Looking back and thinking about celebrities who have left us in 2020 is one of the most bittersweet things. There are so many ways to mention, but we’ve picked 11 key people who have made a huge impact. Entertainment industry, sports or pop culture.
1. Sean Connery, 90
The legendary Scottish actor is best known for playing James Bond in seven movies from 1962 to 1983, but hey, don’t forget he also played Indiana Jones’ dad! And he was in the Highlander! He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor UntouchablesConnery received all sorts of accolades throughout the years, including being knighted by the Queen in 2000 and voted “Greatest Living Scot” in 2004. He died on October 31 of pneumonia and heart failure. Fun fact: He turned down the role of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy because he could not understand the plot.
2. Paul “Pierre” Vasquez, 57
His name might not immediately ring a bell, but if you’re familiar with the expression “perfect double rainbow hoooooo,” there you go! You know who we’re talking about. In January 2010, Vázquez began filming an unobstructed view of a double rainbow in his backyard in Yosemite Valley and described it in the happiest, most emotional way possible. After the video appears Jimmy Kimmel Live, it went viral and Vasquez became something of a celebrity. He died on May 9 after several days of fever and difficulty in breathing.
3. Roy Horn, 75
Siegfried & Roy is one half of the entertainment duo that has been performing magic and big cats in Las Vegas for over two decades. Unfortunately, their performances came to an abrupt end in 2003 when Horn was attacked and nearly killed by his white tiger, Montecor. With the spinal cord severed, he was able to walk and talk again. He died on May 8 of complications related to Covid-19.
4. Chadwick Boseman, 43
After playing Black Panther in several movies, Boseman seemed like the next big, breakthrough actor. But unfortunately, he has personally battled the disease ever since he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. It eventually progressed to stage four, but he continued to work even as he underwent surgery and chemotherapy. His last film, Ma Rainey’s Black BottomPublished posthumously in December.
5. Terry Jones, 77
One of the six cast members of Monty Python, Jones has directed some of the comedy’s most notable films. Holy Grail And Life of Brian. He was active in entertainment for 50 years, retiring in 2016 when he was diagnosed with a form of dementia that left him unable to speak and communicate. In this case, he died on January 21.
6. Eddie Van Halen, 65
Van Halen is considered one of the greatest guitarists in rock history. Search “Eruption guitar solo” on YouTube to see what we mean. Along with his brother Alex, Mark Stone and David Lee Roth, they founded the legendary rock group Van Halen in 1972, and while they went through several lead singers, the group never disbanded and continued to tour. Eddie died on October 6 after a six-year battle with throat cancer.
7. David Stern, 77
The NBA has been around since 1946, but it was Stern who turned it into a multibillion-dollar, international sport as the league’s commissioner. NBA games are now broadcast in 200 different countries/territories and in 40 languages. He retired in 2014 after 30 years. Stern died on January 1 of a brain hemorrhage.
8. Jerry Stiller, 92
Ben Stiller’s father, most people these days remember Jerry as the towering, narrow-minded Frank as the fictional George Costanza’s father on Seinfeld. But Stiller’s comedy career really began in the 1950s when he formed a comedy team with his wife, Anna Meera, who played Ed Sullivan and had a huge following. Stiller died of natural causes on May 11.
9. Regis Philbin, 88
Holder of the Guinness World Record for most hours on television, there was a time when Philbin seemed to be everywhere. For nearly three decades he co-hosted a daytime talk show, first with Kathie Lee Gifford and later with Kelly Ripa. In 2001, he was the man behind the wildly successful primetime game show Who wants to be a millionaire?, leading to a few lame followers. He died of a heart attack on July 24 after suffering from heart disease for many years.
10. Kobe Bryant, 41
Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star and 5-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, was well into retirement when a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others claimed his life. At the time of his death, he was running the Mamba Sports Academy to help underprivileged sportsmen and women, and was coaching his daughter’s basketball team. He died on January 26.
11. Alex Trebek, 80
As the host of Jeopardy for nearly 4 decades, Trebek is beloved by trivia lovers, whether they are 10 years old or 100 years old. In 2019, he announced that he had stage IV pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest types. But he continued to host the game show despite suffering from incredible pain. He died on November 8.
