Actors and actresses that were dead before they were 40. Listed are the people those that died from 1980 and onwards.
1.River Phoenix
Actor, Stand by Me
River Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom in Madras, Oregon. His mother, Arlyn (Dunetz), a Bronx-born secretary, and his father, John Bottom, a carpenter, met in California in 1968. They worked as itinerant fruit pickers, and later joined the Children of God religious group (John was originally Catholic.
On October 31, 1993, Phoenix collapsed and died of drug-induced heart failure on the sidewalk outside the West Hollywood nightclub, The Viper Room which was owned by Johnny Depp.
2.Brittany Murphy
Actress, 8 Mile
Brittany Murphy was born Brittany Anne Bertolotti on November 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti. Her father's ancestry is Italian, and her mother is of Irish and Slovak descent. Her father moved the family back to Edison, New Jersey as a native New Yorker and to be closer to other siblings from previous marriages.
On February 4, 2010, the Los Angeles County coroner stated that the primary cause of Murphy's death was pneumonia, with secondary factors of iron-deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication. On February 25, 2010, the coroner released a report stating that Murphy had been taking a range of over-the-counter and prescription medications, with the most likely reason being to treat a cold or respiratory infection. These included elevated levels of hydrocodone, acetaminophen, L-methamphetamine and chlorpheniramine. All of the drugs were legal and the death was ruled to be an accident, but the report observed: the possible adverse physiological effects of elevated levels of these medications cannot be discounted, especially in her weakened state.
Murphy's husband died shortly after in similar circumstances, her mother is currently trying to find answers, believing something more sinister may have happened.
3.Brandon Lee
Actor, The Crow
Born in Oakland, California, USA, Brandon Lee spent the first eight years of his life in Hong Kong. By the time he was able to walk, he was already involved in learning about martial arts from his father, martial arts expert and famed actor Bruce Lee. After Bruce Lee's untimely death, Brandon.
Brandon Lee died of a fatal gunshot wound on March 31, 1993 after an accidental shooting on set of The Crow. The props crew had incorrectly placed what they thought would be dummy bullets in the gun. Due to the way the bullet was prepared, it did in fact fire with similar force to a regular bullet, hitting Lee in the abdomen, his injuries proving fatal.
4.Brad Renfro
Actor, Ghost World
Brad Renfro was born on July 25, 1982 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Angela Denise McCrory and Mark Renfro, a factory worker. He was discovered at age 10 by director Joel Schumacher and was cast in the motion picture The Client, which starred Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. Although this would be his zenith.
Renfro was found dead on January 15, 2008 in his Los Angeles apartment. He was 25 years old. On February 8, 2008, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office ruled that Renfro's death was accidental, attributing it to acute heroin/morphine intoxication.
5.Heath Ledger
Actor, The Dark Knight
When a hunky, twenty-year-old heart-throb Heath Ledger first came to the attention of the public in 1999, it was all too easy to tag him as a pretty boy and an actor of little depth. He spent several years trying desperately to sway this image, but this was a double-edged sword. Heath Ledger was born on the fourth of April 1979.
Ledger died on 22 January 2008 from an accidental toxic combination of prescription drugs.
6.Jonathan Brandis
Actor, One Life to Live
Born in Danbury, Connecticut, USA, to Greg and Mary, Jonathan Brandis began his career at age 5, acting in television commercials. He appeared in small parts in several films and TV shows before his first starring role in the 1990 film The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter. He starred in popular films such as Ladybugs and starred as Lucas Wolenczak in Steven Spielberg's television series SeaQuest 2032.
On November 12, 2003, Brandis died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood from injuries he suffered after he hanged himself.
7.Heather O'Rourke
Actress, Poltergeist
Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego, California, to Kathleen, a seamstress, and Michael O'Rourke, a construction worker. She had German, Danish, English, and Irish ancestry. Heather entered American cinematic pop-culture before first grade. She was sitting alone in the MGM Commissary waiting for her mother when a stranger approached her asking her name.
O'Rourke died at the age of 12 of cardiac arrest and septic shock caused by a misdiagnosed intestinal stenosis in February 1988.
8.Corey Haim
Actor, The Lost Boys
Corey Haim was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Judy Haim, an Israeli-born data processor, and Bernie Haim, a Canadian-born clothing sales representative. He has a sister, Carol, and a half-brother, Daniel. His family is Jewish. Haim broke into the film industry in 1984, playing a young child caught up in a family war in the movie Firstborn.
On March 10, 2010, after Haim's mother phoned 9-1-1, paramedics took Haim from their home to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. He was 38 years old. Los Angeles police stated that his death appeared to be an accidental overdose and that four bottles containing Valium, Vicodin, Soma (a muscle relaxant) and Haloperidol (an anti-psychotic) were retrieved. Autopsy results later showed his death was caused by pneumonia.
9.Sage Stallone
Actor, Rocky V
On August 30, 2012, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office announced that Stallone died of atherosclerosis, which caused a heart attack.
10.Johnny Lewis
Actor, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the middle of three siblings, Johnny began performing from the age of 5 at a small performing arts school, making his debut as a Chanukah candle. Pursuing the acting profession, he appeared with success in many TV and film projects, handling both drama and comedy with finesse.
On September 26, 2012, Lewis and an 81-year-old woman, Catherine Davis, were found dead at a home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, California. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) found Lewis' body on the home's driveway. Davis was found dead inside the dwelling, which appeared to have been ransacked. Broken glass and a dead cat were found in the home, as well. Davis' death is being investigated as a homicide, in which Lewis is a suspect. According to multiple reports, police were called to the scene after neighbors heard the 81-year-old woman screaming.
Neighbors told police they saw a man jump the fence on the Davis property, assault a homeowner and painter next door, then jump back over the fence. According to the LAPD, Lewis then either fell or jumped from the home's roof, garage, or patio. An autopsy report released on November 29, 2012 stated that Lewis did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system when he died. Lewis had a history of drug abuse, leading to speculation by his attorney that the actor may have suffered a drug-induced psychosis when he allegedly killed his landlady. Toxicology reports came back negative for marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, psychedelic drugs or anti-psychotic medication. The autopsy report did indicate he had suffered partial strangulation and had fingernail marks on his neck when he died. There was no indication that Lewis had been pushed or jumped from the roof in an act of suicide. His death was ruled accidental.
11.Sammi Kane Kraft
Actress, Bad News Bears
On October 9, 2012, at 1:30 AM, Kraft was riding in the passenger seat of a car when it rear-ended a semi trailer and was then struck by another vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol.[5] Subsequently, she was pronounced dead at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
12.Natina Reed
Actress, Bring It On
Reed died on October 26, 2012, two days shy of her 33rd birthday, in a road accident. She was struck while talking on the phone in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on U.S. Highway 29 (near Hamilton Road) while crossing the street.
13.Mark Priestley
Actor, Better Than Sex
On the afternoon of 27 August 2008 Priestley checked into the Swissotel in Market Street, Sydney, under the name 'Damien Barker'. He jumped from a window at the hotel at about 2PM. Police confirmed that his body was found in an awning. A police spokesperson said that the incident was not being treated as suspicious. The actor was believed to have been suffering from depression. Priestley continued to be seen posthumously in his All Saints role until November 18, 2008
14.Ryan Dunn
Self, Jackass 3D
Ryan Dunn (June 11, 1977 - June 20, 2011) was an American reality television personality, actor and stunt man. He was a member of the Jackass and Viva La Bam crew. Ryan Matthew Dunn was born in Medina, Ohio, to Linda Sue (Reese) and Ronald James Dunn. He came to prominence as a member of the CKY Crew.
Dunn died in an alcohol-related car crash in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, on the morning of June 20, 2011, alongside his friend Zachary Hartwell, a production assistant on Jackass Number Two.
15.Andy Whitfield
Actor, Gabriel
Whitfield died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Sydney, Australia, on 11 September 2011, 18 months after his initial cancer diagnosis.
16.Justin Mentell
Actor, G-Force
On February 1, 2010, Mentell died in a car crash near Hollandale, Wisconsin.
17.Andy Hallett
Actor, Not Fade Away
Andy Hallett is from the tiny Cape Cod village of Osterville, part of the town of Barnstable. He attended Barnstable High School and then Assumption College in Worcester. Always shy, he didn't begin singing until Patti LaBelle invited him onstage at a concert. After moving to Los Angeles he worked as a runner for an agency and then as a property manager and personal assistant.
Five years after first experiencing heart problems, and after at least three additional hospitalizations, Hallett died from congestive heart failure on March 29, 2009 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles with his father by his bedside.
18.Lucy Gordon
Actress, Spider-Man 3
On 20 May 2009, Gordon was found hanging in the Paris flat she shared with cinematographer Jerome Almeras.
19.Johnny Palermo
Actor, Sissy Frenchfry
On June 8, 2009, he and his girlfriend Alessandra Giangrande were both killed in an early morning car crash in North Hollywood, California. Giangrande was driving at the time. Palermo was 27 years old at his death.
20.Robert Knox
Actor, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Son of Colin and Sally Knox. Brother of Jamie Knox. Stabbed to death in bar brawl in London on 24 May 2008, while protecting his 16-year-old brother, four days after his last scene on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was shot. His attacker was convicted of his murder on 4 March 2009.
Knox died after being stabbed outside of a bar in Sidcup, Greater London, in May 2008, when he intervened in a fight to protect his brother. ”
21.De'Angelo Wilson
Actor, 8 Mile
Wilson was found hanged in the back room of a commercial building in Los Angeles, California; his death was ruled a suicide.
22.Sophie Heathcote
Actress, Three Chords and a Wardrobe
Heathcote died suddenly in Connecticut from an aneurism. She had also been suffering from advanced skin and pancreatic cancer.
23.Adrienne Shelly
Actress, Waitress
The late Adrienne Shelley was born in Queens, New York, to Sheldon Levine and Elaine Langbaum. After graduating Jericho High School, located in Jericho, New York, she went enrolled at Boston University, and majored in film production. After her junior year, she dropped out and moved to Manhattan where she made a name for herself in independent films.
On November 1, 2006, Shelley was murdered in her Greenwich Village work studio. Found hanging from a curtain rod in the studio's bathroom, her death was initially thought to be a suicide. After a police investigation, and with her husband insisting a suicide was out of the question, an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant who was part of a construction crew working at the building was arrested and later confessed to her murder. Shelley had confronted him after he had crept into her studio and found him rummaging through her purse.
24.Belinda Emmett
Actress, The Nugget
Belinda Emmett was born on 12 April 1974 in Umina Beach, New South Wales, Australia. As a teenager, she worked for local radio station Coast Rock FM before landing her first major acting role as Tracy Russell in the popular sitcom Hey Dad..!. She became a household name two years later when she joined the cast of popular drama series Home and Away as Rebecca Fisher.
On 11 November 2006, Emmett died from cancer at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. She had been there since reportedly suffering stroke-like symptoms the previous Monday.
25.Lamont Bentley
Actor, Buffalo Soldiers
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lamont Bentley moved to Los Angeles with his mother, an aspiring singer. His aptitude for comedy became apparent as he constantly made people laugh at his mother's auditions. It was then that he was encouraged to begin his own entertainment career. He began with commercials.
Shortly after midnight on January 19, 2005, Bentley was driving alone when he was killed in a single-car accident in southern California's Ventura County. He was driving on Highway 118 near Simi Valley (30 miles northwest of Los Angeles). Witnesses to the accident stated that Bentley's vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed towards the Rocky Peak Fire Road off ramp. After running through a stop sign, the vehicle went through a chain-link fence situated across the street and rolled down an embankment. Bentley was ejected from the vehicle into traffic where five cars struck him before help could arrive. ”
26.Nicole DeHuff
Actress, Meet the Parents
Nicole DeHuff was born on 6 January 1975 in Oklahoma. She began her acting studies at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon Acting Conservatory. Her first screen role was in the comedy hit Meet the Parents, in which she co-starred with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. Her character (Deborah Byrnes) was the sister whose wedding caused chaos for her family.
DeHuff became ill and was allegedly misdiagnosed twice by doctors who failed to recognize her as having pneumonia. She collapsed at her Hollywood Hills home. Taken unconscious to Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, she was found to have an aggressive form of pneumonia that, a friend says, led to a staph infection and cardiac arrest. When it was finally discovered, it was already well advanced and she died on February 16, 2005, in Los Angeles.
27.Matthew McGrory
Actor, Big Fish
Originally a student of pre-law at Widener University, and later majoring in Criminal Justice at West Chester University, Matthew started his career by making appearances on The Howard Stern Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and music videos of Iron Maiden, Marilyn Manson, and Blondie. Matthew would later amass a cult following for memorable roles such as Tiny in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses.
He lived in Sherman Oaks, California, with his girlfriend Melissa. On August 9, 2005, Matthew McGrory died of natural causes (he was never diagnosed as having gigantism) at age 32.
28.Lloyd Avery II
Actor, Boyz n the Hood
In 2001, Avery was arrested in connection with a double homicide soon after wrapping Focus. He was later convicted and sentenced to prison.
On the evening of September 6, 2005, Avery was found dead in his cell at Pelican Bay State Prison. His body was discovered two days after he was strangled and struck on the head. Avery's cellmate, Kevin Roby, is the prime suspect in the murder. He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California.
29.Fritha Goodey
Actress, About a Boy
Having struggled with anorexia for years, Goodey committed suicide by stabbing herself in the chest on 7 September 2004.
30.Lana Clarkson
Actress, Scarface
This beautiful, long-legged blonde actress was known to be a kind, intelligent and dependable actor with a comedic talent as well. She appeared in many American TV hits of the 1970s and 1980s, such as Three's Company, The Jeffersons, The New Mike Hammer, Riptide, Knight Rider, Who's the Boss?.
In February 2003, Clarkson was fatally shot in the mansion of songwriter and producer Phil Spector. ”
31.Kellie Waymire
Actress, One Life to Live
Received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and graduated in 1993 from University of California at San Diego with a Masters of Fine Arts.
Waymire died on November 13, 2003 in her home in Los Angeles, California from an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia (cardiac arrest), likely related to mitral valve prolapse, a condition she was diagnosed with as a teenager.
32.Josh Ryan Evans
Actor, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Despite being one of the smallest actors in Hollywood at 37 inches, Josh proved quality early on in life. By creating and distributing his own business cards before he was even a teenager, Josh landed a spot on The Dancing Baby ice cream commercial, which led to his role in Baby Geniuses, where he played all the babies and did all the dancing.
On August 5, 2002, Evans died from complications related to a congenital heart condition.
33.Merlin Santana
Actor, Showtime
Originally from New York, both of Merlin's parents were from the Dominican Republic. His mother pushed for a career in show business to keep him out of trouble and off the mean streets. He began as an advertising model for a fast-food chain at the age of 3. He first began getting noticed as Stanley.
On November 9, 2002, Santana was shot in the head and killed as he and his best friend, former child actor Brandon Quintin Adams were in a car leaving another man's home in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles on Nov. 9, 2002. He was 26 years old.
34.Glenn Quinn
Actor, Dr. Giggles
Quinn was born in Dublin, Ireland, and moved to the United States with his mother and two sisters in 1988. His first role was as a pool shark in the Richard Marx video Satisfied. He later landed a major role in the John Travolta film Shout, where he shared a screen kiss with Gwyneth Paltrow.
Quinn was found dead on 3 December 2002 of a drug overdose. He was 32 years old. Police and autopsy reports revealed the cause of death to be an accidental heroin overdose. His body was found on the couch of a friend he was visiting in North Hollywood, California.
35.Aaliyah
Soundtrack, Boyhood
Talented. Beautiful. Modest. These three words described R&B singer-turned-actress Aaliyah perfectly. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane (Hankerson) and Michael Haughton. Her uncle was music manager Barry Hankerson and her brother is director Rashad Haughton. Aaliyah was raised in Detroit.
She was killed in Plane crash.
36.Megan Connolly
Actress, The Crossing
After making her film debut in The Crossing, Megan was one of the leading soap stars in Australia. After her role in Paradise Beach ended in 1994, she co-hosted the morning kids show The Zone for a year. In late 1995 she hosted the Foxtel's fitness show Body Corp for cable television, before moving on to become a V-Jay for Foxtel's music channel V until early 1997.
Connolly died from a heroin overdose on 6 September 2001 at the age of 27.
37.Justin Pierce
Actor, Kids
Born in London, England to a Welsh mother and an Australian father, Justin Charles Pierce was raised in the Marble Hill section of Manhattan, New York City. He attended P.S. 7 in the Bronx for Elementary School and J.H.S. 141 in the Riverdale section of the Bronx for Junior High School. Pierce's parents divorced when he was 15 years old.
On July 10, 2000, aged 25, Pierce was discovered hanged in his room at the Bellagio Hotel by hotel security. His death was a determined to be a suicide.
38.Dana Plato
Actress, Different Strokes
Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California, on Saturday 7 November 1964. Her first excursion into the film world occurred when she was eleven in the television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle. Dana never really made an impact on the TV screen until she landed the part of Kimberly Drummond in the TV hit sitcom Diff'rent Strokes from 1978-1984.
Plato died at the age of 34 of an overdose of the painkiller Lortab along with Soma.
39.Rodney Harvey
Actor, My Own Private Idaho
During the making of My Own Private Idaho, Harvey began using heroin. After several stints in jail and attempts to get clean, he died of a heroin and cocaine overdose on April 10, 1998 at the Hotel Barbizon in Los Angeles.
40.Michelle Thomas
Actress, Hangin' with the Homeboys
Michelle Thomas was born in Boston but raised in New York and New Jersey. She attended the Montclair School of Arts and the Broadway Dance Center. She is survived by her parents, Phynjuar Thomas (a stage actress and acting coach) and Dennis J.T. Thomas (a founder and current member of the 1970s funk band Kool & the Gang); her brother.
In August 1997, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer, intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor. She underwent surgery to remove a lemon-sized tumor shortly before landing her Young and the Restless role in the spring of 1998. In October 1998, she underwent surgery after a second cancerous growth ruptured. After being released from the hospital, Thomas flew home to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with her family.
On December 22 or 23, Thomas died surrounded by her family and friends in New York City at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, aged 29 or 30. On December 26, 1998, a Muslim funeral service was held, as she had requested. She was buried in Montclair, New Jersey, near her home.
41.Dana Hill
Actress, European Vacation
Dana Hill was born Dana Lynne Goetz on May 6, 1964, in a suburb of Los Angeles, to parents Sandy Hill and Ted Goetz, a commercial director. Despite diabetes ending a promising future in athletics when she was just ten years old, Dana gamely threw herself into acting when still in her early teen years.
Hill slipped into a diabetic coma in May 1996 and suffered a massive paralytic stroke the following month. On July 15, 1996, Hill died at age 32.
42.Tupac Shakur
Soundtrack, Django Unchained
Born in New York City, Tupac grew up primarily in Harlem. In 1984, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he became good friends with Jada Pinkett Smith. His family moved again in 1988 to Oakland, California. His first breakthrough in music came in 1991 as a member of the group Digital Underground.
He was murdered.
43.David Rappaport
Actor, Time Bandits
British actor David Rappaport earned more roles and respect than most guys his size (or any size for that matter) who attempted a professional acting career. Born with the genetic condition dwarfism (he was 3' 11), he was often typecast in bizarre, sometimes silly and demeaning roles; but, like others before (Michael Dunn) and after (Peter Dinklage).
Rappaport struggled with depression later in his life. On May 2, 1990, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest in Laurel Canyon Park in the San Fernando Valley, California.
44.Franklyn Seales
Actor, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Franklyn Seales was a stage and television actor best remembered for playing the finicky business manager Dexter Stuffins on the NBC sit-com Silver Spoons. He also appeared in films, most notably as the real-life cop killer in The Onion Field. One of eight children, Seales was born in 1952 on the Caribbean island of St.
On May 14, 1990, Seales died of complications from AIDS at his family's home in New York City. He was 37 years old.
45.Cory Monteith
Actor, Monte Carlo
Cory Monteith was born on May 11, 1982 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada as Cory Allan Michael Monteith. He was an actor, known for playing the singing jock Finn on the American TV show Glee and films such as Monte Carlo, and Final Destination 3. He died on July 13, 2013 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The 31-year-old actor, who played Finn in the popular TV series, Glee reportedly died of a drug overdose in Vancouver in July 2013.
46.Jiah Khan
Actress, Ghajini
On 4 June 2013, she was found dead in her apartment in her residence in the Sagar Sangeet building in Juhu, Mumbai after hanging herself.
47.Lee Thompson Young
Actor, Friday Night Lights
Lee Thompson Young was born as the son of Velma Love and Tommy Scott Young. When he was in second grade his parents split up and he went to live with his mother. At age ten, he portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King in a play called A Night of Stars and Dreams. That's when Lee decided he wanted to be an actor.
On August 19, 2013, Young failed to show up for filming an episode of Rizzoli & Isles. Police were called to do a well-being check on him at his Los Angeles apartment, where he was found dead. His manager confirmed the actor took his own life. Police confirmed cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
48.Gia Allemand
Self, Episode #2.7
On August 12, 2013, Allemand was admitted to University Hospital in New Orleans after an attempted suicide by hanging. She was declared brain dead and removed from life support two days later at age 29.
49.Paul Walker
Actor, The Fast and the Furious
Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California. He grew up together with his brothers, Caleb and Cody, and sisters, Ashlie and Amie. Their parents, Paul William Walker III, a sewer contractor, and Cheryl (Crabtree) Walker, a model, separated around September 2004. His grandfather, William Walker.
Died in a single vehicle car crash on November 30th, 2013 during a charity event. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the accident. Paul was a passenger of the vehicle.
50.Max Cantor
Actor, Dirty Dancing
Died of a heroin overdose in 1991 aged 32.
51.Chris Farley
Actor, Tommy Boy
Christopher Crosby Farley was born on February 15, 1964, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Mary Anne (Crosby) and Thomas Farley, who owned an oil company. Among his siblings are actors Kevin P. Farley and John Farley. He was of Irish heritage. Farley studied theatre and communications on Marquette University.
Died in 1997 from a drug overdose, aged 33.
52.John Belushi
Actor, The Blues Brothers
John Belushi was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on January 24, 1949, to Agnes Demetri (Samaras) and Adam Anastos Belushi, a restaurant owner. His father was an Albanian immigrant, from Qytezë, and his mother was also of Albanian descent. He grew up in Wheaton, where the family moved when he was six.
Died from at drug overdose in 1982 at the age of 33.
53.Judith Barsi
Actress, The Land Before Time
The only child of Jozsef Barsi and Maria Benko, Judith Eva Barsi beat 10,000 to 1 odds when she was discovered at a San Fernando Valley skating rink at 5 1/2 years old in 1983. She was mistaken for a three year old child. Her first commercial was for Donald Duck Orange Juice and she went on to appear in anywhere between 50-100 commercials.
Died in 1988 at the age of 10 after her father killed her in a murder suicide in Los Angeles.
54.Ashleigh Aston Moore
Actress, Now and Then
Ashleigh Ashton Moore was born as Ashley Rogers on September 30, 1981. Her parents were Cynthia Moore, a CNA (Certified nursing assistant) and James Moore, who wasn't around for much of her life. She attended a private school in Sunnyvalle until third grade when she left to spend full time on her acting.
Died from an accidental heroin overdose, age 26 in 2007.
55.Bridgette Andersen
Actress, Savannah Smiles
Bridgette Andersen was born on July 11, 1975 to Frank Glass and Teresa Andersen in Inglewood, California and grew up in Malibu. She always considered it good luck to have her birthday read as 7-11 instead of July 11th. One thing unique about her she would always kiss the first two fingers on her right hand and then touch any digital clock that read 7:11.
An accidental drug overdose in 1997, aged 21.
56.Christopher Pettiet
Actor, Point Break
Born in Dallas, Texas, Christopher Pettiet began career as a child actor making appearances in television series, made-for-television movies and films. He starred in two hit flicks, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Point Break, and then joined the cast of the Western TV series The Young Riders as a young Jesse James.
Died in 2000 of a drug overdose at the age of 24 in Los Angeles.
57.Tara Correa-McMullen
Actress, Rebound
Murdered by gang member in 2005 at the age of 16 in California. She was shot outside her own apartment.
58.J. Madison Wright
Actress, Shiloh
Jessica Madison Wright was born in Cincinnati on July 29th 1984, the eldest of four children. A pretty youngster who enjoyed dressing up and was very much a 'girlie' child, Madison began modelling at the age of five. Her interest in modelling and acting - something she shared with her younger sister Victoria-- led the Wright family to relocate to Los Angeles and.
Died of a heart attack just before her 21st birthday in 2006 in Kentucky.
59.Michael Cuccione
Actor, 2gether
Michael James Cuccione was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada on January 5th, 1985, to Domenic and Gloria Cuccione. In 1994, when he was only 9 years old, he was diagnosed with 2A Hodgkin's Disease. He recovered from two bouts of the cancer, but was left with permanent damage to and around his heart and lungs due to the massive doses of treatment he received.
Died in 2001 at 16 of respiratory failure just after his 16th birthday in Vancouver.
60.Misty Upham
Actress, Frozen River
Misty Anne Upham, born in Kallispell, Montana, grew up in south Seattle, the fourth of five children. She began her career at the age of thirteen when she joined a community theater group, Red Eagle Soaring. What began as a summer workshop soon turned into a full-time job. By the age of fourteen she was writing and directing short skits and performing on tours throughout the northwest.
Died in October 2014 at the age of 32. Best known for her role in Frozen River. It is debated whether her death was a suicide or accident after being found at the bottom of a cliff.
61.Jason Jurman
Actor, Cougar Club
Died in October 2014 at the age of 34.
62.Justin Gocke
Actor, The Burning Bed
Best known as the child actor in Santa Barbara, Justin died in September 2014 at the age of 36.
63.Skye McCole Bartusiak
Actress, The Patriot
Accidental drug overdose at the age of 21 in July 2014 in Houston.
64.Stephanie Moseley
Actress, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
Died in December 2014 at the age of 30 in an apparent murder/suicide with her partner.
65.Jon-Erik Hexum
Actor, Voyager from the Unknown
In the early 1980s, this ruggedly handsome young man of Norwegian parentage was seen as the next big thing, and then suddenly he was dead from an accident via a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Hexum was born and raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, where he was a musically gifted student at school playing both the horn & the violin in the school orchestra.
Died in 1984 after playing a game of Russian roulette with a prop gun loaded with blanks, unaware that it would be dangerous. He was 26.
66.Rebecca Schaeffer
Actress, One Life to Live
Rebecca began modeling at the age of 16, going off to New York on her own to begin her career. Four months later, she found herself in Japan, modeling there. Eventually, she landed her role on My Sister Sam, for which she is best known. In 1989, she became a spokesperson for Thursday's Child, a charity for at-risk teens.
Died in West Hollywood in 1989 after being fatally shot by a stalker. She was 21.
67.Dorothy Stratten
Actress, Galaxina
Dorothy Stratten's story was brief, glorious and tragic. She was born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten on February 28, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She grew up in a rough neighborhood in Vancouver, but kept out of trouble and went through the motions of school. While not a beauty as a child.
Dorothy was killed by her estranged husband in Los Angeles in 1980. She was 20.
68.Anne Pressly
Actress, W.
Brutally murdered in Arkansas in 2008. She was 26.
69.Dominique Dunne
Actress, Poltergeist
Dominique Dunne was born to a life of privilege in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of Ellen Beatriz (Griffin) Dunne and Dominick Dunne, a producer, actor, and writer. Actor Griffin Dunne is her brother. After her parents' divorce, she moved first to New York, and then to a posh home in Beverly Hills.
Dominique was murdered by her former boyfriend in Los Angeles in 1982. She was 22.
70.Wade Dominguez
Actor, Dangerous Minds
Wade Dominguez was born in Northern California. While on a modeling assignment in Italy he landed an American soap Opera. He was in the video Losing My Religion by R.E.M. Of course he was in Dangerous Minds.
Died in Los Angeles in 1998 at the age of 32 from respiratory failure.
71.Chris Hardman
Self, Episode #22.7
Committed suicide in March 2015 at the age of 24 in England.
72.Windell Middlebrooks
Actor, Miss March
Suffered a pulmonary embolism and died at the age of 36 in Los Angeles.
73.Ben Woolf
Actor, Pilot
Died in February 2015 in Los Angeles after sustaining a head injury after being in a traffic accident.
74.Greg Plitt
Actor, Terminator Salvation
Killed after being hit by a train in California in January 2015, he was 37.
75.Sawyer Sweeten
Actor, Captain Nemo
Played one of the young boys in Everybody Loves Raymond. Sawyer committed suicide in Texas in April 2015. He was 19.