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Which of Your Favorite Actors Died Too Soon?
James Dean courtesy Everett Collection, Heath Ledger by Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com
In light of the sad news about Heath Ledger's overdose, we started thinking about some of the other bright young talents who never got to show the world what they might have done. Starting with Ledger and looking all the way back to the original actor who lived fast and died young, James Dean, here are some of our favorite stars who were gone before reaching the age of 30. — Nina Hämmerling Smith
Heath Ledger (April 4, 1979 — Jan. 22, 2008, accidental overdose):
Perhaps what's hardest about this loss was how unexpected it was; the star of Brokeback Mountain and 10 Things I Hate About You was a young father with a seemingly glowing future ahead of him. | Watch Heath Ledger clips.
Brad Renfro (July 25, 1982 — Jan. 15, 2008, unknown causes):
Trouble courted this young star, whose first role, in The Client, put him on the map as one to watch at the tender age of 11. Sadly, substance abuse and run-ins with the law plagued him toward the end of his life. | Watch Brad Renfro clips.
Aaliyah (Jan. 16, 1979 — Aug. 25, 2001, plane crash):
Aaliyah had just wrapped shooting a video in the Bahamas when her plane, overloaded with equipment, crashed shortly after takeoff. Although she was only 22, the R&B sensation had already had success both as a musician and as an actress in Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned. | Watch Aaliyah clips.
David Strickland (Oct. 14, 1969 — March 22, 1999, suicide):
The Suddenly Susan star, who had a history of drug and alcohol addiction, took his own life in a Las Vegas motel room. The movie Forces of Nature, in which he appeared with Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck, had opened shortly before his death. | Watch David Strickland clips.
River Phoenix (Aug. 23, 1970 — Oct. 31, 1993, drug overdose):
Beloved by fans around the world since his appearance in 1986's Stand by Me, Phoenix established himself as a serious actor in movies like My Own Private Idaho. He died outside of the L.A. night club the Viper Room on Halloween, after taking heroin and cocaine; his brother Joaquin called 911. | Watch River Phoenix clips.
Brandon Lee (Feb. 1, 1965 — March 31, 1993, accidental gunshot wound):
Rumors abounded of a curse on this talented family after the son of Bruce Lee, who himself died young, was killed on the set of The Crow. Brandon was shot in the abdomen by a malfunctioning prop gun. | Watch Brandon Lee clips.
Rebecca Schaeffer (Nov. 6, 1967 — July 18, 1989, homicide):
This promising young star, who was best known for her role opposite Pam Dawber in My Sister Sam, was murdered by a deranged stalker. In response to Schaeffer's death, California state law was changed to make it harder for would-be stalkers to obtain personal information about celebrities. | Watch Rebecca Schaeffer clips.
Freddie Prinze (June 22, 1954 — Jan. 29, 1977, suicide):
A dependence on quaaludes was likely largely responsible for the Chico and the Man star's decision to shoot himself in the head. He was also going through divorce proceedings at the time of his suicide. | Watch Freddie Prinzie clips.
Sharon Tate (Jan. 24, 1943 — Aug. 9, 1969, homicide):
The massacre of Tate and four of her friends at the hands of Charles Manson's "family" ranks among the most gruesome and notorious in American history. The Valley of the Dolls star and wife of Roman Polanski was eight and a half months pregnant at the time of her death. | Watch Sharon Tate clips.
James Dean (Feb. 8, 1931 — Sept. 30, 1955, car accident):
It's a testament to his charisma that Dean remains an indelible cultural icon more than 50 years after his death. His three film credits — Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant — defined teen angst. Dean, who had a passion for fast cars, was killed while driving his Porsche on a stretch of California road. | Watch James Dean clips.
Who did we forget? Who could you never forget? Share memories of some of your favorite actors who were gone too soon.
Check out our photo gallery of actors who were gone too soon.
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Feb 6, 2008 10:49 AM
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Chris Farley - Man I miss that dude!
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Feb 6, 2008 11:34 AM
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John Ritter--I was shocked and saddened to hear of his death, and occasionally wonder what he'd be doing now if he were still alive.
While perhaps not technically an actor, I sobbed when I heard that Jim Henson had died. His work was such a part of my life, as well as those of my children.
Last but not least, Adrienne Shelly. I confess that I wasn't cognizant of her work before she died, but I thought that she was wonderful in Waitress. Beyond her acting, I'll always wonder what she would have written and/or directed that would affect me as much as Waitress did.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:43 AM
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Merlin Santana he played Stanley on The Cosby Show and Romeo on the Steve Harvey Show.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:53 AM
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This one's easy: Jonathan Brandis.
Why do people always forget him?
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Feb 6, 2008 11:58 AM
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John Belushi,I know he was 33 but was a great comedic actor.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:08 PM
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 How about Dominique Dunn and Heather O'Rourke from Poltergeist? Donimique Dunn was murdered by an abusive boyfriend and Heather O'Rourke died from cardiopulmonary arrest and intestinal stenosis. They were 23 and 13 respetively.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:20 PM
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Definitely Jonathan Brandis. And Glen Quinn (Angel, Roseanne).
Heather O'Rourke (Poltergeist). Was curious to see where her career would have gone.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:21 PM
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Phil Hartman.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:25 PM
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Oh, I thought of another one. I may be dating myself with my posts; but, Jon-Erik Hexum who was on the tv show Voyager. He died at 27 from an accidental gunshot wound while filming the tv show, "Cover-Up". A bright spot to this (if that's possible) is that he was an organ donor and five people received transplants because of him.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:26 PM
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Jonathan Brandis should definitely be added to your list.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:42 PM
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What about Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez from TLC? Surely if you're going to include Aaliyah, you should have a person from one of the most influential female groups ever.
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Feb 6, 2008 1:01 PM
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Jon-Erik Hexum, Phil Hartman, Jim Henson, Chris Farley, Brandon Lee, John Lennon, John Ritter, Heather O'Rourke, Glenn Quinn, Anna Nicole Smith (and her son,) and John Candy were others besides Heath that made me sad when they died much too young. Heath made me the saddest as I was a big fan and he has a young daughter, but before that it was Jon-Erik's death that bummed me out the most as he was a local guy and had huge star potential. I'm also a voice fan, and he had a great, booming voice that rivaled James Earl Jones and a richness to it that rivaled George Takei.
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Feb 6, 2008 1:09 PM
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I echo the sentiment about Jon-Erik Hexum.
I was 13 when he died in October 1984 and I vividly remember sobbing when my dad turned on an episode of 'Cover Up' right after J-EH died. Love J-E's work in 'Voyagers' as well. <sigh> He did have a wonderful voice ...
I should also add that I was STUNNED to hear of Heath Ledger's death. I loved his work in 'Roar' and 'The Patriot' as well as 'Brokeback Mountain'.
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Feb 6, 2008 2:36 PM
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Selina
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Feb 6, 2008 2:40 PM
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