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As always, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house during the In Memoriam tribute at the Oscars. We lost a lot of greats this past year: Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Prince, Gene Wilder… Legends. One late talent, in particular, got a special shout-out from Jennifer Aniston prior to when the footage started playing, most likely because the video was already completed before his passing; that late talent is Bill Paxton.
On Saturday, February 25, 24 hours before the star-studded ceremony, the 61-year-old actor, who’s most recognized for his work in Twister, Titanic and Aliens, died after undergoing heart surgery; he reportedly had complications post-op and suffered a fatal stroke.
“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” said his family in a statement, including a note about his “illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker.” The family added, “Bill’s passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable.”
Some members of his on-screen families left heartfelt messages, too, like his television daughter, Bella Thorne:
“Oh my goodness… I don’t even know what to say,” she began on Instagram. “Thank you, Bill, for being such a good TV dad to me and spreading love on every set you work on. My thoughts and prayers go out to your family. We love you #billpaxton 
#RIP.” The 19-year-old Famous in Love actress portrayed his child on his HBO series, Big Love, in 2010.
One of his wives from the drama, Ginnifer Goodwin, took care to talk about him at the Academy Awards, telling Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet that it “felt wrong somehow” to attend the event without him. “Bill was, I can say, more alive than the others, so his not being a part of the world is hard to comprehend.”
Other co-stars, such as Emily Osment (Spy Kids 2) and Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), paid their respects on social media as well:
Rest in the sweetest peace, Bill Paxton.
2016 was full of shocking celebrity deaths, too. Here are nine of the most surprising:
Christina Grimmie
Thinking about Christina's death still breaks our hearts. The musician was conducting a meet & greet after a concert in Orlando on June 10 when an obsessed fan shot her four times. Mark Grimmie, Christina's older brother, charged the shooter, which caused him to turn the gun on himself. The 22-year-old was alive when she was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to her injuries and passed away a few hours later.
Photo: WENN
Anton Yelchin
The events leading up to this Star Trek star's death are SO heartbreaking. The 27-year-old actor died from blunt traumatic asphyxia after his car rolled down the driveway and pinned him against a gate. Anton was trapped between the vehicle and the security gate for presumably hours, as he wasn't found until about 1 a.m. after he didn't show up for an 11 p.m. appointment.
Photo: WENN
Owiso Odero
The Originals cast, crews and fans mourned the loss of Owiso Odero, the actor who played Papa Tunde on the show, after he collapsed on stage on November 3rd and was pronounced dead minutes later.
"We are devastated by his demise," Owiso's brother said. "It is like a bad dream. I haven't come to terms with the news of his death. This is unbearable."
Heartbreaking!
Photo: Getty
Prince
Every single member of the music community (and basically the entire rest of the world) was heartbroken to hear of Prince's passing on April 21, 2016. Just days before his death, the world-renowned artist became unresponsive while flying home from a performance and was rushed to the hospital. The 57-year-old left the hospital against doctors' advice and passed away from a drug overdose days later.
Photo: WENN
Keo Woolford
This Hawaii Five-O suffered a sudden stroke in his house at the end of November, and while doctors tried their hardest to treat him, he tragically passed away in the hospital three days after being admitted.
Photo: Getty
Alexis Arquette
Alexis Arquette was just 49 years old when she suffered a sudden heart attack stemming from a bacterial infection and died on September 11, 2016. It was later revealed that the actress had been battling HIV for 29 years, which was the underlying cause of her tragic passing.
Photo: WENN
Joe McKnight
The NFL community was left shocked when former Jets football player was shot and killed in a traffic incident at the beginning of December. The man who fired the gun, 54-year-old Ronald Gasser, was taken into custody but released shortly after as the investigation continues.
Photo: WENN
Joanie 'Chyna' Laurer
This professional wrestler passed away in her California home on April 20, 2016. She was 46 years old. Chyna battled drug addiction in the past, and while there were no illegal substances found in her system at the time of her death, her official cause of death was an accidental overdose caused by combining prescription tranquilizers and sleeping pills.
Photo: WENN
Jose Fernandez
Another professional athlete who unfortunately passed away this year is Jose Fernandez, a Miami Marlins baseball player, was killed in a boating accident at the end of September.
Photo: Getty
You can reach this post’s author, Kaitlin Cubria, on Twitter and Instagram!
The post Bella Thorne Speechless After Beloved Co-Star Passes Away Over the Weekend appeared first on Teen.com.