“Death is not the opposite of life but a part of it.”
Haruki Murakami.
Each year asks us to pause, but some pauses are heavier than others. In 2025, we lost voices, visionaries, builders, and believers whose work shaped not just industries, but the emotional fabric of our lives. Their absence reminds us that while death may end a life, it does not end meaning. What remains are echoes, lessons, and the quiet ways influence continues to ripple forward.
This year’s losses spanned generations, disciplines, and definitions of fame. Some were global icons. Others worked behind the scenes, holding the lights, the cameras, and the world together. All of them mattered.
We said goodbye to Robert Redford, whose career redefined what it meant to be both a movie star and a steward of independent cinema. Redford spent decades championing artists over algorithms, storytelling over spectacle, and creative risk over comfort. His belief that film could still be intimate, political, and human helped reshape American cinema and gave countless filmmakers their first chance to be heard.
We also lost Diane Keaton, an artist whose work challenged expectations of women on screen long before it was fashionable to do so. Her performances were never about perfection, but about honesty, vulnerability, and intellect. Across comedy and drama, Keaton proved that authenticity could be magnetic, and that style, substance, and self-possession were not mutually exclusive.
Television pioneer June Lockhart leaves behind a legacy of warmth and resilience, remembered by generations through roles that embodied steadiness, optimism, and grace. From science fiction to family television, she became a constant presence in American homes, offering reassurance during times of change.
The industry was shaken by the loss of Rob Reiner, whose contributions as a filmmaker and cultural voice extended far beyond the screen. Reiner’s work balanced heart and conviction, comedy and conscience, reminding audiences that storytelling could be both entertaining and deeply principled.
Music lost Jellybean Johnson, a driving force behind The Time and a foundational architect of the Minneapolis sound. His rhythm helped shape an era, influencing not just records, but the evolution of modern pop, funk, and R&B.
And we remember James “Trapper” McEvoy, an IATSE grip who died while working in New Orleans. His name may not have been above the title, but his labor, skill, and dedication were essential. In an industry built on collaboration, his loss is a solemn reminder that every set, every shot, and every story depends on the people who show up and do the work.
Big or small, famous or unseen, their lives intersected with ours through art, labor, leadership, and care. As we honor those we lost in 2025, we do so with gratitude. For the films that moved us. The music that carried us. The work that made the work possible.
Their light does not vanish. It changes form. And in remembering them, we carry it forward.
We remember James “Trapper” McEvoy, an IATSE grip who died while working in New Orleans. His name may not have been above the title, but his labor, skill, and dedication were essential. In an industry built on collaboration, his loss is a solemn reminder that every set, every shot, and every story depends on the people who show up and do the work.
Big or small, famous or unseen, their lives intersected with ours through art, labor, leadership, and care. As we honor those we lost in 2025, we do so with gratitude. For the films that moved us. The music that carried us. The work that made the work possible.
Their light does not vanish. It changes form. And in remembering them, we carry it forward.
Jeff Baena – Aubrey Plaza’s Husband 
Bob Uecker – Broadcaster 
Joan Plowright – Actress 
David Lynch – Filmmaker 
Marianne Faithful – Musician 
Ari Weiss – Creative Director 
Jerry Butler- Singer 
Peter Jason – Actor 
Chris Jasper – Musician 
Roberta Flack – Singer 
Michelle Trachtenberg – Actress 
Gene Hackman – ACtor 
Angie Stone – Singer 
Roy Ayers – Musician 
Pamela Bach Hassselhoff – David Hasselhoff’s wife 
Richard Chamberlain – Actor 
George Foreman – Actor, Personality 
Jean Marsh – Actress 
Val Kilmer – Actor 
Pope Francis – Pope 
Wink Martindale – Game Show Host 
Ruth Buzzi – Comedian 
Loretta Swit – Actress 
Brian Wilson – Musician, Founder of The Beach Boys 
Ananda Lewis – Host, Personality 
Sly Stone – Musician 
Malcolm-Jamal Warner – Actor, Producer 
Chuck Mangione – Musician 
Connie Francis – Singer 
Ozzy Osbourne – Musician 
Hulk Hogan – Wrestler, Actor, Personality 
Loni Anderson – Actress 
Sally-Anne Dale – Creative Director 
Danielle Spencer – Actress 
Terence Stamp – Actor 
Diego Borella – 1st AD 
Giorgio Armani – Designer 
Polly Holiday – Actress 
Charlie Kirk – Activist 
Robert Redford – Filmmaker, Founder of Sundance 
Jane Goodall – Primatologist and Anthropologist 
Diane Keaton – Actress 
D’Angelo – Musician 
Drew Struzan – Artist 
Ace Frehley – Founding Member of Kiss 
Yolonda Lawrence 
Isabelle Tate 
June Lockhart – Actress 
James “Trapper” McEvoy – IATSE Grip 
Diane Ladd – Actress 
Sally Kirkland – Actress 
Jellybean Johnson – Musician 
Peter Greene – Actor 
Rob Reiner – Filmmaker, Activist 
Imani dia Smith – Actress 
Gil Gerard – Actor 
Anthony Geary – Actor 
James Ransone – Actor 
Mickey C. Lee – Reality Show Star 
Brigitte Bardot – Actress, Animal Rights Activist 
Isiah Whitlock – Actor 
Meyer Gottlieb – Holocaust Survivor, Co-Founder of Samuel Goldwyn Films
What remains after someone is gone is not silence, but impact. The work they created, the people they inspired, and the spaces they changed continue to carry their presence forward.
The losses of 2025 were not just moments of grief. They marked shifts. Endings that reshaped the worlds these individuals helped build, whether through art, leadership, craft, or quiet dedication. As we honor those who took their final bow this year, we also recognize the legacies that endure, influencing what comes next in ways both visible and unseen.
To read more about the lives and careers of those we lost in 2025, including full tributes, CLICK HERE.
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