10 Former Child Stars Who Died Far Too Young

River Phoenix started acting in TV commercials at age 10 before moving on to more mature roles in films like Stand by Me and Running on Empty, which earned him an Oscar nomination. He quickly became a teen idol, with acclaimed roles in blockbusters like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and indie films like My Own Private Idaho. In October 1993, he collapsed on the sidewalk outside The Viper Room nightclub in Hollywood and was pronounced dead at the hospital. His autopsy found acute levels of cocaine and morphine, and his death was ruled an accidental overdose.

Carl Switzer was another Our Gang actor on our list. As the popular character Alfalfa, he quickly became the best-known face of the series. Behind the scenes, however, he developed a reputation as difficult on set. After his contract ended at 12, he took supporting roles in films like It's a Wonderful Life, but found it increasingly hard to land substantial parts. In 1959, Switzer was shot during an argument over a reward for finding a lost dog. He is one of several bizarre deaths linked to Our Gang alumni, which the media dubbed 'The Our Gang Curse'.

J. Madison Wright Morris began acting at age 10 on the science fiction TV show Earth 2. Although she had a steady career, she decided to leave Hollywood and return to her hometown. Shortly afterward she suffered severe bouts of pneumonia and was diagnosed with a condition requiring a heart transplant. In July 2006 she got married, and a day later she died of a heart attack at just 21.

Norman Chaney is known for his role in 19 Our Gang comedies, where he played the character Chubby. After his contract ended he returned to his hometown of Baltimore, where he continued to gain weight. He was diagnosed with a glandular disorder and died at age 21 of complications related to an inflammation of his heart.

Lucille Ricksen was a silent film star of the 1920s who began her career as a model and actress at age 4. She quickly became famous, starring in long-running series like The Adventures of Edgar Pomeroy. Despite often playing characters older than herself, she was praised for handling adult themes. In 1924 she fell ill while filming opposite Sydney Chaplin, was diagnosed with tuberculosis and died at just 14. Her death became an example of child actors being overworked by parents exploiting their talent.

Brad Renfro made his acting debut at 11 in Joel Schumacher's The Client, based on John Grisham's novel and one of the highest-grossing films of 1994. He was seen as one of Hollywood's rising child stars. However, Renfro began struggling with addiction from the age of 15 and was arrested repeatedly for offenses ranging from drug possession to theft and public intoxication. In January 2008 he was found dead in his apartment; his death was ruled an accident caused by acute heroin and morphine intoxication.

Disney star Bobby Driscoll appeared in some of the studio's most popular live-action films of the 1940s and 50s, including Song of the South and Treasure Island, and was the voice and animation model for Peter Pan. In the mid-50s his career declined sharply because studios couldn't shake his 'Disney kid' image. He became heavily involved with drugs and served time in rehab. Shortly before his 31st birthday, his body was found in an abandoned building in New York. It went unclaimed and he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave.

Anissa Jones became a popular child star when she was cast as Buffy in the CBS sitcom Family Affair in 1966. After 5 seasons and 138 episodes, the show was canceled in 1971. Jones auditioned for major dramatic roles, including the lead in The Exorcist, but many directors felt audiences couldn't separate her from Buffy. She left the industry in 1975 and was found dead a year later at just 18. An autopsy revealed high concentrations of cocaine, PCP and sedatives, and her death was ruled an accidental overdose.

Lee Thompson Young started his career in 1998 with the title role in the Disney TV show The Famous Jett Jackson. After it ended, he found further success in the acclaimed sports drama Friday Night Lights and appeared in shows like Smallville, Scrubs and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles before landing a lead role in Rizzoli & Isles. In the summer of 2013 he failed to show up for filming, and police found he had taken his own life. He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered from severe depression.

English actor Rob Knox started acting at 11 and appeared on TV before being cast as Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He never got to enjoy the success of this breakthrough role: in May 2008 he was stabbed and killed outside a bar when he stepped in to protect his younger brother. The film was released posthumously, and the character was not recast for the final Harry Potter films.