!! The World Says Goodbye To The Actor Behind One of TV’s Most Iconic Characters… See more.

Viewers invite characters into their homes every week.

They watch them grow.

They follow their victories and failures.

They laugh with them, cry with them, and sometimes feel as if they know them personally.

That is why the death of a television star can have such a powerful effect.

The audience may know very little about the actor’s private life, yet they can feel a deep connection to the character.

The performer becomes associated with a particular time in the viewer’s own life.

A childhood television show.

A favorite sitcom watched with family.

A dramatic series that everyone discussed at school or work.