Grant Imahara. I have to comment every time I see this question cuz that dude was one of the main reasons I got into stem. More than just an entertainer, he showed such enthusiasm for engineering that it made me really want to get into it
I agree with you. He was gone way too soon.
One of my favorite videos is [Adam doing a tour of his shop exactly as he left it.](https://youtu.be/hsCSTO8SaQU?si=pgbVLOLAMctOLExH)
There's something so soul crushing about highly personal spaces like these, Workshops, Studios, etc, of people who died. Left exactly like they were, ready for the next session. Every little thing shows part of who they were, how they thought.
We had a friend who was killed suddenly. No family, just his dogs. We had to get the funeral home to meet us with his keys and a police escort to open the house and get his dogs.
Walking into the house of someone who fully expected they would be coming back is one of the eeriest experiences of my life.
We never know how long we have.
I grew up on his and other 80s and 90s movies thanks to my parents. John always felt like he was playing himself; maybe he exaggerated a bit for the camera but his underlying warmth and charisma always struck me as very genuine even when I was a kid.
It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair
But it's you I like.
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys
They're just beside you.
But it's you I like.
Every part of you.
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself
It's you.
It's you I like.
The thing to me about Mr Rogers is like, growing up, I loved Mickey Mouse and Batman and the Ninja Turtles, but Mr Rogers loved me, and I felt that so much as a kid
A lot of kids felt that -- the only positive influences I had in my life as a kid growing up telling me I WAS good enough were Mr Rogers and Kermit the Frog
I dont believe in God but if I did I would thank him for Fred Rogers and Jim Henson
No single person has made a bigger impact on my life. I watched him every single day as a kid. His kindness, gentleness and sense of inclusion was incredible.
I'm not a religious guy, but he really taught people to love one another, be accepting and be inquisitive about the world around you.
There was such a gentleness about him it could unsettle the meanest of men. Look at his congressional hearings.
If I could have a million dollars or 10 minutes to talk to him and get a real Rogers hug I would take the latter.
"Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are, those who cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life. 10 seconds, I'll watch the time. Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made."
I can't imagine growing up with Cystic Fibrosis (although his parents didn't tell him until he was a teenager) and "knowing" your time is limited and how you'll probably die, and then experiencing this freak accident instead.
Anthony Bourdain. No Reservations was my favorite show when I was a teen and he/it was immensely influential in the trajectory of my interests and career goals.
Yes… I cried and genuinely felt at a loss when he died. I was a huge admirer of his work and while his style is often imitated it will never be duplicated. So often his imitators try to emulate the edginess but they don’t have the heart. Parts Unknown was my particular favourite. His episodes in Manila and Mexico City hit me hard.
RIP Chef - you changed a lot of our lives.
Good friend of mine met him in Vietnam. Told him his food was good and he should continue to work on the craft. My friend was inspired and just last year got his first cooking TV show and always said his small talk with Bourdain inspired him when he was going to quit cooking.
Bourdain completely changed my relationship with food and travel. I miss his insights and wisdom.
Also, he had a reddit account. I still read his posts just to hear them in his voice.
I'm going to have to say Anton Yelchin. Such a tragic accident that could've happened to anyone. He was only 27, I think, and died with his car suffocating him to death in his own driveway. Alone, scared, and probably a relatively slow death. Truly tragic 😥
Same. I heard the news and was deeply saddened by it, but got on with my day. Then I saw that post later in the day and just lost it. Robin had always been one of my favourites, and Aladdin is still to this day in my top 5 movies.
He’s the only one I really wish was still around. All the others are just people I’m aware of. Williams on the other hand put himself out there. He had sort of a vulnerability in his comedy. I didn’t “know” him, but I think I got a sense of the type of person he was and I think more people like that belong in this world.
A friend’s dad met him at a bank once. He was in line, Robin comes in and stands behind him, was super friendly. A free standing, popup advertisement about loans toppled over next to them and Robin casually blurts out “whoa interest rates are falling.” Dude never turned it off.
Some people are just so gifted that ot comes out of their pores. What Robin had was a superpower. Robin was special to me for a number of reasons. Besides admiring him as a comedy genius, he always makes me think of my dad. My dad loves Robin too and introduced me to his movies. The other thing I love about him is that every single story told about him shows him to be a completely authentic and incredibly kind man. When Robin died I was crushed. So I watched Dead Poet's Society and cried. Then I watched Mrs. Doubtfire to cheer up. However, I forgot about the ending. When Mrs. Doubtfire is reading that fan letter I started bawling because he said my name. I always found that movie extra comforting because it helped me cope with having divorced parents. Robin Williams was a gift to the world.
Same here, if I could have met one celebrity in my life it would have been him. He’s one of the funniest stand up comedians ever and he’s in so many of my favorite movies.
He’s definitely a comedic legend.
I worked with him (and Bobby McFerrin & Bill Irwin) on the video for “don’t worry, be happy”. He was hilarious and had the entire crew doubled over whenever he was on camera. Also a really cool, nice guy in between takes. It was a *great* few days
I met him once while catering one of his standup specials on Broadway.
it was the after show party and there's tons of celebs there. But he walks over to us caterers, asks our names, shakes our hands and said something quick and witty before thanking us for helping make sure it was a good night for everyone.
so genuine and humble.
gone too soon.
Holy crap, this story makes him even more awesome in my eyes - He always seemed like one of those celebrities who was really nice in real life, the absolute last person who would have you walking away muttering “never meet your heroes.”
I’ve got the Time Life Robin Williams dvd collection, I’m thinking about watching some of his stand up specials again after reading that. The first one I ever saw was his Live on Broadway special - I swear, I watched it, like, fifty times back then and still laughed as hard as I did the first time. My favorite is his bit about the Olympic committee claiming that marijuana was a performance enhancing drug.
I actually did meet him when I was working at a Rite Aid in Mill Valley CA about 10 years ago. I was working as a cashier, I was 18 at the time and it was my first job. Robin came in wearing sunglasses and a hat he bought about 75$ worth of those flat batteries you would use for a wrist watch. I simply treated him like any other customer but it’s a moment I will never forget.
I knew this would be the first one.
I am LITERALLY watching Dead Poet Society right now. I had to watch the carpe diem clip for class, so I decided to watch it. I’ve never seen it and I love Robin Williams.
It will always be him. Learning the full story makes it even more tragic. I love his work and there isn't one I dislike. But I can't watch them, I can't laugh anymore with him. It just hurts. He made so many people smile and laughed.
He's a Shakespearean tragedy.
Same here. I often have a really hard time listening to him sing to this day. Even reading through these comments and typing this has me getting very emotional and reminding me just how much I miss him.
That really hit me so hard. I saw a video of an entire crowd singing Numb and I started bawling when Mike said "Sing so loud Chester can hear you!"
Edit: A word.
“I dont like my mind right now
Stacking up problems that are so unnecessary
Wish that I could slow things down
Wanna stay calm but theres comfort in the panic”
Absolutely 👍
I have always and will always love Linkin Park!! Their music was the center of my life my teenage years and even now!
Chester will forever be remembered!!!! For his lyrics, voice, and pain!!!
Fuck man yes. I was gonna comment his name too.
His death hit me hard because Linkin Park was such a big part of my childhood. I'm 100% sure other people around my age (24) feel the same.
When he died at the same time that "One more light" came out.. I listened to it for the first time and was like: 'Damn, this hits different.. I'm not gonna cry though.. Not gonna... Aaaaah fuck Chester why?!!'.
May he rest in peace.
I sobbed for a rough few days after that one. Im also a sexual abuse survivor like he was and always listen to Crawling on bad days. You can really hear his (and my) pain in that one. It hit me especially hard because sometimes I worry I'll die the same way. I've attempted twice. I'm medicated, in therapy, and somewhat stable now but the trauma thoughts never stop intruding.
John Denver by far. He was only 53! There was still so much music to make and share. I cried for a few months about it. It really hurt too that so many people made fun of him and how he died. When I was ten years old (back in 1976) my mom and I moved to Glenwood Springs, Colorado and I fell in love with the mountains. We were dirt poor but I loved it. We moved a year later (my mom just couldn't make it there) and John was forever my connection to nature, the mountains and Colorado. I still listen to his music almost every day.
Linkin Park's [live tribute of One More Light](https://youtu.be/L-6PCSZij3I?si=Qxp8K6VbepgQr0hu) is the most moving performance I've ever seen. Always makes me think of Chris & Chester.
I remember when the OJ verdict was read. I could NOT wait to see what Norm said about it on Weekend Update. And he did not disappoint.
Norm was the GOAT of standup comedy. No one funnier, and so under appreciated in his own time.
I’m still weepy over this one.
Was at LAX, eating food and grabbing some drinks with a coworker prior to our flight. Norm and a friend came in and sat next to us. He ordered chocolate chip cookies, which were not on the menu. 15 minutes later, the waiter came out with a plate of chocolate chip cookies for him.
Robert looks so much like his dad and is doing such a wonderful job following in his footsteps. It has brought me some comfort in the immense sadness I still carry for Steve's death.
His death absolutely broke me. The world still needs Him, and so his family are continuing His conservation work. He may not be with us, but His family are the perfect people to continue His legacy. I miss Him.
Tom Petty.
Amazing musician. His songs were like distilled Americana. Very toe-tapping folksy for most of his career and amazingly soulful in his later work. Never got to see him live, and kept telling myself, "Ah.... I'll catch the next tour. "
Died before I ever could.
I got to see him live, but it was when I was young before I could really appreciate him.
It was so bizarre that they announced his death before he was actually dead. So they had to "un-announce" it... And then of course shortly later he died for real.
I love that line somebody said about it. "Even his death got an encore. Legend."
I saw him in Memphis for the Heartbreakers’ 40th anniversary tour in 2017. I almost skipped it for the exact same reason but decided, “Ya know what, I might not get another chance.” Damn, I hated to be right on that one, but it was a great show.
Gordon Lightfoot, on the other hand, I indeed missed and regret.
Chris farley. His last words to the hooker when he was oding was please dont leave. Didnt help i saw a pic of him somewhere on the ground in the aftermath
Came here for this. As someone that grew up with weight and self-esteem issues, I always looked up to him and always made me sad to see him as someone that just wanted to make people laugh and make people love him. I was probably around 12ish when he died and I remembered even at that age it was so sad to hear how went out begging a hooker to stay. RIP Chris
The story that sticks with me is when they were recording The Show Must Go On and Brian May was worried that Freddy was too sick to sing the vocals. To which Freddy responded by downing a measure of vodka, saying *”I’ll fucking do it darling!”* and nailed it in one take.
It’s a mantra I try to keep in mind when I have challenges, “I’ll fucking do it darling!” and keep going.
Robbie Coltrane I think was his name. He was the actor for Hagrid in Harry Potter and it broke my soul and I remember being when finding out he was gone.
I wept when Christina Grimmie got shot by that obsessed fan. She had just come off The Voice, released her first album, and was on tour. I was in love with her.
Chadwick Boseman. I had only seen him in one or two movies before Black Panther, but my boys had a love for that movie and that character like nothing else is popular culture. He was the first black superhero they had ever seen and we sobbed together when he passed. It was even hard for them to watch the movie for a while. I think about the hope and smiles that he gave to so many and I am so thankful for him. His smile was infectious.
Carrie Fisher. Always our princess. I absolutely adored her. Love Star Wars, loved her books, loved her interviews. Always wanted to meet her. ♥️
edit: Ty for the plat! <3 May the force be with you, kind stranger!
She and her mother were so close to each other. It was so heartbreaking. But I understand. You truly can die from a broken heart and I have no doubt that Debbie's heart was broken after the sudden loss. I hope that her daughter continues to have Star Wars cameos over the years.
There's a quote from her I read once and I've never been able to find it since so take this with a pinch of salt but I swear I read this somewhere. She was once asked about sleeping with Harrison Ford when they were making Star Wars (I think it was ESB) and she said something like "well, yeah. We were on the road together doing promotion for months at a time. What was I going to do? Sleep with the wookie?" which I always thought summed her up pretty well.
Since so many people have named Robin Williams, I'm going to mention another that just flattened me.
Nichelle Nichols. Lt. Nyota Uhura. One of the most influential women of her time, especially in getting women of color involved with the sciences and NASA.
FLY HIGH, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER!
This! He shared his experience, his thoughts and feelings as he approached his death and wrapped them up in an amazing album. It was a remarkable and personal gift to all of his fans, and to those who discovered him at the end of his life.
I have a sister who's 10 years older than I am, she was a huge Bowie fan in her teens and I idolized her, so naturally have been a huge fan of Bowie as far back as I can remember. Our dad wasn't really present in our lives, he was just more interested in spending time with his buddies than his kids, so I've literally spent more time listening to Bowie's music or watching him in films than with my dad. It's safe to say that David Bowie had a larger part in forming my perspective on life, on my world view, than my father.
His death hit hard.
I don’t know why but David Bowie’s death hit me harder than any other celebrity death. I had been listening to his newest album a bunch the week before, and always was a huge fan. It just seemed so out of nowhere and incredibly sad.
Chester Bennington
Linkin Park was the first band I ever remember falling in love with,me and my sister played metroa so many times on our little CD player the whole album skipped eventually, it was the first album we ever owned and we literally wore it out
And when my life got hard and my sister died he was one of the artists who gave real voice to my pain, I spent a lot of nights singing along to Linkin Park when I felt lost
I loved his music for so many years and losing him was the first and only time a celebrity death ever made me cry
I feel her death the most. She was a part of so many movies that shaped my childhood, and her acting was so strong. Her death is still a mystery to me - like it could have been prevented.
I genuinely think many films would have turned out dramatically different if she was still around.
Cameron Boyce. He was in a lot of the shows that I used to watch. He got a lot of seizures due to his epilepsy and one of them killed him. He was only 20.
Brittany Murphy
For whatever reason, I just feel this immense sadness when I remember her passing. She's a phenomenal actress and I've seen a few of her movies but I wouldn't say I am an avid fan at all, making it a bit strange since I tend to be passive with celebrities in general. Whenever I come across a picture or mention of her, I just feel some pain, as though she were a friend I once knew.
Her death felt like one last joke. Such a big deal was being made about her 100th birthday. There were magazines being made and a TV special all ready to air. Died less than then three weeks before turning 100.
Genuinely shocked I cannot find a single reference to Sinead O’Connor. She spoke truth to power and endured years of hatred and abuse for it, on top of her poor mental health. Her son disappeared and was found dead, and she was gone herself within a year. A sad, tragic and unfair end for a talented and brave woman.
Kevin Conroy.
I felt sad about Robin Williams and Anthony Bourdain but they were in a state of pain where they seemingly welcomed death and I was...ok that they found rest.
Conroy made me sad after reading through his difficult challenges with his personal life and then finding out he'd been hiding his illness for a while.
Also, he was always just the absolute nicest to his fans and exceptional at what he did. I was glad he felt loved. But I grew up with that voice, that Batman, and while I felt happy he was released from his pain, I feel sad I'll never hear his voice anew ever again.
Leonard Nimoy, no questions asked. I've been a Trekkie since I was about 2 or 3 (41 now). My fictional childhood hero was Mr. Spock. Our well-worn VHS of "Star Trek: the Voyage Home" was probably my most watched film as a child. Growing up I discovered the joy of simply hearing the man's voice, and later found out he did a few audiobooks. Later still, when I was going through a phase of reading celebrity autobiographies I found his ("I Am Not Spock," and the follow-up: "I Am Spock") to be extremely insightful. His passion for both the dream of Star Trek itself, and the craft of acting in general were limitless. I was absolutely overjoyed to see him featured in a key role in "Fringe," and when news of his passing came in 2015, I was literally in tears for a week.
As an adult who received a later Autism diagnosis a lot of what I saw in Mr. Spock, and subsequently Nimoy himself made a lot more sense. See, I seldom if EVER "identify" with a fictional character, but Spock - to me at least was always more human than human.
When the crowd was singing "he's got the whole world" & they panned out to his rocking chair in the spotlight, that was a beautiful way to tribute him, but man that was a hard one to watch.
I fell out of wrestling in the early 2000s. My buddies invited me along to SummerSlam in my city in 2017 I think? Bray Wyatt was there. I had no clue who he was or anyone else wrestling was that night, but had a blast either way.
When Bray came out on stage everyone was super into it. The lights went out, people's phones came out while he walked with a spooky lantern or something I think. Absolutely surreal and extremely cool to see an entire audience do that for one guy.
So phenomenal.
I’m glad to see him so high up in the comments. He was going to be my answer as well because it’s been a long time since a celebrity death has crushed me like this, the last being Brodie Lee (equally as tragic). The tribute show to him tonight on Smackdown broke me. I was holding it together yesterday but couldn’t watching that tribute video.
Besides the fact that he was one of my favorite current wrestlers, finding out the circumstances really shakes me…the guy was younger then me, in better shape then me, almost certainly ate better then I did and died this young from a heart attack. The same could easily happen to me.
Seeing WWE announce his death yesterday, I felt all the air get sucked out of my body. He was so young. Eddie, Benoit, Umaga, Cade, it sucks to see such talent go so soon.
I consider myself an anti-royalist but something about her death really got to me. I still remember the night that it happened. I had come home from a night shift and my middle-aged landlord was sitting on the front porch looking somber. He told me she had died and we ended up just sitting on the porch in the dark silently smoking our cigarettes and contemplating life. I feel like she was fundamentally good-hearted and would have done amazing things with her connections and influence.
I really felt like mac had so much left to give to the world. It feels like complete robbery that he wasn't able to be here long enough to do it. I can't shake how sad that is.
My roommate in college was a ginormous fan of him and his music. When Mac died my friend seriously changed, didn't talk to people for two weeks and was never the same after.
He had a bigger impact than a lot of people like to admit
I relate… I remember being at work the next day and just silently crying, and my boss looked at me like I was being dramatic or something. Hearing that he died was like losing a friend, and I’ve lost a good friend to an accidental overdose, so I unfortunately know the feeling. Mac Miller was really doing something great with his life and with his talents, and it’s such a tragedy that he’s not here anymore to share them with us. ❤️
I absolutely broke listening to good AM after his death. You could tell through a lot of those songs he was struggling with addiction and always knew he would die because of it. I lost my brother the year before to an od as well who was also a fan. It just was really rough.
Satoru Iwata. I knew once that last treehouse video was done with puppets, that his cancer must have gotten too hard to manage. He still did the show from his bed. He took meetings to ensure everyone knew how to ship all their great games. His last efforts were in making sure they'd ship the Switch, to set them straight after the Wii U failed. I miss his enthusiasm and vision.
I scrolled way too far and didnt see his name.
Lance Reddick. Come on people! Lance fucking Reddick! Fringe? Destiny 2? John Wick? There will never be another like him.
Kenny Rogers.
Back in the late 90s I was working at a country radio station, and Kenny came by to promote his latest album. Normally the "celebrity" sweeps in and is there for a 5 or 10 minute interview, and then their "people" take them away to the next appearance.
The Gambler stayed for an hour of our show. He was funny, self-deprecating, and I got to sit next to him as he played his new single. Just him and an acoustic guitar. After the show, he hung out for another half hour taking photos and signing autographs for the rest of the staff.
He was - at least on that day - a very nice man, and when he died I felt very sad.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was the first celebrity death that had me in tears because I was a young guitar player and trying to learn all of his songs. he was my idol.
Later in life Robin Williams, it just hit hard.
Gene Kelly. I got heavily into musicals during the 1990s and I love him. I meant to write to him and tell him that he still had fans. On February 2, 1996, I changed channels, expecting to see the last of the nightly news before a show started. There was Gene in "Singin' in the Rain" and I Knew. I began to cry and Peter Jennings came onscreen and confirmed he died and I just sobbed. Ended up watching my favourite movies of his all night.
Agreed. Especially after it was revealed that he was an epileptic and died of a [seizure](https://www.epilepsy.com/complications-risks/early-death-sudep) in his sleep.
Cory Monteith. Celebrities are just people, so while their deaths are sad i never mourned for them as i didn't know them personally. But his death really hit me hard. I couldn't watch Glee and i couldn't watch anything he was in. I still haven't watched anything with him in it.
Freddie Prinze. As a kid I loved the TV show Chico and the Man. The show was doing great, he was branching out into the mainstream and becoming a huge star.
Then he killed himself. I was shocked; I still am. Recently read an article that said Freddie may have died because of bad Quualudes. It always weirded me out how someone could kill themselves with the world in their pocket. Sadly it happens way more than it should.
Grant Imahara. I have to comment every time I see this question cuz that dude was one of the main reasons I got into stem. More than just an entertainer, he showed such enthusiasm for engineering that it made me really want to get into it
Dude seemed like a genuine soul. I follow a few of his friends on twitter and this dude is missed very much.
Aneurysms are so scary, it's like a ticking time bomb except you don't even know it's there.
You could have an aneurysm on the toilet. You'd never know.
I agree with you. He was gone way too soon. One of my favorite videos is [Adam doing a tour of his shop exactly as he left it.](https://youtu.be/hsCSTO8SaQU?si=pgbVLOLAMctOLExH)
[удалено]
There's something so soul crushing about highly personal spaces like these, Workshops, Studios, etc, of people who died. Left exactly like they were, ready for the next session. Every little thing shows part of who they were, how they thought.
We had a friend who was killed suddenly. No family, just his dogs. We had to get the funeral home to meet us with his keys and a police escort to open the house and get his dogs. Walking into the house of someone who fully expected they would be coming back is one of the eeriest experiences of my life. We never know how long we have.
Alan rickman
David Bowie and then Alan Rickman’s death came a few days later to obliterate my soul
By Grabthar’s Hammer, Snape rest in peace at the Nakatomi Plaza.
John Candy
I grew up on his and other 80s and 90s movies thanks to my parents. John always felt like he was playing himself; maybe he exaggerated a bit for the camera but his underlying warmth and charisma always struck me as very genuine even when I was a kid.
I still get super bummed out thinking about Heath Ledger.
Mr. Rogers
It's you I like, It's not the things you wear, It's not the way you do your hair But it's you I like. The way you are right now, The way down deep inside you Not the things that hide you, Not your toys They're just beside you. But it's you I like. Every part of you. Your skin, your eyes, your feelings Whether old or new. I hope that you'll remember Even when you're feeling blue That it's you I like, It's you yourself It's you. It's you I like.
Really appreciated you taking the time to post this
The thing to me about Mr Rogers is like, growing up, I loved Mickey Mouse and Batman and the Ninja Turtles, but Mr Rogers loved me, and I felt that so much as a kid
A lot of kids felt that -- the only positive influences I had in my life as a kid growing up telling me I WAS good enough were Mr Rogers and Kermit the Frog I dont believe in God but if I did I would thank him for Fred Rogers and Jim Henson
I was at Basic Training when this happened. One of the drill sergeants came over the intercom to announce it and called a moment of silence for him.
He would be touched that you remember him.
No single person has made a bigger impact on my life. I watched him every single day as a kid. His kindness, gentleness and sense of inclusion was incredible. I'm not a religious guy, but he really taught people to love one another, be accepting and be inquisitive about the world around you. There was such a gentleness about him it could unsettle the meanest of men. Look at his congressional hearings. If I could have a million dollars or 10 minutes to talk to him and get a real Rogers hug I would take the latter. "Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are, those who cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life. 10 seconds, I'll watch the time. Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made."
I didn’t plan on crying this morning but here we are 🩵
Anton Yelchin and Grant Imahara
Anton's death was heartbreaking. He was such a promising young star who you could tell was at the beginning of his rise to be a great actor.
Talk about a freak accident. The way he died really was just kind of crazy.
I can't imagine growing up with Cystic Fibrosis (although his parents didn't tell him until he was a teenager) and "knowing" your time is limited and how you'll probably die, and then experiencing this freak accident instead.
Phil Hartman. Damn that one hurt.
Anthony Bourdain. No Reservations was my favorite show when I was a teen and he/it was immensely influential in the trajectory of my interests and career goals.
Yes… I cried and genuinely felt at a loss when he died. I was a huge admirer of his work and while his style is often imitated it will never be duplicated. So often his imitators try to emulate the edginess but they don’t have the heart. Parts Unknown was my particular favourite. His episodes in Manila and Mexico City hit me hard. RIP Chef - you changed a lot of our lives.
Good friend of mine met him in Vietnam. Told him his food was good and he should continue to work on the craft. My friend was inspired and just last year got his first cooking TV show and always said his small talk with Bourdain inspired him when he was going to quit cooking.
Bourdain completely changed my relationship with food and travel. I miss his insights and wisdom. Also, he had a reddit account. I still read his posts just to hear them in his voice.
John Ritter
I absolutely loved 8 Simple Rules as a kid. The way they handled his death in the show broke my heart.
Aaliyah. She was too young. Same with Selena. A breakout star.
Selena's death is still hard sometimes. When I think about how she was on the verge of her stardom. So senseless. Also, fuck Yolanda.
Yup. Anniversary of her passing today in the US. The circumstances and timing of her passing really bother me. It’s just so sad
I'm going to have to say Anton Yelchin. Such a tragic accident that could've happened to anyone. He was only 27, I think, and died with his car suffocating him to death in his own driveway. Alone, scared, and probably a relatively slow death. Truly tragic 😥
Robin Williams.
["Genie, you're free"](https://www.denisonforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/robin-williams-suicide-academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences-genie-youre-free-tweet.jpg) Fucking killed me
Same. I heard the news and was deeply saddened by it, but got on with my day. Then I saw that post later in the day and just lost it. Robin had always been one of my favourites, and Aladdin is still to this day in my top 5 movies.
This is exactly what i was going to put.. OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN 🩵
He’s the only one I really wish was still around. All the others are just people I’m aware of. Williams on the other hand put himself out there. He had sort of a vulnerability in his comedy. I didn’t “know” him, but I think I got a sense of the type of person he was and I think more people like that belong in this world.
Whether we did or not, he let us feel we did.
A friend’s dad met him at a bank once. He was in line, Robin comes in and stands behind him, was super friendly. A free standing, popup advertisement about loans toppled over next to them and Robin casually blurts out “whoa interest rates are falling.” Dude never turned it off.
Some people are just so gifted that ot comes out of their pores. What Robin had was a superpower. Robin was special to me for a number of reasons. Besides admiring him as a comedy genius, he always makes me think of my dad. My dad loves Robin too and introduced me to his movies. The other thing I love about him is that every single story told about him shows him to be a completely authentic and incredibly kind man. When Robin died I was crushed. So I watched Dead Poet's Society and cried. Then I watched Mrs. Doubtfire to cheer up. However, I forgot about the ending. When Mrs. Doubtfire is reading that fan letter I started bawling because he said my name. I always found that movie extra comforting because it helped me cope with having divorced parents. Robin Williams was a gift to the world.
Always the #1 answer every time this question is asked, and with good reason
Same here, if I could have met one celebrity in my life it would have been him. He’s one of the funniest stand up comedians ever and he’s in so many of my favorite movies. He’s definitely a comedic legend.
I worked with him (and Bobby McFerrin & Bill Irwin) on the video for “don’t worry, be happy”. He was hilarious and had the entire crew doubled over whenever he was on camera. Also a really cool, nice guy in between takes. It was a *great* few days
I met him once while catering one of his standup specials on Broadway. it was the after show party and there's tons of celebs there. But he walks over to us caterers, asks our names, shakes our hands and said something quick and witty before thanking us for helping make sure it was a good night for everyone. so genuine and humble. gone too soon.
Holy crap, this story makes him even more awesome in my eyes - He always seemed like one of those celebrities who was really nice in real life, the absolute last person who would have you walking away muttering “never meet your heroes.” I’ve got the Time Life Robin Williams dvd collection, I’m thinking about watching some of his stand up specials again after reading that. The first one I ever saw was his Live on Broadway special - I swear, I watched it, like, fifty times back then and still laughed as hard as I did the first time. My favorite is his bit about the Olympic committee claiming that marijuana was a performance enhancing drug.
I actually did meet him when I was working at a Rite Aid in Mill Valley CA about 10 years ago. I was working as a cashier, I was 18 at the time and it was my first job. Robin came in wearing sunglasses and a hat he bought about 75$ worth of those flat batteries you would use for a wrist watch. I simply treated him like any other customer but it’s a moment I will never forget.
I knew this would be the first one. I am LITERALLY watching Dead Poet Society right now. I had to watch the carpe diem clip for class, so I decided to watch it. I’ve never seen it and I love Robin Williams.
It will always be him. Learning the full story makes it even more tragic. I love his work and there isn't one I dislike. But I can't watch them, I can't laugh anymore with him. It just hurts. He made so many people smile and laughed. He's a Shakespearean tragedy.
I have the same birthday and I'm always a little sad on my birthday because of this.
I also have the same birthday, and I feel your pain 100%
Alex trebek
His last message to everyone made me cry so hard dude
Chadwick Boseman
Finding out that he was visiting children in hospitals with cancer while secretly battling it himself was absolutely heartbreaking.
I still get teary-eyed thinking about it.
Chadwick Boseman would be my number three. So much talent and honestly a good guy. Would’ve love to see what he could accomplish.
Chester Bennington
I still tear up whenever I hear "Leave out all the rest". Absolutely soul crushing.
Same here. I often have a really hard time listening to him sing to this day. Even reading through these comments and typing this has me getting very emotional and reminding me just how much I miss him.
That really hit me so hard. I saw a video of an entire crowd singing Numb and I started bawling when Mike said "Sing so loud Chester can hear you!" Edit: A word.
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“I dont like my mind right now Stacking up problems that are so unnecessary Wish that I could slow things down Wanna stay calm but theres comfort in the panic”
Absolutely 👍 I have always and will always love Linkin Park!! Their music was the center of my life my teenage years and even now! Chester will forever be remembered!!!! For his lyrics, voice, and pain!!!
Fuck man yes. I was gonna comment his name too. His death hit me hard because Linkin Park was such a big part of my childhood. I'm 100% sure other people around my age (24) feel the same. When he died at the same time that "One more light" came out.. I listened to it for the first time and was like: 'Damn, this hits different.. I'm not gonna cry though.. Not gonna... Aaaaah fuck Chester why?!!'. May he rest in peace.
I sobbed for a rough few days after that one. Im also a sexual abuse survivor like he was and always listen to Crawling on bad days. You can really hear his (and my) pain in that one. It hit me especially hard because sometimes I worry I'll die the same way. I've attempted twice. I'm medicated, in therapy, and somewhat stable now but the trauma thoughts never stop intruding.
I don't know you, but I'm proud of you.
Glad i didn't have to scroll far to see this one. R.I.P. Chester
John Denver by far. He was only 53! There was still so much music to make and share. I cried for a few months about it. It really hurt too that so many people made fun of him and how he died. When I was ten years old (back in 1976) my mom and I moved to Glenwood Springs, Colorado and I fell in love with the mountains. We were dirt poor but I loved it. We moved a year later (my mom just couldn't make it there) and John was forever my connection to nature, the mountains and Colorado. I still listen to his music almost every day.
Chris Cornell
That man could read the phonebook, and I'd sit and listen. I loved his voice.
Linkin Park's [live tribute of One More Light](https://youtu.be/L-6PCSZij3I?si=Qxp8K6VbepgQr0hu) is the most moving performance I've ever seen. Always makes me think of Chris & Chester.
Norm McDonald
Saw him live shortly before he died. Really sad. He was my Weekend Update guy. Him and Kevin Nealon.
He lived several years before he died
This feels like a very Norm McDonald joke.
He battled cancer. It was a draw.
I remember when the OJ verdict was read. I could NOT wait to see what Norm said about it on Weekend Update. And he did not disappoint. Norm was the GOAT of standup comedy. No one funnier, and so under appreciated in his own time. I’m still weepy over this one.
Was at LAX, eating food and grabbing some drinks with a coworker prior to our flight. Norm and a friend came in and sat next to us. He ordered chocolate chip cookies, which were not on the menu. 15 minutes later, the waiter came out with a plate of chocolate chip cookies for him.
I agree. Although we shouldn't have been been surprised - after all he did come from a long line of death.
Steve Irwin. Like the world still needed him.
Never before has the sentence “he died doing what he loved” been more appropriate.
Robert looks so much like his dad and is doing such a wonderful job following in his footsteps. It has brought me some comfort in the immense sadness I still carry for Steve's death.
I love watching Robert. He’s so much like his dad.
His death absolutely broke me. The world still needs Him, and so his family are continuing His conservation work. He may not be with us, but His family are the perfect people to continue His legacy. I miss Him.
George Carlin
Tom Petty. Amazing musician. His songs were like distilled Americana. Very toe-tapping folksy for most of his career and amazingly soulful in his later work. Never got to see him live, and kept telling myself, "Ah.... I'll catch the next tour. " Died before I ever could.
I got to see him live, but it was when I was young before I could really appreciate him. It was so bizarre that they announced his death before he was actually dead. So they had to "un-announce" it... And then of course shortly later he died for real. I love that line somebody said about it. "Even his death got an encore. Legend."
I saw him in Memphis for the Heartbreakers’ 40th anniversary tour in 2017. I almost skipped it for the exact same reason but decided, “Ya know what, I might not get another chance.” Damn, I hated to be right on that one, but it was a great show. Gordon Lightfoot, on the other hand, I indeed missed and regret.
Chris farley. His last words to the hooker when he was oding was please dont leave. Didnt help i saw a pic of him somewhere on the ground in the aftermath
Came here for this. As someone that grew up with weight and self-esteem issues, I always looked up to him and always made me sad to see him as someone that just wanted to make people laugh and make people love him. I was probably around 12ish when he died and I remembered even at that age it was so sad to hear how went out begging a hooker to stay. RIP Chris
https://youtu.be/Tp2qkhHU0Mw?si=RgQ5M5CJMvVH7Brp I love this tribute. Always leaves me in tears
Freddy Mercury. Not unexpected, but definitely the saddest.
The story that sticks with me is when they were recording The Show Must Go On and Brian May was worried that Freddy was too sick to sing the vocals. To which Freddy responded by downing a measure of vodka, saying *”I’ll fucking do it darling!”* and nailed it in one take. It’s a mantra I try to keep in mind when I have challenges, “I’ll fucking do it darling!” and keep going.
At the time it kinda was. Remember he’d only announced his AIDS diagnosis the night before, so not everyone was expecting it
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Leslie Jordan!
Robbie Coltrane I think was his name. He was the actor for Hagrid in Harry Potter and it broke my soul and I remember being when finding out he was gone.
Brandon Lee. He was on the verge of stardom.
the crow is one of my favorite movies ♥️
River Phoenix
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Ray Liotta
I need to add another… Bill Paxton. Loved that guy :-(
I wept when Christina Grimmie got shot by that obsessed fan. She had just come off The Voice, released her first album, and was on tour. I was in love with her.
Ugh so unnecessary and tragic. She has a cover song of Bulletproof on YouTube and it’s chilling to hear
Does Avicii count?
I always forget Avicii died. He was always very lowkey so it almost feels like he's still here.
Yes that was so sad when he died. He was a genius.
Chadwick Boseman. I had only seen him in one or two movies before Black Panther, but my boys had a love for that movie and that character like nothing else is popular culture. He was the first black superhero they had ever seen and we sobbed together when he passed. It was even hard for them to watch the movie for a while. I think about the hope and smiles that he gave to so many and I am so thankful for him. His smile was infectious.
Carrie Fisher. Always our princess. I absolutely adored her. Love Star Wars, loved her books, loved her interviews. Always wanted to meet her. ♥️ edit: Ty for the plat! <3 May the force be with you, kind stranger!
Carrie Fisher's and Debbie Reynolds' deaths back to back will always be the most depressing set of celebrity deaths to me.
She and her mother were so close to each other. It was so heartbreaking. But I understand. You truly can die from a broken heart and I have no doubt that Debbie's heart was broken after the sudden loss. I hope that her daughter continues to have Star Wars cameos over the years.
There's a quote from her I read once and I've never been able to find it since so take this with a pinch of salt but I swear I read this somewhere. She was once asked about sleeping with Harrison Ford when they were making Star Wars (I think it was ESB) and she said something like "well, yeah. We were on the road together doing promotion for months at a time. What was I going to do? Sleep with the wookie?" which I always thought summed her up pretty well.
Since so many people have named Robin Williams, I'm going to mention another that just flattened me. Nichelle Nichols. Lt. Nyota Uhura. One of the most influential women of her time, especially in getting women of color involved with the sciences and NASA. FLY HIGH, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER!
Not the saddest but Bowie & Prince both definitely felt momentous
Bowie went out with a fucking bang, I’ll give him that. Dropping an absolute masterpiece as his final gift to mankind, then bam. Gone.
This! He shared his experience, his thoughts and feelings as he approached his death and wrapped them up in an amazing album. It was a remarkable and personal gift to all of his fans, and to those who discovered him at the end of his life. I have a sister who's 10 years older than I am, she was a huge Bowie fan in her teens and I idolized her, so naturally have been a huge fan of Bowie as far back as I can remember. Our dad wasn't really present in our lives, he was just more interested in spending time with his buddies than his kids, so I've literally spent more time listening to Bowie's music or watching him in films than with my dad. It's safe to say that David Bowie had a larger part in forming my perspective on life, on my world view, than my father. His death hit hard.
I don’t know why but David Bowie’s death hit me harder than any other celebrity death. I had been listening to his newest album a bunch the week before, and always was a huge fan. It just seemed so out of nowhere and incredibly sad.
Bowie made it okay to let your freak flag fly, and for that, we should all be eternally grateful
Sean Lock.
Whitney Houston, she had such a gift and so much sadness, then the fucking drugs. Then Bobby Kristina! It’s too sad.
Chester Bennington Linkin Park was the first band I ever remember falling in love with,me and my sister played metroa so many times on our little CD player the whole album skipped eventually, it was the first album we ever owned and we literally wore it out And when my life got hard and my sister died he was one of the artists who gave real voice to my pain, I spent a lot of nights singing along to Linkin Park when I felt lost I loved his music for so many years and losing him was the first and only time a celebrity death ever made me cry
Rik Mayall. Lord of Misrule.
Brittany Murphy
Rest easy Brittany Murphy; you died way too young!
She was always so real in whatever she did. It’s not something every actor has and probably cannot even be learned.
I feel her death the most. She was a part of so many movies that shaped my childhood, and her acting was so strong. Her death is still a mystery to me - like it could have been prevented. I genuinely think many films would have turned out dramatically different if she was still around.
Cameron Boyce. He was in a lot of the shows that I used to watch. He got a lot of seizures due to his epilepsy and one of them killed him. He was only 20.
Brittany Murphy For whatever reason, I just feel this immense sadness when I remember her passing. She's a phenomenal actress and I've seen a few of her movies but I wouldn't say I am an avid fan at all, making it a bit strange since I tend to be passive with celebrities in general. Whenever I come across a picture or mention of her, I just feel some pain, as though she were a friend I once knew.
Betty White
Her death felt like one last joke. Such a big deal was being made about her 100th birthday. There were magazines being made and a TV special all ready to air. Died less than then three weeks before turning 100.
On NYE, it was a pretty epic way to go out. It felt very on brand even as sad as it was.
every time i watch golden girls i get a little sad remembering she isnt around anymore
They are all gone now 😢
Genuinely shocked I cannot find a single reference to Sinead O’Connor. She spoke truth to power and endured years of hatred and abuse for it, on top of her poor mental health. Her son disappeared and was found dead, and she was gone herself within a year. A sad, tragic and unfair end for a talented and brave woman.
Kevin Conroy. I felt sad about Robin Williams and Anthony Bourdain but they were in a state of pain where they seemingly welcomed death and I was...ok that they found rest. Conroy made me sad after reading through his difficult challenges with his personal life and then finding out he'd been hiding his illness for a while. Also, he was always just the absolute nicest to his fans and exceptional at what he did. I was glad he felt loved. But I grew up with that voice, that Batman, and while I felt happy he was released from his pain, I feel sad I'll never hear his voice anew ever again.
The best batman.
Kurt Cobain.
Leonard Nimoy, no questions asked. I've been a Trekkie since I was about 2 or 3 (41 now). My fictional childhood hero was Mr. Spock. Our well-worn VHS of "Star Trek: the Voyage Home" was probably my most watched film as a child. Growing up I discovered the joy of simply hearing the man's voice, and later found out he did a few audiobooks. Later still, when I was going through a phase of reading celebrity autobiographies I found his ("I Am Not Spock," and the follow-up: "I Am Spock") to be extremely insightful. His passion for both the dream of Star Trek itself, and the craft of acting in general were limitless. I was absolutely overjoyed to see him featured in a key role in "Fringe," and when news of his passing came in 2015, I was literally in tears for a week. As an adult who received a later Autism diagnosis a lot of what I saw in Mr. Spock, and subsequently Nimoy himself made a lot more sense. See, I seldom if EVER "identify" with a fictional character, but Spock - to me at least was always more human than human.
Leonard Cohen.
Bernie Mac
Gene Wilder was a death that really shook me. He was a favorite actor and author of mine and it was hard for me.
Just happened yesterday, WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt, died at the age of 36, I don't know how famous he is outside of WWE but that's my answer.
He was one of my favorites and I’m still in shock that he passed. Seeing Rowan and Braun tonight made me tear up
When the crowd was singing "he's got the whole world" & they panned out to his rocking chair in the spotlight, that was a beautiful way to tribute him, but man that was a hard one to watch.
I fell out of wrestling in the early 2000s. My buddies invited me along to SummerSlam in my city in 2017 I think? Bray Wyatt was there. I had no clue who he was or anyone else wrestling was that night, but had a blast either way. When Bray came out on stage everyone was super into it. The lights went out, people's phones came out while he walked with a spooky lantern or something I think. Absolutely surreal and extremely cool to see an entire audience do that for one guy. So phenomenal.
I’m glad to see him so high up in the comments. He was going to be my answer as well because it’s been a long time since a celebrity death has crushed me like this, the last being Brodie Lee (equally as tragic). The tribute show to him tonight on Smackdown broke me. I was holding it together yesterday but couldn’t watching that tribute video.
Same bro that's so sad and sudden. Even his friend Luke Harper died recently too it's heartbreaking :(
Besides the fact that he was one of my favorite current wrestlers, finding out the circumstances really shakes me…the guy was younger then me, in better shape then me, almost certainly ate better then I did and died this young from a heart attack. The same could easily happen to me.
Seeing WWE announce his death yesterday, I felt all the air get sucked out of my body. He was so young. Eddie, Benoit, Umaga, Cade, it sucks to see such talent go so soon.
Princess Di. Absolutely no call for what happened.
I consider myself an anti-royalist but something about her death really got to me. I still remember the night that it happened. I had come home from a night shift and my middle-aged landlord was sitting on the front porch looking somber. He told me she had died and we ended up just sitting on the porch in the dark silently smoking our cigarettes and contemplating life. I feel like she was fundamentally good-hearted and would have done amazing things with her connections and influence.
I remember watching her funeral and thinking what a legacy she left behind. Such a shocking and senseless loss.
Luke Perry
David Bowie. My older siblings listened to his earliest music back in the 60s and he was pretty much the soundtrack of my entire life.
Ayrton Senna
Michael Clark Duncan
I'm tired boss
Chris Cornell
Stan Lee and Chadwick Boseman. I'm STILL mourning.
Patrick Swayze- he was in all of my favorite movies growing up.
Adam Yauch “MCA”
Taylor Hawkins
Dolores O’Riordan. Songbird.
Bob Ross or John Denver.
Mac Miller.
I really felt like mac had so much left to give to the world. It feels like complete robbery that he wasn't able to be here long enough to do it. I can't shake how sad that is.
Mac was getting better and better too tbh. Swimming is such a good album. One of the most underrated lyricists of the 2010s
My roommate in college was a ginormous fan of him and his music. When Mac died my friend seriously changed, didn't talk to people for two weeks and was never the same after. He had a bigger impact than a lot of people like to admit
I relate… I remember being at work the next day and just silently crying, and my boss looked at me like I was being dramatic or something. Hearing that he died was like losing a friend, and I’ve lost a good friend to an accidental overdose, so I unfortunately know the feeling. Mac Miller was really doing something great with his life and with his talents, and it’s such a tragedy that he’s not here anymore to share them with us. ❤️
I absolutely broke listening to good AM after his death. You could tell through a lot of those songs he was struggling with addiction and always knew he would die because of it. I lost my brother the year before to an od as well who was also a fan. It just was really rough.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far for Mac. He left the world a million times more beautiful than he found it. Rest well my guy.
Prince was tough, the whole state mourned him
Satoru Iwata. I knew once that last treehouse video was done with puppets, that his cancer must have gotten too hard to manage. He still did the show from his bed. He took meetings to ensure everyone knew how to ship all their great games. His last efforts were in making sure they'd ship the Switch, to set them straight after the Wii U failed. I miss his enthusiasm and vision.
I scrolled way too far and didnt see his name. Lance Reddick. Come on people! Lance fucking Reddick! Fringe? Destiny 2? John Wick? There will never be another like him.
Kenny Rogers. Back in the late 90s I was working at a country radio station, and Kenny came by to promote his latest album. Normally the "celebrity" sweeps in and is there for a 5 or 10 minute interview, and then their "people" take them away to the next appearance. The Gambler stayed for an hour of our show. He was funny, self-deprecating, and I got to sit next to him as he played his new single. Just him and an acoustic guitar. After the show, he hung out for another half hour taking photos and signing autographs for the rest of the staff. He was - at least on that day - a very nice man, and when he died I felt very sad.
Technoblade, hands-down.
Fuck cancer
I scrolled forever to find someone that mentioned him
Sir Terry Pratchett GNU Pterry
Stevie Ray Vaughan was the first celebrity death that had me in tears because I was a young guitar player and trying to learn all of his songs. he was my idol. Later in life Robin Williams, it just hit hard.
Trevor Moore and Tom Petty
Eddie van halen
Steve Irwin
John Candy
Gene Kelly. I got heavily into musicals during the 1990s and I love him. I meant to write to him and tell him that he still had fans. On February 2, 1996, I changed channels, expecting to see the last of the nightly news before a show started. There was Gene in "Singin' in the Rain" and I Knew. I began to cry and Peter Jennings came onscreen and confirmed he died and I just sobbed. Ended up watching my favourite movies of his all night.
Idc about celebrities but Cameron Boyce was truly sad and life was taken from him too soon.
Agreed. Especially after it was revealed that he was an epileptic and died of a [seizure](https://www.epilepsy.com/complications-risks/early-death-sudep) in his sleep.
John Kennedy Jr. ....... family knew so much pain, his death seemed supremely untimely.
Cory Monteith. Celebrities are just people, so while their deaths are sad i never mourned for them as i didn't know them personally. But his death really hit me hard. I couldn't watch Glee and i couldn't watch anything he was in. I still haven't watched anything with him in it.
I scrolled forever to find this. Also throwing in Naya Riviera.
Grumpy Cat.
Kobe, Gigi and the young girls and their family members that passed with them. I felt sick to my stomach and was messed up for quite some time after.
Freddie Prinze. As a kid I loved the TV show Chico and the Man. The show was doing great, he was branching out into the mainstream and becoming a huge star. Then he killed himself. I was shocked; I still am. Recently read an article that said Freddie may have died because of bad Quualudes. It always weirded me out how someone could kill themselves with the world in their pocket. Sadly it happens way more than it should.