Hollywood adores a fairy tale—red carpets, popping cameras, and childhood fantasies fulfilled. But for others of these young stars, fame was bought and paid for at a steep cost. Behind the posed happy publicity pictures are tales of burnout, exploitation, and broken hearts. These aren’t merely tabloid headlines—they’re a reminder of how perilous life in the limelight can be for children. Here’s a flashback look at 10 child stars whose lives were cut tragically short, and what their lives tell us about the real cost of acting up on screen.
10. Judy Garland
Before she was a Hollywood icon, Judy Garland was just a teen with incredible talent. MGM signed her up young, but the demands of the studio were merciless. Executives forced her to keep up a certain image, even going so far as to give her amphetamines to keep her awake and barbiturates to sleep. The pattern fueled a lifelong war with addiction and depression. Though her legendary performances in The Wizard of Oz and A Star Is Born remain beyond forgetfulness, Garland’s demons never ceased. She overdosed at age 47, leaving behind a tangled legacy of genius and sorrow.
9. Bobby Driscoll
Disney’s golden boy, Bobby Driscoll, was the voice of Peter Pan and appeared in classics such as Song of the South and Treasure Island. But as adolescence struck, Disney dropped him, and the work disappeared. Lonely and addicted, Driscoll’s life unraveled. He died at 31 in an abandoned building, his body unidentified for more than a year before it was placed in a pauper’s grave.
8. Judith Barsi
Audiences knew Judith Barsi’s sweet voice from The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven, but behind the scenes, her life was far from innocent. Her father’s abuse escalated as her career flourished, and despite warnings to authorities, tragedy struck. In 1988, he killed Judith and her mother before taking his own life. Friends later recalled her saying, “I’m afraid to go home. My daddy’s drunk every day, and I know he wants to kill my mother.” Her tale remains one of Hollywood’s darkest cautionary stories.
7. Heather O’Rourke
The wide-eyed star of the Poltergeist franchise, Heather O’Rourke, passed away suddenly at age 12. She had been misdiagnosed with Crohn’s disease and developed complications from intestinal stenosis that were fatal. The fans were heartbroken, not only due to her tender age but also because she had been such a lively presence on and off the set. Throughout her brief career, she was nominated for six Young Artist Awards and took home one award for her performance in Webster.
6. Sawyer Sweeten
As Everybody Loves Raymond’s Geoffrey Barone, Sawyer Sweeten grew up in front of audiences of millions alongside real-life siblings. Life after the show, however, was tough. In 2015, on the eve of his 20th birthday, Sweeten took his own life while on a visit with family in Texas. His sister Madylin remembered him as a person who always had something nice to say to others.
5. Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman’s one-liners and catchphrase, “What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” made him a pop culture phenomenon on Diff’rent Strokes. Fame, however, didn’t shield him from decades of illness issues, typecasting, and financial abuse by his adoptive parents. Courtroom dramas and bankruptcy ensued. Coleman passed away at 42 due to complications from a fall, and his narrative forced the industry to examine how it treats child stars when the cameras are no longer rolling.
4. River Phoenix
River Phoenix was a late ’80s and early ’90s breakout star, starring in Stand By Me, Running on Empty, and My Own Private Idaho. Admired for his emotional range, Phoenix was regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation. Off-screen, however, he struggled with addiction. In 1993, he overdosed on drugs outside The Viper Room at 23. His passing shook Hollywood—and his family. Brother Joaquin later named his son after him.
3. Brad Renfro
Found at 10 and acting in The Client, Brad Renfro was born to work for decades. Instead, his adolescence was beset by legal problems and a penchant for drugs. Although he attempted to quit, Renfro died in 2008 of an accidental overdose of heroin and morphine at age 25. He once said to People, “I’m glad I got arrested, because it taught me a lot,” but the lesson was too late.
2. Anton Yelchin
Anton Yelchin was only an infant when his family immigrated from Russia to Los Angeles, where he quickly established himself in Alpha Dog, Charlie Bartlett, and as Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek. Just 27 years old, his life was tragically cut short in a freak accident when his car reversed over him, pinning him against a gate. Co-star Felicity Jones described him as “one of the kindest and most talented” people she’d ever worked with.
1. Cameron Boyce
Disney darling Cameron Boyce brightened up the screens in Jessie and Descendants movies. He passed away in 2019 at age 20 in his sleep due to complications from epilepsy. His family launched the Cameron Boyce Foundation to support epilepsy research and causes he held dear. “The world is now irrevocably without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will endure,” they said.
Hollywood has gradually added greater child labor protections, mental health support, and regulations for child actors over the decades. Yet as these tales illustrate, stardom remains a heavy burden to bear—particularly for children. Their legacies are not only their performances but also the continued efforts to ensure the industry is a safer, gentler world for its youngest stars.