List of Famous people who died at 40

Ian Charleson was a British stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell, in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire. He is also well known for his portrayal of Rev. Charlie Andrews in the 1982 Oscar-winning film Gandhi.

Larry Allen Abshier was one of six American soldiers to defect to North Korea after the Korean War. He was born in Urbana, Illinois.

Sharon la Hechicera, also known by the nicknames La Reina de la Tecnocumbia, La Diva, and La Diva Criolla, was an Ecuadorian television actress and presenter, music producer, advertising and public relations consultant, lingerie designer, and singer known for her promotion and performing of the tecnocumbia genre. She was one of the most popular celebrities in Ecuador during her lifetime.

Maysa Figueira Monjardim, better known as Maysa Matarazzo, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter and actress. She is also associated with Bossa nova music but is widely known as a torch song (fossa) interpreter.

Richard James Edwards, also known as Richey James or Richey Manic, was a Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his dark, politicised and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status, as well as having been cited by some as a leading lyricist of his generation, leading the Cool Cymru.

Emil Gabriel Jula was a Romanian professional footballer who played as a striker.

Michael John Smith, was an American engineer and astronaut. He served as the pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission, when it broke up 73 seconds into the flight, and at an altitude of 48,000 feet (14.6 km), killing all 7 crew members. Smith's voice was the last one heard on the Challenger voice recorder.

Chakradhar "Chakri" Gilla was an Indian music composer and singer in Tollywood films. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer – Telugu for Satyam (2003).

Kevyn James Aucoin was an American make-up artist, photographer and author. In the 1990s, Aucoin was wholly responsible for the "sculpted" look of many celebrities and top models, including Whitney Houston, Cher, Madonna, Cindy Crawford, Liza Minnelli, Courtney Love, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, and Naomi Campbell. He authored several industry-defining books with makeup techniques including facial contouring, which was relatively unknown in popular culture at the time, but pioneered and used in drag culture and stage makeup for decades prior. Aucoin, often noted as being decades ahead of his contemporaries, is considered to be one of, if not the greatest make-up artist of the modern age.

Erik Myers was an American comedian, actor, and writer.