Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, died on Sunday in an apparent homicide.
This son, Nick, has been charged in connection with their deaths.
In 2016, Business Insider interviewed Rob and Nick about their movie, "Being Charlie," which is based on Nick's past drug addiction.
Editor's note: Business Insider published an interview with Rob Reiner and his son Nick Reiner in May 2016 about their movie, "Being Charlie," which Nick wrote and is based on his experiences with drug addiction. On December 15, 2025, Nick Reiner was arrested one day after his parents, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home.
For the last 30 years, Rob Reiner has been best known for directing movies like “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “A Few Good Men.” The titles have brought joy to millions.
But the Reiner household hasn't been all happy. The legendary actor/filmmaker’s son, Nick, 22, has been battling drug abuse since his late teens.
Most families would want to keep that part of their lives as hidden from public view as possible. But Reiner admits that, even at the darkest moments of his son’s addiction, he thought of making a movie. Yet it was too painful to put pen to page and begin a script.
Rob Reiner.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Interestingly enough, his son came to the same realization as a means to rehabilitate.
While at a rehab center in Los Angeles four years ago, Nick befriended fellow addict Matt Elisofon. The two began writing about their challenges with addiction and the people they met at rehab. Eventually they came up with a script for the movie “Being Charlie” (in theaters Friday), which they asked Rob to direct.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September to a sold-out crowd.
It’s a mix of drama and comedy that focuses on an 18-year-old named Charlie (played Nick Robinson of “Jurassic World” fame) as he struggles with addiction to heroin and cocaine. As Charlie jumps in and out of rehab, the aggravation of his actor-turned-politician father (Cary Elwes) grows, and he doesn’t know how to help his son.
“It was a real corrective emotional experience,” Nick Reiner told Business Insider following the TIFF screening about making the movie.
It took “Being Charlie” four years to get to the screen (in that time Nick has been sober), evolving from a half-hour comedy, then an hour dramedy that was rejected by the TV networks, to finally a feature film.
According to Rob Reiner, what the project lacked in its early development was telling both the father's and son's sides.
“It needed what he has been through but also what we had been through,” Rob told Business Insider, referring to himself and his wife, Michele, who was sitting beside him.
Michele, Rob, Jake, Romy, and Nick Reiner.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Nick and Elisofon were by Rob’s side throughout filming. According to Rob, the script was tweaked daily to make the scenes more true to life.
“I relied on him,” Rob said of his son. “He’s the heart and soul of the film.”
One of the biggest adjustments came while shooting the film’s ending, in which Charlie and his father finally have a heart-to-heart.
Rob and Nick couldn’t find the right tone. After constant rewrites, they finally felt they had something a few days before shooting the scene. It’s a gripping moment when both the father and son open up to each other like they never have before.
The Reiners compare getting the ending right to the whole experience making the film.
"We were healing as we were going along," Nick said. "And it all doesn’t happen overnight. Certain things we hadn’t dealt with for a while but we were able to through this movie. It didn’t fix everything, but it really tapped into — "
Nick paused to find the words, then his father, sitting across from Nick, finished for him.
"It forced me to really have to understand what he had been going through for a long time," Rob said.
This story was originally published on May 16, 2016. It has since been updated.
One of the most dramatic changes we have seen on financial markets over the past month has not come from the ASX, nor from ASX shares, but from the Aussie dollar.
Less than a month ago, one Australian dollar was buying about 64.5 US cents, a level common to have seen over the past 12 months. But as it stands today, that same Aussie dollar will fetch 66.45 US cents. That’s a rise of about 3% in just a few weeks.
That’s not even the highest the Aussie has gotten in the last week, either. On Friday, the local currency reached as much as 66.7 US cents â close to a 52-week high.
These might not seem like newsworthy moves. But a rising dollar has profound impacts on many things in our economy. Let’s talk about those today.
How does a rising Aussie dollar affect ASX shares?
Currency movements don’t directly impact all ASX shares. But they do have secondary effects that filter down into most corners of the economy. The largest impact of a rising dollar on the economy is on imports and exports. Put simply, if the dollar strengthens in value against other currencies, it makes our imports cheaper and our exports more expensive.
That means that a rising dollar helps any company that imports goods into Australia to sell to us. Conversely, it hurts the bottom line of any ASX share that sends goods overseas for sale in other markets.
As such, if I were a shareholder in ASX shares like JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN), Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD), or Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), I would be cheering the Aussie dollar’s rise. These companies habitually buy goods like televisions, refrigerators, furniture, refined petroleum (in Ampol’s case), electronics and appliances and, in Wesfarmers’ case, almost any consumer goods you can think of, from countries that specialise in cheap manufacturing. That’s usually China, but also markets like Vietnam, Korea, and Thailand.
If the Aussie dollar rises, as it has been doing, the cost of buying these goods wholesale falls. Those savings can either be banked by the company or passed on to consumers as lower prices. That’s good news for shareholders, either way.
Cheaper petrol and diesel, assuming no underlying change in the oil price itself, is also a potential net benefit for the entire economy.
However, the dollar is a double-edged sword. If I owned shares of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), or any other ASX share that exports internationally, I would be eyeing off the rising dollar with trepidation. Just as it lowers the cost of importing goods, the rising Aussie dollar increases export costs. A tonne of iron ore, for example, is sold in US dollars, and then the profits are brought home in Aussie dollars. This rise in our local dollar means that those US dollars are worth fewer Aussie dollars when swapped over.
Foolish Takeaway
The profitability of ASX shares can be, and is, affected by what happens with our dollar. With interest rate cuts seemingly accelerating in the United States, and with our own RBA hitting pause, it’s well worth keeping an eye on this space in 2026. We might see the Aussie dollar go even higher next year.
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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
A Ukrainian security source said Kyiv has targeted Russian oil facilities in the Caspian Sea in recent days.
REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Ukraine's long-range drones struck a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea, a security source said.
It's the third time in a matter of days that Ukraine has attacked oil platforms in this area.
The attacks mark a new chapter for Ukraine as it expands strikes on Russia's energy sector.
Ukraine has hit Russian oil platforms in the Caspian Sea with long-range drones three times in a matter of days, a security source told Business Insider on Monday.
In the most recent attack, drones struck a platform at the Korchagin oil and gas condensate field, causing damage at the facility and forcing it to halt production, said the source in the Security Service of Ukraine, who was only authorized to speak anonymously to discuss sensitive military developments.
The drone attack is the latest against Russia's energy sector, a critical source of income for Moscow that helps fuel its war efforts in Ukraine. Kyiv has ramped up its deep-strike campaign on key oil and gas facilities and is now targeting infrastructure in the Caspian Sea, hitting activities there for the third time in less than a week.
The source in the SBU, Ukraine's main internal security agency, said that drones struck the Filanovsky oil production platform last Thursday, marking the first time Kyiv had caused damage to Russian oil infrastructure in the Caspian Sea.
The following day, Ukrainian drones struck the Filanovsky platform again and also hit the Korchagin platform. The SBU source said that the attacks caused damage at both facilities and forced a suspension of operations.
The platforms are owned by Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhskneft, a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Lukoil. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the drone attacks. Additionally, neither Russia's defense ministry nor its US embassy responded to requests for comment.
Ukraine has expanded its attacks against Russia's energy sector.
Security Service Official/Handout via REUTERS
The SBU source said that the agency is working to deny Russia the critical revenue from its energy sector, which helps finance the war in Ukraine. They said that the Filanovsky deposit is one of Russia's largest, with an estimated 129 million tons of oil.
"No Russian object working for the war is safe regardless of its location," the source said, according to a translation of their remarks shared with Business Insider.
The repeated targeting of the two Caspian Sea oil platforms appears to signal a new shift for Ukraine as it continues to strike Russian oil and gas infrastructure.
For months, Ukraine has mostly carried out attacks against oil refineries, ports, and other facilities across Russia. However, in recent weeks, Kyiv has expanded these operations beyond land and intensified its strikes on maritime targets.
Just before the three strikes in the Caspian Sea, Ukraine used its naval drones packed with explosives to attack three tankers allegedly belonging to the Russian "shadow fleet," a collection of hundreds of vessels that Moscow uses to move oil and circumvent sanctions on its energy exports.
Ukrainian officials have described the campaign against the Russian energy sector as "long-range" sanctions. The deep-strike campaign has been a bright spot for Kyiv in this war as Moscow's forces continue to make slow but costly gains on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has repeatedly urged its international partners to do more to prevent Russia from exporting oil and earning cash to fuel its invasion.
Ukraine said it carried out an underwater drone attack on a Russian submarine.
Security Service of Ukraine/Screengrab via Telegram
Ukraine's internal security agency said it used an underwater drone to damage a Russian submarine.
The agency described the attack as a first, potentially signaling a new chapter in drone warfare.
Ukraine has long been using naval drones to target Russian surface ships.
Ukraine carried out a first-of-its-kind attack on a Russian submarine using underwater drones, Kyiv said on Monday, revealing a new use for its explosive-packed uncrewed systems.
The Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, said it executed a "unique special operation" using an underwater drone to strike a Russian Kilo-class submarine at the Black Sea port Novorossiysk, damaging and disabling the boat.
The SBU, Ukraine's main internal security agency, disclosed that the attack involved the employment of its "Sub Sea Baby" drones, which appear to be an underwater version of the Sea Baby naval drone Ukraine uses to target Russian surface vessels and port infrastructure.
The SBU said in a statement that the submarine was equipped with four launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles, which Russia regularly fires at Ukrainian cities.
The security agency did not specify when the operation took place, but it said it was carried out in coordination with the Ukrainian navy. The SBU published footage that appears to show the moment the underwater drone impacted the submarine, causing a large explosion.
Neither Russia's defense ministry nor its US embassy immediately responded to requests for comment.
The Kilo-class submarines are diesel-electric boats that have been in service since the 1980s. Russia has dozens of active subs, which make up one of the largest submarine fleets in the world.
A Russian Kilo-class submarine on the way to the Black Sea.
OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images
The SBU said a Kilo-class submarine costs around $400 million, but the agency added that sweeping international sanctions would make it notably more costly for Russia to build a replacement.
The submarine attack marks the latest against Russia's naval force in the Black Sea. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has employed drones and missiles to damage and destroy dozens of warships and other vessels.
The asymmetrical campaign has forced Russia to relocate the bulk of its battered Black Sea Fleet from the long-held headquarters on the occupied Crimean peninsula across the region to Novorossiysk. However, Ukraine has demonstrated it can target Russian ships there as well.
The SBU said on Monday that the damaged submarine was in Novorossiysk due to the Ukrainian operations that drove the Russian Navy away from Crimea earlier in the war.
More significantly, the submarine attack appears to signal a new chapter in drone warfare. Ukraine has used naval drones, such as the Sea Baby, to strike Russian surface ships and used underwater drones to target Russia's "shadow fleet" vessels moving oil and circumventing sanctions.
However, a strike on a submarine with what has been likened to a slow-moving mine or torpedo suggests an expansion of Ukrainian capabilities.
Beyond Ukraine, Russia and NATO countries have actively developed their own underwater drone technology as militaries look to augment traditional naval capabilities with more uncrewed systems.
Business Insider's reporter went to Perfect Day at CocoCay on her first cruise with Royal Caribbean.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Royal Caribbean has a private island in the Bahamas called Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The island has thrilling activities, relaxing beaches, and underwater adventures.
I went for the first time in 2022. While I found it fun, I longed for a more authentic port stop.
At first glance, it may seem like Perfect Day at CocoCay has something for everyone. Royal Caribbean's 125-acre private island in the Bahamas is filled with thrilling adventures and relaxing beaches for vacationers.
You'll find overwater cabanas, quiet places to chill, and shorelines bumping party music. Adrenaline seekers can also experience gigantic waterslides, zip lines, and hot air balloon rides.
I visited CocoCay during my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas in May 2022. Although it felt like an extension of the ship, I longed for a more authentic Bahamian experience.
Welcome to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's 125-acre private island in the Bahamas.
The ship sailed out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and also stopped in Roatán, Honduras, as well as Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.
As Royal Caribbean guests step onto the island, a band greets them with Caribbean tunes.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I thought the band set the chill, Caribbean vibe as I walked off the dock.
Most attractions on the island, including the food and many of the pools and beaches, are complimentary to cruise guests.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Guests could munch on the island's burgers, hot dogs, salads, and cookies.
But some exciting features cost extra, like the waterpark.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Other excursions, such as zip-lining, snorkeling, and hot air balloon rides, also incurred an additional price.
The island is easy to navigate, thanks to maps, signage, and color-coded paths.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Green leads to Chill Island, orange leads to Oasis Lagoon, and blue leads to Thrill Waterpark.
To get around, walk or ride a free tram to different parts of the island.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I thought the tram was a nice touch, but I preferred getting around on foot.
If you're a vacationer looking to relax, head to Chill Island, which is free to access.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Chill Island is the place to spend a laid-back day in a lounge chair in the sand. It has no music, making it the quietest beach on CocoCay. The beach is lined with umbrellas and chairs, all of which are free to use.
If you want more privacy, you can rent a daybed on the beach.
There are also over-the-water cabanas.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
These floating cabanas cost $1,000 to rent when I visited.
Of course, there is a swim-up bar offshore.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Cruise ship drink packages extend to CocoCay.
For a more active beach day, check out South Beach on the other side of the island.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Here, you'll find plenty of outdoor activities, like basketball, volleyball, and even life-size billiards.
Both beaches offer complimentary amenities, including life vests.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
This could be especially useful for families traveling with kids.
Both beaches have snorkeling shacks. I was able to rent gear for $37.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I went snorkeling at Chill Island and saw some pretty cool fish.
The beaches have several shops that sell souvenirs.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spotted T-shirts and essentials, such as sunscreen, for sale.
If you prefer the pool over the beach, head to Oasis Lagoon.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
It is home to the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, according to the cruise line. The pool features several inviting coves and upbeat music. There's also a swim-up bar.
Next to Oasis Lagoon is Splashaway Bay, a water playground for children.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The playground resembles the Splashaway Bay found on Royal Caribbean ships. It is free for guests.
Next door is Thrill Waterpark, where you'll find the waterslides for the "big kids."
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
This area of the island hosts all the waterslides and the wave pool. When I visited, access cost up to $140.
Thrill-seekers also gravitate toward the hot air balloon ride that reaches 450 feet into the air.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
When I was on the island, it cost up to $84 per person, but unfortunately, the winds were too high for the balloon to be used.
Back on the ship, I quickly took in a panoramic view of CocoCay before departing.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I could see some of the other 700 Bahamian islands in the distance, and I wondered what it would be like to visit them.
While I had a fun and relaxing day at CocoCay, it felt more like an extension of the cruise ship than a visit to a foreign country.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Since I'm not into the thrills of waterslides and zip lines, I would have rather spent time on a Bahamian island where I could have learned more about the culture.
But for those looking for a resort-style destination, CocoCay has it all. From sports to peaceful beaches, the island is sure to fulfill all your vacation desires.
I made latke recipes by Martha Stewart (left) and Ina Garten.
Courtesy of Coren Feldman
I made Ina Garten's and Martha Stewart's latkes to compare the two celebrity chefs' recipes.
I preferred one chef's recipe — the simple ingredients and butter gave it a lighter flavor.
Stewart's recipe with oil resulted in a more classic latke, but they were harder to flip.
Ina Garten and Martha Stewart are both known for their delicious recipes. Still, whose latkes are the tastiest?
As someone who has grown up celebrating Hanukkah, I've eaten my fair share of the holiday's traditional fried potato pancakes. I was curious to see how two of my favorite celebrity chefs have each made their own version of latkes.
You can read Ina Garten's full latke recipe here and Martha Stewart's full recipe here.
I taste-tested both recipes. Here's how they turned out.
I began with Ina Garten's recipe, which calls for relatively simple ingredients.
The ingredients for Ina Garten's latkes.
Coren Feldman
The recipe lists potatoes, an egg, flour, salt, and pepper.
I was surprised to find that the recipe called for frying the latkes in clarified butter, rather than oil. Eating foods fried in oil is part of Hanukkah tradition, so I was a bit skeptical about this change.
I began by peeling and grating the potatoes, then squeezing out the excess liquid.
Grating potatoes.
Coren Feldman
I managed to cut myself almost immediately. Grate with caution.
I mixed in the egg, flour, salt, and pepper.
Mixing Ina Garten's latke ingredients.
Coren Feldman
The resulting batter had the consistency of oatmeal.
I then started on the clarified butter for frying.
Melting butter for Ina Garten's latkes.
Coren Feldman
The recipe includes instructions for how to make clarified butter. You can also just buy ghee at a grocery store and skip this step.
Making clarified butter involves melting butter, allowing the milk solids to settle, and then skimming them off the top.
Clarifying butter.
Coren Feldman
The process reminded me of skimming the fat off the top of chicken soup. It was easy, but it took extra time waiting for the solids to settle.
With the butter all clarified, it was time to fry.
Frying Ina Garten's latkes.
Coren Feldman
Garten's recipe instructs using a tablespoon of the potato mixture for each latke.
The small pancakes finished cooking in minutes, and they were easy to flip.
Ina Garten's latkes are fried in butter.
Coren Feldman
I also loved that frying the latkes in butter didn't make my entire apartment and person smell like oil. It's a strong scent that tends to linger. These just smelled mildly like melted butter, which was amazing.
The finished products came out perfectly crispy, even though they weren't fried in oil.
Courtesy of Coren Feldman
Since no additional ingredients were added to the batter, the potato flavor shone through, and the buttery crust was delicious.
Paired with some applesauce — my latke topping of choice — Garten's recipe became the one to beat for me.
Ina Garten's latke topped with applesauce.
Coren Feldman
It didn't have the oily taste of a traditional latke, but I actually preferred the milder taste of butter.
Next, I started on Martha Stewart's latke recipe, which called for some extra ingredients.
Ingredients for Martha Stewart's latkes.
Coren Feldman
Stewart's recipe involved twice the amount of potatoes and eggs that were in Garten's, as well as additions like grated onion and beer.
I grated the potatoes and squeezed out the liquid with a kitchen towel.
Squeezing out potato liquid.
Coren Feldman
Stewart's recipe says to reserve this potato juice, let the milky starch sink to the bottom, and pour off the liquid — similar to the clarified butter I made for Garten's recipe.
I then added the eggs, a grated onion, and a quarter cup of beer.
Martha Stewart's latke recipe included beer and grated onion.
Coren Feldman
Grated onions are standard in latke recipes — beer, not as much. I was curious to see how it would affect the flavor and texture.
After mixing everything, I scooped half a cup of batter at a time into a pan of hot oil as the recipe instructed.
Frying Martha Stewart's latkes.
Coren Feldman
The larger latkes took much longer to fry than Garten's, and they were a little more unruly to flip. I'm still trying to get a resulting oil splash out of my favorite jeans.
As that classic oily Hanukkah smell filled the kitchen, I became nostalgic for the latkes of my youth.
Martha Stewart's latkes.
Coren Feldman
I could already tell that these latkes were going to be the more traditional of the two.
Stewart's recipe tasted like the standard latke you can get at any Hanukkah party.
Tasting Martha Stewart's latkes.
Coren Feldman
I couldn't taste the beer, but the grated onion and the crispy, oily goodness created a sharper flavor that screamed Hanukkah to me.
Personally, I preferred Garten's take on the potato pancake, but Stewart's recipe is great if you're looking for a classic latke.
Courtesy of Coren Feldman
Even though they're not fried in oil — which is kind of the point of eating them on this holiday — I enjoyed Garten's latkes more because they were easier and faster to make, and they had a mild, buttery flavor that I loved. Stewart's recipe, however, is perfect for traditionalists.
Simone Migliori liked the idea of an October wedding so much she had two — a backyard elopement in 2023 and a bigger bash in 2024. Part of the decision, at least on wedding No. 1, was that it was the anniversary of when Migliori, 27, and her husband first met. But it was also because she's always wanted to get married in the fall. Both events were held in Massachusetts, and she loves the color palette and the cooler weather at that time of year. Plus, Taylor Swift has a fall aesthetic, and there's the Pumpkin Spice Latte. "I feel like Fall is the 'it girl,'" she says.
Her assessment is correct: When it comes to weddings, October is the hot way to go. Adieu to June.
The wedding website The Knot's 2025 global wedding report found that October is the most popular month in the United States to wed, as it has been since 2019. Data from Zola, another wedding planning website, shows October has been scrapping it out with June and September for the top nuptial month for at least the past decade.
"Weddings, for some time, have been in the fall, and, kind of, the conversation has finally shifted to acknowledging they're in the fall," says Emily Forrest, a Zola spokesperson. She got married in October nine years ago, thinking she was going against the grain by eschewing the spring and summer months. "I wanted to do something a bit different," she says. "It turns out that's pretty common."
It's sort of like the trend five years ago when everyone named their babies Olivia and Liam, thinking it was distinctive, only to discover on the first day of kindergarten that everyone else had the same idea. October weddings are the Sophias of marriage — beautiful, beloved, and maybe not so unusual anymore.
The June bride tradition dates back to ancient Rome and Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth. It stuck around in the Middle Ages because flowers were prettier at the start of summer (and could help mask some smells), and it didn't hurt that it lined up with agricultural calendars, between planting and harvest. It continued into the modern era, too, including in popular culture. The 1954 musical film "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" has a song called "June Bride." In 2009's "Bride Wars," Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway duke it out because both dreamed of getting married in New York's Plaza Hotel in June.
October weddings are the Sophias of marriage — beautiful, beloved, and maybe not so unusual anymore.
June is still a popular month to get married, but a cascade of climate, logistical, and aesthetic factors has many couples increasingly looking to the fall months. Jove Meyer, a wedding planner in New York City, puts it plainly: While some couples may want to get married in June, "there's only four weekends" in the month. And July and August are going to be too hot for many people to opt for them.
"July is just miserable to work in, and I can't imagine being a bride in a full gown and the guys in a suit and jacket outside," says Megan Niger, a wedding photographer based in Connecticut.
The next best thing used to be September, but now, especially with global warming, people are realizing that "you can have a gorgeous October wedding," Meyer says. "It's not winter. It's extended-late summer, depending on when in October you get married."
"We see a lot more stability in October," says Mandy Connor, the owner of Hummingbird Events & Design in Boston. "If you're a bride or groom who doesn't like to sweat on their wedding day, October is a perfect timeframe for you."
Ideally, it will be warm during the day and cool off at night as people start dancing. And if it does get a little too nippy, there are a lot of decor elements, such as firepits and blankets, to incorporate.
That weather stability translates to scheduling stability, too. In the late spring and early summer months, it's hard to find a weekend that works for all the guests: School is ending, there are a lot of graduations and other competing events, and many families are setting out on their summer vacations. Depending on the locale, wedding attendees may find themselves competing with tourists in the summer months, driving up the price of airfares and hotel rooms.
"People are ready to celebrate by October," says Lauren Kay, the executive editor of The Knot. "You're like: 'It's been a minute since I've taken a vacation. Sure, I'm going to go to your destination wedding or go party with you.'"
With the rise of the fall wedding, the entire wedding calendar has shifted to accommodate. The spring is more of a wedding shower season, the summer for bachelor and bachelorette parties, and the fall for the actual big day. (Engagements have long been and remain most popular in December, around the holidays, because families and friends are around and it's got a festive feel.)
Also, to state the obvious: Fall is pretty. In many parts of the country, leaves are changing and falling, providing what many couples believe is an ideal backdrop for their celebrations, especially if it's outdoors.
Hannah Gettleman, 35, landed on October 26 for her nuptials in Chicago. The ceremony and reception will be indoors, but the photos and a cocktail hour will be outside, God (and weather) willing. "I love fall in Chicago. It's the Midwest, it's by some leaves, and I just love the vibrancy of the fall in and of itself," she says. "There are a couple of parks that we want to check out that are near the venue, so we definitely want to get the fall foliage in our photography."
Couples who want to marry during Spooky Season are going to encounter some spooky levels of competition.
To be sure, solid weather isn't guaranteed at any time of the year in any part of the world. Take it from Cameron Ruby, 33, whose San Francisco wedding was in October 2021. She and her now-husband had originally planned to get hitched in March of 2021, but they pushed it back. "The impetus behind choosing October was that in San Francisco, it tends to be, historically, the best weather of the year," she says. But there was an atmospheric river, which caused huge amounts of rain. Guests' flights were canceled and delayed. Ruby's dress got so muddy that no dry cleaner would take it. "You cannot predict the weather," she says.
October becoming a sought-after wedding month means it's getting sought-after prices, too. The Knot's data shows the average wedding cost in the US is already an eye-popping $33,000.
Meyer says October used to be more of a "shoulder season," tucked between the high and low seasons, and therefore could be more affordable. But that's changing. "It may not be a shoulder season for long," he says.
Couples who want to marry during Spooky Season are going to encounter some spooky levels of competition, which means they may have to book a year or two in advance.
"Everybody sort of clamors for them, and you'll see people say, 'I know I want September, October, but …'" says Susan Norcross, who owns The Styled Bride in Philadelphia. The hot date for next year is not quite October but instead September 26, she says, because people want to do 9/26/26.
Vendors and venues can get away with charging more amid higher demand in the fall, though prices aren't just season-dependent; they're also day-dependent. If you want to do your wedding on the cheap, your best bet may be picking, say, a Thursday or Friday, whatever the month. And if you're going after the coveted October, being open to an off day gives you a better shot at landing a date.
Couples are being very purposeful about planning their weddings nowadays. Every detail has meaning. They're embracing some traditions and eschewing others. Many are also getting married after being together for a long time, so they've pored over every detail. It turns out a lot of them have concluded they want to wed in October.
For guests, it's nice in that the fall really is less packed, schedule-wise (football fans excepted), and it's not a bad deal to space out wedding season. But it also means you should probably check your calendar — you might have more weddings on there than you'd think.
Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.
The author in front of an abandoned zoo enclosure (L) and another abandoned structure in the Crandon Park Zoo's ruins in Florida.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
In 2021, I explored the ruins of a Miami zoo that was abandoned after hurricanes ravaged the area.
Nature has since taken over Crandon Park Zoo. Crocodiles and other wildlife now thrive there.
Some abandoned cage structures from the zoo remain, and I got a look inside.
On a corner of a South Florida beach, I found empty cages covered in graffiti and greenery. Decades ago, these enclosures were home to monkeys, reptiles, tigers, and bears. But a hurricane in the 1980s left the Crandon Park Zoo in shambles.
Established in the 1940s, the Crandon Park Zoo was Miami's first zoo, according to the Miami Herald. The park closed following the natural disaster. Animals that survived the hurricane were moved to a larger area.
In 1991, the zoo ruins reopened as gardens with the goal "not to destroy everything," Kevin Asher, a planner for the county, told the Miami Herald.
I visited the park in October 2021 to see what remained of the abandoned zoo, and I found a natural wildlife sanctuary.
The first thing I noticed at the abandoned zoo was a sign at the entrance warning visitors that crocodiles were present.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
According to Atlas Obscura, the ruins are also home to wild alligators, iguanas, and peacocks.
The walkways through the park made me feel as if I were in a zoo — one where the animals were free.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Parts of the park were paved, while other parts felt like the wild. Some of the lands were once a coconut plantation, according to the Miami Herald.
In one shaded area, I spotted what appeared to be an abandoned animal cage embedded in the rocks.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I thought it looked like it could have been a unique, immersive attraction and wondered what animals may have lived there decades ago.
Some of the abandoned structures were fenced off and covered in graffiti.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I peered over high, chain-linked fences and spotted remnants of vandalized structures.
But one large structure remained accessible.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
It appeared to once house multiple cages.
Around the back, I noticed caged doors that looked as if they were used to feed the animals inside.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I was able to see inside a few of the animals' quarters, which were now empty aside from some leaves, branches, and overgrown vines. The doors were still locked.
The view inside the structures was somewhat haunting and made me think about the animals that might have gotten stuck inside as hurricane waters filled their enclosures.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I tried to imagine what kind of animals could live in these spaces. Based on their size, maybe monkeys, I thought.
I left the park thinking that it was probably a better home for the wildlife that took it over.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
After my visit, the zoo celebrated its 75th anniversary of serving the community in November 2022, according to CBS Miami.
Actors Dianie Keaton, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Val Kilmer, Rob Reiner, and Michelle Trachtenberg died in 2025.
Musicians Ozzy Osbourne, D'Angelo, Brian Wilson, Roberta Flack, and Sly Stone also passed away.
So did former vice president Dick Cheney, fashion icon Giorgio Armani, director David Lynch, and primatologist Jane Goodall.
Below, we look back at those we lost in 2025.
Loni Anderson, 79
Loni Anderson.
CBS/Getty Images
In an era when playing the ditzy blonde was all the rage, Loni Anderson turned that trope on its head and found acclaim.
Anderson is best known for playing the smart, sophisticated, go-getter receptionist in the late 1970s series "WKRP in Cincinnati."
Her performance earned her three Golden Globe nominations and two Emmy nominations over the show's four-season run.
"WKRP" turned out to be Anderson's high water mark professionally, but her fame soared through the 1980s and 1990s with her marriage to Burt Reynolds. Their relationship and messy split were constant tabloid fodder.
Barbara Rombi Serra/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images
Armani's name has been synonymous with high fashion for the last 50 years.
From dressing practically every famous person for the last half century to using his talents to do the costuming for movies like "American Gigolo," "The Untouchables," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "The Dark Knight," Giorgio Armani used his eye for fashion and innovation to become a cultural icon.
Armani died on September 4. No cause was given.
Jeff Baena, 47
Jeff Baena.
Rich Polk/Getty
Baena was known for writing and directing comedic independent movies like "Life After Beth," "The Little Hours," and "Horse Girl."
Many of them starred his wife, Aubrey Plaza.
He also wrote the 2004 movie "I Heart Huckabees" with director David O. Russell.
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is also available through the Crisis Text Line — just text "HOME" to 741741. The International Association for Suicide Prevention offers resources for those outside the US.
Joe Don Baker, 89
Joe Don Baker.
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Baker was known for his tough guy roles, playing heroes and villains with equal intensity for close to four decades.
A string of memorable roles utilizing his intimidating presence followed. He played a crooked cop opposite Chevy Chase in the 1985 hit comedy "Fletch," teamed up with Nick Nolte to try to stop a crazed Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of "Cape Fear," and, between those movies, played a fictional version of Babe Ruth opposite Robert Redford in the 1984 sports classic "The Natural."
Baker also has the distinction of playing both a villain (1987's "The Living Daylights") and a good guy (1995's "GoldenEye," 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies") in the James Bond franchise.
Baker died on May 7. No cause was given.
Anne Burrell, 55
Anne Burrell.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty
Burrell was a Food Network star known for her spiky platinum hair and her enthusiasm for the culinary arts. After getting her start in Italian restaurants in New York City, she rose to fame after appearing as a sous chef to Mario Batali on "Iron Chef America."
She soon became a staple on the Food Network, appearing on "Chef Wanted," "Chopped," and "Food Network Star," and hosting the Emmy-nominated "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and "Worst Cooks in America."
Burrell died on June 17; no cause was given.
Dick Button, 95
Dick Button.
Bettmann Archive/Getty
Button was one of the greats in men's figure skating.
His dominance in the sport began in the late 1940s, when he began winning on the amateur circuit by landing moves no one had ever seen done before in competition, including the double axel and the triple jump.
He would go on to win two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships.
Once he retired, he went on to become an Emmy-winning analyst and even was one of the minds behind the popular 1970s competition show "Battle of the Network Stars," in which celebrities challenged one another in various sports competitions.
Button died on January 30. No cause was given.
Richard Chamberlain, 90
Richard Chamberlain.
Micheline Pelletier/Sygma/Getty
A beloved actor on the stage and screen for decades, Chamberlain was the face of the acclaimed 1980s miniseries "The Thorn Birds" and "Shogun," both of which garnered him Emmy nominations.
He also found acclaim onstage, starring in revivals of "My Fair Lady" and "The Sound of Music."
In the 2000s, Chamberlain had memorable guest-starring roles on shows like "Will and Grace" and "Desperate Housewives."
Cheney was the 46th Vice President of the United States. He served two terms as VP to George W. Bush.
He was one of the main leaders in the country's response to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, including the global war on terror, in which he alleged that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, a claim that was never proven.
In popular culture, Cheney was a fixture on "Saturday Night Live" during his tenure as VP, often portrayed by Darrell Hammond. In Oliver Stone's 2008 George W. Bush biopic, "W.," Cheney was played by Richard Dreyfuss. In the 2018 Cheney biopic "Vice," directed by Adam McKay, Christian Bale played Cheney.
Cheney died on November 3 due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said in a statement.
Leslie Charleson, 79
Leslie Charleson.
ABC Photo Archives/Getty
For 50 years, fans of "General Hospital" knew Charleson as Dr. Monica Quartermaine, a role she played since 1977.
Charleson was beloved by fans and used her celebrity to support charities for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS awareness.
Charleson's other credits include "Adam 12," "Barnaby Jones," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," and "The Rockford Files."
She also starred in "Happy Days" and gave Ron Howard his first on-screen kiss.
This two-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is one of the key figures responsible for bringing reggae music to the mainstream.
Starring in the 1972 hit movie "The Harder They Come," he also wrote and performed many of the songs on the soundtrack, including "You Can Get It If You Really Want." The film and soundtrack are regarded as landmark works in popularizing the reggae sound globally.
D'Angelo was one of the major talents to usher in the neo-soul sound of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His 1995 debut album, "Brown Sugar," turned him into an international star, thanks to the chart-topping song "Lady." The album would end up going platinum.
He became a sex symbol with his second album, "Voodoo," which featured the hit song "(Untitled) How Does It Feel," which had a famously raunchy music video in which the star appeared to be nude. The song would go on to earn him a Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance; the album would also win best R&B album.
Faithfull was a fixture in the London music scene during the 1960s.
She was discovered by The Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, which led to her finding instant stardom not just for her chart-topping music, like "As Tears Go By," which became a top 5 single in the UK, but also for her hard-partying ways alongside her then-flame Mick Jagger.
Throughout the 1960s, she was the inspiration for Stones hits "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Wild Horses" while being a co-writer on "Sister Morphine." But she was also in a deep addiction to drugs. She was famously found wearing nothing but a fur rug during a 1967 drug bust at Keith Richards' Sussex home.
Faithfull made a comeback with the 1979 album "Broken English," which earned her a Grammy nomination.
Other hit songs include "This Little Bird," "Summer Nights," and "Come and Stay With Me."
She also starred in movies like 1967's "I'll Never Forget What's'isname" and 1968's "The Girl on the Motorcycle."
Flack's smooth R&B vocals made her a star in the 1970s with Grammy-winning hits like "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly with His Song," and "Feel Like Makin' Love."
Over her career, Flack scored six top-10 pop hits and 10 top-10 R&B singles. She was also the first artist to win the record of the year Grammy in two consecutive years, for 1973's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and 1974's "Killing Me Softly with His Song."
Flack was introduced to a new generation in the 1990s when The Fugees did a Grammy-winning cover of "Killing Me Softly" in 1996.
Flack died on February 24. No cause was given.
George Foreman, 76
George Foreman.
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Foreman was a two-time heavyweight boxing champion, winning his titles in 1973 at the age of 24 and again in 1994 at the age of 45.
Foreman fought formidable legends throughout his long-lasting boxing career, including Muhammad Ali in 1974 — dubbed The Rumble in the Jungle, one of the most-watched televised sporting events of the time — and Evander Holyfield in 1991.
Toward the end of his career, Foreman became the face of Salton Inc.'s George Foreman Grill, making millions through his household name.
His family announced on social media that he died on March 21. No cause was given. Foreman was 76.
Ace Frehley, 74
Ace Frehley.
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As the lead guitarist and founding member of the band Kiss, Ace Frehley is cemented as glam rock royalty.
Frehley's guitar licks are found on all of the band's hits, most notably "Shock Me" and "Cold Gin."
Frehley was also a successful solo artist, releasing nine albums.
But, for most, he'll forever be known as his face-painted Kiss alter-ego "The Spaceman."
Frehley died on October 16. Weeks before his death, TMZ reported he fell in his studio, causing a brain bleed.
Jane Goodall, 91
Jane Goodall.
CBS/Getty Images
Dr. Jane Goodall dedicated her life to animal activism, making her a beloved figure worldwide.
Since traveling into the wilds of Tanzania in the summer of 1960 at the age of 26, Goodall went on to become the foremost expert on chimpanzees.
Her decades-long study on the species revealed that primates exhibit a range of behaviors similar to those of humans, including communication and personality traits.
She was named a Dame of the British Empire in 2003 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.
In an era of hip-hop where the producers were as prominent as the artists, Irv Gotti was one of the shining stars of the late 1990s and 2000s.
Gotti, who was born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. and later went by DJ Irv, came on the scene as A&R for Def Jam. He brought in artists that would define the next generation of hip-hop to the label like Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule.
His coming out party was producing one of Jay-Z's first hits, "Can I Live," from his 1996 debut album "Reasonable Doubt."
Soon after, his Irv Gotti persona was created when he founded the rap label Murder Inc. Records, bringing along artists like DMX and Ja Rule and signing others like Ashanti.
There he became the face of smash hits like Jay-Z's "Can I Get A…," DMX's "What's My Name," Ja Rule's "Holla Holla," Fat Joe's "What's Luv?," Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real," and Ashanti's "Foolish."
In recent years, Gotti had suffered strokes and battled diabetes-related issues. He died on February 5. No cause was given.
Graham Greene, 73
Graham Greene.
Tony Esparza/CBS/Getty
Greene's work over the decades opened doors for Indigenous actors in Hollywood.
Born on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada, Greene began performing on stage in the 1970s. By the end of the decade, he made it to Hollywood, scoring bit roles on TV and in movies.
Greene's breakout role was playing Kicking Bird, one of the main supporting characters in Kevin Costner's 1990 epic "Dances with Wolves." He would go to earn an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
Greene ran with the attention, landing roles in big movies through the rest of the '90s and beyond, like "Maverick" (1994), "Die Hard with a Vengeance" (1995), "The Green Mile" (1999), "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (2009), "Wind River" (2017), and "Molly's Game" (2017).
Most recently, he starred in episodes of "Reservation Dogs" and "Tulsa King."
Greene died on September 1; no cause was given.
Peter Greene, 60
Peter Greene.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Peter Greene found fame playing the bad guy.
From his big-screen debut in the 1992 indie "Laws of Gravity," he always gravitated to the tough guy roles in everything from "The Usual Suspects" to "Training Day."
But his two biggest roles both came in 1994, when he played the villain opposite Jim Carrey in "The Mask" and sadistic store owner Zed, who beats up Bruce Willis in "Pulp Fiction."
Hackman was a superstar in the skin of a character actor.
From his breakout in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde" to his final movie, 2004's "Welcome to Mooseport," this skilled actor did it all with low-key confidence.
Even when he played the diabolical villain Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve "Superman" movies, Hackman's deft performance was never about upstaging other actors.
But audiences couldn't help but gravitate to him. Taking on roles in projects that would become classics like the gritty cop "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection," which earned him an Oscar; a surveillance expert in "The Conversation;" a tough but fair basketball coach in "Hoosiers;" and showing his comedy chops in "Get Shorty" and "The Birdcage," Hackman became beloved.
He abruptly retired in 2004 and spent the rest of his life writing novels and enjoying life with his wife Betsy Arakawa.
Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, was one of the most famous pro wrestlers in history. He was instrumental in transforming the WWE into a global entertainment behemoth, headlined the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985, and won six WWE Championships throughout his career.
In the mid-2000s, Hogan starred in a popular VH1 reality show, "Hogan Knows Best," which followed his family life.
Hogan died at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on July 24.
Henry Jaglom, 87
Henry Jaglom.
Mark Mainz/Getty Images
Jaglom was one of the driving forces of independent cinema in America and an important figure in the "New Hollywood" wave that hit Hollywood in the 1970s.
Jaglom started out as an actor in New York City, making friends with the likes of Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern. By the late 1960s, he went out to Los Angeles with friend Peter Bogdanovich, which led to him landing small acting roles, including guest spots on Sally Field sitcoms "The Flying Nun" and "Gidget."
He then turned his attention to working behind the camera. Thanks to his connection to Nicholson, he did some editing on the seminal "New Hollywood" movie "Easy Rider" (1969) and then started making his own movies like "A Safe Place" (1971), which featured Nicholson and Orson Welles (Jaglom and Welles would remain friends until Welles' death), and "Tracks" starring "Easy Rider" director and star Dennis Hopper.
Jaglom would seal his indie auteur title with movies like "New Year's Day" (1989) and "Last Summer in the Hamptons" (1995).
Jaglom died on September 22; no cause was given.
Nicky Katt, 54
Nicky Katt.
Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/Getty
Katt started his career as a child actor landing roles in "Fantasy Island" and "CHiPs" in the 1980s, but it was the roles he played as an adult that would cement his legacy.
From "Dazed and Confused" to "Boiler Room," Katt often played the heel, and dispensing wiseass remarks with a dark stare became his signature.
Katt became a favorite of directors like Steven Soderbergh, who cast him in "The Limey" and "Full Frontal," and Christopher Nolan, who gave him parts in "Insomnia" and "The Dark Knight."
The actor also played the edgy teacher Harry Senate in the series "Boston Public."
Diane Keaton starred in some of the most memorable films in the history of Hollywood.
Before her iconic turn as the title character in Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," which earned her an Oscar in 1978, Keaton rose to prominence for her role as Kay Adams-Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather." Keaton reprised that role in the franchise's two subsequent films. She also starred in "Reds," "Father of the Bride," "The First Wives Club," and "Marvin's Room."
Keaton died on October 11 in California. No cause was given.
Udo Kier, 81
Udo Kier.
Ullstein Bild/Getty Images
Over a 50-year career, Kier worked with everyone from Andy Warhol to Lars von Trier.
Starting his career playing the heartthrob main character in Warhol's experimental B-movies in the early 1970s ("Flesh for Frankenstein" and "Blood for Dracula"), the German actor with piercing blue eyes would go on to star in over 200 films, from main roles in Von Trier's masterpieces ("Breaking the Waves," "Melancholia") to scene-stealing appearances in blockbusters like "Blade" and "Armageddon."
Kier died on November 23; no cause was given.
Val Kilmer, 65
Val Kilmer.
Donaldson Collection/Getty
Val Kilmer was a quintessential movie star who delivered some of the most memorable performances in movie history.
As the hotshot flyer "Iceman" in 1986's Top Gun, he became a scene stealer who could hold his own against Tom Cruise.
From there, Kilmer shot to superstardom in movies like 1988's "Willow," Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic "The Doors," in which he played the band's legendary frontman Jim Morrison; 1993's "Tombstone," in which he played Doc Holliday; and Michael Mann's 1995 classic "Heat," in which he played a thief opposite Robert De Niro.
That same year, he would also become a major box office draw playing Batman in the 1995 movie "Batman Forever."
In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer and recovered, but his voice was permanently damaged from a tracheotomy.
His final movie appearance was reprising his Iceman role in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick."
With over 200 movie and TV roles, Ladd was the epitome of the character actor.
Over her career, she garnered three Oscar nominations, three Primetime Emmy nominations, and four Golden Globes nominations.
She's known best for starring in movies like Martin Scorsese's 1974 drama "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," playing the sassy waitress Flo opposite Ellen Burstyn, and the David Lynch 1990 classic "Wild at Heart," in which she starred alongside her daughter, Laura Dern. Ladd was Oscar-nominated for both performances.
Ladd's other credits include "Chinatown," "Rambling Rose," which was another movie she starred opposite her daughter (and earned her third Oscar nomination), and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," where she played the mother of Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase).
Ladd died on November 3 at her home in California, with her daughter by her side.
Ananda Lewis, 52
Ananda Lewis.
Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty
As an MTV veejay in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ananda Lewis was a standout. After getting her start hosting BET's "Teen Summit," she moved over to MTV, hosting its hit shows "MTV Live," "Total Request Live," and "Hot Zone." She also had her own show, "The Ananda Lewis Show," which ran from 2001 to 2002.
In 2020, Lewis announced that she had been battling breast cancer for two years. Last October, she revealed her cancer had progressed to stage four. Lewis died on June 11.
David Lynch, 78
David Lynch.
Guy Kinziger/WireImage/Getty
Lynch was the visionary director of surrealist films like "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive," and the hit TV series "Twin Peaks."
His groundbreaking works blended elements of everything from horror to film noir to surrealism, creating a uniquely skewed vision of America.
After adapting Frank Herbert's "Dune" in 1984, resulting in a box office flop, Lynch produced a string of surrealist works that would define his career: 1986's "Blue Velvet," 1990's "Wild at Heart," 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (the prequel to his hit TV show "Twin Peaks," which ran from 1990 to 1991), and 1997's "Lost Highway."
Each title showcased Lynch's seemingly limitless creativity as he pushed the boundaries of narrative structure while dazzling the viewer with exquisite production design and cinematography.
The Lynch family announced his passing on January 16. In August 2024, the filmmaker announced that he had emphysema following decades of smoking, but said he hadn't smoked in over two years.
Michael Madsen, 67
Michael Madsen.
Anthony Harvey/PA Images/Getty Images
Playing memorable roles in Quentin Tarantino movies like "Reservoir Dogs," the "Kill Bill" movies, "The Hateful Eight," and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Madsen was known for his ultra-cool tough guy characters.
Outside of the Tarantino universe, he had memorable roles as a slick cop chasing an alien in 1995's "Species" and a mobster in 1997's "Donnie Brasco."
Madsen had close to 350 movie credits to his name, dating back to the 1980s with small roles in "The Natural," where he played an egotistical baseball player opposite Robert Redford, and a blink-and-you'd-miss-it part in the hit Matthew Broderick thriller "WarGames."
But the role he'll forever be known best for was playing the crook Mr. Blonde in Tarantino's 1992 masterpiece, "Reservoir Dogs." Sporting black shades, a black suit with a white shirt, and a skinny black tie, Madsen had the memorable line, "Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" He also famously strutted to the song "Stuck in the Middle With You" while torturing a cop.
Madsen died on July 3 at his Malibu home. No cause was given.
Wink Martindale, 91
Wink Martindale.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
After working as everything from a disc jockey to the host of a kids' sci-fi series to a chart-topping artist (with the 1959 spoken-word tune "Deck of Cards"), Wink Martindale found his true calling as a game show host in the 1960s.
His first was NBC's "What's This Song?" in 1964. Then in 1972 came his first hit, "Gambit." That was followed by the even more popular "Tic-Tac-Dough," which ran until the late 1980s.
Martindale went on to host other game shows through the decades like "High Rollers," "The Last Word," "The Great Getaway Game," "Trivial Pursuit," "Debt," and "Instant Recall."
Martindale died on April 15. No cause was given.
Julian McMahon, 56
Julian McMahon.
Christopher Polk/NBC/Getty
Son of the former Australian prime minister, William McMahon, Julian was in the spotlight from his birth, and it only grew as he got older.
Born in 1968, he quickly became a celebrity in his home country in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a fixture on popular Aussie soap operas like "The Power, The Passion" and "Home and Away."
But that was just a small sample of his talents. In the late 1990s, he had made the move to American television, starring in NBC's "Profiler" and the WB's "Charmed."
Then he got the role that would change his life: the dashing plastic surgeon Christian Troy in the Ryan Murphy FX series hit "Nip/Tuck." It would go on to run for six seasons and earn McMahon a Golden Globe best actor nomination.
After that, he played Doctor Doom in the early 2000s "Fantastic Four" movies, had a stint on "FBI: Most Wanted," and the Netflix series "The Residence." One of his final roles was opposite Nicolas Cage in the 2024 movie "The Surfer."
McMahon died of cancer on July 2.
Sam Moore, 89
Sam Moore.
Gie Knaeps/Getty
Moore's R&B sound influenced everyone from Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen.
Alongside Dave Prater, Moore found fame in the 1960s with Sam & Dave, a duo who had hits like "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man."
"Soul Man" would gain renewed popularity in the late 1970s when Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi began performing the song as their alter egos, R&B singers The Blues Brothers, on "Saturday Night Live." The song would continue to find new fans in 1980 when "The Blues Brothers" movie was released.
Moore went solo in 1970 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Ozzy Osbourne, known as the "Prince of Darkness," rose to fame in the '70s as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
Although Osbourne was a cofounding member of the band, he was fired in 1979 amid his much-publicized struggle with alcohol and drugs. The following year, he released his debut solo album, "Blizzard of Ozz," which went multi-platinum in the US. His 13th and final solo album, "Patient Number 9," was released in 2022. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024.
In the early 2000s, Osbourne starred on the popular MTV reality show "The Osbournes" alongside his wife, Sharon, and two of their children, Kelly and Jack.
Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2003. He died on July 22 while "surrounded by love," his family confirmed in a statement to The Sun.
Geneviève Page, 97
Geneviève Page.
Daily Express/Getty
Thanks to her stunning beauty, Page became a fixture in both French cinema and Hollywood through the 1960s.
She's best known for playing Madame Anais, the owner of a high-class brothel in Luis Buñuel's 1967 masterpiece "Belle de Jour."
In the movie, Anais oversees the actions of Catherine Deneuve's character Severine, a bored housewife who turns to prostitution to spice up her life. But she only works in the afternoon while her husband is away at work, leading to Anais calling her "Belle de Jour" ("Beauty of the Day").
Page also starred in "El Cid," the 1961 medieval epic also starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, and Billy Wilder's 1970 film "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes."
Page died on February 14. No cause was given.
Robert Redford, 89
Robert Redford.
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After showing up on Broadway and some small TV roles (including a memorable episode of "The Twilight Zone") through the 1960s, Robert Redford dominated the 1970s with one hit after another: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Jeremiah Johnson," "The Candidate," "The Way We Were," "Three Days of the Condor," "All the President's Men," and "The Sting," which would earn him an Oscar nomination.
Redford solidified his stardom in the 1980s and beyond with movies like "The Natural" (1984), "Out of Africa" (1985), and "Sneakers" (1992), but being on screen wasn't enough. He also directed acclaimed works like "Quiz Show" (1994) and "A River Runs Through It" (1992). But his directorial debut, 1980's "Ordinary People," would give him something he never got from his acting: an Oscar win.
Redford was also a cofounder of the Sundance Film Festival, which, along with blazing a trail for countless film festivals that happen in the US year-round to this day, also launched the filmmaking careers of everyone from Steven Soderbergh and Quentin Tarantino to Damien Chazelle and Ryan Coogler.
Redford died on September 16; no cause was given.
Rob Reiner, 78
Rob Reiner on the set of "The American President."
Universal/Getty Images
Rob Reiner is responsible for some of the most celebrated works ever put on screen.
As the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, he was thrust into Hollywood at a young age, starting off as an actor. He would go on to star as Mike "Meathead" Stivic in the legendary 1970s sitcom "All in the Family," earning two Emmys for the role.
For his next act, he'd go on to become one of the most renowned directors of the 1980s and 1990s.
His directorial debut, "This is Spinal Tap" (1984), created the mockumentary genre. He followed that by helming a string of hits that would go on to become classics and showcase his range as a storyteller: "Stand by Me" (1986), "The Princess Bride" (1987), "When Harry Met Sally…" (1989)," "Misery" (1990), and "A Few Good Men" (1992).
Spencer is best known for playing Dee Thomas on the hit 1970s sitcom "What's Happening!!"
After her child-acting days were over, she went on to earn a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine. She would work as a veterinarian for two decades.
Spencer died on August 11 of cancer.
Terence Stamp, 87
Terence Stamp.
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty
After gaining fame in the 1960s and 1970s in his home country of England, Stamp found international acclaim when he played the villain General Zod in "Superman II" (1980).
Stamp would then go on to find steady work for decades, cementing his character actor bona fides in movies like "The Hit" (1984), "Legal Eagles" (1986), "Wall Street" (1987), "Young Guns" (1988), and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (1994).
At 61, he was introduced to a new generation as a crook out to get revenge for the death of his daughter in Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed "The Limey" (1999). This led to him scoring roles in major Hollywood movies like "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" (1999), "Elektra" (2005), and "Murder Mystery" (2019). His final movie credit was Edgar Wright's thriller "Last Night in Soho" (2021).
Stamp died on August 17; no cause was given.
Angie Stone, 63
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Stone was a member of the female hip-hop trio The Sequence, who is known for songs like "Funk You Up" and "Monster Jam."
She later launched a solo career in the late 1990s with her debut album, "Black Diamond." Her 2001 song, "Wish I Didn't Miss You," became one of her most popular songs.
Stone's publicist told TMZ that Stone died in a car crash on March 1 after performing in Montgomery, Alabama. The Grammy-nominated artist was traveling in a van with eight other people, including backup singers and crew, when it crashed on Interstate 65.
Sly Stone, 82
Sly Stone.
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Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in California, was known as the founder and frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, a psychedelic-soul band active through the '60s, '70s, and early '80s. He was behind classic songs like "Dance to the Music" and "Everyday People."
In a statement distributed to the press, Stone's three children celebrated their father's "extraordinary musical legacy" and "enduring creative spirit."
"Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music," the family wrote. "His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable."
Stone's death was announced on June 9 after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Loretta Swit, 87
Loretta Swit.
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Swit portrayed one of the most memorable characters in TV history, playing the head nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the legendary series "M*A*S*H."
Swit took over the role from Sally Kellerman, who originated the part in the 1970 Robert Altman movie the series is based on.
Her performance earned her 10 Emmy nominations and two wins. Swit and costar Alan Alda were the only two actors on the show who appeared in the pilot episode and the famed two-and-a-half-hour finale, which was seen by more than 100 million viewers.
Swit died on May 30 of natural causes.
Michelle Trachtenberg, 39
Michelle Trachtenberg.
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Trachtenberg dedicated her life to acting and found fame in the process.
She landed her first major role in the mid-1990s as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete." In 1996, she played the lead in the Nickelodeon-produced movie "Harriet the Spy."
By the early 2000s, she had landed more mature roles in movies like the comedy "Euro Trip" and the indie drama "Mysterious Skin," both of which were released in 2004. At the same time, she was gaining fandom on the small screen playing Dawn Summers on "Buffy and the Vampire Slayer," and later appearing as Georgina Sparks on the hit CW series "Gossip Girl," which ran from 2007 to 2012.
Trachtenberg was found dead in a New York City apartment on February 26. A cause of death hasn't yet been determined.
DJ Unk (Anthony Platt), 42
DJ Unk.
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This Atlanta rapper brought snap music to the masses thanks to his hit 2006 songs "Walk it Out" and "2 Step."
Anthony Platt, better known by his stage name DJ Unk, was a fixture in the Atlanta rap scene in the late 1990s. He DJed at everything from pep rallies to proms.
He released his first album, "Beat'n Down Yo Block!" in 2006 and found huge acclaim due to his two big hit songs, "Walk it Out" and "2 Step."
"Walk it Out" got as high as No. 10 on the Billboard charts and went platinum.
His second album, "2econd Season," was released in 2008 but didn't find the same acclaim as his debut.
DJ Unk died on January 24. His wife, Sherkita Long-Platt, said in a Facebook post that he died in his sleep after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Bob Uecker, 90
Bob Uecker.
ABC Photo Archives/Getty
Uecker had a respectable career as a Major League Baseball backup catcher on four clubs through the 1960s, playing with his hometown Milwaukee Brewers and winning a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. But it was his work off the field that made him one of the most memorable figures in MLB history.
After retiring in 1967, Uecker started his second career as a broadcaster, calling games for the Brewers (which he did until his death) and being the color man for network games.
His self-deprecating style made him a likable figure, leading to him becoming a fixture on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, where he earned the nickname "Mr. Baseball." Suddenly, Uecker landed everything from beer commercials to a hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live."
But his most memorable gigs outside of baseball were playing sportswriter George Owens on the hit TV show "Mr. Belvedere" from 1985 to 1990 and starring as sarcastic broadcaster Harry Doyle in the beloved 1989 movie "Major League" and its sequels.
Uecker was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner is best known for playing Theodore "Theo" Huxtable in "The Cosby Show." In 1986, he received an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.
More recently, Warner starred in the Fox medical drama "The Resident" for five seasons.
Warner drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on July 20, Costa Rican National Police told ABC News.
George Wendt, 76
George Wendt.
NBC/Getty
Through the 1980s, he sat on the corner at the bar where everybody knows your name. In the process, he became a TV icon.
As Norm Peterson, who always threw out a funny one-liner when he entered the bar on the hit TV series "Cheers," Wendt created one of the most memorable characters in TV history and garnered six consecutive Emmy nominations.
The Chicago native, who started his career in the 1970s at the famed Second City improv troupe, also landed roles in hit movies like "Fletch" (1985), "Gung Ho" (1986), and "The Little Rascals" (1994), and played the grumpy dad opposite Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson's 1991 music video for "Black or White."
Through the decades, Wendt was also a regular on "Saturday Night Live," playing a superfan of the Chicago Bears who called the team "Da Bears." (Wendt is the uncle of "SNL" alum Jason Sudeikis.)
Wendt died on May 20. No cause was given.
Brian Wilson, 82
Brian Wilson recording "Pet Sounds" in 1966.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
As a founding member of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson is responsible for mega hits that blended pop music with more modern, avant-garde sounds.
From 1962 to 1966, the Beach Boys had 10 top-10 hits and seven top-40 chart entries, most of which were written or co-written and produced by Wilson.
Along with classics like "Good Vibrations" and "Help Me, Rhonda," Wilson is also responsible for pushing the band's sound into new dimensions, particularly with the 1966 album "Pet Sounds." Its blend of pop, jazz, and avant-garde influences brought widespread critical acclaim and inspired The Beatles to make "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Wilson struggled most of his life with mental illness, which was explored in the 2014 movie, "Love & Mercy" starring John Cusack and Paul Dano playing Wilson at different stages in his life.
Yarrow was a singer-songwriter who was a member of the iconic folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary.
Along with Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, the trio had six Billboard Top 10 singles, two No. 1 albums, and won five Grammys. Their major hit was "Puff the Magic Dragon," which Yarrow cowrote.
Yarrow died on January 7 after a battle with bladder cancer.
Harris Yulin, 87
Harris Yulin.
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Although his name might not ring a bell, you have definitely seen Harris Yulin's work. Over his five-decade career, Yulin had many memorable roles in movies and TV, most notably as villains.
He played an angry judge in 1989's "Ghostbusters II" and a corrupt national security advisor opposite Harrison Ford in 1994's "Clear and Present Danger," but his all-time best villain role was playing the crooked cop Mel, who meets his fate thanks to Al Pacino's Tony Montana in the beloved 1983 gangster movie "Scarface."
A new Gallup poll found that 23% of US employees use AI at least a few times per week, while 45% say they use it a few times per year.
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A growing share of US employees are using AI in the workplace, a new Gallup poll found.
The percentage of workers who say they use AI weekly has shot up dramatically since mid-2024.
Here are the top five ways that employees say they're using AI at work.
More and more Americans are starting to use artificial intelligence at work — and they're finding a variety of ways to use it.
According to a new Gallup poll on AI use at work covering the third quarter of 2025, 23% of US employees use AI at least a few times per week, while 45% say they use it a few times per year.
That's a major increase from the second quarter of 2024, when just 12% said they use it multiple times per week and 27% said they use it a few times per year.
The percentage of employees who say they use AI daily has increased as well, rising from 4% in the second quarter of 2024 to 10% in the third quarter of 2025.
The poll also surveyed employees who've adopted AI on how they're using the technology. Here are the five most common uses:
42% — Consolidating information or data
41% — Generating ideas
36% — Learning new things
34% — Automating basic tasks
20% — Identifying problems
Sixty-one percent of AI-using US employees said that they use chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude, while 36% said they use AI-powered writing and editing tools. Another 14% said they use AI coding assistants.
As AI adoption becomes more widespread, some see potential downsides.
A recent Harvard Youth Poll found that 59% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 view AI as a threat to their job prospects, even as a majority say they trust the technology to help them complete school and work assignments.