Bewitched Stars We've Sadly Lost

Does it make sense that "Bewitched" was such a big TV hit? The campy sitcom told the story of Samantha, a beautiful witch, who married Darrin, a type-A mortal, and their misadventures living in the suburbs of the 1960s, while raising their daughter, Tabitha. With plenty of bad special effects and obvious plot lines, "Bewitched" was a silly show that turned into a smash. As reported by the Sun Sentinel, the sitcom was ranked No. 2 in national ratings by the end of its first season — ABC's greatest success at that time. The series also went on to win three Primetime Emmy Awards during its run from 1964 to 1972, as per IMDb.

Perhaps it was the effortlessly feminist character of Samantha, played by Elizabeth Montgomery, that made the show so popular. Or, maybe, it was the deliciously hilarious and unendingly heartwarming cast of characters that made up Samantha and Darrin's unique lives. From nosy neighbors to witches and warlocks, the cast of "Bewitched" was one of stars. However, in the years since the show ended, many of those stars have since died. Here are the "Bewitched" stars we've sadly lost.

Dick York played the original Darrin Stephens — Samantha's straight-laced, yet charming, husband on "Bewitched" for 170 episodes — from the show's premiere in 1964 until Season 5 in 1969, as reported by IMDb. Unfortunately, York had to be recast at that point due to ongoing health problems. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the actor sustained a terrible back injury in a previous role that plagued him well into his time on "Bewitched." The constant pain led to a dependence on drugs and alcohol that got in the way of filming, but York didn't officially leave the sitcom until September of 1969 when he suffered a seizure and had to be rushed to the hospital from the set. "I left in an ambulance writhing in pain," he later recalled, "but I never missed the show, nor have I ever regretted the decision to leave."

Sadly, York died in 1992 of complications from his spine injury and emphysema, as reported by The New York Times. However, the publication also noted that in his final years, the actor was a dedicated philanthropist, who even started a fundraising campaign for the homeless called Acting for Life.

What happens when a witch gets sick? She can't go to a regular doctor, can she? According to "Bewitched," she can't. And that's why fans were graced with the hilarious, heartwarming character of Dr. Bombay. Welsh actor Bernard Fox appeared as Dr. Bombay in 19 episodes of the sitcom, via IMDb, solving magical maladies with one ridiculous cure after another. But Fox wasn't just a witch doctor. According to his IMDb page, throughout his long career, he collected 30 film credits, including hits like "The Mummy" and Disney cartoons like "The Rescuers” and "The Rescuers Down Under." As Deadline reported, he also appeared in two movies about the sinking of the Titanic: the 1997 Box Office Blockbuster "Titanic" and "A Night To Remember" from 1958.

Unfortunately, Fox's career ended when he died in 2016. According to Deadline, he died of heart failure at a hospital in California at the age of 89. The actor's smile — and his fabulous mustache — will be sorely missed.

Perhaps one of the best parts of "Bewitched” was the crazy cast of witches and warlocks that would pop in and out of Darrin and Samantha's home — much to Darrin's chagrin. One of the craziest of the bunch was Aunt Enchantra, a member of the Witch Committee and a lover of fluffy hats. While more than one actress played Aunt Enchantra throughout the sitcom's run (as per IMDb), Estelle Winwood was seemingly the favorite. The tiny British actress brought plenty of flair and fun to the role, even though she was 83 years old at the time.

Winwood, according to The New York Times, began acting in 1888. Beyond "Bewitched," some of her most famous roles were in "The Producers," the Cinderella movie "The Glass Slipper," and Broadway shows like "The Madwoman of Chaillot” and ”The Importance of Being Earnest." The publication also reported that Winwood died in her sleep in 1984 at the age of 101, leaving behind this sage advice: ”My advice to actresses is don't worry about your looks. The very thing that makes you unhappy in your appearance may be the one thing to make you a star.”

Lots of people don't like their in-laws, but poor Darrin on "Bewitched" really had it bad with his witch wife's magical parents. Both Samantha's mother, Endora, and her father, Maurice, weren't big fans of Darrin and his mortal-ness — and they made it crystal clear. Maurice, played by British actor Maurice Evans, liked to let Darrin know he wasn't a fan by calling his son-in-law ridiculous names like Dumbo, Durwin, or Durwood, according to Geeks. Despite this name-calling, Evans and his character, Maurice, were beloved. 

Evans was, perhaps, best known for his work on the stage, specifically in Shakespeare plays. As per The New York Times, he famously appeared in "Richard II," ”Hamlet,” ”Henry IV, Part I,” ”Twelfth Night,” and ”Macbeth.” He also starred in "Planet of the Apes" and "Rosemary's Baby." The publication reported that the actor died at a nursing home in England in 1989 at the age of 87.

In "Bewitched," Samantha and her mortal husband didn't just have to hide magic from Darrin's boss. They also spend a good deal of the show trying to hide Samantha's abilities from their nosy neighbor, Gladys Kravitz. Actress Alice Pearce played Gladys for Seasons 1 and 2 of the hit sitcom, according to IMDb, lending her perfectly hilarious nasal voice and knack for physical comedy to the role with great success. Sadly, however, Pearce's time on "Bewitched” came to an abrupt end when she died from ovarian cancer in 1966. As per The New York Times, she was only 47 years old.

While "Bewitched" was, perhaps, Pearce's most famous role, she was an accomplished comedian on both the stage and screen. According to The New York Times, she collected laughs in 10 Broadway shows and even earned the record at the time for the longest individual run at a venue — 67 weeks. The publication also reported that she was a favorite of playwright Noel Coward, who once called Pearce "a noble artist." As per IMDb, Pearce was also lauded with a posthumous Emmy win for her time as Gladys on "Bewitched."

Not all of Samantha's witchy relatives on "Bewitched" hated her mortal husband, Darrin. In fact, Samantha's Aunt Clara got along with Darrin quite well — though her malfunctioning powers caused lots of trouble for the Stephens, and she always arrived at their home via the chimney instead of the front door. Actress Marion Lorne brought Aunt Clara to life for four seasons of "Bewitched," appearing in 27 episodes between 1964 and 1968, as per IMDb. Unfortunately, fans never got a chance to see Aunt Clara in Season 5 as Lorne died of a heart attack before filming began in 1968. As The Gettysburg Times reported at the time, the actress died at age 82.

The Gettysburg Times also reported that Lorne's decades-long career began in 1905 when she appeared in a local stage production. Her first role on TV was in 1952, and she went on to act in many more shows like "Mr. Peepers," "Sally," and "Suspicion," according to IMDb. Lorne's agent also told the publication that she'd appeared in as many as 100 theatrical productions throughout her career.

On "Bewitched," there was actually one other member of Samantha's family who liked her husband, Darrin: her Uncle Arthur. Uncle Arthur was a smiley, boisterous, and downright hilarious warlock, who, according to "Bewitched" director Richard Michaels, was 100% inspired by Paul Lynde, the actor who brought Arthur to life. "His personality was the same off camera as it was on camera," Michaels told Entertainment Weekly. "There was nobody really like him; he saw everything as a joke, and it made him a natural."

As reported by IMDb, Lynde played Uncle Arthur for 11 "Bewitched" episodes, but it was, perhaps, his long tenure on the game show "Hollywood Squares" and his status as a gay celebrity that made him famous. "He was probably the first gay person ... in a lot of people's homes across America," Billy Eichner explained to Entertainment Weekly, noting, "he was ahead of his time" for being his true self on the screen. Sadly, the same publication reported that Lynde died of a heart attack in 1982. He was only 55. As comedian Whoopi Goldberg — whose name was actually inspired by a whoopee cushion — told Entertainment Weekly, "There was no one funnier than Paul Lynde."