From child stars to legendary dads, these sitcom personalities made the world a brighter
place before their tragic passings.
From 1976 to 1985, audiences enjoyed the antics happening in Mel's Diner on "Alice", a sitcom
based on the 1974 Martin Scorsese film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore".
For the pilot episode of "Alice", Alfred Lutter — who played the titular widow's son in
the film — reprised the role of Tommy Hyatt.
But for each of its subsequent episodes, Philip McKeon played the young Tommy.
McKeon started his career as a child model and scored the spot on "Alice" when the show's
lead, Linda Lavin, saw him in a Broadway performance of "Medea and Jason" and recommended him for
the role.
After Mel's Diner finally closed its doors, McKeon's acting work was sparse.
He worked on the other side of the camera starting in the early '90s, producing 1995's
"Murder in the First" and 2005's "The Jacket", among others.
A few years before his death, McKeon moved to Wimberly, Texas, to be closer to his family
and host his own talk radio show.
In December 2019, McKeon died from a long illness at the age of 55.
Yvette Wilson began her career as a stand-up comic, and she also made audiences laugh on
the big screen in 1994's "House Party 3" and 1995's "Friday".
But she was best known for her role on UPN's "Moesha".
When the teenage characters needed a place to hang out, they went to The Den owned by
Wilson's character, Andell Wilkerson.
The actress went on to reprise the role of Andell on the spin-off "The Parkers".
Unfortunately, Wilson lost her battle with multiple illnesses in June 2012 at the age
of 48.
On the Give Forward page Wilson's friend Jeffrey Pittle created to help cover her medical costs,
Pittle wrote that Wilson was being told by doctors that her cervical cancer, which had
been in "extended retreat," was coming back more aggressive than ever.
At the same time, she'd already been struggling with kidney disease, having endured kidney
transplant surgery and dialysis treatments.
"Knew I could count on you, Mo, you're just like I was when I was your age.
Smart, savvy, gorgeous."
Lamont Bentley played neighbor, friend, and occasional love interest Hakeem on "Moesha"
and its spin-off "The Parkers".
Before those series, he was Crazy K in 1995's "Tales from the Hood".
An aspiring rapper as well as an actor, Bentley took on the role of Tupac Shakur for the 2001
TV movie "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story", and that same year, he appeared with Dr. Dre
and Snoop Dogg in "The Wash".
Some of his earliest work was also on the short-lived but critically acclaimed Fox series
"South Central".
In January 2005, Bentley was on his way home from the screening of the short film "Shards"
when he got into a single-car accident.
He reportedly lost control of his vehicle while heading toward a freeway off-ramp.
After the car plowed through a fence and rolled down an embankment, he was thrown from the
car and into traffic, where he was hit by five other vehicles.
Shortly afterward, he died from his injuries.
He was 31 years old.
The original "Saved By The Bell" wouldn't have been the same without Samuel "Screech"
Powers, a lovable nerd played by Dustin Diamond.
Although he took on other small parts throughout his career, Screech remained Diamond's most
famous character.
"I will be your Yoda.
And I will be your everything."
"And I will be gone."
The actor starred in this role across the original series' four seasons and reprised
it in "Saved By The Bell: The College Years".
Diamond again played Screech as Principal Belding's assistant in "Saved By The Bell:
The New Class".
Furthermore, he appeared in two TV movies based on the popular franchise.
Sadly, Diamond died in 2021 when he was only 44 years old.
Many of his former co-stars paid tribute to him on social media, including Mario Lopez,
who posted a photo of himself and the late actor on Instagram and expressed his sadness
about Diamond's death.
According to an article by the University of Colorado Cancer Center, the actor's untimely
death came just a few weeks after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
The report further explains that his official cause of death, Stage 4 small cell carcinoma,
can spread rapidly before causing noticeable pain, which is a significant factor in why
he died so quickly after diagnosis.
"Family Matters" character Steve Urkel found himself in the arms of a jealous woman when
he started dating Myra Monkhouse.
Played by Michelle Thomas, Myra's possessive nature proved too hard for Steve to handle,
but fans still loved Thomas' hilarious portrayal of this overenthusiastic young woman.
Thomas starred in this recurring role for 55 episodes and is among the most memorable
side characters of the hit series.
Before "Family Matters", Thomas also appeared in "The Cosby Show", and she later starred
as Callie Rogers in "The Young and the Restless".
Sadly, the young actress' career ended just as it was getting started.
In 1998, The New York Times reported that Thomas died of cancer at the age of 30.
The actress was diagnosed with Intra-abdominal Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor in 1997,
and died after attempts at treatment proved fruitless.
Costars still remember Thomas fondly.
Many of her former castmates commemorated her 51st birthday by gathering to share their
memories of the actress, speaking warmly of her talent and kind nature.
"Will & Grace" made audiences laugh for 11 seasons, with a nearly 10-year gap between
seasons 8 and 9.
Of all the many side characters in the series, socialite Leslie Jordan's Beverley Leslie
has some of the most hilarious lines.
This staunch conservative regularly exchanges snappy insults with Karen Walker and steals
the show whenever he appears on screen.
Besides appearing on "Will & Grace", actor Leslie Jordan left his mark on dozens of television
shows and movies and demonstrated a unique talent for making audiences laugh.
As CBS News reported in January 2023, paramedics unsuccessfully tried to revive Jordan after
he was found unresponsive in his car following an accident.
According to the report, the actor had arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which caused a sudden
cardiac dysfunction that led to his death.
Although there was some question as to whether the accident caused his death, an autopsy
revealed that his official cause of death was indeed cardiac dysfunction.
Jordan was 67 when he died and was an avid Instagram user.
Fittingly, many of the comedian's fans took to his platform of choice to bid him a fond
farewell.
Although the 2023 "Night Court" revival is undeniably funny, the original 1984 sitcom
is still a classic in its own right.
Markie Post starred as Christine Sullivan for eight seasons of the series, leaving a
hilarious impression on fans.
Post also appeared in other sitcoms and dramas, including cameos in "The Love Boat" and "Scrubs".
Additionally, film audiences likely remember her as Mary's mom from the 1998 movie "There's
Something About Mary".
In 2021, a Rolling Stone article explained that the actress died of cancer at age 70.
The article highlights tributes from several of Post's former castmates, including a touching
tweet from "Night Court" alumni John B. Larroquette.
However, as Deadline reports, Post remained dedicated to her craft even after her cancer
diagnosis, taking on several acting projects while seeking chemotherapy treatments.
Fred Willard spent decades making audiences laugh as offbeat characters in a large body
of work.
In the film world, Willard starred alongside comedy legends in films like "Anchorman: The
Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Best in Show".
However, some of his most memorable roles found him in the world of sitcoms, where he
often played quirky father figures.
For example, "Everybody Loves Raymond" fans likely remember him as Hank MacDougall, Amy's
eternally funny father.
Of course, Willard's recurring role as Frank Dunphy on "Modern Family" is also a standout.
His good-natured, playful personality perfectly fit Willard, who played this role in 14 episodes
of the award-winning series.
In May 2020, Willard's daughter Hope announced on Twitter the actor had passed away peacefully
after suffering cardiac arrest.
Fans and friends alike responded to the tweet expressing their sadness at the loss of such
a longstanding actor.
"We knew we didn't have to write him jokes.
Whatever he wrote, when he said it, it'd be twice as funny."
In the late 1980s, Alan Thicke became a fan-favorite sitcom father on "Growing Pains".
His character, Dr. Jason Seaver, is a psychiatrist who trades his hospital job for a life as
a stay-at-home dad.
The series was heartwarming and hilarious with Thicke at the helm.
In addition to his time as Dr. Seaver, the actor appeared in over 100 different film
and television projects, including cameos in other sitcoms, dramas, and even some animated
series.
In December 2016, USA Today reported that Thicke died of a rare cardiac condition with
symptoms similar to a heart attack.
Thicke suffered a ruptured aorta, which can be fatal without immediate medical attention.
Sadly, as an article from HCA Healthcare Today explains, Thicke died just three hours after
collapsing at a hockey rink, indicating that the condition was not treated in time.
After his death, friends and fans posted condolences on social media, including Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau, who tweeted about Thicke's Canadian pride.
After achieving success as half of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Will
Smith eventually bridged the worlds of rap and TV with "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".
In the show, Smith played a fictionalized version of himself who's sent to live with
his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air after a confrontation with a violent gang.
Over the course of the series, James Avery would become one of the most well-loved father
figures on American television as he portrayed Smith's Uncle Phil.
Along with his role on Fresh Prince, Avery was known for his exceptional voice work.
He was the voice of the villain Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
animated series and of James Rhodes, aka War Machine, in the '90s Iron Man cartoon.
Most of his live-action roles were of the smaller variety, and in a 2007 interview with
the New York Film Academy, he was candid about missing the spotlight, saying,
"You can either be a movie star or an actor.
I'm an actor.
[But] I've done pretty good."
Avery died in December 2013 due to complications from open heart surgery.
He was 68.