- May 1 Imre Gyöngyössy, Hungarian filmmaker (The Revolt of Job), dies of a heart attack at 64
- May 6 Fred Sadoff, American actor (Quiet American), dies of AIDS at 67
- May 6 Montague Modlyn, English radio and TV broadcaster, dies at 72
- May 8 George Peppard, American actor (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Banacek, A-Team, Blue Max), dies at 65
- May 8 Rupert Haselden, journalist and screenwriter, dies at 36
- May 8 Steven Keats, American actor (Death Wish), dies of apparent suicide at 48
- May 11 Timothy Carey, American actor (Paths of Glory, The Killing), dies of stroke at 65
- May 12 Helen Lee Mai, Hong Kong actress, dies at 63
- May 13 Ruth Gillette, American actress (Wild Gold), dies of cancer at 88
- May 14 Leonard Teale, Australian actor/reciter (Homicide), dies
- May 15 Gilbert Roland [Luis Alonso], Mexican actor (Juarez, Barbarosa), dies from cancer at 88
- May 15 Royal Dano, American actor (Red Badge of Courage, Cocaine Wars, House II), dies of a heart attack at 71
- May 16 Alain Cuny, French actor (La Dolce Vita, Detective, Weite Land, Emmanuelle), dies at 85
- May 16 Phani Majumdar, Indian film director (Street Singer), dies at 82
- May 16 Vasek Simek, Czech/American actor (Green Card, Mistress), dies at 66
- May 17 Andrew Brown, film Producer, dies at 55
- May 19 Henry Morgan, American comedian and TV panelist (I've Got a Secret; Arena), dies of lung cancer at 79
- May 23 Ray Candy, American professional wrestler, dies from a heart attack at 42
- May 24 Sándor Lakatos, Hungarian violinist, bandleader, and actor (mostly as a gypsy violinist), dies at 69
- May 29 Jose Bohr, actor (El Traidor, Sueno de Amor), dies at 92
- May 31 Sidney Gilliat, English screenwriter (Night Train to Munich) and director, dies at 86
- May 31 [Emmanuel] "Mannie" Klein, American swing jazz and session trumpeter (Frank Trumbauer; NBC Orchestra), dies at 86
Actors
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