25 Famous People Whose Lives Were Cut Short by Smoking-Related Illnesses

Cigarette smoking is far less common in the United States than it was decades ago, but tobacco use remains one of the country’s most serious preventable health risks. Smoking has been linked to lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, chronic lung disease, and several other life-threatening conditions. It can also harm people who never smoke themselves, since secondhand smoke continues to pose major risks to adults, children, and infants.

For many years, smoking was also deeply tied to celebrity culture. Actors, musicians, comedians, and public figures were often photographed with cigarettes, and in older movies and television shows, smoking was frequently treated as stylish or ordinary. The long-term consequences were not always as widely understood or discussed as they are today.

This slideshow looks back at 25 well-known celebrities whose deaths were connected to smoking or smoking-related illnesses. Their stories reflect the lasting health toll of tobacco use and show how a once-glamorized habit affected some of the most recognizable figures in entertainment history.

George Harrison had been a heavy smoker for a long time. He also wasn't new to cancer. In 1997, the Beatles member was diagnosed with oral cancer after finding a lump in his neck. He quickly got treatment, which was a mix of radiation and surgery. However, in 2001, cancer came back and was more aggressive. This time, the doctors found cancer in Harrison's lungs and a tumor in his brain. By November of that year, even with treatment, the cancer kept spreading. Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001 at 58 years old.

Another heavy smoker who passed away young due to a smoking-related illness was legendary jazz player Nat King Cole. Like Harrison, he was a heavy smoker, sometimes consuming as much as three packs a day. In September of 1964, after experiencing back pain and weight loss, he went to the hospital, where the doctors found a malignant tumor in Cole's left lung. He only had a few months to live as the growth was too large to operate on. He continued working even with cancer and started treatment on December 10, 1964. Cole passed away on February 15, 1965, at 45 years old.

Walt Disney, the founder of the Walt Disney Company, also died of a smoking-related illness. He was a chain smoker who was never without a cigarette in his fingers and began smoking during World War I. In November 1966, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although he got treatment quickly (cobalt treatment), he passed away a month later at 65 of complications due to his lung cancer.

Victor French was an American actor and director known for his roles in "Gunsmoke," "Little House on the Prairie," and Carter Country. For most of his life, he was a heavy smoker. Likely because of this, in April of 1989, he was diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer. He battled the disease for three months before passing away on June 15, 1989, at 54.

Not all people who smoke develop lung cancer. And not all those who do develop cancer have it in their lungs. Smoking tobacco is linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. About 25% of pancreatic cancer is caused by smoking. Michael Landon died of pancreatic cancer, after living a life where he smoked unfiltered cigarettes and drank a lot. In April of 1991, after experiencing a bad headache, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His diagnosis was terminal, and he went on to speak up about quitting smoking and its damaging effects. A little less than three months after his diagnosis, he passed away at 54 years old.

A non-actor celebrity who passed away due to lung cancer is Joe DiMaggio, an impressive baseball player. He was one of the best of his time, earning the nickname "the Yankee Clipper." For most of his adult life, this Yankee baseball player smoked every day, up to three packs a day, and was even in advertisements for Camel. In his 80s, he developed lung cancer and passed on March 8, 1999.

Some people start smoking at a young age. Yul Brynner started heavy smoking at 12 years old. Although he stopped smoking in 1971, he developed inoperable lung cancer in September 1983. Not only did Brynner continue performing and acting, but he also got involved in creating anti-smoking ads to warn people of the dangers. He partnered with the American Cancer Society to create a PSA that played on TV after his death. It's a chilling PSA that he made knowing he was going to die. Yul Brynner passed at 65 on October 10, 1985.

Humphrey Bogart was a heavy smoker and drinker, to the point where even in films, he smoked. Even if the cigarette wasn't lit, it sat on the corner of his lips. He was so well-known for it, in fact, that the slang word Bogart came from his style of holding his cigarettes. Likely because of his drinking and smoking habits, Humphrey Bogart developed esophageal cancer in late 1956, although the symptoms began beforehand. After many surgeries and treatments, he passed on January 14, 1957.

Desi Arnaz, star of "I Love Lucy," also died of cancer related to his smoking habits. For the bulk of his life, Arnaz smoked cigarettes and Cuban cigars, even while on set. He didn't stop until he was in his 60s, which was also when the cancer developed. In 1986, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and by December 2, 1986, his condition worsened, and he passed away.

Cancer and health issues relating to smoking can start at any time, even decades after you've stopped smoking. Kathryn Joosten started smoking when she was 16 and didn't stop until her cancer diagnosis. She began acting in 1982 but mainly took guest roles on big shows like "Seinfeld," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Roseanne." She's mainly known for her role in "Desperate Housewives." Joosten had been battling cancer since at least 2007, when she revealed she was in remission and started giving out tips on beating the addiction of smoking. The cancer came back about five years later, passing away on June 2, 2012, at 72 years old.

John Candy died young at only 43 years old due to a heart attack. Although heart attacks aren't all associated with cigarettes, this one was (sorta). Candy was obese, struggled with anxiety, drank frequently, and smoked about a pack of cigarettes a day.

Did you expect to read about a famous painter today? Well, Claude Monet likely developed lung cancer because of his smoking habits, which can be seen in his paintings. In 1926, after dealing with a painful and uncomfortable cough, he got X-rays done and was diagnosed with lung cancer, although his family hid the results from him for a short while. That same year, he passed away at 86.

Dean Martin also died of an illness related to smoking. Like Walt Disney and a few other celebrities on our list, he never went anywhere without his cigarettes. It was weird to see him without one than with one in his hands. In September 1993, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, likely related to his lifelong smoking. Two years later, at home, Martin died of acute respiratory failure resulting from emphysema.

Smoking was incredibly common prior to the 90s. It's dropped so quickly in adults as an addiction, but not before taking many lives, including that of Patrick O'Neal. He was an active actor from 1952 to 1994. Patrick O'Neal was a daily smoker. He developed lung cancer later in his life and passed away due to respiratory failure at 66.

Some people don't quit smoking even after getting a scary diagnosis. Patrick Swayze, an '80s and '90s favorite who starred in great films like "Dirty Dancing," was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after a lifetime of smoking. He didn't stop smoking during cancer treatment either, and yet admitted smoking was likely what caused the disease. According to Swayze, he smoked so much that he sometimes went through over 60 cigarettes a day. Swayze lost his battle on September 14, 2009, at 57.

Although not impossible, beating a smoking addiction is difficult, especially for heavy smokers who've been doing it for years. Still, if you don't, it can have terrible health risks and effects. For Sammy Davis Jr., smoking cigarettes shortened his life. He was a heavy smoker, going through four packs a day into his adulthood. In 1989, after noticing that he couldn't taste food right, he went to get checked and was diagnosed with throat cancer. Doctors urged him to get surgery to remove it through a laryngectomy, but he refused, wanting to keep his voice. Instead, he underwent radiation therapy. Less than a year after his diagnosis, he passed away due to complications from throat cancer on May 16, 1990, at 64.

Vincent Schiavelli, a character actor with a long history of smoking, also developed cancer (lung). He's best known for his sad look and large stature, playing characters in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "The People vs. Larry Flynt," and "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension." He quietly battled this disease in his home, Italy, and passed on December 26, 2005.

Another unforgettable baseball star, unfortunately, makes our list: Babe Ruth. He was a heavy smoker who smoked anything, including pipes, cigars, and cigarettes. After feeling a sharp, consistent pain in his eye, he went to the doctor, who found nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the base of his skull and neck. It was inoperable. Still, he received treatment, becoming one of the first people with cancer to try drugs and radiation treatment together. Sadly, it wasn't successful, and on August 16, 1948, at just 53, he passed away.

David Lynch began smoking as young as eight years old. This early habit developed into a lifelong activity. He didn't stop smoking until 2022, about two years after he was diagnosed with emphysema. Because of the health risks, he stopped working on physical film projects and stayed home, trying to do everything remotely. His movements were limited, and he used oxygen to get around. Shortly after being evacuated from his home during the 2025 Southern California wildfires, his health took a sharp turn. Lynch passed away on January 15, 2025, at 78 due to cardiac arrest as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

During the 1950s and 60s, smoking was common. It wasn't taboo and even shown on screen at every turn. This might be why so many of the best actors developed cancers and lung diseases, including Betty Grable. A lifelong smoker, Grable developed lung cancer in 1972. One year later, at age 56, she passed away due to the disease.

So many celebrities played the role of the Marlboro Man for the cigarette company and died of smoking-related illnesses. One of these is Wayne McLaren, a rodeo performer, model, and actor. In 1990, after smoking cigarettes for over 30 years, he developed lung cancer. After his diagnosis, he spoke out against smoking cigarettes, listing the harms. He was also featured in a PSA/commercial where a photo of him sick and in bed with tubes was used. On July 22, 1992, McLaren passed away at 51.

Graham Chapman passed away young, before even reaching 50. He was a lifelong smoker, starting at the age of 15. Chapman was frequently seen and photographed smoking a pipe, even while filming for Monty Python. His lifelong smoking caught up to him as he developed throat cancer in 1988. Immediately, he tried different treatments, but a year later, on October 4, 1989, he passed from cancer complications.

One of the youngest celebrities/artists to die from cancer related to smoking tobacco was Lorraine Hansberry. She was only 32 when she lost her battle with pancreatic cancer, which doctors suspected might have been caused by heavy smoking. Known for her brilliant play, "A Raisin in the Sun," she was extraordinary, even becoming the first African-American dramatist to win the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. In 1964, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She passed away a few months later on January 12, 1965.

Jack Cassidy is one of the few celebrities we didn't lose to some sort of cancer. Instead, he died in a fire after falling asleep with a lit cigarette. The fire spread too fast for him to escape, and he was found dead on December 12, 1976, at 46 years old. Although some people were suspicious, it was ruled an accident.

Last, but not least (although we can keep adding to this list as there are many others), Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys also passed away after living a life of smoking. He started smoking as a young teenager, and this bad habit continued into adulthood. Even after he was diagnosed and in treatment, he continued picking up cigarettes. Wilson was diagnosed in early 1997 and completed a tour with cancer while on treatment. He passed just a year after his diagnosis on February 6, 1998, at 51.