TMC
09-26-2022, 05:29 AM
I know that this is an extremely morbid question, but I thought about this after seeing a similar discussion (https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/xnir2t/most_recent_movie_where_the_majority_of_the_cast/) pertaining to movies on Reddit. By cast, it can't be recurring players/frequent guest stars. In other words, it has to be someone whose name actually appears in the opening credits.
Night Court, which went off the air in 1992. Harry Anderson, Markie Post, Charles Robinson have all died within the last 10 years. And then there was Paula Kelly (https://nightcourt.fandom.com/wiki/Paula_Kelly), who was a cast member for the first season, dying in 2020. There's of course, also Selma Diamond and her successor, Florence Halop (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-16-mn-19441-story.html), who both died in the middle of the show's run.
The Golden Girls is pretty much a no brainer at this point. It also went off the air in 1992. Estelle Getty was the first cast member to pass (in 2008), followed by Bea Arthur (in 2009), Rue McClanahan (in 2010), and finally, Betty White on New Year's Eve 2021, just before her 100th birthday.
Diff'rent Strokes went off the air in 1986 and yet, Todd Bridges is sadly, the only original cast member who is still with us. Dana Plato tragically died in 1999 at only 34 years of age. Gary Coleman would pass 11 years later when he was just 42 years old. Conrad Bain was able to hang on until 2013, when he died at 89 years old. Charlotte Rae meanwhile, was 92 when she ultimately died in 2018.
And then there's also Dixie Carter and her replacement on Diff'rent Strokes, Mary Ann Mobley. Dixie died in 2010 while Mary Ann died four years later. I guess, Nedra Volz (https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20030130-2003-01-30-0301300118-story.html) (who died in 2003) counts also even though she was always credited as a guest star.
The Jeffersons went off the air a year prior to Diff'rent Strokes ending and yet, I believe that Marla Gibbs, Belinda Tolbert, Damon Evans, and Jay Hammer are the only principal cast members who are still with us at the time of this posting.
Night Court, which went off the air in 1992. Harry Anderson, Markie Post, Charles Robinson have all died within the last 10 years. And then there was Paula Kelly (https://nightcourt.fandom.com/wiki/Paula_Kelly), who was a cast member for the first season, dying in 2020. There's of course, also Selma Diamond and her successor, Florence Halop (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-16-mn-19441-story.html), who both died in the middle of the show's run.
The Golden Girls is pretty much a no brainer at this point. It also went off the air in 1992. Estelle Getty was the first cast member to pass (in 2008), followed by Bea Arthur (in 2009), Rue McClanahan (in 2010), and finally, Betty White on New Year's Eve 2021, just before her 100th birthday.
Diff'rent Strokes went off the air in 1986 and yet, Todd Bridges is sadly, the only original cast member who is still with us. Dana Plato tragically died in 1999 at only 34 years of age. Gary Coleman would pass 11 years later when he was just 42 years old. Conrad Bain was able to hang on until 2013, when he died at 89 years old. Charlotte Rae meanwhile, was 92 when she ultimately died in 2018.
And then there's also Dixie Carter and her replacement on Diff'rent Strokes, Mary Ann Mobley. Dixie died in 2010 while Mary Ann died four years later. I guess, Nedra Volz (https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20030130-2003-01-30-0301300118-story.html) (who died in 2003) counts also even though she was always credited as a guest star.
The Jeffersons went off the air a year prior to Diff'rent Strokes ending and yet, I believe that Marla Gibbs, Belinda Tolbert, Damon Evans, and Jay Hammer are the only principal cast members who are still with us at the time of this posting.