Some of Hollywood’s most popular stars have died at the height of their careers. In this
video, we pay tribute to 18 actors who died before their last movie was released.
Chadwick Boseman became a modern-day icon when he played Marvel’s Black Panther, a
superhero known for both strength and wisdom. Boseman played real-life heroes, too – Jackie
Robinson in the movie “42,” Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall,” James Brown in “Get on
Up.” Chadwick Boseman died August 28th, 2020, of
colon cancer at the age of 43. Three months later, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was
released, earning him a posthumous Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination.
Luke Perry gained fame playing teen heartthrob Dylan McKay in “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
Years later, a new generation of TV watchers got to known him as Archie’s dad in “Riverdale.”
Perry also had a noteworthy film career, with roles in movies including “Buffy the Vampire
Slayer,” “8 Seconds,” and “The Fifth Element.”
Luke Perry died of a stroke March 4th, 2019, at the age of 52. His final appearance came
in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” released a few months after
Perry’s death.
Cameron Boyce was a rising star of Disney, beloved by young viewers for his roles in
the Disney Channel’s “Descendants” series, in which he played Carlos de Vil, son of the
great Disney villain Cruella de Vil. He also appeared in the Disney Channel’s
“Jessie” as well as feature films including “Eagle Eye” and “Grown Ups” and its
sequel. Boyce died of an epileptic seizure July 6th,
2019, at the age of 20. Three of his films were released posthumously – “Runt,”
“Mrs. Fletcher,” and the third installment in the “Descendants” series.
John Hurt was Oscar nominated for his roles in “Midnight Express” and “The Elephant
Man.” Director David Lynch called him “simply the greatest actor in the world.”
Hurt’s performance in “Alien” gave us one of cinema’s most unforgettable moments,
when an alien burst out of his chest. John Hurt died January 25th, 2017, at the
age of 77. He then appeared in three posthumous films: “Damascus Cover,” “My Name Is
Lenny,” and “That Good Night” -- in which he played a terminally ill filmmaker.
Carrie Fisher was just 19 when she took on the role of Princess Leia in the first film
of the “Star Wars” saga. It was only her second acting role, and it profoundly shaped
her career. When a new “Star Wars” trilogy dawned
with 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” Fisher was back, playing Leia as a general and a
mentor to the film’s young resistance fighters. Carrie Fisher died December 27th, 2016, of
cardiac arrest at the age of 60. Fans would receive a poignant farewell in two more films:
“The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker."
Anton Yelchin had a short but busy career. In a little over 15 years, he appeared in
more than 60 films and television shows, including “Charlie Bartlett” and “Terminator Salvation.”
Most knew him from the rebooted “Star Trek” movies, in which he played Starfleet navigator
Pavel Chekov as a wide-eyed, teenaged mathematical prodigy.
Anton Yelchin died June 18th, 2016, in a car accident at the age of 27. One month later,
“Star Trek Beyond,” the third in the series, was released.
Alan Rickman played great villains, notably Professor Snape in the “Harry Potter”
films and the terrorist Hans Gruber in “Die Hard.”
But his career was widely varied, and he also played romantic leads, comedic roles, and
more, in movies including “Sense and Sensibility,” “Galaxy Quest,” and “Love Actually.”
Alan Rickman died January 14th, 2016, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 69. After his death,
he could be heard voicing Absolem the Caterpillar in “Alice Through the Looking Glass,”
and seen in the thriller “Eye in the Sky.”
Robin Williams won the hearts of fans everywhere with his manic comedy, in wacky film and television
roles ranging from an alien in “Mork and Mindy” to the voice of the genie in Disney’s
“Aladdin.” As he matured as an actor, he impressed audiences
with more dramatic roles in films like “Dead Poets Society,” “The Fisher King,” and
“Good Will Hunting.” Robin Williams died by suicide August 11th,
2014, after a struggle with the brain disease Lewy body dementia, at the age of 63.
He took his final bows in the three posthumously released films “A Merry Friggin’ Christmas,”
“Absolutely Anything,” and “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.”
Philip Seymour Hoffman was an extraordinary actor at the peak of his career in 2014. He’d
won the Best Actor Oscar for “Capote,” and starred in such films as “The Master”
and “Charlie Wilson’s War.” He also joined “The Hunger Games” series
in its second movie, playing game maker and rebel leader Plutarch Heavensbee.
Hoffman died February 2nd, 2014, of a drug overdose, at the age of 46. “The Hunger
Games: Mockingjay” parts 1 and 2 were both released posthumously, and the final film
was reworked slightly to account for his death.
Paul Walker built his career on fast cars, rising to popularity with his starring role
in 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious.” He would go on to star in five of the film’s
sequels, as well as movies including “Joy Ride,” “Eight Below,” and “Flags of
Our Fathers.” Paul Walker died November 30th, 2013, in a
car accident at the age of 40. “Furious 7” was his final film: He died halfway through
filming, and his brothers served as his stand-ins in order for the movie to be completed.
Whitney Houston was one of the greatest singing stars of her time, and she expanded her career
to include acting when she starred in the hugely popular 1992 romantic thriller “The
Bodyguard.” Its soundtrack album became the best selling
movie soundtrack of all time, and Houston’s followup performances in “Waiting to Exhale”
and “The Preacher’s Wife” were hits as well.
Whitney Houston died in an accidental drowning February 12th, 2012, at the age of 48. Her
final film, “Sparkle,” was released six months after her death.
Bernie Mac made us laugh over and over – both in his stand-up routines, and on TV, first
in “Moesha” and then in “The Bernie Mac Show.”
He was just as funny in movies – he starred in “Ocean’s Eleven” and its sequels,
and turned more heads in films like “Friday,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” and
“Bad Santa.” Bernie Mac died August 9th, 2008, of pneumonia
at the age of 50. Three of his films were released after his death: “Madagascar: Escape
2 Africa,” in which he played the voice of Zuba the lion; “Old Dogs”; and the
musical comedy “Soul Men.”
Heath Ledger rose from a teen star to serious critical acclaim over the course of his too-short
career, in films like “The Patriot,” “A Knight’s Tale,” and “Monster’s Ball.”
With “Brokeback Mountain,” he was dubbed one of the finest actors of his generation.
But the role that would surpass that one to define his career also brought it to a close.
Heath Ledger died January 22nd, 2008, of an accidental overdose at the age of 28. His
mesmerizing performance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight,” released six months after
his death, earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
A second posthumous film, “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,”came out the following
year.
Richard Harris had a decades-long film career from his 1959 debut until his very last film
in 2002. He played King Arthur in “Camelot,” for which he received an Oscar nomination;
gunfighter English Bob in “Unforgiven;” and Marcus Aurelius in “Gladiator.”
A new generation discovered Harris when he took on the role of the wizard Dumbledore
as the film adaptations of the “Harry Potter” series began.
Richard Harris died October 25th, 2002, of Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 72. He died
just before the release of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Michael Gambon
took over the role of Dumbledore for the remaining films.
Aaliyah was just 12 when she signed with Jive Records and 14 when she recorded the first
album of an acclaimed musical career. She added acting to her resume a few years
later when she starred in “Romeo Must Die.” Critics praised Aaliyah’s performance, and
movie audiences looked forward to more. Aaliyah died August 25th, 2001, in an airplane
accident at the age of 22. Her second and last film, “Queen of the Damned,” was
released six months after her death.
Chris Farley pursued comedic fame with the frenetic energy that became his trademark
as one of “Saturday Night Live’s” best loved performers.
Farley began starring in movies while he was still an SNL cast member, starting with “Wayne’s
World.” Post-SNL, he made audiences laugh with “Tommy Boy” and “Black Sheep.”
Chris Farley died December 18th, 1997, of a drug overdose at the age of 33 — the same
age at which his idol, John Belushi, had died. Two films were released after his death: “Dirty
Work,” in which he had an uncredited cameo, and “Almost Heroes.”
John Candy got his start on “Second City Television,” where he was an original cast
member of the sketch comedy show that gave “Saturday Night Live” a run for its money.
He went on to star in comedy after comedy in the 1980s: “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles;”
“Uncle Buck;” “The Great Outdoors” and many more.
John Candy died March 4th, 1994, of a heart attack at the age of 43. He left two films
to be released after his death — the Western sendup “Wagons East” and “Canadian Bacon,”
in which Candy’s character leads a bumbling attack on Canada.
Bruce Lee brought martial arts to the U.S., popularizing what had only been a niche interest
before his electrifying kung fu films hit American theaters.
He starred in just five movies, including “Fist of Fury” and “Way of the Dragon,”
but between their exciting portrayal of his art and the studio he opened to teach it,
he created a generation of martial arts fans and practitioners.
Bruce Lee died July 20th, 1973, of a brain edema at the age of 32. His death came just
six days before the release of his film “Enter the Dragon.”
James Dean endures as one of the favorites of 1950s cinema, still a major star more than
65 years after his death. Amazingly, that star status is based on just three feature
film roles – only one of which came out while he was still alive.
After a handful of small, uncredited roles, Dean made his debut in “East of Eden,”
released just months before his death. James Dean died September 30th, 1955, in a
car accident at the age of 24. His final two films were later released – “Giant,”
which earned him the first posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Academy history,
and the teen angst classic “Rebel Without a Cause.”
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