20 Celebrities Who Died Far Too Soon

Jean Harlow was the original “blonde bombshell” with ample comedic chops, who was an A-list Hollywood star by the mid-1930s. She tragically passed away in the midst of shooting 1937’s “Saratoga,” which was completed using body doubles. It went on to become the most successful film of her short-lived career.

Making her big-screen debut at the age of 12, comedy icon Carole Lombard became leading material about a decade later. She was returning to Los Angeles from a war bond rally in her home state of Indiana when her plane crashed into a mountain. Lombard’s mother, Clark Gable’s press agent, and 15 army soldiers were also killed in the crash.

Carole Landis was born Frances Ridste in rural Wisconsin and broke out in Hollywood playing a cavewoman in 1940’s “One Million B.C.” She was known for her smarts. She took her own life reportedly due to a doomed romance with actor Rex Harrison.

James Dean was an avid motorsport enthusiast with a need for speed. This ultimately led to him crashing his Porsche on the way to a race in Salinas, California. “Rebel Without a Cause” was released soon after his death, posthumously turning him into a paragon of rebellious youth culture.

Jayne Mansfield was a contemporary (and rival) of Marilyn Monroe’s and similarly died well before her time. Heading to New Orleans for a TV appearance with her attorney, a driver, and her three children, her 1966 Buick Electra crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer. All three adult passengers died instantly, but the children — one of whom grew up to become actress Mariska Hargitay of “Law & Order: SVU” fame — survived.

Arguably representing one the most shocking deaths in Hollywood history was Sharon Tate’s murder at the hands of the Manson Family. One among five victims, she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant at the time. Director Quentin Tarantino explores the event through an altered lens in the recent hit “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.”

The premature death of martial arts legend Bruce Lee remains shrouded in mystery to this day. Most experts agree that he died from swelling of the brain, but theories abound as to the underlying root cause. Some say it was an adverse reaction to pain medication, while others suspect he was murdered by the Chinese mafia.

Stand-up comedian and TV star Freddie Prinze reportedly battled with depression for most of his life, despite his high-profile romances and lucrative career. He was also known to play dangerous games such as Russian roulette as a way to amuse his friends. He died after shooting himself. His death was ruled accidental due to the influence of over-prescribed medication. He had a son, Freddie Prinze Jr., who became a successful actor.

Actor Dominique Dunne made her big screen debut in the film Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. She then appeared in the supernatural thriller Poltergeist in 1982, which was considered her breakout role. She was murdered the same year by a forlorn ex-boyfriend, a chef at the L.A. celebrity hangout Ma Maison. Her death was one among a number of strange occurrences surrounding the film, prompting people to wonder if it was cursed.

John Belushi’s death was one that many of his peers saw coming. Famous for his excessive behavior and juvenile antics, he had the most-watched show on television in 1978. According to the recent book The Castle on Sunset, Robert De Niro and Robin Williams were two of the last people to see the comedy legend alive. It is said that his death led to a review of drug culture in Hollywood.

Heather O’Rouke was a breakout star in her first role as Carole Channing in Poltergeist. She had already completed two movies in the franchise and had begun filming the third installment, Poltergeist III. It was during the filming of this third installment when she died a “distinctly unusual” death (to quote gastroenterology expert Dr. Daniel Hollander). It came on the heels of various illnesses, including giardiasis and Crohn’s disease. This added fuel to the theory of a “Poltergeist” curse.

Teen model turned-actor Rebecca Schaeffer was pursuing a film career and had a starring role in the television program My Sister Sam, when she was shot in her home by stalker Robert John Bardo. The crazed fan was able to obtain her home address from a private detective, who procured it from California’s DMV database. Congress passed the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act as a direct result, prohibiting the DMV from sharing home addresses.

River Phoenix was a rising star with a promising future, who famously overdosed during a night of partying at Hollywood’s Viper Room. Siblings Joaquin and Rain were both in attendance, as was girlfriend (and fellow actor) Samantha Mathis. His incomplete final film, “Dark Blood,” was released in 2012.

Brandon Lee was breaking out from under the shadow of his famous father, Bruce Lee (see above) when he suffered a similarly mysterious fate. While filming “The Crow,” he was shot and killed by a dummy bullet with a lead tip. The bizarre death has prompted various conspiracy theories along with rumors of a family curse.

Comedy legend Chris Farley had undergone numerous treatments for both obesity and addiction before succumbing to a drug overdose in 1997. According to reports, an arterial disease called atherosclerosis was also a contributing factor. His death bore a striking resemblance to that of his comic hero, John Belushi.

TV actor Michelle Thomas reportedly practiced a healthy lifestyle, one who never smoked, drank, and was a vegetarian, but nonetheless fell victim to a rare form of stomach cancer. Former co-star and ex-boyfriend Malcolm-Jamal Warner (of “The Cosby Show”) was at her bedside during her final days.

After breaking out at the age of 11 in 1994’s “The Client,” Renfro struggled with substance abuse and criminal behavior. A decade after his death, Buzzfeed used his rise and fall to examine the film industry’s supervision (or lack thereof) of at-risk child stars.

Heath Ledger’s star turn began with his breakout role in the film 10 Things I Hate About You. His allure and transformative movie role abilities that many felt made him stand out amongst his peers. The world was shocked by the news of Heath Ledger’s deadly overdose, which occurred approximately six months before the release of his career-making role in The Dark Knight. A subsequent DEA investigation cleared two physicians and celebrity Mary-Kate Olsen — who owned the apartment where his body was found — of any wrongdoing. He won a posthumous Academy Award for his performance in the film as The Joker.

An ill-fated movie shoot in Puerto Rico kicked off a bizarre string of events for actor Brittany Murphy, who fell sick and died soon after. Although the coroner ruled her death as pneumonia, her husband Simon Monjack died under similar circumstances just five months later, and to this day, both incidents remain shrouded in speculation.

Canadian TV star Corey Monteith had a history of substance abuse that followed him to the set of the smash hit “Glee” and beyond. He’d recently completed a stay in rehab just months before overdosing in a Vancouver hotel room. Former co-star and then-girlfriend Lea Michele continues to pay tribute to Monteith on the anniversary of his death.