# Films where actors died during filming. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495 "2007-04-17T17:22:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/81 "2016-02-18T13:17:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Heath Ledger died during the filming of _The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus_. They couldn’t just work around it because he was playing a main character and less than half his scenes had been filmed. Normally, they would have had to scrap his footage and refilm with it with a new actor. But this was a fantasy film, so they rewrote the script and said that his character was a shape-shifter and cast Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law in the role with all four of them delivering part of the performance. Kind of surprising is took this far into the thread for Mr. Ledger to be mentioned. I had forgotten about _Imaginarium_ and was going to mention him in _Batman_, which of course he actually did complete. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/82 "2016-02-18T14:07:11Z")
Pearl White, an early star in silent movies (specializing in the cliffhanger series "_The Perils of Pauline_) was killed doing one of her own stunts, I believe on top of a train. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/83 "2016-02-18T14:22:54Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Kind of surprising is took this far into the thread for Mr. Ledger to be mentioned. I had forgotten about _Imaginarium_ and was going to mention him in _Batman_, which of course he actually did complete. This is a zombie thread from 2007. [Ledger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger) died in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/84 "2016-02-18T14:33:32Z")
As long as I mentioned silent films, Fatty Arbuckle. It was his first film after the rape/murder/death of Virginia Rupp. Also it was the first day of shooting. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/85 "2016-02-18T14:56:35Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > This is a zombie thread from 2007. [Ledger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger) died in 2008. :smack: Also, a \*zombie \*thread about _dead people_! Oh behave! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/86 "2016-02-18T15:18:43Z")
Henry Daniell had a small, uncredited bit as the British Ambassador in “My Fair Lady” and two lines. He died in the evening after filming that scene. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/87 "2016-02-18T17:08:55Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > As long as I mentioned silent films, Fatty Arbuckle. It was his first film after the rape/murder/death of Virginia Rupp. Also it was the first day of shooting. No. Arbuckle appeared in a series of short films ten years after the scandal (talkies). He completed them all, but died after the last one was finished. He had signed to do a feature on the day he died, but it obviously was not begun. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/88 "2016-02-18T17:25:33Z")
Bert Lahr died during the filming of “The Night They Raided Minsky’s” although most of his scenes had already been filmed. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/89 "2016-02-18T17:31:07Z")
More recently, Philip Seymour Hoffman died with about 90% of the last Hunger Games movies already in the can. They improvised by using CGI to put him in a couple of the last scenes, and by having Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) read a “letter” from Hoffman’s character instead of having him there actually acting out the lines. It was very noticeable to me, but maybe that’s just because I was “in the know” and was kind of watching for it. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/90 "2016-02-19T00:02:26Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > Pearl White, an early star in silent movies (specializing in the cliffhanger series "_The Perils of Pauline_) was killed doing one of her own stunts, I believe on top of a train. Various web sources say she died of alcoholic liver disease after retiring from films. She drank due to pain from injuries that happened while making movies however. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/91 "2016-02-19T00:04:40Z")
> [@bonzer](#): > > Kinnear was very well-known as a comic actor in Britain, though he’d probably be most recognised in the US as Mr Salt in _Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory_. Since the thread has been zombified, I may as well note that in the years since 2007 Roy Kinnear has probably become better known as the father of Rory Kinnear, who’s widely regarded in Britain as one of the best actors of his generation. Though probably most recognisable to international audiences as reliable Bill Tanner in the Bond franchise. And there is that matter of the pig … ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/92 "2016-02-19T05:16:29Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Orson Welles - Transformers: The Movie (original 80s cartoon obviously) > > Leonard Nimoy (who also played Galvatron) overdubbed many of his uncompleted lines with the help of some audio tricks and the filmmakers admit they don’t know which lines belong to Welles and which belong to Nimoy. I’m pretty sure the Nimoy dubbing Unicron after Welles croaked rumor was later debunked. Sorry, didn’t realize this was a zombie, back when you posted, it was still generally believed to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/93 "2016-02-20T14:49:48Z")
Australia’s Rob Guest died while appearing as the Wizard in Wicked. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/94 "2016-02-20T15:49:30Z")
Paul Walker and _Furious 7_ ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/95 "2016-02-20T17:23:46Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > If memory serves they rewrote the movie to have John Candy’s character die. (re: “Wagons East”) I’m pretty sure his character lived, and headed for Canada with the hooker. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/96 "2016-02-20T18:33:24Z")
While most filming of _The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield_ was finished before her death, some of [her narration](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063809/trivia?) was done by someone else in order to complete the “documentary”. I think some of the footage from her other films was added just to pad it out. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/97 "2016-02-21T11:26:54Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Kind of surprising is took this far into the thread for Mr. Ledger to be mentioned. I had forgotten about _Imaginarium_ and was going to mention him in _Batman_, which of course he actually did complete. I think you’re probably thinking of Florence Lawrence. [http://brightlightsfilm.com/florence-lawrence-the-first-movie-star/#.VsmdeZBMFoM](http://brightlightsfilm.com/florence-lawrence-the-first-movie-star/#.VsmdeZBMFoM) She wasn’t actually killed, but Carl Laemelle said her previous studio had spread that rumor because she had moved from Biograph to IMP. Actually, it was all IMP work. For silent serial actresses involved with trains, those were the Helens Gibson and Holmes. Pearl White’s double, John Stevenson did die failing to make a jump onto a moving bus.[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0995868/](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0995868/) ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495/98 "2016-02-21T18:43:05Z")
Films sit in the can for ages, all the time, before being released. The Red Dawn remake didn’t see release for, what, two or three years? Jon-Erik Hexum did not understand how guns work; even blanks release concussive force that has to go SOMEWHERE. It’s my understanding that he put the gun directly against his temple and fired, causing a quarter-sized piece of bone to detach from his skull and go whirling into his brain. Say g’night, Gracie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-where-actors-died-during-filming/400495.md?page=4)