It is always sad when a beloved pop culture icon or celebrity dies. We were all shocked and saddened when Betty White died in December 2021, just as we were when Angela Lansbury and the late, great Sidney Poitier died in 2022. While the losses of those great actors were bittersweet, we all had the comfort of knowing that they'd lived long and full lives. Even more, we had the good fortune to have decades worth of their work to rewatch and enjoy. There was a sense that they died long after living up to all their potential.
It feels, in many ways, like a harder loss when someone dies young. This is especially true when the cause of death is something that could have been prevented, such as an accident or an overdose. Further, as we've gotten older, our definition of what "young" means has shifted. Now, anyone who dies under the age of about 40 seems unfathomably young to have died. There is just something devastating about seeing a person's life come to an end just as they were starting to hit their prime, even if we only knew them on the screen or the radio.
For so many of the celebrities on this list, it is easy to imagine that their best work was still ahead of them and that they could have gone on making movies or music for years to come. It's such a shame that they are gone too soon.
Heather O'Rourke
Actress Heather O'Rourke was only 12 years old when she died of cardiac arrest after suffering from a bowel disorder. She had risen to fame as the central character in the classic Poltergeist horror trilogy, and her performance in those movies still freaks us out today.
Cameron Boyce
Cameron Boyce, who starred in the Disney show Jessie as well as movies such as Grown Ups, was only 20 years old when he died in 2019. The actor died in his sleep due to an epileptic seizure. Cameron was remembered by celebrities including Adam Sandler, who tweeted that he was "the nicest, most talented, and most decent kid around," adding, "All our hearts are broken."
Aaliyah
It's almost hard to know what to make of Aaliyah's short life. She was only 22 years old when she died in a plane crash and was considered one of the brightest stars in R&B at the time. We know now that it was likely that she had also survived being groomed by R. Kelly, including possibly having illegally married him when she was only 15. It seems extra sad that she didn't get more of a chance to live life on her own terms, away from R. Kelly, before she died.
Selena Quintanilla
Although she was only 23 when she was murdered, singer Selena Quintanilla was already one of the most influential Latina musical artists of all time. She was considered the queen of Tejano music and was just starting to crack into the English language charts at the time of her death. Famously, Jennifer Lopez played her in the movie adaptation of her life, marking one of her first starring roles as an actress.
River Phoenix
Another celebrity who was only 23 at the time of his death was River Phoenix. River started acting at age 10, appearing in popular movies including Stand By Me and Running on Empty (for which he received an Oscar nomination). He was the brother of actor Joaquin Phoenix, who in 2019 named his first child River after him.
Mac Miller
Mac Miller, rapper and one-time boyfriend to Ariana Grande, was only 26 when he died. Mac — who was nominated after his death for a Grammy for his final album — had publicly struggled with mental health and addiction issues for most of his adult life and sadly died of an overdose of a combination of drugs.
Avicii
Swedish DJ Avicii (born Tim Bergling) was one of the most popular electronic music artists in the world when he died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 28. Since that time, his family has launched the Tim Bergling Foundation to help raise awareness for mental health issues.
Jimi Hendrix
In some ways, it seems wild to consider that Jimi Hendrix was really only famous for a handful of years before his untimely death as a result of drug use at the age of 27. He is still incredibly influential, and many consider him one of the best guitarists of all time.
Kurt Cobain
There is somewhat of a stigma around the age of 27 when it comes to tragic losses of incredible musical talents. Jimi Hendrix was 27 at the time of his death, as was Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Kurt, who also struggled with addiction issues, died by suicide in 1994, leaving behind a young daughter.
Amy Winehouse
Another highly influential music talent who died at the age of 27 was Amy Winehouse. The British singer died in 2011 as a result of an accidental overdose of alcohol, the effects of which were made worse by her ongoing struggle with bulimia.
Jonathan Brandis
Child actor Jonathan Brandis achieved teen heartthrob status in the early 1990s with movies including 1992's Ladybugs, though his popularity waned after his TV series SeaQuest 2032 ended in 1996. Jonathan died at the age of 27 in 2003, reportedly by suicide.
Heath Ledger
Aussie actor Heath Ledger had us swooning with 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You. He went on to star in hits including Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight, for which he posthumously won an Academy Award. Heath died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in 2008 at the age of 28.
Cory Monteith
It can be really depressing to watch old episodes of Glee these days, as three of the main cast members died before their time. Cory Monteith, who played sweet Finn Hudson, was the first death. The Canadian actor overdosed in July 2013 at the age of 31.
Naya Rivera
Another tragic Glee cast member death was the 2020 loss of Naya Riveria, who played Santana on the popular show. She was 33 when she drowned while saving her 4-year-old son's life while the two were boating on a lake in California. In a weird twist, her body was found on the seven-year anniversary of costar Cory Monteith's death.
Mark Salling
The final Glee cast member death was Mark Salling, who died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 35. Mark had fallen from grace since his Glee days and was facing prison time as a result of pleading guilty to child pornography charges prior to his death.
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy won our hearts as Tai in 1995's Clueless, and then starred in grittier hits including Girl, Interrupted, 8 Mile and Sin City. The actress died of acute pneumonia and severe anemia in 2009 at age 32. In a sad twist of fate, her husband, who was 40, died five months later. Both died in the home that they shared and, at the time, Brittany's mother blamed mold in the house for contributing to their deaths.
Princess Diana
The death of Princess Diana is one of those pop culture moments that nobody can forget. It was such a shocking and tragic loss and it's hard to believe that Diana's youngest son, Prince Harry, is now older than his mother was at the time of her death. Harry is 38 and Diana was only 36 when she perished in a car crash in Paris.
Chadwick Boseman
While we are eagerly looking forward to the sequel to Black Panther coming out in November 2022, we know that it will be bittersweet to return to the world of Wakanda without Chadwick Boseman. The California-born actor, who died of colon cancer in 2020, was only 43 at the time of his death.
Paul Walker
Paul Walker, star of The Fast and the Furious, was only 40 when he died of injuries following a car crash in 2013. There is a certain grim irony to the fact that Paul, who starred in several movies related to driving cars at high rates of speed, was killed as a result of a speed-related car crash.
Bruce Lee
Martial arts expert and actor Bruce Lee fought his way to fame in the 1960s and early 1970s with hits including the TV series The Green Hornet and movies Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon. Bruce died suddenly of a brain edema in 1973 at age 32. Sadly, his son, Brandon Lee, would also die young. Brandon was only 28 at the time of his accidental shooting while on a movie set.
Kobe Bryant
Fans were left reeling in January 2020 when news broke that basketball legend Kobe Bryant — who played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 until 2016 — had been killed in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people. Kobe was only 41 at the time of the tragedy. He left behind wife Vanessa and three other daughters.
