Joan Plowright (1929–2025), Enchanted April actress

Dame Joan Plowright was an English actress who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 1992’s “Enchanted April.”

Helen Gallagher (1926–2024), award-winning star of Ryan’s Hope

Helen Gallagher was an award-winning actress, decorated with two Tony Awards for her stage work and best known for her three-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning turn as Maeve Ryan on “Ryan’s Hope.”

Gavin Creel (1976–2024), award-winning Broadway headliner

Gavin Creel was an award-winning Broadway musical star known for his work in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Hair,” and “Hello, Dolly!” 

Maggie Smith (1934–2024), star of Downton Abbey and Harry Potter

Maggie Smith was an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony-winning actress known for roles in “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” series, along with dozens of other notable movies, television shows, and stage performances.

James Earl Jones (1931–2024), the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa

James Earl Jones was the acclaimed actor whose deep, rich voice was featured as Darth Vader in several “Star Wars” films and as Mufasa in “The Lion King.”

Christopher Durang (1949–2024), Tony-winning comedic playwright

Christopher Durang was a Tony Award-winning, Pulitzer-finalist playwright known for “Miss Witherspoon” and “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”

Hinton Battle (1956–2024), three-time Tony Award winner

Hinton Battle was a three-time Tony Award-winning stage performer whose performances in “Sophisticated Ladies,” “The Tap Dance Kid,” and “Miss Saigon” won wide acclaim, and he originated the role of the Scarecrow in the Broadway production of “The Wiz.” 

Chita Rivera (1933–2024), Broadway star of West Side Story

Chita Rivera was a Broadway star who won two Tony Awards and originated such roles as Anita in “West Side Story” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago.”

Glynis Johns (1923–2024), Mary Poppins actress

Glynis Johns was a British actress known for her roles in “Mary Poppins” and Broadway's “A Little Night Music.”

Frances Sternhagen (1930–2023), Tony-winning star of stage and screen

Frances Sternhagen was an award-winning actress on stage and screen who won Tony Awards for her work in “The Good Doctor” and “The Heiress,” as well as Emmy Award nominations for her recurring roles on “Cheers” and “Sex and the City.” 

Michael McGrath (1957–2023), Tony-winning Broadway actor 

Michael McGrath was a Tony Award-winning Broadway actor best known for his roles in “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Tootsie,” and “Spamalot.” 

Franne Lee (1941–2023), designer of SNL’s Coneheads

Franne Lee was a costume designer in the early days of “Saturday Night Live” who created the costumes for classic sketches like the Coneheads and the Blues Brothers.

Carlin Glynn (1940–2023), singer and Sixteen Candles actress

Carlin Glynn was a Tony Award-winning singer and actress with appearances in “Sixteen Candles,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” and others. She was also the mother of actress Mary Stuart Masterson. 

Sheldon Harnick (1924–2023), Fiddler on the Roof lyricist 

Sheldon Harnick was a lyricist best known for his Broadway collaborations with composer , including the hit musicals “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Fiorello!”

Glenda Jackson (1936–2023), Oscar-winning actress and politician 

Glenda Jackson was a British actress who won Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances in “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class” before being elected to Parliament.

Harry Belafonte (1927–2023), legendary singer, actor, and activist

Harry Belafonte was the “King of Calypso,” a singer known for his signature song, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” as well as an actor and a prominent civil rights activist.

Eugene Lee (1939–2023), designed SNL, Wicked, Sweeney Todd stages

Eugene Lee was a set designer who worked with “Saturday Night Live” for almost 50 years and won Tony Awards for sets including “Wicked.”

Angela Lansbury (1925–2022), “Murder, She Wrote” star

Angela Lansbury was an actress whose career spanned stage, screen and television and included a long-running star turn on TV's “Murder, She Wrote.” She was a five-time Tony Award winner who was nominated for three Academy Awards and won six Golden Globes.

Mary Alice (1936–2022), “A Different World” and “Sparkle” actress 

Mary Alice was an actress who starred in the musical film “Sparkle” and won a Tony award for her performance in “Fences."

Peter Brook (1925–2022), Tony Award-winning theater and film director

Peter Brook was a British theater and film director known for his innovative work.

Robert Morse (1931–2022), star of “Mad Men,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

Robert Morse was an actor who starred on Broadway and on the big screen in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Rae Allen (1926–2022), actress in “The Sopranos,” “Damn Yankees”

Rae Allen was an actress known for movies and TV shows including “A League of Their Own” and “The Sopranos.”

Tony Walton (1934–2022), award-winning set designer 

Tony Walton was a legendary British set and costume designer who won an Oscar for his work on “All That Jazz.”

Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021), renowned Broadway lyricist and composer

Stephen Sondheim was one of the most renowned lyricists and composers of the Broadway stage.

Christopher Plummer (1929–2021), Oscar winner who starred in “The Sound of Music”

Christopher Plummer was a prolific actor whose decades-long career included a star turn as Captain Georg von Trapp in the classic 1965 movie musical “The Sound of Music.”

Cicely Tyson (1924–2021), award-winning star of “Sounder,” “The Help”

Cicely Tyson, the award-winning actress whose film, television, and theater roles included “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “Roots,” "King," "Sounder," and “The Help,” died Thursday, her family announced.

Ann Reinking (1949–2020), Tony-winning star of “Chicago”

Ann Reinking was a choreographer, dancer, and actress known for productions including “Chicago” – both the original Broadway show and the 1996 revival.

Diana Rigg (1938–2020), played Emma Peel in TV’s “The Avengers”

Diana Rigg was an actress best known for playing the tough, smart, and stylish spy Emma Peel in TV’s “The Avengers” from 1965 to 1968. Rigg also portrayed the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell, in “Game of Thrones.”

Howell Binkley (1956–2020), Tony-winning lighting designer for “Hamilton”

Howell Binkley was a lighting designer who won Tony Awards for his work on “Jersey Boys” and “Hamilton.”

Ian Holm (1931–2020), British star played Bilbo in "Lord of the Rings"

Sir Ian Holm was a British actor whose many roles included the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the android Ash in "Alien" (1979).

Larry Kramer (1935–2020), playwright and AIDS activist

Larry Kramer was an influential playwright and AIDS activist whosebest-knownplay isThe Normal Heart, which was about theearly days of the AIDScrisis.

Shirley Knight (1936–2020), “Sweet Bird of Youth” star

Shirley Knight wasan actress best known in the 1960s who was nominated for two Best Supporting Actress Oscars for her work in Sweet Bird of Youth and1aThe Dark at the Top of the Stairs.

Ron Leibman (1937–2019), acclaimed actor

Starred in “Angels in America,” “Norma Rae,” and “Friends.”

Carol Channing (1921–2019), Broadway legend

Carol Channing, the actress and singer known best for her Tony Award-winning performance in "Hello, Dolly!", died Tuesday, Jan. 15. She was 97.

Neil Simon (1927–2018), “The Odd Couple” playwright

Neil Simon, one of the most popular and prolific playwrights and screenwriters of the second half of the 20th century, died Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, of complications from pneumonia, according to his publicist Bill Evans as reported by CNN. He was 91.

Barbara Harris (1935–2018), starred in “Nashville” and “Freaky Friday”

Versatile actress was a co-founder of Second City.

Nanette Fabray (1920–2018), Award-winning actress and humanitarian

Nanette Fabray, an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and humanitarian.

Ann Wedgeworth (1934 – 2017), Tony-winning actress appeared on “Three’s Company”

Ann Wedgeworth, the Tony Award-winning actress best-known for her recurring role on “Three’s Company,” died Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, in New York, according to The Associated Press. She was 83.

Roy Dotrice (1923 – 2017), British actor played Leopold Mozart in "Amadeus"

He portrayed Hallyne the Pyromancer in “Game of Thrones”…

Bernard Pomerance (1940–2017)

Playwright won a Tony Award for "The Elephant Man."

Thomas Meehan (1929 - 2017)

Tony Award-winning book writer of “Annie” and “The Producers”…

Barbara Cook (1927 - 2017), The Music Man star on Broadway

Broadway legend won a Tony for her role in “The Music Man”…

Surprising Musical Tony Award Winners (video)

A video tribute to musical Tony-winning stars of film and TV.

Linda Hopkins (1924–2017), actress and gospel singer

Linda Hopkins, the actress and gospel singer who won a Tony Award in 1972 for her show-stopping performance in the musical "Inner City," died Monday, April 10, 2017, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to multiple news sources. She was 92.

George S. Irving (1922 - 2016), Heat Miser voice actor

George S. Irving, a Tony Award–winning actor who played a role in “Irene” opposite Debbie Reynolds, has died at the age of 94, according to multiple news sources.

Dick Latessa (1929 - 2016), Tony Award-winning Hairspray actor

Dick Latessa, an actor who won a Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical for "Hairspray,” died Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, according to multiple news sources. He was 87.

Fritz Weaver (1926 - 2016), The Twilight Zone actor

Fritz Weaver, a stage, film, and television actor whose credits include the TV miniseries "Holocaust," died Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in New York, New York. He was 90.

Edward Albee (1928 - 2016), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf playwright

Albee was one of the most acclaimed and influential American playwrights of the 20th century. He won the Tony Award for best play for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1963) and “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” (2002), and was a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner for drama.

Ken Howard (1944 - 2016), The White Shadow star

Ken Howard, the actor best known for starring as a basketball coach on the TV sports drama “The White Shadow,” has died at 71.