Most people only see the fabulous life of the Hollywood stars as depicted on magazines or TV shows; however the truth is that Hollywood is filled with its dark side as well. Issues such as drug abuse, depression, and disaster are all grim realities for many actors and actresses, so take a look at ten famous celebrities who met their grim fate during the production of a movie or show!
10) Bruce Lee
Starting off our list of top ten Hollywood Celebrities that died during movie productions is Bruce Lee, the famous Chinese
martial artist. Bruce Lee was not just an actor, but he was also a filmmaker and the founder of JKD – Jeet Kun Do – a unique martial arts style. He starred in many movies such as The Green Hornet, Fists of Fury, Way of the dragon and more. Unfortunately his untimely death occurred during the filming of the movie Enter the Dragon. Lee was rushed to the hospital where he had severe swelling in his brain, but unfortunately despite the swelling being controlled the once they reoccurred and he eventually passed away. He left behind two children, one of which also followed in his footsteps and met an untimely death on set, leading us to the second on our list!
9) Brandon Lee
Brandon Lee is the famous actor who starred in the movie The Crow, in which he was incidentally shot in. Lee, who is the son of Bruce Lee, was killed when a shooting stunt went wrong. Instead of blanks there was an actual bullet in that, when it hit him in the abdomen, pierced his skin and caused a fatal internal bleed. Brandon Lee died just hours later at the young age of 28, however the movie went on with the help of a double and some special effects. Unfortunately and untimely, Brandon Lee had such potential.
8) Steve Irwin
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As a man who seemed to look death in the face on a daily basis, many were saddened but not surprised to hear of the untimely and unfortunate death of Steve Irwin. Commonly known as the “Crocodile Hunter”, Steve Irwin was struck multiple times by a massive eight foot sting ray during the filming of a documentary titled “Ocean’s Deadliest”. He died shortly after the vicious attack and was not able to receive any medical attention in time. While this animal lover’s death was mourned across the world, his legacy is being carried on by his daughter, Bindi Irwin, who has continued advocating for wild animals through various presentations, TV shows, and interviews.
7) Paul Walker
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Handsome, young, and seemingly reckless, Paul Walker was the charming star of the movie series “Fast & Furious” that had six previous releases and made top charts on box offices around the world with each new release. During the production of the seventh movie in the Fast & Furious series, Paul Walker went out with friend Roger Rodas in a Porsche Carrera GT. Roger Rodas was driving and apparently took a curve at around 100 mph before he attempted to slow down and avoid the light pole that ultimately killed the two. Unfortunately the Porsche hit the light pole and was engulfed in flames killing both in the vehicle.
6) Heath Ledger
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This famous and ruggedly handsome actor was the star of many movies such as A Knight’s Tale, 10 Things I hate About You, Brokeback Mountain, and more. His most recent movie release was The Dark Knight, in which he played his best role yet as the Joker – a devious and criminally insane individual whom Heath Ledger played to perfection. His unfortunate death occurred after the production of The Dark Knight and was during the filming of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. After being found dead in his apartment the toxicology report went on to show a list of prescription medications that were reportedly the cause of his death.
5) Marilyn Monroe
This iconic female actor and model captured the heart of the nation when she appeared first in her modeling career. She did a nude shot as a struggling actress and after it was published on the first issue of Playboy she became a hit and her career was propelled forward. From there she appeared on Life Magazine and began to see more and more roles in movies. She is most famous for movies like “Some Like it Hot”, “The Misfits”, and “The Seven Year Itch”.
At the age of just 36, Marilyn Monroe was found dead. This was during the filming of “Something’s Got to Give” and her death was ruled as probable suicide, however the ruling of barbiturate poisoning still stood.
4) Nancy Marchand
The Sopranos was a wildly popular series that lasted for a number of six seasons and a stunning eighty-six episodes. It is considered one of the best TV series of all time and starred Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, and many more. Tony Soprano, the lead character had a mother who was portrayed by Golden Globe Winner and Emmy Award winning actress Nancy Marchand.
Unfortunately in 2000, just one year after the series began airing on TV, she passed away from lung cancer. Her unfortunate death was devastating to the cast and crew on The Sopranos, and her untimely leave was incorporated into the show.
3) Oliver Reed
Long time alcoholic Oliver Reed died while unfortunately at a bar. His death was ruled to be due to a heart attack, but his integral role in the filming of the famous movie Gladiator with Russell Crowe had to be substituted by a mixture of computer animations and mannequins. Reed is most famous for his role as Proximo in the Gladiator movie, however he also starred in Treasure Island, Funny Bones, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Three Musketeers.
Perhaps something that will be most missed is that prior to his unfortunate death, Reed was considered as a possible replacement for Sean Connery as James Bond, but alas it was something that was never meant to be.
2) John Spencer
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Portraying the White House Chief of Staff in the famous TV drama series titled The West Wing, Spencer seemed to be at the high point in his acting career. His character was promoted to a senior consultant and then eventually was a VP candidate in the political series featured on NBC; however he unfortunately died during productions from a heart attack – something which was also incorporated into the series for his character Leo McGarry. Despite passing in December of 2005, Spencer was earned a Primtime Emmy Award for his role in the Drama Series.
1) Paul Mantz
Lastly we have Paul Mantz, a skilled pilot who was unfortunately too much of a show off for the US Army. He reportedly flew too close to a train to show off to other high ranking officials in an attempt to demonstrate his skills, but this feat didn’t earn him the respect it wanted, instead he lost his spot and worked on becoming an actor instead.
Due to his abilities, Mantz appeared as a pilot in many films and was featured in For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Wings of Eagles as some of the first productions. Unfortunately Paul Mantz’s affinity or showing off and performing stunts was eventually the cause of his death because, during a stunt for a movie titled The Flight of the Phoenix, Mantz unfortunately crashed his plane and was killed immediately.
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