The year 2025 saw the passing of an extraordinary generation of artists, performers, and creators whose work defined entire eras of popular culture. From Hollywood legends and musical pioneers to literary giants and fashion visionaries, their deaths marked the end of significant chapters in film, television, music, and the arts.
Hollywood Royalty and Visionary Filmmakers
The film world bid farewell to some of its most luminous stars. Robert Redford, the actor, director and activist, died at the age of 89 on September 16. An icon whose career spanned from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to his Oscar-winning direction of Ordinary People, Redford's legacy was cemented by his founding of the Sundance Institute, a platform that forever changed independent cinema.
The death of Gene Hackman, 95, in February was met with profound sadness. The two-time Academy Award winner, known for The French Connection and Unforgiven, died of heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's noted as a significant factor. He was found alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, at their Santa Fe home.
Diane Keaton, the beloved actress famed for Annie Hall and The Godfather trilogy, died suddenly in California on October 11 at the age of 79. Her unique style and wit made her one of America's most cherished screen stars.
Cinema also lost one of its great surrealists, David Lynch, who died at 78 on January 15 from cardiac arrest linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The creator of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive left behind a body of work that reshaped narrative storytelling.
Musical Architects and Fashion's Defining Force
The music industry mourned pioneers across genres. Funk revolutionary Sly Stone died at 82 in June, leaving a legacy of joyous, inclusive anthems like Everyday People. Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, 81, passed away in November after a seizure; his film The Harder They Come brought the genre to a global audience.
Soul and R&B lost two foundational figures. Songwriter and guitarist Steve Cropper, 84, co-writer of classics like (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, died in December. Grammy-winning singer Roberta Flack, 88, known for Killing Me Softly, passed away in November.
In fashion, the death of Giorgio Armani at 91 in September closed the chapter on a designer who redefined modern elegance. His minimalist aesthetic and fluid tailoring revolutionised how the world dressed, with his empire generating billions in revenue.
Literary Voices and Enduring Television Stars
British publishing lost two of its most distinctive authors. Dame Jilly Cooper, 88, died in October after a fall at her home. The queen of the 'bonkbuster' was celebrated for her witty tales of scandal. Sophie Kinsella, author of the Shopaholic series, died at 55 on December 10 after a private battle with an aggressive brain cancer.
The theatre world said goodbye to Sir Tom Stoppard, the celebrated playwright of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, who died at 88. His work, which also included the Oscar-winning screenplay for Shakespeare in Love, was hailed for its intellectual wit and emotional depth.
Television audiences lost familiar faces who had become fixtures in their homes. These included Val Kilmer (65), known for Top Gun and Batman Forever; Shannen Doherty (53), the star of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed; and June Lockhart, who died at 100 after a career spanning nearly nine decades, including roles in Lassie and Lost in Space.
A Wider Cultural Farewell
The year's losses extended across the cultural landscape. Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) died at 71 in July from cardiac arrest. Ace Frehley, 74, the founding lead guitarist of KISS, died in October from injuries sustained in a fall.
The drag scene lost The Vivienne (James Lee Williams), winner of the first UK series of RuPaul's Drag Race, who died at 32 in January. Singer Linda Nolan died at 65 in January after a battle with cancer, having found fame with her sisters in The Nolans.
Actress Marianne Faithfull, the 1960s icon and singer, died at 78, while Julian McMahon, star of Nip/Tuck, died at 56 in July after a private fight with cancer. Veteran actress Diane Ladd, mother of Laura Dern and a three-time Oscar nominee, died at 89 in November.
Each of these individuals left an indelible mark on their fields. Their work—whether on screen, on stage, on the page, or on the airwaves—continues to resonate, ensuring that their cultural legacies will endure long beyond 2025.
