Every generation includes a wide array of talented actors, and Generation X, composed of individuals born between 1965 and 1980, is no exception. Sadly, many stars don’t live long enough to reach their full potential or receive their deserved accolades. Through this list, we remember some of those we lost too soon and are still missed today.
Brandon Lee (1965–1993)
After appearing in Rapid Fire and Showdown in Little Tokyo, among other films, he landed a role in The Crow. While creating a scene where his character was shot and killed, a dummy bullet from a gun that wasn’t properly checked stuck him in the abdomen. He died that afternoon.
Verne Troyer (1969–2018)
Do you remember the man who played Mini-Me in Austin Powers? That’s Verne Troyer. His debut film role was as a stunt double on Baby’s Day Out. He was less than 3 ft in height and suffered cartilage-hair hypoplasia. He passed away at the age of 49. It is believed that he died by suicide due to alcohol intoxication.
Heath Ledger (1979–2008)
Ledger’s career began in Australia, where he appeared in several films and TV productions. Nine years after his move, he finished filming as The Joker in The Dark Knight, and in January of the following year, he died of an accidental overdose. This famous role won him many awards posthumously.
River Phoenix (1970–1993)
Phoenix was a teen actor before being the leading man in well-rated movies. Besides acting, he was a musician and lead singer for the band Aleka’s Attic. For his performance in My Own Private Idaho, he netted the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, among other awards. At 23, he died of a speedball overdose.
Jonathan Brandis (1976–2003)
Thanks to his role in SeaQuest DSV, Brandis earned popularity among teenagers. The star, who had been a child model, made it into many films and TV shows, including the miniseries, It and his acting debut, One Life to Live. When he was only 27 years old, he hanged himself.
Brittany Murphy (1977–2009)
The American singer and actress Brittany Murphy starred in 8 Mile, Just Married, and Uptown Girls, but her breakthrough was in 1995 with the comedy film Clueless. She collapsed in a bathroom on December 20, 2009, and she died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre that morning.
Corey Haim (1971–2010)
Some of Harm’s films are Silver Bullet, Lucas, and The Lost Boys. The Lost Boys earned him and Corey Feldman the name The Two Coreys, and they both starred in a reality show called The Two Coreys. Haim died at 38 of pneumonia.
Paul Walker (1973–2013)
Fast & Furious had Paul Walker play the role of Brian O’Conner, his most prominent acting role. Walker was still filming Furious 7 when he died. He was in a speeding car that was involved in a single-vehicle collision, and his body was burned beyond recognition.
Thuy Trang (1973–2001)
She was born in Vietnam but based in the US. You probably know her as Trini Kwan from the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Her final film role was Kali in The Crow: City of Angels. At the age of 27, she was involved in a car accident and died in transit to the hospital.
Lisa Robin Kelly (1970–2013)
Kelly debuted with Married…with Children, but her biggest role was on That 70s Show. She had several legal issues before she died, including a felony charge and a suspected DUI. On August 15, 2013, she died in her sleep at Pax Rehab House in California.
Aaliyah (1979–2001)
She was an active musician, with her albums Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number and One in a Million, selling over three million copies each in the US. Romeo Must Die was her movie debut, in which she starred alongside Jet Li. Aaliyah died in a plane crash.
Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967–2014)
From the 1990s to the 2010s, Hoffman appeared in many films and theatrical productions, playing leading and supporting roles. In 2022, an Empire magazine readers poll ranked him among the 50 greatest actors ever. He died of combined drug intoxication about two years after his 2012 relapse.
Luke Perry (1966–2019)
Perry has been a part of many films, among them are the CW’s Riverdale as Fred Andrews and The Incredible Hulk, where he voiced Rick Jones. A massive stroke hit him in February 2019, and another store followed shortly after. In March of the same year, at 52, Perry died.
Tupac Shakur (1971–1996)
The legendary rapper 2Pac also had his film moments. Juice saw him in his first starring role, and Poetic Justice had him co-star with Janet Jackson. When he was 25 years old, he took four shots in an unsolved drive-by shooting, and six days later, he died.
Rebecca Schaeffer (1967–1989)
Schaeffer was a lead on My Sister Sam, the hit TV series that was later canceled. Before the series, she had been in Guiding Light and an episode of Amazing Stories, and after the show, she appeared in Out of Time. An obsessed fan, Robert John Bardo, shot and killed her when she was 21.
