The deaths of famous people can hit people really hard, especially when they were taken from us way too soon.
Curious to hear whose deaths had the biggest impact, Redditor Jrose798 asked:
"Which famous person’s death were you not ready for?"
They made us laugh when they were alive and broke our hearts when they passed.
The Comic Genius
" Robin Williams, he was a legend RIP."
– Thankless_ruler
"Robin Williams died on my 21st birthday. The thought that someone so f'king funny could be so sad hit me like a brick at that age. Haunted me throughout cake with my family. I still think about him all the time."
– BlazedInMyWinnie
Stand Up Legend
"George Carlin"
– eyes-of-strange-sins
We could use his insight these past 2 years. Rip George.
– GingerUsurperFans reflect on those who've made a huge impact on their lives.
He Brought Severus Snape To Life
"Alan Rickman."
"Man could have read the Tax Code, and I would have been in awe."
– lazyasdrmr
"By Grabthar's hammer... The taxes imposed by section 3201 shall be collected by the employer of the taxpayer by deducting the amount of the taxes from the compensation of the employee as and when paid."
– hymie0
Space Fan
"Neil Armstrong and Carrie Fisher. As a huge Star Wars and Space fan since forever, I hadn't even conceived the possibility that they would die someday, even if I was already 17 when Carrie Fisher died."
– Skeledenn
"There are only 12 Apollo astronauts left out of the 24 that flew. Of those 12 left, only 4 walked on the moon. If NASA’s Artemis program doesn’t start producing results soon, the experience of walking on another world will pass out of living memory."
– RogueRocketeer
He Had Passion For Animals
"Steve Irwin’s death broke me as a kid."
– dboz99
"I was in basic combat training, and the drill sergeants gathered us and said counselors were on standby and that we had experienced a national tragedy."
"We were expecting a 2nd 9/11 event. They told us Steve had died and everyone laughed. I was f'king devastated."
"Like so many, he taught me to appreciate the beauty of nature, and its inhabitants. Though a creature could be deadly if mistreated or not respected for its power, it was still worth understanding and appreciating."
"Steve, was an incredibly formative part of my upbringing."
– AldereztheGreat
The Venerated Food Critic
"Anthony Bourdain. He was weirdly like a member of our family, so many of our holiday traditions included watching and rewatching no reservations. All of our favorite meals were from his cookbooks. It was a gut punch for sure."
– Affectionate-Oven306
These young actors had their whole life ahead of them.
Posthumous Oscar Winner
"Heath Ledger. He was on his way to greatness."
– bdbr
He Was Entering The Prime Of His Career
"Anton Yelchin. He was so young and full of life. His career was really starting to pick up. I still feel upset about it."
– zephyr1004
The Beloved Roboticist
"Grant Imahara."
– JrsyDude
"This one crushed me because I had a brief interaction with him shortly before his death. I ran into him at San Diego Comic Con. He took a picture of me and my wife dressed as Rocket and Groot."
– dandroid126
Two Honorable Mentions
"Chadwick Boseman and Avicii, no one even knew that Chadwick was sick and Avicii was like 27 when he died."
– yeetgodmcnechass
I was not ready for the death of Luke Perry, the actor who played bad boy Dylan McKay in the original teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210.
Not only was he a loving father, but he also had the respect of most people in the industry. According to those who closely worked with him, Perry was a presence of encouragement.
I may even have had a crush on the guy. Sigh.
R.I.P., Luke.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.