2019 has seen the loss of a myriad of hugely talented actors with a range of different
backgrounds, from movies to television to the Broadway stage.
But while they may have made their names in different worlds, they are all connected by
a true dedication to their craft, and by the many fans who will miss them dearly.
Three years after the death of R2-D2 actor Kenny Baker, the man who brought Chewbacca
to life in the original Star Wars trilogy also passed away.
In a statement, the family of Peter Mayhew confirmed that the towering actor died at
his Texas home on April 30th 2019.
The statement celebrated Mayhew's life, focusing on the experiences and lifelong friendships
that came from his time as part of the Star Wars family.
It read:
"As the films released and became more well-known he had his eyes opened to the possibilities
of what he could achieve.
For more than 30 years Peter traveled all over the world spending time with his fans
and friends."
"Laugh it up, fuzzball."
But Mayhew did a lot more than just the convention circuit.
Over the years, he became heavily involved with the 501st Legion, Wounded Warriors, Make-A-Wish,
and other non-profit organizations.
In a tribute tweet, Mayhew's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill wrote:
"He was the gentlest of giants.
A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile and a loyal friend
who I loved dearly.
I'm grateful for the memories we shared and I'm a better man for just having known him.
Thanks Pete."
Against all odds, the previously wheelchair-bound Mayhew returned to play Chewbacca in 2015's
The Force Awakens, his final on-screen appearance as the iconic Wookiee.
He is survived by his wife, Angie Mayhew, and their three children.
He may have been just 20 when he passed away in his sleep following a seizure, but, according
to Disney, Cameron Boyce was, quote, "already a veteran to show business."
The actor played the mischievous Luke Ross in almost 100 episodes of the Disney series
Jessie, and later portrayed Carlos De Vil in the Descendants franchise.
Boyce also popped up in a number of more adult-oriented projects, he was in K-horror remake Mirrors,
and also appeared in the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups as well as its 2012 sequel.
Boyce's final project was Mrs. Fletcher, an HBO comedy series that's due for release in
Fall 2019.
On behalf of Boyce's family, a Disney Channel spokesperson told CNN:
"From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents
with the world.
He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and,
above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson and friend.
We offer our deepest condolences to his family, castmates and colleagues and join his many
millions of fans in grieving his untimely passing.
He will be dearly missed."
Those who knew Boyce professionally took to social media to share their shock and grief.
Adam Sandler wrote:
"Too young.
Too sweet.
Too funny.
Just the nicest, most talented, and most decent kid around.
Loved that kid."
Though he played founding MiB member Zed in 1997's Men in Black and dozens of other roles,
Rip Torn will always be remembered as Artie from The Larry Sanders Show.
After Torn's passing in July 2019, Variety wrote:
"The Emmy-winning performance was perhaps the best representation of Torn's unusual
blend of toughness and tender sentimentality, a turn that was as often profane as it was
unexpectedly moving."
Torn was nominated for an Emmy for every single season in which he appeared on The Larry Sanders
Show, and he got another nod in 2008 after a memorable guest appearance on 30 Rock, playing
Jack Donaghy's high-flying boss, Don Geiss.
"Oh, hair like a Viking.
God bless you."
His work on the big screen was lauded, too, with the multi-talented Torn nominated for
an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category after portraying Mary Steenburgen's shotgun-happy
father in 1984's Cross Creek.
According to his publicist, the Texas-born actor passed away peacefully at his home in
Connecticut.
He was 88.
Best-known to international audiences for his engrossing performance as Blade Runner
antagonist Roy Batty, Rutger Hauer passed away in July 2019 after a short illness.
He was 75.
Blade Runner was Hauer's second American movie, though he was already a veteran in the Netherlands
by that point.
The towering Dutchman entered the industry after serving in the military, striking up
a fruitful working relationship with his fellow Dutchman, Paul Verhoeven.
The auteur cast him in the eponymous role for his TV series Floris, and they would later
work together on period drama Katie Tippel, WWII epic Soldier of Orange, and art-house
drama Spetters.
And while 1982's Blade Runner was a critical flop upon release, the movie soon went on
to become a cult classic.
Hauer's "tears in rain" monologue, which he wrote himself, is now considered an iconic
moment in the history of cinema, and a perfect example of his "gentle giant" nature.
"All those moments will be lost in time."
After Hauer's passing, Blade Runner director Ridley Scott said:
"I don't know who was more nervous on that first morning of the first day on set.
We helped each other through the entire process because it was very challenging.
I'll miss him."
Hauer became a prolific character actor in the years that followed, popping up in Sin
City, Batman Begins, True Blood and countless genre films.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years and his daughter.
Actress and former model Peggy Lipton, who first made a name for herself in the late
'60s playing hippie cop Julie Barnes on The Mod Squad, passed away from cancer in May
2019.
In a statement, Lipton's daughters, Parks and Recreation actress Rashida Jones and her
sister Kidada, said that their mother passed away surrounded by family at the age of 72.
The statement read:
"She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side.
We feel so lucky for every moment we spent with her.
We can't put all of our feelings into words right now but we will say: Peggy was, and
will always be our beacon of light, both in this world and beyond."
Despite winning a Golden Globe for her work on The Mod Squad, Lipton once took a long
break from acting, sitting out most of the '80s.
She appeared back on the scene in 1990, however, when she appeared as Norma Jennings in David
Lynch's surreal TV series Twin Peaks.
Speaking to the Georgian Journal in 2017, the year she reprised the role on the show's
critically-acclaimed comeback, Lipton recalled her first meeting with Lynch.
She said:
"I arrived and he and Mark Frost, his co-writer and producer, sat at a large table with nothing
on it but my photo.
I shot the pilot and the feeling inside me was pure excitement.
I loved being Norma."
Maine-born actress Stephanie Niznik passed away unexpectedly in California on June 23rd,
2019, at the age of 52.
Niznik majored in Russian and theater and would go on to hone her acting skills at the
California Institute of the Arts.
After graduating from Cal Arts she landed a part in the Dan Aykroyd led comedy Exit
to Eden, her feature film debut.
Niznik became a TV regular in the years that followed, and is perhaps best-known for her
time on the WB show Everwood, in which she portrayed caring next door neighbor Nina Feeney.
In a joint statement after her passing, Everwood's creators said:
"She continued that role off-screen by being an incredible friend, a nurturing mother figure
to our younger cast members and an artist who brought warmth, compassion and humor to
every episode and our set.
Everyone who was lucky enough to know and work with her will miss her dearly."
Niznik was also well-known to Star Trek fans; she played Trill Starfleet Ensign Kell Perim
in 1998 feature film Star Trek: Insurrection.
She also later popped up in the Star Trek: Enterprise TV series, appearing as a humanoid
Wraith in the season one episode "Rogue Planet".
Famed New York socialite and two-time Oscar nominee Sylvia Miles passed away in June 2019.
She was 94.
Speaking to Page Six, actress Geraldine Smith revealed that Miles had recently moved out
of a care home.
Smith, a longtime friend of Miles, said:
"She didn't want to die there.
We went out for a big lunch to celebrate her coming home.
She was very excited and telling us to order whatever we wanted.
'Order drinks; order desserts!'
We had a wonderful time."
Miles was well-known for being the life of the party and was frequently spotted at swanky
social events with fellow New York resident Andy Warhol.
Speaking to People in 1976, Miles revealed that she was always on the guest list for
the top shindigs, because she knew how to have a good time.
She explained:
"I get invited because I'm fun.
I have a good sense of humor.
I look good.
I'm not bad to have at a party."
One of her most notable films, 1972's Heat, was produced by Warhol, but Miles will no
doubt be best remembered for her sassy turns in 1969's Midnight Cowboy and 1975's Farewell,
My Lovely.
Amazingly, she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for both movies, despite
only being onscreen for a combined total of 11 minutes.
Manhattan-born railroad heiress Gloria Vanderbilt passed away at her New York home in June 2019,
having recently been diagnosed with an advanced form of stomach cancer.
She was 95.
Vanderbilt began her acting career in 1957, but she was already well-known by the time
she made her debut.
She was just 10 years old when she became the subject of a high-profile court battle
between her widowed mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and her paternal aunt, Gertrude
Vanderbilt Whitney, both of whom sought custody of her and control over her trust fund.
After that, Vanderbilt set out to prove she was more than the "poor little rich girl"
portrayed by the newspaper headlines.
She landed roles on several Golden Era anthology shows during the late '50s and early '60s,
quickly establishing herself as an actress.
She also appeared in Adventures in Paradise, an exotic ABC show about a Korean War vet
living in the Pacific, and The Love Boat, a cruise ship-set comedy that ran from 1977
to 1987.
She was known for much more than her acting, however, becoming particularly known as a
fashion designer.
Her son, Anderson Cooper, was keen to highlight this in his statement after her passing.
He said:
"Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms.
She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend."
Canadian actress Stefanie Sherk, wife of Oscar-nominee Demian Bichir, passed away "peacefully" in
April 2019.
The actor confirmed his wife's death in a heartbreaking Instagram post, calling it "the
saddest and toughest time" of his life.
He wrote:
"We don't know how much time it will take for us to overcome this pain.
Stefanie's beautiful, angelical and talented presence will be immensely missed."
The cause of death was soon confirmed as suicide.
After the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner made the information public, Bichir went into
more detail about the "invisible affliction" that Sherk had been dealing with.
In a second Instagram post that has since been deleted, he wrote:
"It was our hope that we would have some time to heal and grieve before we could talk about
this issue that affects way too many people around the globe.
Depression has taken the lives of so many beautiful, wonderful, talented people such
as my beloved wife, Stefanie."
Sadly, these aren't the only actors who have left us in 2019.
Here are some of the other stars who enhanced our lives before leaving us all too soon.
Russi Taylor
Carmine Caridi
Geneviève Waïte
Barbara Perry
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).