The easiest ticket to immortality for the modern celebrity seems to be an untimely death. Ask James Dean fans whether they care that he only starred in three feature films before his death. Or what Anna Nicole Smith was famous for, for that matter. Here are seven celebrities who died before their time, some reaching iconic status, some serving as cautionary tales, and others becoming a source of fascination.
Anna Nicole Smith
Former Playmate of the Year, Smith attracted a lot of attention when she married the oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall, 63 years older than her. Smith was basically a white trash it-girl, famous for being famous. She was found dead in a hotel in Hollywood on Feb. 8, 2007 at the age of 39. The cause of her death is still undetermined, presumably a lethal combination of prescription drugs.
James Dean
Having died in a high-speed car accident on Sep. 30, 1955 at the age of 24, James Dean soon gained an iconic status, with only three feature films under his name. His troubled rebel persona in Rebel Without a Cause and the loner in East of Eden reinforced the image of an evocative, brooding actor.
