Accidents and tragedy can strike anyone, at any time, and that includes actors. Car crashes, aviation accidents, and even more nefarious actions can befall even the most famous among us. Here is a list of 32 actors who died too soon, and too tragically.
James Dean
it's hard to believe James Dean was only 24 years old when he was killed in a car crash in 1955. His star was burning bright as one of the most promising up-and-coming actors in Hollywood, having appeared in eight movies ((uncredited in five)) to that point. He starred in three huge hits at the end, including two, Rebel Without A Cause and Giant, that were released after his death.
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s and 1960s, and one of the most notorious celebrities on the gossip pages as well. She was married three times and has five children, including Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, something not everyone is aware of. Hargitay was only three when she, her mother, and her siblings were involved in the car accident that would take Mansfield's live in 1967.
Natalie Wood
One of the most notorious accidents (depending on what you believe) in Hollywood history caused the death of Natalie Wood. Wood was on a boat with her husband Robert Wagner and their friend Christopher Walken and either fell in or was pushed (again, depending on what you believe) and drowned. It's an enduring Hollywood mystery.
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson was most famous for his music career, producing a number of hits, first as a teen idol, and then later as a country singer. He first found fame as the son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, starring with his parents and brother on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in the 1950s and '60s. Nelson was killed on New Year's Eve, 1985 when the plane he was riding in caught fire, and toxic smoke filled the cabin before crashing near De Kalb, TX.
Carole Lombard
One of the biggest stars in the Golden Age of Hollywood, Carole Lombard was one of the funniest actresses of her day. She was loved by millions and her popularity indirectly led to her tragic death. In 1942 Lombard was killed when the plane she was on while doing a War Bonds tour, helping raise money for the Second World War, crashed, killing all aboard.
Heather O'Rourke
Nothing is more tragic than the death of a child. Heather O'Rourke's career and life were just getting started when she died at just 12 years old. O'Rourke stole the show in Poltergeist and without a doubt had a very bright future before she died suddenly due to complications of intestinal problems in 1988.
Sharon Tate
On August 9th, 1969 Sharon Tate fell victim to the most infamous crimes in US history when she and the rest of the people in her house were brutally murdered by members of the Manson Family. Tate, who was pregnant at the time, was married to director Roman Polanski who was out of the country when the attack occurred.
Anne Heche
Anne Heche's death in 2022 was shocking after she crashed her car into a house, almost killing the occupant. It was assumed at the time that Heche was under the influence, but the coroner's report showed that she wasn't at the time of the crash, It remains a mystery as to what happened in those frantic moments before the fatal crash, which included Heche hitting two other cars before hitting the house.
Dominique Dunne
The cast of Poltergeist has had a tough run. Not only did child star Heather O'Rouke die tragically at a young age, but the actress who played her older sister, Dominique Dunne, was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1982 just months after the classic horror movie was released. It's been dubbed "The Poltergeist Curse."
Sonny Bono
Musician, actor, and congressman Sonny Bono was killed while skiing in Lake Tahoe. It was one of his favorite things to do, but sadly he struck a tree and died from the traumatic injuries. He was serving in Congress at the time of his death after a long career in music and television.
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy burst onto the Hollywood scene with her breakout role in Clueless. Like other child stars, she faced more than her fair share of difficulties in her personal life. Her life came to a tragic, and somewhat befuddling end when she died under mysterious circumstances in the apartment she shared with her husband in 2009 at age 32. Her husband died mysteriously in the same apartment just five months later.
Desmond Llewelyn
For almost 40 years Desmond Llewelyn was beloved by James Bond fans for playing Q, the man who hooked up the super spy with all his ridiculous gadgets. Llewelyn was 85 years old when he was killed in a car wreck in 1999. It brought about the end of one of the coolest careers in cinema history.
Bruce Lee
Chinese-American actor Bruce Lee defined what it meant to be a martial artist and actor. Even half a century after he died in 1973 he remains the archetype of the genre. He died at age 33 due to a cerebral edema, though more nefarious conspiracies are believed by some. No matter what happened, it was a tragic loss for all movie fans.
Grace Kelly
Princess Grace, or Grace Kelly as she was known in Hollywood, literally lived a fairy tale life. Not only did she become one of the most famous actors in Hollywood, she eventually left that life when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco. It did not end in a fairy tale, sadly. Princess Grace was killed when she lost control of her car on a steep mountain road in the South of France after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. Her daughter Stephanie survived the crash.
Brandon Lee
There are plenty of conspiracy theories surrounding the "curse" of the Lee family. Two decades after Bruce Lee died unexpectedly at age 33, his son became the victim of an on-set death when a prop gun discharged a projectile at point-blank range, killing him while shooting The Crow in 1993.
Phil Hartman
The tragic story of Phil Hartman's death is well known. Hartman was murdered in the early morning hours of May 28th, 1998 as he slept. His wife Brynn shot him three times, killing him, before later taking her own life. Even decades later, it's still shocking to remember and hard to come to grips with.
Aaliyah
Singer Aaliyah was just starting her film career when her young life was cut short. After filming a music video in the Bahamas, Aaliyah and her entourage boarded a plane for Miami. The overloaded plane barely made it off the ground before crashing just off the runway, killing all aboard, including the Queen of the Damned star.
Vic Morrow
One of the worst one-set tragedies happened on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie when veteran actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed in a stunt gone wrong. Morrow was 53 years old when he was killed and the kids, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, were seven, and six, respectively.
Anton Yelchin
Star Trek star Anton Yelchin was just 27 in 2016 when he was killed in one of the freakiest accidents ever. Yelchin was pinned between his own SUV and a pillar outside his home in LA when the SUV slipped into gear while Yelchin was checking on the gate. The truck rolled backward and wedged Yelchin in a spot he couldn't get out of, killing him.
Sam Kinison
Comedian Sam Kinison was larger than life in every way. His trademark screaming delivery in his standup act made him one of the best ever. He came to comedy somewhat late in his life after leaving his career as a preacher. He was tragically killed when a drunk driver hit his car head-on on a highway near Needles, CA.
Naya Rivera
Glee star Naya Rivera's death was both tragic and historic. Though it's now fully understood what happened, we do know that Rivera was in a rented boat with her son on Lake Piru when something happened as they swam. She managed to hoist her 4-year-old son into the boat, but couldn't manage to herself in and she drowned at just age 33.
Paul Walker
In a devastating example of life imitating art, hero, and star of the. Fast and Furious franchise, Paul Walker, was killed when the Porsche he was riding in crashed at a high rate of speed. Tributes for Walker poured in and the franchise's other str, Vin Diesel, often pays tribute to his fallen brother.
Chance Perdomo
Chance Perdomo was having a career-making moment when his life was cut way too short. While on his way to film Season 2 of Gen V, he crashed on his motorcycle in upstate New York. He was killed by the accident and shortly after it was announced the part would not be recast in respect for Perdomo.
Adrienne Shelly
Adrienne Shelly has possibly become more famous in death than she was in life, with a musical based on the movie she wrote, directed, and starred in, Waitress running for 4 years on Broadway after her death. Shelly was murdered by a contractor in 2006 while she was in her office, a case filled with so much intrigue that Law & Order based an episode on it.
Bob Crane
Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane lived a wild private life. Publicly he was beloved for his lead role on the show, but behind closed doors, he lived a secret life making home movies of his intimate encounters with women. Lots of them. None of that was known until after Crane was found murdered in his rented apartment in Scottsdale, AZ. The case has never been resolved after his friend and fellow taper Bob Carpenter was acquitted of the murder after a trial.
Ryan Dunn
"Live fast and die-hard" is an old adage that Ryan Dunn lived up to. The Jackass star was famous for his ridiculous stunts and wild lifestyle, blurring what was real and what was a persona. Sadly, it eventually killed him when he crashed his Porsche 911 after having too much to drink near his home in Pennsylvania.
Audie Murphy
When actor and World War II veteran Audie Murphy died in a plane crash in 1971, he was one of the most famous men in the country. His star has faded and his far less well-known today, but the two-time Medal of Honor winner turned his military renown into Hollywood fame when he became an actor after the war. In addition to being one of the most decorated soldiers in US history, he starred in more than 40 films.
Joan Rivers
Actress and comedienne Joan Rivers was a national treasure and even at age 81 she was showing little sign of slowing down. That made her death, caused by a botched surgery in 2014, all the more shocking. She died on the table, was revived, but died again a week later having never woken up from a medically-induced coma. Her death was marked by hundreds of celebrities and she is still very missed for her biting wit and hilarious jokes.
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
Carl Switzer was one of the earliest child stars in the Golden Age of Hollywood, best known as Alfalfa in Our Gang. Like too many child stars who left Hollywood behind, his adult life was very difficult. Switzer eventually became a dog breeder and was murdered by a friend and client in a dispute over a dog Switzer was training went missing.
Steve Allen
Hollywood legend Steve Allen's death is a cautionary tail. Allen was involved in what seemed like a minor car accident while he was backing out of his driveway on his way to see his son. After arriving safely at his son's house, Allen laid down for a nap and never got up. Injuries caused by the accident were to blame, injuries that were imperceptible, it seems, until they weren't.
Sal Mineo
James Dean famously died before his two biggest films, Rebel Without A Cause, and Giant, were released. His co-star in both movies, Sal Mineo, also had his life cut tragically short when he was murdered in 1976. At just age 37, Mineo was stabbed to death in the driveway of his house by a mugger and never recovered from the injuries.
Natasha Richardson
Natasha Richardson, who starred in The Parent Trap alongside Lindsey Lohan, was killed doing something she'd never done before - skiing. Richardson, who was married to Liam Neeson at the time of her death, fell while taking a lesson in Quebec and hit her head. She seemingly recovered from the fall, but later complained of headaches and was airlifted to a New York City hospital where she died due to an epidural hematoma, or bleeding on her brain.
