Then there’s River Phoenix, an actor who achieved immense critical acclaim before his life was abruptly cut short outside the Viper Room at just 23, shaking the entertainment industry to its core. Heather O’Rourke’s passing serves as another poignant reminder of a sparkling career ended too soon. drug addiction treatment The Poltergeist actress captured the hearts of audiences with her performance at a young age only to pass away at 12 from medical complications.

Brandon Lee (

• Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment Jan. 22, surrounded by bottles of prescription drugs.
• In fact, playwright Alan Ayckbourn discovered Peck and wrote the part of Guy Jones for him in A Chorus of Disapproval.
• At first, fans might have known Aaron Carter as Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter’s little brother.

Monroe began a modeling career in 1946 and started acting professionally in 1947. After a slew of unsuccessful films, Monroe caught a break with two supporting roles in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve in 1950. She made various moderately successful movies after that, but hit it big in 1953 with Gentleman Prefer Blondes, where she established her “dumb blonde” persona. The film included one of her most famous scenes where she sang “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” The Seven Year Itch included another iconic scene where she stood over a NYC subway grate with air blowing up her white dress. In 1958, Monroe starred across Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot, which is probably her most well-remembered role.

• “I look at old photos of me, and I don’t feel connected to them at all,” she said.
• Craig Harvey, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s chief investigator, told People that Renfro had been drinking the previous night.
• He starred opposite Stanley Baker (see below) in The Man Who Finally Died (1963) and Zulu (1964).
• He said, “The use of drugs has been made synonymous with the abuse of drugs. For the most part, they are natural substances and have been around long before man. Prohibition never worked; education is the answer.”
• His 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in the accident, as did the seven other passengers onboard with them.

James Dean

This created tension with Shakur, who was leading the West Coast rap scene at the time. When Shakur was shot to death in September 1996, rumors swirled about Biggie’s involvement, though he denied all allegations. In March 1997, while in California to promote his upcoming album, Biggie, 24, was shot to death while riding with his entourage in a GMC Suburban. His murder remains unsolved, and in 2007 his relatives filed a second wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. It took Phoenix’s girlfriend, Samantha Mathis, a long time to open up about the night he died. She later explained, “I knew something was wrong that night, something I didn’t understand,” she said.

River Phoenix

On January 31, 1988, O’Rourke collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors found that her illness was caused by a longstanding bowel obstruction. An attempt to surgically remove the blockage led to septic shock and caused her to suffer cardiac arrest. Brittany Murphy appeared in several TV sitcoms and commercials before getting her big break alongside Alicia Silverstone in the hit comedy Clueless. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s novel Emma, Clueless garnered critical acclaim and led to Murphy getting major roles in Girl, Interrupted, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, and Sin City.

best movies of the ’60s

She also lent her voice talents to Mike Judge’s animated TV show King of the Hill and the animated film Happy Feet. During the latter part of his career, Shakur was part of the East Coat/West Coast hip-hop rivalry (which is briefly shown in this week’s Straight Outta Compton). He was involved in conflicts with other rappers, most famously The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher Wallace, who was also murdered at the height of his career).

Naya Rivera (1987 –

His feature film credits include Final Destination 3, Sisters & Brothers and Monte Carlo. He also appeared on the small screen in Smallville and Supernatural. Farley started SNL in 1990 and was a regular on the show for six years. During his tenure, he created some of the most iconic characters ever featured on the show, including motivational speaker Matt Foley and stereotypical Chicagoan Todd O’Connor.

The actor died during the final weeks of production on the drama-thriller Dark Blood, which was finally finished and released in 2012, nearly two decades after his untimely death. The South African-born Nigel Green featured in countless British productions of the 1960s. He starred opposite Stanley Baker (see below) in The Man Who Finally Died (1963) and Zulu (1964). He was the untrustworthy Major Dalby to Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File (1965). He returned to villainous territory in 1967’s enjoyable caper Deadlier Than the Male. Fans of cult British TV may recognise him for guest performances in hit series including Jason King, The Avengers, The Persuaders!

R. Kelly, the singer who helped write and produce Aaliyah’s album, married the 14-year-old singer. (He was 27 at the time.) Vibe magazine published a copy of their Illinois marriage license, dated Aug. 31, 1994, which showed the starlet’s age had been listed as 18. Aaliyah went on to release “One in a Million” at age 17, which was certified double-platinum within a year. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, and all aboard were killed. Renfro made his acting debut in 1994 at age 11, playing the title role in “The Client” alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones.

Great British character actors who died too young

On Oct. 31, 1993, Phoenix died after overdosing on cocaine and heroin at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Phoenix’s legacy lives on in his younger brother Joaquin Phoenix, who won a Golden Globe for his role in 2005’s “Walk the Line.” Ranked No. 46 in Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time, Janis Joplin was an accomplished singer and songwriter in the 1960s hippie heyday. While her career break came as the lead singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company in the ’60s, she truly became famous as a solo artist singing the blues, folk music and rock. But behind her rich, powerful voice and great lyrical talents was a troubled star. Joplin was reported to have been deeply concerned about how the public would receive her and became prone to drinking and using drugs as a way to cope with her nerves.

There was his childhood in the Children of God cult, his feelings of being the one supporting his family, and the pressures of earning enough to send his siblings to school. Kurt Russell, Raven-Symoné, and Neil Patrick Harris are some of the many child actors who have thrived well into adulthood. However, just as many young stars—once adored for their infectious catchphrases and precociousness—have fallen through the cracks of the industry. Brad Renfro was discovered in the early 1990s and was given a prominent role in “The Client,” a John Grisham legal thriller opposite Tommy Lee Jones. He had an impressive run throughout the rest of the decade, including playing Huckleberry actors who died young Finn in Disney’s “Tom and Huck” alongside fellow child star Jonathan Taylor Thomas. He went on to star in “Sleepers,” “Apt Pupil,” “Telling Lies in America,” and more, making him one of the most promising up-and-coming actors of his generation.