Maggie Smith To Liam Payne: Stars We Lost In 2024

The year 2024 was filled with joyous celebrity weddings, notable births, and remarkable milestones. Amid these celebrations, we also bid farewell to several iconic figures who left an indelible mark on fashion, music and entertainment. Here are the some of the stars and legends from Hollywood and the global music industry we lost in 2024.

Popular as Professor McGonagall from the Harry Potter films among the millennials and members of Gen Z. Maggie Smith, the two-time Oscar and four-time Emmy winner died on Sept. 27, 2024, at the age of 89. Apart from the Harry Potter film series, Smith was also known for her work in the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Downton Abbey.

One Direction fans across the globe were shocked when 31-year-old Payne, a former member of the beloved boy band, died after falling from his hotel room in Argentina on Oct. 16.

James Earl Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless, gained greater fame off camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died on Sept. 9. He was 93.

Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer and cultural icon, passed away on Nov. 3 at the age of 91.

His groundbreaking contributions span jazz, pop, and film scores, influencing generations. A true maestro, shaping global music's timeless legacy.

Harry Johnson, an actor who appeared on dozens of shows throughout his 40-year career, including Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law & Order, died on Jan. 2. He was 81.

Bill Hayes, the actor and singer who with his real-life wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, starred on NBC’s Days of Our Lives as the beloved first couple of daytime television, died Jan. 12 in Los Angeles, a rep from the show told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 98. 

Roberto Cavalli, former designer and founder of the eponymous fashion brand, died April 12 after being ill for a long time. He was 83.

French-Danish actor Niels Arestrup, best known for his roles in Steven Spielberg's War Horse and Jacques Audiard's A Prophet, died on Dec. 1, his wife confirmed to France's Agence France-Presse. He was 75.

Baywatch star Michael Newman died on Oct. 20, after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006. He was 67.