List of Famous people who died at 54

Hayashiya Sanpei I was a Japanese Rakugo comedian. His trademark line was "Sō nansu, okusan!". Hayashiya Shōzō IX and Hayashiya Sanpei II are his sons and Yasuha is his daughter.

Reggie Paul Bagala was an American politician who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party for four months.

Jörg Kastendiek was a German politician for the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), who was member of the Bürgerschaft, the state parliament of Bremen. Kastendiek also served as senator of Bremen from 2005 to 2007, as Senator for Economy and Ports and as Senator for Culture.

Damian Le Bas was a British artist associated with the Outsider Art label, as well a leading exponent of the "Roma Revolution" in art.

Gideon Nieuwoudt (1951–2005) was a former apartheid-era security policeman involved in the torture and murder of several anti-apartheid activists, including Steve Biko. Nieuwoudt, nicknamed "Notorious", was one of the most feared security policemen in the Eastern Cape for his interrogation methods including wet bags, poison, torture machines and often disguised himself as a priest, dubbing him the "Priest from hell". Nieuwoudt had up to five hearings at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), in connection with the murders of numerous political activists.

Brion Howard James was an American character actor. He portrayed Leon Kowalski in Blade Runner, and appeared in Southern Comfort, 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hrs., Silverado, Tango & Cash, Red Heat, The Player, and The Fifth Element. James was frequently cast as an antagonist, appearing more frequently in lower-budget horror and action films and TV shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s. James appeared in more than 100 films before he died of a heart attack at the age of 54.

Victor Peter Chang, AC, was an Australian cardiac surgeon and a pioneer of modern heart transplantation. After completing his medical studies at the University of Sydney and working in St Vincent's Hospital, he trained in the United Kingdom and the United States as a surgeon before returning to Australia. In St Vincent's Hospital, he helped establish the National Cardiac Transplant Unit, the country's leading centre for heart and lung transplants. Chang's team had a high success rate in performing heart transplantations and he pioneered the development of an artificial heart valve.

Rosario Bléfari  was an Argentine singer-songwriter, actress and poet, widely considered an emblematic figure of Argentine independent music and cinema.

Norberto Aníbal Napolitano, known by his stage name Pappo, was an Argentine electric guitarist, singer-songwriter and composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in the history of Argentine rock.

Pepper LaBeija was an American drag queen and fashion designer. LaBeija was known as "the last remaining queen of the Harlem drag balls".