Many fans feel as though they have lost someone they know intimately in some way when performers pass away, regardless of the cause. Even though it may be true that movie stars exist in a distinct reality from ours, this does not preclude them from experiencing the same struggles and outcomes as regular people.
Just as difficult to hear about are the deaths of elderly people as the stories of those who died while they were younger. Regardless of who you are, the influence of your life is more significant than you may believe. These are the saddest actor demises in history.
Heather O’Rourke
Most people are familiar with Heather O’Rourke from her performance as Carol Anne Freeling in the terrifying horror movie Poltergeist from the 1980s. Before the release of Poltergeist III, O’Rourke suffered from a severe health issue in 1998, which TCM describes as “an acute bowel obstruction caused by congenital stenosis of the intestine and complications from septic shock… at the age of 12.” She will be renowned for portraying the innocent viewpoint of a youngster surrounded by paranormal events in the movie series.
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy’s filmography is full of endearing yet complex characters from the acting roles she played during her career and movies that achieved a little amount of cult fame. Her most famous films include Clueless and Girl, Interrupted. Murphy’s dubious demise in 2009 was classified as an accident in 2010, which E! News claims included several different health conditions and drug use close to her 32-year-old death.
Robbie Coltrane
Hagrid, played by Robbie Coltrane in the Harry Potter films, has become one of the Wizarding World’s most beloved characters and a name many viewers fondly recall from their youth. Coltrane furthered his career and reputation by acting in various additional roles on both the big and small screens. US Weekly said he passed away at 72 in 2022 due to multiple organ failure.
Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman’s passing was among the saddest celebrity deaths in recent memory. In addition to bringing Severus Snape to life in the Harry Potter movies, Rickman had a distinguished career that included voice acting roles in Galaxy Quest and Alice Through the Looking Glass. The U.S. Sun reports that he passed away in 2016 from colon cancer after enduring several serious diseases throughout his 69-year life.
Heath Ledger
Given his wide range of roles, Heath Ledger fascinated audiences by inspiring either scared or joyful sensations. He played the complex love interest in Brokeback Mountain and 10 Things I Hate About You. His legendary method of capturing the Joker in The Dark Knight Rises impacted his mental health. According to the History Channel, he passed away in 2008 at 28 from an “accidental prescription drug overdose.”
Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman took on a few starring roles in the years before his passing that determined the course of his incredibly successful career. His representations of Marvel’s T’Challa and Jackie Robinson in 42 are particularly memorable, and his extensive work span heightened his quality. Before his shocking death in 2020 at the age of 43, Boseman was reportedly fighting colon cancer in private. According to CNN, he was diagnosed with the disease in 2016.
Paul Walker
Paul Walker’s involvement in the Fast and Furious franchise helped him cement his reputation as a leading Hollywood hunk. His first role was in The Young and the Restless, followed by several independent films. Walker lost his life in a terrible series of circumstances in 2013 while “he was in the middle of filming Fast Seven at the time,” according to People. Walker had been in a serious vehicle accident. The way he passed away at the age of 40 horrified viewers all across the world.
Judy Garland
Triple-threat singer-actor-dancer Judy Garland first captivated the hearts of audiences everywhere thanks to her collaborations with Mickey Rooney. In 1939, her turn in “The Wizard of Oz” brought Garland her most recognizable role, playing Dorothy in the legendary technicolor musical. She would go on to star in classics like “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “A Star Is Born,” and “Easter Parade,” her brassy voice an undeniably iconic part of Old Hollywood.
In 1969, she passed away from a drug overdose, according to The Guardian. “This is quite clearly an accidental circumstance to a person accustomed to taking barbiturates over a very long time,” the coroner concluded.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, the iconic blonde bombshell star of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Some Like It Hot,” died at 36 of an apparent suicide, per History. She was found in bed with a telephone in one hand, suggesting she might have been about to call for help, but the LAPD concluded her death was “caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide.” History notes that Monroe had depression and spent much of her last year at home.
There are conspiracy theories surrounding her death, such as the idea that she may have been murdered because of her alleged affair with John F. Kennedy. Netflix documentary “The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes” suggested as much, including an interview with a senior FBI agent named Jim Doyle. “[The FBI] came on the scene immediately,” he said. “Before anybody even realized what happened. It had to be instructions from someone higher than [former FBI director J Edgar Hoover]. The [attorney] general or the president.”
While none of that is substantiated, her obituary in the Los Angeles Times included interviews with several friends who didn’t believe she would have intentionally died by suicide. “This must have been an accident. Marilyn was in perfect physical condition and was feeling great,” her friend Pat Newcomb said. “We had made plans for today. We were going to the movies this afternoon.”
