Film stars live on in acting legacy
On Feb. 11, 2012, beloved recording artist and film star Whitney Houston joined the list of actors who passed before their final film; a list that dates back the golden years of Hollywood with actors like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe to more recent actors like Heath Ledger. Here is a look at actors whose final films were released posthumously:
Houston took the world by storm with numerous multi-platinum albums, singing her way into the spotlight with hit singles like “I Will Always Love You,” “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “Greatest Love of All.” Sadly, an incident involving drowning, heart disease and cocaine use claimed her life and put out that spotlight for good.
The renowned songstress is also known for her film roles in movies like “The Bodyguard” (1992) and “The Preacher’s Wife” (1996). Her latest film is a remake of the 1976 musical “Sparkle,” where she played the mother of three musical prodigies struggling to become successful as Motown singers. Tragically, her untimely death deprived her of the chance to see the film hit theaters.
Heath Ledger began capturing the attention of audiences everywhere with his supporting roles in “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) and “The Patriot” (2000). From then on he found success in landing leading roles for movies like “A Knight’s Tale” (2001) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). But the biggest role of Ledger’s career was his portrayal of the mass-murdering, non-empathizing Joker in “The Dark Knight” (2008). Unfortunately, Ledger didn’t live long enough to watch his iconic performance himself. After the filming for “The Dark Knight” ended, Ledger died in his apartment. The coroner said the cause of death was accidental intoxication of prescription drugs. This led to immense press coverage and people questioning whether his death was indeed accidental or an intentional suicide. He was also in the middle of filming “The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus” (2009). “The Dark Knight” went on to win numerous awards with the then-deceased Ledger winning both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The son of martial artist movie actor Bruce Lee (“Enter the Dragon”), Brandon Lee followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued an acting career. Also like his father, Lee passed away at the prime of his career, while filming the movie “The Crow” (1994), a gothic action film that established Lee as a promising young actor. It was the role of Lee’s life and it also took his life. Lee was mortally wounded during the final days of production when a dummy bullet fired from one of the prop guns was accidentally shot into his abdomen. The director still managed to finish the movie by superimposing Lee’s face onto two body doubles. “The Crow” went on to garner both critical as well as commercial success and will forever remain in film history as a testament toward Lee’s potential career.
Bernie Mac rose to fame in the stand-up comedy world by joining fellow comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D. L. Hughley in the 2000 Spike Lee stand-up comedy film “The Original Kings of Comedy.” His fame would only continue to rise once he starred in comedy show “The Bernie Mac Show” and scored roles in films like the “Ocean’s” trilogy and “Mr. 3000” (2004). Mac didn’t meet his end as a result of accidental overdose or an incident while on set. At age 50, Mac died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill., from pneumonia that worsened his sarcoidosis condition. Before his death, Mac lent his voice for the film “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” (2008) and starred alongside Samuel L. Jackson in “Soul Men” (2008), both were released three months after his death and dedicated to his memory.
During his time, Chris Farley was known as one of the most talented American comedy stars. He kicked off his career by becoming a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” in the ’70s. He starred in 100 episodes of the series and also found success in acting in films like “Tommy Boy” (1995) and “Beverly Hills Ninja” (1997), which didn’t find critical success but won audiences over. In addition to fame for his comical success, Farley became a victim of public inquiry as he sought treatment for obesity and drug abuse in the final years of his life. Farley was later found dead in his apartment by his younger brother John and the autopsy revealed he most likely died from an accidental drug overdose from both morphine and cocaine. Farley’s posthumous film “Almost Heroes” (1998), where he co-starred with Matthew Perry of “Friends,” was dedicated to his memory.