Stand by me-Celebrities who died in 2025.

David Lynch

David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, painter, visual artist, film editor, musician, and actor. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema, his work is distinguished by a singular surrealist vision that gave rise to the term “Lynchian.” Over a career spanning more than five decades, Lynch received numerous honors, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2006, an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, and the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, awarded posthumously in 2025.

In January 2025, Lynch was evacuated from his Los Angeles home due to the Southern California wildfires. These events were followed by a terminal decline in his health, and he died at his daughter’s home in Los Angeles on January 16, 2025, at the age of 78. His family announced his death with a message that read: “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”

Lynch’s death certificate, publicly reported in February 2025, listed cardiac arrest as the immediate cause of death, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cited as the underlying cause. Dehydration was also identified as a significant contributing factor. The certificate further noted that he was cremated, and his ashes were interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Marion Wiesel

Marion Rose Wiesel (born Mary Renate Erster; January 27, 1931 – February 2, 2025) was an Austrian-American Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, and translator. She was married to author and fellow Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and translated 14 of his books from French into English. Most notably, she translated Night, his seminal memoir of the Holocaust, based on his experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

In recognition of her humanitarian contributions, Marion Wiesel was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001 by U.S. President Bill Clinton. In 2007, she was named a Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur by French President Jacques Chirac.

In the late 1960s, when she was known as Marion Erster Rose, she met Elie Wiesel at a dinner party in Manhattan. At the time, she was the mother of a young daughter and was in the process of divorcing. Fluent in five languages, she impressed Wiesel deeply; he later wrote in his memoirs, “I wasn’t sure what I found most striking about her—the delicacy of her features, the brilliance of her words, or the breadth of her knowledge of art, music, and the theater.” On their first date, they discussed French literature.

The couple married on April 2, 1969, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Biographer Joseph Berger wrote in Elie Wiesel: Confronting the Silence (2023) that “in the alignment of stars that helped make Wiesel the international icon he became, his marriage to Marion was among the most significant.” They later settled on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where French was the language spoken at home.

Marion Wiesel died at her home in Greenwich, Connecticut, on February 2, 2025, at the age of 94.

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman (January 10, 1949 – March 21, 2025)

George Foreman, the legendary boxer and successful grill entrepreneur, died on March 21 at the age of 76. Born in 1949 in Marshall, Texas, Foreman rose to the pinnacle of his sport by the age of 19. He became a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, compiling an undefeated 37–0 record during his first four years as a professional boxer.

Foreman’s impact extended far beyond the ring. After retiring from boxing, he built several highly successful second acts, most notably as the businessman behind the enormously popular George Foreman Grill. He also became a television personality, starring in his own ABC sitcom and later delighting audiences as a memorable contestant on The Masked Singer.

Foreman died in a hospital in Houston on March 21, 2025, at age 76. His memorial service was held on April 14 at the Wortham Theater Center Foreman is survived by his wife and 11 children—five sons, all named George Foreman, and six daughters.

Val Kilmer

Val Edward Kilmer (December 31, 1959 – April 1, 2025) was an American actor. Beginning his career on stage, he later gained prominence as a leading man in films spanning a wide range of genres, including comedies, dramas, action adventures, westerns, historical epics, crime dramas, science fiction, and fantasy. Films featuring Kilmer collectively grossed more than $3.85 billion worldwide. In 1992, film critic Roger Ebert remarked, “If there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it.”

Val Kilmer died in his sleep at his Los Angeles home on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65. The primary cause of death was reported as pneumonia, compounded by hypoxemia, respiratory failure, squamous cell carcinoma, and other related factors. He was cremated on April 7.

Following his passing, filmmaker Michael Mann said, “While working with Val on Heat, I always marveled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.” Director Francis Ford Coppola added, “He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him.”

George Wendt

George Robert Wendt Jr. (October 17, 1948 – May 20, 2025) was an American actor, best known for his role as Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom Cheers from 1982 to 1993, which earned him six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Following the conclusion of Cheers, he starred in his own short-lived CBS sitcom, The George Wendt Show (1995).

Wendt also appeared in numerous films, including the comedies Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), No Small Affair (1984), Fletch (1985), The Little Rascals (1994), Man of the House (1995), Spice World (1997), Outside Providence (1999), and Sandy Wexler (2017), as well as dramas such as Somewhere in Time (1980), Dreamscape (1984), Guilty by Suspicion (1991), Forever Young (1992), Lakeboat (2000), and The Climb (2019).

In 1974, Wendt met actress Bernadette Birkett at the Second City theater in Chicago. The couple married in 1978, and Birkett later voiced his off-screen wife, Vera, on Cheers. They had three children: Hilary, Joe, and Daniel.

Wendt died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles on May 20, 2025, at the age of 76, from cardiac arrest. Contributing conditions included congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. He also had end-stage renal disease and hyperlipidemia.

Following his death, numerous colleagues and admirers paid tribute, including Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, and John Ratzenberger, as well as Melissa Joan Hart, Eric Allan Kramer, Bill Simmons, Joe Mantegna, Robert Smigel, and his nephew Jason Sudeikis. The real-life Cheers Beacon Hill bar honored Wendt with a memorial at the spot where his character frequently sat, and his hometown of Chicago designated a section of the block where he grew up as “George Wendt Way.”

Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley (7 December 1937 – 30 June 2025)

Kenneth Colley, the British actor best known for his role as Admiral Piett in the original Star Wars trilogy, died on Monday, June 30, at the age of 87. His agent, Julian Owens, confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Colley passed away peacefully at his home in Ashford, Kent, with friends by his side. He had recently been admitted to a hospital for an injured arm and quickly contracted COVID-19, which developed into pneumonia.

While Colley is widely recognized for portraying Admiral Piett—a role he reprised in the 2012 animated film Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out—his career spanned an eclectic range of projects. His credits include Clint Eastwood’s Firefox, Aki Kaurismäki’s I Hired a Contract Killer, Ken Russell’s The Rainbow, and the World War II series War and Remembrance. He also famously portrayed Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, appearing alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Michael Palin.

Hulk Hogan,

Terry Gene Bollea ( August 11, 1953 – July 24, 2025), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, was an American professional wrestler and media personality. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most recognizable wrestling stars in the world, Hogan played a pivotal role in popularizing professional wrestling and became a global cultural icon.

Hulk Hogan, the charismatic professional wrestler who helped bring the sport into the mainstream, died on July 24 from cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. He was 71. Born Terry Bollea, he adopted the stage name Hulk Hogan and began his professional wrestling career in 1977. He gained worldwide recognition in the 1980s after signing with World Wrestling Entertainment, ushering in the era of “Hulkamania.” Hogan headlined WWE’s flagship event, WrestleMania, eight times and won the WWE Championship six times. A two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee, he retired from professional wrestling in 2012.

Beyond the ring, Hogan leveraged his charisma and theatrical flair into a successful career in film and television, appearing in movies such as Rocky III, No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, and Santa with Muscles, as well as TV shows including The A-Team, Robot Chicken, and his own family reality series, Hogan Knows Best.

Hogan is survived by his widow and third wife, Sky Daily, and his two children, Brooke and Nick, from a previous marriage.

On May 14, 2025, Hogan underwent a four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery. During the procedure, his phrenic nerve—which controls diaphragm movement and enables the lungs to inhale and exhale—was severed. Close friends Jimmy Hart and Eric Bischoff noted a rapid decline in Hogan’s health following the surgery. Hart shared that Hogan avoided visitors to reduce the risk of infection, while Bischoff recalled Hogan sounding weak and expressing embarrassment about his condition. On June 18, 2025, radio host Bubba the Love Sponge reported that Hogan was critically ill in the hospital and “might not make it.”

Hogan died at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on the morning of July 24, 2025, at the age of 71. He collapsed while undergoing therapy after returning home from the hospital.

Brent Hinds

William Brent Hinds (January 16, 1974 – August 20, 2025) was an American musician, best known as the former lead guitarist and one of the vocalists of the Atlanta-based heavy metal band Mastodon. Hinds was also the lead guitarist and singer for the surfabilly band Fiend Without a Face, and he participated in several other musical projects throughout his career, including The Blood Vessels, West End Motel, Four Hour Fogger, The Last of the Blue Eyed Devils, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, and Legend of the Seagullmen.

On August 20, 2025, Hinds died at the age of 51 in a traffic collision while riding a motorcycle. His motorcycle collided with a BMW SUV. Witnesses described Hinds as “driving fast” and being thrown into the air multiple times during the crash. According to an Atlanta police report, investigators estimated that he was traveling between 63 and 68 mph (101–109 km/h) at the time of the accident—approximately twice the speed limit at the location. Responding officers found Hinds alive but with visible injuries to his head, arms, and torso. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Graham Greene

Graham Greene CM (June 22, 1952 – September 1, 2025) was a Canadian First Nations (Oneida) actor and recording artist whose career in film, television, and theatre spanned more than five decades. He gained international acclaim for his portrayal of Kicking Bird (Ziŋtká Nagwáka) in Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves (1990), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His other notable film credits include Thunderheart (1992), Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Skins (2002), Transamerica (2005), Casino Jack (2010), Winter’s Tale (2014), The Shack (2017), and Wind River (2017).

In addition to his Oscar nomination, Greene received numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award, Gemini Award, Canadian Screen Award, and a Dora Mavor Moore Award. In 2025, he was honored with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.

Greene was born on June 22, 1952, in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, the son of John, a paramedic and maintenance worker, and Lillian Greene. He spent his youth in Hamilton, Ontario, and was a second cousin once removed of fellow actor Gary Farmer. Before pursuing acting, Greene worked as a draftsman, civil technologist, steelworker, and rock-band crew member. Greene died in Stratford, Ontario, on September 1, 2025, at the age of 73

Josino Levino Ferreira

Josino Levino Ferreira (April 3, 1913 – October 5, 2025) was a Brazilian supercentenarian who, at the age of 112 years and 185 days, was the second-oldest known living man in Brazil and the world, behind João Marinho Neto until his death.

Ferreira was born on April 3, 1913, in Conceição, Paraíba, Brazil, and worked as a farmer throughout his life. In 1941, he married Sebastiana Ana da Conceição; the couple remained married for 60 years until her death in 2001 at the age of 87.

Ferreira later lived in Coronel Ezequiel, Rio Grande do Norte. He is survived by three children, 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.

Ferreira died from aspiration on October 5, 2025, at the age of 112 years and 185 days

Pauline Collins

Pauline Angela Collins (September 3, 1940 – November 5, 2025) was a British actress who first gained prominence for her portrayal of Sarah Moffat in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1973) and its spin-off Thomas & Sarah (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography, Letter to Louise.

Collins achieved critical acclaim for her title role in the play Shirley Valentine, winning both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She reprised the role in the 1989 film adaptation, earning a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, an Evening Standard British Film Award, and nominations for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture.

Her television work included starring roles in Forever Green (1989–1992) and The Ambassador (1998–1999). Collins’ other notable film appearances include City of Joy (1992) and Paradise Road (1997).

Collins married actor John Alderton in 1969, and the couple, along with their three children, lived in Hampstead, London. Earlier, with actor Tony Rohr, Collins had a daughter, Louise, whom she placed for adoption in 1964; the two were reunited 21 years later. These events are recounted in Collins’s autobiography, Letter to Louise.

Later in life, Collins was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She died on November 5, 2025, at a care home in Highgate, London, at the age of 85.

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner.

Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead in a double homicide at their Brentwood home on December 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with murder in connection to their deaths.

Reiner’s Hollywood career spanned more than five decades, both in front of and behind the camera. He first rose to prominence in the 1970s as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family, becoming a familiar face during one of television’s most influential eras. He made his directorial debut with the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, and went on to helm a string of acclaimed films, including Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, and A Few Good Men.

On December 14, 2025, Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home from sharp force injuries. Their youngest child, Romy, discovered the scene after visiting the house with her roommate following a missed appointment with the couple’s massage therapist; she was initially unaware that her mother was at home and was later informed of her mother’s death. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid call at the residence at 3:38 p.m. PST.

The same day, Los Angeles police arrested the Reiners’ son, Nick, near the University of Southern California on suspicion of murder. Nick had been living with his parents at the time. Rob and Nick had attended a Christmas party hosted by Conan O’Brien on the evening of December 13, where witnesses reported a loud argument between father and son after Rob criticized Nick’s disruptive behavior. On December 16, Nick Reiner was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.

Rob and Michele’s other two children, Jake and Romy, released a joint statement on December 17, describing their parents as their “best friends.” Close friends and collaborators, including Albert Brooks, Billy Crystal, Larry David, Martin Short, Barry Levinson, Marc Shaiman, and Alan Zweibel, praised the couple’s professional achievements and personal generosity, stating, “There is no other director who has his range…he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens…They were a special force together—dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.” Former U.S. President Bill Clinton remarked, “Hillary and I are heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our friends Rob and Michele Reiner. They inspired and uplifted millions through their work in film and television. And they were good, generous people who made everyone who knew them better through their active citizenship in defense of inclusive democracy, setting an example for us all to follow.” Former President Joe Biden also praised the couple’s contributions, noting, “We take solace in knowing their work will live on for generations to come.”

The Reiners were cremated at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, and their remains were given to their son Jake for private disposition. Funeral plans were not made public. On December 22, Jake and Romy Reiner announced that they were planning a public memorial service, with details to be released at a later date.

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (French pronunciation: [bʁiʒit anmaʁi baʁdo]; September 28, 1934 – December 28, 2025), often referred to by her initials B.B., was a French actress, singer, model, and animal rights activist. She became one of the most prominent symbols of the sexual revolution and gained international fame for portraying characters associated with hedonistic lifestyles. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, Bardot remained a major pop culture icon throughout her life. She appeared in 47 films, performed in several musicals, and recorded over 60 songs. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1985.

Born and raised in Paris, Bardot trained as a ballerina during her childhood. She began her acting career in 1952 and achieved international recognition in 1957 for her breakthrough role in And God Created Woman.

Bardot died on December 28, 2025, at her home, La Madrague, in Saint-Tropez. She was 91.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Bardot on social media, describing her as a “legend of the century.” The Société Protectrice des Animaux, France’s oldest animal-protection organization, also honored her, calling Bardot an “iconic and passionate figure for the animal cause.”

I think this is the way we all like to remember her.