Actresses Who Died Too Young
A list of actresses who died too young in their careers and should have gone on to better things. [This list is constantly added to. Please check occasionally for new additions]
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- The lovely blonde actress, Susan Shaw, was groomed by the Rank Organisation in England for a career in film in the 40s and 50s. She was born on August 29, 1929 in West Norwood, England. Susan was at her best when cast in a role as a pretty young slip of a girl with her nose in the air. After a marriage to actor Albert Lieven, with whom she had a daughter, Susan married the American actor Bonar Colleano, known for his roles as the wisecracking Yank in British films. The two made a handsome couple, Susan with her petite blondeness and Bonar with his loud mouth and dark good looks. They had a child together, actor Mark Colleano, in 1955, before her husband suddenly died in a tragic road accident in 1958. After Bonar died, she was never the same and spent most of her life battling a drinking problem until her death in 1978. Her husband's mother became the legal guardian of her little boy and groomed him for an acting career. As a child star, Mark went on to star opposite Rock Hudson in "Hornets' Nest", as a 14-year-old Italian youth.Died November 27, 1978 (age 49 a penniless alcoholic) (liver cirrhosis)
- Glamour model and actress Debbie Linden was born on February 22, 1961 in Glasgow, Scotland. The daughter of cabaret entertainer Neil Linden and Rosemary Linden, Debbie attended stage school and initially wanted to be a dancer (she studied both tap and ballroom dancing as a means of preparing herself for a career in show business). Linden instead went on to become a topless model and Page 3 girl. Debbie first began acting in both films and TV shows in the late 1970's; she's probably best known for her recurring role as Old Mr. Grace's saucy secretary on the hit comedy series Are You Being Served? (1972). Sadly, Linden had problems with anorexia as well as drug and alcohol addiction which started at age 13 when she began taking slimming pills to control her weight. Debbie died at home at the tragically young age of 36 from a heroin overdose on October 5, 1997. Her boyfriend Russell Ainsworth was acquitted of manslaughter charges, but was still sentenced to two and a half years in prison for supplying the drugs that killed her.Died October 5, 1997 (age 36) (heroin overdose)
- Dorothy Stratten's story was brief, glorious and tragic. She was born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten on February 28, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She grew up in a rough neighborhood in Vancouver, but kept out of trouble and went through the motions of school. While not a beauty as a child, nor early teen, Stratten came into her own out of high school and attracted the attention of Paul Snider, a promoter and wannabe star. He started dating her and after seeing an advertisement for Playboy's 25th Anniversary Playmate search in 1978, convinced her to pose for photos. Playboy saw the potential in Stratten and flew her out to Los Angeles, California, where she became a candidate. Although she lost out to Candy Loving, Stratten was made a Playmate in the August 1979 issue of Playboy. Soon after, she was pressured into marrying Snider, who had a Svengali-like influence on her.
After her centerfold came out, Stratten found work in a few movies, notably Americathon (1979) and Skatetown U.S.A. (1979), as well as being the object of Richard Dawson's affection in an ABC-TV special shot at the Playboy mansion. Clearly, her star was on the rise. In 1980, it was revealed that Stratten would be tabbed as the Playmate of the Year by Playboy publisher and founder Hugh Hefner. While this was one of the crowning achievements of her career, things were not going well in her marriage to Snider. He bothered her on the set of the movie Galaxina (1980) and when Snider found out she was developing more than a friendly relationship with director Peter Bogdanovich, Snider grew increasingly frustrated.
After a separation, Snider bought a shotgun and talked Stratten into coming to the apartment they used to share in West Los Angeles. Snider tied her up, sexually assaulted her and put the shotgun next to her face and pulled the trigger. Snider then turned the shotgun on himself to complete the murder-suicide. Since her death, Stratten has become something of a minor cult fixture, and has had two (one a television) movies, a song, and a couple of books written about her. The last movie she was in, They All Laughed (1981), was released after her death.Died August 14, 1980 (age 20) (murdered by her husband) - Nika McGuigan was born on 4 January 1986 in Newry, Northern Ireland, UK. She was an actress, known for Philomena (2013), Wildfire (2020) and Malicious Intent (2000). She died on 23 July 2019 in Dublin, Ireland.Died July 23, 2019 (age 33) (cancer)
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Kay Kendall was born on 21 May 1927 in Withernsea, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Les Girls (1957), The Reluctant Debutante (1958) and Simon and Laura (1955). She was married to Rex Harrison. She died on 6 September 1959 in London, England, UK.Died September 6, 1959 (age 33) (myeloid leukemia)- An enchantingly beautiful, luminous blonde, Mary Ure was born in Glasgow on February 18th, 1933. Her first film was Zoltan Korda's Storm Over the Nile (1955), a misfiring remake of The Four Feathers (1939). Next was Windom's Way (1957) - a tale of rubber plantation strikes and marital strife, but more significant events had been occurring off-screen. In 1956, she starred as "Alison" in John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger" at the Royal Court theatre in London. She began an affair with the married Osborne and, after his divorce, they tied the knot in 1957. By 1958, however, the marriage was falling apart. Osborne could be cold and detached and he did not hold his wife in particularly high esteem, as he wrote in the second volume of his memoirs, "Almost a Gentleman".
She began an affair with Robert Shaw around 1959 though she wasn't divorced from Osborne until 1962 and was complicit in the charade that the father of her first child, Colin born 31 August 1961, was Osborne's. In the meantime, she transferred her fragile, captivating portrayal of "Alison Porter" from stage to screen in the 1959 film adaptation of Look Back in Anger (1959), which also starred Richard Burton and Claire Bloom. Her beautiful performance of "Clara Dawes" in 1960's Sons and Lovers (1960) won her an Oscar nomination. In this time, she also performed a season at Stratford and, while pregnant, "The Changeling" at the Royal Court with Shaw. At the time she was pregnant, Jennifer Bourke, Shaw's first wife, was also pregnant by him (at his death in 1978 he left 9 children).
In 1963, she married Shaw and, after an absence of three years, returned to cinema screens with a good performance in The Mind Benders (1963) with Dirk Bogarde, a thought-provoking sci-fi drama. Then it was The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964) and the flawed Custer of the West (1967), both with Shaw. Neither of these productions made a significant impact, though Ure performed admirably. In 1968, she made her one and only bona-fide big-budget blockbuster, Where Eagles Dare (1968) with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. It was a huge success but it would be two years before Ure's next, and last, film appearance.
In the meantime, she had continued to act on stage. Shaw's first wife, Jennifer Bourke, had given up her career as an actress to be a wife and mother. Ure didn't give up her career but the demands of motherhood (she bore Shaw 3 more children) and her growing dependence on alcohol meant it lapsed. Her final film was A Reflection of Fear (1972), an interesting horror psychodrama but Ure was absurdly cast as the mother of Sondra Locke, only 11 years younger than herself. After this, she returned to the stage. She died of an accidental overdose on April 3rd, 1975, taking too many sleeping pills on top of alcohol after a very late night, following an opening night on the London stage. She was a wonderful actress whose luster lingers in the mind long after the film has ended. Sadly, her own life ended aged at just 42.Died April 3, 1975 (age 42) (accidental overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills) - Actress
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Sharon's early life was one of constant moving as her father served in the military. When she lived in Italy, she was voted "Homecoming Queen" of her high school. After being an extra in a few Italian films, Sharon headed to Hollywood where she would again start as an extra. Her first big break came when she was cast as the shapely bank secretary, "Janet Trego", in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) (1963-1965). In 1967, she would meet her future husband, director Roman Polanski, on the set of the English film The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). Sharon's big role would be that same year when she was the starlet in Valley of the Dolls (1967). With her marriage to Roman, her life became one of parties, travel and meeting influential movie people. She would appear as a red-haired beauty in the spy spoof The Wrecking Crew (1968) working with Dean Martin and the equally beautiful Elke Sommer. Sharon was 2 months pregnant of her first child while filming in Italy and France a funny Italian comedy movie 12 + 1 (1969) in February 1969. On August 9, 1969 Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Steve Parent, and Voytek Frykowski were murdered by 3 of Charles Manson's followers: Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins (died in prison in 2009), and Patricia Krenwinkel. Manson died in prison in 2017. Watson and Krenwinkel are still in prison.Died August 9, 1969 (age 26) (stabbed to death by one of the members of the 'Charles Manson cult')- Actress
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Lynne Frederick was a talented British actress of the 1970s. She had a unique combination of good looks and charm which captivated audiences for a decade. Although best known as the fourth and final wife of British comedian Peter Sellers, Lynne has developed a cult following in recent years. Before Kate Winslet and Emma Watson, there was Lynne Frederick.
Lynne Wagner Harding Frederick was born in Hillingdon, Uxbridge, UK, to parents Iris and Andrew. Her father left when she was young, and was raised by her grandmother and mother, who worked for Thames Television. Lynne attended Notting Hill and Ealing High School and originally intended to become a physics and mathematics teacher. Lynne was discovered by film director Cornel Wilde at Thames Television while posing for some camera test shots. Lynne's youthful and dramatic beauty immediately struck Wilde. After interviewing hundreds of girls, he decided Lynne would be perfect for his film. Lynne received a phone call while at school preparing for her exams. Her mother said Wilde wanted her for his film and had two hours to decide if she wanted to take the role and leave school to pursue an acting career. After much thought, Lynne decided to try acting and accepted the role.
Despite no previous experience, Lynne got her very first acting job at her first audition. Her debut was in the 1970 British-American apocalyptic science fiction film No Blade of Grass (1970). Her next and more prestigious role came as Tsar Nicholas's second eldest daughter, Tatiana, in the 1971 Oscar-winning British film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). In her next role, Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), she played the ill-fated fifth wife of Henry VIII, Catherine Howard. Her adaptation of Howard made Tudor cinema history as Lynne was the first actress to portray Howard from a historically accurate and sympathetic point of view.
Lynne continued to work in films, with a supporting role in the now-cult film Vampire Circus (1972). Her most well-known screen role came in the 1972 family film The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972). For this role, she won the very first London Evening Standard British Film Award for Best New Coming Actress. In 1974, she appeared in the science fiction thriller Phase IV (1974), for which she was required to learn an American accent. Although not successful during its initial release, Phase IV gained a cult following in the years that followed due to its airing on late-night television.
Lynne co-starred with Italian actor Fabio Testi in two back-to-back films as his love interest. The first was the very graphic Italian spaghetti western The Four of the Apocalypse... (1975), followed by Red Coat (1975). Lynne then appeared in two romantic Spanish films, El vicio y la virtud (1975) and Largo retorno (1975). Her acting credits weren't limited to film; she appeared in various shows and movies made for TV over the decade. Lynne returned to the horror film with a role in the 1976 slasher, Schizo (1976). Her most important film role came in the Oscar-nominated historical drama, Voyage of the Damned (1976).
A year later, Lynne married fellow actor Peter Sellers. She would make her final film appearance alongside him in The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). Sadly, their relationship became turbulent. Rumours of drug and health issues plagued them. Further controversy followed after Sellers' tragic death on 24 July 1980 (one day before Lynne's 26th birthday) when Lynne was named the beneficiary of nearly his entire estate while his children, whom Sellers had been estranged from for many years, received hardly anything. Despite pleas from Sellers' friends, Lynne didn't give Sellers' children any further settlements due to her rocky relationship with them. The British public and film industry began to turn against Lynne after Sellers' death, and her career started to plummet. Despite the blacklisting which followed, Lynne was very protective of Sellers' name and reputation. She even won £1.475 million in a lawsuit against the makers of the Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), a film of Sellers released posthumously, claiming the film tarnished her husband's memory.
Lonely, depressed, and desperate for companionship, the young widow married the charismatic British media personality David Frost six months after Sellers' death. Lynne's supposed eagerness to remarry shortly after her first husband's death virtually robbed her of any last shred of public sympathy.
Although Lynne and David appeared to be a happily married couple to the public, their marriage was destructive and turbulent behind closed doors. While married to Frost, she suffered at least one miscarriage, which put a strain on their already rocky marriage. Ultimately, their marriage ended in divorce after 17 months.
Following her divorce from Frost, Frederick fled from Britain to America where she met surgeon and heart specialist Barry Unger, whom she married on Christmas, 1982. The following year, Frederick bore her only child, Cassie, with whom she had a close relationship. Her marriage to Unger ended in divorce in 1991.
In the later years of her life, Frederick live in Los Angeles, where she lived in a house with her daughter, of whom she shared custody.
In the final years of her life, Lynne's health spiraled downward as she struggled with alcoholism and bouts of depression. Rumors of chronic drug addiction, clinical depression, failed rehab treatments, and suicide attempts were common tabloid reports of her in later years.
The wear and tear of the struggles in her life took a toll on her appearance. Her weight ballooned, her face became sunken and bloated, and her hair now cropped short and damaged. Rumor had it that when the paparazzi stood outside her house trying to get photos of Lynne, there were several occasions where she would walk past them unnoticed as the photographers didn't recognize her drastically different appearance in contrast to her once-youthful appearance.
On the morning of 27 April, 1994, Frederick's lifeless body was discovered by her mother, Iris, in her home. Immediately following Frederick's death, the Fleet Street tabloids engaged in a firestorm of negative press accusing Frederick of being an alcoholic and cocaine addict. It was even reported the cause of her death due to cocaine and alcohol. Although the exact cause of Frederick's death hasn't been publicly disclosed, her mother revealed in Hello Magazine that Lynne's death had been caused by natural causes due to a seizure in her sleep, although this has been disputed by some people, seizures frequently kill people, who stop drinking without medical help.
For many years, Lynne Frederick's legacy remained tainted and was seldom, if ever mentioned. But in recent years, her films have resurfaced to a new generation, and she's been given a new fan base and cult following. Although she won't be remembered as a big name in films, her glowing beauty holds an enduring fascination amongst cinema fans. She's a symbol of the harsh world of the entertainment industry.Died April 27, 1994 (age 39) (post mortem indeterminate, but speculatively death caused by the effects of alcoholism)- Actress
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Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California, on Saturday, November 7, 1964. Her first excursion into the film world occurred when she was 11 in the television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle (1975). Dana never made an impact on the TV screen until she landed the role of Kimberly Drummond in the TV hit sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978) from 1978-1986. After the series ended, Dana had difficulty finding more acting work. Sometimes she would act in a made-for-TV movie or a low- budget silver-screen film. She was married for Lanny Lambert for seven years and they had a son. She was arrested in 1991 for robbing a Las Vegas video store and placed on probation; the next year she was arrested again, this time for forging a Valium prescription. She had just finished an interview with Howard Stern in the spring of 1999 when she and her fiancé, Robert Menchaca, were headed back to California. She hoped the interview would revive her stalled career. They stopped at his parents' house in Moore, Oklahoma for a Mother's-Day-weekend visit; on Saturday, May 8, 1999, Dana died of what appeared to be an accidental overdose of the painkiller "Loritab". On May 21, a coroner's inquest ruled her death a suicide because of the large amount of drugs in her body and her history of past suicide attempts. Dana Plato was 34 years old.Died May 8, 1999 (age 34) accidental overdose of painkiller Lortab, and muscle-relaxant Menchaca (death was ruled as suicide by overdose based on Plato's long history of drug abuse). Plato's son Tyler Lambert committed suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on May 6, 2010, two days before the 11th anniversary of his mother's death.- Actress
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Brittany Murphy was born Brittany Anne Bertolotti on November 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti. Her father's ancestry is Italian, and her mother is of Irish and Slovak descent. Her father moved the family back to Edison, New Jersey as a native New Yorker and to be closer to other siblings from previous marriages. While dining out one night in the presence of Hollywood royalty, Brittany at the age of 5 approached an adjoining table when Academy Award nominee Burt Reynolds and George Segal were seated. Brittany introduced herself to the Hollywood legends and confidently told them that someday she too would be a star.
She comes from a long line of international musicians and performers with three half-brothers and a sister. Angelo Bertolotti was torn from their tight-knit family as a made-man with the Italian Mafia. The Senior Bertolotti, who coined the nickname of "Britt" for his daughter, was also an entrepreneur and diplomat for organized crime families and one of the first to be subjected to a RICO prosecution. Brittany's interests and well-being were always her father's first goal and objective. To distance his talented daughter from his infamous past, Angelo allowed Sharon to use her maiden name for Brittany's, so that her shining star would not be overshadowed by a father's past, with the couple divorcing thereafter.
Brittany began receiving accolades and applause in regional theater at the early age of 9. At the age of 13, she landed several national commercials. She appeared on television and caught the attention of a personal manager and an agent. Soon, Brittany's mother Sharon turned full-time to being a "Stage Mom" where Angelo provided financial support throughout and their relationship is memorialized with a long and close history in pictures. The hopeful daughter and mother moved to Burbank, CA, where Brittany landed her first television role on Blossom (1990). Hearts and doors opened up for a starring role on Drexell's Class (1991), a short lived TV series.
Brittany's big screen movie debut started with Clueless (1995), where she was co-starring with Alicia Silverstone. Britt soared, demonstrating her musical and artistic talents with dramatic and comedic roles landing a nomination for best leading female performance in the Young Artist Awards for her role in the television film David and Lisa (1998). She garnered tremendous attention for her role in Girl, Interrupted (1999) with Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. Brittany's band, "Blessed Soul" was growing with her as lead singer and Britt lent her vocal talents to the TV hit, cartoon sensation, King of the Hill (1997) as the voice of Luanne.
She is alleged to have been a witness in the case of the former Department of Homeland Security employee and persecuted whistleblower Julia Davis. According to Davis, Brittany and her fiancée Simon Monjack were then targeted for retaliation that included land and aerial surveillance and a threatened prosecution. Monjack was arrested and detained by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Brittany and Simon confided in Alex Ben Block of the Hollywood Reporter, telling him in an interview that they were under surveillance by helicopters and their telephones have been wiretapped. This information was published by THR posthumously, in an article entitled "The Last Difficult Days of Brittany Murphy."
On December 20, 2009, Brittany Murphy died an untimely death. The LAPD and Los Angeles County Coroner closed the case within one hour, attributing her death to pneumonia and anemia. Five months after Brittany's unexpected demise, her husband Simon Monjack was found dead in the house he shared with Brittany. The chief/spokesperson at the Los Angeles County Dept of Coroner, Craig Harvey, stated that Simon also died from the same exact causes as his wife, namely pneumonia and anemia. Neither Brittany, nor Simon, were given a thorough and complete forensic autopsy for poisons. Brittany's father, Angelo "AJ" Bertolotti, is pursuing the investigation of the true reasons behind Brittany's and Simon's sudden demise, as he believes that the two were murdered. Abnormally high levels of heavy metals and poisons were discovered in Brittany's hair, tested by two other independent forensic labs with famed Pathologist, attorney Cyril Wecht concluded from the appearances, Brittany could have been murdered and should be exhumed. Her father Angelo is preparing court actions to ensure she obtains justice.Died December 20, 2009 (age 32) (officially pneumonia and anaemia, but accelerated by possible multiple over-the-counter or prescription drug intoxication)- Actress
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Lucy Gordon was born on 22 May 1980 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Four Feathers (2002) and Serendipity (2001). She died on 20 May 2009 in Paris, France.Died May 20, 2009 (age 28) (apparent suicide by hanging)- Music Artist
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Talented. Beautiful. Modest. These three words described R&B singer-turned-actress Aaliyah perfectly.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane (Hankerson) and Michael Haughton. Her uncle was music manager Barry Hankerson and her brother is director Rashad Haughton. Aaliyah was raised in Detroit. She got her first major exposure appearing on the syndicated television series Star Search (1983), where she awed the audience with her amazing voice and talent, singing "My Funny Valentine", a song which her mother had sung years earlier. At age 11, she sang with Gladys Knight in a five-night stint in Las Vegas. Withdrawing from the celebrity scene for a few years, Aaliyah lived the life of a normal teenage girl, attending Detroit's Performing Arts High School, where she majored in dance. It was around this same time that Aaliyah met singer/composer R. Kelly. Kelly assisted Aaliyah with the production of her debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But A number", which scored several number hits, specifically "Back and Forth." The album's title was a brief reference to her short-lived marriage to R. Kelly (she was 15 years of age at the time, and he was in his 20s). Thir marriage was annulled due to her status as a minor.
During her senior year, Aaliyah went on to record "One In A Million", which featured the songwriting talents of major R&B producers/writers Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The album was a major success and sealed Aaliyah's fame forever.
Aaliyah recorded the single 'Journey to the past' for the Anastasia (1997) soundtrack. After seeing her at an awards show and in the video for her hit song "Are You that Somebody?" (from the Eddie Murphy film Doctor Dolittle (1998)), film producer Joel Silver (producer of The Matrix (1999) and other major actor films) asked Aaliyah to audition for a role in an romance/action film, Romeo Must Die (2000). With her determination and sex appeal, Aaliyah won Silver over and was cast in her first major film role. Romeo Must Die (2000) was a hit at the box office. This film led to her being cast as one of the stars of the film based on Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned (2002), and in the two sequels to the major box office hit, The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003).
During the busy schedule of her film career, Aaliyah took time to record her third album, the self-titled "Aaliyah". July 2001 was a busy time for Aaliyah. After the success of her song "Try Again", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award and won several MTV Video Awards, Aaliyah finally released her "Aaliyah" album. Debuting at number two on the Billboard charts, "Aaliyah" was a sales success, despite some lackluster reviews.
In August 2001, Aaliyah took time off from her busy album promotional tour to fly to the Bahamas to film a video for the song "Rock the Boat". The video, filmed on Abaco Island, was directed by Hype Williams, a major music video director known for his style and wit.
On August 25, 2001, after filming the video, Aaliyah and about 9-11 of her entourage took off from Marsh Harbour airport at 6:50pm EDT in a small Cessna 404 en route to Opa-Locka, Florida. A few minutes after take-off, the plane crashed about 200 feet from the runaway, killing Aaliyah and many others instantly. Four passengers were pulled alive from the wreckage, and one later died at a hospital in Nassau. Aaliyah was only 22 years old. Her funeral was held on Friday August 31st in New York, and 22 white doves were flown to celebrate each year of her life. Soon after her death, the hit singles 'More Than a woman' and 'Rock The Boat' were released, from her third album. In 2002, the film Queen of the Damned (2002) was released, in which Aaliyah played Queen Akasha. She was nominated for best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards 2002.
Aaliyah's short-lived, but brilliant career, was a true success story for a young African-American woman who went against all odds to be herself in an industry where originality is scarce. Truly missed by her family, friends, and fans, her music and film contributions will live forever. It's no wonder that her name means 'Highest, most ex-halted one; the best' in Hebrew. She had achieved so much in her twenty-two years.Died August 25, 2001 (age 22) (plane crash)- Gia Allemand was born on 20 December 1983 in Howard Beach, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Ghost Trek: The Kinsey Report (2011), Ghost Trek: Goomba Body Snatchers Mortuary Lockdown (2013) and Bachelor Pad (2010). She died on 14 August 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Died August 14, 2013 (age 29) (declared brain dead and taken off life support 2 days after an attempted suicide by hanging)
- Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego, California, to Kathleen, a seamstress, and Michael O'Rourke, a construction worker. She had German, Danish, English, and Irish ancestry.
Heather entered American cinematic pop-culture before first grade. She was sitting alone in the MGM Commissary waiting for her mother when a stranger approached her asking her name. "My name is Heather O'Rourke," she said. "But you're a stranger, and I can't talk to you". When her mother returned, the stranger introduced himself as Steven Spielberg. She failed her first audition when she laughed at a stuffed animal Spielberg presented her with. He thought she was just too young (she had just turned five), and he was actually looking for a girl at least 6 years old, but he saw something in her and asked her to come in a second time with a scary story book. He asked her to scream a lot. She screamed until she broke down in tears. The next day at the commissary, Spielberg told her and her family, "I don't know what it is about her, but she's got the job." She instantly became a star overnight and was easily recognized at her favorite theme park, Disneyland, and everywhere in California. In the years that followed, Heather was a familiar face on TV in Happy Days (1974) (1982-1983), Webster (1983) (1983-1984), and The New Leave It to Beaver (1983) (1986-1987), three shows in which she had recurring roles. In 1986, the highly anticipated sequel to her first movie, Poltergeist (1982), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) debuted in theaters; it was her riveting performance in this film that cemented her a place in Hollywood history. In January 1987, Heather began to have flu-like symptoms and her legs and feet swelled. She was taken to Kaiser Hospital, and they confirmed it was only the flu, but when symptoms continued, they diagnosed her as having Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammation of the intestine. She was on medication throughout the filming of her next project, Poltergeist III (1988), and her cheeks were puffy in some scenes. She never complained during filming and did not appear sick to fellow cast members.
When filming was completed in June, Heather and her family went on a road trip from Chicago, to New Orleans, to Orlando and all the way back to Lakeside where they lived at the time. Heather was well until January 31, 1988, Super Bowl Sunday. She was unable to keep anything in her stomach and crawled into bed with her parents that night, saying that she didn't feel well. The next morning, February 1, sitting at the breakfast table, she couldn't swallow her toast or Gatorade. Her mother noticed her fingers were blue and her hands were cold. Kathleen called the doctor's and was getting ready to put her clothes on when Heather fainted on the kitchen floor. When the paramedics came in, Heather insisted that she was "really okay" and was worried about missing school that day. In the ambulance, Heather suffered cardiac arrest and died on the operating table at 2:43 p.m. at the tender age of 12. Of all her achievements, Heather was proudest of being elected student body president of her 5th grade class in 1985.Died February 1, 1988 (age 12) (cardiac arrest and septic shock caused by an intestinal stenosis) - Actress
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Natasha Jane Richardson was born in Marylebone, London, England, to director and producer Tony Richardson and actress Vanessa Redgrave. She was the sister of actress Joely Richardson, the niece of actors Corin Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave, and the granddaughter of actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.
Trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, Richardson performed extensively on stage in roles, including "Helena" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Ophelia in "Hamlet" at the Young Vic. In 1986, she garnered the London Drama Critics' Most Promising Newcomer Award for her performance as "Nina" in "The Seagull", with Vanessa Redgrave and Jonathan Pryce. In 1987, she played "Tracey Lord" in Richard Eyre's musical, "High Society".
Natasha made her feature film debut as Mary Shelley in Ken Russell's Gothic (1986). Her performance caught the attention of director Paul Schrader, who cast her in the title role in Patty Hearst (1988). Natasha achieved notable success in such films as Pat O'Connor's A Month in the Country (1987), Roland Joffé's Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) and The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (1991), featuring Bob Hoskins and Jeff Goldblum. For her performance in Volker Schlöndorff's The Handmaid's Tale (1990) and Schrader's The Comfort of Strangers (1990), Richardson earned The London Evening Standard Award for Best Actress of 1990; and for Widows' Peak (1994), also starring Mia Farrow and Joan Plowright, she received the Best Actress Award at the 1994 Karlovy Vary Festival.
Also in 1994, she co-starred with Jodie Foster and Liam Neeson in Nell (1994) and, in 1998, in The Parent Trap (1998) with Dennis Quaid. Her early 2000s films include Blow Dry (2001) released in 2001, and Ethan Hawke's Chelsea Walls (2001).
Natasha performed the title role of "Anna Christie", first in London, where she was voted London Drama Critics' Best Actress Award in 1992, then on Broadway at the Roundabout in 1993, where she was nominated for a Tony for Best Actress in a Play, a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut of an Actress, and a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress. For her performance as Sally Bowles in Sam Mendes' production of "Cabaret", she won the 1998 Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Drama Desk Awards for Best Actress in a Musical. She then appeared on Broadway in Patrick Marber's Tony-nominated play "Closer". In December 2009 she had been intended to play "Miss Julie" on Broadway with Philip Seymour Hoffman, directed by David Leveaux for Roundabout Theatre.
Richardson's television credits included Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" for the BBC, also starring Judi Dench, Michael Gambon and Kenneth Branagh; the HBO cable feature Hostages (1992); the BBC film Suddenly, Last Summer (1993), based on the play by Tennessee Williams, and also starring Maggie Smith and Rob Lowe. In 1993 she starred as Zelda Fitzgerald in the TNT movie Zelda (1993), co-starring Timothy Hutton and directed by Pat O'Connor (cable Ace nomination for Best Actress). She played Ruth Gruber in the 2001 CBS mini-series Haven (2001) based on Ms. Gruber's autobiography.
In March 2009, Natasha died in a New York City hospital, after falling and receiving a head injury whilst skiing in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Natasha was married to actor Liam Neeson from 1994 until her death, and the couple have two children.Died March 18, 2009 (age 45) (epidural haematoma caused by head trauma following a skiing accident)- Shapely, scintillating, peroxide British blonde Carole Lesley wound up another sexy statistic alongside other vibrant and promising, photogenic stars and starlets who pervaded the film industry with their undeniable photogenic assets only to be left achingly unfulfilled and die unhappily by their own hand. From the larger-tiered star beauties such as Marilyn Monroe, fellow Britisher Virginia Maskell, Lupe Velez, Gia Scala, Jean Seberg, Barbara Bates, Inger Stevens, Marie McDonald, and another famous Carole, Carole Landis, down to the wannabes stars who latched onto brief notoriety (Peggy Shannon, Pina Pellicer, Peg Entwistle and Miroslava), the number of these young beauties who would take their lives became staggering and unfailingly sad.
These were women who seemed to have everything going for them -- looks, appeal, drive, a decent modicum of talent -- yet they couldn't see beyond their own goddess-like celluloid image or a fickle public's adoration in discovering their own true worth. Perhaps many believed too much in their press and spiraled into a deep depression when it was over or craved an insatiable need for attention. Fractured affairs of the heart and lack of self esteem were often the culprits for impulsive suicides like that of Carole Landis and Lupe Velez, but the suicide of Carole Lesley remains more mysterious since she was well out of the public eye and long forgotten by the time her end came. Moreover, in the following decades, precious little has been printed about her and why it happened.
In the case of Ms. Lesley, she was one of a few starlets who briefly rivaled notorious blonde bombshell Diana Dors as Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The stunning actress, whose slim face was slightly reminiscent of comedic actress Kay Kendall and the more contemporary Sean Young, willingly exploited her obvious physical endowments in an elusive attempt to drum up public attention. Like so many others before and after her, she wasn't able to sustain interest; middle age crept in and depression took over. Carole's career (which included less than a dozen films) lasted a mere half a decade.
She was born on May 27, 1935 and christened Maureen Lesley Carole Rippingale in Chelmsford, Essex, England. As a child she became interested in the idea of show business and made her film debut at age 12 with the British drama The Silver Darlings (1947) directed by Clarence Elder. Later the naive but very pretty and starry-eyed sixteen-year-old ran away from home in search of fame and success.
With her drop-dead good looks and curvaceous figure Carole eventually found a job as a chorine at London's Cabaret Club wherein she was able to sharpen her dancing skills. From there she trekked to Paris and worked up some notoriety as a nude glamour and pin-up model under the sexier moniker of Leslie Carol(e). Eventually she returned to England.
Following an unbilled role in The Embezzler (1954) at Kenilworth Productions, she managed to obtain a seven-year contract at Associated British Pictures wherein she reverted her marquee name to read "Carole Lesley". From 1957 on, she would appear in a mixed bag of quality drama and comedy programmers. Typical studio protocol had the lovely starlet attending premieres, parties, film festivals, beauty pageants, and various big-time social events in order to build up her name. She was more than game to doing what it took to having her face plastered all over town in such movie magazines (such as Picturegoer) and assorted newspapers.
Carole was seen to good advantage in the Associated film Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) starring Yvonne Mitchell, Anthony Quayle and Sylvia Syms. The film, which won a Golden Globe for "Best English Language Foreign Film," has the actress playing a young neighbor and confidante to dowdy wife Mitchell whose husband (Quayle) is having an affair with his secretary (Syms). Dangerous Youth (1957), which was an early Liverpudian musical dramady built around 29-year-old "teen" pop idol Frankie Vaughan, has Carole and equally gorgeous Jocelyn Lane (billed as "Jackie Lane" here) as provocative distraction who weave in and out of Vaughan and George Baker's lives. Carole plays Vaughan's girl who, interestingly, is forced to slinging hash at a coffee shop when her own dreams of show business stardom falls apart. The star of singer Vaughan, who evolves from a gang leader to a rock-and-roll singing star in this picture, was eclipsed soon after by skyrocketing American sensation Elvis Presley.
It was not for a lack of trying, but Carole did not have the same "wow" factor as such buxom, publicity-starved starlets as Jayne Mansfield, who easily overshadowed her in the eye candy department at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. Carole struggled to get firmly noticed despite her avid attendances in everything from toothpaste pads to charity races to the openings of bowling alley.
The 1950s ended with two more films for Carole. The well-done crime drama No Trees in the Street (1959) again had Carole supporting Sylvia Syms, while she and Barbara Murray played female members of the military (lady privates) in the romantic war comedy Operation Bullshine (1959) which co-starred Donald Sinden and Ronald Shiner. Although it kept her visible, neither helped her longing desire to become a full-fledged star. The beginning of the 1960s had Carole appearing on TV as legendary temptress Helen of Troy. She also showed up in one of British film's most popular slapstick comedy series at the time. This entry was Doctor in Love (1960) and had handsome doctor Michael Craig subbing for a vacating Dirk Bogarde while Carole and Virginia Maskell (who, in real life, died a suicide at age 31 in 1968), played standard love interests.
Playing a sexy, straight foil in light comedy seemed to be a viable platform for Carole and she went on to appear in three more light comedies during the early 1960s. Nothing out of the ordinary, however, came out of her appearances in Three on a Spree (1961), What a Whopper (1961) and The Pot Carriers (1962), and Associated decided to release her from her contract.
The devastated actress pulled a virtual disappearing act following the unhappy news, retreating completely from the limelight. In August of 1964 it was learned that she had married Michael Dalling and that she eventually bore him two sons. Very little was heard of Carole until 1974 when it was revealed that on February 28th she had died by her own hand from an acute overdose of pills at age 38 in New Barnet, England. Although relatives later insisted it was an accident, it was nevertheless a sad, seemingly inescapable fate for this incredibly beautiful woman. Carole's photography from her early days as a nude model and pin-up has more recently served as a source of inspiration for British artist Paul Harvey.Died February 28, 1974 (age 38) (suicide) - Actress
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Carol White was born on 1 April 1943 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Poor Cow (1967), The Wednesday Play (1964) and Some Call It Loving (1973). She was married to Mike King, Stuart Lerner and Mike Arnold. She died on 16 September 1991 in Miami, Florida, USA.Died September 16, 1991 (age 48) (alcoholism and drug abuse possible contributory factors leading to death by liver disease)- This ill-fated British actress was born in the Shepherd's Bush area of London, England, on February 27, 1936. After the outbreak of World War II, young Virginia and her family were evacuated to South Africa. She eventually returned to London and entered a convent school where the pretty, gray-eyed brunette developed an interest in acting.
Virginia attended drama school and finally broke into the business with TV parts, usually playing demure young lasses in assorted dashing action series such as "The Buccaneers" and The Adventures of Robin Hood." Making a minor film debut for director Roy Boulting with Happy Is the Bride (1958), she achieved better notices with her second film. In Our Virgin Island (1958), she played the bride of John Cassavetes who learns to adapt to a Robinson Crusoe-styled existence. Co-starring an up-and-coming Sidney Poitier, the story lightly tinges on racial issues.
On the strength of this, Virginia won a contract with British Lion Pictures and showcased well in The Man Upstairs (1958) with Richard Attenborough, but less so playing a airline stewardess in the mediocre Jet Storm (1959) which also wasted a top-notch cast including Attenborough, Mai Zetterling, Diane Cilento, Stanley Baker and Sybil Thorndike.
Virginia's reticent but sincere approach to films worked remarkably well in an understated way, and she proved just as quietly compelling on stage with a prime role in "The Catalyst" in 1958 with Phil Brown and Renée Asherson. She showed escalating promise and earned BAFTA nominations for her memorable work in Young and Willing (1962) and as Peter Sellers' forlorn wife in Only Two Can Play (1962), but then all filming stopped.
This abrupt end was primarily due to her marriage in 1962 and a change of focus on family life. Other than occasional TV appearances in such popular series as "Danger Man" and "The Prisoner," Virginia was seldom seen. It was learned that following the birth of her second son in February, 1966, she began showing acute signs of post-natal depression.
In the summer of 1967 Virginia returned auspiciously to filming with a remake of the soap drama Interlude (1968) playing the cast-off wife of orchestra conductor Oskar Werner. She suffered a severe nervous breakdown following the film's shoot and never recovered.
On a bitterly cold day on January 24, 1968, Virginia took a major overdose of antidepressants, drove away from her home at Princes Risborough. She was found collapsed in a nearby wooded area the next day suffering from acute hypothermia. Although she was revived briefly, she died shortly after at a nearby hospital.
Virginia won a posthumous National Board of Review award and a BAFTA nomination for her work in "Interlude." During her relatively short career, the actress seemed doomed to play unhappy, sympathetic third parties in romantic triangles. While a notable sadness touched many of Virginia Maskell's roles, her performances are all the more haunting to watch knowing her personal tragedy.Died January 25, 1968 (age 31) (admitted to hospital following an overdose of antidepressants and suffering from acute hypothermia, although doctors revived her, she died the following day) - Actress
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Caroline Flack was born on 9 November 1979 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Bo' Selecta! (2002), Love Advent (2011) and Bo Selecta: Proper Crimbo (2003). She died on 15 February 2020 in London, England, UK.Died February 15, 2020 (age 40) (suicide)- Actress
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Simone Silva was born Martha Simone de Bouillard in Cairo, Egypt. Her parents were French and Italian. At the age of eighteen she married Cecil Silver, a wealthy businessman, and moved to England. Simone started her career modeling for sexy pin-up photos. In 1950 she made her film debut in the French movie "Le Tampon du Capiston". Then she had bit parts in the British films "Bikini Baby" and "Bachelor In Paris". The voluptuous redhead struggled with her weight so she began crash dieting. She was cast in the big budget adventure "Hajji Baba" but was replaced before filming began. Her marriage to Cecil ended in 1954. That same year she costarred with Diana Dors in the drama "The Weak And The Wicked". Simone desperately wanted to become famous and claimed she would "do anything" to get in the papers. At the 1954 Cannes film festival she was awarded the honorary title of "Miss Festival 1954" and asked to pose for photos with actor Robert Mitchum. When the photographers started taking pictures she shocked them by stripping her top off.
The nude publicity stunt turned into a major scandal and she was asked to leave the festival. In an interview she said "I thought it would help my career. I wanted to go to Hollywood - and after all Marilyn Monroe became famous after she posed nude for a calendar. What was the harm in it?" She was signed by independent producer Al Petker and moved to Hollywood. Unfortunately she had trouble obtaining a work visa and began feuding with Petker over her salary. Simone was hospitalized in November 1954 due to stress and her eating disorder. Soon after she was forced to return to England. She landed a role in the 1956 low-budget crime picture "The Dynamiters". Then she appeared in two episodes of the television show "The Gay Cavalier". Tragically on November 30, 1957 she was found dead in her London apartment. Simone had died from a stroke caused by her rigorous crash-dieting. She was only twenty-nine years old.Died November 30, 1957 (age 29) (unnatural cause - apparently suffered a stroke likely brought on by a severe diet)- Actress
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Jill Ireland was a British-American actress best known for her appearance as "Leila Kalomi," the only woman Mr. Spock ever loved (in the Star Trek (1966) episode, This Side of Paradise (1967)) and for her many supporting roles in the movies of Charles Bronson. She is also known for her battle with breast cancer, having written two books on her fight with the disease and serving as a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.
Jill Dorothy Ireland was born in London on April 24, 1936, to wine merchant Jack Ireland and his wife Dorothy, who were fated to outlive their daughter. Young Jill started her entertainment career at age 16 as a dancer, and made her screen debut in 1955, in Michael Powell's Oh... Rosalinda!! (1955). On May 11, 1957, she married actor David McCallum, whom she met on the set of the Stanley Baker action picture Hell Drivers (1957). In the mid-'60s, they moved to the United States so McCallum could star as agent "Ilya Kuryakin" in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). She got steady work on American television and would co-star with her husband in five episode of the series in 1964, 1965 and 1967.
Ireland separated from McCallum, with whom she had two biological sons and one adopted son, in June 1965. He filed for divorce in August 1966, and it was finalized in February 1967. On October 5, 1968, she married Charles Bronson, who was 15 years her senior and still several years away from coming into his own as a leading man. They had first met when McCallum introduced them on the set of The Great Escape (1963). With Bronson, she had two children, a daughter born to the couple in 1971, and an adopted daughter. They first co-starred together in the 1970 French movie Rider on the Rain (1970), which made Bronson a major star in Europe (she had first played an uncredited bit part in his movie London Affair (1970), released that same year). They starred in 13 more pictures over the next 17 years, a period during which Bronson and Ireland rivaled Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke as the most prolific screen couple. During her marriage to Bronson, Ireland appeared in only one TV episode, one TV movie and one theatrical picture that didn't star her husband.
She was diagnosed with cancer in her right breast in 1984 and underwent a mastectomy. She wrote about her battle and became an advocate for the American Cancer Society, which led to the organization giving her its Courage Award. Ireland was presented with the award by President Ronald Reagan. Tragically, she lost her battle with the disease after it metastasized and died at her home in Malibu, California, on May 18, 1990, aged only 54. She was survived by her husband, children, stepchildren, parents, brother, and extended family.Died May 18, 1990 (age 54) (breast cancer)- Geraldine didn't like the sound of her birth name for acting purposes so with her then agent Richard Stone, changed it to Trudi Van Doorn. This worked well for the number of comedy TV roles she was offered and enjoyed the work, particularly The Benny Hill Show franchise,Danger UXB, The Avengers and BBc's Are You Being Served. She was an excellent strong singer with a wide range, and in her own words a reasonably good dancer. Self deprecation was her usual way of coping. Truth was she was a first class dancer and had a powerful voice. She played Sheila in the original London West End production of Chorus Line, changing her professional Equity name to Geraldine Gardner she then almost immediately landed the part of Bombalurina in the original London production of Cats. Earlier in her career she was pencilled in for the role of Purdey in The Avengers but Joanna Lumley won that role. Her list of TV credits is extensive but you just have to look for three different names. One thing is certain her original birth name was never ever used by her professionally in Film, TV, and Theatre roles.Died January 9, 1987 (age 36) (suicide - suffering from postpartum depression, she took her life by taking off her clothes and walking into the sea, dying from hypothermia)
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Alma Cogan was born on 19 May 1932 in Whitechapel, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Tank 432 (2015), The End of the F***ing World (2017) and En aftenstund med - (1965). She died on 26 October 1966 in London, England, UK.Died October 26, 1966 (age 34) (ovarian cancer)- Actress
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Mary Millington had trained to become a veterinary nurse, but a chance meeting with infamous London photographer John Lindsay changed her life. Under Lindsay's influence, Mary started to pose nude in dozens of photo spreads in British glamor magazines. From this she progressed into illegally made hardcore porn films. In 1974 she met up-and-coming publisher and film producer David Sullivan, and very soon she became the most recognizable nude model in the UK. Sullivan relentlessly promoted her through his magazines and starred her in his 1977 movie Come Play with Me (1977). The film ran for 201 weeks at one London cinema and broke box office records throughout the country. Other movies followed, but "Come Play with Me" still stands as the longest-running film in British movie history. Unfortunately, as Mary's fame increased so did her reliance on drugs. Hounded by the police and becoming more and more paranoid about her looks, Mary tragically committed suicide on 19th August 1979.Died August 19, 1979 (age 33) (suicide, possibly brought on by exhaustion and a cocktail the antidepressant anafranil, paracetamol and alcohol)- At age 36, actress Barbara Colby was on the brink of TV-character stardom when the native New Yorker was senselessly shot and killed one evening on the streets of Los Angeles. The tall, toothy, husky-voiced, frizzy-haired actress equipped with a keen, Brooklyn-tough sensibility and dead-on comedy instincts had just started to make a name for herself on the West Coast when tragedy occurred. Hollywood lost a wonderful personality and promising talent that summer evening, someone who was proving to the TV masses that she was a bona fide contender.
Though born in New York City in 1939, Barbara was raised predominantly in New Orleans where her interest in acting grew while attending high school. After her graduation in 1957, she received a scholarship to Bard College on the Hudson back in New York, followed by a single semester at the Paris Sorbonne University in France.
While she tried to make a go of it professionally on the New York stage, her spiritual world also began to open and develop. In contrast to her tough, streetwise exterior, the gentle, deep-feeling lady avidly pursued a metaphysical way of life. She didn't touch alcohol, was a strict vegetarian, and meditated regularly as a devoted follower of the Indian Hindu guru Swami Muktananda. She also was a firm believer in reincarnation.
Following a solid stage performance in "Six Characters in Search of an Author" in 1964, Barbara took to the Broadway lights with a debut in "The Devils" the following year. Throughout the rest of the decade, she impressed in such plays as "Under Milk Wood", "Murder in the Cathedral" and "Dear Liar", and also garnered fine notices for her Portia in "Julius Caesar" in 1966 at the American Shakespeare Theatre Festival in Stratford, Connecticut.
Marking her first prime TV role on a Columbo (1971) episode in 1971, Barbara began a bi-coastal career and played a host of support/guest roles on such established shows as The Odd Couple (1968), McMillan & Wife (1971), The F.B.I. (1965), Medical Center (1969), Kung Fu (1972) and Gunsmoke (1955). But it was MTM Productions that took strongly to Barbara after she made a hilarious appearance as worldly prostitute Sherry opposite an impossibly naive Mary Tyler Moore in a now-classic 1974 jail-cell episode of the Moore comedy series. Producers were so impressed by Barbara's dead-pan comic timing and appealingly sharp, cynical edge that they brought her character back in a subsequent episode.
Never giving up her love for the stage, Barbara continued to gain in strength in such quirky '70s plays as "Aubrey Beardsley the Neophyte", "House of Blue Leaves", "Afternoon Tea" and "The Hot L. Baltimore". She also returned to the classics with an off-Broadway role as Elizabeth in "Richard III," and was back on Broadway with the plays "Murderous Angels" in 1971 and a revival of "A Doll's House" starring Liv Ullmann in the early part of 1975. Following the close of the latter show, Barbara returned to Los Angeles with a career-making offer. MTM had just cast her as a regular player on a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970). The new sitcom, Phyllis (1975), starred actress Cloris Leachman who had played one of Mary's self-absorbed, scatterbrained friends to Emmy-winning effect. Barbara, who appeared earlier with Leachman in the TV-movie A Brand New Life (1973), was now in "second banana" position playing Cloris' boss, Julie Erskine, the owner of a commercial photography studio. The actress had officially paid her dues and broken into the top sitcom ranks. With two films also in the can, California Split (1974) and The Memory of Us (1974), Barbara seemed poised for bigger things.
On July 24, 1975, just weeks after her 36th birthday and only three episodes into the TV series, Barbara and her acting colleague/boyfriend, James Kiernan, were walking to their car following the teaching of an acting class in Venice, California, when they were deliberately shot by two gang members inside a parking garage area. Barbara, who was estranged at the time from Robert Levitt Jr., the son of legendary entertainer Ethel Merman, died instantly from her single gunshot wound; Mr. Kiernan, who had recently appeared in an episode of MTM's "Rhoda," was able to describe the shooting to police before he succumbed but could not recognize the two men who shot them, noting that the shooting had occurred without warning, reason or provocation. Police noted that there was no attempt to rob the pair and appeared to be a random act of violence. The killers were never caught and the homicide remains a "cold case". Barbara was later cremated and a memorial service held at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon. She was survived by her mother and younger sister Renee.
Following the tragedy, comedienne Liz Torres came on board to replace Barbara in the Julie Erskine part. The role itself lasted for only one season before they changed the sitcom's setting in order to try and improve the lackluster ratings. It didn't help. Despite a Golden Globe win for Leachman, the show was canceled after only one more season. In retrospect, one can't tell whether Barbara might have made a difference in the sitcom's ratings or outcome, but the fact remains that a single inexplicably brutal and senseless act snuffed out the life of a star comedienne in the making.Died July 24, 1975 (age 36) (shot dead in an unprovoked and unknown random attack)