IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

In memoriam: 15 celebrities we lost in 2015

TODAY commemorates the legacies and lives of the Hollywood celebrities who died in 2015.
/ Source: TODAY

Hollywood saw some of its brightest stars dim in 2015. Though we've said goodbye to so many familiar faces, their legacies ensure they'll never be forgotten.

Here's a look back at 15 of the talented actors, musicians and more who took their final bow this year:

Image: FILE PHOTO: Leonard Nimoy Has Died Aged 83
CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images Contributor

Leonard Nimoy

On Feb. 27, actor Leonard Nimoy died from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He gained stardom in the late 1960s after making his mark as the memorable Mr. Spock on television's "Star Trek." In the final year of his life, the 83-year-old used his fame to draw attention to COPD, urging others to quit smoking and increase their odds of avoiding the serious ailment.

Image: FILE: Musician Scott Weiland Dies At 48 2015 Sundance Film Festival Portraits - Day 2
FILE - DECEMBER 03: Musician Scott Weiland, formerly of the bands Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, has been found dead on his tour bus. He was 48. PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 24: Musician Scott Weiland poses for a portrait at the Village at the Lift Presented by McDonald's McCafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)Larry Busacca / Getty Images

Scott Weiland

Scott Weiland served as frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver and the Wildabouts, and on Dec. 3, the 48-year-old singer was found dead on his tour bus. Weiland had struggled with drug addiction throughout his life, and following his death, his ex-wife, Mary Forsberg Weiland, asked others not to "glorify this tragedy."

Bobbi Kristina Brown dies at age 22
Friends, family and fans are mourning the death of the daughter of the late Whitney Houston, whose family announced her death on Sunday. She had been in a coma for months after being found face down in a bathtub on Jan. 31.TODAY

Bobbi Kristina Brown

Bobbi Kristina Brown was a reality TV star and singer, but she was best known for being the daughter of Bobby Brown and the late singing legend Whitney Houston. In January, she was discovered unconscious in a bathtub (just as her mother had been in 2012). After months in a coma, she died on July 26 at the age of 22.

Wes Craven dies
Writer Wes Craven arrives at the The Hollywood Reporter Academy Awards nominee party in Los Angeles in this February 24, 2011 file photo. Craven, known for the \"Scream\" films and \"Nightmare on Elm Street\" died August 30,2015 in his Los Angeles home of brain cancer. He was 76. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/FilesLucas Jackson / Reuters

Wes Craven

Director, writer and producer Wes Craven was a master of the slasher-horror movie genre. He was responsible for some of the most memorable fright films, including the "Scream" franchise, "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The Serpent and the Rainbow." On Aug. 30, the 76-year-old died from brain cancer.

Jackie Collins has died
Jackie Collins arrives at the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at Sunset Tower on February 24, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.Getty Images

Jackie Collins

Prolific novelist Jackie Collins, who penned 32 New York Times bestsellers in her lifetime, died on Sept. 19. The 77-year-old had been battling breast cancer for years, but kept her diagnosis out of the press until days before her death. Her sister, actress Joan Collins, told TODAY that "[Jackie] was very brave."

Christopher Lee dies at 93
epa04793246 (FILE) A file picture dated 14 January 2011 shows British actor Christopher Lee speaking at the sixth Semper Opera Ball in Dresden, Germany. According to an exclusive report in The Telegraph, Lee has died at the age of 93 at a hospital in London, Britain on 07 June 2015. His wife delayed the announcement to inform all close members of the family. EPA/ARNO BURGI *** Local Caption *** 02530243ARNO BURGI / EPA file

Christopher Lee

On June 7, British actor and sometimes-metal singer Christopher Lee died of heart failure at the age of 93. Lee was best known to many as Count Dracula in the Hammer Horror films of the '50s, '60s and '70s, but he later gained popularity with another generation after appearing in director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films as villain Saruman.

Irish Film And Televison Awards - Awards Room
DUBLIN, IRELAND - OCTOBER 30: Maureen O'Hara (Lifetime Achievement Award) attends the Irish Film and Television Awards at the Burlington Hotel on October 30, 2004 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by ShowbizIreland/Getty Images)ShowBizIreland / Getty Images

Maureen O'Hara

In her Hollywood heyday, Maureen O'Hara was known as "The Queen of Technicolor," but long before she found that nickname, the actress impressed audiences with her portrayal as Esmeralda in the 1939 film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The Irish-born star died from natural causes on Oct. 24 at the age of 95.

B.B. King’s daughters: Our father was poisoned
TODAY

B.B. King

Blues great B.B. King, who had Alzheimer's disease and congestive heart failure in his later years, was 89 when he died on May 14. The "Thrill Is Gone" performer and 15-time Grammy winner played many guitars over his long career but most of them shared the same name: Lucille.

CAN'T BUY ME LOVE, Amanda Peterson, 1987. (c)Touchstone Pictures. Courtesy: Everett Collection.
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE, Amanda Peterson, 1987. (c)Touchstone Pictures. Courtesy: Everett Collection.Everett Collection

Amanda Peterson

Amanda Peterson was just 43 years old when she died from an accidental overdose on July 3. Following her death, her former "Can't Buy Me Love" co-star, Patrick Dempsey, said she was "gone too soon."

Image: Former Senator and actor Fred Thompson at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington
Former U.S. Senator and actor Fred Thompson listens to U.S. President George W. Bush speak at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington April 13, 2007. An MSNBC poll yesterday showed Thompson in second place in the Republican U.S. presidential race behind Rudolph Giuliani and ahead of Senator John McCain. REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES)LARRY DOWNING / REUTERS

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson had many careers over the course of his lifetime. He was a lawyer, senator, committee chairman and radio host. But in the entertainment world, he was best known for playing District Attorney Arthur Branch on "Law & Order." He died on Nov. 1 from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara
Jerry Stiller, left, and his wife Anne Meara pose on the set of \"The King of Queens,\" at Sony Studio in Culver City, Calif., Nov. 6, 2003. After 50 years of marriage, with both their careers still going strong, Meara and Stiller remain each other's biggest fan.AP file

Anne Meara

Actress Anne Meara was married to her frequent comedy cohort Jerry Stiller for 61 years. Together they formed the stage and small-screen duo "Stiller and Meara," but she also stood out on her own in roles on "Archie Bunker's Place" and "The King of Queens." Meara was the mother of actor Ben Stiller. She died May 23 at the age of 85.

Omar Sharif
AP file

Omar Sharif

On July 10, Omar Sharif died from a heart attack. The 83-year-old was three-time Golden Globe winner and noted for his roles in "Doctor Zhivago," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Funny Girl."

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl
Mandatory credit: TM & copyright 20th Century Fox. No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only. No Book Cover Usage. No Book or TV usage without prior permission from Rex'Batman' - Yvonne Craig 'Batman' TV Programme - 1966 - 1968 (Rex Features via AP Images)Everett/REX Shutterstock / AP

Yvonne Craig

Dancer turned actress Yvonne Craig died Aug. 17 at the age of 78 after battling breast cancer. Craig is best remembered for playing "Batgirl" in the 1960s television show "Batman," though she also made her mark on the big screen in films like "In Like Flint" and "Kissin' Cousins."

Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten shown Oct. 13, 1987 will be in the television reunion of ?Eight Is Enough: Reunion?. The family will come together to celebrate Patten?s character, Tom Bradford?s 50th birthday, in a two-hour NBC movie. (AP Photo/Mark Terrill)AP file

Dick Van Patten

On June 23, film and television star Dick Van Patten died from complications from diabetes. The actor was beloved for his role as the Bradford family patriarch in the TV dramedy "Eight Is Enough."

Leslie Gore
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Singer Leslie Gore attends the 2014 Women's Media Awards at Capitale on October 29, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for The Women's Media Center)Jemal Countess / Getty Images for The Women's Med

Lesley Gore

Singer, songwriter and actress Lesley Gore was known for her 1963 girl-power anthem "You Don't Own Me," as well as hits "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry." She was 68 when she died from lung cancer on Feb. 16.

We'll miss them all, and we'll miss others, too. Those 15 celebrities are far from the only stars we lost this year. Other notable names who passed in 2015 include "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy Sledge (74), "All My Children's" David Canary (77), Disney actor Dean Jones (84), "Beverly Hillbillies" star Donna Douglas (82), "L.A. Law's" Richard Dysart (86), Al Molinaro (96) of "Happy Days" fame, "Scarface" actor Robert Loggia (85), "Cheers" star Roger Rees (71) and "Stand by Me" singer Ben E. King.

Follow Ree Hines on Twitter.