- Jan 4 Brian Gwynne Horrocks, English Army Lt-General, author (A Full Life; Corps Commander), and film consultant (A Bridge Too Far), dies at 89
- Jan 5 John Paxton, American screenwriter and producer (On The Beach, Kotch, Farewell My Lovely), dies at 73
- Jan 5 Robert L. Surtees, American Oscar-winning cinematographer (Ben-Hur) (b. 1906
- Jan 7 Mary Hardy, Australian radio and television presenter (b. 1931)
- Jan 14 Jetta Goudal, French actress (White Gold), dies at 86
- Jan 18 Wilfrid Brambell, Irish actor (Hard Day's Night, Steptoe and Son), dies from cancer at 72
- Jan 21 Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler and promoter, dies at 55
- Jan 30 Ken Mayers, American actor (Little Big Man, Dick Tracey, Space Patrol), dies at 66
- Feb 5 Cees Bantzinger, Dutch cartoonist and illustrator, commits suicide at 70
- Feb 6 Charles Briggs, American actor (13 Frightened Girls, Capt Newman), dies at 53
- Feb 8 Marvin Miller [Mueller], American actor (Space Patrol, Dead Reckoning, Millionaire), dies from a heart attack at 71
- Feb 8 Tom Greenway, American actor (Miami Story), dies of a heart attack at 75
- Feb 11 Heinz Roemheld, American film composer (Yankee Doodle Dandy; Ruby Gentry), dies of pneumonia at 83
- Feb 11 Henry Hathaway, American actor and director of westerns (Nob Hill), dies of a heart attack at 86
- Feb 12 Nicholas Colasanto, American actor (Cheers - "Coach"; Family Plot; The Counterfeit Killer), dies of a heart attack at 61
- Feb 16 Larry Ward, actor (Frank Ragan-Dakotas), dies at 69
- Feb 17 Wanda Perry, actress (Roberta, Death of a Salesman), dies at 67
- Feb 18 Willy Alberti [Carel Verbrugge], Dutch singer and actor (Riffin in Amsterdam), dies at 58
- Feb 19 George Holmes, actor (Man in the Trunk), dies at 66
- Feb 21 Eric Herfst, Dutch cabaret performer (Lurelei) and actor (Floris), dies of a brain tumor at 47
- Feb 21 Ina Claire [Fagan], American stage and screen actress (Ninotchika), dies of a heart attack at 91
- Feb 21 Louis Hayward, British-American actor (Lone Wolf, Survivors), dies of lung cancer at 75
- Feb 22 Alexander Scourby, American actor (Victory at Sea, Ransom), dies at 71
- Feb 27 David Huffman, American actor (FIST, Jane Doe, Firefox, Onion Field), murdered at 39
- Feb 27 J Pat O'Malley, Irish-British actor (101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book), dies at 80
- Feb 28 Charita Bauer, American actress (The Guiding Light, Aldrich Family), dies following long illness at 62
- Mar 8 Edward Andrews, American actor (Tea & Sympathy, Glass Bottom Boat), dies of a heart attack at 70
- Mar 21 Michael Redgrave, British actor (Browning Version, Goodbye Mr Chips, Lady Vanishes), dies of Parkinson's Disease at 77
- Mar 25 Karl Gustav Ahlefeldt, Danish actor (Gertrud, Hooray for the Blue Hussars), dies at 75
- Mar 28 Nand Baert, Flemish radio presenter (Afternoonbeat) and television game show host, dies at 53
- Mar 30 Harold Peary, American actor (Herb-Blondie, Willy), dies of a heart attack at 76
- Apr 5 Arthur Negus, English antiques expert and broadcaster (Antiques Roadshow), dies at 82
- Apr 14 Noele Gordon, British actress (Crossroads), dies at 65
- Apr 16 Scott Brady [Gerald Tierney], American actor (Shotgun Slade, China Syndrome, Gremlins, Johnny Guitar), dies of pulmonary fibrosis at 60
- Apr 23 Kent Smith, American actor (Peyton Place, Invaders), dies from heart disease at 78
- Apr 24 Sergei Yutkevich, Russian film director, (Otello, Banya), dies at 80
- Apr 25 Murray Matheson, actor (Felix-Banacek), dies at 72
- Apr 25 Richard Haydn, British actor (The Sound of Music; Alice in Wonderland), dies from a heart attack at 80
- May 1 George Pravda, Czech actor, dies at 68
- May 2 Hal LeRoy [John LeRoy Schotte], American vaudeville, Broadway and film dancer (Ziegfeld's Follies of 1931), dies at 71 after surgery
- May 6 Julie Vega, Filipina child actress and singer, dies at 16
- May 7 Dawn Addams, British actress (A King in New York, Star Maidens) who married the Prince of Roccasecca, dies of cancer at 54
- May 8 Adolphus "Dolph" Sweet, American actor (Gimme a Break, Which Way is Up), dies of cancer at 64
- May 9 Redmond "Edmond" O'Brien, American actor (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Sam Benedict, Johnny Midnight), dies of Alzheimer's at 69
- May 11 Jorja Curtright, American stage and screen actress (Whistle Stop, Heaven Only Knows), and interior decorator, dies of a heart attack at 61
- May 13 Selma Diamond, Canadian-American comedy writer (Your Show Of Shows), and actress (Night Court, 1984-85 - "Selma"), dies of lung cancer at 64
- May 15 Jackie Curtis, actor (Underground USA), dies of a drug overdose at 38
Margaret Hamilton (1902-1985)
May 16 American character actress (The Wizard of Oz), dies of a heart attack at 82
- May 17 Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) killed off on television soap opera "Dallas"
- May 17 Hugh Burden, actor (Night of Laughing Dead), dies at 72
- May 18 Tex Terry, American actor (Apache Rose, Timberjack), dies at 82
- May 20 George Memmoli, American actor (Earl-Hello Larry), dies at 46
- May 27 Kay Campbell, actress (All My Children), dies at 80
- May 29 Madge West, American actress (McLean Stevenson Show), dies at 93
- Jun 1 Richard Greene, English stage and screen actor (The Adventures of Robin Hood), dies of cardiac arrest at 66
- Jun 6 Siem Devout, Dutch actor, dies at 54
- Jun 10 George Chandler, American actor (Fury, Lassie, The Fatal Glass of Beer), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 86
- Jun 11 Sapfo Notara, Greek actress (b. 1907)
- Jun 27 Jane Ross [Breslaw], American actress (Star Trek, Rocket Attack U.S.A., Wild Is My Love), dies at 53
- Jun 28 James Craig [Meador], American actor (Devil & Daniel Webster, Cyclops), dies of lung cancer at 73
- Jun 28 Lambros Konstantaras, Greek actor (O blofatzis, Anna of Rhodes), dies at 72
- Jul 5 Marion Byron, actress (Steamboat Bill Jr), dies at 73
- Jul 7 Patti McCarty, actress (Gangster of the Frontier), dies at 64
- Jul 8 Phil Foster, American comedian (Frank De Fazio-Laverne & Shirley), dies at 72
- Jul 9 Rafael Campos, Dominican born actor (Ramon-Rhoda, Sancho-V), dies of cancer at 49
- Jul 17 Margo, Mexican-American actress (Rumba, Viva Zapata), dies at 68 of a brain tumor
- Jul 18 Robert Raglan, British character actor (Dad's Army - " Colonel Pritchard"), dies at 76
- Jul 21 Mickey Shaughnessy, American actor and comedian (Chicago Teddy Bears), dies at 65
- Jul 21 Vicki Vola, American actress (Miss Miller-Mr District Attorney), dies at 68
- Jul 28 Grant Williams, American actor (Hawaiian Eye, Incredible Shrinking Man), dies of toxic poisoning at 54
- Jul 29 James F Nolan, actor (Dante), dies of cancer at 69
- Aug 2 Frank Faylen, American actor (It's a Wonderful Life, Funny Girl), dies of pneumonia at 79
- Aug 7 Grayson Hall [Shirley Grossman], American actress (The Night of the Iguana, Dark Shadows), dies of cancer at 62
- Aug 8 Louise Brooks, American silent screen actress (Pandora's Box), dies of a heart attack at 78
- Aug 12 Kyu Sakamoto, Japanese singer (Sukiyaki), and actor, dies in JAL 123 crash at 43
- Aug 13 Marion Martin, actress (Dakota Lil, Queen of Burlesque), dies at 67
- Aug 14 (Edith) "Gale" Sondergaard, American Academy Award-winning stage and screen actress (Anthony Adverse; The Letter), dies of cerebral thrombosis at 86
- Aug 25 Samantha Smith, American peace activist and actress (invited to the Soviet Union during Cold War), dies in plane at 13
- Aug 28 Ruth Gordon, American actress (Rosemary's Baby, The Big Bus), dies of a stroke in her sleep at 88
- Aug 29 Evelyn Ankers, American actress (Black Beauty, Jungle Woman), dies at 67
- Aug 29 Patrick Barr, English actor (Black Orchid, On the Run), dies at 77
- Sep 4 George O'Brien, American actor (Sunrise: A Song of Two Human), dies of a stroke at 85
- Sep 4 Isabel Jeans, actress (Suspicion, Easy Virtue, Tovarich), dies at 93
- Sep 4 Robert McCormick, American NBC newscaster (Current Opinion), dies at 74
- Sep 6 Jane Frazee [Mary Jane Frehse], American actress, singer, and dancer (Beautiful But Broke, Beulah), dies at 70 of pneumonia
- Sep 10 Alexa Kenin, American actress (Mousie-Coed Fever), dies at 23
- Sep 11 Masako Natsume [Odate], Japanese actress and model (Tripitaka in "Monkey"), dies of leukemia at 27
- Sep 22 Dickie Henderson, British comic and actor, dies of pancreatic cancer at 82
- Sep 23 Mickey Simpson, American actor (Wagonmaster), dies of a heart attack at 72
- Sep 27 Lloyd Nolan, American actor (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Peyton Place), dies of lung cancer at 83
Simone Signoret (1921-1985)
Sep 30 German-French BAFTA, Emmy, and Academy Award- winning actress (Room at Top; Diabolique), dies of pancreatic cancer at 64
- Oct 2 (Georgios) "George" Savalas, Greek-American actor (Kojak; Kelly's Heroes), dies of leukemia at 58
Rock Hudson (1925-1985)
Oct 2 American actor (Pillow Talk, A Farewell to Arms, Ice Station Zebra), dies of AIDS-related complications at 59
- Oct 2 Sidney Clute, American actor (Lou Grant; Cagney & Lacey), dies at 69
- Oct 3 Charles Collingwood, American news commentator (Chronicles), dies at 68
- Oct 3 Maurice Copeland, American actor (Ralph-Those Young Charmings), dies at 74
Orson Welles (1915-1985)
Oct 10 American actor and director (Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds), dies of a heart attack at 70
Yul Brynner (1920-1985)
Oct 10 Russian-Swiss Tony and Academy Award-winning stage and screen actor (The King and I; The Ten Commandments), dies of lung cancer at 65
- Oct 12 Johnny Olson, American radio personality and television announcer (The Price is Right), dies at 75
- Oct 13 Francesca Bertini, Italian actress (Odette; Assunta Spina), dies at 93
- Oct 16 Claude Stroud, American actor (Breakfast at Tiffany's; Ted Knight Show; Duke), dies at 78
- Oct 25 (John) Morton Downey, American pop tenor, known as "The Irish Nightengale", songwriter, radio and television host, dies at 83
- Oct 29 John Lodge, American actor (Witchmaker) and politician (79th Governor of Connecticut), dies at 82
- Oct 30 Kirby Grant, American actor (Rustlers Round-Up, Yukon Gold, Sky King), dies in an auto accident at 74
- Oct 31 Poul Reichhardt, Danish actor (Soldaten og Jenny, Det gælder os alle), dies at 72
Phil Silvers (1912-1985)
Nov 1 American comedian and actor (Sgt Bilko-Phil Silvers Show), dies in his sleep at 73
- Nov 6 Joel Crothers, American actor (EThe dge of Night), dies of a heart attack at 44
- Nov 6 Sanjeev Kumar [Harihar Jariwala], Indian Bollywood actor (Angoor, Dastak, Koshish), dies of a heart attack at 47
- Nov 9 Mary MacLaren, actress (Black Swan), dies at 85 of respiratory probs
- Nov 17 Jimmy Ritz [Samuel Joachim], American vaudevillian, actor and comedian (Ritz Brothers - The Gorilla;, Hi'ya, Chum; Straight, Place and Show), dies of heart failure at 81
- Nov 19 Stepin Fetchit [Lincoln Perry], American actor (Miracle in Harlem) 1st African American film star, dies of pneumonia 83
- Nov 26 Ransom Sherman, American comedian (Father of Bride), dies at 87
- Nov 26 Sylvain Poons, Dutch stage actor and singer (Blue Jackets), dies at 89
- Nov 27 Harry Harvey Sr, American actor (It's a Man's World), dies at 84
- Nov 29 Bill Scott, American voice actor, producer and writer (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle), dies of a heart attack at 65
- Nov 30 Phil Tucker, American film director (Robot Monster), dies at 58
- Dec 2 Alex Courtney, American actor (Sword of Justice), dies at 74
- Dec 3 Sam Gillman, actor (Sam-Shane), dies at 70
- Dec 12 Anne Baxter, American actress (The Razor's Edge; All About Eve), and singer, dies of a stroke at 62
- Dec 21 Kamatari Fujiwara, Japanese film actor (Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo), dies of a heart attack at 80
- Dec 26 Harold P. Warren, American film director (Manos: The Hands of Fate), dies at 62
- Dec 26 Jackie Ormes, African-American cartoonist (Torchy Brown), dies at 74
Ricky Nelson (1940-1985)
Dec 31 American pop-rock star ("Hello Mary Lou"; "It's Late"; "Garden Party") and actor (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), dies in a plane crash at 45
- Dec 31 Sam Spiegel, American film producer (On the Waterfront, The Bridge on the River Kwai), dies at 84
Actors
Actresses
Comedians
Directors
Models
TV Stars