Though it thankfully happens rarely, sometimes the cinema’s most beloved actors hit some unfortunate luck and are taken too soon.

Heath Ledger was the most recent star who passed away before fulfilling his prime. He was  unavailable to witness one of his greatest performances, the Joker in The Dark Knight. 

Kindly take a moment and pay respects to ten stars who died before their big movies were released in theaters.

Please leave anyone overlooked in the comments. 

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Anna Nicole Smith Death Remembered Five Years Later
This week marks five years since model and actress Anna Nicole Smith died of an overdose in a Florida hotel. On Feb. 8, 2007, the "Anna Nicole Smith Show" star died at age 39. Playboy's 1993 Playmate of the Year died in room 607 in Hollywood, Florida, at ...