Tragic Hollywood Tales

Do you ever think back on your life and wonder, “What could have been?”  Do you ever live with regrets over choices you made that seemed like a good idea at the time?  Do you ever think about the choices you made that looking back, could have been life or death situations?  Do you ever wonder why your youthful goals for yourself were so shallow and non-reaching?  I do.  A lot.  In fact, I remember in my early 20’s wanting to be the girl that rubbed baby oil on the body builder’s before they stepped out on the stage to compete.  Nothing shallow about that.  Yep, quite the deep thinker.  I’ve come a long way since then, or so I like to believe.

It seems that every day on the news we hear about another member of the Hollywood crowd making horrible choices.  Life and death choices.  Their choices not only affect their lives and the lives of their friends and family, but it also effects the fans.  We build our own “relationship” with these people.  We invite them into our homes via television, we pay hard earned dollars to go to a movie to see our favorites act.  Some of us take it further than others, but we are all fans none the less.  Whether their choices are private, and become public, or public from the start we movie fans are affected.   That being said, I felt that a list of Hollywood folks who made bad choices that altered their path, ended their lives or the lives of others, would be fitting in light of the news over the last few years.  We all make bad choices, and thankfully, mine won’t be in the 5:00 news.

 Natalie Wood– The star of Splendor in the Grass, Miracle on 34th Street, West Side Story, and Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice.  She was married to Robert Wagner.  She tragically drowned  after falling overboard while either trying to board a dingy or trying to tie it up to keep it from knocking against the boat, aptly named Splendor.  The beautiful actress and star since childhood had been drinking on the night of her death.  Did that choice hinder her ability to climb into the dingy after she went overboard?  Whatever the tragic accident was, her choice to drink that night could very well have cost her her life.  We will never know what else this beauty had within her.

Charlie Sheen-My first instinct is to say, who gives a crap.  However, judging by the fan base of Two and a Half Men, there are many people who do give a crap.   This star of Platoon, Wall Street,Young Guns and Major League, has given us some stellar performances, however, his performance of late is less stellar and more startling.  That said, whether you are a fan or not, Charlie Sheen is not making the best choices for his life, his health or his career.  Nevermind the children he has seemingly impulsively fathered.  This man is on a fast train to AnnaNicoleSmith-ville.

Heath Ledger-Speaking of AnnaNicoleSmith-ville.  I had no idea that Heath Ledger was even doing drugs.  He seemed to be at the top of his game.  His role in Batman would have launched him even further up the success ladder.  My particular favorites, The Patriot and A Knights Tale, were two great roles in his career.  Okay, okay, there is also that little film called Brokeback Mountain, and his performance was very believable, but what can I say, I’m a girl who appreciates hot guys, and that is not exactly the way I wanted to imagine my hot guy.  There I said it and I don’t care who knows.

Michael Jackson–  We will never know the inner demons that Michael Jackson may have had.  Those demons that caused him to change his appearance so drastically that if you didn’t know who he was from his childhood photos, you would not think they were the same person.  Whatever abuse he may have suffered at the hands of his father, or other business people he may have been around, he had enough self-loathing to go from a once handsome young man to a freak show.  This in no way diminished his genious.  The man was beyond gifted.   His musical genious will live forever, of that we can be certain.

Marilyn Monroe-Okay, I will give her the tiara for Queen of picking the wrong guy…I’m a perfect judge as I have mastered the art.  The difference is that she is one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the silver screen.  She starred in Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a Millionairre.  Unfortunately, she was plagued with problems from the start, her childhood was miserable with her mother having mental problems and her foster fathers and brothers making sexual advances towards her.  Her only period of a stable childhood was brief at best.  Her choices in men were questionable.  Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, John F. Kennedy to name a few.  She didn’t have a chance.  Whether there was foul play involved or whether her inner turmoil finally took it’s toll, she died of an overdose and we lost a treasure.  Goodbye Norma Jean.

John Belushi-Original cast member of Saturday Night Live, and star of Animal House and Blues Brothers.  Brother of Jim Belushi, who hasn’t seemed to fall into his brother’s chosen path.  Those who love him are devoted and faithful.  It is said he did his best in the SNL days to sabatoge any hope of the women writers for having their work make it on the show.  He is quoted as saying “Women are fundamentally not funny.”  I suppose he never met Lucille Ball.  For all intents and purposes, he always seemed like a heart attack waiting to happen, in my opinion.  It came as no surprise that he died of a drug overdose.  He was the king of excess in seemingly everything.   Over-eating, over-acting and over-dosing.  A wasted life of what could have been a long and legendary career.   And can you say John Candy as Honorable Mention?

William Holden-He will always be that gorgeous hunk of man in my favorite I love Lucy episode.  Lucy, Fred and Ethel go to the Brown Derby to see a movie star…Holden sits in the next booth.  A series of funny incidents leaves Holden wearing his lunch and Lucy slinking out of the restaurant.  Later Ricky wants to surprise Lucy by bringing home a real movie star, to Lucy’s horror, it’s Holden.  Her attempt to disguise herself with a clay nose ends up with her nose on fire and being put out in her coffee.  Holden was the real McCoy, a genuine movie star of old.  His drop dead gorgeous good looks had him playing lead to the most beautiful Hollywood actresses.  Unfortunately, he was also an alcoholic.  He gets completely wasted, and trips on a throw rug near his bed, hits his head on an end table, thereby cutting his head open and tragically bled to death on the floor.  A horrible ending to a beautiful man, obviously haunted by his own inner demons.  A testament to the fact that all that glitters is not gold.

OJ Simpson-He was a good-looking guy and an incredible athelete.  Unfortunately, somewhere along the way he began to believe the hype and that he was untouchable.  He slaughtered two people in cold blood and got away with it.  He writes a book titled, “If I Did It” that accurately describes his crimes.  He then decides to rob people at gun point to get his memorabilia back.  Fortunately he is behind bars.  I think most of us can look into those cold unfeeling eyes and  know that this man, who had everything, and could have had an amazing life and career, threw it all way over his blinding jealousy and greed.

Mel Gibson-Between The Patriot, Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ, and this incredibly hot photo of him, I will always be a fan of Mel Gibson’s.  He is an incredible actor and visionary and his work absolutely moves me.  However!!  His personal beliefs and choices turn my stomach.  If everything that has been reported in the police reports is true from traffic stops to messages left on his ex-wife’s answering machine, then Mel has serious issues that would require professional help.  I don’t know if it is as simple as anger management, or digging deeper into the alleged racism of his father, but I can only hope that he will seek help, for the alcohol and for his anger.  Both of them can consume, and I don’t want to see this man go down like so many others have.

Judy Garland-Truly one of the greatest voices to ever grace a movie screen or stage.  Judy Garland was a star for 45 of her 47 years.  Haven’t we all sung her iconic hit, “Over the Rainbow” at some point in our lives?  I would also guess that it would be a huge challenge to find someone who has NOT seen The Wizard of Oz.  Judy appeared in over 30 movies in addition to Oz.  She suffered from insecurities, and self-doubt, and it is no wonder.  It is reported that MGM head Louis B. Mayer referred to her as Little Hunchback.  What an a__hole!!  No little girl should be treated that way, and certainly not a little girl that made him boat loads of money.  She made one movie after another and was given drugs to help her keep up her schedule, which led to a lifelong struggle with addiction.   She also struggled with financial problems.   Her story is a perfect example of how you treat others can affect them for a lifetime.  She could have given us so much more, and oh how I wish she had, but sadly, she overdosed on drugs at the young age of 47.  Beyond a waste, if only he had told her she was precious…what sort of difference could that have made.

Elvis Presley-Star of 31 movies, and whether you thought he could act or not, his movies made millions.  He had talent, charm, charisma, and that good old southern boy aww shucks attitude, coupled with drop dead gorgeous good looks.  Honey hush your mouth!!!  I have many wonderful memories tied to Elvis, and his movies.  I grew up 2 hours from Graceland and have visited several times.  But with all of his gifts, he made many choices that led to his demise.  That is including but not limited to fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches.   He used drugs to go to sleep, he then needed drugs to wake up.  The combination of the massive drug abuse and poor eating habits, hell, poor everything habits, Elvis Presley died.  His body had enough of the abuse and just quit on him.  I remember August 16, 1977 like it was yesterday.  My dad walked into my room and said, “Sissy, Elvis died today.”  I sat there, at 13 years old and wondered why someone didn’t love him enough to help him.  Later why they didn’t love him enough to “just say no”.   Elvis Presley, dead at 43 years old.  My father, dead at 43 only 6 months later.  Sucks.  43 is too damn young for someone to die.  But for the King of Rock and Roll, we will forever be left wondering if he had made a few different choices would he still be with us.  Elvis is probably the King of this list of tragedies for me.  The King of making wrong choices, and the King of leaving us desperately wanting so very much more.

None of them had to die.  Their choices or choices by people close to them led to their deaths.  This is just a sample.  There are many others that have touched your life in some way.  Who are they?