Movie

Hollywood has sadly lost several famous actors already this year. Here’s a look back at 12 movie and TV stars who passed away in 2015.

1. Leonard Nimoy

The famed Star Trek icon died in late February at the age of 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The actor, who broke into the industry with the 1952 film Kid Monk Baroni, had small parts in projects like Dragnet, Perry Mason, and Get Smart, before landing his best-known role: Star Trek’s Spock. The role made him a household name and earned him three Emmy nominations. After Star Trek’s run ended, he went on to have a career as a voice actor, narrator, and director and also penned two autobiographies. More recently, he had a recurring role on the Fox series Fringe, which ended in 2013.

2. Ben Woolf

Woolf passed away on February 23 at the age of 34 from a stroke. The actor had been in critical condition, following a head injury he obtained after getting struck by a car’s sideview mirror while crossing a street in Hollywood. Woolf was best known for his recurring role as Meep in the last season of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, entitled Freak Show. Prior to that, the actor was also featured in 2010’s Insidious, 2012’s Woggie, 2013’s Dead Kansas, and last year’s Haunting Charles Manson.

3. Louis Jourdan

The French actor died in mid-March at the age of 93. Jourdan is known for playing the male lead in the 1985 romantic comedy Gigi, which won nine Oscars, including Best Picture. He also played the villain Kamal Khan in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy and portrayed Anton Arcane in the 1982 movie Swamp Thing and its 1989 sequel The Return of Swamp Thing. He also featured in films like The Swan, Can-Can, The Paradine Case, and Letter from an Unknown Woman. Jourdan also appeared on television. He portrayed the title character in the BBC’s 1977 series Count Dracula.

4. Taylor Negron

After a long battle with cancer, the comedian passed away at the age of 57. The actor appeared in various films, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Nothing But Trouble, and Punchline. But he’s perhaps best known for his guest starring roles on multiple TV shows, such as Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Friends, ER, and Seinfeld. His last television role was the part of an acting coach in an episode of the first season of The Comedians starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad.

5. Rod Taylor

The Australian actor suffered a fatal heart attack and died on January 7, at the age of 84. Taylor made his feature film debut in the 1954 Australian film, King of the Coral Sea. He went on to appear in over 50 films, including leading roles in The Time Machine, Seven Seas to Calais, The Birds, Sunday in New York, Young Cassidy, Dark of the Sun, The Liquidator, and The Train Robbers. On television, he held regular roles in ABC’s Hong Jong, CBS’s Bearcats!, NBC’s The Oregon Trail, and CBS’s Outlaws. He also held guest appearances in small screen series like Tales of the Unexpected, Murder She Wrote, and Falcon Crest.