Actors Who Sadly Passed Away In January 2026

Catherine O’Hara

Comedy lost a true original on January 30, 2026 a performer who could land a huge joke and still make the character feel like a real person, not a punchline. Her improv roots ran deep, from sketch work that shaped a generation to the later-career renaissance that introduced her to an entirely new audience. The filmography is ridiculous in the best way: warm, chaotic, and instantly recognizable energy in big studio hits, then razor-sharp character work in smaller comedies. One of the loveliest behind-the-scenes details: she met her future husband, production designer Bo Welch, on the set of Beetlejuice. The laughs were constant, but the craft was always serious. | © Geffen Pictures

Finnegan the Fox

Not every “star” comes from a set some come from a sanctuary, a camera, and a personality that somehow reads through the screen. Finnegan became internet-famous through the Save A Fox videos, the kind of animal presence that made people stop scrolling because he felt like a mischievous little character, not just a rescued fox. His passing was confirmed publicly on January 30, 2026, with the heartbreaking context that he’d actually died around two months earlier, and the team needed time to process multiple losses. A surprising pop-culture footnote: the fox is also credited with providing the sounds used for a signature spirit moment in a major video game. Somehow, a rescued animal ended up leaving a mark on the internet and gaming fandom. | © Saveafox

Gerardo Taracena

The news hit hard on January 31, 2026: a performer known for turning intensity into something uncomfortably believable, whether he had five minutes of screen time or a full arc to play. International audiences often remember the ferocity he brought to a high-profile historical epic, while TV viewers clocked him as a key presence in cartel drama someone who could project danger without turning the work into parody. He wasn’t just an actor either; dance and theater were part of his foundation, which helps explain the physical precision in his performances. The roles ranged from brutal to heartbreakingly human, and he moved between Mexican and U.S. productions without losing his identity onscreen. It’s the kind of career that feels bigger the more you revisit it. | © Gaumont International Television

Victoria Jones

New Year’s Day turned tragic fast: Victoria Jones died on January 1, 2026, after authorities responded to a medical emergency call at a San Francisco hotel. The cause of death wasn’t publicly confirmed at the time, and reports noted that foul play was not suspected just a sudden, devastating loss at 34. She wasn’t a tabloid fixture or a constant-screen presence; her acting credits were selective and early, with a small but memorable studio cameo tied to one of her father’s biggest franchises. She also appeared in a teen TV staple and later worked in another film directed by her father, which makes her short filmography feel like a handful of snapshots rather than a full reel. It’s one of those stories that leaves people wondering what the next chapter might have been. | © Stephane Cardinale/Corbis

Donald Douglas

A long, steady career came to a close on January 14, 2026, and it’s the kind of resume that quietly threads through decades of British film, TV, and stage work. If you recognize the face, it’s probably from a very specific role in a beloved rom-com franchise an older-generation authority figure played with just enough stiffness to be funny, but never cartoonish. Beyond that, he popped up everywhere: classic British series, genre TV, and films that treated character actors like essential ingredients rather than background texture. Training at RADA and a life in repertory theater gave him that reliable “this guy belongs here” presence directors love. Not flashy, not hyped, just consistently good for a very long time. | © Working Title Films

Marian Diamond

The kind of voice you recognize before you place the face left us on January 5, 2026, after a career built on crisp, story-first performances. She spent years working with the BBC, including narration work for Jackanory, and she even stepped into Tolkien territory by voicing Galadriel in the 1981 BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. On TV, she popped up across decades of British staples, with a knack for making smaller roles feel lived-in instead of “just there.” A fun footnote for longtime viewers: she also appeared in Brookside as Mrs. Shackleton, one of those soap-world presences that instantly feels like they’ve always been part of the street. | © Popperfoto

Vera Frances

Before most actors have a headshot, she already had screen credits Vera Frances died on January 7, 2026, closing the book on a short but memorable run as a British child actress. Her debut came in the wartime-era film Back-Room Boy, and she later appeared in several features throughout the 1940s, including Waterloo Road in a small but clearly billed role. Then she did something you almost never see in these stories: she stepped away from the camera while still young, choosing a new path as a dance teacher and building a life around that instead. It’s a career snapshot brief, real, and very much of its era. | © Vera Frances

Patsy King

Some performers become cult favorites because they commit and Patsy King, who died on January 19, 2026, had that kind of steel in her work. International audiences know her best as the original Governor Erica Davidson on Prisoner (Prisoner: Cell Block H), a character who could command a room without raising her voice. But that’s only one corner of her career: she moved between theatre, radio, TV drama, and children’s programming, and she also directed, wrote, and did voice work. There’s something especially admirable about a résumé that treats “serious” and “playful” as equally worthy Shakespeare one day, kids’ TV the next, both done properly. | © Reg Grundy Organisation

Derek martin in eastenders cropped processed by imagy

Derek Martin (and his son, David Rapp)

If you ever watched EastEnders during the Slater era, you know the feeling: when Charlie Slater entered a scene, the chaos suddenly had a center. Derek Martin died on January 10, 2026, aged 92, after decades in the business that began with stunt work before turning into a long run of tough-guy and working-class roles. His most famous stretch was as Charlie Slater from 2000 onward, a steady hand in a family built for drama. The month brought a second blow: his son David Rapp who worked behind the scenes in the industry at Scotland’s BBB Talent Agency also died, with the news shared publicly on January 20, 2026 (his exact date of death was not clearly reported). Two losses, days apart in the headlines, and one family suddenly at the center of a cruel kind of story. | © Derek Martin

Yvonne Lime Fedderson

Her name carries two legacies: the on-screen one from the 1950s and ’60s, and the off-screen one that ended up even bigger. Yvonne Lime Fedderson died on January 23, 2026, at 90, after decades best known not just for acting, but for child advocacy work as a co-founder of Childhelp. Movie fans might spot her in cult genre territory she played Arlene Logan in I Was a Teenage Werewolf and she also appeared in films like High School Hellcats and Loving You (yes, with Elvis). Then she stepped away from acting and poured her time into philanthropy, turning celebrity into something practical and lasting. It’s rare to see someone leave Hollywood and still end up with a bigger footprint. | © American International Pictures

Grady Demond Wilson

For a whole generation, his face is the heartbeat of a classic sitcom because the comedy only worked when the eye-rolls, exasperation, and genuine affection felt real. He died on January 30, 2026, at his home in Palm Springs, with reports noting complications from cancer. The role that made him famous turned him into a household name, but his life didn’t stop at TV: he served in Vietnam, was wounded, and later stepped away from Hollywood for long stretches to focus on ministry after being ordained in the mid-1980s. That pivot is part of why he’s such an interesting figure someone who could thrive in fame and still choose a different calling. Revisiting his best work now, you notice how much of the show’s soul sits in the quieter moments he played between the punchlines. | © Tandem Productions

Kianna Underwood

A lot of people met her through sketch comedy quick timing, big reactions, and that specific Nickelodeon energy where you have to sell a joke in seconds. She died on January 16, 2026, after being struck in a hit-and-run in Brooklyn, a loss that landed especially hard because she was only 33. While she’s most closely tied to All That (joining during its final original run), she also worked beyond live-action: she voiced Fuchsia Glover on Little Bill and did voice work for the animated musical Santa Baby!. Theater was part of the story too, including time in the Hairspray national tour, which explains the confidence and rhythm she brought onscreen. It’s the kind of career that reads like it was still warming up different lanes, more to do, and then suddenly no time left. | © Nickelodeon Productions

T.K. Carter

If you were the kind of viewer who grew up bouncing between late-night movies and sitcom reruns, chances are you’ve seen him more times than you realized. He died on January 9, 2026, in Duarte, California, with authorities saying no foul play was suspected. His film résumé is sneaky-stacked genre fans remember him immediately from The Thing, and he kept popping up in everything from comedies to tough thrillers across decades. On TV, he could slide into a scene and instantly feel like part of the ensemble, which is why he worked so steadily from the ’80s onward (including memorable sitcom appearances and recurring roles later in his career). What’s underrated about him is the versatility: funny without forcing it, tense when needed, and always believable as a regular guy caught in something bigger. The kind of actor you miss most when you realize how many projects he quietly improved. | © Universal Pictures