Hallmark Stars Who Sadly Died
From a '90s teen heartthrob to an actor best known for playing a rumpled TV detective, here are some of your favorite Hallmark stars who have sadly passed away.
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00:00From a 90s teen heartthrob to an actor best known for playing a rumbled TV detective,
00:05here are some of your favorite Hallmark stars who have sadly passed away.
00:10Michael Kopsa became a well-known Hallmark star for his participation in movies like
00:14Valentine in the Vineyard, Love in Winterland, and Finding Father Christmas. However, many
00:18fans also remember Kopsa for his roles on popular shows like The X-Files and Smallville.
00:24In October 2022, Kopsa's wife shared the news of his death in a since-deleted Instagram
00:29post. She wrote in the caption,
00:30"'The great Michael Kopsa, my dear friend and the father of my child Nora, passed away
00:35October 23, 2022, of a brain tumor. He was an incredible stage and screen actor, voice
00:41actor, carpenter, musician, and painter. Most importantly, he was a loving and richly present
00:46father.'"
00:47The Hallmark Channel also took to social media to pay tribute to Kopsa. In an Instagram post
00:52that included a photo of one of his many characters, the channel wrote,
00:55"'A friend and colleague to many, today we honor the legacy of Michael Kopsa, always
01:00in our hearts.'"
01:02Kirby Morrow was mostly known for his voice acting on Dragon Ball Z and Ninjago. However,
01:07he also appeared in various different Hallmark movies, including A Wish for Christmas and
01:11Murder, She Baked. Sadly, Kirby Morrow passed away in 2020. Morrow's father had died only
01:17a few days prior, so the actor's death was incredibly devastating to his already heartbroken
01:21family.
01:22In an interview with Global News, Morrow's brother Casey discussed how the actor had
01:26been struggling with depression. He told the outlet,
01:28"'He didn't want anybody to know he was in pain because he didn't want anybody to feel
01:32that too.'"
01:33Kirby Morrow was 47.
01:36Houston K. Stevenson appeared on the Hallmark TV series Martha's Vineyard Mysteries, but
01:40he also had parts in the Disney movies Descendants 2 and Descendants 3. Sadly, Stevenson died
01:46on July 6, 2022, at the age of 27. His mother, Ronnie Stevenson, shared the news of his passing
01:52through her Instagram account, writing,
01:54"'Our lives will never be the same. The world lost the most beautiful human that has ever
01:58walked the face of this earth. I love you with every breath I take.'"
02:01Three days later, another statement was released through the same Instagram account. In the
02:05new post, Stevenson's family revealed that the actor had been part of an unexpected and
02:10tragic accident. The Instagram post read,
02:12"'On behalf of our entire family, we want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring
02:16of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world. We ask for your continued
02:20prayers and for the privacy of our family as we navigate through this most difficult
02:24time.'"
02:26While speaking to The Morning Show about his time on Beverly Hills 90210, Luke Perry
02:30had this to say,
02:31"'I don't think any of us had any idea what was going to happen with it and how long the
02:35impact of it would last.'"
02:36The show's impact was definitely massive, as Beverly Hills 90210 grew to become one
02:41of the most popular teen dramas of the 1990s.
02:44"'I just don't believe in winning through intimidation. Unless, of course, I'm doing
02:49the intimidating.'"
02:51While Perry will forever be remembered for playing Dylan McKay on the show, the actor
02:55did go on to have a very successful career after Beverly Hills 90210 ended. Most people
03:00may not know this, but Perry actually spent a big part of his career working for the Hallmark
03:04Channel. The late actor appeared in movies such as A Gunfighter's Pledge and Goodnight
03:09for Justice, among other films.
03:11A week before his passing, TMZ reported that Perry was hospitalized due to a massive stroke.
03:16Then, on March 4, 2019, Perry's team revealed that the actor had passed away at St. Joseph's
03:22Hospital in Burbank, California. When the news of Perry's death was announced, Hallmark
03:26posted a tribute on Instagram that read,
03:28"'We were saddened to learn of Luke Perry's passing earlier today. We are proud to have
03:32worked with Luke on Love in Paradise and wish to extend the thoughts of everyone at Hallmark
03:37Channel to his loved ones during this difficult time.'"
03:40Anne Heche may be best known for her roles in big-budget films like Donnie Brasco and
03:45Wag the Dog, but she also appeared in numerous Hallmark Christmas movies. Some of the films
03:49she starred in included Looks Like Christmas, Silver Bells, and One Christmas Eve.
03:54In August of 2022, Anne Heche was in a horrific accident when the car she was driving collided
03:59into a Los Angeles home. Shortly after impact, Heche's car set on fire. When the news of
04:04the crash was announced, Michael McConnell, a representative of Heche, told Reuters,
04:08"'At this time, she is in extreme critical condition and has significant pulmonary injury
04:13requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.'"
04:18A few days after the accident, on August 11, 2022, Heche passed away. Her sons shared the
04:23news in an exclusive statement with People that read, in part,
04:27"'My brother Atlas and I lost our mom. After six days of almost unbelievable emotional
04:32swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning
04:37to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.'"
04:41Most people will remember Doris Roberts for her role as Marie Barone on the popular sitcom
04:45Everybody Loves Raymond.
04:47It's just that it sounds like you're becoming just like your father."
04:52However, this Emmy Award winner also appeared in several Hallmark movies throughout her career,
04:56among them Mrs. Miracle and Call Me Mrs. Miracle.
04:59In 2016, at the age of 90, Roberts died in her home in Los Angeles. Patricia Heaton,
05:05who played her daughter-in-law on Everybody Loves Raymond, was one of the first ones to
05:08comment on the news, writing on Twitter,
05:11"'She was funny and tough and loved life, living it to the fullest.
05:14It truly was a privilege, Doris. I love you and miss you.'"
05:17According to a statement shared by Los Angeles Times,
05:20Ray Romano, who played her son on Everybody Loves Raymond, said,
05:23"'Doris Roberts had an energy and a spirit that amazed me, whether working professionally or
05:27with her many charities or just nurturing and mentoring a young, green comic trying to make
05:32it as an actor. She did it all with such a grand love for life and people, and I will miss her
05:37dearly.'"
05:38Peter Falk was best known for playing the rumpled Detective Columbo on the long-running crime series.
05:43"'One more thing. Gee, I almost forgot what I came here to ask ya.'"
05:48In addition to playing the canny detective, Falk also appeared in several Hallmark movies
05:53throughout his career. Falk played the same character, called Max, in the films Finding
05:57John Christmas, When Angels Come to Town, and A Town Without Christmas.
06:01Sadly, in 2011, Falk passed away at the age of 83 after battling dementia and Alzheimer's.
06:07Gina Rollins, who played Falk's wife in the Oscar-nominated film A Woman Under the Influence,
06:12shared a statement with Los Angeles Times that read,
06:14"'Today we lost someone who was very special and dear to my heart.
06:17Not only a wonderful actor, but a very great friend.'"
06:21Marta Dubois was a Panamanian actor who found success in the United States.
06:25Her first project was in 1979, and it was called Boulevard Nights.
06:30After that, she went on to appear in several well-known TV shows,
06:33such as Law & Order L.A., The King of Queens, and Star Trek The Next Generation.
06:37Dubois also appeared in several Hallmark movies,
06:40playing the character Sergeant Roberta Hanson in McBride, Murder Past Midnight,
06:44McBride, The Doctor Is Out, Really Out, and McBride, Anybody Here, Murder Marty?
06:49Sadly, Dubois passed away on May 8, 2018, from a brain aneurysm. She was 65.
06:56Most people will remember Clarence Williams III for his role on The Mod Squad.
07:00In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Spelling, who was one of the show's producers,
07:04recalled why he decided to hire Williams on the spot. In Spelling's recollection,
07:09Williams was driving a getaway car on an anthology series he was producing.
07:13Spelling told the outlet,
07:14"'Then Williams drove off and smashed right into a telephone pole.
07:17I thought everybody was killed. We all rushed over. I said,
07:20Clarence, Clarence, what happened? He said, I've never driven before. I said,
07:24why didn't you tell me that? He said, because I wanted the job. I hired him, that night, for Mod
07:29Squad.'"
07:30In addition to his role on The Mod Squad, Williams also appeared in the Hallmark TV series Mystery
07:35Woman. In 2021, Clarence Williams III died of colon cancer at the age of 81.
07:41Many of the stars who knew and worked with Williams took to social media to pay tribute
07:45to the actor. Among them was Lenny Kravitz, who wrote on Twitter,
07:48"'When I was a kid growing up in NYC, Clarence Williams III was a face on TV that I identified
07:54with and that inspired me. From The Mod Squad to Purple Rain and Sugar Hill,
07:58he always performed with dynamic energy. Rest in power, King.'"
08:02The name Cindy Williams is immediately tied to the long-running sitcom Laverne & Shirley,
08:07where she played the part of Shirley Feeney for eight seasons.
08:14However, Williams also starred in the Hallmark movies A Dream of Christmas and Strawberry Summer.
08:19In early 2023, Williams passed away at the age of 75. Her son Zach and daughter Emily
08:25announced their mother's death through a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that read,
08:29"'The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams,
08:32has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed.
08:36Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind,
08:40beautiful, generous, and possessed a brilliant sense of humor.'"
08:43Many celebrities shared the pain of her loss through social media,
08:47even those who didn't get to work with her. One of those celebrities was Jason Alexander,
08:51who was best known for playing George on Seinfeld. He tweeted,
08:54"'I did not know Cindy Williams, but boy did I adore her work, especially the wacky,
08:59joyful, funny pleasure of watching her Laverne & Shirley days. I pray she had
09:03a good life and send my sympathy to those who knew and loved her.'"