10 TV Character Deaths Not Even The Actors Saw Coming

10. Frank Dunphy (Fred Willard) - Modern Family

Now admittedly this one was more the fault of the actors involved than many of the entries on this list, as they could have seen this spoiler coming if they'd read the scripts. But this one has nonetheless taken on a poignant significance in recent weeks.

Modern Family star Sarah Hyland admitted during the show's recent final season earlier this year that she doesn't read the scripts of episodes her character isn't in, meaning she wasn't expecting the devastating death of her onscreen grandfather.

Played by comedy veteran Fred Willard, the kindly old character was offed to Hyland's surprise just a few months before Willard himself died suddenly shortly after the series wrapped for good.