Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Hollywood Remembers 9/11 Stories 25 Years After Attacks
The September 11 attacks happened in 2001 and killed almost 3,000 people.
The tragedy affected people in Hollywood as well as people across America.
David Angell, who helped create Frasier, and his wife died aboard one of the hijacked planes.
Television journalists had to report the news while feeling afraid and heartbroken themselves.
The attacks also stopped the Toronto Film Festival for a time.
Some television shows and film projects changed because of what happened.
The drama 24 became a major success after starting in the attacks’ aftermath.
Deadline is remembering these stories and the people connected to them 25 years later.
The September 11, 2001, attacks killed almost 3,000 people and affected Hollywood alongside the rest of America.
Frasier co-creator David Angell and his wife were among those aboard a hijacked plane that struck New York City’s World Trade Center.
Hollywood professionals, including television journalists, covered the attacks while dealing with personal fear and grief.
Deadline revisited accounts from Kelsey Grammer, Carol Lin, Lester Holt, Pat Kiernan and others about the attacks’ immediate aftermath.
The attacks halted the 2001 Toronto Film Festival and influenced projects including 24, a planned Terror miniseries and a first-responder documentary.
- Who
- Hollywood and television professionals, including David Angell, Kelsey Grammer, Carol Lin, Lester Holt, Pat Kiernan, Howard Gordon and Dick Wolf.
- What
- A retrospective on how the September 11 attacks affected Hollywood, television news, festivals and film and television projects.
- When
- September 11, 2001, with the retrospective marking the 25th anniversary.
- Where
- New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto, including the World Trade Center, Ground Zero and the Toronto Film Festival.
- Why
- To remember people affected by the attacks and revisit Hollywood-related stories that emerged from them.
- Attacks
- The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks killed almost 3,000 people.
- Hollywood loss
- Frasier co-creator David Angell and his wife died aboard one of the hijacked planes.
- News coverage
- Carol Lin, Lester Holt and Pat Kiernan shared experiences covering the attacks.
- Festival impact
- The 2001 Toronto Film Festival was brought to a halt by the attacks.
- Television impact
- 24 launched in the aftermath and became a breakout hit.
- Film project
- The attacks derailed a Terror miniseries Dick Wolf was preparing to film.
- Documentary
- Dick Wolf later produced an Oscar-winning documentary about first responders.