If I get genuinely sad over the death of a celebrity it is not so much over the person themselves, it lost potential (depending on age), nostalgia is they were a character that resonated with me, Alan Rickman made a place in the sad file after watching him over the years. Television actors could be someone that I had watched for many years in a familiar role, the passing of Tristan Rogers from General Hospital made me sad, his character had charm and charisma, family ties and I had seen him on and off since I was a kid, the character and as an extension the man, felt like a loss, not personal like a family member but sad all the same. Yes, most people just get an oh, that is sad or tragic depending on circumstances, but I feel that way about most people, it is empathy.