Young Actresses Who Died Before They Turned 45

The film and television industry has seen many rising stars whose lives and careers were tragically cut short. These actresses left behind significant bodies of work and a lasting legacy despite their young age. Their untimely departures often shocked the world and led to changes in industry safety, mental health awareness, or legal protections for performers. This list honors the memory of talented women who passed away before reaching the age of 45.

Aaliyah

Aaliyah was a successful singer and actress who successfully transitioned to the big screen in the early 2000s. She starred in the action film ‘Romeo Must Die’ and played the titular character in ‘Queen of the Damned’. On August 25, 2001, she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas shortly after filming a music video. Aaliyah was 22 years old and was poised for continued stardom in both the music and film industries. Her legacy persists through her influential discography and film roles.

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith was a model and actress who first gained fame as a Playboy Playmate. She appeared in films such as ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ and ‘The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult’. Smith also starred in her own reality television series, ‘The Anna Nicole Show’, which aired in the early 2000s. She was found dead in a Florida hotel room on February 8, 2007, at the age of 39. Her death was attributed to an accidental drug overdose involving several prescription medications.

Bridgette Andersen

Bridgette Andersen was a child actress known for her title role in the 1982 film ‘Savannah Smiles’. She also appeared in ‘Nightmares’ and guest-starred on shows like ‘Family Ties’ and ‘Remington Steele’. As she transitioned into adulthood, her acting opportunities became less frequent. On May 18, 1997, she died from an accidental drug overdose in Los Angeles. Andersen was 21 years old at the time of her passing.

Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy rose to prominence with her breakout role in the 1995 comedy ‘Clueless’. She later delivered acclaimed performances in films such as ‘8 Mile’, ‘Girl, Interrupted’, and ‘Sin City’. Murphy passed away on December 20, 2009, at the age of 32 after collapsing in her Los Angeles home. The Los Angeles County Coroner determined the primary cause of death was pneumonia, with secondary factors including iron-deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication. Her sudden passing was a significant loss to the entertainment community.

Carol Wayne

Carol Wayne was an actress best known for her frequent appearances as the Matinee Lady in the Art Fern’s Tea Time Movie sketches on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’. She also appeared in several films, including ‘The Party’ and ‘Heartbreakers’. Wayne guest-starred on numerous television shows such as ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ and ‘Bewitched’. In January 1985, she was found dead in the shallow waters off a beach in Mexico. She was 42 years old, and her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

Dana Plato

Dana Plato was best known for playing Kimberly Drummond on the popular sitcom ‘Diff’rent Strokes’. Following the conclusion of the series, she struggled to find consistent work and faced various personal challenges. She appeared in independent films like ‘Bikini Beach Race’ and voiced a character in the video game ‘Night Trap’. Plato died on May 8, 1999, at the age of 34 from an overdose of prescription drugs. Her death was eventually ruled a suicide by the medical examiner.

Dominique Dunne

Dominique Dunne made her film debut as Dana Freeling in the 1982 horror classic ‘Poltergeist’. She was the daughter of writer Dominick Dunne and the sister of actor Griffin Dunne. Her career was just beginning when she was strangled by an acquaintance outside her home. She fell into a coma and died on November 4, 1982, at the age of 22. Her death prompted her father to become a well-known journalist focusing on crime and justice.

Dorothy Stratten

Dorothy Stratten was a Canadian model and actress who was named Playboy’s Playmate of the Year in 1980. She transitioned into acting with roles in the films ‘Skatetown, U.S.A.’ and ‘They All Laughed’. Her life and career were cut short when she was killed by her estranged husband on August 14, 1980. She was 20 years old at the time of her death. Stratten’s life later inspired the movie ‘Star 80’ and the television film ‘Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story’.

Elizabeth Hartman

Elizabeth Hartman made a stunning film debut in the 1965 drama ‘A Patch of Blue’, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She went on to star in films such as ‘The Group’, ‘The Fixer’, and ‘The Beguiled’. Hartman also provided the voice for Mrs. Brisby in the animated feature ‘The Secret of NIMH’. On June 10, 1987, she died after falling from her apartment window in Pittsburgh. She was 43 years old, and her death was ruled a suicide.

Françoise Dorléac

Françoise Dorléac was a French actress and the older sister of Catherine Deneuve. She achieved international stardom through her roles in ‘That Man from Rio’ and Roman Polanski’s ‘Cul-de-sac’. Dorléac also starred alongside her sister in the musical ‘The Young Girls of Rochefort’. On June 26, 1967, she died in a car accident while driving to the airport in Nice. She was 25 years old and had appeared in 16 films at the time of her passing.

Heather O’Rourke

Heather O’Rourke was a child actress discovered by Steven Spielberg for the lead role of Carol Anne Freeling in ‘Poltergeist’. She reprised her role in two sequels, ‘Poltergeist II: The Other Side’ and ‘Poltergeist III’. O’Rourke also had recurring roles on television series such as ‘Happy Days’ and ‘Webster’. She died on February 1, 1988, at the age of 12 due to cardiac arrest and septic shock caused by intestinal stenosis. Her death occurred before the final installment of the ‘Poltergeist’ franchise was released.

Inger Stevens

Inger Stevens was a Swedish-American actress who gained popularity in both film and television during the 1960s. She starred in films like ‘Hang ‘Em High’, ‘Madigan’, and ‘A Guide for the Married Man’. Stevens was also known for her lead role in the television sitcom ‘The Farmer’s Daughter’. On April 30, 1970, she was found unconscious in her home and died on the way to the hospital. She was 35 years old, and the cause of death was determined to be acute barbiturate poisoning.

Jayne Mansfield

Jayne Mansfield was a major Hollywood sex symbol and actress during the 1950s and 1960s. She starred in films like ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ and ‘Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?’. Mansfield was also known for her work on Broadway and in various television guest appearances. On June 29, 1967, she died in a car accident while traveling between nightclub engagements in Mississippi. She was 34 years old, and her death led to the requirement of underride guards on tractor-trailers.

Jean Harlow

Jean Harlow was a prominent actress and sex symbol of the 1930s, often referred to as the Blonde Bombshell. She starred in several box office hits, including ‘Hell’s Angels’, ‘Red Dust’, and ‘Dinner at Eight’. During the filming of ‘Saratoga’ in 1937, Harlow became severely ill and was hospitalized. She died on June 7, 1937, at the age of 26 due to cerebral edema brought on by kidney failure. Despite her brief career, she remains a definitive figure of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Judith Barsi

Judith Barsi was a prolific child actress who appeared in dozens of commercials and films during the 1980s. She is remembered for voicing Ducky in ‘The Land Before Time’ and Anne-Marie in ‘All Dogs Go to Heaven’. Barsi also appeared in the live-action film ‘Jaws: The Revenge’. Tragically, she and her mother were killed by her father in a murder-suicide in July 1988. She was only 10 years old at the time of her death.

Lucy Gordon

Lucy Gordon was an English actress and model who appeared in both American and European films. She played Jennifer Dugan in ‘Spider-Man 3’ and starred in the French film ‘Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life’ as Jane Birkin. Gordon also had roles in ‘Serendipity’ and ‘The Four Feathers’. She died on May 20, 2009, in her apartment in Paris at the age of 28. Her death was ruled a suicide, occurring just two days before her 29th birthday.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was a global icon and major screen presence throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. She gained immense fame for her roles in films like ‘Some Like It Hot’, ‘The Seven Year Itch’, and ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. Monroe was found dead at her home in Brentwood, California, on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36. Her death was ruled a probable suicide resulting from a barbiturate overdose. Her career and personal life continue to be subjects of intense fascination.

Michelle Thomas

Michelle Thomas was an actress known for her roles in popular television sitcoms. She played Justine Phillips on ‘The Cosby Show’ and later became a regular on ‘Family Matters’ as Myra Monkhouse. Thomas also appeared in ‘The Young and the Restless’ as Callie Rogers. She was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer called intra-abdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumor. Thomas passed away on December 22, 1998, at the age of 30.

Misty Upham

Misty Upham was a Native American actress recognized for her roles in independent and mainstream films. She received critical acclaim for her performance in ‘Frozen River’ and appeared alongside an ensemble cast in ‘August: Osage County’. Upham also had a role in the 2014 film ‘Cake’. She went missing in October 2014, and her body was later found in a ravine in Auburn, Washington. Upham was 32 years old, and her cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries.

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood began her career as a child actress in ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ before becoming a Hollywood star as an adult. She received Academy Award nominations for her work in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’, ‘Splendor in the Grass’, and ‘Love with the Proper Stranger’. Wood also starred in the classic musical ‘West Side Story’. On November 29, 1981, she died by drowning while on a boat trip to Santa Catalina Island. Wood was 43 years old, and the circumstances surrounding her death remain a subject of investigation.

Naya Rivera

Naya Rivera was best known for her portrayal of Santana Lopez on the hit musical television series ‘Glee’. She began her career as a child actress, appearing in shows like ‘The Royal Family’ and ‘Family Matters’. In July 2020, Rivera went missing while boating with her son at Lake Piru in California. Following an extensive search, her body was recovered on July 13, and her death was ruled an accidental drowning. She was 33 years old at the time of her passing.

Rebecca Schaeffer

Rebecca Schaeffer was a rising star who gained fame for her role in the television sitcom ‘My Sister Sam’. She also appeared in films such as ‘Radio Days’ and ‘Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills’. In July 1989, Schaeffer was shot and killed at her home by an obsessed stalker who had followed her for years. She was 21 years old at the time of the incident. Her death led to the passage of anti-stalking laws in California and changes in access to personal information.

Selena

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was a celebrated singer who also made strides in the acting world. She had a cameo role in the 1995 film ‘Don Juan DeMarco’ appearing as a mariachi singer alongside Marlon Brando. At the time of her death, she was preparing for more crossover work in the English-language market. On March 31, 1995, she was shot and killed by the former president of her fan club. Selena was 23 years old when she passed away.

Sharon Tate

Sharon Tate was a rising star in the late 1960s, recognized for her performance in the film ‘Valley of the Dolls’. She was married to director Roman Polanski and was considered one of Hollywood’s most promising young talents. On August 9, 1969, Tate and four others were murdered by members of the Manson Family in her home. She was 26 years old and eight and a half months pregnant at the time of her death. This tragedy remains one of the most notorious incidents in Hollywood history.

Skye McCole Bartusiak

Skye McCole Bartusiak was a child actress who played the youngest daughter of Mel Gibson’s character in the historical drama ‘The Patriot’. She appeared in several other films, including ‘Don’t Say a Word’ and ‘The Cider House Rules’. Bartusiak also guest-starred on television series such as ’24’ and ‘House’. On July 19, 2014, she was found dead in her home at the age of 21. Her death was ruled accidental, caused by the combined effects of multiple medications.

Carole Lombard

Carole Lombard was a major star of the screwball comedy genre during the 1930s. She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in ‘My Man Godfrey’ and starred in the classic comedy ‘To Be or Not to Be’. In 1942, Lombard died at age 33 in a plane crash while returning from a war bond tour during World War II. Her death led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare her the first woman to die in the line of duty during the conflict.

Please share your memories of these talented performers and their work in the comments.