Remembering 9/11: A Look Back At Some Of The Stories That Changed Hollywood

September 11, 2026 7:00am The Tribute in Light installation this week in New York City Jeremy Weine/Getty Images The tragedy of September 11, 2001, which took the lives of almost 3,000 people, touched every part of America, including Hollywood. The TV community grieved one of its own as Frasier co-creator David Angel and his wife were among those on board one of the hijacked planes that hit the World Trade Center in New York City. From Manhattan to Los Angeles to Toronto where talent had gathered for the annual Toronto Film Festival, Hollywood watched in horror as the Twin Towers fell 25 years ago today. For many working in TV news, they had to overcome their own fear and anguish to report on the events of that day. As we mark the anniversary of 9/11, we are revisiting some of Deadline’s Hollywood-related stories to come out of that day: Frasier star Kelsey Grammer remembering his last conversation with Angel and his trip to Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of attacks; news anchors Carol Lin, Lester Holt and Pat Kiernan sharing their experiences covering the chaos and the agony of that day; and filmmakers and executives who attended the 2001 TIFF reflecting on how the terrorist attacks brought the festival to a halt. Watch on Deadline Additionally, 24 showrunner Howard Gordon spoke about how the terrorist-themed drama became a breakout hit by launching in the wake of 9/11 when a reeling nation needed a hero; Dick Wolf recalled how the attacks derailed a Terror miniseries he was about to film and led to him producing an Oscar-winning first responder documentary; and a Ramy duo addressed the plight of Arab American Muslims following the attacks. You can find these and other 9/11-related Deadline stories from the past decade here. Must Read Stories More from this Story Arc Remembering 9/11 Read More About: Subscribe to Deadline Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. Sign Up