Actors/actresses who solidified their legend by dying

Yeah, good points - you're probably right.

 

That's really an amazing story that a good friend of mine pointed out to me some years ago. Cazale was great friends with Al Pacino, who asked him to audition for The Godfather. That started his all too brief run in amazing films. I love all 5 of them... The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter. What can you say, except wow!

 

As other posters have noted James Dean was the one whose death, and how he died, most cememted his legend. A lot of people think of Marlon Brando as fat and slovenly but imagine if he had died in his 20's instead of James Dean. We might be talking about Brando as the symbol of 50's cool and teen rebellion while we think of Dean as being fat and inarticulate.

This reminds me of a SNL skit with Dana Carvey where he played an aging rock star. His agent tries to convince him that the best move for his career is to die. To back up his point he pulls out a chart showing how Jim Morrison records have done better over a long run than Peter Frampton's.

 

not exactly the same, but would Michael J Fox have come down if he didn't gain huge publicity/etc. due to Parkinson's?

I'd like to say no, because I loved Spin City.. but seems like it's worth mentioning

 

IMO, Michael J Fox had a short run in film. Outside of the BTTF series he only made three good but none of them great movies that were box office hits. During that run he gave his best film performance in Casualties of War.

I think returning to a syndicated sitcom and that becoming a hit series tainted his acting legacy more than anything else because it'll be what he's remembered for especially by the younger generation.

 

Spoiler

not primarily an actor (unless you liked 'gang related' lol...), but this was one of the first names that came to mind when reading the question. he's not mainstream 'white america' like monroe and elvis, but he's definitely one of the most significant cultural icons in american history.

 

In that case...

Spoiler

 

She had lost her luster well before dying. She was a b & C movie actress by the time she was killed....so, I guess your right..she would've been a washed-up has been if she lived much longer.

on the flip side her daughter has had a nice long run on Law & Order SVU.

 

Dying young is probably more important to actresses in this regard than actors. There are plenty of actors who have gotten old and fat and still have appeal, and are even considered sexy. There aren't many actresses that can pull that off. I tougher list might be women who solidified their legend despite getting old.

 

"Your world freights and confuses me."

One of the best ever on SNL IMO, it still irritates me that everyone talks of Farley and how big of a loss to the comedy world he was yet these same people never mention the bigger loss in Hartman..

 

As big of a fan of The Godfather series as I am, I never knew he died. There is a documentary coming out about him on HBO sometime this year called, "I Knew It Was You". He was quite an accomplished actor and was engaged to Meryl Streep.

 

I wonder what the legacy of News Radio would have been had Hartman lived on. He was one of the best on a fantastic show that went into the crapper after he was gone.

 

A singer first, but an actor later, solid BOX-OFFICE smash hit megastar:

In that case...

Spoiler

What about that guy who did THE CROW?

 

Same could be said for the Simpsons. Thank goodness they didn't try to find someone else to do the voice for Troy McClure. When Hartman died, all his characters went with him. Loved it.

 

No disrespect to the Dead but . .. I don't see it

Rocket River

 

Hartman also would have been Zapp Brannigan in Futurama, which would have made Futurama that much more awesome.

I miss Phil every day

 

PHIL HARTMAN's best character was ALL OF THEM. I enjoyed the Bill Clinton in McDonald's one in SNL.

I don't see it either. Respect for his death from me, as well... but... I don't think people were calling him a great actor until after he passed away.

 

Not an actor, but-

Bob Marley

 

That's the thing... we will never know. I do remember that there were rumors trickling around before his death that his Joker would be something special, and these of course only magnified after it.

Dead or alive, Ledger's joker is an incredible acting performace. It was just incredible to watch all the nuances he threw in. It is truly a shame that we will never know if he really had emerged into one of the all-time greats, or if this was just a "one character wonder," if you will.