Join us as we remember the touching ways television shows honored their fallen stars. From heartfelt musical tributes to special memorial episodes, these shows found beautiful ways to say goodbye to beloved cast members who left us too soon. Which tribute touched your heart the most?
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00:00It's just heaven.
00:01Oh, the blessed life you are living.
00:02Yes, ma'am.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo,
00:06and today we're looking at the ways TV shows honored cast members
00:09who died during production.
00:10You only think you've heard everything, but you haven't.
00:15Redd Foxx, The Royal Family
00:17Comedian and actor Redd Foxx made a comeback to TV in 1991
00:20with the CBS sitcom The Royal Family.
00:22Victoria, they're having barbecues all over the world without me.
00:26Nobody ever calls me up and says,
00:28Al, where the hell are you?
00:29Created by Eddie Murphy, the show starred Foxx as Al Royal,
00:32an Atlanta mail carrier, and his wife Victoria, played by Della Reese.
00:35The Royal Family premiered to strong ratings,
00:38but during production for the first season,
00:40Foxx died after suffering a heart attack on set.
00:42Mrs. Royal, it's about Al.
00:45We've got some awful news.
00:51CBS chose to forge ahead, airing commercials that honored Foxx
00:54and stated that the show would go on.
00:56Reese also paid tribute to him at the beginning of the fifth episode,
00:59the first to air after his passing.
01:01I know you love me, but don't worry about me,
01:06because Al love still surrounds me,
01:10and this family is my power and my strength.
01:15Foxx's death was later written into the eighth episode,
01:17where Al Royal's funeral was attended by some of the actor's real-life friends.
01:21Angus Cloud, Euphoria
01:23Angus Cloud made his acting debut in the high school drama Euphoria,
01:27where he won fans over as the lovable drug dealer Fezco O'Neal.
01:30Hey, I don't judge.
01:33Below key is Astra in the back.
01:35You serious?
01:36You think because I went to rehab I stayed clean?
01:39I mean, ain't that the point?
01:40Sadly, on July 31, 2023,
01:43Cloud passed away from an accidental overdose at his family home.
01:47To honor his memory, the network made a subtle but heartfelt adjustment
01:50to two important episodes in Fez's storyline,
01:53adding an in-memoriam card at the beginning of each.
01:55This tribute appears in the show's pilot,
01:57where Fez is first introduced,
01:59and the season two premiere,
02:00which explores his backstory and entry into the drug business.
02:03Because I didn't like the way he did business.
02:07Says the guy who brings a kid to a drug deal.
02:10That's not a kid, that's my business partner.
02:13By doing so, HBO ensured that Cloud's impact on the series,
02:17and the joy he brought to it,
02:18would never be forgotten.
02:20Hope to see you soon, Lexi.
02:22Have a good night.
02:23Gene Cooper, The Young and the Restless
02:26Over a 40-year period,
02:28Gene Cooper played Catherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless,
02:30becoming one of the longest-serving soap opera actors in U.S. history.
02:34I've spent half of my lifetime with The Young and the Restless,
02:37but I know a lot of people who have spent their lifetimes right along with me.
02:42That makes me very proud.
02:44Very proud.
02:45With such a lengthy tenure,
02:47Cooper's death in May 2013 left a huge void,
02:50and the show couldn't simply carry on as if nothing happened.
02:53About three weeks after her passing,
02:55CBS aired a special tribute episode in her honor.
02:58It brought together her castmates and family members,
03:00who shared their fondest memories of her and reflected on her lasting influence.
03:04She was the diva she was this show,
03:07and she taught all of us by her example.
03:09She was able to focus and know who you were,
03:13and tune into who you were,
03:15and make you special.
03:16The special also featured a montage of Cooper's most memorable moments on screen.
03:20A few months later, her character Catherine was written out of the show,
03:24with two additional episodes dedicated to her funeral.
03:27She always spoke the truth to me, no matter what.
03:30And I think I've become the better person for it.
03:35I know one thing.
03:37I will never meet the like of her again.
03:42Brian Tarantino, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
03:45Get your stuff off and we'll bring on the next act.
03:50Okay, it's gonna be a comedian.
03:52So hang tight everybody, and get ready to laugh.
03:55Character actor Brian Tarantino worked with TV producers Amy Sherman-Palladino
04:00and Daniel Palladino for over two decades.
04:02But his most unforgettable role with them was as Jackie,
04:05the cranky yet endearing gaslight cafe manager,
04:08and Susie's roommate in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
04:10You must be Susie.
04:12I'm Nancy, Jackie's sister.
04:15Oh, well he's-
04:16Dead. He's dead.
04:19I'm sorry, what?
04:20A stroke sometime this afternoon.
04:22Sadly, his time on the show was cut short after three seasons,
04:25as he passed away in November 2019.
04:28Tarantino's death was woven into the season four episode
04:30Everything is Belmore, where Susie learns he died suddenly of a stroke.
04:34When she sees that hardly anyone showed up for his funeral,
04:37Susie crashes a nearby service and delivers an emotional eulogy to him.
04:41I mean, this guy lived a life, and I never knew any of this.
04:47I mean, it's just a minute ago I found out I was his friend.
04:50No, I'm sorry, one of his closest friends.
04:52I had a close friend, and I never knew it.
04:55Her three-minute monologue wasn't just a send-off for Jackie,
04:58it was also the Palladino's touching tribute to Tarantino himself.
05:02Jack Sue, Barney Miller
05:04The ABC sitcom Barney Miller followed a squad of detectives
05:07at the fictional 12th precinct of the New York City Police Department.
05:10One of those detectives was Nick Yamana,
05:12a wisecracking sergeant known for making terrible coffee played by actor Jack Sue.
05:17What smells, Nick? Did you burn the coffee again?
05:19It's not coffee, it's a smog.
05:23Smog? We're indoors.
05:25It comes through the holes in the wall.
05:28During the show's fourth season, Sue was diagnosed with cancer,
05:31and he ultimately passed away while the fifth season was still airing.
05:34As a result, the season concluded with a half-hour tribute to him,
05:37featuring highlights of his performances
05:39and personal stories from his castmates of what it was like working with him.
05:42He had an ability to take in stride even the most bizarre of situations
05:46and the most abrasive of people.
05:49But mostly, he was able to see the humor in things,
05:52and he was never hesitant to say so.
05:55The special ended with the cast bidding the perfect farewell to their colleague
05:59by raising their coffee cups in his honor.
06:02To you, Jack.
06:04Luke Perry, Riverdale
06:06Luke Perry's death in 2019 was a heartbreaking loss for fans
06:10who had adored him since he shot to fame on Beverly Hills 90210.
06:14Yeah, well, he's retiring this year.
06:16He is?
06:17He just wants to keep it quiet, though.
06:19Doesn't want everybody making a big deal.
06:21His passing occurred during the third season of Riverdale,
06:24briefly halting production.
06:25However, the show didn't fully address it until the season four premiere,
06:29which served as a standalone tribute to both Perry and his character Fred Andrews.
06:33He pulled over to help someone in his car.
06:36It stalled on the side of the road, and, uh,
06:42another vehicle came upon them way too fast.
06:46In the episode, Fred is killed in a hit-and-run accident
06:49while heroically pushing a woman to safety.
06:51The moment was made even more poignant as Shannon Doherty,
06:54Perry's co-star on Beverly Hills 90210, guest-starred as the woman Fred saves.
06:59One of my tires blew and, um, I was stranded out here.
07:07You're the one he was helping.
07:11He is celebrated as a hero in Riverdale for his selfless act,
07:15and receives a homecoming parade at the end of the episode.
07:18Phil Hartman, NewsRadio
07:20NewsRadio wouldn't have been the same without Phil Hartman.
07:23The NBC sitcom stood out with its quick-witted dialogue
07:26and occasionally surreal plot lines.
07:28Sounds good, we should also try one clean 15-second pop
07:30without the audio bit.
07:33Bill, what are you doing?
07:35Oh, sorry.
07:39Much like his run on Saturday Night Live,
07:41Hartman served as the glue of the show,
07:43holding everything together as the egomaniac anchor Bill McNeil.
07:47Hence, when he was tragically murdered in May 1998,
07:50that cohesion shattered.
07:51Hartman's death came mere weeks after the fourth season finale,
07:55and it was addressed when the show returned for its fifth and final season.
07:58He would have been all, hey, look, it's a broken heart,
08:00because I was sitting at home watching television,
08:03and I had a heart attack and died.
08:08Or something like that, you know?
08:09The WNYX staff deals with their grief following Bill's funeral,
08:13with each character mourning in their own way.
08:15When they gather to read the letters Bill left behind,
08:17there isn't a dry eye in the room,
08:19and those tears were undeniably real.
08:22I meant it as a compliment, but somehow it came out wrong.
08:27That's very sweet.
08:29Leslie Jordan, Call Me Kat
08:31Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
08:34but the oven just crapped out.
08:36I mean, honestly, can you think of anything worse to happen
08:40before our cat-aversary party?
08:43Leslie Jordan was beloved by many.
08:45The charismatic actor gained a devoted fan base
08:47through his role in Will & Grace and his hilarious social media videos.
08:51In 2021, Jordan joined the Fox series Call Me Kat as Phil.
08:56However, he never completed filming the third season,
08:58as he passed away on October 24th, 2022 while driving to the set.
09:03According to an eyewitness, right around 9.25 this morning,
09:06Mr. Jordan's car hit a parked car just beyond us
09:09and then careened into the building behind us.
09:12In the 10th episode, it was explained that Phil had married his husband in Tahiti
09:17and decided to stay there.
09:18This place won't be the same without him.
09:21Kentucky won't be the same without him.
09:26Yeah, nothing's gonna be the same without him.
09:28The episode then ended with a tribute,
09:30as the cast members brought out Jordan's empty chair
09:33and draped his blazer over it.
09:34Finally, Dolly Parton honored him by singing a verse from their song
09:38Where the Soul Never Dies and delivering a heartfelt monologue.
09:41And I just want you to know that I will always love you.
09:48Goodbye, my sweet Leslie.
09:51See you over there.
09:52John Spencer, The West Wing
09:54Throughout his 42-year career,
09:56John Spencer took on many roles in film and television,
09:59but he is best remembered as Leo McGarry on NBC's The West Wing.
10:03I can use all the help I can get.
10:04You put a lot of faith in people, Leo, and I love you for that.
10:08I just don't want to see you get disappointed.
10:10Yes, sir.
10:11Especially now.
10:14Yes, sir.
10:15Over the course of the show,
10:16McGarry moves from being the White House chief of staff
10:18to a counselor to the president, then to a VP candidate.
10:21However, he never gets the opportunity to see his ticket win
10:24as the character dies on election night.
10:27Hey.
10:30He died, Josh.
10:40This plotline was written as a result of Spencer's real-life passing
10:43from a heart attack on December 16, 2005.
10:46The first episode following his death opens with a brief tribute
10:49from actor Martin Sheen, who delivers a memorial message
10:52directly to the audience in Spencer's honor.
10:54Johnny, it seems we hardly knew you.
10:56We love you, and we miss you.
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11:15Cory Monteith, Glee
11:17No, no, absolutely not.
11:18You see, we figured that if I push him down the field fast enough,
11:21that the centrifugal force...
11:23Centrifugal force.
11:24You're out.
11:26Wait, what?
11:27When Canadian actor Cory Monteith passed away in July 2013,
11:31many fans wondered how Glee could possibly go on without him.
11:34For four seasons, he had played Finn Hudson,
11:36the lovable quarterback and singer.
11:38So his death meant the show had no choice but to write the character out.
11:41A few months later, Glee paid tribute the only way it knew how,
11:45with music.
11:48600 minutes, how do you measure the life of a woman or a man?
11:56The aptly titled episode,
11:57The Quarterback, picks up weeks after Finn's funeral,
12:00never disclosing his cause of death,
12:02but making it clear that the grief still lingers.
12:04The loss hits everyone hard,
12:06but none more than his girlfriend Rachel Berry,
12:08a character played by Lea Michele,
12:10who also dated Monteith in real life.
12:13Before Finn, I used to sing alone.
12:19And this was the first song that I sang with him
12:23when we would drive around together, so.
12:26What actor's passing have you never been able to get over?
12:29Share your favorite moments of theirs in the comments below.
12:32Thank you for everything, Bill.
12:39Oh god, uh, not just the stapler.
12:42Do you agree with our picks?
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