Heather O’Rourke
The world was shocked when actress Heather O’Rourke, famed for the Poltergeist movies, passed away in 1988 aged just 12. O’Rourke was five years old, and beat out competition from Drew Barrymore to play the pivotal role of the young daughter snatched away to the spirit world. She would reprise the role of Carol Anne in both Poltergeist sequels, but died unexpectedly four months before Poltergeist III was released. O’Rourke, who had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease the previous year, died from congenital stenosis of the intestine causing septic shock.
Gary Coleman
American actor Gary Coleman was ten years old when he shot to fame as the adorable Arnold in sitcom Diff’rent Strokes. Famed for his diminutive stature, many assumed the young actor was simply a late bloomer, but the truth was not so simple. Coleman suffered from a congenital kidney disorder, and as a side effect, he kept his 4’8″ stature and childlike features into adulthood. Much like his Diff’rent Strokes co-stars, Coleman struggled with the pressures of fame, and his career faltered after the show ended. While the actor tried to keep his health issues private, he struggled with ill health throughout his life before he died, aged just 42. Coleman passed away on the 28th of May 2010, after suffering a series of seizures.
Corey Haim
Born 23rd December 1971, Corey Haim became one of the most popular actors of his generation in the late 1980s. He co-starred in a series of films with his namesake Corey Feldman (including The Lost Boys), and the two became firm friends and a popular double act. Unfortunately, as well as sharing fame, the two Coreys also shared a variety of childhood traumas, and both descended into drug addiction. While Feldman was able to tackle his demons in adulthood, this proved more difficult for Haim. In tackling his addiction to illicit drugs, Haim developed a fierce a dependency on prescription medication, a lot of which was in his system when he passed away in March 2010. While Haim was initially reported to have died from an accidental overdose, the cause of death was ultimately ruled as pneumonia. He was 38.
Judith Barsi
A prolific child actor of the 80s, Judith Barsi’s death is without a doubt one of the most awful cases on this list. Born in June 1978, Barsi began taking small film and TV roles by the time she was six. Soon enough she was earning an estimated $100,000 a year, money which her parents came to depend on. Her father József Barsi was an abusive alcoholic, who steadily grew more unhinged as his daughter grew more successful. After making repeated threats to do so, Barsi’s father murdered her and her mother before taking his own life in July 1988, shortly after Judith turned 10. Judith’s best-remembered films – her voice acting roles in The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven – were released posthumously.
Michelle Thomas
Born September 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts, Michelle Thomas got into acting in her early teens, beginning with a 1983 TV commercial. She eventually worked her way up to taking supporting roles in two of the biggest sitcoms of the era: The Cosby Show and Family Matters. By the late 90s Thomas was a regular guest host on TV music show Soul Train, and appeared in music videos for such acts as Boys II Men and Dru Hill. Tragically, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer in the summer of 1997. The young actress underwent all the treatment that was available, but she ultimately succumbed to the disease. Thomas died at the age of 30 in December 1998, with family and friends at her bedside.
Matthew Garber
Matthew Garber has long been synonymous with his role as Michael Banks in the beloved family classic Mary Poppins. Born in Stepney, London in 1956, Garber was just eight years old when he appeared alongside Julie Andrews in the Disney production. It was only his second film role after 1963’s The Three Lives of Thomasina; and he would take only one more credit, in 1967’s The Gnome-Mobile. Garber stepped away from acting in adolescence, and when travelling through India in 1977 he contracted hepatitis. The disease ravaged his body before he could return home for treatment, resulting in severe issues with his pancreas. Garber made it back to London but died in hospital from Haemorrhagic Necrotising Pancreatitis aged just 21.
Sawyer Sweeten
Sawyer Sweeten was born on 12th May 1995, alongside his twin brother Sullivan, in Brownwood, Texas. When the twins were six months old, the Sweeten family moved to Los Angeles, and the boys were soon sent out for child acting work. They got their first roles playing the twin sons of Ray Romano’s title character in the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, which premiered in 1996. Sawyer and Sullivan portrayed Geoffrey and Michael Barone for nine seasons, until the show’s end in 2005. Tragically, it seems Sawyer had emotional struggles that he had kept to himself. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound mere weeks before his 20th birthday in 2015. The surviving members of the Everybody Loves Raymond cast paid tribute to their sadly lost co-star, whilst Sweeten’s sister Madylin issued a statement urging readers to “reach out to the ones you love.”
Dana Plato
Gary Coleman was sadly not the only young star of Diff’rent Strokes to go through serious hardship, and meet an early death. The same was also true of actress Dana Plato, who played Coleman’s adoptive sister Kimberly Drummond. Plato was 13 years old and had been acting for a few years when she was cast in the sitcom. Even in the early days of Diff’rent Strokes, Plato struggled with substances and suffered her first overdose aged 14. Like her co-stars, Plato also struggled to keep her career afloat after Diff’rent Strokes ended, and these personal and professional woes took their toll. She died in 1999 aged 34 from an overdose of prescription medication which was ultimately ruled a suicide.
Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young was born in Columbia, South Carolina in February 1984, and began pursuing acting aged 10. The young actor got his big break in 1998, when he was cast in the title role of Disney Channel series The Famous Jett Jackson. Young played Jett Jackson in three seasons and a TV movie, as well as appearing in another Disney Channel movie, Johnny Tsunami. Following this, Young went on to appear in a number of the movies Friday Night Lights and The Hills Have Eyes 2, plus such TV shows as Smallville, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Scrubs. However, Young had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and struggled with depression before ending his own life in 2013, aged 29. The Lee Thompson Young Foundation was later founded by his family, dedicated to promoting awareness of mental health issues.
Rob Knox
English actor Rob Knox was born in Kent in 1989, and had made a few brief film and TV appearances before getting what should have been his big break. Knox landed the role of Hogwarts student Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film in the popular fantasy series. Although the character of Marcus did not appear in the final book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Knox had signed on to reprise the role in the final two-volume Harry Potter film. Tragically, this never came to pass as Knox was killed in May 2008, after being stabbed outside a bar. The young actor had been defending his brother from the assailant, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released after Knox’s death; studio Warner Bros and the actor’s co-stars issued statements expressing shock and sympathy at his loss.
Brittany Murphy
Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977, Brittany Murphy relocated to Los Angeles in her early teens to pursue acting. She enjoyed plenty of small-screen success, including appearances on Blossom, Frasier, Party of Five and Boy Meets World. However, it was Murphy’s second film role 1995 classic teen comedy Clueless that really catapulted her to fame. For a time, Murphy seemed to have successfully negotiated the tricky move from teen TV actress to grown-up film star, with key roles in such major films as Don’t Say A Word, 8 Mile, Sin City and Just Married. However, there were reports of Murphy being dismissed from some major projects over personal issues, and rumours of her abusing drugs. The actress was just 32 when she died from pneumonia in December 2009, with multiple drug intoxication and anaemia having been a factor in her death.
Skye McCole Bartusiak
Skye McCole Bartusiak was born in Houston, Texas in September 1992, and broke into acting aged just six. After making her first appearance in TV mini-series Storm of the Century, she soon broke into movie roles. Bartusiak played Mel Gibson’s daughter in The Patriot, and Michael Douglas’ daughter in Don’t Say a Word. Her career continued into her teens, with roles in Boogeyman and Kill Your Darlings, plus appearances on TV’s House, Lost and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Bartisiak still lived at home with her parents when she died in July 2014 aged just 21, after an accidental overdose of painkillers and muscle relaxers. Her parents insisted the actress did not drink or use illicit drugs, but had been suffering from epileptic seizures not long before she died.
Carl Switzer
Carl Switzer was a child star back in the early days of the cinema, when films with sound were still fairly new. Born in August 1927, Switzer shot to fame as Alfalfa in popular shorts series Our Gang. Switzer would appear in over 20 Our Gang shorts before retiring from the series in 1940, aged 12. Unfortunately, as would be the case for so many child actors after him, Switzer struggled to keep his career going as he matured. After being relegated to mainly cameos in B-movies, Switzer side-stepped into working as a dog breeder and a hunting guide. He was killed in 1959 at the age of 31, shot dead by an acquaintance over an argument about the money he was owed.
Christopher Pettiet
Christopher Pettiet was born in Texas in 1976 and broke into the business in his early teens. He was given the Best Young Actor in a Guest Starring Role at the 1991 Young Artist Awards, for his 1991 appearance on Doogie Howser, M.D. Around the same time, Pettiet made a brief appearance in Point Break, and took one of the lead roles in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. After this, Pettiet played a young Jesse James in the TV series The Young Riders, and several more minor roles in TV and film. In his later years, Pettiet appeared in several episodes of the MTV series Undressed. His final role was an episode of Judging Amy. Pettiet died aged 24 in April 2000, after an overdose of multiple drugs; the autopsy also indicated that ‘probable cardiomyopathy’ was a factor.
J. Madison Wright
Born in Cincinatti, Ohio in 1984, Jessica Madison Wright started out as a child model aged five before breaking into acting. She first appeared in the sitcom Grace Under Fire aged nine, before making appearances on The Nanny, Earth 2 and E.R. In 1996, the young actress co-starred with her little sister Tori Wright in the 1996 film Shiloh. However, J. Madison Wright was forced to retire from acting early due to her health. She was given a heart transplant in 2000 to combat restrictive cardiomyopathy. Sadly, her health continued to deteriorate. She died from a heart attack in 2006 aged just 21, having been married only two weeks earlier.
Brad Renfro
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1982, Brad Renfro was for a time considered one of the most promising actors of his generation. He made his breakthrough aged 11 with a role in the courtroom drama The Client, prior to which he had no acting experience. Renfro’s performance wowed critics and audiences, and he went on to appear in many more films. The actor’s other roles included Tom and Huck, Sleepers, Apt Pupil, Ghost World and Bully. Unfortunately, Renfro had developed a heavy drug and alcohol habit. Multiple arrests ensued, and these troubles began costing him roles. In January 2008, Renfro died from acute narcotic intoxication, aged just 25. He had fathered a son before he died.
Bridgette Anderson
Bridgette Anderson was born in 1975 and reportedly demonstrated unusual intelligence from an early age. After starting out as a child model and an actress in TV commercials, she got her big break in 1982. Anderson was cast in the title role of the film Savannah Smiles, and from here she went on to more child star success. The young actress appeared in several more films, plus such TV shows as Remington Steele and The Golden Girls. Sadly, as is so often the case, Anderson struggled to find work as she got older, and wound up developing a drug habit. She was just 21 years old when she died in 1997 from an opioid overdose.
Ashleigh Aston Moore
Ashleigh Aston Moore got her first break in acting aged 10, in the children’s TV series The Odyssey. Roles in a number of TV movies and dramas followed, before she got her big break in 1995’s Now and Then. Moore (born Ashley Rogers) co-starred with Christina Ricci, Gabby Hoffman and Thora Birch in the coming-of-age drama. The young actresses played the 1970 counterparts of the characters portrayed in adulthood by Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith and (as Moore’s character) Rita Wilson. While her co-stars went on to long careers, Moore would take only five more roles before her acting career ended. She died aged 26 in December 2007, from a drug overdose which was ruled accidental.
Anissa Jones
Anissa Jones charmed audiences as Buffy on Family Affair from 1966 to 1971. She was also known for her appearances in To Rome with Love and The Trouble with Girls. On August 28, 1976, at the age of 18, Anissa attended a party in Oceanside, California with her boyfriend, Allan Kovan, and never returned home. It emerged that she’d overdosed on a mixture of cocaine, angel dust, Seconal and Quaaludes. Later, her doctor, Don Carlos Moshos, was charged with 11 felony counts of illegally prescribing strong drugs.
Justin Pierce
Justin Pierce was a skateboarding misfit living in New York when he was cast in Larry Clark’s controversial 1995 film Kids, in which he plays Caspar, the brash, drug-addicted slacker friend of the equally amoral Telly. Following the success of Kids, Pierce fled New York to Hollywood to try and further his career, starring in the likes of Next Friday and Malcolm in the Middle. He eventually moved into the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas after marrying stylist Gina Rizzo. On July 10, 2000, Pierce was found hanging in his room by hotel security. Two notes were found but never released to the public.
Tara Correa-McMullen
Tara Correa-McMullen had no previous acting experience prior to winning a role on the 2005 sports comedy Rebound. As a result of this casting, she landed a recurring part on CBS’ Judging Amy as a young gang member. McMullen also enjoyed a brief stint on Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101. Tragedy struck at the age of 16 however when she was shot dead on October 21, 2005 by LA gang member Damien Watts. At the time, Correa-McMullen had been dating a gang member ten years her senior. She had been outside her apartment complex during the shooting and attempted to run inside for safety. She was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Scotty Beckett
Scotty Beckett upped sticks to Hollywood with his family at the age of just three, but it certainly paid off. After catching the attention of a casting agent, he made his film debut in Gallant Lady (1933), playing the younger version of a character played by Dickie Moore. He worked with Moore again in 1947 on The Dangerous Years, famous for being Marilyn Monroe’s first-ever film. Beckett’s life took a dark turn over the course of the 1950s and 60s, navigating divorce, violent tempers, drugs and arrests. On May 8, 1968, he checked himself into a nursing home after suffering a brutal beating. He died two days later aged 38. Pills and a note were found at the scene, though the exact cause of death was never determined.
Lucille Rickson
Lucille Rickson, born Ingeborg Myrtle Elizabeth Erickson, made her debut in The Millionaire Baby at the age of 5. Following her parents’ divorce in 1917, her mother brought her to Hollywood where she starred in the film series The Adventures and Emotions of Edgar Pomeroy. In the summer of 1924, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Lucille’s mother did her best to look after her bedridden daughter but the grief and stress caused her to suffer a fatal heart attack in February 1925. The following month, Lucille passed away, at the tender age of 14.
Josh Ryan Evans
Josh Ryan Evans was perhaps best known for his role as Timmy Lenox on NBC’s Passions. Born with a congenital heart ailment and achondroplasia, a rare growth disorder, his weight peaked at 3 feet 2 inches. After contacting an agent and appearing in a commercial, Evans received many offers which included Oren Koolie in Ally McBeal, General Tom Thumb in P.T. Barnum and Young Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Evans died on August 5, 2002 during a medical procedure related to his congenital heart condition.
Billy Laughlin
Laughlin is best known for playing Froggy in the Our Gang series of films from 1940 to 1944. He was famous for his odd, guttural and suitably “croaky voice”. By the age of eight, he’d appeared in the first Our Gang film The New Pupil. He soon ditched Hollywood in favour of a normal adolescence. Laughlin however died on August 31, 1948 after being hit by a truck while doing a paper round on his scooter. He was 16.
Michael Cuccione
Michael Cuccione made a name for himself as part of the spoof boy band 2ge+her, playing the part of Jason ‘QT’ McKnight in a series about them. 2ge+her became so popular they actually went on tour and opened for Britney Spears, while the soundtrack for the 2ge+her movie hit the Billboard Top 100. Since the age of nine, Cuccione had been fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Around December 2000, he began struggling to breathe independently and soon entered the hospital with pneumonia. He died on January 13, 2001, shortly after his 16th birthday.
Norman Chaney
Norman Chaney found fame as part of the Our Gang films between 1929 and 1931. At the time, Chaney was around 3 foot 11 and weighed 113 pounds, gaining him the nickname ‘Chubby’, a persona he thrived on until 1931, when he wasn’t offered a further contract after becoming taller and heavier. Over the next few years, having quit acting and excelled in school, Chaney’s weight fluctuated. On May 29, 1936, he died from myocarditis at the age of 21. His grave remained unmarked for 76 years because his mother couldn’t afford a marking. In 2012, Detroit musician MIKAL raised $4,500 for headstones for both Chaney and his mother.
Sammi Kane Kraft
Sammi Kane Kraft didn’t set out to be a child actor. She was discovered on a baseball diamond in Los Angeles at the age of 13, and was subsequently cast in what would be her only film, the 2005 remake of The Bad News Bears. She played Amanda Wurlitzer, a role played by Tatum O’Neal in the 1976 original. In the early hours of October 9, 2012, Kraft was riding in the passenger seat of a car when it was struck by another vehicle. She was rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead at the age of 20.
Jonathan Brandis
Born April 1976 in Connecticut, Jonathan Brandis got his break aged six with a role in soap opera One Life to Live. The young actor followed this with a number of TV guest roles before getting his big break in 1990. Back to back, 14-year-old Brandis appeared in the lead role of The Never-Ending Story II, and as young Bill Denborough in TV miniseries It. After this, Brandis co-starred with Chuck Norris in the martial arts movie Sidekicks, before landing a recurring role on TV’s SeaQuest DSV. Sadly, Brandis like so many child actors found difficulty in transitioning to adult roles. He filmed a part in 2002 drama Hart’s War, but most of it was cut from the final film. Struggling with depression and alcohol dependency, Brandis took his own life in November 2003, aged 27.
Anton Yelchin
Born in what is now St Petersburg, Russia in 1989, Anton Yelchin was brought to the USA by his parents at six months old. Getting his first acting work aged 11, Yelchin soon became one of the most sought-after child actors in Hollywood. Happily, Yelchin was one of the comparative few to enjoy even greater success as he entered adulthood. The young actor appeared in 2009’s Star Trek and its two sequels, plus Terminator: Salvation and the 2011 remake of Fright Night. Yelchin’s life was tragically cut short in 2016, when the 27-year-old actor was crushed by his own Jeep due to a handbrake failure. Yelchin’s family took legal action against the car manufacturer, and the matter was ultimately settled out of court.
Dana Hill
Dana Lynne Goetz was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at high school, which ended her initial aspirations toward a career in athletics. Instead, she adopted the stage name Dana Hill and decided to pursue acting, eventually landing a role on sitcom The Two of Us. After making appearances on TV’s Magnum, P.I. and The Fall Guy, Hill landed her best-known movie: National Lampoon’s European Vacation. Hill portrayed Audrey Griswold, taking over from National Lampoon’s Vacation actress Dana Barron. (Juliette Lewis would later take the role in Christmas Vacation.) By the 1990s, Hill came to concentrate on voice acting, her credits including Jetsons: The Movie and such TV cartoons as Rugrats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Unfortunately, her diabetes worsened. Hill fell into a diabetic coma in May 1996, and remained in that condition for two months before finally dying of a stroke aged 32.
Kevin Alexander Clark
Kevin Alexander Clark was 14 years old with no acting experience when he was cast in hit family comedy School of Rock. Like most of his young co-stars, Clark was cast based on his musical proficiency, in his case on the drums. Cast as rebellious young drummer Freddy Jones, Clark won widespread acclaim – but never took another acting role. Instead, Clark kept his focus on music, playing in a number of bands over the years. Tragically, Clark was killed in a road traffic accident aged 32, after being hit by a car whilst cycling. School of Rock leading man Jack Black led tributes to his young star, declaring he was “heartbroken” by the news.
Cameron Boyce
Cameron Boyce was born in Los Angeles in 1999, and got his first roles in the 2008 films Mirror and Eagle Eye, as well as TV’s General Hospital. Boyce went on to receive wider attention for his role as Adam Sandler’s son in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. A talented dancer as well as an actor, Boyce would put his skills to use as a Disney Channel star. After taking a key role on the Disney Channel series Jessie, Boyce also appeared in the hit musical Descendants and its two sequels. More major roles were lined up for Boyce, but he tragically died barely six weeks after his 20th birthday. Boyce had been diagnosed with epilepsy, and his death was caused by complications from this condition.
Bobby Driscoll
Robert Cletus Driscoll was born in March 1937 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and got into child acting aged 6. The young actor enjoyed a successful working relationship with Walt Disney Pictures, appearing in several big hits for the studio. These included Song of the South and Treasure Island. Disney’s animated take on Peter Pan was also modelled on Driscoll. However, by the mid-50s Driscoll left Disney, and struggled with that same professional stigma which afflicts many former child stars. Personal and professional anxieties soon sent the young actor into a downward spiral of drug abuse, which resulted in him serving jail time. Driscoll made his final appearance in an Andy Warhol art film, and died aged 31 from heart failure caused by his drug intake.
River Phoenix
Following his rise to fame in the mid-80s, it was widely expected that young actor River Phoenix was on his way to great things. After enduring a troubled childhood alongside his four siblings (including fellow actor Joaquin Phoenix), the young actor broke into film with 1985’s Explorers. However, it was Phoenix’s powerful performance in the 1986 coming-of-age classic Stand By Me which really alerted the world to his talent. Phoenix was later Oscar-nominated for his performance in Running on Empty, made a memorable appearance in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and was hugely acclaimed for the 1991 drama My Own Private Idaho. The world was shocked when, at just 23 years old, Phoenix died from multiple drug intoxication in 1993.
Nikita Pearl Waligwa
Actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa was best known for her role as Gloria in Disney’s Queen of Katwe. The Ugandan teenager was cast in the 2016 movie at the age of 11 and starred alongside Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo. On February 15, 2020, Waligwa passed away after a battle with a brain tumor. She was 15 years old. Both Nikita’s high school and her Queen of Katwe co-star Nyong’o wrote tributes to the young actress on their social media saying she was a “darling to many” and a “sweet, warm, talented girl.”
Johnny Lewis
Although Lewis acted since the age of five, his big break came when he starred in Malcolm in the Middle and 7th Heaven when he was 16. He later went on to appear on hit shows including Smallville, The O.C. and Sons of Anarchy. In October 2011, Lewis was involved in a motorcycle crash that injured his head and he later suffered from mental capacity loss. Lewis’ growing drug addiction and mental health issues, which were acknowledged by his probation officer, ended in Lewis murdering his landlady and subsequently killing himself in 2012.
Thuy Trang
Remember Thuy Trang? She played Trini, the Yellow Ranger, in the hit series Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. After playing the Yellow Ranger, she went on to star in 1996’s The Crow: City of Angels and Spy Hard. Trang died in a car accident in 2001. She had been travelling between San Francisco and Los Angeles for her friend Angela’s wedding when the vehicle – being driven by another bridesmaid – slid off the road, hit a rock face and rolled over. Trang was 27 at the time of her death.
James Dean
The late James Dean was a movie star who was known for his performances in East of Eden, Giant” and Rebel Without a Cause. Dean’s fame skyrocketed him to A-list status, but he reportedly experienced severe mood swings and depression that resulted in erratic behavior, including heavy use of alcohol and drugs. In addition to his acting career, Dean also pursued auto racing, placing second in the Palm Springs Road Races and third in Bakersfield in 1955. On September 30th 1955, he was driving to another race when he died in a head-on collision. He was 24 years old.
Aaliyah
When she was ten, singer, actress and model Aaliyah appeared on Star Search. Two years later, she signed a record deal that launched a career that would include hit songs like Are You That Somebody? and a spot on VH1’s Greatest Women in Music list. Music critics speculated that she might have been the next Whitney Houston or Janet Jackson. Aaliyah also dabbled in acting, appearing in movies such as Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned. According to director Michael Rymer, Aaliyah had an exceptional ability to achieve her goals. “Nothing was going to stop her,” Rymer said. But that changed on August 25, 2001, when Aaliyah boarded a plane in the Bahamas. The plane crashed into the airport runway moments after taking off, killing the singer and all on board. She was 22 years old.
Dorothy Dell
Dorothy Dell was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and aged 13 months won a most beautiful baby contest. She went on to live in New Orleans for a time, winning the title of Miss New Orleans in 1929 when she was only 15 years old. Just two years later, she won the Miss Universe pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey; this was a prestigious event that brought her critical acclaim and a promising future as an actress. Unfortunately, Dell’s life was cut short in an automobile accident on June 8, 1934. After leaving a late-night party with her date, Dr. Carl Wagner, they were driving to Pasadena when their car veered off the highway and hit a telephone pole, then bounced off a palm tree and hit a boulder before coming to rest. Dell, the passenger in the front seat, died instantly while Dr. Wagner died several hours later at Huntington Memorial Hospital. Dell was only 19 years old.
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood reached stardom at a young age. She was nominated for three Academy Awards before she turned 25, and she first gained fame from her role in Miracle on 34th Street as a child. Her early success led to bigger projects like West Side Story, when she was only 20 years old. Everything had been going well for the actress until a weekend trip in 1981 to Catalina Island, off the coast of California. Wood drowned while boating there. Investigators determined that Wood’s death was an accident, but there were many unanswered questions regarding the incident, particularly where her husband, Robert Wagner, was concerned. She was 43 years old at the time of her death.
Rusty Hamer
Actor Rusty Hamer struggled with transitioning from child star to adult actor. His most famous role was as Rusty Williams, son of Danny Thomas on the highly popular TV series Make Room for Daddy. The show ran from 1953 to 1964, followed by several reunion shows. However, when the show ended, Hamer struggled to find roles and had no other skills or career options. After struggling with depression, Hamer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 42 on January 18, 1990.
Dean Worswick
British actor Dean Worswick was best known for his recurring role as Warren Shipley in Coronation Street, which he began playing at the age of 12. He also appeared in hit shows Shameless and Clocking Off. Tragically, Worswick was only 15 when he took his own life three days before his school prom, after being told that he could not attend. The actor was found hanging from a tree by a man walking his dog in early March 2004, just three days before the prom.
Jon Paul Steuer
In 1990, Steuer was cast as Alexander Rozhenko in Star Trek: The Next Generation, becoming the first actor to portray the character. In 1993, nine-year-old Steuer was cast in the role of Brett Butler’s son Quentin Kelly on the ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire. He went on to appear in the movie Little Giants, but quit acting after leaving Grace Under Fire in 1996. In March 2015, Jon partnered with chef Sean Sigmon to open a vegan restaurant called Harvest At the Bindery in Portland, Oregon. Steuer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2018, aged just 33. After his death, Steuer’s business partner shut down the Portland restaurant they owned together; it was put up for sale on January 3rd.
Michael Galeota
Actor Michael Galeota was best known for his 1999–2004 role as Nick Lighter in Disney’s The Jersey, which he began starring in at 15. He also appeared in The Baby-Sitters Club and Ally McBeal before landing a part in the 2003 movie Missing Brendan. Galeota died unexpectedly in his Glendale, California, home on Jan. 10th, 2016, at the age of 31. His cause of death was ruled as heart disease.
Samantha Smith
Samantha Reed Smith was a child actress who became famous for her anti-war outreaches in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. She achieved her greatest fame for starring in ABC’s Lime Street series. Smith died in a plane crash at age 13, on August 25, 1985. She received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in 2008 for helping bring about better understanding between the peoples of the United States and the Soviet Union and as a result reduce tension between superpowers that had been poised to engage in nuclear war.
Andrew Koenig
The son of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, Joshua Andrew Koenig was an American actor and human rights activist who appeared in several popular television shows during the 1980s. He played Richard “Boner” Stabone in Growing Pains and starred in 21 Jump Street. Koenig was last seen in Vancouver, British Columbia, on February 14th and missed his scheduled flight on February 16th. On February 25th, a group of friends and family found him dead in Stanley Park; he had apparently hanged himself. He was only 41 years old.
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson was a popular musician and actor who got his start in showbusiness at the age of eight. He later became one of the original teen idols and went on to star alongside John Wayne in 1959’s Rio Bravo, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Nelson died on December 31, 1985, when the plane he was in crashed into trees, poles, and electrical wires while attempting to make an emergency landing. Both pilots survived but all seven passengers died. Nelson was 45 years old at the time of his death.
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond was known for his role as lovable nerd Samuel “Screech” Powers in teen sitcom Saved by the Bell. He landed the role when he was only 12 years old and starred in the show for 10 years. Over the next two decades, Diamond was embroiled in controversy including a sex tape, bankruptcy, a controversial memoir, and multiple arrests. Diamond, who was 44 years old, died of extensive stage four small cell carcinoma of the lungs on February 1, 2021. He had completed one round of chemotherapy in Cape Coral, Florida, but it was unsuccessful.
Billie Thomas
William “Billie” Thomas Jr., best remembered for playing Buckwheat in the Our Gang short films from 1934 until the series’ end in 1944, landed the role when he was only three years old. He quit acting when the show ended and went on to serve in the military, stating that he had no desire to continue acting. Thomas died at the age of 49 of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment on October 10, 1980. He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Darla Hood
Darla Jean Hood was an American child actress best known for her role in Our Gang from 1935 to 1941. She first appeared in the film Our Gang Follies of 1936 at the age of four, and later had roles in The Bohemian Girl with Laurel and Hardy. Hood was organizing a reunion for Little Rascals alumni in 1979 when she underwent an appendectomy. After the operation, she died suddenly of heart failure due to acute hepatitis contracted from a blood transfusion. She was only 47.
Glenn Quinn
Glenn Quinn was an Irish actor best known for his role as Mark Healy on the 1990s family sitcom Roseanne and as the half-demon Allen Francis Doyle on Angel, a spin-off series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Quinn struggled with drug abuse throughout his life, starting when he was a teenager in Ireland. On 3 December 2002, at the age of 32, Quinn was found dead at a friend’s home in North Hollywood, California. An autopsy found that he had died from an accidental drug overdose.
Julie Patzwald
Julie Patsvald was a Canadian actor who starred in two popular television series, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis. In 2008 she won a Leo Award – the Canadian equivalent of an Emmy – for her role as Amy Wanderlei in The Guard. Tragically, Patzwald died at the age of 32 after committing suicide in April 2012. She had been suffering from chronic pain for years, which drove her to take her own life.
Lorenzo Brino
Lorenzo Brino played Sam Camden on The WB’s 11-season drama 7th Heaven, in which he was one of the infant quadruplets that appeared on the show on a rotating basis. He appeared in 138 episodes between seasons three and eleven. In 2020, 21-year-old Brino died in a car accident after losing control of his vehicle and striking a pole. The young actor was the only occupant of the Toyota Camry and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Paul Walker
Born in 1973, Paul Walker began modelling at the age of two and appeared in a number of commercials throughout his childhood, before getting his TV break in the anthology series CBS Schoolbreak. Walker’s career continued to grow and in 2001 he landed a starring role in The Fast and the Furious, becoming a permanent fixture in the wildly popular franchise. On November 30, 2013, the actor was a passenger in a Porsche Carerra GT that crashed into a concrete lamppost at high speed, with both Walker and the driver losing their lives in the collision.
Dominique Dunne
Born in Santa Monica, California in 1959, Dominique Dunne displayed an interest in acting from a young age, studying at the prestigious Milton Katselas’ Workshop before landing her debut role in Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. After several more minor parts, Dunne got her break with a lead role in 1982’s Poltergeist. The actress seemed well on her way to becoming the next big scream queen, until her boyfriend strangled her during an argument in 1982, leaving her in a coma from which she would never wake.
Michelle Risi
Michelle Risi’s career seemed to be taking off in 1998, with the teenage actress landing roles in Nothing Too Good For a Cowboy, The Wonderful World of Disney and 54. Tragically, the following year Risi succumbed to a severe case of meningitis, passing away at the age of 16. If it wasn’t for her premature death, Risi – who worked alongside Harland Williams, Salma Hayek and Katey Segal – would almost certainly have had an illustrious career.
Simon Gipps-Kent
Born into a family of entertainers, Simon Gipps-Kent showed a keen interest in acting from a young age, writing and starring in his own play at the age of 12. After signing to a talent agency, Gipps-Kent became well known for his TV and film roles portraying members of the monarchy and British nobility. The actor was also a talent on the stage, starring alongside Ben Kingsley in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of A Lesson in Blood and Roses. Gipps-Kent’s promising career was brought to a tragic close when he accidentally overdosed on morphine at the age of 28, with his death ruled the result of “misadventure.”
Sage Stallone
The eldest child of Hollywood titan Sylvester Stallone, Sage Stallone made his screen debut alongside his father in 1990’s Rocky V. From there the actor went on appear in Daylight, before starting a production company dedicated to the restoration of exploitation films like Cannibal Holocaust. Stallone returned to acting with roles in Promises in Water and The Agent, but before his career could properly launch he passed away at the age of 36, with the cause of death listed as coronary heart disease.
Brandon deWilde
Born into a family of stage actors, Brandon deWilde made his Broadway debut at the age of seven and achieved national fame with his role in the play The Member of the Wedding. The actor also starred in the subsequent film adaptation, winning a Golden Globe for his performance. DeWilde also found success in cinema and TV, appearing in a number of movies and starring in his own sitcom, Jamie. On July 6th, 1972, deWilde lost his life at the age of 30 when he crashed his camper van whilst not wearing a seatbelt.
Raphaël Coleman
Born in Wandsworth, London in 1994, Raphaël Coleman found acting success at a young age, appearing in several films including Nanny McPhee, The Fourth Kind and It’s Alive. After studying zoology at university, Coleman decided to quit acting and become a climate change activist, joining Extinction Rebellion. On February 6, 2020, Coleman collapsed whilst jogging, and passed away from heart failure shortly after. He was 25 years old.
Helene Costello
The youngest daughter of actor Maurice Costello, Helene Costello soon followed in her father’s footsteps, making her screen debut at the age of three in a film adaptation of Les Misérables. Costello’s career continued to thrive from there, and the actress became a well known star of the silent film era, both as a child and into adulthood. On January 24th, 1957, Costello was admitted to hospital for drug and alcohol addiction, and she passed away two days later at the age of 50, with the cause of death listed as pneumonia.
Chet Allen
Chet Allen made his screen debut in Amahl and the Night Visitors – the first opera ever made for television – in which he starred as the titular character. Allen continued working in opera but also dabbled in TV, appearing in the film Meet Me at the Fair and starring in the NBC series Bonino. In 1984, Allen passed away at the age of 45 after ingesting five times the fatal dose of a prescription antidepressant.
John Collum
Born in 1926, John Collum appeared in many of the Our Gang short films, playing a character named Uh-Huh due to his trademark way of responding to questions. Collum passed away from an unexpected heart attack two months after his 36th birthday in 1962, leaving behind a wife and three children.
Laura Sadler
Laura Sadler was an English actor who found early success with a role in the children’s show Grange Hill, before going on to play nurse Sandy Harper in the medical drama Holby City. On June 15, 2003, Sadler fell over 40 feet from the window of her boyfriend’s flat, sustaining severe head injuries and entering a coma from which she would never wake. She was 22 at the time of her death.
Stymie Beard
Matthew Beard Jr was a child actor who regularly appeared in the Our Gang films from 1930 to 1935. Beard’s character Stymie became so popular that the actor ended up adopting the name off screen. Unlike most of the other Our Gang actors, Beard managed to land several more roles after the series ended, including a part in the 1978 biopic The Buddy Holly Story. On January 3, 1981, Beard suffered a stroke and fell down the stairs, succumbing to his injuries a few days later. He was 56 at the time of his death.
Dorothy Dandridge
During her childhood, Dorothy Dandridge toured the United States performing in a musical act with her sister, before landing a role on Our Gang. After a bumpy patch in her career that came as a result of Dandridge refusing to play roles that played up to Black stereotypes, the actress went on to find considerable success, becoming the first African-American woman to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. On September 8, 1965, Dandridge was found dead in her Los Angeles apartment at the age of 42, with the cause of death listed as an accidental overdose of antidepressants.
Mya-Lecia Naylor
Mya-Lecia Naylor looked set for a promising career before her tragic death at the age of 16. After starring roles in the CBBC series’ Millie Inbetween and Almost Never, the actress went on to appear in the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. On April 7, 2019, Naylor’s mother found her hanging in an apparent suicide attempt and, despite the desperate efforts of paramedics, she passed away soon after. The coroner presiding over the case believed that Naylor hadn’t seriously intended to take her own life, ruling it a death by misadventure.
Suzanne Crough
Born in 1963, Suzanne Crough began her acting career at the age of seven, landing a role as the youngest sibling on the musical sitcom The Partridge Family. The show enjoyed a successful run and Crough continued acting after it ended, appearing in a number of TV movies and making guest appearances on shows. On April 27, 2015, at the age of 52, Crough abruptly died while sitting at her dining room table, with the autopsy revealing she had suffered an extremely rare form of cardiomyopathy.
