Paying tribute to the celebrities who died in 2018 – in memoriam
Remembering the stars we've lost, with the words of those who knew them best.
2018 has seen us say farewell to a number of famous faces from the world of entertainment. Here, we remember those stars of TV, film, music and beyond, along with the words of their friends, colleagues and loved ones.
Penny Marshall — director of Big and A League of their Own, and star of Laverne & Shirley — died December 17
"Goodbye, Penny. Man, did we laugh a lot! Wish we still could. Love you. Hanx." — Tom Hanks
"Thank you, Penny Marshall. For the trails you blazed. The laughs you gave. The hearts you warmed." — Ava DuVernay
"The Marshall family grieves again as the great #PennyMarshall dies at age 75. What an extraordinary family they were and continue to be, and how much love and sympathy my family and I send their way. The end of an era." — Bette Midler
Pete Shelley – lead singer of Buzzcocks – died December 6
"Pete Shelley wrote perfect three minute pop songs. The soundtrack to being a teenager. You’ll be missed Pete but you’ll be remembered for a long long time for your brilliant music." – Tim Burgess
"Pete Shelley - a true gent! He helped us so much at the start of our career out of a sheer love for all things punk. Without Pete & the Buzzcocks I would probably still be working at the Docks. RIP mate." – Peter Hook
Peter Armitage – Coronation Street star – died December 4
"I loved Pete what a lovely man very sad RIP lovely man" – Simon Gregson
"Pete was such a lovely man.. he’ll be sadly missed." – Samia Longchambon
"Peter was a much respected and much loved member of the Coronation Street family. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time." Tribute from the Coronation Street team
Richard Baker – first broadcaster on BBC News on TV – died November 17
"One of the finest newsreaders of modern times: highly intelligent, thoughtful, gentle, yet tough in defence of his principles." – John Simpson
William Goldman – writer of The Princess Bride and more – died November 16
"I was lucky, in 1984, to interview William Goldman at the Savoy. He brightened up when I told him that of all his books, I loved The Princess Bride, then his least successful book, the best. A gentleman: he wrote brilliant novels & screenplays & explained Hollywood to the world." – Neil Gaiman
Stan Lee – comic book icon – died November 12
"A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart." – Bob Iger, Disney CEO
Celeste Yarnall – Star Trek actress – died October 7
"She was pure love and pure light. This was her essence. She was a source of good. She was always for the betterment of humanity, especially women. She was very much a trailblazer in women's empowerment. She was a spectrum of things." – Celeste's husband Nazim Nazim
Scott Wilson – actor best known for The Walking Dead and In Cold Blood – died October 6
"It is almost impossible to describe how I feel about this man. He was beyond a hero, beyond a gem, he was the dearest treasure one could hope to know. I am so thankful to have had the honor to work with him & to call him my friend. RIP Mr Wilson, your light has enriched us all." – Danai Gurira, Scott's co-star on The Walking Dead
Ray Galton – Steptoe and Son co-creator – died October 5
"I have had the great honour of working with Ray for over 50 years and for the last 40 as his manager and friend. With his lifelong co-writer, the late Alan Simpson, they were regarded as the fathers and creators of British sitcom." – Tessa Le Bars, Ray's manager
Geoffrey Hayes – Rainbow presenter – died September 30
"The family would like to express their thanks to the many fans over the years as it always gave Geoffrey so much pleasure to know that he and his Rainbow team had given so much fun to TV and theatre audiences over the years." – Geoffrey's family
Chas Hodges – musician, star of Chas & Dave – died September 22
"We were together 50 years. I am going to miss him so much... He was a fabulous musician and a fabulous friend." – Dave Peacock, Chas' bandmate
Denis Norden – It'll Be Alright on the Night star – died September 19
"A wonderful dad, a loving grandfather and great-great-grandfather – he gave his laughter mongering to so many. He will be in our hearts forever." – Denis' children, Nick and Maggie
Mac Miller – musician – died September 7
"This just really saddened me. I hung out with Mac a few times over the years and he was always such a sweetheart, always had the time of day for anyone, whoever they were. As well as being a great talent, he was a great human. Love and prayers to his family and friends. I don't know what else to say. It's so heartbreaking." - Ed Sheeran
Burt Reynolds – actor – died September 6
"My uncle was not just a movie icon; he was a generous, passionate and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family, friends, fans and acting students." – Burt's niece Nancy Lee Hess
"Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer. He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humour – check out his Tonight Show clips. My thoughts are with his family." Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rachael Bland – broadcaster – died September 5
"We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis. At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful." – Steve Bland, Rachael's husband
Jacqueline Pearce – Doctor Who & Blake's 7 star – died September 3
"She liked a glass of champagne and liked everyone to have a good time with her, and of course she was a brilliant actress and everyone who worked with her remembered her very fondly." – John Ainsworth, Jacqueline's long-time friend
Stefan Karl Stefansson – LazyTown actor – died August 21
"Today the world is poorer. Stefan a great talent and a human being passed away. My heartfelt for his friends and family. LazyTown will be empty without you." – Magnus Scheving, LazyTown star and creator
Aretha Franklin – musician and civil rights activist – died August 16
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.
"We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters, and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha, and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on." – Aretha's family
Barry Chuckle – TV star and one half of the Chuckle Brothers – died August 5
"I've not just lost my brother, I've lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend." – Paul Chuckle
Peter Firmin – Bagpuss and The Clangers creator – died July 1
"During a career spanning over six decades Peter worked with great skill in a remarkably wide variety of creative disciplines as a fine artist, craftsman and author. Of all his work he will probably be most fondly remembered for the characters he co-created and made." – Tribute from Coolabi, which makes Bagpuss
Abi Harman is Deputy Pictures Editor at Digital Spy. She manages our Instagram account and specialises in imagery, showbiz and anything about Gossip Girl.
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