In Hollywood’s long and illustrious history, thousands of young starlets have arrived with big dreams and plans. Some make it, establishing successful careers that last so long we’re duped into believing they’ll be with us forever. Who didn’t believe Betty White would make it to 100? How many of us were stunned when she died 18 days before that landmark birthday? Sadly, some don’t get that many years, and stun the world when they die suddenly at the height of their fame. Then there are those who die young and tragically when their careers have just begun, and are remembered more for their manners of death than their work. In more than 100 years of Hollywood history, there have been several deaths that have made the headlines.
One of the earliest Hollywood scandals involved the sudden death of a young actress. In 1921, 26-year-old Virginia Rappe died from a ruptured bladder and secondary peritonitis after attending a Labor Day party in Fatty Arbuckle‘s hotel suite. Arbuckle was accused of violently raping Rappe (with very little evidence to support this), leading to two mistrials, and a third trial in which he was found not guilty. However, by that point his career was ruined by the scandal. A decade later, 24-year-old Peg Entwistle infamously jumped to her death from atop the “H” in the “Hollywoodland” sign after performing in just one movie.
Over the years, some of the tragic deaths have led to an awareness of victims’ rights. In 1982, a stalker stabbed actress Theresa Saldana ten times, nearly killing her. The assailant had hired a detective to find the unlisted phone number of Saldana’s mother, who he then called and tricked into revealing the actress’ address. Seven years later, his method inspired the man who stalked and murdered actress Rebecca Schaeffer. Saldana founded the Victims for Victims advocacy group, which was influential in bringing about anti-stalking laws and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994.
Similarly, years after actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family cult in 1969, her family began efforts to have her murderers denied parole. In 1982, her mother Doris found out Leslie Van Houton had acquired 900 signatures on a petition supporting her right to receive parole. Tate started a petition to oppose the parole, and obtained 350,000 signatures. She became active in several victim’s rights organizations, and was influential in the passing of Proposition 8, the Victim’s Right Bill, in 1982, which allows the presentation of victim impact statements during sentencing of violent attackers, as well at their parole hearings. Following her death 1992, Tate’s other daughters took up the fight, establishing the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau in 1993; a member of Sharon’s family has attended every parole hearing for her murderers.
Not all tragic deaths are due to violence. Actresses get caught up in the lifestyle and pressures of the business, succumbing to substance abuse. Some, like Judy Garland, have died from an accidental overdose; for others, such as Carrie Fisher, years of abuse lead to health issues that eventually contribute to a younger death.
Some deaths spark conspiracy theories surrounding the events, with speculation that an accident or suicide was actually a murder, keeping these tragic events in the headlines for years. Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood and Brittany Murphy are talked about just as much for their controversial deaths as they are for their bodies of work. Thelma Todd died under suspicious circ*mstances in 1935; almost 100 years later, people continue to speculate about what really happened to the young actress.
Tour our photo gallery featuring actresses whose deaths stunned the world, making headlines many times over. Fortunately for us, several left behind bodies of work destined to be enjoyed by generations; sadly, some weren’t given the chance to reach their full potentials and we’ll never know what they might have accomplished. Be on the lookout for our article on actors who died suddenly.
Naya Rivera (January 12, 1987 – July 13, 2020)
Rivera found her greatest fame as part of the cast of “Glee,” and became influential in offering a positive representation of the Afro-Latino and the LGBT communities. On July 8, 2020, Rivera rented a boat and took her four-year-old son swimming at Lake Piru, but failed to return at the designated time. Her son was found alone on the boat a short time later, and told authorities that he and his mother had been swimming and she pushed him back into the boat, but couldn’t get back onboard herself. After an extensive search and rescue, Rivera’s body was found five days later – seven years to the day after her “Glee” costar Cory Monteith died. She was the third performer from this series to die young; in 2018, her former cast mate and ex-boyfriend Mark Salling died by suicide at the age of 35 after pleading guilty to child p*rnography charges. Rivera’s was not the first accidental drowning at Lake Piru; swimming has since been banned there.
Carrie Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27,2016) and Debbie Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016)
Reynolds rose to fame in the 1950s, in musicals such as “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” and had a successful six-decade career as an entertainer and a businesswoman. Fisher followed in her mother’s footsteps, beginning her acting career as a teen and becoming famous for her role as Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” films. She was also an acclaimed writer, often chronicling her struggles with substance abuse and bipolar disorder, as well as her relationship with her famous mother. On December 23, 2016, Fisher collapsed on a flight from London to LA, and died at the age of 60 four days later from cardiac arrest, with contributing factors such as sleep apnea. The next day, Reynolds suffered a stroke at her son’s home, shortly after stating “I want to be with Carrie,” and died later that day at the age of 84. While Reynolds was laid to rest, Fisher was cremated, with part of her ashes placed alongside her mother, and the rest placed in a giant novelty Prozac pill.
Brittany Murphy (November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009)
With her distinctive voice and unique presence, Murphy endeared herself to a generation in films such as “Clueless” (1995) and “Uptown Girls” (2003),as well as a voice actress and singer, voicing Gloria in “Happy Feet” (2006) and obtaining a Number One hit on “Billboard’s” Hot Dance Club Play chart. On December 20, 2009, she collapsed in the home that she shared with her mother Sharon and her husband Simon Monjack. After arriving at the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest and died at the age of 32. Her cause of death was pneumonia, with anemia and multiple drug intoxication (all legal substances, for symptoms of the pneumonia) contributing. Five months later, Monjack was found dead in the same house, also from pneumonia and anemia. Several theories have popped up in the years since the two deaths, with many believing that black mold in the home contributed. There have also been reports of Monjack’s controlling behavior, and his and her mother’s odd relationship following Murphy’s death, leading some to suspect foul play. There has been no evidence to prove either.
Natasha Richardson (May 11, 1963 – March 18, 2009)
As part of the Redgrave acting dynasty, it’s not surprising that Richardson found success both on stage and on screen, including a 1998 Tony win for her turn as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.” Offscreen, she had what seems to be a rarity in Hollywood, a happy marriage to fellow actor Liam Neeson. On March 16, 2009, Richardson fell while taking a skiing lesson and suffered a head injury, for which she declined medical help. However, she complained of a severe headache shortly after and was flown to a hospital. She died two days later from an epidural hematoma at the age of 45.
Anna Nicole Smith (November 28, 1967 – February 8, 2007)
Smith first gained fame as a Playboy Playmate of the Month, and eventually moved on to acting, but was more famous for her real-life exploits, especially her 1994 marriage to an 89-year-old billionaire, and her lawsuits after his death when she was not named in his will. She starred in her own reality sitcom, “The Anna Nicole Show,” from 2002-2004. On September 10, 2006, Smith was devastated by the death of her 20-year-old son Daniel, from an accidental overdose. This happened three days after the birth of her daughter Danneilynn, whose uncertain paternity led to a lawsuit. Just a few months later, Smith was found unresponsive in a Florida hotel; despite CPR efforts by trained professionals and being rushed to the hospital, Smith died at the age of 39 from an overdose of prescription medication.
Adrienne Shelly (June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006)
Shelly began her career as an actress, but eventually moved behind the camera as a writer and director, culminating in the film “Waitress,” which was accepted into the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. However, three months before the film’s debut, Shelly was found hanging by a sheet from a shower rod in the bathtub of the apartment that she used as an office. Police originally ruled it a suicide; her husband refused to accept this, saying that Shelly was happy and would not leave their two-year-old daughter motherless. Upon further investigation, it was found that a construction worker from her building had robbed and murdered her, staging the scene to look like a suicide; he was convicted of first-degree manslaughter. Shelly’s husband established the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, which supports upcoming filmmakers.
Dana Plato (November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999)
She was once an Olympic hopeful for ice skating, but it was her role as Kimberly Drummond on “Diff’rent Strokes” for which she will always be remembered. Unfortunately, her career faltered after that sitcom, and years of substance abuse, trouble with the law and poor financial decisions followed. She died at the age of 34 from a drug overdose, initially deemed accidental but later declared suicide. Eleven years later, almost to the day, her 25-year-old son died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Her “Strokes” costars also struggled; after years of financial woes and minor run-ins with the law, Gary Coleman died at the age of 42 on May 28, 2010 following a fall in his home.
See Also32 Actors Who Died TragicallyMichelle Thomas (September 23, 1968 – December 23, 1998)
Thomas was known for her roles as Theo’s girlfriend on “The Cosby Show” and Urkel’s girlfriend on “Family Matters.” In August 1997, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare stomach cancer, despite leading a healthy vegetarian lifestyle and not smoking or drinking alcohol. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor, and shortly after began a role on “Young and the Restless.” She had another surgery in October, 1998, and sadly passed away two months later at the age of 30, surrounded by family and friends, including her “Cosby” costar and former boyfriend, Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Gilda Radner (June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989)
One of the most influential female comediennes of all time, Radner first gained fame as part of the original cast of “Saturday Night Live,” for which she won an Emmy in 1978 for portraying such characters as Roseanne Roseannadanna and Baba Wawa. In 1985, Radner began suffering from fatigue and pain while shooting a film with her husband Gene Wilder; it would be months before she was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. Over the next two years, she underwent surgery and chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which she detailed in her memoir “It’s Always Something.” Although she did go into remission, the cancer eventually came back and she died at the age of 42. She won a posthumous Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording, for “It’s Always Something.” Radner had several family members who had died of ovarian cancer, but doctors early on failed to establish this connection; her death raised awareness of the importance of early detection and familial history.
Rebecca Schaeffer (November 6, 1967 – July 18, 1989)
Schaeffer was a young struggling actress and model when she landed a role on the sitcom “My Sister Sam” alongside Pam Dawber. The series didn’t last long, but Schaeffer found supporting work in films such as “Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills” (1989). Unfortunately, her successes also brought attention from a stalker, Robert John Bardo, who became enraged at a bedroom scene from that film, and felt that she should be punished for “becoming another Hollywood whor*.” Bardo paid a PI firm to obtain Schaeffer’s address from the DMV; he went to her home, rang the doorbell and shot her in the chest at point-blank range when she opened the door. Schaeffer died at the age of 21; Bardo remains incarcerated for the crime. He had been inspired by an incident of another actress who had been stalked and attacked, Theresa Saldana, who had survived a stabbing. These two events led to federal laws preventing the DMV from releasing personal addresses, as well as the the passing of the first anti-stalking laws in America.
Heather O’Rourke (December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988)
With her angelic looks, O’Rourke cemented her place in film history when she uttered the line “They’re here!” in the original “Poltergeist” (1982). Her character Carol Anne Freeling made such a pop culture impact that the two sequels centered around her. She was only 11 years-old when she developed ongoing health issues, including Crohn’s disease. She began having flu-like symptoms on January 31, and the next day went into cardiac arrest. She was diagnosed with intestinal stenosis, and had emergency surgery, but went into another cardiac arrest during recovery, and the doctors were unable to save her. Her official cause of death at the age of 12 was congenital stenosis of the intestine complicated by septic shock.
Dominique Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982)
In three short years, Dunne accumulated several TV credits on her resume, but it was her film debut as the oldest Freeling child in “Poltergeist” (1982) that seemed destined to make her a star. Sadly, offscreen Dunne was involved in an abusive relationship with John Thomas Sweeney. She broke up with him, but he showed up at her home a few weeks later, and as the two argued in her driveway, he strangled her. She was placed on life support, but was taken off five days later due to lack of brain activity. Dunne died three weeks shy of her 23rd birthday. Sweeney changed his story repeatedly, and after some controversial rulings made by the presiding judge, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and served less than four years in jail.
Grace Kelly (April 18, 1929 – September 14, 1982)
She made only a dozen films before retiring at the age of 26, but with her cool blonde beauty and elegant style, Kelly became a legend of Hollywood’s Golden Era. In 1954 alone, she starred in “The Country Girl,” for which she won an Oscar, and in “Dial M for Murder” and “Rear Window,” making her a favorite Hitchco*ck blonde. In 1956, she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and left the film industry to fulfill her role as Princess of Monaco, staying in the public eye with her charity work and as an icon of fashion. On September 13, 1982, Kelly was driving along a steep, curvy road when she suffered a mild cerebral hemorrhage and lost control of her car, plunging down the mountainside. Her teenage daughter Stephanie was with her and tried to regain control, but failed. Stephanie survived with a hairline fracture to a neck vertebra; Kelly sustained injuries to her brain and thorax, and was taken off life support the next day at the age of 52.
Natalie Wood (July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981)
Wood was a natural-born actress, starring in films such as “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) as a child, then moving onto teen stardom in classics like “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955) and later finding success as an adult, beginning with “Splendor in the Grass” (1961). Wood died under mysterious circ*mstances while on a boat trip with her husband Robert Wagner, the ship’s captain and Christopher Walken, her costar in her last film “Brainstorm”(1983). She drowned after leaving the boat on a dinghy during the night; however, Wood was famously scared of the water, and it has never been determined how or why she left the boat, and she also had several unexplained bruises. The official cause of death at the time was accidental drowning and hypothermia; Wood had alcohol in her system. In 2011 the captain of the ship changed his story and accused Wagner of arguing with Wood and refusing to act on her disappearance from the boat. In 2012, her death was officially changed to drowning and other undetermined factors; in 2018, Wagner was named as a person of interest in her death, although he denies any wrongdoing.
Dorothy Stratten (February 28, 1960 – August 14,1980)
With the help of promoter Paul Snider, Stratten obtained fame as a Playboy Playmate, and soon began establishing herself as an actress. She married Snider, who was jealous and manipulative. Her first major film was “They All Laughed” from Peter Bodganovich, with whom she had an affair and fell in love, leading to her separation from the unstable Snider. Stratten met with Snider at his rented house to discuss a monetary settlement for a divorce. Several hours later, his roommates returned and found Stratten and Snider’s nude bodies. It’s believed that he raped her and then killed her with a shotgun, then turned the gun on himself. Three years later, Bob Fosse directed the biopic “Star 80” featuring Mariel Hemingway as Stratten.
Inger Stevens (October 18, 1934 – April 30, 1970)
A Swedish blonde beauty, Stevens had a short but impressive career in television, including one of the most memorable episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” “The Hitch-Hiker,” and a starring role in the sitcom “The Farmer’s Daughter,” as well as in film, including “Hang ‘Em High” (1968) with Clint Eastwood. Offscreen, she had a difficult life, from her unhappy childhood to a short-lived marriage to a series of unfortunate events. She nearly asphyxiated on carbon monoxide fumes while filming a scene in a subway tunnel for “Cry Terror!”(1958), she tried to commit suicide in 1959 and in 1961, she was the last passenger to disembark from a crashed jet – that exploded less than a minute after she got off. On the morning of her death, a close friend found her on her kitchen floor; Stevens opened her eyes and tried to speak but could not, and died at the age of 35 in the ambulance en route to the hospital. Her death was ruled a suicide from acute barbiturate poisoning. After her death, it came out that she had been married to African-American actor Ike Jones since 1961; at that time, sadly, the two felt that it would be damaging to their careers if their marriage was made public.
Sharon Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969)
Tate’s career was just beginning to soar, and she had received praise for her comedic skills in various films, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Female Newcomer for her work in the cult classic “Valley of the Dolls” (1967). Offscreen, she was newly married to director Roman Polanski and eight-and-a-half months pregnant with their first child. A life full of promise was cut tragically short by one of the most infamous and impactful crimes of the 20th century, when Tate, her stillborn baby and four others were found brutally murdered in the early hours of August 9, 1969, setting off panic and paranoia in the Hollywood community. It was later discovered that members of the Manson Family cult had committed the murders; those directly responsible have spent their lives incarcerated, with Tate’s family members lobbying to have any of their petitions for parole denied, and working to preserve her legacy as a talented actress and a loving person.
Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969)
One of the greats of Hollywood’s Golden Era, Garland sang, danced and acted her way into the hearts of millions in enduring classics such as “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944) and “A Star Is Born” (1954). She later became just as successful on stage, selling out concerts at the London Palladium and the Palace Theatre in New York City, where she broke records. However, as sadly happens with many successful child stars, in her personal life Garland suffered from substance abuse, unhealthy relationships and poor financial decisions. Garland was found dead at the age of 47 in the bathroom of her rented home in London; the cause of death was an accidental overdose of barbiturates.
Jayne Mansfield (April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967)
One of the most recognizable blonde bombshells of the 1950s, Mansfield was a Playboy Playmate, a Broadway success in “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” and a Golden Globe winner for Most Promising Female Newcomer for “The Girl Can’t Help It.” But her greatest talent was self-promotion, becoming just as famous for her platinum blonde hair, signature color pink and her oft-exposed and abundant cleavage. In the 1960s, she began a successful nightclub career; it was following one of these engagements that she met her untimely end. Following an appearance in Biloxi, MS, she was traveling to New Orleans with her attorney, three of her young children and her driver. It was late at night, and a tractor-trailer had slowed down; Mansfield’s car rear-ended the trailer at a high rate of speed. The three adults were in the front seat, and all died on impact; the three children asleep in the backseat had only minor injuries. Urban legend holds that Mansfield was decapitated; however, her true cause of death was a crushed skull. Following her death, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to recommend the use of an underride guard on tractor-trailers, which has become known as the “Mansfield bar.”
Dorothy Kilgallen (July 3, 1913 – November 8, 1965)
Kilgallen was a popular figure in the early days of television due to her numerous appearances on game shows; she was one of the original panelists on “What’s My Line?” and remained on that show 15 years, until her untimely death. Her real claim to fame, though, was as one of the first female investigative reporters, and fearlessly sought to report the truth. She feuded with Frank Sinatra over a piece she wrote on him, and was influential in having Sam Sheppard (on whom “The Fugitive” was based) retried and later released from prison after she reported on a biased judge. She also was critical of the Warren Commission, which investigated the death of John F. Kennedy. She interviewed Jack Ruby, who had killed Kennedy’s assassin Lee Oswald, and indicated she had a file with new information about the assassination. On November 8, 1964, Killgallen was found dead in her home, reportedly from a combination of alcohol and barbiturates, with no indication of suicide or violence. Her file and notes on the JFK assassin were never found, and she never had the chance to tell anyone what she had learned.
Judy Holliday (June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965)
She appeared in less than a dozen films, but she is the brassy, squeaky-voiced comedienne who infamously beat out Bette Davis (“All About Eve”) and Gloria Swanson (“Sunset Boulevard”) to win Best Actress for “Born Yesterday” in 1951. Just as successful on stage, she also won a Tony for “Bells Are Ringing” in 1956. At the height of her success, she was diagnosed with cancer in 1960, and succumbed to the disease five years later, just two weeks shy of her 44th birthday.
Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962)
Sixty years after her untimely death, Monroe remains one of the most influential and recognizable personalities of the 20th century. In just a dozen years, she appeared in several films that would go on to become classics, including “The Seven Year Itch” (1955) and “Some Like It Hot” (1959). She became just as well known for the persona she created, the beautiful blonde bombshell and leading sex symbol of her era. However, she suffered from mental health problems and substance abuse, which led to erratic behavior on film sets and production delays; she was dismissed from her final film “Something’s Got to Give” for such behavior. A few weeks later, her housekeeper and her psychiatrist found Monroe dead in the early morning hours in her locked bedroom. Her cause of death was probable suicide from acute barbiturate poisoning. An accidental overdose was ruled out because of the high levels of dosages found in her body; however, Monroe had a history of attempting suicide and then calling for help to be saved. In the years following her death, conspiracy theories swirled, linking her death to affairs with the Kennedys and to the mob, and these theories were investigated in 1982. No evidence has ever been found to substantiate these claims – they’ve only added to her mystique.
Carole Lombard (October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942)
Known for her work in influential screwball comedies like “Twentieth Century” (1934), “My Man Godfrey” (1936) and Hitchco*ck’s rare comedy “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (1941), Lombard was one of Hollywood’s most popular and highest-paid actresses of the 1930s. Later in her career, she became just as famous for her romance with Clark Gable, whom she married in 1939. In the early days of the U.S. involvement in WWII, Lombard travelled to Indiana, her home state, to head a war bond rally, where she raised more than $2 million dollars in one night. She was accompanied by her mother and Gable’s press agent, and they were scheduled to go back to LA by train, but chose to fly at Lombard’s request to get home faster. After refueling in Las Vegas, their plane crashed into the side of Potosi Mountain shortly after takeoff, killing all 22 people onboard instantly. The cause was determined to be pilot error, as well as the lack of beacons, which were turned off as a safety precaution due to the war. After her death, a heartbroken Gable joined the Army; it has been said that he mourned her until his own death in 1960, and was laid to rest beside her despite the fact that he married twice again after her death.
Jean Harlow (March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937)
Before Monroe and Mansfield, Harlow was the reigning “Platinum Blonde” in Hollywood, and packed a lot into a short life. In less than ten years, she accumulated over 40 acting credits, was divorced twice, was widowed once (that husband died under mysterious circ*mstances) and was engaged to fellow actor William Powell at the time of her death. She was one of MGM’s top stars, headlining such classics as “Red Dust” (1932) with Clark Gable and “Dinner at Eight” (1933) with an all-star ensemble. While in the midst of filming “Saratoga” with Gable, Harlow became severely ill. She had had health problems for some time; as a teen, Harlow had contracted scarlet fever, and in the months prior to her death, she had had the flu and had developed sepsis after she had wisdom teeth removed. A little over a week after collapsing on the set of “Saratoga,” Harlow died at the age of 26 from uremic poisoning and kidney disease. The film was finished using stand-ins for Harlow’s character, and became MGM’s most profitable film of that year, and Harlow’s highest-grossing.
Thelma Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935)
Between 1926 and 1935, Todd appeared in over 100 shorts and feature films, most memorably in the Marx Brothers’ films “Monkey Business” (1931) and “Horse Feathers” (1932), and was dubbed “The Ice Cream Blonde.” Todd was also a savvy businesswoman, and opened Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk cafe in 1934 with married couple Jewel Carmen and Roland West, the latter of whom Todd was living with at the time of her death. The cafe was very successful, frequented by both Hollywood elite and underworld figures. Todd had an illustrious love life; in addition to her love affair with West, she was previously married to the abusive Pat DiCiccio, who had mob ties to Lucky Luciano, with whom Todd also had a relationship. Two nights before her death, she had a public altercation with DiCiccio, and reportedly also argued with West, who might have locked her out of their apartment. On the morning of December 16, Todd was found dead at the age of 29, wearing an evening gown, mink wrap and jewelry, slumped in her convertible, which was inside the garage of Carmen’s (West’s wife) home. The official cause of death was accidental carbon monoxide poisoning; she was intoxicated and it was assumed that she fell asleep. It remains one of the most controversial and highly debated deaths in Hollywood history, as she also had a bloody nose and bruises. Some point to suicide, although there was no note and those who knew her claimed she wasn’t suicidal; some believe it was an accident – that she indeed fell asleep in the car after West locked her out and kept it running for warmth; however, many believe that one of her volatile relationships, or her mob connections, led to her death, and that she was murdered. It is said that her ghost haunts the building that housed her café.
