Stars Who Died Tragically Young

As Robert De Niro said to his son in Chazz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale, “one of the saddest things in life is wasted talent.” When it comes to creative folk such as actors, painters and writers, the same talent that drives their ability can also trigger tragedy.

Success for these type of people can result in a situation where the darker demons of celebrities are enabled to a much greater extent than if they lived a relatively normal life outside of the limelight, without a fortune and idle time to pursue potentially destructive behavior.

Some of the most dramatic examples of creative talent leading to tragedy happen when young celebrities, such as actresses and actors, engage in destructive substance abuse patterns that result in addiction, overdose and death.

Occasionally, rising stars perish early simply because they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting caught in a terrible plane crash, car wreck or another type of deadly accident that cuts their lives short.

This list showcases actors and actresses that passed away far too early, tragically taking them and their talents from the world during what should have been the prime of their lives.

1. James Dean

Born in Marion, Indiana in 1931, James Dean initially studied law at Santa Monica College before pursuing his true passion by enrolling at UCLA to study theatre.

After moving to New York, he quickly established himself as a talented thespian in the theatrical production of The Immoralist before making his mark in the movies East of Eden, Giant and most notably, as an iconic badass in Rebel Without a Cause.

His stardom was rising to feverish levels when he passed away in a car crash in 1955. Dean’s talent and charisma earned him two posthumous Academy Award nominations – making him the only person to be nominated twice after their death.

2. Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger was fast becoming known as one of the best actors of his generation, with a career-defining portrayal of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight under his belt.

He rose to superstardom for his role in Brokeback Mountain as a ranch worker who has a clandestine love affair with a rodeo rider, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. It was this role that earned notice from critics and audiences alike, and he received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations along with winning the best actor honor from the San Francisco Film Critics and New York Film Critics.

At the very height of his career, and in the midst of filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Ledger died. The cause was listed as an accidental combination of sleep aids and other prescription drugs. It was believed he became emotionally and physically exhausted after his psychotic portrayal of The Joker the year before.

3. Paul Walker

Born in Glendale, California, Paul William Walker IV became a huge action star when he acted in The Fast and the Furious, a series of action-packed car chase movies with death defying stunts.

He also appeared in shows such as Touched by an Angel, Varsity Blues, Who’s the Boss? and The Young and the Restless as well as feature films like Eight Below, The Skulls and Into the Blue.

In a case of horrible dramatic irony, Walker – at the height of his Fast and Furious fame – was involved in a terrible car wreck on his way to a charity event to help those affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The Porsche his friend was driving lost control, struck a tree and burst into flames.

4. Chris Farley

Chris Farley was one of the funniest actors of his generation, with a grace and ease of movement that belied his large physicality.

A star of Saturday Night Live for six years, his performances were some of the best that came out of the 1990s, earning him starring roles in movies that he single-handedly made watchable, such as Tommy Boy, Beverly Hills Ninja and Black Sheep.

He was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1964 and studied theatre during his stint at Marquette University. He died of a drug overdose in 1993, falling victim to his severe addiction problems and over-the-top lifestyle.

5. Brandon Lee

Theories of the curse of Bruce Lee resurfaced when his son, Brandon Lee, was accidentally shot and killed while on set filming The Crow. Apparently, instead of blanks, the gun had a live round hidden deep in the chamber, fatally wounding Brandon in 1993.

Brandon was born in Oakland in 1965 and starred in action movies such as Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire before his big role in The Crow. Like his father, he studied martial arts and acting.

Tragically, he was to marry Eliza Hutton less than two months before his death, which was blamed on a film crew using an unapproved weapon during the creation of the film.

6. Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee is still the biggest martial arts name that humanity has ever known, single-handedly developing new martial arts systems and bringing the genre to Hollywood and North America.

He was born in 1940 in San Francisco and lived in Hong Kong, where he starred in various roles as a child actor, before returning to the Unites States where he was a passionate teacher of Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do styles of fighting.

He passed away in 1973, with doctors suggesting the official cause of death being an edema of the brain due to a bad reaction to prescription painkillers. Many bizarre theories surround his death, some stating that he was murdered or died due to a curse.

7. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe, nee Norma Jeane Mortenson, was born in Los Angeles in 1926. She’s one of the most enduring sirens of the silver screen, surviving a horrifying family life and childhood to eventually become one of the biggest sex symbols the Earth has ever known.

She starred in features such as The Seven Year Itch, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like It Hot, which propelled her to the status of an icon and living legend.

Despite her fame and fortune, she suffered from serious mental illness and addiction issues stemming from her troubled upbringing. Monroe died of a drug overdose in 1962, leaving behind a legacy that few actresses have achieved since.

8. River Phoenix

Born on a farm in Madras, Oregon, to free-spirited parents, River learned his craft as he traveled the world, eventually landing in Florida where his talents were beginning to get noticed.

With an Academy Award nomination for his work in Running on Empty and a memorable breakthrough role in Stand by Me, River Phoenix appeared destined for a long, successful career as one of the most talented young actors to ever grace the screen.

Just as his star was on the rise, he tragically died of an overdose in 1993 at the Viper Room in Hollywood, California, devastating his family and fans. His brother Joaquin and sister Rain tried to help but were doomed to witness their beloved brother pass away.

9. Cory Monteith

Born in Calgary, Alberta in 2013, Cory Monteith was one of the megastars of Glee, playing Finn Hudson, a quarterback  reluctantly recruited to the school’s glee club. His voice, charm and good looks won him a legion of fans, including Taylor Swift.

His feature film credits include Final Destination 3, Sisters & Brothers and Monte Carlo, adding to appearances on other shows such as The Simpsons, Smallville and Supernatural.

He battled addiction with the support of his girlfriend Lea Michele and by checking into a rehabilitation facility. He passed away in 2013, succumbing to the demons of substance abuse in a hotel room in Vancouver. His cause of death was an overdose of heroin mixed with alcohol.

10. Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy was born in Atlanta in 1977 and rose to stardom in her role alongside Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. She secured her star as an actress in Girl, Interrupted and 8 Mile. She also played Luanne in King of the Hill and starred in Sin City.

Brittany passed away suddenly due to cardiac arrest late in 2009, with the coroner initially suggesting she died of natural causes – a diagnosis difficult to believe at such a young age.

Since her death, a variety of bizarre and troubling evidence has emerged suggesting that she and her husband may have been murdered deliberately, as part of a shadowy, unknown plot.

11. Skye McCole Bartusiak

Skye McCole Barthusiak shot to fame in her movie roles The Cider House Rules, Don’t Say a Word and as Mel Gibson’s daughter in The Patriot. She parleyed this success into solid, consistent gigs such as a recurring role on 24 and appearances in House M.D., CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Lost, Touched by an Angel and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Born in Houston, Texas in 1992, Skye died in 2014 due to an accidental overdose of medication she was taking to help deal with her epileptic seizures. According to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the mix of hydrocodone, difluoroethane and carisoprodol caused her to pass away in her sleep.

12. Christopher Pettiet

Born in Dallas, Texas in 1976, Christopher Pettiet started his career at a young age as a child actor in various television series. As a teenager, he starring in movie hits such as Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead and Point Break, eventually earning his own show playing Jesse James on The Young Riders television program.

However, despite his success, Christopher struggled with massive addiction issues, which started to erode his health and acting opportunities.

In the year 2000, he ended up overdosing a couple of months after his birthday at the young age of 24. This was after repeated attempts to get help. Posthumously, his manager started a scholarship under his name.

13. Lee Thompson Young

An actor ever since he played Martin Luther King in a play when he was ten, Lee Thompson Young was born on February 1st, 1984 in Columbia, South Carolina.

He found success playing the title character in The Famous Jett Jackson, expanding into roles on other shows such as Friday Night Lights, Scrubs, FlashForward, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, South Beach and Rizzoli & Isles.

Sadly, Lee suffered from bipolar disorder, diagnosed with the mental illness as a teenager. He struggled with the disease while he grew his career, attending therapy sessions and taking medication to help cope. Ultimately, he was overwhelmed by the condition, taking his own life in 2013 with a single gunshot.

Stars Who Died Young Before 30

It's as common in Hollywood as the rags-to-riches tale: stories of stars who died young.
Following is he enliste of the ranks of artists, actors and musicians who died before their 30th birthdays, often during the prime of their careers.

1. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, 23

Selena , best known by her first name, was a Latin music sensation and crossover pop sensation in the United States. She began her singing career at the age of 6. Three years later, Selena's father made her the lead singer of the family band he founded, Selena y Los Dinos. Performing every gig they could get their hands on paid off when Selena landed her first record deal at the age of 12, recording her debut album for a local record company. She grew to be insanely popular with the Latin community and quickly reached star status, with a devoted fan club. With her musical success, Selena gained the financial means to launch her own fashion line. At the peak of the singer's career, her family discovered that the president of Selena's fan club and manager of her boutique, Yolanda Saldívar, had been pocketing income from the star's funds. Selena decided to confront Saldívar about the situation while collecting papers for tax purposes at a hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Saldívar refused to give Selena the papers and then shot her in the back. The singer was taken to a hospital, but she had lost too much blood. Her voice went quiet at age 23.

2.River Phoenix, 23

Critically acclaimed but deeply tormented, River Phoenix was one of the brightest young actors of the 1980s and '90s. The Oregon-born star broke into Hollywood in the 1985 movie "Explorers," but it was his 1986 role in "Stand By Me" that made the industry and the public take notice of his talents. He scored a best supporting actor award from the National Board of Review for his role in 1988's "Running on Empty," and played a young Indiana Jones alongside Harrison Ford in '89's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." As his profile grew, Phoenix attached himself to a variety of causes, campaigning for PETA and endangered rain forests. Despite the actor's success, Phoenix's tumultuous childhood haunted him. In 1991, he told Details magazine that he lost his virginity at age 4 while in the Children of God, a religious cult his family belonged to in the early 1970s and that he reportedly suffered from depression. On Oct. 31, 1993, Phoenix died after overdosing on cocaine and heroin at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. He was 23 years old. Phoenix's legacy lives on in his younger brother Joaquin Phoenix, who won a Golden Globe for his role in 2005's "Walk the Line."

3.James Dean, 24

James Dean was the original "rebel without a cause," a rising star who lived life in the fast line. The Indiana-born actor solidified his A-List status through movies including "East of Eden," "Giant" and "Rebel Without A Cause." Despite his fame, Dean reportedly dealt with severe mood swings and depression that resulted in erratic behavior, including heavy use of alcohol and drugs. Besides acting in big screen productions, Dean also took up an auto racing career, coming in second in the Palm Springs Road Races and third in Bakersfield in 1955. On his way to another race on Sept. 30, 1955, Dean died in a head-on collision. He was 24 years old.

4.Janis Joplin, 27

Ranked No. 46 in Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time, Janis Joplin was an accomplished singer and songwriter in the 1960s hippie heyday. While her career break came as the lead singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company in the '60s, she truly became famous as a solo artist singing the blues, folk music and rock. But behind her rich, powerful voice and great lyrical talents was a troubled star. Joplin was reported to have been deeply concerned about how the public would receive her and became prone to drinking and using drugs as a way to cope with her nerves. Sometime between late night Oct. 3 and early Oct. 4, 1970, Joplin, 27, died in a Los Angeles hotel room. The cause of death was determined to be a heroin overdose, possibly accelerated with alcohol. Joplin was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

5.Jim Morrison, 27

Morrison — called a "rock god" by the music industry to this day — was a poet, writer and film director as well as the lead singer and lyricist for psychedelic rock band The Doors. He was born into a military family, and his nomadic childhood helped shape his music. Morrison credited a car accident he saw as a young child, in which a group of American Indians were injured or possibly killed, as one of the most formative experiences of his life. (He wrote about the accident in the Doors songs "Peace Frog" and "The Ghost Song.")

Morrison joined The Doors in 1965 and released six studio albums with the band before moving to Paris in 1971, where depression may have led him to develop a heroin addiction. He died in Paris in July 1971 at age 27 from what many believe was a heroin overdose. The absence of an official autopsy has left unanswered many questions surrounding his death.

6.Sid Vicious, 21

Alan Jones once said, "Sid, on image alone, is what all punk rests on." Sex Pistols' bass player and eventual solo artist Sid Vicious — otherwise known as John Simon Ritchie — was everything that the punk movement stood for: excess, anarchy, violence, total and absolute destructiveness and apathy. His personal philosophy of "live fast, die young" led him to a precarious lifestyle of drug use. After the suspicious death of his then-girlfriend Nancy Spungen in a New York hotel room, which Vicious said he could not recall because of a drugged stupor he was in that night, he was arrested, hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital for an attempted suicide, released, then sent to Rikers Island jail for assault. While there, he was weaned off his heroin addiction and released Feb. 1, 1979. Upon returning home, Vicious obtained heroin from his mother and overdosed that night. He was revived once only to have his heart slow to a stop. In the end, his death at 21 further romanticized his tragic life of junkie glamour.

7.Kurt Cobain, 27

Cobain, frontman for the iconic grunge band Nirvana, was a symbolic figure during the shift from the glam/pop rock of the 1980s toward early 1990s alternative rock with the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," considered by many to be the anthem of Generation X. Some viewed him as the unofficial spokesman for '90s teens and 20-somethings, but Cobain turned to drugs and alcohol to help him cope with the pressures of the media, years of depression, chronic bronchitis and mysterious stomach pains. Cobain committed suicide in April 1994, shooting himself in the head in his home on Seattle's Lake Washington after leaving a one-day stay at a rehab center in Los Angeles. He died at age 27, leaving behind wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain.

8.Tupac Shakur, 25

Like Wallace, Tupac Shakur's death was a tragedy of the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop rivalry. Though he hailed from Harlem, Shakur began rapping in California in the early 1990s. He released his first solo album, "2Pacalypse Now," in 1991 and formed the group Thug Life in 1993. As he gained fame, Shakur ran into legal troubles: He was accused of sexually abusing a woman in '93 and convicted of attacking a former employer in 1994.

In November 1994, Shakur was shot five times and robbed in the lobby of a New York recording studio. While serving a prison sentence for sexual abuse charges, Shakur released "Me Against the World," which went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. After getting out of jail, suspicious that former friend Biggie Smalls set him up for the '94 shooting, Shakur railed on Biggie and his associates on the track "Hit 'Em Up." On Sept. 7, 1996, while driving through Las Vegas with his entourage, Shakur was shot 12 to 13 times in a drive-by shooting. He died six days later of internal bleeding. Shakur's death remains a mystery, though some speculate Biggie was involved in the murder. Biggie's family has vehemently denied those claims. More than 10 years after his death, Shakur remains a hip-hop legend. He's been named the highest-selling rap artist by the Guinness Book of World Records, with more than 75 million albums sold worldwide.

9.The Notorious B.I.G., 24

Chris Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls or Big Poppa, lived up to his various nicknames. He was a force to be reckoned with in the rap world and remains an enormous influence a decade after his death. Brooklyn born and bred, Wallace dropped out of school at age 17 and turned to a life of crime. He spent nine months in prison for dealing crack. Soon after getting out in 1992, he parlayed his amateur rhymes into a record contract and started working with some of the biggest names in the business: Sean "Puffy" Combs, LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige and Tupac Shakur.

His 1994 album "Ready to Die" came at a time when the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry was going strong, and according to Rolling Stone, Biggie shifted the focus back to New York. This created tension with Shakur, who was leading the West Coast rap scene at the time. When Shakur was shot to death in September 1996, rumors swirled about Biggie's involvement, though he denied all allegations. In March 1997, while in California to promote his upcoming album, Biggie, 24, was shot to death while riding with his entourage in a GMC Suburban. His murder remains unsolved, and in 2007 his relatives filed a second wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. A movie chronicling his life is due out in 2009.

10.Aaliyah Dana Haughton, 22

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, known simply as Aaliyah by hip-hop and R&B fans, was one of the industry's most promising female stars. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she appeared on "Star Search" at age 10 and performed with Gladys Knight at age 11. But it was her debut album, "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number," that got the attention of hip-hop heavyweights. The album went platinum within months.

R. Kelly, the singer who helped write and produce Aaliyah's album, married the 14-year-old singer. (He was 27 at the time.) Vibe magazine published a copy of their Illinois marriage license, dated Aug. 31, 1994, which showed the starlet's age had been listed as 18. Their marriage was annulled in February 1995. Aaliyah went on to release "One in a Million" at age 17, which was certified double-platinum within a year. She followed that up with "Aaliyah" in July 2001, after landing her first major film role in 2000's "Romeo Must Die." One month later, shortly after wrapping production of her music video for the single "Rock the Boat" in the Bahamas, Aaliyah and members of her record company boarded a small plane to fly back to the United States. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, and all aboard were killed.

11.Brad Renfro, 25

Renfro made his acting debut in 1994 at age 11, playing the title role in "The Client" alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. He went to on star with Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Bacon and Dustin Hoffman in the 1996 film "Sleepers." Renfro quickly became a teen heartthrob, and his acting talents had critics thinking he'd last in Hollywood. But legal troubles and struggles with drugs and alcohol hindered his prospects.

In December 2005, Renfro was arrested during an undercover drug sweep in Los Angeles and charged with attempted possession of heroin. He later admitted to having used heroin and methadone and was sentenced to three years' probation. Renfro went to rehab in 2006, but in 2007 he violated his probation by not enrolling in a long-term drug treatment program, People magazine reported. He was found dead in a Los Angeles apartment Jan. 15 after a night of drinking, according to the Los Angeles county coroner. An official cause of death has yet to be determined.

12.Heath Ledger, 28

Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment Jan. 22, surrounded by bottles of prescription drugs. An initial autopsy was inconclusive, and a medical examiner said further tests would be needed to determine Ledger's cause of death. The actor, recently separated from actress Michelle Williams, his former fiance and mother of his 2-year-old daughter, is expected to be remembered as one of best of his generation. He got an Oscar nomination for playing a gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain" and is slated to appear as the Joker in the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," this summer..

Child Stars That Tragically Died

1. Jonathan Brandis.

Jonathan Brandis was a model before landing the starring role in Steven Spielberg’s Seaquest DMV which also led to him working as a writer and producer. Unfortunately after a long struggle with depression Brandis hung himself at 27.

2. Matthew Garber

You might remember Garber from the classic Disney film Mary Poppins. He also featured in two more Disney movies before retiring. At 21 he died due to complications of Pancreatitis in 1977.

3. Michelle Thomas.

Thomas is best known as an actress on Family Matters and The Cosby Show. She died of stomach cancer in 1998 at age 29.

4. River Phoenix.

Definitely one of the most famous child star deaths of all time, Phoenix was being touted as one of the next big actors in Hollywood, appearing in Stand By Me and Running on Empty. On Halloween night 1993, Phoenix suffered a drug overdose and died outside the Viper Room on The Sunset Strip in front of his brother Joaquin and sister Rain.

5. Lee Thompson Young.

Young was an actor on the rise who had a lead role in Friday Night Lights but suffered from Bipolar disorder which led to him committing suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2013, aged 27.

6. Judith Barsi.

Barsi was in The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven. Unfortunately she was in an extremely abusive domestic environment and was eventually murdered along with her mother by her father in 1988. She was only 10-years-old.

7. Josh Ryan Evans.

Evans was in Baby Geniuses and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He would often play characters much younger than himself because he was born with Achondroplasia which is a type of dwarfism. He was 17 at the time of his biggest role when he played a child in Passions. He died in 2002 during an operation for a congenital heart condition.

8. Christopher Pettiet.

Pettiet was most famous for his role as Christina Applegate’s younger brother in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. He died of an accidental drug overdose in 2000 at the age of 24.

9.  Ashleigh Aston Moore.

Moore started acting when she was four and her most notable role was in the film Now and Then. She retired from acting in 1997 but eventually went the way of many child stars and died of a heroine overdose in 2007.

10. Rob Knox.

Knox landed a role in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. He was supposed to reprise the role in the final film however he was stabbed to death during a fight while trying to protect his younger brother when he was just 18.

11. Heather O’Rourke.

O’Rourke played Carol Anne in the iconic 1982 film Poltergeist. She was selected by Steven Spielberg himself for the part and spouts the now iconic line “they’re here”. Following the film she was diagnosed with Intestinal Stenosis in 1988 and died due to complications from an operation at the age of 12.

12. Justin Pierce.

Pierce was a British actor that played Casper in the film Kids and starred alongside Ice Cube in Next Friday. He was found hanging in his hotel room by a security guard in 2000 at the age of 25.

13. Bridgette Anderson.

This adorable child star was in Savannah Smiles, Family Ties, Fever Pitch and The Parent Trap II. However, she was another star that suffered addictions to alcohol and heroine, was estranged with her family and died following an overdose in 1997 at the age of 21.

14. Brad Renfro.

You might remember Renfro from his breakout role in The Client which led to his involvement with 21 other films in his short but illustrious career. He battled alcoholism and and a heroine addiction which ended up costing him his life at the young age of 25.

15. J. Madison Wright Morris.

The young actress from The Burning Zone and Safety Patrol struggled with health her whole childhood. She fought through multiple bouts of pneumonia, was diagnosed with Restricted Cardiomyopathy and had a heart transplant at 15 which only allowed her to reach the age of 21 before she suffered a heart attack and died one day after returning from her honeymoon.

10 Most Tragic Star Deaths

Hollywood stars may seem larger than life to their fans, but of course, they are just as vulnerable to life’s tragedies as the rest of us, including the chance of dying at a young age. And while the unexpected loss of a loved one is always a mournful occasion, the loss of a young person is particularly heartbreaking. Sadly, there have been quite a few Hollywood child stars who have died young. Here are 10 beloved child actors who passed away far too soon.

1. Gary Coleman (1968-2010)

Gary Coleman became a child star through his role as the wisecracking Arnold Jackson on the 1980s hit television series Diff’rent Strokes. On the show, Coleman played one of two African-American brothers that are adopted by a wealthy white widower. The show turned the diminutive actor into a pop culture phenomenon, thanks to his character’s memorable catchphrase: “What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” While Coleman was a child when he first starred on the show, he remained short-statured throughout his adult life due to multiple chronic health problems that permanently stunted his growth and kept his height at 4 feet, 8 inches.

Unfortunately, despite the fame that Diff’rent Strokes brought him, Coleman was plagued with money problems for most of his life. As an adult, he discovered that his parents and agent had misappropriated his childhood earnings. After a successful lawsuit, Coleman was awarded $1.3 million, as reported by Jet magazine. As he got older, Coleman gained further tabloid notoriety for multiple altercations with fans.

He was also cited for disorderly conduct for several incidents involving actress Shannon Price, his girlfriend and wife. Tragically, Coleman’s many health issues likely contributed to his early death at the age of 42. On May 28, 2010, after sustaining injuries due to a fall in his home, the troubled actor passed away from a brain hemorrhage at a hospital in Utah.


2. Corey Haim (1971-2010)

If you watched movies in the 1980s, you are probably familiar with Corey Haim. The young actor starred in many popular teen movies throughout the decade, often alongside real-life friend Corey Feldman. Haim made his feature film debut in 1984’s Firstborn, a movie about an abusive drug addict that also starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Downey, Jr., and Peter Weller. A slew of other film appearances soon followed, including starring roles in Silver Bullet and made-for-TV drama Lucas (alongside a young Winona Ryder). In 1987, Haim starred in the teen horror film The Lost Boys alongside many other notable young 1980s stars. The success of the film made Haim a household name and led to many other teen movie roles.

Unfortunately, even while his acting career was taking off, Haim’s personal life was spiraling out of control. As noted in Feldman’s memoir Coreyography, both actors were introduced to hard drugs like cocaine at a young age. Feldman also claimed that they were both sexually abused as children by people in the movie industry, and that the trauma of that abuse likely fueled Haim’s self-destructive behavior. As Haim’s popularity began to wane in the early 1990s, his drug addictions became even more serious, despite multiple attempts to get clean with stints in rehab.

On March 10, 2010, an unresponsive Haim was found by his mother in the apartment that they shared. After being transported to a hospital, the 38-year-old Haim was pronounced dead. According to Access Hollywood, the coroner determined that the cause of death was due to pulmonary congestion and not a drug overdose, as many people initially assumed. However, it is widely believed that Haim’s years of drug abuse indirectly contributed to his death by taking a toll on his overall health.


3. River Phoenix (1970-1993)

River Phoenix was a promising young actor and musician who earned his fame at an early age thanks to his breakout role in 1986’s Stand By Me. Although Phoenix was best known for his acting work, this talented star was also a musician who sang and played lead guitar for Aleka’s Attic, a band he formed with his sister Rain. Phoenix’s well-received performance in Stand By Me soon led to additional roles in major motion pictures, including The Mosquito Coast, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, and Little Nikita.

In 1988, Phoenix garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of a counterculture couple’s son in Sidney Lumet’s Running on Empty. The following year, he had a small role as a young Indiana Jones in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 1991, Phoenix delivered yet another critically acclaimed performance as a narcoleptic street hustler in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho.

While it appeared that this young actor was well on his way to becoming a major movie star, sadly, this was not to be. In the early morning hours of October 31, 1993, Phoenix collapsed outside of a nightclub in Los Angeles in front of his brother Joaquin and sister Rain. Phoenix was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. As noted by The New York Times, the coroner reported finding “deadly levels of cocaine and morphine” in his system. He was only 23 years old.


4. Paul Walker (1973-2013)

While Paul Walker is primarily remembered today for his starring role in The Fast and the Furious films, this actor also appeared in multiple TV shows and movies as a child. His big break came when he was cast in 1986’s Monster in the Closet, a horror comedy movie that also featured Stacy Ferguson (of Black Eyed Peas fame), Howard Duff, and John Carradine. As a child actor, he appeared in several TV series, including Highway to Heaven and Throb.

However, his greatest career success came as an adult, when he was cast as Brian O’Conner in 2001’s The Fast and the Furious. The box office success of The Fast and the Furious led to roles in other major motion pictures, including Timeline, Into the Blue, and Flags of Our Fathers. He reprised his role as Brian O’Conner in five sequels to The Fast and the Furious, including 2015’s blockbuster Furious 7.

On November 30, 2013, Walker left a benefit event for his Reach Out Worldwide charity in a Porsche driven by a friend. The driver soon lost control of the car, and the subsequent fiery crash killed both men. According to investigators cited by CNN, the cause of the accident was “unsafe speed for the roadway conditions.” Walker had recently turned 40 years old.

5. Brittany Murphy (1977-2009)

Brittany Murphy appeared in several TV sitcoms and commercials before getting her big break with a role in the 1995 hit comedy film Clueless. In the film, Murphy portrayed an “ugly duckling” high school girl who is given a transformative makeover by a more popular girl, played by Alicia Silverstone. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s novel Emma, Clueless garnered critical acclaim and led to Murphy getting other roles in major motion pictures such as Girl, Interrupted; 8 Mile; and Sin City. She also lent her voice talents to Mike Judge’s animated TV show King of the Hill for the character of Luanne Platter.

On December 20, 2009, Murphy was taken to the hospital by emergency services after collapsing in her home. She was pronounced dead after going into cardiac arrest. According to the autopsy report obtained by CNN, Murphy had “acute pneumonia” and was suffering from a “chronic iron deficiency.” The report also noted the presence of multiple cold medications in Murphy’s system that may have contributed to her death. Murphy was only 32 years old.

Although Murphy’s death was ruled accidental, various conspiracy theories have emerged that blame her death on everything from toxic mold to harassment by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as reported by The Huffington Post. The mystery surrounding this young star’s untimely death only deepened after Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, died under similar circumstances five months later in the same house.


6. Heather O’Rourke (1975-1988)

Heather O’Rourke was a child actor who is most famous for her role in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist and its two sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III. In the first film, the angelic-looking O’Rourke plays the role of Carol Anne Freeling, the youngest daughter in a family whose home is plagued by a supernatural apparition. The Poltergeist movie poster that features O’Rourke with her hands on a television screen transmitting static is perhaps one of the most iconic ever created, while the “They’re here” line that she delivers in the movie is so well known that it was included on The American Film Institute’s list of top movie quotes from the last 100 years.

Sadly, Poltergeist III was to be the last film that O’Rourke would ever make. Several months before filming began, O’Rourke became ill and was misdiagnosed as having Crohn’s disease. Unfortunately, the misdiagnosis was not discovered until it was too late. On January 31, 1988, O’Rourke collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. According to the Los Angeles Times, doctors at the hospital where she was brought found that her illness was caused by a longstanding bowel obstruction. An attempt to surgically remove the blockage led to septic shock and caused her to suffer a cardiac arrest. O’Rourke was just 12 years old when she passed away.

7. Brad Renfro (1982-2008)

Brad Renfro was a child actor who is perhaps best known for his big-screen debut in the critically acclaimed 1994 thriller The Client, based on a John Grisham novel of the same name. In the film, the 11-year-old Renfro plays the lead role of Mark Sway, a young boy who witnesses the suicide of a mob-connected lawyer. Renfro’s well-received performance led to roles in other major motion pictures, including Tom and Huck, The Cure, Sleepers, and Apt Pupil. Unfortunately, Renfro’s promising acting career was soon derailed by his increasing drug use.

After having already been cited for drug possession in the late ‘90s, Renfro earned further notoriety when he was arrested in 2000 for attempting to steal a yacht, as reported by the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. In 2002, he was ordered into a three-month rehab program following an arrest for public intoxication. In 2005, Renfro was arrested for attempting to purchase heroin from an undercover police officer in Los Angeles. On January 15, 2008, the 25-year-old Renfro was found dead of a heroin overdose by his friends.


8. Dana Plato (1964-1999)

Like Gary Coleman, Dana Plato found fame as a child actor on the 1980s sitcom Diff’rent Strokes. From 1978 to 1986, Plato played the role of Kimberly Drummond, the teenage daughter of a wealthy white widower who adopts two African-American brothers. Plato struggled with drug usage at an early age and was known to be abusing alcohol and Valium when she was only 14 years old, according to People magazine. In 1984, Plato was dismissed from the show after becoming pregnant, although she made several appearances in the final 1985-1986 season.

Despite the fame she achieved as a star on Diff’rent Strokes, Plato found it difficult to find quality work after leaving the show. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, she starred in several forgettable B-movies and posed for Playboy magazine. Around the same time, Plato was beset by several personal tragedies when her husband divorced her, her mother passed away, and an accountant stole most of her money. She also lost custody of her son due to her ongoing drug and alcohol problems. In 1991, Plato hit rock bottom when she was arrested for a comically inept video store robbery that earned her five years of probation and a stint in a rehab program.

Unfortunately, Plato was never able to fully kick her drug habit. On May 8, 1999, the 34-year-old Plato was found dead of a drug overdose by her fiancé in their Winnebago motor home. According to People magazine, a medical examiner ruled her death a suicide.


9. Bobby Driscoll (1937-1968)


Although he may not be a familiar face to many people today, Bobby Driscoll was once a major child star.  As a young boy, Driscoll starred in several early Disney live-action films such as Song of the South, So Dear to My Heart, and Treasure Island. Driscoll also turned in a critically acclaimed dramatic performance as a witness to a murder in the 1949 film noir The Window, which earned him a juvenile Academy Award. However, Driscoll’s most famous role is one that never saw him appear onscreen. Driscoll was the voice actor and reference model for the titular character in Disney’s 1953 animated classic Peter Pan.

Unfortunately, Driscoll found it difficult to shed the child star image even after Disney terminated his contract when he got older. After a difficult stint at a public high school, Driscoll began abusing drugs and was eventually jailed in 1961. Unable to find work in the mainstream movie industry after his release, Driscoll headed to New York, where he appeared in Piero Heliczer’s experimental film Dirt and briefly joined Andy Warhol’s art community known as the Factory.

On March 30, 1968, two children discovered Driscoll’s body in an abandoned tenement building in New York. After no came forward to claim the body, the city buried him as a “John Doe” in an unmarked grave. Driscoll’s fate wasn’t discovered until over a year after his death, when his mother made inquiries about his location and postmortem fingerprints were used to identify him. Driscoll was 31 years old when he died.

10. Rob Knox (1989-2008)

Rob Knox was a young English actor who appeared to be on the cusp of a promising career after securing the role of Marcus Belby in the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Although his portrayal of Belby in the sixth Harry Potter film is his most famous role, Knox had previous acting experience through appearances on multiple British TV shows, as well as a small part in the 2004 film King Arthur.

On May 24, 2008, Knox was stabbed five times in the chest outside a bar in London as he was trying to defend his brother from an attacker, reported the BBC. Knox was only 18 years old when he died. His attacker — Karl Bishop — was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 20 years in 2009.