Yearender 2021: From Christopher Plummer to Prince Philip: Stars we've lost this year

From iconic television legend Larry King to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a look back at the celebs we’ve lost in the year 2021.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away on April 9 at the age of 99. 

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.''

American actress Cloris Leachman, who won eight Emmys for her work on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' and other television programs as well as an Academy Award for 'The Last Picture Show,' died on January 27 at the age of 94. The actress died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California.

The iconic talk show host Larry King, an American broadcaster, an interviewer, and one of the most recognisable figures on US television died on January 23 at the age of 87. King had been battling Covid-19 for weeks and had suffered several health problems in recent years.

 

Broadway actor Marion Ramsey, known for portraying the role of Officer Laverne Hooks in the `Policy Academy` franchise passed away on January 7 at the age of 73. Ramsey died in her Los Angeles home. 

A day after she was incorrectly declared dead, former Bond girl Tanya Roberts died due to a urinary tract infection on January 4. She was 65. 

Roberts was best known for playing Stacey Sutton in the 1985 James Bond film 'A View To A Kill' and Midge Pinciotti on 'That `70s Show'.

Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who helped American musical theatre evolve beyond pure entertainment and reach new artistic heights with such works as 'West Side Story,' 'Into the Woods' and 'Sweeney Todd,' died at the age of 91.

Actress Cicely Tyson, who specialized in portraying strong Black women caught up in life`s struggles during a 60-year career that earned her three Emmys and a Tony Award, died on January 29 at age 96. No cause of death was given. 

Gerry Marsden, lead singer of the British band Gerry and the Pacemakers whose version of 'You`ll Never Walk Alone' became the thunderously sung anthem for Liverpool Football Club, has died at the age of 78 on January 3. 

Actor Mira Furlan, best known for her roles in the television series `Lost` and `Babylon 5,` passed away on January 20. She was 65. 

Pat Loud, known for appearing on `An American Family,` has died at the age of 94. The actor passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes.

Rock producer Phil Spector, who changed the sound of pop music in the 1960s with his 'Wall of Sound' recordings and was convicted of murder for the 2003 murder of a Hollywood actress, has died at age 81 of COVID-19.

Actor James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther in the hit TV sitcom Friends died aged 59 on Oct 24, 2021.

The actor died after battling cancer for a prolonged period of time. Tyler may not have had the same screen time as the six other actors on the sitcom, but he made his character Gunther memorable. 

In the show, Gunther worked as a waiter and manager of the coffee house, Central Perk. He had a crush on Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel throughout the series.

Barbara Shelley aka the Queen of Hammer,  was best known for appearing in horror movies produced by Hammer Films. She died on January 3 at the age of 88.

Actress Helen McCrory known for her roles in Peaky Blinders and three Harry Potter films, died of cancer at the age of 52 on April 16, this year. 

McCrory was best known as a star of the hit BBC crime drama 'Peaky Blinders' and for the role of Narcissa Malfoy in the 'Harry Potter' films, as the mother of the boy wizard's school-aged rival.

US actor Michael K. Williams, one of television's most memorable stars of recent years for his role as Omar Little in 'The Wire,' died of drugs. 

Williams, 54, was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on Sept. 6.

Other television roles that won Williams praise included characters he portrayed in 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Bessie' and 'Lovecraft Country.'

Screen legend Christopher Plummer, who captured the imagination of millions across the world as he played Captain von Trapp opposite Julie Andrews in the blockbuster 1965 musical 'The Sound Of Music', died on February 9, at the age of 91.

In 2012, Plummer became the oldest actor to win an Oscar for his role in 'Beginners'. He won in the Best Supporting Actor category that year. In the film, he played as an elderly man who comes out of the closet as gay.

It is a loss that has shocked the entire world and rightly so as fashion designer Virgil Abloh died after battling cancer secretly. The current menswear and artistic director of luxury fashion label Louis Vuitton was just 41. He was also the founder of fashion label Off-White. 

‘Sex and the City’ actor Willie Garson, best known for his role as Carrie Bradshaw’s sidekick Stanford Blatch, died of a short illness. 

Apart from the 'Sex and the City' TV show, Willie Garson appeared in two SATC movies and also stars in the revival, ‘And Just Like That....’

American rapper and actor Earl Simmons, known by the stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on April 9, after suffering a heart attack during what media reports said was a drug overdose. He was 50 years old.

The chart-topping artist`s songs included 'Party Up (Up in Here)' and 'X Gon` Give It To Ya.' His debut album in 1998, 'It`s Dark and Hell is Hot,' was the first of five in a row to top the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.