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The following is a list of actors or actresses who have died before the release of a film, in which they make a credited appearance as part of the cast.
In several cases, actors or actresses have died prior to the release of a film: either during filming or after the film has been completed, but has yet to be released. In the case that the actor dies during filming, their scenes are often completed by stunt doubles, or through special effects.
Only people who actually appear in some capacity (a credited role) in a posthumously released film are listed here. Those who were scheduled to start a project, but died before filming began, and thus are not credited in the film, are not included. Also people who appear in a film long after their death, through archive footage, are not included. The list is organised in chronological order of the film's releases.
| Film | Release date | Actor/actress | Date of death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saratoga | July 23, 1937 | Jean Harlow | June 7, 1937 | Died during filming; 90% of Harlow's scenes had been completed. A body-double and two voice-doubles completed the filming in Harlow's role.[1] |
| Rebel Without a Cause | October 27, 1955 | James Dean | September 30, 1955 | Died after filming had been completed.[2] |
| Giant | November 24, 1956 | James Dean | September 30, 1955 | Died after filming had been completed, although some of his lines had to be dubbed as they were inaudible.[2] Dean received a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his part. |
| Plan 9 from Outer Space | July 1959 | Béla Lugosi | August 16, 1956 | Died during filming, having shot two minutes of footage.[1] Stock footage filmed for an unrealized Ed Wood project was inter-cut with new footage featuring double Tom Mason who looked and sounded nothing like Lugosi.[1] |
| The Misfits | February 1, 1961 | Clark Gable | November 16, 1960 | Died three days after filming had been completed. |
| Brainstorm | September 30, 1983 | Natalie Wood | November 29, 1981 | Died during filming. A body-double and obscuring camea techniques were used to complete Wood's scenes, and the film was released two years later.[1] |
| The Crow | 11 May 1994 | Brandon Lee | 31 March 1993 | Lee was accidentally shot on the set eight days before filming was due to be completed. Lee's stunt doubles Chad Stahelski and Jeff Cadiente finished Lee's scenes.[2][3] |
| Wagons East! | 26 August 1994 | John Candy | 4 March 1994 | Candy died during filming, having completed two-thirds of his scenes.[3] For the first time in history, computer-generated imagery was used to complete his scenes,[1] at the reported cost of a $15 million insurance settlement.[3] |
| Canadian Bacon | 22 September 1995 | John Candy | 4 March 1994 | Candy died after filming had been completed. |
| Bullet | October 1996 | Tupac Shakur | 13 September 1996 | Died after filming had been completed. |
| Gridlock'd | January 29 1997 | Tupac Shakur | 13 September 1996 | Died before filming had been completed, although Shakur's scenes were finished.[2] |
| Gang Related | 10 October 1997 | Tupac Shakur | 13 September 1996 | Died after completing his scenes. |
| Gladiator | 5 May 2000 | Oliver Reed | 2 May 1999 | Reed died of an alcohol induced heart attack while filming in Malta. His scenes were completed using a body double, and cutting and pasting shots of him from other scenes in the film.[4] |
| Queen of the Damned | 22 February 2002 | Aaliyah | 25 August 2001 | Died after her scenes had been completed, and the film was released six months later.[2] |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 15 November 2002 | Richard Harris | 25 October 2002 | Died two weeks before the film's premiere. Michael Gambon replaced him as Albus Dumbledore in the subsequent films.[2] |
| Happy Feet | 17 November 2006 | Steve Irwin | 4 September 2006 | Irwin had finished recording his part and the film was released two months after his death.[2] |
| The Dark Knight | 17 July 2008 | Heath Ledger | 22 January 2008 | Ledger died after filming had been completed.[1][2] |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 21 November 2008 | Rob Knox | May 24 2008 | Knox was murdered after completing his scenes, but before the film's release.[5] |
| The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | 2009 | Heath Ledger | 22 January 2008 | Ledger died during filming and his role will be completed by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.[1] |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g Jonathan Duffy (2008-02-20). "How do you replace a film star?". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h "The show must go on: when actors die during filming". New Zealand Herald. 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c David M. Halbfinger (2008-01-25). "Actor's death may mean film's end". Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Shadows and Dust: Resurrecting Proximo, Gladiator 2005 Extended Special Edition featurette
- ^ "Potter film actor killed in fight". BBC News. 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)