By Megan Riedlinger
5:15am PDT, Oct 7, 2021
Luke Perry, who was born on Oct. 11, 1966, became a pop culture icon in the '90s thanks to his role on "Beverly Hills, 90210." The star became a household name as he played Dylan McKay on the addictive teen drama from 1990 until 1995. Before his untimely death following a stroke in 2019, he'd found a new fanbase after joining another teen-centric series, "Riverdale," in 2017. In honor of what would have been Luke's 55th birthday, Wonderwall.com is rounding up more October-born stars we've lost who've left an impact on pop culture…
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The world mourned when it lost legendary actress, director and producer Penny Marshall, who was born on Oct. 15, 1943. Penny — who was best known for her work as Laverne on "Laverne & Shirley," on which she starred from 1976 to 1983 — went on to direct smash hits like "A League of Their Own" in 1992 and "Riding in Cars with Boys" in 2001. She was 75 when she passed away from heart failure in December 2018.
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Actor Bela Lugosi famously played one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history — Count Dracula! Born on Oct. 20, 1882, he's best remembered for his iconic vampire role in the 1931 film "Dracula." It followed him throughout his Hollywood career as he continued to star in horror films. Bela was reportedly buried in one of Dracula's capes after he died of a heart attack in 1956.
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Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, also celebrated an October birthday. The actress and screenwriter was born to actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher on Oct. 21, 1956. With Hollywood in her blood, she started acting in her teens and landed the role of a lifetime at 21 when she was cast in "Star Wars." Carrie, who went on to become one of Hollywood's most in-demand script doctors, died after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2016 at 60.
We'll always remember Bernie Mac and all the laughs he gave us! The funnyman, who was born on Oct. 5, 1957, started his career as a stand-up comic. He eventually landed his own show, "The Bernie Mac Show," on which he starred from 2001 to 2006. Bernie also appeared in numerous funny flicks, including the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise, during his career before he died from complications of pneumonia in 2008, just a few months before his 51st birthday.
Canadian star John Candy — who was born on Oct. 31, 1950 — made a name for himself as a comedic actor during his short life. The funnyguy starred in films like 1984's "Splash," 1987's "Spaceballs," 1989's "Uncle Buck" and 1990's "Home Alone." He sadly passed away from a heart attack in 1994 while on vacation when he was just 43.
John Lennon was born on Oct. 9, 1940. The musician was an original members of the iconic group The Beatles (going back to when they were originally called the Quarrymen) alongside Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He was murdered in 1980 outside his home by a onetime fan, Mark David Chapman, when he was just 40.
Old Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth became one of the most famous stars of the '40s. The bombshell, who was born on Oct. 17, 1918, had roles in films like "Gilda" and starred alongside Fred Astaire in "You'll Never Get Rich" in 1941 and "You Were Never Lovelier" in 1942. She passed away in 1987 after battling Alzheimer's disease.
Audiences fell in love with Walter Matthau — who was one-half of the titular duo — in the 1968 film "The Odd Couple." He continued to have an impressive career in Hollywood over many decades, winning an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a Tony Award during his career. He passed away in 2000 after suffering a heart attack.
Hollywood legend Charlton Heston famously played Moses in the 1956 film "The Ten Commandments." The actor, who was born on Oct. 4, 1923, starred in other big films like "The Greatest Show on Earth" in 1952, "Touch of Evil" in 1958, "Ben-Hur" in 1959 and "El Cid" in 1961 — and that performance earned him an Academy Award for best actor. He passed away in 2008 after battling Alzheimer's.
Actress Kelly Preston was born on Oct. 13, 1962. Aside from being one-half of a famous Hollywood couple with John Travolta, the star made her mark in entertainment starring in movies like "Twins" in 1988, "Jerry Maguire" in 1996, "For Love of the Game" in 1999 and "What a Girl Wants" in 2003. She tragically died after a secret battle with breast cancer in July 2020 at 57.
Rocker Scott Weiland fronted the Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 until 2002 and then again in 2008 and 2013. He also served as the lead singer for Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008 and did time as a solo artist. The prolific musician, who was born on Oct. 27, 1967, passed away in December 2015 from an accidental drug overdose at just 48.
