20 times TV shows wrote actors' deaths into their scripts

Cory Monteith’s heartbreaking death was reflected in Glee. After dying from a drug overdose, the writers opted not to reveal a cause of death for the character but rather honor him in a touching tribute episode of Glee called “The Quarterback.”

Back in 1957, while Lassie was still in its first few seasons, George Cleveland, who played Gramps, died of a heart attack. His character died in the show, and Lassie honored Cleveland and Gramps with a funeral episode. 

Glenn Strange joined the cast of Gunsmoke a little later in the series than the rest of the well-known cast members. During his time on the show, Strange, who was also known for playing Frankenstein, was diagnosed with lung cancer and eventually died. The writers didn’t address his death immediately, but it was later revealed in the series that Strange’s character had died. 

Unlike any other political drama in television history, The West Wing had fans captivated. When John Spencer died of a heart attack while starring in the show, fans were shocked and upset. There was also curiosity about how his death would play out on screen. In the show, his character, Leo McGarry, dies amid his bid for Vice President. 

John Ritter was playing characters in two television shows at the time of his death. His death caused Clifford to end, while 8 Simple Rules continued, and his death was written into the latter show. 8 Simple Rules aired a two-part episode to both kill off Ritter’s character and pay tribute to him. 

Death was a common occurrence on The Sopranos, but the death of Tony’s mother, Livia Soprano, played by Nancy Marchand, was particularly poignant as it came as a result of Marchand’s death. The actress died of lung cancer, and a CGI version of her was used for the last scene between the two characters. 

When a character is as beloved as Will Geer’s was in The Waltons, the showrunners have no choice but to kill the character off when the actor dies. Geer died from respiratory failure in the late ‘70s, and the other characters said their goodbyes to Grandpa Zebulon in the season 7 premiere of the show. 

While filming Little House On the Prairie, Karl Swenson, better known as Lars Hanson, died from a heart attack. His character died from sickness in the show, which was quite believable as the show was set in a time when people died from minor illnesses often, but Swenson was planning on retiring soon anyway, so perhaps Lars would’ve died on the show regardless. 

Jim Davis, who portrayed Jock Ewing on Dallas, died in 1981 from cancer. His character was notably absent from the show for a while, but eventually, Jock died in a helicopter crash. 

Will Lee was a Sesame Street staple until he died from a heart attack in 1982. Several episodes aired with him absent, but then writers took the opportunity to say goodbye to Lee’s character, Mr. Hooper, and talk to children about death, which ended up being a very memorable episode. 

George Segal, known for playing Pops in The Goldbergs, died in 2021 due to complications from surgery. Pops died in the show, too, and the season 9 premiere addressed his death and paid tribute to Segal. 

At the time of her death, Carrie Fisher was playing a recurring character in Family Guy. While her character, Angela, was not a series regular, the show still honored her in its own way by killing off Angela in a drowning accident. Peter Griffin gave a touching eulogy that honored both Angela and Fisher. 

After dying of cancer, Linda Porter, who played Myrtle in Superstore, died in 2019. The show killed Myrtle off-screen without addressing the cause of death, but the Cloud 9 employees paid tribute to Myrtle and Porter with a touching and hilarious scene reminiscing on some of their favorite Myrtle moments. 

After Luke Perry died from a stroke, his character in Riverdale, Fred Andrews, died, too. Fred dies in a car accident in the season 4 premiere, and the rest of the episode is spent having characters explore the effect of Fred’s death and how they will live after such a tragedy. 

After dying from heart disease in 2019, Kristoff St. John’s character in The Young and the Restless, Neil Winters, died of a stroke on the show. St. John appeared in just under 1,700 episodes of the iconic soap over the course of his career, making him a staple of the show. 

Adam West, who played Mayor West in Family Guy, died of cancer in 2017. His character was also killed off in the show, but not for another two years after West died in real life. Some found the show’s tribute to West odd and distasteful, but others thought it quintessential Family Guy. 

Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016 from a heart attack, was also on Catastrophe. She had just finished filming the show’s third season when she died and was therefore absent from filming the show’s fourth and final season. Her character, Mia, also died of a heart attack.

Carol Ann Susi, who played Debbie, Howard’s mother, in The Big Bang Theory, died in 2014 from cancer, and her character died in her sleep on the show. The show paid tribute to Susi, and it explored Howard’s reaction to his mother’s death, as well as life after losing a parent. 

Christopher Evan Welch, who played Peter Gregory in Silicon Valley, died from lung cancer in 2013. In season 2, the show kills off Peter and honors Welch with a funeral for the character. 

In 2008, Christopher Allport, known for playing Andrew Campbell in Mad Men, tragically died in an avalanche. Mad Men killed off Andrew in a plane crash, and the episode in which it happened was dedicated to Allport.