The list of celebrity deaths in 2026 has grown to include prominent figures from film, television, music, sport and popular culture, with the latest losses including “Star Trek” actor Walter Koenig and voice performer Eric Bauza.
Koenig, best known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original “Star Trek” television series and seven films, died at his home in North Hollywood on 25 October. He was 90.
His talent representative, Zachery McGinnis, said Koenig was surrounded by his daughter and niece. George Takei, his former co-star, described him as “more than Chekov” — a writer, teacher, thoughtful man and loyal friend. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/ad6aed51fc41417a8812bffccec1393c))
Bauza, 46, died suddenly at his home on 25 October, according to his family. The Emmy-winning Canadian voice actor was known for providing the modern voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other Looney Tunes characters.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Bauza died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease. During a career spanning more than two decades, he amassed more than 400 voice credits and won three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/8c1734613618286e454bd6cc17718b82))
Notable celebrity deaths in 2026
The year has also seen the deaths of a number of celebrated actors, musicians, entertainers and sporting figures whose work reached audiences across generations.
Actor Tom Skerritt, whose credits included “Alien”, “Top Gun” and “Picket Fences”, died on 21 October at the age of 93. Country singer John Anderson, known for songs including “Swingin’”, “Seminole Wind” and “Straight Tequila Night”, died on the same day aged 71.
Actor Eva Marie Saint, the Oscar-winning star of “On the Waterfront” and “North by Northwest”, died in Los Angeles on 6 October aged 102. R&B singer Freddie Jackson, remembered for ballads including “You Are My Lady” and “Rock Me Tonight”, died on 5 October aged 69.
Earlier in the autumn, fashion designer Bob Mackie died at 87 after pneumonia. Known as the “designer to the stars”, Mackie created costumes and gowns for performers including Cher, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross and Madonna.
Feminist writer and activist Gloria Steinem, one of the most recognisable figures of the women’s rights movement in the United States, died on 2 September aged 92. Jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for blending blues, folk, pop and country influences with jazz, died the previous day aged 70.
Voice actor Peter Cullen, famous as the voice of Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” franchise, died at 85 on 27 August. Tim Curry, whose performances included Dr Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, died the day before aged 80.
Country music icon Dolly Parton died peacefully in Nashville on 25 August at the age of 80, her family confirmed. Across a career lasting seven decades, Parton became known worldwide for songs including “Jolene” and “9 to 5”, as well as for her philanthropy and work with the Imagination Library. ([dollyparton.com](https://www.dollyparton.com/news/official-announcement-dolly-parton-passes-away-at-80))
Other notable losses during the summer included Irish actress Brenda Fricker, the Oscar winner who played the pigeon lady in “Home Alone 2”, and New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known internationally as Dr Alan Grant in “Jurassic Park”.
Music figures remembered in 2026 include record executive Clive Davis, Blood, Sweat & Tears singer David Clayton-Thomas, salsa pioneer Willie Colón, jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins and Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir.
The year began with the deaths of actors Catherine O’Hara, Robert Duvall and James Van Der Beek. O’Hara, who was 71, was known for “Beetlejuice”, “Home Alone” and “Schitt’s Creek”, while Duvall, 95, had a career spanning more than seven decades and included roles in “The Godfather” and “Tender Mercies”.
Van Der Beek, best known for “Dawson’s Creek”, died aged 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer. The list also includes martial arts star Chuck Norris, who died at 86, and “Sanford and Son” actor Demond Wilson, who died following complications from cancer.
Together, the deaths have marked the loss of figures who shaped major parts of modern entertainment, from classic Hollywood and network television to country music, animation, sport and popular culture.
