Celebrities Who Lost Their Battle With AIDS

Still today, HIV remains a frightening reality. While many are living long and healthy lives with the disease, AIDS-related diseases felled 1.5 million people in 2013. Once thought to only affect certain people, HIV and AIDS do not discriminate when it comes to income, race, or sexuality. The stories of the following 23 individuals taught many that lesson, and many of these celebrities made it their mission to inform as many as possible about HIV's universal threat.

Anthony Perkins (1932-1992)
Perkins is best known for his portrayal of Norman Bates, the cross-dressing, homicidal hotel owner in Hitchcock’s classic Psycho. But by the time he played Bates, Perkins had already been nominated for a Tony and an Academy Award, and had won a Golden Globe award as New Star of the Year.  Throughout his life, he was known to have close, romantic relationships with both women and men, including, reportedly, Stephen Sondheim. "There are many who believe that this disease is God's vengeance," Perkins said in a statement before his passing, "but I believe it was sent to teach people how to love and understand and have compassion for each other.” He died in 1992 of AIDS-related pneumonia, with his wife, Berry Berenson, and his two sons by his side.  

Rock Hudson (1925-1985)
Hudson was Hollywood's ultimate leading man throughout the 1950s and '60s, romancing some of the industry’s most beloved actresses on-screen, such as Doris Day, Julie Andrews, and longtime friend Elizabeth Taylor. He was briefly married in order to mask his homosexuality. Hudson died of AIDS-related complications in 1985. His death caused a mini-panic in Hollywood, as one of his last roles, on the prime-time soap Dynasty, required a long kiss with co-star Linda Evans (Evans was, obviously, fine and not angry at Hudson for not disclosing his HIV status). Hudson was the first major Hollywood star to die of the illness. In response to the loss of her beloved friend, Taylor cofounded the American Foundation for AIDS Research and later the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)
Ashe was the first African-American tennis player to be selected to the U.S. Davis Cup team, and the only black man ever to win singles titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open. Ashe reportedly contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during heart surgery, and he announced his illness in 1992, before founding the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS, and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993. After Ashe’s death, President Bill Clinton honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts to eradicate HIV and AIDS, and for his battle to end discrimination in sports.

Liberace (1919-1987)
Flamboyant performer Liberace was known best for his piano prowess, virtuoso performances, and extravagant wardrobe, homes, and cars. At the height of his fame, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the business, playing for celebrities and dignitaries and headlining a very successful Las Vegas show. Throughout his career there were rumors of his affairs with men, prompting Liberace to file numerous libel suits against publications in an effort to mask his sexuality. He died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1987, but he and his personal physician had tried to hide his AIDS diagnosis from the public. However, the official cause of death was confirmed on the coroner's certificate filed by the Riverside County, Calif., coroner.

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991)
Mercury, the front man for the widely successful British rock band Queen, was known as bisexual to many in the music industry. Shortly before his death, a very gaunt Mercury joined his band mates for one final video, “These Are the Days of Our Lives,” a song in which the singer reminiscences about his younger days. Mercury died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS in 1991, only one day after he publicly acknowledged he had the disease. In 2010, Rolling Stone named him number 18 on its list of the 100 greatest singers ever.

Gia Carangi (1960-1986)
Carangi has been dubbed the “World’s First Supermodel,” having appeared on the cover of four international editions of Vogue, in five editions of Cosmopolitan, and in advertisements for Armani, Versace, and Christian Dior, all before turning 23. She openly loved women, having flings with female photographers, makeup artists, and designers. Sadly, at 26, Carangi became one of the first famous women to die of AIDS-related complications, having reportedly contracted it through injection drug use. HBO Films later paid tribute with an Emmy-winning 1998 drama, Gia, starring up-and-comer Angelina Jolie.

Elizabeth Glaser (1947-1994)
Glaser became a leading AIDS activist after she received an HIV-contaminated blood transfusion while giving birth to her daughter Ariel. Ariel later died after contracting the illness through breast-feeding, and Glaser’s son Jake contracted it in utero. After Ariel’s death in 1988, Glaser cofounded the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to raise awareness about HIV in children. At the time of Ariel’s death, Glaser told The New York Times, "She taught me to love when all I wanted to do was hate. She taught me to help others when all I wanted to do was help myself." Glaser died in 1994 of AIDS-related complications, but her legacy lives on. The foundation reached an estimated 20 million women worldwide, testing 17 million, and enrolling more the 2.2 million in its HIV care and support program.

Perry Ellis (1940-1986)
Ellis is best known for his casual American style of sportswear. His use of khakis, hand-knitted sweaters, and oversize jackets led The New York Times to proclaim that he “glorified the clean-cut, all-American look.” At the time, his cause of death was listed as viral encephalitis, but rumors of Ellis’s HIV-positive status made news after it came to light that his lover and business partner, Laughlin Barker, died of Kaposi’s sarcoma, an AIDS-related cancer. The Los Angeles Times ran a 1986 series on journalistic ethics and whether it was appropriate to include AIDS rumors in news stories, with Ellis serving as the focus.

Pedro Zamora (1972-1994)
Most famous for his appearance in the third season of MTV’s The Real World, Zamora was diagnosed with HIV at 17. He became the first out, HIV-positive man to appear on mainstream television, as the breakout star of The Real World's 1994, San Franciscon-set season. Zamora dated AIDS educator Sean Sasser while living in the Real World house, and the two exchanged vows in the first-ever televised same-sex commitment ceremony. Sadly, Zamora died hours after the groundbreaking finale aired. Pedro, a 2008 movie written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, dramatized Zamora's life.

Ryan White (1971-1990)
In the 1980s, Indiana-born Ryan White became the poster child of the AIDS epidemic. He was a hemophiliac and contracted the disease through contaminated blood. Because of mistreatment by adults in his community and bullying by peers at school, White and his family set out to educate people on the facts of the disease. In the process, White made many A-list friends, including John Cougar Mellencamp, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Greg Louganis, and won the hearts of millions of Americans. White died at age 18 of an AIDS-related respiratory infection. The Ryan White CARE Act, the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV or AIDS, was passed by the U.S. Congress shortly after his death.

Amanda Blake (1929-1989)
Blake was an American actress, best known for her role as Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. How she contracted HIV remains a mystery, but listed on her death certificate as a partial cause of death was CMV hepatitis (cytomegalovirus), an AIDS-related condition. Her fourth and last husband, Mark Spaeth (1944-1985), also died of AIDS-related complications.

Lance Loud (1951-2001)
Loud became part of one of the world's first reality shows when PBS aired An American Family in 1973. Lance, the eldest son of the Loud family, came out to an estimated 10 million viewers during the second episode and changed the television landscape forever. Later, Loud moved from California to New York, formed a band called the Mumps, and eventually settled into his status as a gay icon. Loud died in 2001 of liver failure caused by hepatitis C and HIV.  In 2011, HBO films made Cinema Verite, a film about the making of the original PBS documentary series, starring Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini, and Thomas Dekker as Lance. 

Steve Rubell (1943-1989)
Brooklyn-born Rubell, along with business partner Ian Schrager, opened famed disco Studio 54 in 1977. The club was known for excess and as a place where everyday people could party with the beautiful ones. Just a few of the regulars were Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Bianca Jagger, Halston, Calvin Klein, Truman Capote, Diana Ross, Madonna, and Cher. Top music stars of the '70s were also known to take the stage; the Village People, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor all entertained revelers.  After Rubell was convicted of tax evasion in 1979, nightclub watchers said the club scene in New York was never the same. Even though he was taking AZT, Rubell died in 1989 of AIDS complications, including hepatitis and septic shock.

Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993)
This Soviet-born dancer was known to celebrate both classical ballet and modern dance in the same performance. He defected to France in 1961 and eventually met his longtime love, Danish dancer Erik Bruhn. The two stayed together until Bruhn’s death in 1986. According to The New York Times, “Nureyev was afraid of revealing his illness before his death because he thought it might limit his career. The dancer learned that he had H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, in 1984, when he was still much in demand around the world. He was concerned that some countries, mainly the United States, might refuse him entry if he were known to be H.I.V. positive.”

Derek Jarman (1943-1994)
This forward-thinking British director shook up cinema in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. Jarman's gay-themed, politically driven work took on everything from the monarchy to Shakespeare classics to the scourge of AIDS. His cinematic style could be described as experimental, but it always came with a strong opinion and a definitive point. Jarman's Edward II is seen by many scholars as a modern classic, and it helped propel actress Tilda Swinton to stardom. Jarman never hid his sexuality or his HIV diagnosis, which would fell him in 1994.

Klaus Nomi (1944-1983)
The German performer remains adored thanks to his highly original performances, beautiful singing voice, and trendsetting costumes. After becoming a sensation in his native country, Nomi won over the crowds at various New York City nightclubs during the end of the disco era. He sang backup for David Bowie on Saturday Night Live, influenced drag legend Joey Arias, and even appeared in films. Sadly, in 1983, Nomi became one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS complications.

Brad Davis (1949-1991)
This actor found fame as one of the stars of the unflinching film Midnight Express, which told the story of Americans tortured in a Turkish prison. Davis, who was straight, was respected for having the courage for taking on gay roles, specifically in Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart and the film Querelle. Before becoming sober, Davis used intravenous drugs, which he and his wife believe were responsible for his infection. Davis tested positive for HIV in 1985, but kept it quiet so he wouldn't be blacklisted in Hollywood.

Tom Fogerty (1941-1990)
Fogerty and his brother John were founding members of the Southern-influenced rock band Creedence Clearwater Revivial. CCR is known for megahits like “Proud Mary,” “Born on the Bayou,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and “Fortunate Son.” Unfortunately, the brothers had a falling out in the early 1970s, which was the beginning of the end for the band. Sadly, Fogerty’s attempts at a solo career never saw the success that Creedence achieved. He died in 1990 of AIDS-related complications, having contracted the disease during a blood transfusion. The brothers were never able to reconcile.

Keith Haring (1958-1990)
The work of this kind-hearted, Pennsylvania-born artist would come to represent much of the visual aesthetic of the 1980s. After moving to New York City, Haring painted his joyful, faceless creatures on the city's subways. His work began getting national attention as the decade progressed, as galleries began showcasing his work and he developed friendships with high-profile figures like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Madonna. Haring's images took on more political dimensions as he began rallying against apartheid and the ravages of AIDS, to which he eventually succumbed. Before his death in 1990, Haring shared his artwork on school buildings and hospital walls, and established a foundation devoted to providing funding for AIDS efforts.

Peter Allen (1944-1992)
This Australian import was best known for his Oscar-winning song, “Arthur’s Theme” (written in collaboration with others), and for serving as songwriter for Olivia Newton-John, Carly Simon, and Frank Sinatra, to name only a few. Allen, discovered by Judy Garland, later married her daughter, Liza Minnelli, but the couple parted ways after seven years. After their divorce, Allen came out and lived with his long-term partner, model Gregory Connell, until Connell’s death from an AIDS-related illness in 1984. Allen died in 1992 from an AIDS-related throat cancer. Hugh Jackman would later star in a musical about Allen's life, The Boy From Oz.

Eazy-E (1963-1995)
Eazy-E was part of the influential rap/hip-hop group NWA, rhyming alongside Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. During the time when NWA was gaining popularity, Eazy-E invested in Ruthless Records and became known as the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap.” After a falling out, the group disbanded and Eazy went on to have a moderately successful solo career. Eazy died in 1995 of AIDS complications, only a month after his diagnosis. Shortly before he died, he released a statement to fans saying, “I've got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what's real when it comes to AIDS. Like the others before me, I would like to turn my own problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. Because I want to save their asses before it's too late. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real, and it doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone.”

Lance Loud (1951-2001)
Loud became part of one of the world's first reality shows when PBS aired An American Family in 1973. Lance, the eldest son of the Loud family, came out to an estimated 10 million viewers during the second episode and changed the television landscape forever. Later, Loud moved from California to New York, formed a band called the Mumps, and eventually settled into his status as a gay icon. Loud died in 2001 of liver failure caused by hepatitis C and HIV.  In 2011, HBO films made Cinema Verite, a film about the making of the original PBS documentary series, starring Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini, and Thomas Dekker as Lance. 

Steve Rubell (1943-1989)
Brooklyn-born Rubell, along with business partner Ian Schrager, opened famed disco Studio 54 in 1977. The club was known for excess and as a place where everyday people could party with the beautiful ones. Just a few of the regulars were Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Bianca Jagger, Halston, Calvin Klein, Truman Capote, Diana Ross, Madonna, and Cher. Top music stars of the '70s were also known to take the stage; the Village People, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor all entertained revelers.  After Rubell was convicted of tax evasion in 1979, nightclub watchers said the club scene in New York was never the same. Even though he was taking AZT, Rubell died in 1989 of AIDS complications, including hepatitis and septic shock.

10 Actors Who Tragically Ended Their Lives

Although their lives seem exciting and appealing, and though their screen personas have brought joy and wonder to the rest of us, the lives of film, television, and stage actors are not always easy. In some cases, failed relationships, deaths in the family, or health problems may drive them to an early grave—at their own hands. Inspired by the recent suicide of the beloved Robin Williams, this list is a collection of 10 other beloved actors who tragically ended their lives.

1 Charles Boyer

This acclaimed French actor with the instantly recognizable face was the absolute picture of success. Boyer’s career spanned over 50 years and some 80 films, and he garnered four Academy Award nominations. But it was the 1930s and 1940s that were his golden times. Classic films like The Garden of Allah, Algiers, Love Affair, and the thriller Gaslight captured his sensuous appeal as a romantic leading man and a talented thespian.

Although he was born in a small French town in 1899 and didn’t know a word of English, Boyer refused to allow that to stifle his creativity. He made a name for himself in French cinema beginning with his first film, L’Homme du Large, and later moved to Hollywood to further his career. Over the years, he starred opposite voluptuous beauties like Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, and many more.

Boyer was known not only for his films, but also his television appearances, his advocacy for French-American relations, and for inspiring the legendary animated character Pepe le Pew. He retired from his career in the 1970s to take care of his first and only wife, Pat Paterson, who was afflicted with cancer at the time. Her death in 1978 proved too much for Boyer to handle, though, and he ended his life two days after by ingesting a lethal dose of barbiturates.

2 Brad Davis

With a torturous start in life at the hands of a sexually abusive mother and an alcoholic father, Brad Davis learned destructive habits early in life. However, acting was his dream, and after winning a music talent contest in his teenage years, he worked at Theatre Atlanta and later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.

After appearing in theater productions, soap operas, television movies, and the mini-series Roots, he won acclaim with his film debut, 1979’s Midnight Express, for which he won a Golden Globe Award along with several other nominations. He also starred in the drama Querelle, a landmark film for the gay community.

His adult career, however, was marred by his arrests and wild behavior, with accounts of him shooting framed portraits of himself, spreading his own feces on hotel walls, and, in one instance, ripping his shirt off at a Hollywood party and shouting, “Who’s got the drugs?” After reportedly sobering up from his long-time struggle with alcohol and cocaine abuse, Davis learned that he had AIDS, most likely either due to his drug abuse or alleged bisexual lifestyle. Frightened of having people discover his affliction, he ended his life with the aid of some close friends.

3 David Rappaport

Standing at just 119 centimeters (3’11”) tall, the English actor David Rappaport was one of the finest dwarf actors of his generation. Although obviously much shorter than his contemporaries, he was a recurring actor in television shows like L.A. Law and The Wizard, and a knockout in films like The Bride and the comedy classic Time Bandits, in which he acted alongside Sean Connery and John Cleese. He was even chosen to appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation in a role that can be seen on the Season 3 Blu-ray collection.

However, over his lifetime, he claimed that he battled depression because of intolerance and prejudice due to his appearance. In an interview, he confessed, “I look at boring people every day, and I say, ‘God, I wish I could be like that,’ but my lot is to be unique, special, so I have to put up with it.”

After a failed suicide attempt in March 1990 by inhaling automobile exhaust, he succeeded that May in Laurel Canyon Park, where the police found his body after he shot himself.

4 Brian Keith

Born in New Jersey to a family of actors, it didn’t take long for the acting bug to bite Brian Keith. His film debut was at the age of three, and while he lent himself to radio and stock productions, he decided to serve with the United States Marine Corps beginning at the age of 19. Although he was awarded an Air Navy medal for his service, Keith’s true calling was always acting. Back on home ground, the robust, gruff actor started off on Broadway in plays like Mister Roberts, and it didn’t take long for major studios to notice him.

Starting in 1953 with a career that would last some 35 years, Keith went on to star in a host of wildly popular sitcoms and TV shows such as Family Affair, Hardcastle and McCormick, and the eponymous The Brian Keith Show. His film career also left little to be desired, as the adaptable actor portrayed anything from family men to cowboys to detectives and starred in classics like The Wind and the Lion and The Parent Trap.

Unfortunately, he was later diagnosed with cancer and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his California home in 1997.

5 Steven Keats

When speaking about television and film of the 1970s, it would be remiss not to mention Steven Keats, a talented actor of both mediums who was raised in Brooklyn, although both of his parents were Jewish immigrants from Denmark. After an education at the Yale School of Drama and Montclair State College, and after serving with the Air Force in Vietnam, he decided to try his hand at acting. His Broadway debut was in 1970 with Oh! Calcutta.

It was his later performances in films like Hester Street, Death Wish, and The Gambler that caught the attention of the public and brought him acclaim. His Emmy-nominated performance in the miniseries Seventh Avenue in 1977 as ruthless clothing entrepreneur Jay Blackman, though, was perhaps his finest work.

Despite his success in film and television, his three failed marriages and other unknown conditions left him in a dejected state, and in May 1994, he was found dead from suicide in his Manhattan apartment.

6 Richard Farnsworth

Starting out as a humble stunt man and continuing in that field for 30 years, doubling for giants like Henry Fonda and Roy Rogers, this brilliant yet unassuming man finally turned to acting at the ripe age of 57. Although already an older man, he took his work seriously and eventually received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1978’s Comes a Horseman. Although he established himself after that in other major roles in films like The Grey Fox and Tom Horn, his greatest achievement was portraying real-life Alvin Straight in The Straight Story, for which he received an Academy Award.

During that time, however, Farnsworth had been diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and found himself unable to walk. He was later partially paralyzed after a surgery. At the age of 80, frustrated and depressed, Farnsworth wrote a suicide note and shot himself in his home.

7 Sammee Tong

Born in San Francisco, Tong was educated in Hawaii before embarking on a career in Hollywood. Starting in the 1930s, he appeared in uncredited bits in many films, although he was credited with roles in classics like It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 1959, he appeared along with John Forsythe as a regular on his first television show, Bachelor Father. Known for his fondness for comedy, the Chinese entertainer also toured nightclubs as a singer and a comedian.

After some 25 years performing in films and on television, while starring alongside Mickey Rooney in the sitcom Mickey, Tong was found dead in his home with an empty bottle of sleeping pills close to his body and the note, “I have taken my own life. No one is to blame.” Other than the assumed dissatisfaction with his life, no motive for his self-inflicted drug overdose could ever be determined.

8 Freddie Prinze

The father of Freddie Prinze Jr. and one of the funniest stand-up comics of his time, Prinze broke ground for Hispanic actors like no one before him. Best loved for his performance in the 1970s television show Chico and the Man, he also performed for president Jimmy Carter and cracked up Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.

The man who had made $2 an hour as an usher for Broadway suddenly had a bright future ahead of him. However, although he had signed contracts with NBC and Caesar’s Palace that would’ve secured him over $7 million and was negotiating with film studios like Warner Bros. and Universal, his addiction to cocaine and Quaaludes and his impending divorce depressed him. On January 28, 1977, in Los Angeles, Prinze wrote a suicide note, put a gun in his mouth, and sent a .38-caliber bullet through his head.

9 Spalding Gray

Praised as the greatest American storyteller of his generation as much for his unique style of writing and acting as his ability to touch an audience with insightful and profound comments about life, Spalding Gray made theatrical monologues popular with his performances of such classics as Monster in a Box and Swimming to Cambodia, both of which were adapted to film. He also starred in supporting roles in many classic comedy films, such as Kate and Leopold, King of the Hill, and Beaches.

It was in Ireland in 2001 that the car Gray was in collided with a van, crushing his hip and shattering part of his skull. After the accident, Gray struggled with depression. Whether it was due to brain damage, tragic events like his mother’s suicide, or something else entirely remains unknown. He began to talk about suicide, and even attempted it several times, although some that believe it was a viewing of Tim Burton’s Big Fish that finally convinced him to attempt the big one. On January 10, 2004, Gray allegedly jumped off the Staten Island Ferry. His body was found two months later.

10 George Sanders

With his sophisticated mannerisms, charming persona, and silky, deep voice, it didn’t take long for George Sanders to take Hollywood by storm as the villainous and smarmy scoundrel, which he showcased wonderfully in films like Rebecca, All About Eve, and The Picture of Dorian Grey. He even lent his voice to Shere Khan in the animated film The Jungle Book.

Even after garnering much acclaim, receiving an Oscar, and romancing several female celebrities, Sanders was not known for his happiness. In his autobiography, he wrote, “I am a disagreeable person. I am a hateful person.” He also remarked that women should be beaten and were worth very little, advocating a 25 percent tax for actresses so they wouldn’t make as much as male actors. Late in life, he was afflicted by an incapacitating stroke that affected his speech, along with several other health problems.

In 1972, Sanders checked into a hotel in Spain and overdosed on prescription drugs, leaving behind a suicide note that read in part: “Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored.”