- May 1 Sunset Carson [Michael Harrison] American western actor (Cat of Rockies, El Paso Kid, Oregon Trail), dies at 69
- May 2 David Rappaport, American 3'11' actor (Wizard; LA Law), shoots himself at 38
- May 6 Charles Farrell, American actor (7th Heaven, My Little Margie), dies at 89
- May 7 Berta Waterstradt, German writer and actress, dies at 82
- May 7 Jessica James, actress (Spring Break), dies of breast cancer at 60
- May 9 Pauline Frederick, American journalist and author (NBC), dies at 84
- May 10 Susan Oliver [Charlotte Gercke], American stage and screen actress (Peyton Place - "Ann"; Star Trek - The Cage), television director, and airplane pilot, dies of lung cancer at 58
- May 14 Franklyn Seales, West Indian-American stage and screen actor (The Onion Field; Silver Spoons - "Dexter"), dies of AIDS at 37
Jim Henson (1936-1990)
May 16 American puppeteer, artist, screenwriter and filmmaker, and creator of 'the Muppets" (Sesame Street; The Muppet Show), dies of toxic shock syndrome caused by pneumonia at 53
Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990)
May 16 American vaudeville, stage, and screen dancer, singer ("The Candy Man"), actor (Ocean's 11), and Rat Pack member, dies of throat cancer at 64
- May 18 Jill Ireland, English actress (Carry on Nurse, Family), dies of cancer at 54
- May 21 Max Wall [Lorimer], British music hall, screen, and stage comic and actor (Professor Wallofski), dies of head injuries from a fall at 82
- May 22 Max Wall, actor (Jabberwocky), dies
- May 25 Victor "Vic" Tayback, American actor (Mel Sharples-"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore "), dies of a heart attack at 60
- May 28 Joseph Hardy, American character actor (Husbands; The Clock), dies at 71
Actors
Actresses
Comedians
Directors
Models
TV Stars