Classic Movie Stars We Lost in 2022
We lost many classic film personalities in 2022. Here is a list with links to some of the notable films they appeared in or directed at least 30 years ago.
Kirstie Alley (1951-2022)
While most famous for her television roles, Kirstie Alley also made a noteworthy appearance as a Vulcan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Peter Bogdanovich (1939-2022)
Famous for directing several early 1970s classics, Peter Bogdanovich was also a journalist and cinematic scholar who interviewed such film legends as Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant.
The Last Picture Show (1971), What’s Up Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973)
James Caan (1940-2022)
Best known for his portrayal of Sonny Corleone in the Godfather, James Caan made over 100 appearances on film and television in a career spanning 60 years.
El Dorado (1966), The Godfather (1972), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Misery (1990)
Veronica Carlson (1944-2022)
English actress Veronica Carlson was chased and tormented by some of the most famous monsters in movie history as she starred in a variety of Hammer Productions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
Louise Fletcher (1934-2022)
Louise Fletcher will always be remembered for her iconic role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). The role won her an Oscar and steady work for years in both film and television.
Bo Hopkins (1938-2022)
Bo Hopkins guest starred in numerous television productions after early success in several enduring classics.
The Wild Bunch (1969), American Graffiti (1973)
William Hurt (1950-2022)
Nominated for four Oscars and winner of one for Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), William Hurt enjoyed a long career starring in some of the best films of the 1980s.
Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), Children of a Lesser God (1986), Broadcast News (1987)
Hardy Kruger (1928-2022)
Hardy Kruger was fluent in English, French and German. His looks and his ability to play a variety of roles led to numerous film appearances from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Hatari! (1962), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), Barry Lyndon (1975), A Bridge to Far (1977)
Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)
Angela Lansbury’s career began with back to back Oscar nominations for her performances in the classic thrillers Gaslight (1944) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). She appeared in films, on stage and on television in nine decades.
Gaslight (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), Blue Hawaii (1961), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Ray Liotta (1954-2022)
Ray Liotta appeared in many memorable films over his career including two that will be remembered as classics – Field of Dreams and Goodfellas.
Field of Dreams (1989), Goodfellas (1990)
Yvette Mmieux (1942-2022)
Yvette Mmieux’s most memorable performance was as Weena, the girl George meets on his trip to the future in the 1960 version of The Time Machine.
The Time Machine (1960)
Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022)
Australian megastar Olivia Newton-John starred as Sandy in the enormously successful film adaptation of Grease.
Grease (1978)
Nichelle Nichols (1932 – 2022)
Nichelle Nichols will be forever remembered as Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek television series and six feature films.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Wolfgang Petersen (1941-2022)
Wolfgang Peterson was the German director responsible for the gritty and realistic The Boat (Das Boot) for which he was nominated for both Best Director and Best Screenplay. He directed many other high-budget Hollywood blockbusters over the years.
Das Boot (1981)
Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)
Groundbreaking actor Sidney Poitier was the first black actor to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for The Defiant Ones (1958) and the first black actor to win a Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field.
The Defiant Ones (1958), Lilies of the Field (1963), To Sir, With Love (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
Ivan Reitman (1946-2022)
Ivan Reitman directed some of the 1980s most memorable comedies.
Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984)
Mitchell Ryan (1934-2022)
Character actor Mitchell Ryan appeared in everything from westerns to action films to sitcoms in a career spanning six decades.
High Plains Drifter (1973), Magnum Force (1973), Lethal Weapon (1987)
Henry Silva (1926-2022)
Henry Silva played a series of villains and heavies in the early 1960s then branched out into a variety of roles in foreign films and on television.
Ocean’s Eleven (1960), The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Paul Sorvino (1939-2022)
Paul Sorvino often played authority figures including his most memorable performance as mob boss Paul Cicero in Goodfellas.
Goodfellas (1990)
Fred Ward (1942-2022)
Versatile and likeable actor Fred Ward appeared in many action and comedic roles in the 1980s and 1990s.
Southern Comfort (1981), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Tremors (1990)
David Warner (1941-2022)
David Warner enjoyed a long career playing villains in a long list of science fiction and period pieces.
The Omen (1976), Time Bandits (1981), Tron (1982), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)