They Left Us Too Soon: 11 Child Stars You Didn’t Know Had Died

They could have had great careers ahead of them—but these former child stars were not granted long lives. Some were overwhelmed by early fame, while others were cut down by tragic events. Did you know that these child stars are already dead?

Cameron Boyce began his career as a child star and became the idol of an entire generation through Disney productions such as “Jessie” and “Descendants.” Millions of fans loved him for his talent and charm. In 2019, he was on the verge of reinventing himself with more challenging roles. But on July 6 of that same year, he died completely unexpectedly at the age of just 20 as a result of an epileptic seizure. His sudden death deeply shook the entertainment world. In his memory, his family established the Cameron Boyce Foundation, which carries on his social activism and advocates for important social issues.

Former Disney star Lee Thompson Young, best known for his roles in series such as “The Famous Jett Jackson” and “Rizzoli & Isles,” died on August 19, 2013, at his apartment in North Hollywood. He was only 29 years old.

Brad Renfro rose to fame at just 11 years old with his role in the movie "The Client" and later starred in Disney’s "Tom and Huck". Despite his early success, his life took a tragic turn: he became involved in the drug scene at a young age. In 2008, he died of a heroin overdose at the age of just 25.

Dana Plato made her big breakthrough as "Kimberly Drummond" in the series "Diff'rent Strokes," in which she starred from 1978 to 1986. Dana Plato died on May 8, 1999, at the age of 34 in Oklahoma from what is believed to have been a self-inflicted overdose of prescription medications.

Jonathan Brandis was considered a promising talent in Hollywood and could have had a great career ahead of him. But his life came to a tragic end in 2003—at the age of just 27, the actor, best known for his role in "The Neverending Story", took his own life.

Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten were already appearing on camera for the hit series “Everybody Loves Raymond” before their first birthday. They grew up together as child stars. But behind the early fame, there were apparently also dark sides: At the age of just 19, Sawyer took his own life. His family believes he suffered from depression.

Skye McCole Bartusiak became known for her role as Susan Martin in "The Patriot", in which she starred alongside Mel Gibson in 2000—at the time, she was just eight years old. She was considered a promising young actress in Hollywood from an early age. On July 19, 2014, she was found dead at the age of just 21.

Aaron Carter caused widespread shock in November 2022 when he died unexpectedly at the age of just 34. According to the U.S. website TMZ, the former teen star was found unresponsive in his home. Cans of compressed air and prescription medications were discovered in his living area—it was initially unclear whether these were related to his death.

Heather O’Rourke rose to fame for her role in the horror film "Poltergeist" and was considered one of the most promising young actresses of her time. A few years after the film’s success, the actress—who had been discovered by Steven Spielberg—tragically passed away at the age of just twelve. She suffered a severe intestinal obstruction and died during emergency surgery.