Former Child Stars You May Not Know Passed Away

Getting into acting is already one of the most competitive career fields imaginable, with every aspiring performer needing a mix of raw talent and a dose of good luck to make it in Hollywood. It can be even more challenging for child actors, who must navigate the complicated and sometimes dangerous entertainment world with a developing mind. As such, the field of young performing artists has gained an unsavory reputation over time, credited with burning out some of the brightest stars before their time.

Unfortunately, many former child actors are no longer with us. For some, it was a medical condition that eventually became unmanageable, while for others their deaths occurred under far more preventable circumstances. You may recognize them better by either their work or by their name, but at least a few are sure to surprise you. So below, we'll be remembering some of the most famous former child stars you may not know passed away.

As a result of being born with a form of dwarfism, Josh Ryan Evans was able to portray children and even infants well after most actors would've aged out of the roles. Though he only spent six years acting in both films and television, the late actor starred in several noteworthy projects. He first appeared on the '90s sitcom "Family Matters," playing the ventriloquist dummy Stevil in a pair of episodes at the age of 14. From there, he had a recurring role in the drama series "Passions" from 1999 to 2002, and performed in a number of voice acting roles in popular shows like "Hey Arnold!" and "Rugrats." For his final, and perhaps most memorable film role, Evans played a part in the 2000 adaptation of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," where he played an 8-year-old version of the titular green grump in a flashback sequence.

Unfortunately, the talented actor had a congenital heart ailment and had to undergo numerous surgeries throughout his life. While he once recalled that the frequent recuperation periods he went through post-surgery inspired him to begin acting, the condition tragically ended his life at a young age. Evans was pronounced dead at 20 years old on August 5, 2002, while undergoing another treatment for the disease at a hospital in San Diego.

Skye Bartusiak began her acting career at 6 years old in the three-part television adaptation of Stephen King's "Storm of the Century" in 1999. A year later, she was part of high-profile projects on the small screen with minor roles in "Frasier" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." That same year Bartusiak starred in the Mel Gibson-led war drama "The Patriot," where she played Susan Martin, the youngest of the revolutionaries' daughters. Two years later she'd return with a memorable role in the Kiefer Sutherland-led drama series "24," where she played Megan Matheson.

Most of Bartusiak's most memorable performances were all when she was very young, as her career was tragically cut short in 2014. The actor had suffered from intermittent seizures since birth, and they returned days before she was found unresponsive in her family's home on July 19. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her and she regrettably passed away at the age of 21 in her hometown of Houston, Texas. Speaking to CNN, Bartusiak's mother stated that the paramedics "were working on her for 45 minutes and could not get a heartbeat," before adding that "the girl has lived such an amazing life." Painfully, it was later uncovered that the seizures were not the cause of death as originally thought, but instead, it was an accidental overdose (per The Hollywood Reporter).

After getting his start as Kevin Buchanan on the soap opera "One Life to Live," Jonathan Brandis spent the rest of the '80s appearing in minor roles on both the big and small screen. By the time he turned 14 in 1990, Brandis' career really took off when he played Bill Denbrough in the two-part TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "It." In the same year, he played Bastian in "The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter" and in 1993 he played the leading role in the sci-fi series "SeaQuest DSV" alongside "Jaws" star Roy Scheider. 

Behind all the glitz and glam of Hollywood, and despite such a promising start to his career, Brandis' personal life was far from idyllic, and the young actor died by suicide in November 2003. In the years since both friends and relatives of the late star have shed a little light on his passing. His father, Greg Brandis said in a 2021 interview with People Magazine, "I look back now, and in his 20s, he showed signs of manic depression. I hope that anyone suffering can go get help."

By the time he was 4 years old, Austin Majors had already achieved fame as a child star in the hit series "NYPD Blue", where he played Theo, the son of Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). While working on the police procedural show, Majors was also cast to provide the voice of a younger Jim in the 2002 Disney film "Treasure Planet." The actor would go on to appear in one-off episodes of "ER" and "NCIS," before experiencing a career slowdown and departure from acting by the end of the '00s.

Unfortunately, it seems that things got worse for Majors after his on-screen career ended, and he wound up in the throes of substance abuse. In a story that's tragically seen far too often in the world of show business, the former "NYPD Blue" star was found dead on February 11, 2023, with major news outlets reporting that the cause of death was a fentanyl overdose. While not the youngest star to die before their time, Major's death — at the age of 27 — still underscores how serious the issue of drug abuse can be in this industry.

After getting her start on television in a one-off episode of "Fantasy Island," Heather O'Rourke found a regular role on the tenth season of "Happy Days" at the age of 6, where she played Heather Pfister, the young daughter of Ashley Pfister (Linda Purl). Later, she received a Young Artist Award for her appearance on the '80s sitcom "Webster." However, it is not her work in television, but a certain horror film trilogy that O'Rourke is likely best known for. The actor starred in all three entries in the "Poltergeist" trilogy as Carol Freeling, the youngest member of a family whose lives are tormented when poltergeists invade their home.

Sadly, the last two years of O'Rourke's life were plagued with medical issues, which began with a misdiagnosis for Crohn's disease in 1987, and a subsequent emergency the following year that required surgery. Tragically, complications from that surgery led to her sudden death at 12 years old on February 1, 1988. The cause of her untimely death was officially stated as cardiac arrest after suffering a bowel obstruction mid-surgery.

It's a rare achievement for actors to land a hit on their very first theatrical outing, but Brad Renfro did just that at the age of 12. Renfro starred in "The Client" in 1994 alongside legendary actors Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was a certified success, and his acting career quickly skyrocketed from there. He found himself cast in similar dramas, and the young star took on lead roles in "The Cure," "Tom and Huck," and "Apt Pupil."

Unfortunately, the flurry of stardom had disastrous effects on Renfro, who wasn't even a teenager by the time he became famous. Halfway through his career, and after a number of appearances on the wrong side of the law, it was clear that the then-teenaged actor was already caught up in drugs — which would prove to be his tragic undoing. In the early hours of January 15, 2008, at the age of 25, Renfro was found dead in a Los Angeles apartment, in what was later ruled an accidental overdose by way of heroin intoxication (per the Los Angeles Times).

Disney Channel television series have been some of the most prolific places for child actors to kick-start their careers, with Lee Thompson Young being among them. His promising career began with the titular role on "The Famous Jett Jackson," a metaseries that saw his character balancing a normal teenage life with one as an actor on a hit TV series. Several years after that ended, he had a supporting role as Chris Comer on the sports drama "Friday Night Lights," and later a role in the less than enthusiastically received sequel "The Hill Have Eyes 2." Later, Young would find success in the crime drama "Rizzoli & Isles" as Barold "Barry" Frost.

Despite what appeared to be a promising career from an actor well on his way to further success, it was revealed to the world far too late that Young was struggling internally. On August 19, 2013, at the age of 29, the star died by suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound. After the tragedy, Young's family has talked openly about their loss, with his mother Velma Love stating in an interview with WIS, "In his late teenage years, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I noticed some periods of sadness ... Some of a person's inner life, you really don't know." A foundation has since been created in his name by his surviving family in the hopes of preventing others from suffering as Young did.

Though her career as an actor may not include titles as recognizable as a few of our previous entries, Ashleigh Moore still carved out a comfortable niche during her time on set. First appearing on the children's adventure series "The Odyssey" as the companion to series lead Keith (Tony Sampson), she went on to appear in a handful of television films such as "Liar, Liar," and "Family of Strangers." Finally, in 1995, Moore landed her first theatrical release with "Now and Then," where she played the younger Chrissy Dewitt, one of four friends who return to their old stomping grounds of Shelby, Indiana.

Despite a promising start to her career as an actress, Moore had effectively quit acting by the turn of the millennium. Sadly, nearly a decade after vanishing from the spotlight, her life was cut short on December 10, 2007, resulting from a fatal overdose of heroin. The former child star was just 26 years old at the time of her death.

Debuting in the fall of 1978, "Diff'rent Strokes" quickly cemented itself into pop culture in ways that are still remembered today. The sitcom defied convention at the time by coupling the reserved and upper-class Drummond family with a pair of young orphans from the mean streets of Harlem. It also occasionally tackled heavier themes than its predominantly light-hearted tone would make audiences suspect. Among its talented cast was then-10-year-old Gary Coleman, who played Arnold Jackson, one of the two adoptees. Though it was certainly the most memorable role across Coleman's nearly 40-year-long career, it was far from the only one, as the actor appeared across various other sitcom projects.

Despite achieving fame that some actors can only dream of, behind-the-scenes life was far from easy for Coleman. The actor had a number of health ailments throughout his life, with a kidney disease that contributed to his short stature being perhaps the most apparent. Tragically, on May 28, 2010, at the age of 42, the "Diff'rent Strokes" star was taken off of life support days after suffering a serious fall in his Utah home.

Though her time as an actor came to a premature end, Judith Barsi was still a part of some noteworthy projects. On the live-action side, she most famously starred as the young Thea Brody in 1987's "Jaws: The Revenge." She did some work in animation as well, voicing Ducky in "The Land Before Time" and Anne-Marie in the film "All Dogs Go to Heaven," her final role. Additionally, she appeared in a handful of television episodes, playing Bertie in an episode of the 1985 "Twilight Zone" revival and a younger version of Tracy Gold's Carol in two episodes of "Growing Pains."

One of the most painful deaths, Judith Barsi was sadly a victim of a violent murder-suicide on July 25, 1988, at the age of 10. Worse still, it was at the hands of her own father, who ended the lives of his wife and child before his own. In light of the horrific incident, details emerged that revealed her home had been a place of abuse for years, straining her parents' relationship before that terrible night.

By the early '00s, musician and actor Jack Black was well on his way to becoming a household name. The rise to fame was in part thanks to films like the now cult classic "High Fidelity." Just a few years later, "School of Rock" came along — though it was not quite as avant-garde, it was still a hit. This time, Black was cast as Dewey Finn, a floundering musician who reinvents himself in the classroom with a gaggle of elementary schoolers at his side. Among them was Kevin Clark's Freddy Jones, the drummer for their unlikely band.

Though the 2003 comedy remained the only acting credit to Clark's name, it seemed his passion for music was something that was with him to stay. By 2021, the former child star was a member of a brand new band that performed in and around Chicago. But sadly, when he made headlines on May 26, 2021, it wasn't for good news. While riding his bicycle late at night, Clark was struck and killed by a motorist at the age of 32. After the accident — as relayed by the Chicago Sun-Times — his mother Allison Clark recalled, "He told his bandmates just yesterday: You know, this is finally the life I want to live. And we're going to make it. You're my musical family — my family — and we're all going to make it."

Over the nearly 10 years it was on the air, "Everybody Loves Raymond" managed to rise above the competitive genre of sitcoms that existed at the time. Climbing to over 22 million viewers by the turn of the millennium, there's no arguing that the series was a hit. The sitcom revolves around Raymond Barone (Ray Romano), a Long Island sportswriter who tries to keep both his career and burdensome family down the street in check. Among the loveable cast was Sawyer Sweeten, who portrayed Raymond's nephew Geoffrey Barone across all nine seasons. Though "Everybody Loves Raymond" was easily the most iconic entry in his brief career, he also starred in a single episode of "Even Stevens," and portrayed a younger version of Frank in the 2002 comedy "Frank McKlusky, C.I."

A decade after "Everybody Loves Raymond" came to a close, Sweeten tragically died by suicide on April 23, 2015, at 19 years old. In the days after the shocking news broke, his family opened up on what may have contributed to his untimely passing, with his aunt Jacklyn telling The Daily Mail, "There is a history of depression in the family, all through. Many of them are on medication for depression." Since then, a pair of theaters in Los Angeles have been renovated and dedicated as a tribute to the late child star (via People).

Unfortunately, Gary Coleman wasn't the only child actor from "Diff'rent Strokes" who has since passed away. Dana Plato — who played the Jackson brother's sister Kimberly Drummond for eight years on the series — got her start in a single unnamed part in an episode of "The Six Million Dollar Man." She would go on to appear in films such as "Exorcist II: The Heretic," as well as a number of minor appearances across television sitcoms and crime dramas. However, no role in her career reached the same heights as her time on "Diff'rent Strokes."

Unfortunately, the '90s weren't as kind to Plato, and in 1991 she was arrested for robbery and further charged in 1992 for forging Valium prescriptions. Though she claimed to have been sober for nearly a decade by 1999, that same year on May 8th, she took a mixture of Lortab and Valium before taking a nap that she would never wake up from. At 34 years old, Plato sadly became another victim of what's since been called "The Diff'rent Strokes Curse" thanks to the unfortunate events that have happened to many of its former cast members (per the Los Angeles Times).

Born in 1947, Rusty Hamer found his way to his most recognizable role almost from the start. At the age of 6, he landed a role on "The Danny Thomas Show," which may be remembered by some viewers by its alternate title "Make Room for Daddy" before its fourth season rebrand. As traditional an American sitcom as they come, the long-running series saw entertainer Danny Thomas take on the role of Danny Williams, a New York performer who tries to balance his career in show business with his family back at home. Hamer starred as the Williams' son Rusty for all 11 seasons, and later he'd return for the continuation "Make Room for Granddaddy" in 1970. 

After the series ended for good in 1971, Hamer would retire from acting at 24 years old. Years later, and after effectively vanishing from any media coverage, Hamer was sadly found dead at the age of 42 by his brother John Hamer from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on January 18, 1990. As relayed by the Los Angeles Times, while still reeling from the loss, his brother stated that Hamer, "didn't show any signs of this happening. It was just all of a sudden." He would go on to speculate that the stressors of being a young actor may have contributed to Rusty's troubles in adulthood, which at the time weren't as recognized as today.

It's not at all uncommon for the children of superstars to take after their parents and try to make it in the world of Hollywood, and this was a path that Sylvester Stallone's son Sage embraced at a young age. Making his cinematic debut in "Rocky V," where he mirrored real life by playing the son of Rocky Balboa, he would once again star alongside his father in the 1996 film "Daylight," albeit with a more minor role than in "Rocky V." Later on in his career, Sage would try his hand at directing with the short film "Vic," just a few years before tragedy would befall the family.

At the age of 36 on July 13th, 2012, Sage was found after suffering a sudden death in his Los Angeles home. Given that a leading cause of death among young actors is drug overdose, it wouldn't have been a stretch to assume that had a hand in his unexpected passing. But as an autopsy report in late August of that year revealed, it was nothing more than unusually advanced coronary problems that led to a heart attack killing the eldest of Sylvester Stallone's children.

Though he began his acting career at the age of 9 — starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland in the 2008 horror flick "Mirrors" — it would take a few years for Cameron Boyce to truly make a name for himself. By 2010 he had a supporting role in the irreverent Adam Sandler-led comedy "Grown Ups," as well as its sequel "Grown Ups 2." On the television side, he'd see greater success, with a main role in the Disney series "Jessie" for four years as Luke Ross. He'd later star as Conor in the Disney XD series "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything," and play Carlos in the "Descendants" series of Disney television movies.

By the time he turned 18, Cameron Boyce had made quite a name for himself as an accomplished performer, but his time as an actor would soon come to a close long before it should have. On July 6, 2019, shortly after turning 20 years old — and in what was revealed to be the unfortunate conclusion to a long history of medical issues — Boyce died in his sleep after suffering a sudden epileptic seizure. 

Perhaps best known for starring in "The Lost Boys" in 1987, the edgy dark comedy that imagined a sunny California beach town that is home to a horde of vampires, Corey Haim quickly became one of the hottest stars of the '90s. That wasn't his first role, however, as a 12-year-old Haim starred alongside a young Robert Downey Jr. in the 1984 drama "Firstborn," a whirlwind story of love, addiction, and manipulation. He'd spend his teenage years acting in films like Stephen King's "Silver Bullet," the coming-of-age drama "Lucas,' and the oddball body-swap comedy "Dream a Little Dream."

Later on in his career, things took a downward turn for the former child star, who battled both personal addictions and allegations of sexual abuse that would cast a dark shadow on his meteoric rise to fame. On March 10, 2010, Haim was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after collapsing in his family home, where he was promptly declared dead. Despite a history of substance abuse being known upon his passing, autopsy reports in the weeks that followed revealed that it wasn't an accidental or even intentional overdose, but instead, pneumonia that caused his death.

Any child of the '90s likely grew up watching episodes of "Saved by the Bell" and likewise can probably remember the character of Samuel "Screech" Powers. The high school sitcom saw the oddball Screech and the rest of his classmates trying to survive the day-to-day happenings of the fictional Bayside High. While the 12 years he spent as Screech meant that any other role would be untouchable in terms of pop culture impact, Diamond also appeared in episodes of "The Wonder Years." After his time on "Saved by the Bell" came to a close, Diamond gravitated towards projects that embraced his status as a former child star, with minor roles playing himself in films like "Big Fat Liar" and "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

In January 2021, Diamond had recently turned 44 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. The beloved '90s star immediately began treatment for the disease, including a round of chemotherapy, but on February 1, 2021, he lost the fight against the disease within just several weeks of his diagnosis. While reflecting on the late actor's life and sudden death to CNN, his former manager Roger Paul stated, "Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful."

A handful of minor roles defined actor Rob Knox's acting career beginning at the age of 14, with bit parts in the British crime drama "The Bill" and as an extra in the 2004 summer blockbuster "King Arthur." But the film that the British-born actor is likely best remembered for is "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in which he played Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby. This should have been a huge stepping stone in his career, had it not regrettably been released over a year after his untimely death.

On May 24, 2008, 18-year-old Rob Knox and his brother Jamie were involved in an altercation with another patron at a bar. The brawl quickly escalated and turned violent, ultimately ending with Knox coming between the knife-wielding attacker and his brother at the cost of his own life. The murderer would later be revealed as Karl Bishop, who was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in a case that attracted quite a bit of attention in the United Kingdom, but not as much abroad. And even though Knox's sacrifice happened over a decade ago, it hasn't been forgotten, especially by his brother Jamie, who named his firstborn son in honor of his late brother (per The Daily Mail).

Arriving in theaters in 1964 and going on to dominate that year's domestic box office, "Mary Poppins" has since become one of the most recognizable titles ever produced by Disney which, considering their extensive catalog, is truly impressive. The musical tale begins when a nanny skips out on the job of watching a pair of mischievous children, Michael (Matthew Garber) and Jane (Karen Dotrice), only for them to be visited by a mysterious woman who flies in on a magic umbrella.

One of just three films that Garber starred in, it goes without saying that his role in "Mary Poppins" was his most acclaimed and memorable, shouldered by appearances in "The Three Lives of Thomasina" and "The Gnome-Mobile." Sometime after his career as an actor ended, however, an adult Garber found himself in India. While abroad, the former "Mary Poppins" star contracted hepatitis, which ultimately led to his death at the age of 21 on June 13, 1977.

A year after breaking into acting in 1990 with guest appearances in episodes of shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and an award-winning performance on "Doogie Howser, M.D," Christopher Pettiet already achieved some of his career highlights. First up was a performance in the teen dark comedy "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead," as Zach Crandell, one of a handful of teens left to their own devices for the summer after their elderly babysitter turns up dead. A few months later, he joined the cast of the Western series "The Young Riders" during its third and final season, cast as the infamous outlaw Jesse James.

Pettiet would go on to appear in a number of other films and television series throughout the decade, such as episodes of "LA Law," "Baywatch Hawaii," and even an episode of "SeaQuest DSV." Unexpectedly, on April 12, 2000, Pettiet suffered an accidental drug overdose at the age of 24 that ended his life.

After just a year of acting, Adam Rich landed the role that would make him famous at the age of 8. Starring as Nicholas in the comedy-drama series "Eight is Enough," the show saw stressed-out parents Tom (Dick Van Patten) and Joan Bradford (Diana Hyland) tackling a life with eight children, Rich also starred in plenty more projects through the decade. Episodes of "CHiPs," a lead role in "Code Red," and voiceover work on the "Dungeons & Dragons" animated series all meant that the young actor managed to keep busy.

As we've seen, it can be difficult for child stars to continue the successes of their youth into adulthood, which rang true for Adam Rich. After the '80s, he made an appearance in a single episode of "Baywatch," before almost completely retiring. In 2003, he was another actor who made a guest appearance in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," which would wind up being the last time the "Eight is Enough" star would be in front of the camera. Unfortunately, he wound up on the wrong side of the law, with a pair of arrests in 1991 and 2002, as well as entering into rehabilitation for drug addiction. Nearly 20 years later, and at the age of 54, Rich suffered an overdose after using Fentanyl that proved fatal on January 7, 2023.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, may be the victim of abuse, or is having suicidal thoughts, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

• Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.