We Lost These Celebs in 2023...
These celebrities may be gone but they'll never be forgotten. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking over every month of 2023, paying tribute to the stars who sadly passed away.
Transcript
00:00 "Where am I going to be? I hope I'm up there looking down on the whole thing."
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking over every month in 2023,
00:09 paying tribute to the stars who sadly passed away.
00:12 "He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world
00:15 with his humor, kindness, and grace."
00:17 January. Lisa Marie Presley.
00:22 The world went speechless the day that Elvis died.
00:24 "Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself."
00:28 People again struggled to find words when Lisa Marie Presley suddenly passed away at age 54.
00:33 Being the only child of Elvis and Priscilla,
00:36 Lisa Marie Presley entered this world under the public's magnifying glass.
00:39 While she dedicated much of her life to preserving her family's legacy,
00:43 Presley was an accomplished artist in her own right, with three albums, one of which went gold.
00:47 "You can think that I'm evil and I'm awful, but you ain't seen nothing yet."
00:56 She was also committed to charitable causes, starting the Presley Charitable Foundation in 2007,
01:01 and working with organizations like the Grammy Foundation.
01:04 A mother of four, Presley left behind three living children, including actress Riley Keough.
01:10 Her song might have been cut tragically short, but the music lives on in Graceland and beyond.
01:15 "What are your fondest memories of being at Graceland with your dad? What do you remember?"
01:20 "It reminds me of every, like, even the weather I love, and those,
01:24 you know, like crickets and lightning bugs, and it's just all in that certain smell."
01:30 [Music]
01:57 February, Raquel Welch.
01:59 "A rep for the actress tells ET Raquel died peacefully on Wednesday following a brief illness."
02:04 Following her breakout role in Fantastic Voyage, Raquel Welch made cinematic and
02:09 pin-up history with her fur bikini from one million years BC.
02:12 In the pantheon of Hollywood sex symbols,
02:14 Welch perhaps made the greatest impression since Marilyn Monroe.
02:18 Like Marilyn, Welch's impact went beyond beauty.
02:21 She helped pave the way for female action stars with roles like Detective Eileen McHenry in Fuzz,
02:26 and the titular character in Hanny Calder, the latter being an inspiration for Kill Bill.
02:31 "Anytime you're ready."
02:33 Welch had sharp comedic timing as well, as demonstrated through her Golden Globe-winning
02:43 work in The Three Musketeers, and a hilarious cameo as herself on Seinfeld.
02:47 "Miss Welch, I do need to talk to you about a little problem regarding your, uh, your performance."
02:53 "What kind of problem?"
02:55 She might have been underappreciated in some circles,
02:58 but Welch left this world a true icon who will continue to bedazzle.
03:03 [Music]
03:25 March - Lance Reddick
03:27 From the early 2000s onward, this character actor was among the most familiar faces across
03:32 television, appearing on Oz, The Wire, Lost, and Fringe.
03:37 "And this deadest dream, you think it may be connected to what killed those people?"
03:41 Even if you took his face out of the equation, fans could immediately recognize Lance Reddick's
03:46 distinct voice, which he lent to various animation shows and video games.
03:50 "Were we married when you two were stranded on Delphi six for three days?
03:55 Because I sensed something was weird when you came back."
04:00 In feature film, Reddick was best known for playing Chiron,
04:03 the always reserved and professional concierge of the Continental.
04:07 John Wick Chapter 4 would unexpectedly be a posthumous release, arriving in theaters a
04:12 week after Reddick passed. It was just one of several projects that Reddick didn't get to see
04:16 to the finish line. Busy to the end, Reddick was an actor's actor who could stand out even
04:22 in the smallest of roles.
04:23 Lance was taken from us far too soon. Thank you for your overwhelming love,
04:27 support, and beautiful stories shared on these platforms over the last day.
04:33 [Music]
04:55 April, Jerry Springer
04:57 "This is a ride and we're all incredibly lucky."
05:01 From a man who married a horse to a cryogenically frozen megalomaniac from the 60s,
05:06 Jerry Springer interviewed his fair share of colorful characters.
05:09 Behind the microphone, Springer was just as fascinating as his subjects.
05:13 "Okay, who's for Taco Bell?
05:14 Who's for Hardee's?
05:19 I'm sorry, it's Taco Bell, you're fired."
05:24 The son of Jewish-German refugees, Springer and his family fled from Europe to America
05:29 during the midst of World War II. After working on Robert F. Kennedy's political campaign,
05:33 Springer shifted his focus to law before running for office himself.
05:37 While a scandal involving a sex worker didn't end his political career,
05:41 it did preview his more prominent venture into television,
05:44 becoming a trailblazer of quote-unquote "trash TV."
05:47 Whatever your thoughts of the subgenre he helped spawn,
05:50 Springer was a showman who could excite a crowd like few others.
05:54 "You don't even like us."
06:05 May, Tina Turner
06:32 Throughout the 60s and 70s, it was hard to separate Tina Turner from husband Ike.
06:36 "It was 1977 when I left Ike Turner. My life has progressed, progressively climbed and became
06:44 better and better and better."
06:45 Their troubled marriage was over by the dawn of the 80s, but Tina was just getting started.
06:50 The multi-platinum album Private Dancer marked a high point for Tina's solo renaissance,
06:55 knocking out Grammy-winning hits like "Better Be Good to Me" and "What's Love Got to Do With It?"
06:59 "Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?"
07:04 With further success awaiting in the 90s, it was no longer Ike and Tina.
07:08 Say the name Tina in any music circle, and there's only one person they can be talking about.
07:13 This queen of rock and roll retired following her 50th anniversary tour in 2009.
07:18 In the wake of her passing, listening to any lyric reminded us why she was the best.
07:23 "You're simply the best, better than all the rest."
07:51 June - Alan Arkin
07:52 Alan Arkin's career endured for so many decades that he's recognizable to
07:57 different generations for a variety of roles.
07:59 "It's because you're beautiful, inside and out."
08:02 Those who lived through the 60s witnessed his Oscar-nominated breakthroughs in
08:07 "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming" and "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter."
08:10 Arkin would headline comedies like "Catch-22" and "The In-Laws" throughout the 70s and 80s,
08:15 before taking on more supporting roles in the 90s.
08:18 "Don't you come in here. I want you out of my life."
08:20 "Shell, I would like to advise, but I have a conscience."
08:22 "Go away from me. Don't look at me or talk to me."
08:24 Although fewer leading roles were coming his way,
08:26 the latter half of Arkin's career brought some of his most memorable performances,
08:30 including his Oscar-winning work in "Little Miss Sunshine."
08:33 Like Grandpa Edwin Hoover, we wish Arkin could have stuck around longer,
08:37 but he left us with plenty of laughs, wisdom, and quotable lines.
08:41 "You try to do something on your own, which is more than most people ever do,
08:46 and I include myself in that category.
08:51 You took a big chance, and you took guts, and I'm proud of you."
08:55 [Music]
09:19 July, Paul Rubens.
09:21 "Only reason for being in show business is to impress the people that you went to school with."
09:26 A lot of comedians have created iconic characters.
09:28 In "Pee-wee Herman" though, Paul Rubens gave us such a larger-than-life force
09:33 that the man behind the bowtie could be overshadowed.
09:35 Rubens was underrated as a character actor,
09:38 proving unrecognizable in various comedic and dramatic roles.
09:42 There's no denying that Rubens shined the most as Pee-wee, however.
09:45 With a mix of physical and surreal humor that ranged from bizarrely childish to blatantly adult,
09:51 Pee-wee was as unique as the mind that birthed him.
09:54 We should say minds, as Rubens received help from Phil Hartman,
09:58 another comedic legend taken too soon.
10:00 "A sailor travels to many lands, any place he pleases."
10:07 While Rubens' career had its ups and downs,
10:09 his final act marked another creative high,
10:12 with his brand of comedy proving as timeless as one's inner child.
10:16 "Let's go."
10:17 "Let's go? Don't you want to see the rest of the movie?"
10:19 "I don't have to see it, Dotty. I lived it."
10:23 [Music]
10:48 August, Bob Barker
10:50 "I have been blessed in that I have had 50 years doing something that I have
10:56 thoroughly enjoyed and I've been paid for it. How good can you have it?"
11:00 Bob Barker is one of those personalities that we thought would be around forever.
11:04 Part of that is because most of us can't remember a time when he wasn't a TV staple.
11:08 Barker's game show career went back even further than some might expect,
11:12 hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to the mid-70s.
11:16 Of course, The Price is Right proved to be his longest running gig,
11:20 having contestants come on down for 35 years.
11:23 "I'd love to punch that guy in the face right now, but I can't, you know,
11:25 because I'd get in trouble. I bet you got a lot of that on Let's Make a Deal."
11:29 "It's The Price is Right, Happy."
11:30 "Oh yeah, sorry."
11:32 Even after Barker retired from hosting,
11:34 he remained a presence in television and animal rights activism.
11:38 Barker beamed with youthful energy well into his twilight years,
11:41 so much so that we sincerely believe he could have taken Adam Sandler.
11:45 Passing four months shy of his 100th birthday, Barker was the host with the most.
11:50 "Bob was an amazing man who set the gold standard not only for his performance on camera,
11:55 but for his off-camera love and support of all animals, big and small."
12:00 [Music]
12:25 September, Michael Gambon
12:27 This Irish-English actor had already delivered a vast collection of performances spanning theater,
12:32 film, and television upon inheriting his most famous role.
12:36 "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times,
12:40 if one only remembers to turn on the light."
12:45 Given the passing of Richard Harris,
12:47 Michael Gambon did not become Albus Dumbledore under the happiest of circumstances.
12:51 Yet his cast members quickly came to recognize him as an integral part of the Potter family,
12:56 just as Dumbledore mentored Harry.
12:58 Younger cast members looked up to Gambon as a role model.
13:01 "I have a wand and a stick and I meet all these fellas,
13:04 and they've all become my friends, so it's become a highlight of my life."
13:06 When Gambon passed at 82, two particular Dumbledore lines came to us.
13:11 One was from Gambon's debut as the character.
13:13 The other was from his final turn as the wise wizard.
13:16 Gambon lived with love, and whenever we think of his legacy, a light will surely spark.
13:22 "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living. And above all, all those who live without love."
13:32 [Music]
13:54 October. Matthew Perry.
13:57 Friends can be like TV shows. Some come and go, but occasionally,
14:01 an unbreakable bond is formed that transcends time and space.
14:04 "Chandler, you don't want to miss this. This is the birth of your child. It's the miracle of life."
14:09 "All right."
14:10 "Wow, that is one disgusting miracle."
14:15 Even almost two decades after its conclusion, the cast of Friends has been there for us.
14:20 When Matthew Perry died, it genuinely felt as if we had all lost a friend.
14:24 Beyond his career-defining role as Chandler Bang, Perry lent his signature sarcastic delivery to
14:29 several successful films, from Fool's Rush In to The Whole Nine Yards. Open about his personal life,
14:35 Perry was also an inspiration to those seeking to achieve sobriety.
14:39 "If they've gone through anything close to what I went through, I can come in and help."
14:44 It felt like Perry had so much left to do in acting and advocacy.
14:48 Even in death, Perry will continue to impact us like a true friend.
14:52 "This is harder than I thought it would be."
14:53 "It's going to be okay."
15:06 [Music]
15:34 November. Joss Ackland. With a gravelly yet inviting voice,
15:38 Joss Ackland was tailor-made to play Hans in the Mighty Ducks franchise.
15:42 "You're not a little boy anymore, Charlie. Please stop acting this way."
15:47 That was only the tip of his extensive resume and range. He was just as skilled at playing
15:52 villains in Lethal Weapon 2 and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.
15:55 "The system will never have existed."
15:58 "You won't get away with it."
16:00 "Time will tell."
16:02 "Time has told."
16:03 "I will go back and change that with the aid of my secret weapons."
16:09 Although often a supporting player on screen, Ackland took the lead as C.S. Lewis in the 1985
16:18 TV movie Shadowlands. Ackland did some of his finest work on stage, which he took a 12-year
16:24 sabbatical from following the death of his wife. Even then, Ackland lived up to his reputation
16:29 for staying occupied.
16:30 "Learn to stop trying to preserve yourself. Once you let yourself go, head first,
16:35 without worrying where you're gonna land or anything. It works. You're a diver."
16:39 By the time he passed at 95, Ackland had over 130 credits across multiple mediums.
16:45 Some perform for money. Ackland performed because he needed to.
16:49 [Music]
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17:28 December, Norman Lear.
17:32 "The iconic television producer who introduced political and social commentary
17:36 into the American sitcom died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 101."
17:42 It's hard to think of a figure who had a hand in creating more classic sitcoms than Norman Lear.
17:48 'All in the Family,' 'The Jeffersons,' 'Sanford and Son,' 'Maud.' These are just some of the
17:53 shows that Lear shepherded to the small screen.
17:55 "I may have a black eye, Walter, but I'm hardly the hunchback of Notre Dame."
18:00 Quantity is one thing, but it's the quality of Lear's work that has endured throughout the years.
18:04 We're not just talking about the comedy, although Lear knew how to bring the laughs.
18:08 Just as integral to his legacy, Lear knew how to bring the drama,
18:12 tackling topics that were taboo decades ago and remain relevant today.
18:17 Living to the ripe age of 101, Lear watched the industry and the world change,
18:22 reflecting that evolution through brilliant writing and timeless characters.
18:26 "What are you most proud of?"
18:27 "Often I hear my dad, my dad, how he laughed and he was a hand, a touch of our gene,
18:34 and that we laughed together because I believe to my toes
18:37 that as human beings we are versions of one another."
18:41 [Music]
19:00 Which late celebrity left the greatest impact on your life?
19:03 Share your memories of them in the comments.
19:05 "We will always remember him for his warm smile and good nature."
19:09 [Music]