7 Tearjerking TV Sitcom Tributes To Cast Members Who Died

5. Cosby (Madeline Kahn - Pauline Fox)

Lea Michele Glee
CBS

For Cosby to land Madeline Kahn in one of the show's primary roles was no small coup. Kahn is one of the funniest women to ever grace the big and small screens, gaining notoriety as a go-to actress from Mel Brooks' bag of tricks. Unfortunately, Kahn had begun chemotherapy for ovarian cancer a couple of years into the show, and the disease would take her soon after.

Rather than recast the character (which would have been impossible...it's Madeline Kahn) or have her die offscreen, the principal cast gathered onto the set to fondly reminisce about their experiences working with the legendary actress. 

Their conversations are spliced into one of the finest clip shows ever put on television. The kind of retrospective that made viewers unsure if they were crying because Kahn was just that funny, or because they were so saddened that they would never see her perform in another series or film.

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Jacob is a part-time contributor for WhatCulture, specializing in music, movies, and really, really dumb humor.