Actors are among the most protected parts of film sets. Their deliveries bring the characters to life, and the resulting dynamics resonate with audiences worldwide. That appeal can carry a movie or TV series for years. The people onscreen become practically synonymous with the franchise and the joy it provides. That phenomenon makes it awkward when tragedy strikes.

In some cases, actors die while their series are ongoing. Rather than recast, the filmmakers kill the characters. This tactic can often stem from respect, or at least the perception of respect. The actors may define their roles to such an extent that their spark becomes impossible to match. Thus, rather than taint a beloved dynamic, the creators let the characters rest in peace with the performers. This strategy can affect the storytelling, but its success hinges on the skill of the writers. Because of that, an actor’s death can propel a franchise into uncharted waters.

Related: 10 Actors Who Turned Down Movie Roles and Regretted It

10 Marcus Brody

A university dean and all-around scholar, Marcus Brody is a close friend and mentor of Indiana Jones. Not only did he sanction many of the hero’s treasure-hunting journeys, but he even accompanied his buddy on several escapades. Of course, he then became a clumsy fish out of water but, regardless, remained an endearing sidekick, thanks in part to Denholm Elliot’s warmly aristocratic performance. The series would eventually outlive him, though.

By the time Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released twenty-seven years after the original film, Elliot had long since passed away. The story explains that Marcus died between films, and his absence cemented Indy’s feelings of age and obsolescence. On the upside, the university sported a statue in Brody’s honor… which got beheaded in a chase scene. Talk about a mixed blessing.^[1]

9 Paul Hennessy

At first glance, 8 Simple Rules looked like your average family sitcom. Paul Hennessy was a typical father who struggled to raise his teenage children, but that goal became difficult in an increasingly chaotic household. John Ritter was an inspired choice for such a role. Not only was he convincing as a put-upon family man, but his relatable responses provided a funny contrast to the outrageous scenarios without devolving into shallow one-liners. The laughs came to an abrupt end, though, when Ritter unexpectedly died. The show reflected that sudden passing in its storytelling.

Early in the second season, the family received news that Paul collapsed in a grocery store. This loss left his wife to care for their children. Such unfortunate circumstances forced the characters to mature. In addition, new faces came in to fill the void. This new dynamic carried the series for another season. However, Ritter’s absence ultimately dampened the humor for the rest of its run. A comedy from a father’s perspective didn’t really work without the father.^[2]

8 Black Panther

One of the many superheroes introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, T’Challa was the king of Wakanda and holder of the legendary Black Panther mantle. Members of his royal line have enhanced strength and agility due to their nation’s deity. T’Challa learned to use those gifts for the good of his people, putting others before himself and aiding the Avengers in their world-saving exploits. Though the formula was painfully familiar, Chadwick Boseman elevated the material with straight-faced passion. Tragically, the actor’s bright future halted due to his untimely death. Fans wondered how the franchise would continue without him.

They got their answer with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Here, T’Challa died of a disease, casting uncertainty on his kingdom. That shaky ground only grew worse with a Vibranium arms race bringing increased threats to Wakanda. It’s ultimately up to the hero’s sister, Shuri, to take up his mantle and protect their home. Sadly, she lacked confidence due to her failure to find a cure for her brother. That setup made the film both a rite of passage for her and a feature-length funeral for Boseman.^[3]

7 Spock

Who knew an impersonal alien could arouse such emotion? The most iconic character in Star Trek was Spock. The Vulcan operated on logic rather than emotion, and he used that gift to serve the USS Enterprise as the chief science officer. That expertise was invaluable in both the original TV series and the movies. During that time, he became a household name thanks to Leonard Nimoy’s quiet charisma. That understated humanity carried him all the way to the 2009 reboot films, which reset the universe and traveled back to the days of the original series. His presence wouldn’t last, though.

Nimoy’s passing informed the reboot’s third entry, Star Trek Beyond. Here, the elderly Spock served as an ambassador in the new timeline before finally dying of old age. His younger self already doubted his place in Starfleet, and his mentor’s death only compounded that feeling. Fortunately, Spock Prime’s final gift—a photograph of the original crew—strengthened the kid’s resolve to remain on the team. The Vulcan died as he lived, aiding his friends and ensuring they were the best of themselves.^[4]

6 Leia Organa

One of the storied heroes of Star Wars, Princess Leia Organa was a pivotal figure in the original trilogy. She aided the Rebel Alliance against the oppressive Galactic Empire, coordinating the most dangerous missions and giving the troops a path to victory. Carrie Fisher was infectiously feisty in portraying Leia, but she couldn’t sustain that energy forever.

After buying the IP, Disney commissioned a new trilogy with the old actors returning in supporting roles. The problem was that Fisher died shortly after shooting the trilogy’s middle entry, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rather than explain her death offscreen, the filmmakers used existing footage to splice Leia into the following flick, The Rise of Skywalker. However, this approach only got them so far, so Leia still died halfway through the tale. Specifically, she used the last of her energy to reach her son via the Force. Considering how marginalized she had become, this death was just the nail in the coffin of squandered potential.^[5]

5 Mr. Miyagi

The Karate Kid was a prototypical sports flick and underdog tale. Much of its success stemmed from its iconic mentor figure, Mr. Miyagi. The karate master trained young Daniel LaRusso in the art of combat. Moreover, he imbued the boy with the peaceful outlook garnered from a lifetime of hardship. You believed every word out of his mouth due to Pat Morita’s gravitas, but his popularity didn’t keep the franchise from fizzling out. Morita’s eventual death seemed to cement that end.

Against all odds, though, the Karate Kid returned with Cobra Kai, a TV series centered on Daniel’s rival, Johnny Lawrence. Both characters struggled with carrying on their predecessors’ legacy. That’s difficult for LaRusso due to Miyagi’s passing, but his teachings lived on. Not only did Daniel pass his karate knowledge to the next generation, but his master’s advice helped him grow closer to his family and make peace with his enemies. That’s the best way to honor the old veteran.^[6]

4 John Hammond

There would be no Jurassic Park without John Hammond. The CEO of a massive bioengineering company, he and his scientists found the breakthrough that brought dinosaurs back to life. It wasn’t long before these animals ran rampant, though, leaving Hammond in disgrace at his shattered dream. Richard Attenborough lent heartbreaking pathos to that downfall, letting you forgive the character’s hubris through his childlike innocence. Of course, he was still a young soul in an old body.

As such, both the actor and the character had passed by the time Jurassic World rolled around. New CEO Simon Masrani has resurrected and rebranded the dinosaur theme park, asserting that it was Hammond’s dying wish to continue his legacy. In addition, a holographic sculpture of the revolutionary founder decorated the park’s entrance. Whatever Hammond’s true intentions were, the films still remembered their roots—both the man who started it all and the actor who brought him to life.^[7]

3 Cy Tolliver

Deadwood was full of dregs and cutthroats, but one of the meanest mugs was the owner of a high-end saloon. Cyrus “Cy” Tolliver runs the Bella Union with equal parts cruelty and efficiency. He treated everyone under him with utter disdain, as the only way to get by was to look out for yourself. The only exception was Joannie Stubbs, a prostitute whom he genuinely cared for in the pinnacles of his black heart. Ably capturing that dichotomy was Powers Boothe, but his turn was cut short upon the show’s cancellation.

The town’s tale continued in Deadwood: The Movie, but Boothe died during the intervening years. The movie mirrored that passing by having Cy die during a ten-year time jump. Joannie took over his establishment, which feels natural due to their relationship and her search for purpose. It’s one of the many ways the movie wrapped up the show.^[8]

2 Polly Gray

Polly Gray was an essential member of the eponymous Peaky Blinders. She kept the family together and helped the business run smoothly. Even though her nieces and nephews made the decisions, they always deferred to her unfiltered judgment. Helen McCrory expertly mixed maternal love and underlying danger in playing Polly, but she sadly died just as season six began shooting.

As a result, her death becomes a driving force in the story. The season opened with her and several other characters being assassinated by members of the Irish Republican Army. Their deaths sent Tommy Shelby (and the show) down an ever-darker path as he led the Peaky Blinders. Thankfully, he and the rest of the family caught up with the people responsible, giving viewers some small satisfaction.^[9]

1 Egon Spengler

It’s hard to imagine Ghostbusters without Egon Spengler. The deranged genius helped form the paranormal exterminators in the original film, and he designed most of their specialized equipment. He took an amusing interest in the building blocks of both the living and the dead, particularly the less glamorous aspects like slimes and molds. This figure could have easily devolved into a cartoonish stereotype, but Harold Ramis made him oddly palatable through his hilariously dry delivery. His death would have naturally signaled the end of the old team. However, the spectral subject matter offered a convenient workaround.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife shifted the focus to Egon’s estranged daughter and grandchildren. Inheriting a rundown farm he spontaneously bought, they learned that everyone dismissed him as a loon. However, messages from beyond the grave revealed the depths of his determination. He was right about everything; buying the farm was his way of heading off the next ghostly invasion at its source. As they finish his work, both the old and new casts resolve their relationships with the late hero. Art imitated life in a satisfying sendoff.^[10]

There are some actors who have done some amazing things over the years, playing incredible roles, doing their own stunts, or just cranking out a lot of movies over their lifetime. As with anything else in the world, if you can be the only person to have ever done something, that unique status can be considered pretty cool. It’s doubtful any actors set out to accomplish these specific goals, but inevitably there’s always going to be one person who is the only person to have done a thing, at least until someone else does it, assuming that’s at all possible. For now, these are the only actors who have achieved these remarkable accomplishments.

10. Anthony Daniels is the Only Actor in all 9 Star Wars Movies

The very first Star Wars movie came out in the year 1977. It was followed by two sequels in the early ’80s. The prequel trilogy premiered in 1999. The sequel trilogy began in 2015 and the final film, Rise of Skywalker, came out in 2019. That means the Star Wars film saga has been going for 42 years. And in that time, across 9 feature films in the central storyline, only one actor appeared in every single one – Anthony Daniels.

Anthony Daniels plays C-3PO, and he’s literally the man inside the suit.  When he first got the role, he assumed it was going to be a one and done kind of deal until the producers came back to him with an idea for a sequel and then another sequel. He went on to play C-3PO in the Rogue one movie, and he’s voiced him in several animated projects, and even appeared on The Muppets at C-3PO. He lent his voice to Star Wars rides at Disney World, and has done commercials and other promotional projects in character as well.

9. Sylvester Stallone Is The Only Actor To Have a Number One Movie Six Decades in a Row

Sylvester Stallone has been a versatile force in Hollywood for decades now. On screen, some of his early roles made audiences think he was sort of a big, dumb muscle man. But it’s worth remembering he was the writer behind Rocky and won an Academy Award for that. He’s actually done quite a bit of writing work over the years in addition to his acting. 

While not all of his movies have been award winners, they are often very popular. Because of that, and because of the length of his career, Sylvester Stallone is actually the only actor who’s had a number one movie in each of six different decades. 

The movie Rocky premiered in 1976 and made $225 million at the box office. Not a big deal today but adjusted for inflation that’s over $1 billion, so definitely a hit.

In the ’80s Stallone made a killing and more than one film hit number one including both Rocky and Rambo films. In the ’90s he scored big with the movie Cliffhanger and then later with Demolition Man and Cop Land.

The 2001 movie Driven topped the box office, giving him his first hit of the new millennium. In 2010 he released The Expendables, which spawned another franchise and also hit number one, and finally in 2021 he clinched the sixth decade when Suicide Squad, in which he plays King Shark, hit number one, and he’s added to that with 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

8. Oscar Isaac is the Only Actor to Have the Marvel Triple Crown

Being in a comic book movie is a rite of passage these days. Very few actors of renown have not appeared in a movie for either Marvel or DC at this point. There are a couple of actors who have had some crossover and appeared in both Marvel and DC properties. Ryan Reynolds has been Deadpool in Marvel as well as the Green Lantern for DC. Chris Evans played the Human Torch as well as Captain America. But Oscar Isaac is the only actor who has tripled down on Marvel.

While the MCU is the juggernaut of the Marvel universe, it’s not the only place to get movies based on Marvel characters. Because of various contracts and rights issues over the years, Marvel has been split up in some unusual ways. Sony has the rights to Spider-Man and his associated characters. For a long time Fox had the rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, although those now belong to Disney. And the rest falls under the Disney and Marvel merger that created the MCU.

Oscar Isaac joined the MCU when he played Moon Knight on the Disney Plus series. Prior to that he was in the Fox Marvel movies when he played Apocalypse in the X-Men franchise. In 2023, Isaac finished his Marvel domination by playing Spider-Man 2099 in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (after a post-credits cameo as the character in Into the Spider-Verse). 

7. Will Smith Had 8 Consecutive Films Gross Over $100 Million

There are plenty of ways to define success as an actor, but for many people, especially the people who are getting paid by movies, box office is the be all and the end all. Some stars are generally understood to be bankable. That means that you can count on them to make a lot of money because of how popular they are. For a good deal of time, one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood was Will Smith. 

As a leading man Will Smith has pulled in over $6.5 billion at the box office in his career. That makes him the 9th most profitable leading man in Hollywood. But he does hold a distinction no one else has, and that’s starring in 8 films in a row that all grossed over $100 million domestically. If you go international, he actually had 10 in a row top $150 million.

When top movies make over $1 billion these days, that doesn’t sound like a lot. But for an actor to do 8 in a row is unheard of. Actors often shake up their routine with smaller movies that don’t make as much money, or they’ll just find themselves in a dud that bombs at the box office. 

6. Jonathan Freeman Voiced Jafar in Aladdin the Movie and on Broadway

There have been occasions in the past when an actor has played the same character on screen as they have played on stage, or vice versa. Jonathan Freeman seems to be the only actor who has transitioned a character from an animated film onto the stage.

Freeman was the voice of Jafar in the original Aladdin movie back in 1992. When the cartoon was adapted to Broadway, he played the character on stage giving it a little more authenticity since the voice was exactly the same.

Freeman has voiced Jafar in more than one animated film, as well as video games and theme park rides. All told, Freeman had been voicing the character for about 30 years in various media. 

5. Bernard Hill Is the Only Actor To Star in More Than One Film That Won 11 Oscars 

Every once in a while a movie comes out that is so beloved across the board that, when award season shows up, it seems to sweep nearly every category. Both Ben Hur and Titanic received multiple Academy Award nominations when they were released, with Ben Hur getting 12 of a potential 15 nominations and Titanic getting 14 of a potential 17. And even with all those nominations, scoring wins for most of this is no easy task.

All told, only three films have won 11 Oscars and none have won more. The two previously mentioned and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. And Bernard Hill is the only actor to have starred in more than one.

Hill played the character of King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also played Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic. You certainly can’t attribute the overwhelming success of both films to Hill alone, but the fact remains no other actor has been in as many highly awarded films to date.

4. Tom Hanks is the Only Actor In the Army Rangers Hall of Fame 

Back in the year 2013 actor Tom Hanks was voted the most trusted person in America. This was based solely on the persona that he has in movies. People like Tom Hanks because he seems like a good guy. The effects the characters he plays in movies has on people goes far beyond just convincing everyone he’s trustworthy. Nothing serves as a better example of this than the fact that the Army Rangers inducted Tom Hanks into their Hall of Fame strictly because of his work in movies. He’s the only actor who has ever been inducted to the Army Ranger Hall of fame.

Hanks received the honor as a result of his work in the film Saving Private Ryan, as well as for his commitment to honoring those who served in war. 

3. Kelsey Grammer Was Emmy Nominated for Playing the Same Character on Three Shows

If comic book movies have taught us anything it’s that actors love seeing crossovers with characters from other films. But comic books didn’t hold exclusive rights to this idea. Over the years, TV shows have flirted with crossovers to keep audiences interested and sometimes your favorite characters would appear on someone else’s show for an episode or two.

In the history of television, Kelsey Grammer is the only actor who has been nominated for his portrayal of one character but on three different shows. Grammer made a career out of playing Dr. Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist who first appeared frequenting the bar Cheers back in the 1980s. That was where Grammer received his first Emmy nomination.

Crane was such a hit that NBC gave him his own show. On Frasier, Grammer went on to receive more Emmy nominations and while it seems like it should end there, it doesn’t. He also did a guest spot on the NBC show Wings where he played the doctor and that was also nominated for an Emmy.

2. John Cazale is the Only Actor Whose Entire Filmography Was Nominated for Best Picture

If you use award nominations as a metric for the talent of an actor, then an actor who has been in nothing but movies nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards might be considered one of the best actors ever. Most of the actors that are considered the best in the world, those who have received multiple awards for their skill over the years, can’t claim to have been in nothing but Best Picture nominees. In fact, only one actor can make that claim. His name is John Cazale.

John Cazale starred in 5 movies over 7 years. That was the full length of his career. But if an actor was only going to work for that long on so few films, then they could make no better choices than Cazale did. He starred in The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter. Both Godfathers and The Deer Hunter won Best Picture while The Conversation and Dog Day Afternoon were nominated.

In addition to only starring in Best Picture nominees, Cazale is the only actor whose entire filmography was chosen by the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.

Cazale had been diagnosed with cancer while filming The Deer Hunter and passed away before it was released.

1. James Dean Is The Only Actor To Get More Than One Posthumous Oscar Nomination

Getting a posthumous Oscar nomination is not as rare as you might think. A fair number of actors and filmmakers have received nominations after they unfortunately passed away, and 16 of them actually ended up winning. Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight is one of the most famous cases of this happening. 

The first actor to ever receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination was James Dean. As famous as James Dean is, and his legacy lives on today, nearly 70 years after his death, it’s surprising to remember that Dean only starred in three movies.

Not only was Dean the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for his work in the movie East of Eden, he became the only actor in history to be nominated for two Academy Awards posthumously when he was nominated the following year for the film Giant.