(CNN) Harry Dean Stanton, the longtime character actor whose face had its own unique character, has died at 91, according to his agent, John S. Kelly.

Stanton passed away Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Veteran war correspondent Clare Hollingworth, who broke the news that World War II had started, died on January 10. She was 105.

Author and filmmaker William Peter Blatty, who scared millions with the best-selling novel and Oscar-winning movie "The Exorcist," died January 12 from a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma, his widow said. He was 89.

Actress Mary Tyler Moore , whose eponymous 1970s series helped usher in a new era for women on television, died January 25, according to her longtime representative Mara Buxbaum. She was 80.

Actor Richard Hatch , who was known for his role as Captain Apollo in the original "Battlestar Galactica" series that ran from 1978-1979, died Tuesday, February 7, according to his manager Michael Kaliski. The 71-year-old actor had been battling pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from his family. Hatch played Tom Zarek in the show remake that started in 2003.

Clyde Stubblefield, seen here on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," died February 18 at age 73. He was the drummer for James Brown in the 1960s and '70s. He laid down the groove on such Brown hits as "Cold Sweat," "Sex Machine" and "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." The drum break in the song "Funky Drummer" has been sampled and used in over 1,000 songs.

Clyde Stubblefield, seen here on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," died February 18 at age 73. He was the drummer for James Brown in the 1960s and '70s. He laid down the groove on such Brown hits as "Cold Sweat," "Sex Machine" and "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." The drum break in the song "Funky Drummer" has been sampled and used in over 1,000 songs.

Actor Bill Paxton , whose extensive career included films such as "Twister," "Aliens" and "Titanic," died February 26, according to a representative for his family. He was 61. Paxton died "due to complications from surgery," a statement said.

Judge Joseph Wapner , from the popular reality television program "The People's Court," died February 26, according to his son Judge Fred Wapner. He was 97.

Comedian and actor Don Rickles died at his home in Los Angeles on April 6, according to his publicist Paul Shefrin. Rickles was 90.

Comedian Charlie Murphy died April 12 after a battle with leukemia, according to his publicist Domenick Nati. He was 57. Murphy rose to fame for his work on the popular "Chapelle's Show," where he was a co-star and writer.

Actress Erin Moran , best known as kid sister Joanie Cunningham on the TV show "Happy Days," was found dead on April 22. She was 56. Moran likely died from complications of Stage 4 cancer, officials said.

Filmmaker Jonathan Demme , whose Oscar-winning thriller "The Silence of the Lambs" terrified audiences, died April 26 at the age of 73. Here, Demme works on the "Silence of the Lambs" set with actor Anthony Hopkins in 1991. Demme's other films include "Philadelphia," "Married to the Mob" and a remake of "The Manchurian Candidate."

Veteran Indian actor Vinod Khanna died May 4 at the age of 70. Khanna, who had been dubbed Bollywood's "original heartthrob," reportedly battled cancer for several years.

American bobsledder Steven Holcomb , who piloted a four-man team to Olympic gold in 2010, died on May 6. The 37-year-old was found in his room at the US training center in Lake Placid, New York. No cause of death was given.

Former US Sen. Jim Bunning , the only National Baseball Hall of Fame member ever to serve in Congress, died May 26 at the age of 85.

Actor Martin Landau , who starred in the 1960s television show "Mission Impossible" and won an Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi in the movie "Ed Wood," died July 15 following "unexpected complications during a short hospitalization," his publicist Dick Guttman said. Landau was 89.

Comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory , who broke barriers in the 1960s and became one of the first African-Americans to perform at white clubs, died on August 19. He was 84.

Longtime character actor Harry Dean Stanton died September 15 at the age of 91, according to his agent, John S. Kelly. Stanton, whose gaunt, worn looks were more recognizable to many than his name, appeared in more than 100 movies and 50 TV shows, including "Alien," "Repo Man," "Paris, Texas" and "Pretty in Pink."

Former boxing champion Jake LaMotta , right, died September 19 at the age of 95. LaMotta was played by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning movie "Raging Bull."

Singer Charles Bradley , who was known as the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" because of his raspy voice and stirring performances, died September 23 at the age of 68.

Rock legend Tom Petty died October 2 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California, according to Tony Dimitriades, longtime manager of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty was 66.

Hall of Fame football quarterback Y.A. Tittle died October 8 at the age of 90. Tittle made the Pro Bowl seven times over his 17-year career, and he was the NFL's MVP in 1963. In this photo, Tittle squats on the field after being hit hard during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1964. This became an iconic photograph that helped cement Tittle's name in football history.

Fashion designer and popular "Project Runway" contestant Mychael Knight died October 17 outside Atlanta, family spokesman Jerris Madison told CNN. Knight was 39. No cause of death was released.

Former NASA astronaut Dick Gordon, the command module pilot on the second lunar landing mission, died on November 6. He was 88. Gordon spent more than 316 hours in space over two missions.

Former NASA astronaut Dick Gordon, the command module pilot on the second lunar landing mission, died on November 6. He was 88. Gordon spent more than 316 hours in space over two missions.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay , a two-time winner of the Cy Young Award, died in a plane crash on November 7, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office in Florida. Halladay was 40.

Longtime gossip columnist Liz Smith , who started her column at the New York Daily News in 1976, died on November 12, according to the newspaper. She was 94. Known affectionately as the "the Grand Dame of Dish," Smith's legendary work included a chronicle of Donald and Ivana Trump's divorce, which made front-page news.

Country music legend Mel Tillis died early on November 19, according to a statement from his publicist. He was 85. Tillis was a prolific singer-songwriter who penned more than 1,000 songs and recorded more than 60 albums in a career that spanned six decades.

Beloved Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor died December 4 at a hospital in Mumbai, India, a hospital spokesman said. The 79-year-old actor had been battling chronic kidney disease, local media reported.

Legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg died on December 21. He was 82. Most recently, Enberg was the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres.

Former astronaut Bruce McCandless II , famously captured in a 1984 photo documenting the first untethered flight in space, died December 21, NASA said. He was 80.

More than 50 years after her star turn in "The Sound of Music," actress Heather Menzies Urich died of brain cancer on December 24. She was 68 years old. Menzies Urich played Louisa von Trapp in the classic 1965 movie.

Broadway and television actress Rose Marie , best known for her role as Sally Rogers on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," died December 28, her publicist said, citing her family. She was 94.

Stanton, whose gaunt, worn looks were more recognizable to many than his name, appeared in more than 100 films and 50 television shows, including the films "Alien" and "Repo Man" and the series "Big Love" and the recent version of "Twin Peaks."

For many years, Stanton played lesser-billed characters. In 1984, he got his first part as a leading man in "Paris, Texas," which won a host of awards, including the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

The late film critic Roger Ebert wrote of the actor in 1989, "No movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad."

The character actor became a leading man with "Paris, Texas" (1984).

Stanton often played haggard men with battered souls, Turner Classic Movies said in its description of him. TCM is owned by CNN's parent company, Time Warner.

"A restless, unconventional spirit off-camera, Stanton always lent a sympathetic realness to the menacing criminals and barroom-dwelling outsiders he stashed beneath his craggy face and wiry, worn frame," TCM said.

Well-lined face was 'the story'

Writer and director David Lynch said in a statement that Stanton was a great human being as well as a great actor.

Stanton had roles in many memorable movies such as "Alien" (1979).

"There went a great one. There's nobody like Harry Dean. Everyone loved him," he said.

Lynch appeared in the 2012 documentary "Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction."

"How would you like to be remembered?" Lynch asked.

"It doesn't matter," Stanton said, who often greeted interviewers' questions with short answers.

In the film, playwright and actor Sam Shepard ( who died in July ) said that Stanton realized his well-lined face was "the story."

"You read all kinds of things into it," Shepard said.

Oh Man! Another legend gone. Harry Dean Stanton. Coolest of the cool. Kelly's Heroes coolest war movie ever! Among many others. — Stevie Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) September 15, 2017

Stanton once said he didn't blame anyone for the kinds of parts he was given early in his career.

"I hated being typecast in those roles. It was personally limiting, only playing stereotyped heavies," he said to The Sydney Morning Herald in 1987. "But I got those roles because I was angry, because that's what I projected ... and I had an extreme lack of self-confidence."

He told the Australian newspaper he had changed by adhering to Eastern mysticism, which helped him become more self-aware and less angry.

Ed Begley Jr., who worked with Stanton on several projects, had been friends with him since the 1970s.

"Just lost my friend of the past 45 years. Harry Dean Stanton. My heart is broken, but at 91...a life well lived," Begley tweeted.

Just lost my friend of the past 45 years. Harry Dean Stanton. My heart is broken, but at 91...a life well lived. — Ed Begley, Jr. (@edbegleyjr) September 16, 2017

James Woods wrote: "Saw this and I just jumped up out of my chair. I am devastated. I loved Harry Dean. Loved him. So much. OMG. #RIPHarryDeanStanton."

Saw this and I just jumped up out of my chair. I am devastated. I loved Harry Dean. Loved him. So much. OMG. #RIPHarryDeanStanton https://t.co/Jm1PW9Ylwa — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 15, 2017

Born in Kentucky

Stanton was born in Kentucky in July 1926. His father was a tobacco farmer and had an often-strained relationship with the actor's mother. Stanton served in the Navy during World War II, then went to the University of Kentucky.

He was indecisive on a course of study until he found the drama department but still he didn't graduate. He told The New York Times it was by choice.

RIP to the legendary Harry Dean Stanton. Impossible to cover his legacy in brief but here's a few favs: 'Alien', 'Paris Texas', 'Repo Man'. pic.twitter.com/tKglu0Bemv — edgarwright (@edgarwright) September 15, 2017

"I thought that was a positive, independent kind of statement," he said in 1986. "I never liked being ordered around, which, of course, was an overreaction. I eventually found out that I didn't mind being ordered around at all when it was by someone who knew what he was doing.''

Stanton eventually moved to New York to become an actor in a traveling children's theater show.

By the mid-1950s he was in Hollywood where he was cast for the first time as a background player. He appeared in many memorable films -- "The Godfather: Part II," Pretty in Pink," "The Last Temptation of Christ," "The Green Mile" among them.

Stanton never married but is survived by family.