Actors, musicians, writers and artists lost in 2025: who we’ll never forget

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• Visionary filmmakers and directors who rerouted cinema
  • David Lynch — the director who blurred dream and dread
  • Robert Redford — actor, director and independent-film champion
  • Rob Reiner — from sitcom actor to director of beloved films
• Actors who became cultural touchstones
  • Gene Hackman — the actor of compact menace and depth
  • Diane Keaton — unforgettable in quirky, intelligent roles
  • Malcolm-Jamal Warner — the on-screen son who felt like family
  • Graham Greene — Native actor who brought complex roles to life
• Musicians whose songs became part of the soundtrack of generations
  • Roberta Flack — the tender, soulful voice behind classics
  • Sly Stone — the boundary-breaking leader of Sly & the Family Stone
  • Brian Wilson — the troubled genius behind the Beach Boys’ harmonies
  • Ozzy Osbourne — heavy metal’s theatrical frontman
  • D’Angelo — architect of neo-soul and modern R&B
  • Eddie Palmieri — Latin jazz pianist and bandleader
• Songwriters and composers who wrote Broadway and TV songbooks
  • Charles Strouse — tunes that linger in memory
• Cartoonists, playwrights and authors who shaped public thought
  • Jules Feiffer — satirist, cartoonist and versatile storyteller
  • Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o — a towering voice in African literature
  • Tom Stoppard — the playwright of ideas and wit
• Figures from architecture, fashion and design
  • Frank Gehry — the architect who bent buildings into sculpture
  • Giorgio Armani — the fashion house and its sleek silhouettes
• Journalists and broadcasters who shaped public radio
  • Susan Stamberg — a voice that helped define public radio
• Other cultural leaders and storytellers
  • Michelle Trachtenberg — from child star to versatile actress
  • Susan names and notes — other notable passings

This year we mark the passing of many creators whose work shaped film, music, literature, design and public conversation. Their careers ranged from breakthrough debuts to decades of influence. Below, we remember notable figures and the marks they left on culture, with highlights of signature works and why those works endure.

Visionary filmmakers and directors who rerouted cinema

David Lynch — the director who blurred dream and dread

David Lynch brought a singular, surreal sensibility to mainstream film and television. His imagery mixed Americana with unsettling undercurrents.

• Key projects: Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks.
• Legacy: Pioneered dreamlike storytelling that continues to influence auteurs and series television.

Robert Redford — actor, director and independent-film champion

Robert Redford combined on-screen charisma with off-screen advocacy for independent film. He helped create vital infrastructure for new voices.

• Key projects: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Natural.
• Impact: Co-founded the Sundance Festival and Institute, reshaping the indie film landscape.

Rob Reiner — from sitcom actor to director of beloved films

Rob Reiner moved from television fame into a directing career that produced enduring crowd-pleasers and cult classics.

• Key projects: This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally.
• Activism: Vocal in public policy and social causes throughout his life.

Actors who became cultural touchstones

Gene Hackman — the actor of compact menace and depth

Gene Hackman inhabited a wide range of roles, often conveying danger or moral ambiguity with compact intensity.

• Key projects: The French Connection, Unforgiven, Superman, Hoosiers, The Royal Tenenbaums.
• Awards: Multiple acting Oscars and a career that spanned more than a hundred screen credits.

Diane Keaton — unforgettable in quirky, intelligent roles

Diane Keaton became an icon through distinctive choices on screen and a signature personal style.

• Key projects: Annie Hall, Manhattan, The Godfather, Something’s Gotta Give.
• Recognition: Oscar winner and a long-running presence in film and theater.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner — the on-screen son who felt like family

Malcolm-Jamal Warner made a lasting impression as a young actor and remained active across television and audio projects.

• Key roles: Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show; later work in dramas and his own sitcoms.
• Other pursuits: Music, directing, and a Grammy for spoken-word performance.

Graham Greene — Native actor who brought complex roles to life

Graham Greene used his craft to portray characters rooted in Indigenous life and to appear in major Hollywood films.

• Key projects: Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Reservation Dogs.
• Background: Oneida Nation actor with a career spanning stage, TV, and film.

Musicians whose songs became part of the soundtrack of generations

Roberta Flack — the tender, soulful voice behind classics

Roberta Flack blended classical training with soul and pop sensibilities. She achieved rare recognition in mainstream awards.

• Signature songs: “Killing Me Softly,” among others.
• Awards: Multiple Grammys, and the unique feat of consecutive Record of the Year wins.

Sly Stone — the boundary-breaking leader of Sly & the Family Stone

Sly Stone fused genres and staged one of the era’s most socially charged, musically inventive bands.

• Hits: “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” “There’s a Riot Goin’ On.”
• Legacy: Influenced funk, soul, rock and later hip-hop production; honored with a lifetime Grammy.

Brian Wilson — the troubled genius behind the Beach Boys’ harmonies

Brian Wilson expanded pop music’s palette with richly arranged, introspective songs that still resonate.

• Key work: Pet Sounds, widely cited as a landmark album.
• Notes: His life combined electric musical ambition with major mental health struggles.

Ozzy Osbourne — heavy metal’s theatrical frontman

Ozzy Osbourne helped invent a darker, louder rock idiom and later became a figure of pop culture spectacle.

• Band: Co-founded Black Sabbath.
• Influence: Ozzfest and decades of solo albums shaped multiple generations of metal acts.

D’Angelo — architect of neo-soul and modern R&B

D’Angelo crafted intimate, intricate albums and a distinctive musical identity that influenced a wave of soul artists.

• Albums: Brown Sugar, Voodoo.
• Style: Laid-back virtuosity and meticulous production earned critical and cultural praise.

Eddie Palmieri — Latin jazz pianist and bandleader

Eddie Palmieri blended Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz complexity to reshape salsa and Latin jazz.

• Groups: La Perfecta and other ensembles.
• Accolades: Multiple Grammy wins and recognition as a major jazz figure.

Songwriters and composers who wrote Broadway and TV songbooks

Charles Strouse — tunes that linger in memory

Charles Strouse wrote melodies that became staples of American musical theater and television.

• Shows and songs: Bye Bye Birdie, Annie; “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”.
• TV: Penned themes heard in living rooms across the nation.

Cartoonists, playwrights and authors who shaped public thought

Jules Feiffer — satirist, cartoonist and versatile storyteller

Jules Feiffer mixed visual wit with social critique across decades of journalism and books.

• Work: Longtime Village Voice cartoonist; illustrated The Phantom Tollbooth.
• Honors: Pulitzer Prize winner and an Oscar for an animated short.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o — a towering voice in African literature

Ngũgĩ used fiction and drama to critique colonialism and to champion African languages.

• Important book: Weep Not, Child.
• Language mission: Wrote in Gikuyu to reconnect literature with indigenous audiences.

Tom Stoppard — the playwright of ideas and wit

Tom Stoppard penned intellectually rigorous plays that married philosophical inquiry and theatrical craft.

• Notable works: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia, Leopoldstadt.
• Recognition: Multiple Tony Awards and an Oscar for screenwriting.

Figures from architecture, fashion and design

Frank Gehry — the architect who bent buildings into sculpture

Frank Gehry introduced dynamic, sculptural forms into major public architecture.

• Landmarks: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; Walt Disney Concert Hall.
• Awards: Pritzker Prize and other top honors in architecture.

Giorgio Armani — the fashion house and its sleek silhouettes

Giorgio Armani built a global brand on understated tailoring and a new kind of red carpet elegance.

• Business: Founded Armani in Milan; garments became cinematic symbols of style.
• Influence: Redefined modern menswear and high fashion for decades.

Journalists and broadcasters who shaped public radio

Susan Stamberg — a voice that helped define public radio

Susan Stamberg brought warmth, curiosity and steady professionalism to national broadcasts.

• Role: Early host and anchor on All Things Considered.
• Style: Known for intelligence, wit, and a conversational on-air presence.

Other cultural leaders and storytellers

Michelle Trachtenberg — from child star to versatile actress

Michelle Trachtenberg started young and broadened her range from quirky kids’ roles to adult drama.

• Early work: The Adventures of Pete & Pete; Harriet the Spy.
• Later roles: Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Gossip Girl.

Susan names and notes — other notable passings

The year also saw the loss of artists whose names crossed multiple fields. Below are highlights.

• Tom Stoppard, Frank Gehry: Innovators in writing and architecture.
• Charles Strouse, Jules Feiffer: Creators who shaped theater and print satire.
• Musicians listed above: Artists who reshaped soul, funk, rock, and Latin jazz.