A look back at 2025: Celebrities we lost this year; Val Kilmer, Jane Goodall, Rob Reiner and more

On the one hand, the year gave us rollable laptops, AI-powered glasses, gene therapies for epilepsy, hyper-efficient rocket engines capable of Mach 4-6. On the other hand, it took away folks we looked up to; some stars who offered us caramel-coated popcorn memories were also taken away, leaving us feeling oddly bereft.

By the time you read this, we will probably have just stepped into the new year, after doomscrolling through other people's cringe-worthy New Year's party photos. If you are like me, you'll be somewhere with erratic internet but precious company.

This is just a little reminder to appreciate the humongous talent that we lost this year, and to salute them.

Georgio Armani

He removed shoulder pads and cumbersome lining from blazers, creating fabulous power suits that were both stylish and comfortable. In 1980, Richard Gere wore Armani in American Gigolo and changed the way we looked at men’s (and women’s) clothing.

The next time you visit Milan, head to the Savona/Tortona area and pay homage to Armani at their HQ, once a Nestlé chocolate factory.

Jane Goodall

On the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania, Jane Goodall began studying chimpanzees. Thanks to her, we understood so much about these magnificent, if slightly scary animals. Thanks to her research, the word ‘animal’ seems incorrect because the way they behave, care for their young, and their social structure, all strikingly like ours.

If gorilla silverbacks scare you by their sheer size, you'll fall in love with baby chimps at the Tchimpounga Conservation Centre in the Republic of Congo, where orphaned chimps are cared for.

Her dedication to conservation and her research earned her tributes, including one from cartoonist Gary Larson. Though his cartoon initially offended some, Goodall herself laughed and later became friends with him.

Robert Redford

I was too young to understand why my mum and her friends sighed over a movie called Barefoot In The Park, years after its release. An aunt once said most marriages often had men too involved in work, with wives having a tough time trying to get them to lighten up.

Today, as a film nerd, I have huge respect for the Sundance Kid, who started a movement for independent cinema in 1978 that was different from mainstream Hollywood. Named after Robert Redford’s iconic role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the festival launched the careers of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Darren Aronofsky.

Among his wonderful classics: All The President’s Men and The Sting.

Val Kilmer

You might know him as Batman or the daredevil pilot Iceman in Top Gun. But this handsome actor's portrayal was more Jim Morrison than Jim Morrison could ever be. Val Kilmer in The Doors still has the power to make my jaw drop and wonder if there ever were rock stars who were this crazy!

Trained at Juilliard, Kilmer could pull off serious roles, but had the most fun in movies like Top Secret. And yes, if TikTok or Instagram reels had existed then, his warp-speed dialogue would have gone viral and been a trending hashtag.

To remember him, try saying: “Look, I’m not the first guy who fell in love with a girl he met in a restaurant who then turned out to be the daughter of a kidnapped scientist, only to lose her to a childhood lover who she’d last seen on a deserted island and who turned out, 15 years later, to be the leader of the French underground.”

David Lynch

Who killed Laura Palmer? Have you seen the terrace scene in Blue Velvet? I want a tub like that! Isabella Rossellini and Kyle MacLachlan are so sexy together, no? Can I ever forget Dennis Hopper? And Laura Dern is so brilliant!

His films were as disturbing as the ear in Blue Velvet, visceral and unforgettable. Whether it was the TV show Twin Peaks, movies like Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive and more, David Lynch left an indelible mark on cinema. He was an artist, a poet and a theatre director too.

Ozzy Osbourne

He is the man credited with inventing Heavy Metal, which revolutionised the way we listen to music. This Prince of Darkness was a lead singer for the band called Black Sabbath. The songs Paranoid and War Pigs are a good way to begin your appreciation for his talent, in case your playlist consists mostly of complaint rock or nakaam ishq.

His hellraising antics both on and off the stage have been the subject of many articles, but his talent as the band's frontman and solo artist is undeniable. And yes, he remains the only person to bite off a bat's head onstage!

Gene Hackman

The best Lex Luthor, the coolest detective Popeye Doyle, or a surveillance expert in The Conversation, Gene Hackman appeared in over 80 films.

His strange death and that of his wife, a reclusive lifestyle, sent fans down rabbit holes of conspiracies. Yet he remained an actor who never liked the limelight, despite winning many awards.

Dharmendra

Such a handsome young man! He could move you to tears in Satyakam and make you sigh in Anupama. His comic timing was impeccable, and even today, the 1975 film Chupke Chupke remains one of the funniest buddy films.

A botany professor who pretends to be a driver who speaks ‘shuddh’ Hindi, and creates chaos in his wife’s favourite jijaji’s home, Dharmendra actually outshines Amitabh Bachchan in this film. Although Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Corolla? Corolla?!’ makes you grin even today. The duo have given us unforgettable buddy films like Sholay too.

Dharmendra’s love story with the Dream Girl, Hema Malini, is legendary and very Bollywood. Although he is known for “garam” hothead roles, I will never forget how gentle he was reciting his own poetry on Instagram. And yes, to watch him as a grandpa who is lost in the world of poetry and in love in Rocky Aur Rani was a treat.

Rob Reiner

‘I’ll have what she’s having!’

‘We’ve got armadillos in our trousers. It’s quite frightening.’

Whether it was the story of two opposites who fell in love, as in When Harry Met Sally, or the truly mad chronicles of a band in This Is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner gave us an unforgettable movie experience.

The shocking murders of him and his wife shook us all. As authorities solve this twin murder, we take refuge in his movies: The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, Misery and Stand By Me.

This year also took many others: Tom Stoppard, Sophie Kinsella, Diane Keaton, George Foreman, Roberta Flack and Marianne Faithfull… the list is long. But as we gallop into the year of the Horse, according to the Chinese calendar, we take inspiration from the past and move forward.

(Manisha Lakhe is a freelance writer with Mint. She writes on movies, shows, travel, and more.)