Most Notable Celebs who Died in October 2025

October 2025 brought farewells to artists, actors, musicians, and thinkers whose work shaped film, television, music, and science for decades. From pioneers of docudrama and jazz to beloved TV icons and a Nobel laureate, each left a distinct mark on culture and knowledge. Below are notable figures who died in October, with a quick look at what they did and why they mattered.

Peter Watkins

The British filmmaker and docudrama pioneer made searing, formally inventive works including ‘Culloden’, ‘The War Game’, ‘Privilege’, ‘Punishment Park’, and ‘Edvard Munch’. His hybrid style—blending staged scenes with news-report techniques—challenged broadcast conventions and political complacency, with ‘The War Game’ famously withheld from BBC transmission and later winning an Oscar. Watkins continued to push long-form, participatory cinema through projects like ‘The Journey’ and ‘La Commune (Paris, 1871)’. He died aged 90 on October 30, 2025.

Maria Riva

An actress, television performer, and author, Riva was also known for her definitive biography of her mother, Marlene Dietrich, titled ‘Marlene Dietrich’. She acted on early American television, earned Emmy nominations, and later chronicled Dietrich’s career and complexities in acclaimed detail. Riva died at her son’s home in New Mexico at age 100 on October 29, 2025. Her son Peter Riva confirmed her death.

James Senese

A towering figure in Italian music, the Neapolitan saxophonist co-founded the jazz-rock group Napoli Centrale and collaborated extensively with singer-songwriter Pino Daniele. His sound fused jazz, rock, soul, and Neapolitan tradition, helping define a regional musical identity that resonated nationally. Senese died at 80 in Naples; tributes and a public funeral followed.

Benz Hui Siu-Hung

The veteran Hong Kong actor—also known as Hui Shiu-hung—appeared in more than 160 films and numerous TVB dramas, earning the nickname “King of Supporting Actors.” He died at 76 of multiple organ failure caused by cancer, according to reports from Hong Kong and Singapore outlets. His family later said all condolence money would be donated to the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

Héctor Noguera

A giant of Chilean stage and screen, Noguera’s career spanned nearly 70 years across theater, film, and television. He received Chile’s National Prize for Performing and Audiovisual Arts and was known to TV audiences for roles in series such as ‘Romané’ and ‘Machos’. Noguera died at 88, with public ceremonies and broad tributes reflecting his cultural impact.

Prunella Scales

Best known internationally as Sybil Fawlty in ‘Fawlty Towers’, Scales enjoyed a seven-decade career on stage and screen. Her work ranged from ‘Marriage Lines’ and ‘Mapp & Lucia’ on television to roles in films such as ‘Howards End’. She died at 93 in London; her family noted she had been living with dementia.

Jack DeJohnette

One of jazz’s most versatile drummers, DeJohnette played with Miles Davis on ‘Bitches Brew’, co-led influential ensembles, and spent decades with Keith Jarrett’s Standards Trio. A two-time Grammy winner and 2012 NEA Jazz Master, he recorded extensively for ECM and collaborated across generations. He died at 83 in New York.

Tony Adams

The Welsh-born actor became a staple of British television, most memorably as Adam Chance in the soap ‘Crossroads’. Earlier, he appeared in ‘General Hospital’ and had roles in ‘Doctor Who’. Adams died at 84, prompting tributes from colleagues and fans of classic UK TV.

Björn Andrésen

The Swedish actor gained international fame as Tadzio in Luchino Visconti’s ‘Death in Venice’ and later appeared in films including ‘Midsommar’. His life and legacy were revisited in the 2021 documentary ‘The Most Beautiful Boy in the World’. Andrésen died at 70; his career spanned European cinema and television.

Mauro Di Francesco

An Italian comedic actor associated with 1980s popular cinema, Di Francesco starred in films such as ‘Sapore di mare’, ‘I ragazzi della 3ª C’, and ‘Vado a vivere da solo’. He died at 74, with Italian media noting his enduring association with the era’s coming-of-age and comedy hits.

Nabil Shaban

A Jordanian-British actor and disability-rights advocate, Shaban co-founded Graeae Theatre Company, a landmark inclusive troupe in UK arts. TV audiences remember him as Sil in ‘Doctor Who’, a role he reprised across audio and screen projects. He died at 72; tributes highlighted his activism and groundbreaking stage work.

Satish Shah

A beloved Indian film and television actor, Shah was celebrated for comic roles in series like ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’ and ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, as well as dozens of Hindi films. He died in Mumbai at 74; colleagues clarified he suffered a sudden heart attack. His passing prompted industry-wide remembrances.

June Lockhart

The American actress became an iconic TV mom in ‘Lassie’ and later portrayed Maureen Robinson in ‘Lost in Space’. With roots in Hollywood’s Golden Age and a Tony Award early in her career, she worked across film, TV, and stage for eight decades. Lockhart died at 100 on October 23, 2025.

Dionysis Savvopoulos

A towering Greek singer-songwriter whose work threaded poetry with subtle political critique, Savvopoulos rose to fame in the 1960s and remained a cultural touchstone. He died at 80; Greece held a state-sponsored funeral in Athens’ First Cemetery four days later. His catalog influenced generations of modern Greek music.

Govardhan Asrani

Govardhan “Asrani” Asrani was a prolific Indian actor and director, appearing in hundreds of films and memorable for comic turns including the jailer in ‘Sholay’. He died in Mumbai at 84 after a brief illness, according to Indian media and family representatives. His career spanned Hindi and Gujarati cinema as well as directing credits.

Martine Brochard

The French-Italian actress worked across genres in Italian cinema and television from the late 1960s, appearing in titles ranging from giallo to commedia films, and later writing fiction. She died on October 18, 2025, with Italian outlets and databases noting her long screen career and later-life projects.

Sam Rivers

Bassist and co-founder of the American band Limp Bizkit, Rivers helped craft the group’s late-1990s and early-2000s sound across hit albums and global tours. The band announced his death at age 48, prompting tributes from fans and media. His passing came as the group had been preparing further live shows.

Yang Chen-Ning

The Chinese-American theoretical physicist shared the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics with Tsung-Dao Lee for demonstrating parity violation in weak interactions and later co-developed the Yang-Mills framework foundational to the Standard Model. He died in Beijing at 103, with universities and scientific bodies honoring his influence on modern physics. Public tributes followed across China.

Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley was the original lead guitarist and co-founder of KISS, credited with shaping the band’s hard-rock sound and space-ace persona on albums like ‘KISS’, ‘Destroyer’, and ‘Love Gun’. He launched a successful solo career with the hit ‘New York Groove’ and later rejoined KISS for reunion tours and the ‘Psycho Circus’ era. Frehley’s tone and melodic solos influenced generations of rock guitarists and helped define arena rock performance. He died on October 16, 2025, at 74.

Samantha Eggar

Samantha Eggar was a British actor who earned an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for ‘The Collector’. She worked steadily in film and television on both sides of the Atlantic, with credits ranging from ‘Doctor Dolittle’ to horror titles like ‘The Brood’. Eggar also had a prolific voiceover and stage career in her later years. She died on October 15, 2025, at 86.

Pankaj Dheer

Indian actor Pankaj Dheer became widely known for playing Karna in the landmark TV series ‘Mahabharat’. His career spanned Hindi films and television, including roles in ‘Saugandh’ and ‘Sadak’, and he later ran an acting academy. Dheer also appeared in numerous mythological and historical serials through the 1990s and 2000s. He died on October 15, 2025, at 66.

D’Angelo

D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, was a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who helped define neo-soul with the albums ‘Brown Sugar’, ‘Voodoo’, and ‘Black Messiah’. He collaborated with artists from Questlove to Lauryn Hill and influenced a generation of R&B and hip-hop musicians. His death at 51 followed a battle with cancer, according to family and media reports. He died on October 14, 2025.

Penelope Milford

Penelope Milford earned an Oscar nomination for ‘Coming Home’ and appeared in films including ‘Heathers’ and ‘The Last Word’. On stage, she originated roles on Broadway and remained active through the 1980s and 1990s. Milford died at 77 in Saugerties, New York. She died on October 14, 2025.

Nasser Taghvai

Nasser Taghvai was a major Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter best known internationally for the TV adaptation of ‘My Uncle Napoleon’ and films such as ‘Captain Khorshid’. His work often explored southern Iran’s culture and adapted literary sources with a realist touch. He died at 84 on October 14, 2025.

Drew Struzan

Drew Struzan was the legendary movie-poster artist behind iconic imagery for ‘Star Wars’, ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Blade Runner’, and many more. Trained at ArtCenter, he produced more than 150 film posters and was honored by the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame. Struzan died at 78 on October 13, 2025.

Tony Caunter

Tony Caunter was an English actor best known to millions as Roy Evans in ‘EastEnders’, after earlier TV work in ‘Juliet Bravo’ and ‘Queenie’s Castle’. He appeared in multiple ‘Doctor Who’ stories and worked extensively on stage and television from the 1960s onward. Caunter died at 88 on October 13, 2025.

Yvonne Brewster

Yvonne Brewster OBE co-founded Talawa Theatre Company, the UK’s leading Black-led theatre, and earlier established Jamaica’s first professional company, The Barn. She directed plays by Derek Walcott and others, and broke barriers as the first Black woman to direct at the UK’s National Theatre. Brewster died at 87 on October 12, 2025.

John Lodge

John Lodge was the singer-bassist for The Moody Blues, contributing to classic albums including ‘Days of Future Passed’, ‘In Search of the Lost Chord’, and ‘Seventh Sojourn’. He co-wrote and sang staples like ‘Ride My See-Saw’ and ‘Isn’t Life Strange’, and remained an active live performer for decades. Lodge died at 82 on October 10, 2025.

Carlos Barbosa

Carlos Barbosa was a Colombian actor with decades of work in stage and telenovelas, remembered for roles in series such as ‘La Saga, Negocio de Familia’. Local media reported he died at 81 following illness, prompting tributes from Colombia’s TV community. Barbosa died on October 10, 2025.

Paolo Bonacelli

Paolo Bonacelli was an Italian actor noted for ‘Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom’, ‘Midnight Express’, and later appearances in international films like ‘Mission: Impossible III’ and ‘The American’. Trained at Rome’s National Academy of Dramatic Arts, he worked in theatre, film, and TV for six decades. Bonacelli died at 88 on October 8, 2025.

Zdravko Šotra

Zdravko Šotra was a prolific Serbian film and television director behind popular features such as ‘Zona Zamfirova’ and historical dramas and series that became cultural touchstones across the former Yugoslavia. Active since the 1950s, he was also known for literary adaptations. Šotra died at 92 on October 8, 2025.

Halid Bešlić

Halid Bešlić was a Bosnian folk-music icon whose songs became regional standards over a 40-year career. Following hospitalization in late summer, his death prompted a massive public farewell in Sarajevo. Bešlić died at 71 on October 7, 2025.

Yen Cheng-kuo

Taiwanese actor Yen Cheng-kuo rose to fame as a child star in the 1980s ‘The Kung-Fu Kids’ films and later worked in television and stage. Local media reported he died after battling lung cancer, with family confirming the date and time. Yen died at 50 on October 7, 2025.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton, an Oscar winner for ‘Annie Hall’, was also celebrated for performances in ‘The Godfather’ trilogy, ‘Reds’, ‘Marvin’s Room’, and ‘Something’s Gotta Give’. Family and media reported she died of pneumonia; she was cremated in mid-October. Keaton died at 79 on October 11, 2025.

Ron Dean

Ron Dean was a Chicago character actor seen in ‘Risky Business’, ‘The Breakfast Club’, ‘The Fugitive’, and ‘The Dark Knight’, often portraying tough law-enforcement roles. He worked frequently with director Andrew Davis and amassed nearly 100 screen credits. Dean died at 87 on October 5, 2025.

Ken Jacobs

Ken Jacobs was a towering figure of American avant-garde cinema, known for found-footage manipulation and 3D/structural experiments in works like ‘Blonde Cobra’ and ‘Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son’. He co-founded the Millennium Film Workshop and influenced generations of experimental filmmakers. Jacobs died at 92 on October 5, 2025.

Lotte Ledl

Austrian actor Lotte Ledl performed for decades on stage and screen, notably at the Burgtheater and in series including ‘Derrick’, and later ‘Schlosshotel Orth’. She was honored as a Kammerschauspielerin in her 80s. Ledl died at 95 on October 5, 2025.

Xavier Durringer

French filmmaker and playwright Xavier Durringer directed ‘La Conquête’, a dramatization of Nicolas Sarkozy’s rise, alongside a body of stage and screen work in France. AFP-cited reports said he died of a heart attack at home in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Durringer died at 61 on October 4, 2025.

Sandhya Shantaram

Sandhya Shantaram starred in classic Indian films directed by V. Shantaram, including ‘Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje’, ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’, and Marathi landmark ‘Pinjra’. Tributes described her as an iconic dancer-actor of mid-century Indian cinema. She died in Mumbai at 94 on October 4, 2025.

Remo Girone

Italian actor Remo Girone was beloved on TV as Tano Cariddi in ‘La Piovra’ and appeared in international films including ‘Live by Night’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari’. Reports in Italian media said he died in Monte Carlo after illness. Girone died at 76 on October 3, 2025.

Kimberly Hébert Gregory

Kimberly Hébert Gregory was an American actor acclaimed for HBO’s ‘Vice Principals’ and roles in ‘Kevin (Probably) Saves the World’, ‘Better Call Saul’, and ‘Genius: Aretha’. Colleagues and family announced her death at 52; services were held in her hometown of Houston. She died on October 3, 2025.

Patricia Routledge

Dame Patricia Routledge was a stage and screen great, best known worldwide as Hyacinth Bucket in ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ and as the star of ‘Hetty Wainthropp Investigates’. A Tony and Olivier winner, she was made a Dame in 2017 for services to theatre and charity. Routledge died at 96 on October 3, 2025.

Ed Williams

Ed Williams was the deadpan lab expert Ted Olson in ‘Police Squad!’ and all three ‘The Naked Gun’ films, and also appeared in ‘Father of the Bride’. He transitioned to acting full-time after teaching broadcasting for decades. Williams died at 98 on October 2, 2025.

Javier Manrique

Peruvian-born Spanish actor Javier Manrique worked across film and TV, notably in Álex de la Iglesia titles like ‘El día de la bestia’ and ‘Las brujas de Zugarramurdi’ and in series such as ‘Camera Café’ and ‘A las once en casa’. Spain’s film academy confirmed his death at 56. He died on October 2, 2025.

Judit Elek

Judit Elek was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter whose works such as ‘Mária-nap’ (screened at Cannes) and ‘Memories of a River’ were landmarks of Central European auteur cinema. Festivals and press announced her death at 87. Elek died on October 1, 2025.

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