The entertainment world has said goodbye to a striking number of familiar faces in 2026.

Some were legends whose careers stretched across generations. Others were actors and performers audiences had watched since childhood. Their work came from different corners of music, television, film, comedy and culture, but each left behind moments that millions of people still recognize instantly.

Here are some of the notable stars and public figures who died in 2026.

Dolly Parton — 80

Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25 at age 80, bringing to a close one of the most extraordinary careers in American entertainment.

For more than seven decades, Parton built a legacy that reached far beyond country music. Her unmistakable voice, humor and songwriting made her one of Nashville’s defining stars, while her work in film, television, business and philanthropy turned her into a cultural figure recognized around the world.

Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide and released 49 albums during her career.

She also earned 26 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s country charts, more than any other female artist.

Her long list of honors included 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmys and an honorary humanitarian Academy Award.

Her husband of six decades, Carl Dean, had died the previous year.

Parton’s death marked the loss of an artist whose influence extended well beyond the songs she recorded. For generations of fans, she had come to represent resilience, warmth, humor and generosity as much as country music itself.

Tim Curry — 80

Tim Curry also died on Aug. 25. He was 80.

Curry created one of cinema’s most unforgettable cult characters when he played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

But that performance was only one part of a career filled with memorable and often eccentric roles.

He later appeared as Wadsworth in Clue, terrified audiences as Pennywise in the television adaptation of It and played the imposing concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Younger viewers also knew his voice from The Wild Thornberrys, in which he played Nigel Thornberry.

Curry suffered a stroke in 2012 and largely stepped away from regular public life afterward, though he continued making occasional appearances.

His characters remained enormously popular long after their original releases, helping his work reach new generations of viewers.

Hayden Panettiere — 36

Hayden Panettiere died on Aug. 16 at age 36.

Panettiere had grown up in front of audiences and became one of the most recognizable young television stars of her generation.

She reached a major level of fame through Heroes before later starring in the country music drama Nashville. Her performance on that series earned her two Golden Globe nominations.

Her film career included roles in Remember the Titans, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Scream 4 and Scream VI.

Only months before her death, Panettiere released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

The book addressed difficult periods of her life, including the pressures of growing up famous, substance abuse, postpartum depression and the loss of her younger brother Jansen.

Her death brought renewed attention to a career that had begun in childhood and continued across television and film for decades.

Peter Cullen — 85

Peter Cullen died on Aug. 26 at age 85.

For millions of fans, his voice was instantly recognizable even if his face was not.

Cullen became synonymous with Optimus Prime, the heroic leader of the Autobots in the Transformers franchise.

His deep, authoritative voice helped define the character across multiple generations of animated productions and movies.

Cullen was also known for voicing Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.

His career included work connected to Knight Rider, Gremlins, Predator and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

Following his death, Cullen’s family encouraged admirers to honor him by living with compassion, integrity and service to others — values closely associated with the character he made famous.

James Van Der Beek — 48

James Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 at age 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer.

For an entire generation of television viewers, Van Der Beek will always be associated with Dawson Leery.

He starred in Dawson’s Creek for six seasons between 1998 and 2003 alongside Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson.

The series became one of the defining teen dramas of its era.

Van Der Beek later showed a strong sense of humor about his own celebrity image, memorably playing a fictionalized version of himself on Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.

He also appeared in shows including How I Met Your Mother and Pose and competed on both Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.

His film credits included Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction.

Van Der Beek was also a father of six.

Eric Dane — 53

Eric Dane died on Feb. 19 at age 53, less than a year after revealing that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The timing of his death carried an especially emotional connection to his most famous television role.

Dane had first appeared on Grey’s Anatomy exactly 20 years earlier.

As plastic surgeon Mark Sloan, he quickly became one of the medical drama’s most popular characters and earned the nickname “McSteamy” from fans.

His career continued after Grey’s Anatomy with roles in projects including Euphoria.

Dane also appeared in movies such as X-Men: The Last Stand, Burlesque and Valentine’s Day.

For many viewers, however, Mark Sloan remained the role that defined his place in television history.

Catherine O’Hara — 71

Catherine O’Hara died on Jan. 30 at age 71.

Few performers managed to remain relevant across as many generations of comedy as O’Hara.

Older audiences remembered her work on Second City Television, while millions of families knew her as Kate McCallister, Kevin’s frantic mother in Home Alone.

She was also unforgettable as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice.

Then, decades into her career, O’Hara found an entirely new generation of fans with Schitt’s Creek.

Her extravagant performance as Moira Rose became one of the most celebrated television comedy roles of the era.

O’Hara also had a long creative association with Christopher Guest, appearing in films including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.

Near the end of her career, she continued working in major productions, including The Last of Us and The Studio.

Gloria Steinem — 92

Gloria Steinem died on Sept. 2 at her home in New York City. She was 92.

Steinem was one of the most influential figures in the American women’s rights movement.

Her decades of journalism and activism placed her at the center of major conversations about equality, gender and women’s political power.

Her influence extended far beyond traditional activism.

Over the years, Steinem became a widely recognized cultural figure whose work helped shape conversations about women’s rights in the United States.

Her family said she remained committed to equality through the final period of her life.

Cassandra Wilson — 70

Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson died on Sept. 2 at age 70.

Wilson emerged from Mississippi and built a career around a distinctive approach to jazz singing.

Her sound combined traditional jazz influences with elements of blues, folk and other American musical styles.

Wilson won two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

She also collaborated with a wide range of major musicians, including Elvis Costello, Wynton Marsalis and the Roots.

Her career helped establish her as one of the most distinctive jazz vocalists of her generation.

Shelley Fabares — 82

Shelley Fabares died at age 82.

Fabares became famous through television, music and film, building a career that connected multiple generations of viewers.

She rose to prominence on The Donna Reed Show and achieved major success in music with “Johnny Angel,” which reached No. 1.

Later audiences knew her from the sitcom Coach.

Her ability to move between acting and music helped make her one of the familiar entertainment figures of her era.

Brenda Fricker — 81

Brenda Fricker died at age 81.

The Irish actress won an Academy Award and built an acclaimed career on stage and screen.

Yet for many American families, one role remained especially memorable.

Fricker played the mysterious Pigeon Lady in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Her scenes with Macaulay Culkin gave the holiday comedy some of its most emotional moments.

The character, initially presented as intimidating and isolated, ultimately became one of the movie’s warmest and most sympathetic figures.

That performance remained closely associated with Fricker for decades.

Vincent Pastore — 80

Vincent Pastore died at age 80.

Pastore became widely known for playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s The Sopranos.

His character was part of one of the show’s most important early storylines.

As a longtime member of Tony Soprano’s inner circle whose secret actions created devastating consequences, Big Pussy became central to the series’ themes of loyalty, betrayal and organized crime.

Although Pastore appeared in many other projects, The Sopranos remained the role most closely connected to his career.

The Performances They Left Behind

The stars lost in 2026 belonged to very different eras and corners of popular culture.

Some were remembered through songs.

Others through television characters, cult movies, comedy performances or voices audiences could identify after hearing only a few words.

Dolly Parton might return through a country classic on the radio.

Tim Curry lives on every time another audience discovers The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Catherine O’Hara can still make families laugh in Home Alone or Schitt’s Creek.

Peter Cullen’s Optimus Prime continues to speak to generations of fans.

James Van Der Beek remains tied to the emotional television world of the late 1990s, while Eric Dane remains part of one of the most enduring medical dramas in television history.

That is what makes a year filled with celebrity losses feel so personal.

Audiences may never have met these people, yet their work became attached to holidays, childhood memories, favorite television nights, movie quotes and songs heard thousands of times.

The artists themselves may be gone.

The moments they created are not.