30 Actors Who Have Tragically Died On Set

3 years ago

Warning: some descriptions may be graphic

1. Vic Morrow

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Vic Morrow was a prominent actor in the 50's and 60's, and he was cast in the 1983 movie version of the iconic The Twilight Zone TV series. Within the movie, Morrow found himself throw into a Vietnam War nightmare where he is required to carry two child actors across a swamp while a helicopter is bombing their village. During filming, the helicopter crashed on top of the three actors, decapitating Morrow and one of the child actors, while crushing the other.

2. Brandon Lee

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The son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee landed the role in the now cult-classic The Crow movie. Another actor was supposed to fire a prop gun at Brandon, loaded with blanks, but the gun had been improperly loaded. A dummy projectile hit Brandon in the abdomen and he later died.

3. Bruce Lee

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Brandon Lee's father, Bruce Lee, was dubbing for the movie 'The Game of Death' at a studio in Hong Kong when he collapsed. He was taken to hospital, where an abnormal brain swelling was found. While the swelling was put under control, he died two months later in his sleep.

4. John Candy

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John Candy was one of the more popular comedy actors of the 80s and 90s, starring in iconic family movies like Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. In 1994, he filmed his final scene on Western comedy, Wagons East, before cooking a dinner for his assistants, phoning his kids to say goodnight and then dying in his sleep after suffering a heart attack.

5. Steve Irwin

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Steve Irwin was the legendary Crocodile Hunter, TV host and star. In 2006, he was filming a documentary about the Great Barrier Reef when he encountered an 8-foot stingray in shallow waters. On moving close, the stingray attacked, striking over Irwin's heart with deadly venom and piercing his chest, killing him.

6. Tommy Cooper

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Tommy Cooper was a legendary British entertainer. In 1984, he was in the middle of a live variety show in which a female assistant approached the performer. His reaction was to clutch his chest and fall to the ground, to the sounds of the audience laughing as they thought it was a comedy reaction to the assistant's beauty. He was actually suffering a heart attack on stage, and was pronounced dead in hospital.

7. John Ritter

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John Ritter was one of the most beloved TV actors of his time, as well as starring in a variety of movies. He excelled in comedy, and appeared in 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenager Daughter. While filming for the show, Ritter suddenly began feeling ill and complaining of chest pains. He was taken to a medical center for a presumed heart attack, but was later diagnosed with an aortic dissection, which proved fatal.

8. Paul Walker

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Actor Paul Walker didn't die whilst filming Fast and Furious, but his death was eerily similar. He was still in the middle of filming the latest in the franchise when he was involved in a car crash with his friend who was driving at the time. They both died in the crash, and Walker's scenes had to be finished using visual effects and stand-ins.

9. Roy Kinnear

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Roy Kinnear had a successful character actor career for over 30 years. He appeared in The Return of the Musketeers to reprise his role from The Three Musketeers, when he suffered an injury on set. He fell off a horse and was treated for a broken pelvis, but then suffered a heart attack the next day, which killed him.

10. Adolph Caesar

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Adolph Caesar was a legendary stage and screen actor, who was staring in the gangster comedy Tough Guys. Two days into filming the movie in LA in 1986, Caesar ending up suffering a heart attack. Paramedics rushed him to the nearest medical center, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at 52 years old.

11. Redd Foxx

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Actor Redd Foxx was starring on the television sitcom The Royal Family when he was messing around on set one day with co-stars during a rehearsal. Everyone seemed to be having fun and Foxx was breaking people up when he collapsed. Naturally, everyone thought he was joking, but when he didn't move, paramedics were called. He died of a heart attack.

12. Jon-Erik Hexum

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26-year-old actor Jon-Erik Hexum was on set filming for Cover Up, a CBS action show. The filming was up against a lot of shooting delays, leading to frustration on Hexum's part. He grabbed a prop gun and pulled the trigger, accidentally sending a prop blank cartridge into his head. This led to a bone fragment forcing haemorrhaging in his brain, and after unsuccessful surgery, he died 6 days later.

13. Ken Steadman

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Ken Steadman landed a role on the cult show, Sliders, where he was supposed to drive himself and a fellow actor on a dune buggy across a dry lake. Both actors had avoided using the seatbelts of the vehicle, and when Steadman accidentally flipped the buggy after losing control, he suffered serious injuries and was later pronounced dead.

14. Tyrone Power

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Actor Tyrone Power landed a role in the biblical hit Solomon and Sheba in 1958. He was filming a physically-demanding sword fight scene with a fellow actor when he began to shake and feel strange. He was taken to hospital, but died on the way there, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 44.

15. Martha Mansfield

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Martha Mansfield died so young that she's not a name many would have heard, but she was an early film actress who should have had a long career ahead of her. She filmed her last scenes for the movie The Warrens of Virginia and celebrated by spending time in a car with friends. One of them lit a match, leading Mansfield's costume to set on fire. Although the fire was put out, she died from the resultant injuries.

16. Chris Farley

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Chris Farley was the actor originally supposed to be the voice of Shrek before Mike Myers took the role. He had been recording dialogue for Shrek during the time of his death, where he was found on the floor of his apartment after overdosing on cocaine and morphine.

17. Heather O'Rourke

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Heather O'Rourke is the iconic child actress who gave a face to the Poltergeist movies. During filming of Poltergeist III, before she had time to finish the movie, Heather was taken to hospital and died as a result of an acute bowel obstruction at only 12 years old. The end credits dedicated the film to her.

18. James Dean

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James Dean, although he died young, is a legendary name in Hollywood cinema. He died at 24 years old following a head-on collision in his car after filming for the movie Giant. He was allegedly set to return for post-production dialogue recording for the movie before he died in the crash.

19. Natalie Wood

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Actress Natalie Wood died under mysterious circumstances, when she was in the middle of filming a movie called Brainstorm with fellow actor Christopher Walken. At the time of her death, Wood was on a boat with her husband, Robert Wagner, and actor Walken, before she excused herself, went missing and was later found dead in an apparent accidental drowning.

20. River Phoenix

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River Phoenix died at the age of 23 years old. At the time of his death, he had a month of filming left on the movie Dark Blood, and had another role lined up after completion. But he tragically died outside a nightclub in Hollywood from acute multiple drug intoxication, with lethal levels of cocaine and morphine.

21. Paul Mantz

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Mantz, an accomplished pilot, gained a role in the movie Air Mail, where he was required to fly a plane. This led on to further movie roles, and whilst filming a stunt for The Flight of the Phoenix during which he flew over a desert in Arizona, Mantz's plane hit a hill and splintered into bits, killing him.

22. Art Scholl

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A lot of the amazing stunts you see in the movie Top Gun were executed by skilled stuntmen, and Art Scholl was one of these. He was a pilot who died on the set of the movie after attempting a plane move which ended up going wrong after the camera equipment added too much weight. His plane span out of control, crashing into the ocean.

23. Oliver Reed

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Oliver Reed starred in the epic film Gladiator, and was filming in Malta at the time of his death. He fell ill in a bar, and later died of a heart attack before his scenes in the movie could be completed. They were later completed using visual effects and stand-ins. Reed was 61 year old.

24. Aaliyah

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Aaliyah was cast as Zee in The Matrix Reloaded, and filming had begun when she tragically died alongside eight other passengers when a small plane they were on crashed in the Bahamas. She had completed her scenes for The Matrix Reloaded but had yet to film any scenes for the third instalment when she died at 22 years old.

25. Heath Ledger

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Heath was in the middle of filming the movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus after his standout role as the Joker in Batman when he was found in his apartment after dying from an accidental overdose of prescription medications. To finish the movie, a variety of different actors, including Johnny Depp, was cast to play the changing face of the character.

26. Philip Seymour Hoffman

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Hoffman was in the middle of filming for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay when he passed away. He died from a fatal mix of drugs including heroin and cocaine. He had almost completed his scenes for the movie, but after his death, digital tools had to be used to put his presence into certain scenes.

27. Marilyn Monroe

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Legendary actress Marilyn Monroe was in the middle of filming Something's Got to Give when she suffered an untimely death. She was actually originally fired from the movie before being rehired, but before she could come back and resume filming, she was found dead in her room as a result of an overdose.

28. Bela Lugosi

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Bela Lugosi is an actor that everyone has probably seen without even realising it. That iconic image of the old, black and white Count Dracula is one most people have seen, and that's Bela Lugosi. The actor hailed from Hungary and emigrated to the US in 1920. Lugosi was filming 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' when he suffered a heart attack and died.

29. Ray Liotta

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Ray Liotta passed away in his sleep earlier this year in May, at the age of 67, a death that came as a surprise to most. At the time of his death, he was engaged to be married, and also had started filming for the movie Dangerous Waters, but passed away before he could complete it.

30. Christopher Plummer

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Christopher Plummer was a legendary actor, who you may remember from The Sound of Music. He was set to play the lead in a film version of Shakespeare's King Lear when he died before filming could begin. He was 91 when he passed away, and he died a few weeks after a fall where he suffered a blow to the head.

31. Next Up: The Most Difficult Actors To Work With On Set! Charlie Sheen

Image Source / The Famous PeopleCharlie Sheen made an incredible series in Two and a Half Men, but what went on behind the scenes is a different story. Apparently the actor was hard work due to his partying and flaky attitude towards filming, including missing rehearsals, and also his apparently liking for random outbursts at cast and crew!

32. Shannen Doherty

Image Source / WikipediaShannen Doherty is best known for her role in Beverly Hills, 90210, and since then has been known as a rather difficult actress. She's been described as a 'diva' by her co-stars, including complaints about what type of car picks her up, and apparently is very direct in telling you what she thinks of you.

33. Edward Norton

Image Source / DistractifyEdward Norton is known for many great roles, including Fight Club and The Incredible Hulk, but behind the scenes, Norton is known for wanting a lot of creative control over things - even so much so as to get into arguments with directors and script writers. It's also the reason the role of the Hulk was re-cast!

34. Mike Myers

Image Source / ForbesIt's always strange to hear that amazing comedy actors are actually problematic on set, because you'd just think they'd be too busy making everyone laugh all the time. With comedian Mike Myers, he's apparently been known to argue on set, and was easily threatened by other actors.

35. Sharon Stone

Image Source / MARCAThere have been a few claims that Basic Instinct actress Sharon Stone is a nightmare to work with, but she's always denied them. Apparently she would make a habit of leaving set without telling everyone, and then have 'her people' call the director with specific demands. One director, Pupi Avati, had a particular dislike for her!

36. Casey Affleck

Image Source / Pacific StandardCasey Affleck actually got sued by not one, but two women, whilst he worked on the movie I'm Still Here. It was alleged that he sexually harassed them, while one of the women (a producer) made a claim that Affleck tried to make her stay in his hotel room - and then wouldn't pay her. The other woman, the director of photography, said that he tried to get into her bed with her.

37. Katherine Heigl

Image Source / InsiderKatherine Heigl earned a reputation as one of the most difficult actresses to work with, which started back when she starred in Knocked Up. Apparently she labelled the movie a bit 'sexist', which began a rift with its director, as well as co-star Seth Rogen. Later, on Grey's Anatomy, she insulted the writers by claiming that she couldn't win an Emmy for the role because the writing was so bad. Yikes.

38. Chevy Chase

Image Source / VarietyLegendary funny man Chevy Chase had an appearance on Saturday Night Live for one season, which apparently was a difficult time for the cast members who didn't get along with him. Whilst working on the TV show Community years later, he insulted it by calling it 'mediocre' and unfunny. A feud began between him and the show's creator, and he left the show.

39. Bruce Willis

Image Source / DeadlineBruce Willis has a wealth of action hero roles under his belt, and there's no denying we all love his movies. But behind the scenes, he's apparently very difficult. After working on the 2010 movie Cop Out, the director labelled Willis as a "d*ck". Expendables co-star Sylvester Stallone also called Willis greedy and lazy, after Willis had demanded more money for his role.

40. Daniel Day-Lewis

Image Source / Vanity FairDaniel Day-Lewis has long been known for being an incredible method actor and has starred in some iconic roles - but all that hard work apparently takes it toll on the people who have to put up with him. Apparently, he would get into the roles too much - such as having crew members carry him around in a wheelchair after he refused to leave it for his role in My Left Foot - and co-stars have allegedly said he's very intense to work with.

41. Julia Roberts

Image Source / Sky NewsJulia Roberts is an actress you might think would be a delight on set, because she seems like a fun person to be around. But apparently the opposite is true. It's been claimed she can be a bit of a diva on set, and she even had a very nice nickname on the set of the movie Hook in honour of her on-set attitude: Tinkerhell!

42. Alec Baldwin

Image Source / Los Angeles TimesAlec Baldwin was apparently very difficult to work with on the set of the hit show 30 Rock, including his habit of turning up late to work and even shouting at cast and crew members. But his difficult reputation didn't just start with 30 Rock - he apparently has a history of public outbursts which go way back in his long career.

43. Christian Bale

Image Source / IndieWireYou might already know about the very famous kick-off Christian Bale had with the director of photography on the set of Terminator Salvation, when the poor guy happened to walk into Bale's line of vision when he was busy focusing on a scene. Bale might have had a point, but the way he went about it was pretty aggressive and a full on meltdown! He can apparently be a very intense actor.

44. Russell Crowe

Image Source / LooperThere's no doubt Russell Crowe is talented, but with that talent also comes a difficult nature. He's apparently not the best to work with, including a time when he phoned a producer at 3am just to swear at him and insult him. It was bad enough for the producer to actually tell Steven Spielberg that he's leaving because Crowe wants to kill him, allegedly.

45. Teri Hatcher

Image Source / Hello MagazineWhen you think of Desperate Housewives, you may not have thought Hatcher was the lead actress because they all seemed like an equal bunch. But Teri was apparently classed as the lead, a point which allegedly went to her head when she was labelled a diva and 'mean' by her co-star. It was so bad that reportedly her name wasn't even in the card that the cast signed for the crew at the end of the show!

46. Steven Seagal

Image Source / Global NewsSteven Seagal was a huge action star at one point - a long, long time ago - and is now seemingly obsolete. Maybe it's this that has made him so difficult and grumpy, but the complaints against the actor are even worse than that, including violence and physical abuse. The rumors include abuse from Seagal towards both actors and crew on sets.

47. Joaquin Phoenix

Image Source / BritannicaJoaquin Phoenix was actually another actor involved in that sexual harassment allegation against Casey Affleck by the two women. The women said that Phoenix had also been involved when they were locked in their hotel room. One of the women also claimed that Phoenix and Affleck didn't let her leave to her own room during this time either.

48. Val Kilmer

Image Source / The Wall Street JournalKilmer's on-set antics have caused many problems over the years, including him actually being fired after only 3 days of filming for the movie The Island of Dr. Moreau. He apparently had a habit of fighting with people, and was dubbed 'impossible' to work with by the director of Batman Forever. While health issues have contributed to his step-back from acting, it could also be this problematic behavior!

49. Marlon Brando

Image Source / Us WeeklyMarlon Brando remains a legendary actor, but that doesn't mean he wasn't difficult. He apparently stopped caring about movies he was in, creating rifts with directors and having bad habits like not bothering to learn his lines and turning up late. Despite his shoddy behavior, he still demanded top dollar for appearing in movies.

50. Kirk Cameron

Image Source / WikipediaKirk Cameron became famous from the 80s sitcom Growing Pains, but he was apparently trouble to work with after he turned to religion. Rather than keep his beliefs to himself, he would turn on co-stars to call them out on 'immoral' behavior, and even tried to have scripts re-written to fit in with his religious beliefs.

51. Sean Young

Image Source / Page SixSean Young played an iconic role in 80s Blade Runner, but apparently her off-screen behavior hindered her growing career. It was claimed by actor James Woods that Young had harassed him, while she's also said to have been physically abusive to a security guard. She was later fired from the movie Wall Street and hasn't been able to gain a good reputation since.

52. Lindsay Lohan

Image Source / Hello MagazineMany of us grew up with Lohan in Parent Trap, and we all know she's had some issues during her life time, including addiction and law-breaking. But - and it may come as no surprise - she's also been difficult to work with on set. She'd apparently get upset and hide sometimes, cancelled appointments and was challenging for producers.

53. Shia LaBeouf

Image Source / CNNWhen Shia LaBeouf appeared in hit blockbusters like Transformers, he seemed like a great guy with a great career ahead of him. But soon his problematic behavior came to light, including fights with co-star Tom Hardy whilst shooting Lawless, and doing weird media stunts like putting a paper bag on his head that read "I am not famous anymore".

54. Lea Michele

Image Source / The Skincare EditLea Michele was fantastically talented as Rachel in Glee - but with that talent apparently comes a big ego. Her co-star reported that Michele used threats about unsafe working conditions, threw diva fits and locked herself in her trailer. Later, during her appearance in Scream Queens, she refused to scream more than she had to to protect her singing voice.

55. Isaiah Washington

Image Source / BillboardFans of Grey's Anatomy will recognize actor Isaiah Washington for his role as Preston Burke, doctor and love interest of Cristina Yang. But the actor behind the doctor was apparently difficult to work with, in the form of homophobic slurs against a co-star and apparent arguments with leading man Patrick Dempsey.

56. Jennifer Lopez

Image Source / AllureJennifer Lopez is said to be the kind of diva that has a huge list of demands if she's going to appear anywhere, whether that's in a movie or in a simple hotel. These outlandish requests apparently include having a helicopter on standby for her, diamond-encrusted headphones and a preference to have the entire floor of a hotel to herself. She apparently won't even look at or speak to staff.

57. Thomas Gibson

Image Source / LooperThomas Gibson, while appearing in the hit CBS show Criminal Minds, had an argument with one of the writers which led to him kicking the writer in the shin. He was suspended, and then fired, over his violent outburst. He was also required to attend anger management classes after pushing an assistant director!

58. Kanye West

Image Source / HipHopDXYou might not think of Kanye West as a leading actor, but his brief appearance in the movie Anchorman 2 as a cameo was enough to spark a whole load of problems. According to Will Ferrell, Kanye would play his new songs over and over, loud, when people were trying to film, as well as refusing to leave the set even after his own scenes had been filmed.

59. William Shatner

Image Source / The GuardianAccording to Shatner's Star Trek co-star George Takai, the man behind Captain Kirk was actually quite arrogant to work with. Apparently everything had to revolve around him, with Shatner not being happy when someone else got a close up instead of him! Sounds like he wanted to be the captain on screen and off, too.

60. Jennifer Aniston

Image Source / The Hollywood ReporterIt's rumored that Friends legend Jennifer Aniston is quite the diva, and specifically rather 'cold' to cast and crew members. It's said she tends to avoid other people on set, even going as far as eating by herself in her trailer to avoid eating with others in the main cafeteria. To make it worse, she even threw a chair at a director once!