12 Actors Who Passed Away Under Tragic Circumstances Before Their Last Films Were Released

      Here are 12 actors who tragically passed away before their last films were released.

      Their unexpected deaths left their friends, fans, families, and colleagues in shock.

      In several instances, their partners had to consider whether to proceed with the films without these actors — and if so, how to accomplish that.

      May they rest in peace.

      James Dean

      Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean in Giant. – Credit: Warner Bros

      James Dean was an avid auto racing enthusiast — so much so that Warner Bros., the studio behind Giant, prohibited him from racing during the filming of the epic drama.

      After completing his scenes, and while the movie was in post-production, Dean chose to return to racing. He was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder to a race in Salinas, California, when he was tragically killed in a crash on September 30, 1955, at the young age of 24.

      Dean’s friend Nick Adams was brought in for voice dubbing in Giant, which was released in 1956 and marked Dean’s final film as a leading actor. It earned him a posthumous Oscar nomination.

      Natalie Wood

      Credit: MGM/UA

      Natalie Wood, who starred alongside James Dean in the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause, received a supporting actress Oscar nomination for her performance. She solidified her status as one of Hollywood’s greatest stars with movies like The Searchers (1956), West Side Story (1961), Splendor in the Grass (1961), and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).

      While on a break from filming Brainstorm (above), she went on a boat trip to Catalina Island with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, co-star Christopher Walken, and the ship’s captain. Tragically, she drowned on November 29, 1981, and the circumstances surrounding her death were never clearly determined. She was only 43.

      Brainstorm faced delays and was ultimately completed with rewrites and the participation of Wood’s younger sister, Lana, in some scenes. The film was released in 1983 with a dedication, “to Natalie.”

      Clark Gable

      Credit: United Artists

      Gable earned the nickname “The King of Hollywood” through his roles in films like It Happened One Night (1934) and Gone With the Wind (1939).

      He had just finished filming alongside Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits before passing away from a heart attack in 1960 at the age of 59.

      Gable had viewed footage of the film and concurred with those who believed it was his finest work. The movie premiered on February 1, 1961, on what would have been Gable’s 60th birthday.

      Although it initially underperformed at the box office, it soon became a classic. Tragically, this film marked the end not only for Gable but also for Monroe, who died in 1962 at the age of 36.

      Bruce Lee

      Credit: Columbia Pictures

      The martial arts legend passed away at the young age of 32 on June 20, 1973, while visiting Hong Kong.

      Lee had been shooting Game of Death in 1972 when he was given the opportunity to star in Enter the Dragon, the first kung fu film released by a major Hollywood studio. He paused Game of Death to film Enter the Dragon, but sadly died shortly thereafter.

      Enter the Dragon premiered in Hong Kong just days after Lee’s death, and a month later in the U.S., becoming the most successful martial arts film ever, as well as one of the most profitable films in history.

      Lee’s passing sparked a wave of movies featuring lesser-known imitators, and Game of Death was finished using stand-ins. It was released in 1978, five years after Lee's death.

      Brandon Lee The Crow

      Credit: Miramax

      One of the most heartbreaking stories in cinema, Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, also died young. He followed in his father’s footsteps by studying various forms of martial arts and was quickly emerging as an action star in the late 1980s and early '90s, with his role in the comic book film The Crow anticipated to be his major breakthrough.

      Tragically, he died in an on-set accident on March 31, 1993, at the age of just 28. Lee had already completed filming for The Crow, and after some rewrites, his stunt double Chad Stahelski was brought in as a stand-in, allowing the film's completion.

      Watching The Crow is a somber and haunting experience, as Lee portrays a character who returns from the dead.

      River Phoenix

      Credit: Dark Blood

      River Phoenix appeared in films such as Stand By Me, Running on Empty, and My Own Private Idaho, and was in the midst of filming Dark Blood in 1993 when he tragically died of a heroin and cocaine overdose at The Viper Room in West Hollywood