R. Lee Ermey, actor in ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ dies at 74 | CNN (2024)

Actress Penny Marshall, who found fame in TV's "Laverne & Shirley" before going on to direct such beloved films as "Big" and "A League of Their Own," died on Monday, December 17. She was 75.

George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States and the patriarch of one of America's dominant political dynasties, died November 30 at the age of 94.

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the animated show "SpongeBob Squarepants," died November 26 following a battle with the neurodegenerative disease ALS. He was 57.

Bernardo Bertolucci, the Oscar-winning filmmaker who directed "Last Tango in Paris" and "The Last Emperor," died November 26 following a battle with cancer, Italian officials confirmed. He was 77.

British film director Nicolas Roeg died November 23 at the age of 90, his family told the UK's Press Association. Initially a cinematographer, Roeg went on to direct such influential films as "Performance" with Mick Jagger, "Don't Look Now" with Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, and "The Man Who Fell to Earth" with David Bowie.

Bob McNair, the founder and longtime owner of the NFL's Houston Texans, died November 23, after a long battle with cancer, a team spokeswoman said. He was 81.

Roy Clark, a country music star and former host of the long-running TV series "Hee Haw," died November 15, his publicist told CNN. He was 85.

Stan Lee, the colorful Marvel Comics patriarch who helped usher in a new era of superhero storytelling -- and saw his creations become a giant influence in the movie business -- died November 12 at the age of 95.

Billionaire Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, died on October 15, according to his investment firm Vulcan. Allen also owned two professional sports teams, NFL's Seattle Seahawks and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. He was 65.

Arthur Mitchell, co-founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, died on September 19, according to the theater's Facebook page. He was 84.

Mac Miller, a rapper and producer who began his rise in the music industry in his late teens, died September 7, his attorney David Byrnes told the Washington Post. He was 26. Miller died from "mixed drug toxicity," according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Actor Burt Reynolds, whose easygoing charms and handsome looks drew prominent roles in films such as "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Boogie Nights," died on September 6. He was 82.

Neil Simon, the playwright and screenwriter whose indestructible comedies -- including "The Odd Couple," "Barefoot in the Park," "The Sunshine Boys" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs" -- made him one of the most successful writers in American history, died on August 26. He was 91.

John McCain, a Vietnam War hero who served in the US Senate for more than 30 years and ran for president twice, died August 25 at the age of 81. McCain, a conservative maverick, won the Republican nomination in 2008 but lost to Barack Obama. He continued to serve in Congress after being diagnosed with brain cancer last year.

Kyle Pavone, a vocalist for the rock band We Came as Romans, died August 25, according to a statement on the band's Twitter account. He was 28.

Robin Leach, the debonair TV host who regaled audiences with talk of "champagne wishes and caviar dreams," died August 24, his publicist confirmed to CNN. He was 76.

Retired guitarist Ed King, who co-wrote the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit "Sweet Home Alabama," the tune with the classic riff that became a Southern rock anthem, died on August 23, his Facebook page said. The post did not include a cause of death or King's age.

Kofi Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, died August 18 at the age of 80. He served as the UN's Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. His efforts to secure a more peaceful world brought him and the UN the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Aretha Franklin, whose gospel-rooted singing and bluesy yet expansive delivery earned her the title "the Queen of Soul," died August 16, a family statement said. She was 76.

Charlotte Rae, a gregarious actress with a prodigious career on stage, screen and TV, died August 5 at the age of 92, her son Larry Strauss told CNN. She is best known for her role as housekeeper Edna Garrett, first on the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" and then the spinoff "The Facts of Life."

Adrian Cronauer, the former American airman whose radio show provided the inspiration for Robin Williams' character in "Good Morning, Vietnam," died on July 18, according to his family. He was 79.

Tab Hunter, who rose to fame as a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1950s, died July 8, his partner Allan Glaser confirmed to CNN. He was 86.

Alan Diaz, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph of terrified Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez looking at an armed US agent, died at the age of 71, the Associated Press said on July 3.

Joe Jackson, the patriarch who launched the musical Jackson family dynasty, died at the age of 89, a source close to the family told CNN on June 27.

Vinnie Paul, drummer and founding member of the metal band Pantera, died at the age of 54, the band announced on Facebook on June 22.

Actor Jackson Odell, 20, was found unresponsive at a home in Tarzana, California on June 8, the LA County Medical Examiner's Office said. An autopsy had not been performed, the office said. Odell played Ari Caldwell on the TV sitcom "The Goldbergs."

Danny Kirwan, a guitarist who appeared on five of Fleetwood Mac's albums, died in London on June 8, according to the band. He was 68.

Actress Eunice Gayson, the first "Bond girl" in the James Bond movies, died June 8, according to her Twitter page. She was 90. Gayson played Sylvia Trench in "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love."

The suicide of Anthony Bourdain, the chef and gifted storyteller who took CNN viewers around the world, was confirmed by the network on June 8. He was 61.

Kate Brosnahan Spade, who created an iconic, accessible handbag line that bridged Main Street and high-end fashion, hanged herself in an apparent suicide June 5, according to New York Police Department sources. She was 55. Her company has retail shops and outlet stores all over the world.

Former San Francisco 49er Dwight Clark died June 4 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. He was 61. Clark was on the receiving end of one of the greatest plays in NFL history, forever known as "The Catch."

Actor Jerry Maren, center, died May 24 due to complications from congestive heart failure, according to his family. Maren, 98, was the last surviving munchkin from "The Wizard of Oz."

Philip Roth, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, died May 22 at the age of 85. Roth was one of America's most prolific and controversial 20th-century novelists, with a career that spanned decades and more than two dozen books.

Tom Wolfe, the innovative journalist and author who wrote such best-selling masterpieces as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "The Right Stuff, died on May 14 at the age of 87. Wolfe was known as a pioneer of a literary style that became known as New Journalism. It was a long-form of writing in which writers deeply immersed themselves in the subject they were writing about.

Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the original 1978 "Superman" movie, died on May 13, her manager confirmed to CNN. Kidder was 69 years old.

Larry Harvey, the founder of the Burning Man festival, died April 28, according to Burning Man Project CEO Marian Goodell. He was 70. Burning Man is a multiday event dedicated to art and community, where attendees are asked to follow a set of rules that include the practice of "gifting."

Verne Troyer, an actor who played Mini-Me in two of the Austin Powers comedy films, died at the age of 49, according to statements posted to his social media accounts on April 21. "Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh," a statement posted to his social media said. No cause of death was immediately released.

DJ Avicii, one of the world's most successful DJs, was found dead while vacationing in Oman on April 20. The Swede, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was 28 years old. Authorities later ruled out "criminal suspicion," but a cause of death had still not been released.

Barbara Bush, the matriarch of a Republican political dynasty and a first lady who elevated the cause of literacy, died April 17, according to a statement from her husband's office. She was 92.

Harry Anderson, best known for playing Judge Harry Stone on TV's "Night Court," was found dead inside his home in Asheville, North Carolina, on April 16, according to police. He was 65.

R. Lee Ermey, an actor known for his Golden Globe-nominated role as an intimidating drill sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket," died April 15, according to a statement from his manager. Ermey was 74.

Steven Bochco, a producer whose boundary-pushing series like "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue" helped define the modern TV drama, died April 1 after a battle with leukemia. He was 74.

Linda Brown, who as a little girl was at the center of the US Supreme Court case that ended segregation in schools, died on March 25, a funeral home spokesman said. She was 75.

Stephen Hawking, the brilliant British physicist who overcame a debilitating disease to publish wildly popular books probing the mysteries of the universe, died on March 14. He was 76.

Fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, a pioneer in high-end ready-to-wear who was famous for styling Audrey Hepburn's little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," died at the age of 91, the House of Givenchy confirmed on March 12.

Evangelist Billy Graham -- a confidant to presidents, a guiding light to generations of American evangelicals and a globe-trotting preacher who converted millions to Christianity -- died February 21 at the age of 99, his spokesman confirmed to CNN.

British actress Emma Chambers, who starred alongside Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in the 1999 movie "Notting Hill," died on February 21, according to her agent. She was 53 years old.

Veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi was found dead in a hotel bathtub on February 24. Police in the United Arab Emirates ruled out any suggestion of foul play, and a forensics report said the 54-year-old died from "accidental drowning following loss of consciousness."

Actor John Mahoney, known for his role as Martin Crane in the sitcom "Frasier," died February 4 after a brief hospitalization, according to his longtime manager, Paul Martino. The cause of death was not immediately announced. Mahoney was 77.

Dennis Edwards, the former lead singer for The Temptations whose gritty voice carried some of the biggest hits of the Motown era, died on February 1, according to his booking agent Rosiland Triche. He was 74.

Fantasy novelist Ursula K. Le Guin died January 22, according to her son Theo Downes-Le Guin. She was 88. The acclaimed author penned everything from short stories to children's books, but she was best known for her work in the science fiction and fantasy realm. She is perhaps best known for her Earthsea series, beginning with "A Wizard of Earthsea" in 1968.

Connie Sawyer, who was the oldest working actress in Hollywood, died on January 21 at the age of 105, her daughter, Lisa Dudley, told CNN. The character actress appeared in multiple film and television projects over the years, including roles in "Archie Bunker's Place," "Will & Grace" and "When Harry Met Sally." More recently, she appeared as the mother of James Woods' character in the Showtime series "Ray Donovan."

Rapper Fredo Santana died at his home on January 19, according to Lt. David Smith, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. Santana was 27. Smith said the autopsy was pending. In October, Santana posted on his verified Instagram account that he was being treated for liver and kidney failure.

Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of the Irish band The Cranberries, died in London on January 15, according to a statement from her publicist. She was 46. No details were immediately given on the cause of her death. The Cranberries rose to global fame in the mid-1990s with a string of hits, including "Linger," "Zombie" and "Dreams." The group has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Keith Jackson, the sportscaster whose rich voice and distinctive phrasing endeared him to generations of college football fans, died January 12, ESPN said in a news release. He was 89.

Jerry Van Dyke, the younger brother of fellow comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, died January 5 at his Arkansas ranch, his wife Shirley Ann Jones told CNN. He was 86. Jerry Van Dyke was known for several roles, most notably for playing the assistant football coach on the late '80s and '90s hit show "Coach," for which he earned four Emmy nominations. He also made appearances on his brother's classic sitcom "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Former astronaut John Young, a NASA trailblazer whose six journeys into space included a walk on the moon and the first space shuttle flight, died January 5 after complications from pneumonia, NASA said. He was 87.