A Fond Farewell

We remember the stars and behind the-scenes talent who left us in 2021

DYLAN FORD AND DIANE SNYDER

Jessica Walter

January 31, 1941–March 24, 2021

In Emmy-nominated roles as Arrested Development matriarch Lucille Bluth and Archer’s Malory, Jessica Walter played equal parts self-centered, devious and cold as ice. But to those who knew her, she was just the opposite: “warm, caring and kind, with an absolutely cracking sense of humor,” remembered Archer creator Adam Reed. Her six-decade career included a star turn in Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me and an Emmy-winning role as the lead of the police drama Amy Prentiss.

Tanya Roberts

October 15, 1955–January 4, 2021

After a career as a model, Roberts rocketed to TV stardom in 1980 on Charlie’s Angels, replacing Shelley Hack and playing one of the famous trio of scantily clad female private eyes. Nearly 20 years later, she showed a different side on the nostalgic sitcom That ’70s Show as Midwestern housewife Midge Pinciotti for three seasons.

Hal Holbrook

February 17, 1925–January 23, 2021

A distinguished star of stage and screen who excelled in commanding roles, Holbrook won one of his five Emmys for his turn as Abraham Lincoln in a TV miniseries and was nominated for playing Mark Twain in a screen version of his oneman play. He also famously played Deep Throat in All the President’s Men. In later years, he was a regular on the Burt Reynolds sitcom Evening Shade and worked into his 90s as a guest star on such shows as Grey’s Anatomy and Hawaii Five-0.

Larry King

November 19, 1933– January 23, 2021

The legendary CNN talk show host was a nightly guest in many homes from 1985 to 2010. On Larry King Live, he rolled up his sleeves and interviewed scores of newsmakers and personalities from all walks of life. His down-to-earth personality was a big part of his appeal.

Cloris Leachman

April 30, 1926–January 27, 2021

She was an Oscar winner, Dancing With the Stars contestant, even a Miss America contender. But this versatile actress’ enduring legacy is as Phyllis Lindstrom, Mary Richards’ quirky landlady on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a part that won her multiple Emmy Awards and even led to an acclaimed two-season spinoff, Phyllis.

Cicely Tyson

December 19, 1924–January 28, 2021

This revered star only took parts she considered both substantive and respectful of the experiences of Black women. Her selectivity led to iconic roles in work that grappled with race, slavery and civil rights: films such as Sounder and The Help, and TV dramas The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Roots, King and The Rosa Parks Story.

Dustin Diamond

January 7, 1977– February 1, 2021

To kids who came of age in the 1990s, Diamond (left) was a Saturday morning TV staple as lovable goofball Screech on Saved by the Bell. Following his untimely death, the reunited cast of the sitcom, now airing on Peacock, paid warm tribute to their fallen classmate in the second season.

Yaphet Kotto

November 15, 1939–March 15, 2021

Best known for tough-guy roles in 1970s films such as Alien and Live and Let Die, Kotto defied racial stereotypes throughout his career. On television, he spent seven seasons on NBC’s critically acclaimed ensemble cop drama Homicide: Life on the Street, playing the squad’s half-Sicilian no-nonsense leader, Lt. Al Giardello.