Stars who died in 2023: Part 1

 In memory of the actors, musicians, authors, and other famous faces who have died in 2023, including Matthew Perry, Andre Braugher, Tina Turner, Harry Belafonte, Raquel Welch, Lisa Marie Presley, among others. Read on to remember their life and and work.

Shecky Greene

Shecky Greene

Shecky Greene. Dave Kotinsky/Getty

Shecky Greene, the legendary stand-up comic who headlined in Las Vegas and opened for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, died on Dec. 31 at 97. His wife Miriam Musso Greene confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he died of natural causes at his Vegas home. Greene began his comedy career on stages throughout the Midwest and New Orleans before relocating to Vegas in 1954 where he became a staple performer, known for his fast-talking act, wild tangents, and quick improvisations. Greene was also a regular TV presence, making dozens of appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and even serving as an occasional guest host. He made similar appearances on The Mike Douglas Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Merv Griffin Show. Greene also racked up guest credits in TV series including ​​The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Laverne & Shirley, The A-Team, Roseanne, and Mad About You. His film work includes Splash, History of the World: Part I, and Tony Rome. Greene played his final Sin City show in 2011 at the South Point Showroom. He was inducted into the National Comedy Hall of Fame in March of 2020.

Tom Wilkinson

Tom Wilkinson

Tom Wilkinson. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty 

Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for his performances in The Full Monty, Shakespeare in Love, and Michael Clayton, died on Dec. 30 at 75. Wilkinson developed an interest in acting and directing while a member of the drama society at the University of Kent, which later led him to enroll in London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. For two decades, he starred on a wide variety of British television programs before getting his big break in the 1997 comedy The Full Monty, for which he won a BAFTA Award. Throughout his prolific career, Wilkinson was nominated for an Oscar for his performances in 2001’s In the Bedroom and 2007’s Michael Clayton, and won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for playing Benjamin Franklin in the Tom Hooper-directed miniseries, John Adams. 

Kurtis "Mad Kurt" Chapman

Kurtis 'Mad Kurt' Chapman

Kurtis "Mad Kurt" Chapman. Kurtis Chapman/Instagram

British professional wrestler Kurtis Chapman, known as "Mad Kurt" inside the ring, died in December at 26. A precise date and cause were not disclosed when his death was announced on Dec. 29. Chapman, who began wrestling in 2014, was known for his comedic flair and tongue-in-cheek persona. British wrestling promoters Revolution Pro remembered Chapman as "one of the most gifted technical wrestlers, charismatic characters and magnetic personalities."

Mbongeni Ngema

Mbongeni Ngema 

Mbongeni Ngema. Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images via Getty Images

Renowned South African playwright and musician Mbongeni Ngema died Dec. 27 in a car accident. He was 68. Ngema was best known for writing the 1988 Broadway musical Sarafina!, about a Black student who inspires her classmates to fight against apartheid after the jailing of a teacher. The show earned five Tony nominations, including Best Musical and Best Actress in a Musical, as well as Best Choreographer, Best Director, and Best Original Score nominations for Ngema. The production, and Ngema, also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Cast Show Album. It was later adapted into a 1992 musical drama film starring Whoopi Goldberg alongside its Broadway lead, Leleti Khumalo.

Lee Sun-kyun

Lee Sun Kyun receives the award for "Excellent Achievement in Film" 

Lee Sun-kyun. Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images

After winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in Bong Joon Ho's groundbreaking, Best Picture–winning drama Parasite, popular South Korean film and TV actor Lee Sun-kyun was found dead in a car in Seoul on Dec. 26 at age 48. The star was embroiled in an ongoing government investigation into alleged drug use, which the performer took legal action against after claiming he was blackmailed and tricked into taking an illegal substance, according to the Associated Press.

Tom Smothers

Tom Smothers

Tom Smothers. Everett Collection

Tom Smothers, the comedian who rose to fame as half of the musical duo the Smothers Brothers, died Dec. 26 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 86. Smothers and his younger brother Dick built their careers in the 1960s, winning over fans with catchy folk songs and biting political commentary on their CBS variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The brothers famously clashed with CBS over the content of their show, and Smothers was an outspoken advocate for civil rights and free speech.