Celebrities Who Died in 2020: Remembering the Stars We’ve Lost This Year

From wrestlers to reality stars to rock stars, we lost quite a few legends in 2020. Unfortunately, after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in March, even more people than normal were laying their loved ones to rest.

All across the world, stars opened up about their diagnoses and struggles with COVID-19. Though most — like Tom Hanks, Idris Elba and Andy Cohen — recovered after testing positive, others succumbed to the virus after facing serious complications. Fountains of Wayne singer Adam Schlesinger died on April 1 at age 52. One month later, famous Las Vegas performer Roy Horn died on May 8 at age 75. Former Dream Street singer Chris Trousdale died at age 34 on June 2.

The comedy scene also lost some of its biggest stars with the deaths of Jerry Stiller, Fred Willard and Carl Reiner. Their former costars and crew members gushed about them on social media in the wake of their passing, paying tribute to their personal lives and most memorable projects. Ben Stiller, a comedy legend in his own right, shared memories of all three, including his father, on social media.

“I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you, Dad,” he shared in May.

Less than a week later, he paid his respects to the Best In Show actor, who he worked with on The Ben Stiller Show. “Fred Willard was a brilliant comic actor and improviser,” he wrote. “He could make anything funny. His work goes down as some of the funniest ever. From Jerry Hubbard on … he inspired and influenced so many people in comedy. Sending love to his family.”

In June, Ben memorialized the Dick Van Dyke writer. “Carl Reiner was a comedic giant, one of the smartest comedy minds ever,” he gushed. “He used his voice to the very end, speaking truth to power and the insanity we are all living in. So much respect for him.”

Fans later mourned the death of James Bond icon Sean Connery, who died on October 31. He’ll forever be remembered for his captivating performances in Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and more.

While some notable celebs are no longer with us at the end of 2020, many people continue to pay homage to those who passed away. Check out the gallery below to see all of the incredible stars we lost this year.