Child Stars Who Died Too Soon
This article was published after Gary Coleman's death. It can be considered the sad counterpart to our earlier post on Child Stars Who Made It, which was published after Corey Haim's death. With each list, only the actresses are included.
Dana Plato. Dana's death often serves as a touchstone for the tragic deaths of other child stars who fell from grace. Like her Diff'rent Strokes co-star Gary Coleman, the young actress saw her career fizzle after the hit show ended. She resorted to doing pornography and even infamously robbed a convenience store. In 1999, she committed suicide. She was 34.
Bridgette Andersen in her child-star-making role, Savannah Smiles
Brigette Andersen. Like most child stars on this list, the adorable little girl from Savannah Smiles began abusing drugs and alcohol while still in her teens. As she grew older and had more trouble finding roles, Brigette became addicted to heroin. In 1997, she died of an accidental overdose. She was 21.
Anissa Jones. As pig-tailed Buffy from Family Affair, Anissa saw her career skyrocket thanks to the hit show. But like many sitcom child stars -- see Maureen McCormick and Jodie Sweetin -- she fell fast and hard after the show was canceled. In 1976, she died from an apparent accidental overdose. She was 18.
Judy Garland. Screen legend Judy started acting at age 7, but she shot to superstar status with The Wizard of Oz when she was just 16. As an adult, Judy struggled with massive drug and alcohol addiction and even attempted suicide. In 1969, she died from an apparent accidental overdose in her apartment. She was 47.