Life is extremely unfair and unpredictable. In an instant, the best day of your life can turn into the worst. And we can never predict when the last time we’ll see a loved one will be. But despite the fact that it’s always painful to lose someone, it’s particularly hard to handle when their life gets cut way too short.
Bored Panda has compiled a list down below of former child actors who lost their lives at tragically young ages. While it’s heartbreaking that these stars didn’t get to live to see many more birthdays, it’s clear that they each made a huge mark on the world during their short time here. This list may not be the most uplifting, but we hope that you’ll enjoy looking back on the beautiful lives of these stars. And be sure to upvote the ones that you’ll never forget.
#1 Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy rose to fame with standout roles in films like Clueless, 8 Mile, and Girl, Interrupted, known for her bubbly personality and versatile acting. In December 2009, she collapsed in the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills home and died at the age of 32. The coroner ruled her death an accident caused by a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency, and multiple over-the-counter medications. Her sudden passing, and the nearly identical death of her husband just five months later, sparked numerous theories and left a lingering sense of tragedy.
Image source: Jean Baptiste Lacroix, Jessica Sager
#2 Heather O’Rourke
With her angelic face and the iconic line, “They’re he-e-e-re,” Heather O’Rourke became the unforgettable star of the Poltergeist film trilogy. While filming the third movie in the series, she became seriously ill. In February 1988, she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, where she died on the operating table from cardiac arrest caused by septic shock due to a misdiagnosed intestinal blockage. Her sudden and shocking death at just 12 years old remains one of the most tragic stories in Hollywood history.
Image source: Ron Wolfson, Bella Fowler
#3 Cameron Boyce
A beloved Disney Channel star, Cameron Boyce rose to fame in the TV show Jessie and later in the popular Descendants film franchise. He was known for his energetic performances, his kindness, and his growing dedication to charitable work. In July 2019, his life was cut tragically short when he died in his sleep from a seizure caused by epilepsy, a medical condition his family had been managing. His sudden death at just 20 years old shocked his millions of young fans and left a void in the Disney community
Image source: Frazer Harrison, Brendan Le
#4 Judith Barsi
Judith Barsi was a familiar face in the 1980s, appearing in dozens of commercials and films, and providing the beloved voices for Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven. Despite her success, her home life was a nightmare of escalating abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father, who was jealous of her career. In July 1988, in a horrific murder-suicide, he shot and killed Judith and her mother before turning the gun on himself. She was only 10 years old.
Image source: Mace Neufeld Productions, Maddie Garfinkle
#5 Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg was a beloved star from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and died a very sudden death. She had complications from her diabetes diagnosis and was found unresponsive in her apartment early in 2025. She was only 39 years old but left behind a legacy of iconic characters.
Image source: Jon Kopaloff, Ana Faguy
#6 Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young launched his career as the star of the Disney Channel series The Famous Jett Jackson and later found success in adult roles, most notably as Detective Barry Frost on the TNT series Rizzoli & Isles. On August 19, 2013, when he failed to show up for work, police were called to his home and found that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His family later revealed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had been struggling with depression, a silent battle that led to his tragic death at age 29.
Image source: Peter Kramer, Andrew Blankstein
#7 Corey Haim
As one of the biggest teen idols of the 1980s, Corey Haim starred in blockbuster films like The Lost Boys and Lucas. Along with Corey Feldman, he was part of the iconic duo known as “The Two Coreys.” His fame, however, was accompanied by a severe and lifelong struggle with drug addiction that began on movie sets when he was a teenager. On March 10, 2010, he collapsed in his mother’s apartment and was pronounced dead at a hospital, with the coroner later ruling his death at age 38 was due to pneumonia.
Image source: Michael Ochs Archives, Austin Harvey
#8 River Phoenix
River Phoenix was one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, earning an Oscar nomination for his role in Running on Empty and captivating audiences in films like Stand by Me and My Own Private Idaho. His incredible talent and promising career were cut tragically short on Halloween night in 1993. After consuming a lethal combination of cocaine and heroin, he collapsed and suffered convulsions on the sidewalk outside the Viper Room nightclub in Hollywood. He died at the scene at the age of 23, a shocking and devastating loss for the film world.
Image source: George Rose, Marco Margaritoff
#9 Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman became a household name in the late ’70s and ’80s as the wisecracking Arnold Jackson on the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, famous for his catchphrase, “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” His adult life was marked by serious health problems stemming from a childhood kidney disease, as well as highly publicized financial and legal troubles. In May 2010, at the age of 42, he died from a brain hemorrhage after a fall in his Utah home, a sad conclusion to a life that had been defined by both incredible fame and profound struggle.
Image source: Kevin Winter, biography.com
#10 Kevin Clark
As the fiery young drummer Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones, Kevin Clark provided the heartbeat for the band in the 2003 hit film School of Rock. Though it was his only acting role, he was a real-life musician who continued to play in various bands in his hometown of Chicago. Clark never pursued acting further, choosing to focus on his music career instead. In May 2021, at the age of 32, he was tragically killed when a driver struck him while he was riding his bicycle.
Image source: Donald Weber, bbc.com
#11 Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer
Carl Switzer, best known for playing the freckle-faced Alfalfa in the Our Gang comedies, found his post-stardom life to be a difficult struggle. He worked odd jobs, including as a bartender and a dog trainer, and had several run-ins with the law. On January 21, 1959, his life came to a violent and sordid end during a heated argument over a supposed $50 debt. The dispute escalated, and Switzer was shot and killed by the man he was arguing with. His death at age 31 was a tragic and brutal final chapter for the once-beloved child star.
Image source: CBS Photo Archive, hollywoodforever.com
#12 Sammi Kane Kraft
Sammi Kane Kraft was cast as the star pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer in the 2005 remake of Bad News Bears largely due to her real-life athletic talent as a baseball prodigy. After her single film role, she shifted her focus from acting to music, forming a band with her brother. In October 2012, her life was tragically cut short when she was a passenger in a car that rear-ended a semi-truck in Los Angeles. Kraft was pronounced dead at the hospital at the age of 20, a sudden end for the promising young athlete and musician.
Image source: Paul Hawthorne, Valerie J. Nelson
#13 Skye McCole Bartusiak
Best known for her memorable role as Mel Gibson’s young daughter in the Revolutionary War film The Patriot, Skye McCole Bartusiak had been acting since she was a child. In July 2014, she died in her sleep at her family’s home in Houston, Texas. The coroner later ruled her death an accidental overdose from the combined effects of several medications she was taking to control her epileptic seizures. Her sudden death at the age of 21 was a tragic end for the actress who had grown up on screen.
Image source: Jon Kopaloff, Alan Duke
#14 Bobby Driscoll
As the voice of Disney’s Peter Pan and an Oscar-winning child actor for his work in films like Song of the South, Bobby Driscoll was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s. After Disney terminated his contract in his late teens, his life spiraled into severe drug addiction and poverty. In March 1968, children playing in an abandoned New York City tenement found his body, but with no identification, he was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave. It wasn’t until over a year later that his mother’s search led to a fingerprint match, revealing the tragic and anonymous end of the former Disney star at the age of 31.
Image source: Popperfoto, walkoffame.com
#15 Dana Plato
As the wholesome Kimberly Drummond on the hit sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, Dana Plato was a quintessential ’80s teen idol. After leaving the show, her life was marked by a public and painful struggle with drug addiction, financial problems, and a run-in with the law for armed robbery. On May 8, 1999, one day after a contentious interview on The Howard Stern Show where she claimed to be sober, she died of an intentional prescription drug overdose in her RV. Her death at the age of 34 was officially ruled a suicide.
Image source: Michael Ochs Archives, biography.com
#16 Josh Ryan Evans
Josh Ryan Evans, who stood just 3 feet 2 inches tall due to a form of dwarfism, became a fan favorite for his scene-stealing role as Timmy Lenox on the soap opera Passions. He also played the young Grinch in the live-action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. On August 5, 2002, he died at the age of 20 from complications related to a congenital heart condition. In a bizarre and tragic coincidence, the episode of Passions that aired on the very same day featured his character, Timmy, also dying.
Image source: Jean-Paul Aussenard, Us Weekly
#17 Anissa Jones
Anissa Jones became one of the most recognizable child stars of the late 1960s, playing the pigtailed Buffy Davis on the popular sitcom Family Affair. She disliked the “cutesy” persona of her character and struggled to find other roles after the show ended, feeling typecast and desperate to escape her wholesome image. Tragically, on her 18th birthday, she died from a massive and accidental drug overdose.
Image source: Harry Langdon, Kaleena Fraga
#18 Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro had a meteoric rise to fame at age 11 with a powerful debut in the film The Client, followed by roles in movies like Apt Pupil and Ghost World. Despite his immense natural talent, his career was derailed by a long and public battle with drug and alcohol addiction, which led to multiple arrests. On January 15, 2008, he was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment from an accidental heroin overdose. He was just 25 years old, and his death was a tragic waste of a promising, but deeply troubled, talent.
Image source: Derek Storm, Guillermo Alonso
#19 Anton Yelchin
Anton Yelchin was a versatile and acclaimed actor known for roles in films like Star Trek, Like Crazy, and Green Room. His promising career came to a shocking and tragic end on June 19, 2016. In a freak accident at his home, his Jeep Cherokee rolled backward down his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick pillar and a security fence. He was found by friends and pronounced dead at the scene from blunt traumatic asphyxia, a bizarre and devastating end for the talented actor at just 27 years old.
Image source: Tommaso Boddi, Kaleena Fraga
#20 Billy ‘Froggy’ Laughlin
Billy “Froggy” Laughlin was a beloved member of the Our Gang comedies, known for his uniquely gravelly, Popeye-like voice. After the series ended, he returned to a normal life, attending school and delivering newspapers in his hometown of La Puente, California. On August 31, 1948, his life was tragically cut short when he was a passenger on a motor scooter that was struck from behind by a speeding truck. He was thrown from the scooter and died instantly, a sudden and devastating end for the former child star at just 16 years old.
Image source: Archive Photos, Zach Moser
#21 Bridgette Andersen
Bridgette Andersen charmed audiences as a child star in the 1980s, most notably in the comedy Savannah Smiles. As she grew older, she found it difficult to transition into teen and adult roles and developed a severe heroin addiction. Despite multiple attempts at rehab, her struggles continued. In May 1997, she died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and drugs at the age of 21.
Image source: Savannah Smiles Productions, imdb.com
#22 Sawyer Sweeten
Sawyer Sweeten grew up on television alongside his twin brother Sullivan and older sister Madylin, playing Geoffrey and Michael Barone on the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. After the show’s 9-year run ended, he largely stepped away from the spotlight. In April 2015, just a few weeks before his 20th birthday, he died by suicide while visiting family in Texas. His tragic death was a devastating shock to his family and the cast who had watched him grow from a toddler into a young man.
Image source: Kevin Winter, bbc.com
#23 Christopher Pettiet
Known for his role as the adventurous Jesse James in the TV series The Young Riders, Christopher Pettiet was a familiar face in the early ’90s, also appearing in films like Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. After his early success, he struggled with substance abuse as he transitioned into adult roles. In April 2000, Pettiet died of an accidental drug overdose in Los Angeles. He was only 24 years old, and his death marked a tragic end to a once-promising career.
Image source: Old Tucson Studios, imdb.com
#24 Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Brandis was a major teen idol in the 1990s, starring in the sci-fi series seaQuest DSV and films like The NeverEnding Story II. As he transitioned into adulthood, he grew increasingly frustrated with his waning career and the difficulty of finding meaningful roles. In November 2003, friends found him after he had hanged himself in his Los Angeles apartment building. He was rushed to the hospital but died the following day, a tragic suicide at the age of 27.
Image source: Vinnie Zuffante, Virginia Chamlee
#25 Scotty Beckett
Scotty Beckett was a prolific child actor, appearing in numerous films and starring as a member of the Our Gang comedies. As an adult, his life was a tragic story of decline, marked by alcoholism, drug addiction, and multiple arrests for crimes including drunk driving and assault. In May 1968, after being severely beaten, he checked into a Los Angeles nursing home for his injuries. Two days later, he was found dead in his room with an empty bottle of pills and a suicide note, a grim end at age 38 for a man whose life had spiraled out of control after his early fame.
Image source: Imperial Pictures, www.imdb.com
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