# Actress with the most onscreen deaths **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600 "2013-02-17T16:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/1 "2013-02-17T16:56:45Z")
so i was thinking of how having Sean Bean in a movie is almost like an automatic spoiler and i easily found lists of actors who have died onscreen. however, i couldn’t find any such list for actresses. do women simply die less often onscreen? or is it the relative lack of female villians? anyway, which actress holds the most number of deaths onscreen? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/2 "2013-02-17T17:49:44Z")
It might be a step in the direction of “the most” to mention those that have died onscreen at all. To that end: Glenn Close Rebecca DeMornay Mercedes McCambridge Margaret Hamilton Ali MacGraw Joan Crawford Susan Hayward ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/3 "2013-02-17T18:00:33Z")
well, Sigourney Weaver has died at least twice that i know of. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/4 "2013-02-17T18:10:11Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Ali MacGraw Notorious for even generating a movie cliche: [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19950820/GLOSSARY/508200301/1023](http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19950820/GLOSSARY/508200301/1023) > [@](#): > > Ali MacGraw’s Disease > > Movie illness in which the only symptom is that the sufferer grows more beautiful as death approaches. As noticed by Ebert also: Greta Garbo was also affected by it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/5 "2013-02-17T18:12:23Z")
Without doing any research, my gut would say Tilda Swinton, as she seems to get cast as villains a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/6 "2013-02-17T18:32:45Z")
Others I’ve thought of: Shelley Winters Kim Novak Charlize Theron ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/7 "2013-02-17T18:34:09Z")
How about Jamie Lee Curtis, from her ‘Scream Queen’ days? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/8 "2013-02-17T18:35:45Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > How about Jamie Lee Curtis, from her ‘Scream Queen’ days? For sure: Drew Barrymore ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/9 "2013-02-17T18:36:27Z")
Even though woman villains are less common, “Girlfriend dies, sending the hero on a mission of revenge” is has got to be one of the most overused movie cliches, so I imagine the answer is some mid-level actress who is popular enough to frequently play the gf of the lead, but not so popular that the director has a problem killing her off early on. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/10 "2013-02-17T18:45:45Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Even though woman villains are less common, “Girlfriend dies, sending the hero on a mission of revenge” is has got to be one of the most overused movie cliches, so I imagine the answer is some mid-level actress who is popular enough to frequently play the gf of the lead, but not so popular that the director has a problem killing her off early on. Other categories/genres where a particular actress gets cast as a victim in multiple roles: vampire zombie film noir sci-fi monster gang war dying maiden evil mother “bad seed” girl doomed sweetheart outlaw’s bitch ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/11 "2013-02-17T18:47:26Z")
Liz Taylor dies in Cleopatra and BUtterfield 8. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/12 "2013-02-17T19:15:24Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Liz Taylor dies in Cleopatra and BUtterfield 8. Well, two isn’t exactly hard to beat, but I guess we have to start somewhere. Female characters in Chinese films seem to die more frequently then their western counterparts. That’s probably another fruitful place to look. Zhang Ziyi dies in Rush Hour 2, House of Flying Daggers, Hero (sort of, she had a death scene anyways), Crouching Tiger (maybe), the Banquet and The Grandmaster. So that’s six (and I imagine she dies in other films as well, hopefully someone else can fill in). So can anyone beat six (or add to Zhang’s total)? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/13 "2013-02-17T19:19:56Z")
Daryl Hannah? Blade Runner Kill Bill? ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/14 "2013-02-17T19:51:46Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Zhang Ziyi dies in Rush Hour 2, House of Flying Daggers, Hero (sort of, she had a death scene anyways), Crouching Tiger (maybe), the Banquet and The Grandmaster. > > So that’s six (and I imagine she dies in other films as well, hopefully someone else can fill in). > > So can anyone beat six (or add to Zhang’s total)? I came in to mention her. She dies in a pretty ridiculous % of her movies. ---
**Author:** ![\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/eada6e/32.png) [@\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Undecided_Adrian)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/15 "2013-02-17T20:03:56Z")
[Michelle Rodriguez](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735442/) is up there for sure, she dies as often as Sean Bean at least proportionally. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Made_French_Toast_For_You)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/16 "2013-02-17T20:36:35Z")
Sarah Michelle Gellar dies: 2x on Buffy 1x in Scream 2 1x in I Know What You Did Last Summer 1x in The Grudge 2 1x, fake, in Ringer 1x, brutally, in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. I may have made that last one up. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/17 "2013-02-17T20:44:25Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > well, Sigourney Weaver has died at least twice that i know of. Alien[sup]3[/sup] Alien Resurrection Avatar Gorillas in the Mist The Cabin in the Woods possibly more ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/18 "2013-02-17T21:03:00Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > well, Sigourney Weaver has died at least twice that i know of. Yes, listing them would be helpful and I now see my previous poster has done so for her. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/19 "2013-02-17T21:04:00Z")
> [@'\[Undecided](#): > > Adrian;16016311’][Michelle Rodriguez](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735442/) is up there for sure, she dies as often as Sean Bean at least proportionally. Can you spoil us and tell us movies she dies in? Avatar LOST are the only ones I know of, but I’ve hardly seen her. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600/20 "2013-02-17T21:13:07Z")
Do the actresses playing replicants in Battlestar Galactica count? Most of them died at least a half-dozen times during the course of the series and that’s not even counting when they blew up the resurrection ship. Tricia Helfer (Six/Gina/Caprica) Grace Park (Boomer) Lucy Lawless (D’Anna Biers) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-with-the-most-onscreen-deaths/650600.md?page=2)