynamics with other characters was fascinating to watch.
15:23His friendship with President Jed Bartlett was particularly engaging.
15:27Sadly, that friendship was cut short when Spencer died of a heart attack in 2005,
15:31partway through filming the show's final season.
15:33At the time, Leo was running for vice president.
15:36The series had him also die of a heart attack on election night.
15:39In a touching moment, the writers made it clear Leo would have become vice president.
15:43Thanks, boss.
15:47Fred Andrews, Riverdale
15:49Luke Perry became a teen icon while playing Dylan on Beverly Hills 90210.
15:54He returned for a whole new generation of teen drama on Riverdale
15:57to play Archie's father, Fred Andrews.
15:59Welcome home, Ferris.
16:01Sneaking out, breaking curfew, getting into fights.
16:05Dad, don't freak out, okay?
16:06I was with Josie helping the Pussycats with a song they're doing at that Taste of Riverdale thing.
16:12And I was hoping you would let me go.
16:13Thanks to Perry's fine work, his relationship with his son felt real
16:17and the character felt incredibly compassionate.
16:19The show demonstrated his selflessness by having Fred sacrifice his life
16:23to push a stranger out of the path of a speeding car.
16:25Another vehicle came upon them way too fast,
16:29and he was struck by them.
16:33In reality, this turn was written in response to Perry's passing of a stroke in 2019 at just 52.
16:39Riverdale's season four In Memoriam episode served as a touching tribute to the character and actor.
16:45Perry's Beverly Hills co-star, Shannon Doherty, also made a guest appearance as the stranger he saved.
16:50You're the one he was helping.
16:53I mean, cars just, you know, they kept whizzing by.
17:03Nobody would stop, but your dad did.
17:04Finn Hudson, Glee
17:06Cory Monteith was best known for playing Glee's Finn Hudson.
17:09The star quarterback celebrated his love for singing by joining the signature club.
17:13I wish that I had Jesse's nerve.
17:17Where can I find a woman like that?
17:21After four years of playing the character, the world was rocked with shocking news.
17:25The 31-year-old was found dead in his hotel room with a mix of alcohol and other substances in his system.
17:31Following his death, the production start date for the show's fifth season was pushed back.
17:35Sort of cheesy.
17:38Now it's beautiful.
17:43I just had to see it.
17:45They eventually addressed Finn's passing in the quarterback without giving details about how he died.
17:49For the remainder of the series, the show continued to honor the memory of one of the Glee Club's brightest stars.
17:55Adam West, Family Guy
17:57For years, the silly antics of Mayor Adam West provided some of the best moments on Family Guy.
18:02Having the hilariously odd character actually be voiced by the former Batman star just made everything more delightful.
18:08My name isn't Adam Wee.
18:10Or is it?
18:12Who am I?
18:13What number did you dial?
18:14Don't ever call here again.
18:16I guess I told him nobody messes with Adam Wee.
18:21In 2017, West died from leukemia, and like the rest of us, Family Guy said goodbye to its mayor.
18:26But life in Quahog continued on.
18:28The town's high school was renamed after West in tribute.
18:31In his stead, his cousin Wild West, voiced by Sam Elliott, took his place.
18:35The show similarly had to write out Angela, Peter's former boss, when her voice actress Carrie Fisher passed away from a stroke in 2016.
18:42She may be gone, but her voice will live on in DVD and Hulu Plus and tiny droid-projected messages.
18:50I may have lost a boss, but heaven has gained a princess.
18:56Both characters would be dearly missed in Quahog.
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19:14Paul Hennessy, 8 Simple Rules
19:16Originally titled 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, the sitcom followed the trials and tribulations of an overbearing father as his teen daughters began to date.
19:25You will continue to date her and no one but her until she is finished with you, because if you make her cry, I will make you cry.
19:31Legendary sitcom actor John Ritter was praised for his take as family patriarch Paul.
19:36Tragically, he passed away of an aortic dissection while filming the second season.
19:40The show took a break in production to reshape the series.
19:43He was supposed to be back in ten minutes.
19:46He was running his stupid errand, he was supposed to be back, and he was taking us to school.
19:49After it returned, the show spent an hour-long episode to serve as a tribute to Paul.
19:54Subsequent episodes also showed the impact of his death on his family.
20:02While the show was never quite the same after Paul's absence, Ritter and his final leading role weren't forgotten.
20:24You