From green singing demons to historical heroes,
these iconic roles featured actors who are no longer with us.
Jim Varney has 55 IMDB credits to his name, but he was best known for his role of Ernest P. Worrell,
a dim-witted good ol' boy who appeared in 18 of those credits, in many commercials, movies,
and TV shows. Films like "Ernest Goes to Camp," "Ernest Scared Stupid," "Ernest Goes to Jail," and
"Ernest Goes to Africa" put the klutzy protagonist in all manner of silly situations.
Varney could also be recognized for his appearances in 1993's "Beverly Hillbillies"
movie, and lending his voice to Slinky Dog in the first two "Toy Story" films,
as well as a strange stint on "Roseanne", but Ernest was his most popular character by far.
"Do you think that that part of your career might be hurt by becoming too identified with Ernest?"
"I hope not. I hope it doesn't close any doors for me."
Varney's last Ernest film was "Ernest in the Army," which was released in 1998, the year of
his lung cancer diagnosis. Varney's treatment included the removal of half his right lung and
a course of radiation therapy. He continued to work through this intensely difficult period,
appearing in projects such as "Daddy and Them," a well-reviewed comedy directed by
Billy Bob Thornton. Sadly, Jim Varney passed away on February 10, 2000 at 50 years old.
The New Zealand actor Kevin Smith was best known for playing Ares in "Hercules : The
Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess."
Once described as, quote, "a hulking tumescent mass of smoldering lips, piercing eyes,
and sweaty pectorals" by reviewer Peter Kemp, Smith tried his hand at several vocations. He
attended university, played rugby, trained as a police officer, performed in a rock band,
and even took to the stage as a stand-up comedian. Despite his looks and energy,
Smith was a proud "Kiwi bloke" who spoke of enjoying the simple things in life, telling "ET",
"I'm a 34-year-old guy with three kids and a barbeque in the burbs,
my life isn't lived in hot tubs drinking champagne."
Sadly, he died in 2002, shortly before starting production for "Tears of the
Sun," his first Hollywood film. Smith fell three stories from a set in China after
wrapping up filming "Warriors of Virtue 2", suffering severe head injuries. He was 38.
Lucy Lawless, who starred as Xena, was reported to be very upset by Smith's death. According to an
Entertainment Tonight report, Smith was survived by his wife of 16 years and their three sons.
Despite his 44 IMDB credits, Ron Palillo is best known for his character Arnold
in the classic sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter," which ran for four seasons
during 1975-1979 and launched the career of John Travolta.
Outside of his defining role, Palillo appeared in everything from "Ellen" to "Friday the 13th
Part VI: Jason Lives," and provided the voice for the titular character in the strange 80s cartoon,
"Rubik the Amazing Cube". However, no turn matched his performance as Horshack,
so much so that Palillo lamented the success of that character, telling an interviewer in 1997,
"Everybody thought of me as Arnold Horshack. I resented Horshack for so many years."
Later in life, Palillo moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida to be near his mother, where
he died from a heart attack on August 14, 2012, aged 63. His agent Scott Stander described him as,
"...upbeat, fun, a great friend who loved theater, loved the fans and had a great sense of humor."
Speaking with ABC News, former co-star John Travolta said,
"Ron was a wonderful person and talent and helped catapult 'Welcome Back,
Kotter' to great success. We will miss him."
Erin Moran is best known for her performance as Joanie Cunningham, Richie's plucky sister
in "Happy Days," a show which ran for over 10 years from 1974 to 1984. After the short-lived
spin-off show "Joanie Loves Chachi," Moran had already enjoyed the peak of her career. After
three decades of small and irregular roles, Moran moved to a trailer park in 2010 with her second
husband. She would later be evicted because of her conduct, according to a Guardian obituary.
Around this time, Moran was said to be working on a memoir called "Happy Days, Depressing Nights."
Moran died from cancer on April 24th,
2017 at 56 years old. Her "Happy Days" co-star Ron Howard tweeted,
"RIP Erin. I'll always choose to remember you on our show making,
scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens."
Lisa Robin Kelly was best known for her role in "That '70s Show," which ran for 200
episodes from 1998 to 2006. Kelly appeared in almost 50 episodes as Laurie Foreman,
the sister of lead character Eric Foreman.
Sadly, after "That '70s Show," Lisa Robin Kelly would be better known for her personal
life than her acting career. Kelly left the show in Season 3 following a miscarriage,
and by her own admission to ABC News, she started drinking heavily. Kelly returned
briefly for Season 5, but her personal demons overwhelmed the actress once again,
according to CBR. From 2010 to 2013, Kelly was arrested for multiple DUIs and domestic abuse.
On August 15, 2013, Kelly died from multiple drug
intoxication at a rehab center in Los Angeles. She was 43.
Andy Hallett starred as Lorne in "Angel," the popular "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer" spin off which ran for 111 episodes from 1999 to 2004.
Joss Whedon created the character after being impressed by Hallett's performance
at a blues show, but Hallett's acting gig wasn't a sure thing,
as he still had to audition, and he didn't have many acting credits yet.
After winning the role, Hallett became a fan favorite, with The Mary Sue saying,
"Andy Hallett's fast-talking, aura-reading,
green-skinned demon Lorne has stood the test of time and emerged as one
of Angel's most unlikely standouts with his infectious energy and quick wit."
At the end of his popular run on the show, Hallett was diagnosed with a heart condition,
which began a 5-year stretch of hospital visits. Sadly,
on March 29, 2009, Hallett died from congestive heart failure at 33 years old.
Andy Whitfield played the lead role in the first season of 2010's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand,"
which ran for three seasons on Starz, logging 33 episodes. However, the Welsh actor was diagnosed
with cancer before the second season. After intense treatment and temporary remission,
the cancer returned, forcing Whitfield to be replaced before the second season. The
cancer proved to be terminal, and Whitfield died in September of 2011, aged just 39.
Whitfield suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma
for 18 months, and his struggle was documented in "Be Here Now."
Whitfield's death was announced by his wife Vashti:
"On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning,
surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife,
our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18 month battle with lymphoma cancer."
Dana Plato was cast as Kimberly Drummond in "Diff'rent Strokes," appearing in 144 episodes
from 1978 to 1986. Sadly, she would be another child star who struggled with her youthful fame.
Before her death, Plato had been on a destructive path. In February 1991,
the actress was detained for robbing a Las Vegas video store clerk, taking $160. She
was given five years' probation, but Plato was arrested again in 1992 for using forged
Valium prescriptions. Plato commented on the supposed good fortune of these arrests, saying,
"If I hadn't gotten caught, it could have been the
worst thing that happened to me because I could have died of a drug overdose."
After years of substance abuse, Plato died in Moore, Oklahoma on May 8th,
1999, a day after an antagonistic interview on "The Howard Stern Show". Sergeant Scott
Singer said the death was an accidental overdose, but the death was later ruled
a suicide. Plato left behind a fiancé and a 14-year-old son. Plato was just 34 years old.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).