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I figure it's because many people recognise him and feel some form of shock to hear that someone they recognise has died.
Hearing about some largely unknown person dying evokes a sense of apathy and indifference.
When you say "slightly" known, you're talking about millions of people who watch(ed) the shows he played in. That means that there are more than enough people who are interested in finding out about his passing for it to be newsworthy.
Even for us unknowns, there are simple obituaries written by loved ones who, to probably only a handful, it would be interesting.
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