In memoriam: Remembering the stars we lost in 2020

2020 was a tough year.

It seems even harder when you consider the stars we have lost in the last 12 months.

Astro AWANI takes a walk down memory lane to look at the celebrities we've said goodbye to this year -- from athletes to entertainers -- who inspired and enriched our lives.

On the local front, we also mourned the death of three young rising stars.

Kobe Bryant (August 23, 1978 - January 26, 2020)

• One of basketball’s best players of all time, Bryant died in Calabasas, California in a helicopter crash in January. 26, 2020. He was 41.

• Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Giana, and two other passengers, were onboard the private helicopter when it went down on a Sunday morning. The helicopter was headed to the Mamba Academy for Gianna’s basketball practice game. None survived the fatal crash.

• The five-time NBA champion spent his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in 2016.

• He was also 11-time All-NBA first-team selection, 2008 Most Valuable Player, two-time Finals MVP, 18-time All-Star and four-time All-Star MVP.

• Bryant also won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.

Abang Bocey (January 19, 1988 - February 10, 2020)

• Comedian and actor, Syed Umar Mokhtar Syed Mohd Redzuan, popularly known as Abam Bocey died at his home on February 10, 2020. He was 32.

• His wife, Siti Norhidayah Mohd Ali, found him unresponsive when she tried to wake him up to perform the Subuh prayer. Abam and Nor Hidayah were married in 2017 and shared a five-month-old son Hamzah Al-Juffrey.

• Abam Bocey belonged to the comedic Bocey Group, along with Muhammad Fadzlie Nizam (Fad Bocey) and Mohd Nasir Hamzah (Achey Bocey).

• The actor who is known for his tagline ‘Fat is Ohsem’, had appeared in several films, including Isteri Untuk Dijual and Suatu Malam Kubur Berasap 2.

Ashraf Sinclair (September 18, 1979 - February 18, 2020)

• Actor Ashraf Sinclair, who was popular among Malaysians and Indonesians, died of a heart attack on February 18, 2020 in Jakarta. He was 40.

• Ashraf first gained recognition for his role as Eddy in the Malaysian romantic film, Gol & Gincu.

• Ashraf was the husband of Indonesian actress-singer Bunga Cinta Lestari. They were married in 2008 and have a son, Noah Aidan Siclair.

• He starred in many movies and television dramas throughout his career, including Saus Kacang (2008) alongside his wife and the soap opera series Pashmina Aisha (2014) and Catatan Hati Seorang Istri (2014).

• Apart from acting, Ashraf was also an entrepreneur and had established various businesses, including a content production agency, a restaurant, and a gym.

• Ashraf was also the older brother of actress and radio presenter Aishah Sinclair and his younger brother, Adam Sinclair is married to singer, Yuna.

Naya Riveira (January 12, 1987 - July 8, 2020)

• The Glee star was pronounced dead five days after she was reported missing on July 8, 2020. She was 33.

• Riveira took her four-year-old son, Josey Dorsey, whom she shared with her ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey out on a boat at Lake Piru in California. She was at first reported missing on July 8 after the boat was overdue to be returned. Staff found her son alone on the boat. Her body was recovered five days later.

• Riveira started her Hollywood career at the age of four, with her first regular role on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family. The California native also made appearances on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Family Matters.

• She got her big break playing Santana Lopez on Glee and appeared in just about every episode of the musical hit's six seasons.

• One of the last major roles she was a high school administrator in the series Step Up: High Water.

Chadwick Boseman (November 29, 1976 — August 28, 2020)

• Boseman died on August 23 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.

• He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.

• The final tweet on Boseman’s Twitter account, announcing his death, was the most-retweeted post on the platform of the year.

• Boseman rose to fame for playing King T’Challa in Black Panther. The film made history as the only superhero movie ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

• Boseman kept his colon cancer diagnosis a secret. He was ill while filming Black Panther and endured surgeries and chemotherapy treatments while completing production for several films, including Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

• Netflix reportedly will campaign Boseman in the Lead Actor category at the 2021 Oscar for his final film role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Sandra Dianne (September 16, 1994 - September 11, 2020)

• Singer-songwriter Sandra Dianne Ampuria passed away died at Putrajaya Hospital after being involved in an accident along the North-South Expressway Central Link. She was 26.

• The Sabah-born singer was heading to the Putrajaya International Convention Centre to attend the fourth week of the Big Stage 2020 concert training when the accident happened.

• She suffered a head injury and was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit. She died after six days in coma.

• Sandra, who hailed from Tuaran, was best known for her single Hey Kau.

Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 — October 31, 2020)

• Best known for his portrayal of James Bond, Sean Connery died following a long illness on October 31, 2020. He was 90.

• Connery was the first actor to portray James Bond. The Scotsman made six Bond films in 10 years; the final film was Never Say Never Again in 1983.

• Born in 1930 to a cleaner and truck driver in Edinburgh, Connery dropped out of school at age 13. He then joined the Royal Navy. After he got out, he competed in the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition.

• Connery won his first and only Oscar in 1988 for his iconic role in The Untouchables. He won Best Supporting Actor for playing an Irish cop, Malone.

• Connery was also a hit in non-Bond roles, including The Man Who Would Be King and The Hunt for Red October. He also played Harrison Ford's father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989.

• The late actor reportedly turned down many major roles, including Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, John Hammond in Jurassic Park, and Morpheus in The Matrix.

• As a member of the Scottish National Party, he ardently supported secession from Great Britain.

• In the year 2000, he received his knighthood from the queen of England.

Diego Maradona (October 30, 1960 — November 25, 2020)

• Diego Maradona’s death from a heart attack came three weeks after he was released from a Buenos Aires hospital following brain surgery to remove a blood clot. The Argentinian soccer legend died on November 25, 2020. He was 60.

• For a nation where football is seen as a religion, Maradona's death sent his homeland into widespread grief. Argentina president Alberto Fernandez declared three days of national mourning.

• Maradona's legend is shaped by his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup match in Mexico. He went on to lead Argentina to victory over West Germany in the final.

• Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award.

• Years of drug use, overeating and alcoholism brought an end to his stellar career. He retired at age 37 in 1997 but Argentines continued to idolise him as the ‘Pibe de Oro’ or ‘Golden Boy.’

• In 2000, he suffered severe heart problems due to a cocaine overdose. In 2005, he went thru a gastric bypass in a bid to lose weight. In early 2007, Maradona was hospitalised for acute hepatitis, of which his doctor blamed on excessive drinking and eating.

• In 2008 when he was appointed as Argentina coach but was sacked after 21 months following Argentina's elimination from the 2010 World Cup after a humiliating 4-0 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals.

• He picked up another coaching job with the United Arab Emirates club Al Wasl but was after let go after 14 months in charge.