Famous actors you may not know were dead

The magic of cinema and television is to transport us to different historical periods and to make us experience incredible sensations through their stories. But movies and television series not only have this fantastic property, they also have the ability to stop time and make actors practically immortal .

In reality, as we well know rationally, they too transform and age and, even if it may seem impossible, they die . Television channels often broadcast the same series several times, consequently seeing them for several years in a row, it is very difficult to tell if a character is dead or not .

The fact is also that sometimes the news of the death of a certain actor or actress goes unnoticed or, over time, maybe we forget that it happened. In this article you will find many actors who have disappeared in more or less suspicious circumstances, but who continue to live and be loved by the public through their characters.

Are you sure you remember them all? Let’s find out together the famous people who maybe you didn’t know were dead:

1) Riccardo Garrone

Impossible not to remember him as a jovial San Pietro lover of coffee and good company in a famous Lavazza TV commercial , flanked first by Paolo Bonolis and then by Enrico Brignano . which Federico Fellini and Dino Risi.

A career full of successes

Riccardo Garrone ‘s film career begins in 1949 when he gets a secondary role in the film Adam and Eve by maestro Mario Mattoli. The director Mattoli hires him in the popular film Two nights with Cleopatra in which Garrone plays alongside the sacred monsters Alberto Sordi and Sophia Loren .

His career then continued with the engagement in films destined to mark Italian cinema such as Fathers and Sons by Mario Monicelli and Belle ma poor by Dino Risi. The 1960s consecrated him definitively as one of the most important actors on the Italian scene, especially in comedy. He plays in the film Il vigile by Luigi Zampa, in the masterpiece La dolce vita by Fellini , S and allow us to talk about women by Ettore Scola and in The whistle in the nose by Ugo Tognazzi.

The silver ribbon and then the disappearance

Riccardo Garrone won a Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actor for Ettore Scola’s The Dinner, in which he starred alongside Vittorio Gassman and Stefania Sandrelli. He died on March 14, 2016 at the Niguarda Hospital in Milan at the age of 89 . Perhaps his death didn’t make (enough) noise.

2) John Ritter

John Ritter ‘s death occurred when the actor was about to turn 55 . Born September 17, 1948 in Los Angeles, and passed away on September 11, 2003.

The star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

John Ritter made his show business debut after earning his bachelor’s degree in drama. Starting from the theater, he became a well-known face thanks to his participation in the famous television series Love Boat and in the equally well- known Starsky & Hutch . He has also often worked as a voice actor.

To make him one of the most famous stars of the Hollywood firmament was the series Three hearts for rent , a hugely successful sitcom that aired for 8 seasons, from 1977 to 1984, and which also earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Hunger. Since then, there have been countless films and TV series that she has starred in: from Ally McBeal to Scrubs , from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Felicity , from The Robinsons to Law & Order .

The disappearance of John Ritter

Death from aortic dissection came suddenly leaving his fans shocked. It was September 11, 2003 when the news of his death spread. He was on the set of 8 Simple Rules , a comic series produced by ABC . Apparently he had a heart problem but he was unaware of it.

3) Giuliana Calandra

She was the writer murdered in the bathroom of the house in Dario Argento’s 1975 masterpiece Deep Red . She and she passed away on 25 November 2018 in Aprilia at the age of 82.

The career of Giuliana Calandra

The scene of Profondo Rosso starring Giuliana Calandra is remembered as one of the most disturbing and also the most iconic not only of what is one of the best horror films of all time, but also of world cinema.

But Giuliana Calandra was one of the symbolic faces of Italian cinema in general. Alberto Sordi, Dino Risi, Mario Monicelli, Alberto Lattuada, Andrea Barzini, are just some of the directors I work with Giuliana Calandra and who chose her for their films. Many remember her as Oronzo Cana’s wife in The coach in the ball , another role that consecrates her as one of the most famous and important Italian actresses.

The death of Giuliana Calandra

The death of Giuliana Calandra took place the day after the death of another sacred monster of cinema, not only Italian but international: the director Bernardo Bertolucci. Her family members announced the tragic death of Giuliana Calandra on 25 November 2018.

4) Michelle Thomas

She seemed destined for a very long career studded with successes, but Michelle Thomas was crushed at a very young age, at only 30, by a terrible stomach cancer. She had become famous thanks to the very popular Otto under a roof series .

The tragic end of Michelle Thomas

Michelle Thomas was born in Boston in 1968 and was a daughter of art : her mother was an actress and her father one of the members of the band Kool & the Gang . After becoming famous in August 1997, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

No one could have imagined that that evil would be able to take her away in such a short time. In fact, the very young actress and she died at the age of 30 due to that terrible stomach cancer, on December 22, 1998.

An acting star who left too soon

Michelle Thomas became famous above all when she played the role of Myra in Otto under a roof , a character truly impossible to forget considering that she was madly in love with Steve, one of the main protagonists of the series, who always tried to conquer in vain. The very young actress was also part of the cast of The Robinsons .

5) Antonio Pennarella

Antonio Pennarella was one of the best known faces of Italian cinema. He had achieved fame for the role of the boss Nunzio Vintariello (grandfather of the young Nunzio Cammarota) in the historical soap opera of Rai 3 Un posto al sole. Unfortunately, the serious illness that struck him at 58 had forced him to stop participating in the popular television series.

From the theater to the small screen: the artistic career of Antonio Pennarella

He had made his debut in the world of theater at a very young age, in the 1980s, and had also worked alongside Carlo Buccirossi and Laura Angiulli. 

Antonio Pennarella has starred in very important films , such as The Dream of the Butterfly by director Bellocchio, Noi credevi by Martone and also in the masterpiece Indivisibili by De Angelis, one of the last films in which he starred. The actor had also been part of the cast of television series such as Il Maresciallo Rocca and the most recent The brilliant friend .

The greeting of De Magistris

Antonio Pennarella died in Naples on 24 August 2018 , at the age of only 58. As Repubblica reports, after his death, the mayor of the Neapolitan city Luigi de Magistris also wanted to greet him by dedicating words of esteem and affection to him: “ He was a refined actor and much loved by the public. An extraordinary actor, of great versatility and talent. He leaves in us who have known and appreciated him a profound pain “.

6) Cory Monteith

A shocking death that of Cory Monteith which occurred when the actor was only 31 years old. His disappearance left the cast of the Glee series in which he had played the character of Finn Hudson shocked. Behind his death, the specter of rehab and a lethal mix of drugs and drugs.

The tragic death of Cory Monteith

The untimely death of Cory Monteith has left everyone shocked. No one would have expected such a tragic ending to the life of what was a young rising star of the Hollywood firmament. 

His body was found lifeless in a hotel room on July 13, 2013. A still unexplained death apparently caused by a lethal mix of drugs, alcohol and heroin .

The Glee Tribute

After the death of Cory Monteith, Glee dedicates a tribute episode to the young actor, The Quaterback , to greet him. That episode has remained in the history of the television series for the touch, sensitivity and emotions that he arouses in the public and, in particular, in all Monteith fans.

7) Bud Spencer

There is no doubt that Carlo Pedersoli, better known by the stage name of Bud Spencer, together with his longtime partner Terence Hill, marked an era. Many generations of teenagers have grown up with his films. The rude ways of him, his “abusive” character but basically always generous and altruistic , managed to carve out an image capable of making an entire country fall in love with him.

The partnership with Terence Hill

The artistic partnership between Bud Spencer and Terence Hill has a truly unique history. The cinematic couple was born at a time when the Italian western seems to be on the way to sunset. 

In reality, it will be their style, their unmistakable acting and artistic imprint to give new verve to the genre, managing to bring hundreds of thousands of spectators to the cinema. Impossible to forget them in films such as Trinita called him , Non c’e due senza quattro and Botte di Natale .

Farewell to the “gentle giant” of Italian cinema

Bud Spencer died on June 27, 2016 at the age of 86 due to complications from a fall at home. After his death, Terence Hill dedicated a film to him My Name and Thomas , to celebrate their long and unique friendship.

8) Bernie Mac

African-American actor Barnie Mac , born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, died on August 9, 2008 in Chicago at the age of 50 . Death occurred following complications from pneumonia . Among his recent films we remember his part in the cast of Ocean’s Eleven and a Grammy nomination for the documentary The Original Kings of Comedy made in 2000 by Spike Lee .

9) Paolo Paoloni

He was the unforgettable Mega Galactic Director in the Fantozzi saga . Absolute lord of the Megaditta , he was particularly cruel to the poor accountant Ugo Fantozzi. He died on 9 January 2019 in Rome at the age of 89: in recent months he had become aphonic due to a disease of the vocal cords.

10) Pat Morita

Noriyuki Morita, better known as Pat Morita , was an American actor of Japanese descent. Morita became famous for playing the Karate Kid Master . The actor passed away on November 24, 2005 in Las Vegas at the age of 73 . Although his daughter said the death came from natural causes , there have been mixed reports . There was talk of a death as a result of kidney failure aggravated by chronic alcoholism .

11) Salvatore Cantalupo

Adored by the public in the role of Pasquale the tailor in the film “Gomorra” by Matteo Garrone , Cantalupo also starred with Antonio Albanese in the film “Qualunqumente” . He died on August 13, 2018 following a coma . He was only 59 years old.

12) Ann Morgan Guilbert

Who could ever forget her, the famous Aunt Yetta from the television series ” The Nanny “? A classic of the nineties TV (the first episode was shot in 1993, the last in 1999) always nice and for the whole family. Too bad that Ann Morgan Guibert, although she continues to live in the series, passed away on June 14, 2016 for cancer. The “television niece” Fran Drescher, on Twitter, had greeted her like this: “ What a great actress! Thanks Annie, thanks for all the laughs ”.

13) David Graf

The police school lover and gun maniac is also deceased. David Graf , an American actor, was born in 1950 in the state of Ohio and died of a heart attack on April 7, 2001 in Arizona. The respiratory crisis occurred during a wedding to which the actor was invited.

14) Pino Caruso

He was one of the best known Sicilian actors on television (among the series interpreted Ultimo, Non lettmoci piu, Carabinieri ) and in the cinema together with Franchi and Ingrassia and Lando Buzzanca, and one of the symbols of Palermo. He died in Rome on 7 March 2019.

15) Riccardo Zinna

The traffic policeman in the film Benvenuti al Sud by Luca Miniero with Alessandro Siani and Claudio Bisio. Long suffering from pancreatic cancer , he died on 20 September 2018 at the age of 60.

16) Taylor Negron

Famous for starring in films such as Stuart Little and The Last Boy Scout , Taylor Negron was born in California and landed his first television gig in 1982, starring in a soap opera. And he passed away at the age of fifty-seven after a long battle with cancer on January 10, 2015 .

17) Jimmy the Juggernaut

An unforgettable figure in Italian comedy , his face with an unmistakable expression has appeared in over 150 films , alongside Toto, Fenech , Alvaro Vitali and in Fantozzi ‘s films . He died on 6 August 2018 in a residence for the elderly in Milan. he was 86 years old.

18) Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy was at the peak of her career at the time of her passing with 34 films to her credit. We can remember her in films like Interrupted Girls , Don’t Say A Word , 8 Mile and Sin City . She the actress was found lifeless by her mother on December 20, 2009 and to date the most accredited hypothesis on her death is that of pneumonia , complicated by anemia and drug intoxication. But her case still remains shrouded in mystery , as her husband Simon Monjak also followed her only a few months later. TheBrittany Murphy’s father in 2012 spoke of a possible murder of the couple, caused by poisoning, but the investigation has never proved this hypothesis.

19) Raúl Julia

Raul Julia was the actor who play Gomez , the father of the Addams Family . Raul Julia, born in 1940 in Puerto Rico, studied law only after arriving in the United States. Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 54 on October 24, 1994 due to a stroke that had hit him a few days earlier.

20) Gigi Burruano

And the uncle of actor Luigi Lo Cascio , with whom he shot the film The Hundred Steps (2000) by Marco Tullio Giordana, in which the two play respectively Luigi Impastato and his son Peppino . Burruano died in his sleep on 10 September 2017 due to cardiac arrest : he was 69 years old.

21) Michael Clarke Duncan

Michael Clarke Duncan , was the gentle giant John Coffey from The Green Mile . The actor, born in 1957, disappeared on September 3, 2012 in Los Angeles, two months after suffering a severe heart attack.

22) Tomas Milian

The undisputed protagonist of the great Italian detective stories. Fans remember him in particular as Nico Giraldi, a Roman marshal who knows well the underworld circles having been part of it in his youth with the nickname of “er Pirata” and as Sergio Marazzi alias “er Monnezza” , and a Roman thief.

On March 22, 2017 , at the age of 84, he was found dead in his Miami home following a stroke . His body, after being cremated, rests in New York next to his wife.

23) Gilberto Eligible

Great Sicilian actor of Catania origins, in the TV series “Honor and respect” he plays a corrupt Trapani prosecutor. His interpretation of the caricature lawyer in “Malena” , a beautiful film by Giuseppe Tornatore, is memorable. He died on 5 October 2018 at the age of 72, struck down by a cardiac arrest while he was in his house in Catania.

24) Edward Hermann

Known by everyone as Richard Gilmore , Rory’s grandfather in “A Mom as a Friend”, Edward Hermann actually had a very long career, studded with great collaborations such as those with Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese. At the age of 71, however, Hermann suffered a fulminant brain tumor .

25) James Rebhorn

Best known for being the Secretary of Defense in the film Independence Day and for appearances in White Collar and Homeland , he passed away on March 21, 2014 , at the age of 65, after a long battle with skin cancer.

26) Zelda Rubinstein

Actress Zelda Rubistein , best known for her role as the eccentric medium in the Poltergeist trilogy, passed away on January 27, 2010 in Los Angeles at the age of 76 .

27) Paolo Ferrari

Perhaps the most famous actor in Italian advertising . His ad for Dash detergent (“Lady want to change your bottle of Dash for two from another brand?”) Made Carousel history . In 2008 he returned to be testimonial together with the actor Fabio De Luigi in the role of “his guardian angel”. He died in Rome on 6 May 2018 after a long illness.

28) Jeff Conaway

Jeff Conaway , known for his portrayal of the character of Kenickie in the 1978 musical Grease and Beautiful, died on May 27, 2011 after an alleged overdose.

29) Heather O’Rourke

The young star of Stevan Spielberg’s “Poltergeist” died tragically in 1988 at the age of 12 during surgery

30) Chriss Penn

Sean Penn’s younger brother Chris has starred in films such as ” Footloose ” and ” The Hyenas ” (it was Nice Guy Eddie), but died in 2006 aged just 40 from cardiomyopathy.

31) Andy Hallett

Andy Hallet played one of the audience favorite characters in the “ Buffy the Vampire Slayer ” spin-off “ Angel ”. He died of heart failure in 2009 at just 33 years old.

32) Harold Ramis

The ” Ghostbusters ” star died in 2014 at the age of 70 after a long battle with an inflammatory autoimmune disease.

33) Thuy Trang

Vietnamese actress Thuy Trang played the first Yellow Ranger on the ” Power Ranger ” show and went on to make films afterwards, including ” Spy Hard “. However, she sadly Trang and she died in a car accident in September 2001 at the age of 27.

34) Brad Renfro

Debut as a child actor in the film ” The Client ” opposite Susan Sarandon and in ” Sleepers “, where he played a young Brad Pitt . Unfortunately, he died in 2008 at the age of 25 from a mix of heroin and morphine.

35) Andy Whitfield

The unforgettable actor of the television series Spartacus , in which he plays the role of a gladiator, died on 11 September 2011 , of non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

36) Dana Plato

She became famous in the popular 70s and 80s sitcom My Friend Arnold , but later sadly fell into poverty and drug addiction. She committed suicide at 34 on May 8, 1999

37) Judith Barsi

Child prodigy, she appeared very young in numerous TV commercials and films, including Lo shark 4 – Revenge. On July 25, 1988 , she was tragically killed , after a long series of abuses, by her father.

38) Nicole DeHuff

You made your debut in the 2000 hit movie Meet the Parents , starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. He died on February 16, 2005 , of pneumonia .

39) Skye McCole Bartusiak

Skye McCole Bartusiak captivated audiences around the world at just 7 years old as the young daughter of Mel Gibson ‘s character in the 2000 film The Patriot . Fourteen years after her most famous role, she died, aged 21, due to a drug overdose.

40) Christopher Pettiet

He became a star in the 90s thanks to the cult comedy Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter Is Dead. The actor died in 2000 , aged 24, due to an overdose.