Former Child Stars You May Not Know Passed Away

Getting into acting is already one of the most competitive career fields imaginable, with every aspiring performer needing a mix of raw talent and a dose of good luck to make it in Hollywood. It can be even more challenging for child actors, who must navigate the complicated and sometimes dangerous entertainment world with a developing mind. As such, the field of young performing artists has gained an unsavory reputation over time, credited with burning out some of the brightest stars before their time.

Unfortunately, many former child actors are no longer with us. For some, it was a medical condition that eventually became unmanageable, while for others their deaths occurred under far more preventable circumstances. You may recognize them better by either their work or by their name, but at least a few are sure to surprise you. So below, we'll be remembering some of the most famous former child stars you may not know passed away.

Skye Bartusiak began her acting career at 6 years old in the three-part television adaptation of Stephen King's "Storm of the Century" in 1999. A year later, she was part of high-profile projects on the small screen with minor roles in "Frasier" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." That same year Bartusiak starred in the Mel Gibson-led war drama "The Patriot," where she played Susan Martin, the youngest of the revolutionaries' daughters. Two years later she'd return with a memorable role in the Kiefer Sutherland-led drama series "24," where she played Megan Matheson.

Most of Bartusiak's most memorable performances were all when she was very young, as her career was tragically cut short in 2014. The actor had suffered from intermittent seizures since birth, and they returned days before she was found unresponsive in her family's home on July 19. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her and she regrettably passed away at the age of 21 in her hometown of Houston, Texas. Speaking to CNN, Bartusiak's mother stated that the paramedics "were working on her for 45 minutes and could not get a heartbeat," before adding that "the girl has lived such an amazing life." Painfully, it was later uncovered that the seizures were not the cause of death as originally thought, but instead, it was an accidental overdose (per The Hollywood Reporter).

By the time he was 4 years old, Austin Majors had already achieved fame as a child star in the hit series "NYPD Blue", where he played Theo, the son of Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). While working on the police procedural show, Majors was also cast to provide the voice of a younger Jim in the 2002 Disney film "Treasure Planet." The actor would go on to appear in one-off episodes of "ER" and "NCIS," before experiencing a career slowdown and departure from acting by the end of the '00s.

Unfortunately, it seems that things got worse for Majors after his on-screen career ended, and he wound up in the throes of substance abuse. In a story that's tragically seen far too often in the world of show business, the former "NYPD Blue" star was found dead on February 11, 2023, with major news outlets reporting that the cause of death was a fentanyl overdose. While not the youngest star to die before their time, Major's death — at the age of 27 — still underscores how serious the issue of drug abuse can be in this industry.

It's a rare achievement for actors to land a hit on their very first theatrical outing, but Brad Renfro did just that at the age of 12. Renfro starred in "The Client" in 1994 alongside legendary actors Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was a certified success, and his acting career quickly skyrocketed from there. He found himself cast in similar dramas, and the young star took on lead roles in "The Cure," "Tom and Huck," and "Apt Pupil."

Unfortunately, the flurry of stardom had disastrous effects on Renfro, who wasn't even a teenager by the time he became famous. Halfway through his career, and after a number of appearances on the wrong side of the law, it was clear that the then-teenaged actor was already caught up in drugs — which would prove to be his tragic undoing. In the early hours of January 15, 2008, at the age of 25, Renfro was found dead in a Los Angeles apartment, in what was later ruled an accidental overdose by way of heroin intoxication (per the Los Angeles Times).

Though her career as an actor may not include titles as recognizable as a few of our previous entries, Ashleigh Moore still carved out a comfortable niche during her time on set. First appearing on the children's adventure series "The Odyssey" as the companion to series lead Keith (Tony Sampson), she went on to appear in a handful of television films such as "Liar, Liar," and "Family of Strangers." Finally, in 1995, Moore landed her first theatrical release with "Now and Then," where she played the younger Chrissy Dewitt, one of four friends who return to their old stomping grounds of Shelby, Indiana.

Despite a promising start to her career as an actress, Moore had effectively quit acting by the turn of the millennium. Sadly, nearly a decade after vanishing from the spotlight, her life was cut short on December 10, 2007, resulting from a fatal overdose of heroin. The former child star was just 26 years old at the time of her death.

Though her time as an actor came to a premature end, Judith Barsi was still a part of some noteworthy projects. On the live-action side, she most famously starred as the young Thea Brody in 1987's "Jaws: The Revenge." She did some work in animation as well, voicing Ducky in "The Land Before Time" and Anne-Marie in the film "All Dogs Go to Heaven," her final role. Additionally, she appeared in a handful of television episodes, playing Bertie in an episode of the 1985 "Twilight Zone" revival and a younger version of Tracy Gold's Carol in two episodes of "Growing Pains."

One of the most painful deaths, Judith Barsi was sadly a victim of a violent murder-suicide on July 25, 1988, at the age of 10. Worse still, it was at the hands of her own father, who ended the lives of his wife and child before his own. In light of the horrific incident, details emerged that revealed her home had been a place of abuse for years, straining her parents' relationship before that terrible night.

Over the nearly 10 years it was on the air, "Everybody Loves Raymond" managed to rise above the competitive genre of sitcoms that existed at the time. Climbing to over 22 million viewers by the turn of the millennium, there's no arguing that the series was a hit. The sitcom revolves around Raymond Barone (Ray Romano), a Long Island sportswriter who tries to keep both his career and burdensome family down the street in check. Among the loveable cast was Sawyer Sweeten, who portrayed Raymond's nephew Geoffrey Barone across all nine seasons. Though "Everybody Loves Raymond" was easily the most iconic entry in his brief career, he also starred in a single episode of "Even Stevens," and portrayed a younger version of Frank in the 2002 comedy "Frank McKlusky, C.I."

A decade after "Everybody Loves Raymond" came to a close, Sweeten tragically died by suicide on April 23, 2015, at 19 years old. In the days after the shocking news broke, his family opened up on what may have contributed to his untimely passing, with his aunt Jacklyn telling The Daily Mail, "There is a history of depression in the family, all through. Many of them are on medication for depression." Since then, a pair of theaters in Los Angeles have been renovated and dedicated as a tribute to the late child star (via People).

Born in 1947, Rusty Hamer found his way to his most recognizable role almost from the start. At the age of 6, he landed a role on "The Danny Thomas Show," which may be remembered by some viewers by its alternate title "Make Room for Daddy" before its fourth season rebrand. As traditional an American sitcom as they come, the long-running series saw entertainer Danny Thomas take on the role of Danny Williams, a New York performer who tries to balance his career in show business with his family back at home. Hamer starred as the Williams' son Rusty for all 11 seasons, and later he'd return for the continuation "Make Room for Granddaddy" in 1970. 

After the series ended for good in 1971, Hamer would retire from acting at 24 years old. Years later, and after effectively vanishing from any media coverage, Hamer was sadly found dead at the age of 42 by his brother John Hamer from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on January 18, 1990. As relayed by the Los Angeles Times, while still reeling from the loss, his brother stated that Hamer, "didn't show any signs of this happening. It was just all of a sudden." He would go on to speculate that the stressors of being a young actor may have contributed to Rusty's troubles in adulthood, which at the time weren't as recognized as today.

Though he began his acting career at the age of 9 — starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland in the 2008 horror flick "Mirrors" — it would take a few years for Cameron Boyce to truly make a name for himself. By 2010 he had a supporting role in the irreverent Adam Sandler-led comedy "Grown Ups," as well as its sequel "Grown Ups 2." On the television side, he'd see greater success, with a main role in the Disney series "Jessie" for four years as Luke Ross. He'd later star as Conor in the Disney XD series "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything," and play Carlos in the "Descendants" series of Disney television movies.

By the time he turned 18, Cameron Boyce had made quite a name for himself as an accomplished performer, but his time as an actor would soon come to a close long before it should have. On July 6, 2019, shortly after turning 20 years old — and in what was revealed to be the unfortunate conclusion to a long history of medical issues — Boyce died in his sleep after suffering a sudden epileptic seizure. 

Any child of the '90s likely grew up watching episodes of "Saved by the Bell" and likewise can probably remember the character of Samuel "Screech" Powers. The high school sitcom saw the oddball Screech and the rest of his classmates trying to survive the day-to-day happenings of the fictional Bayside High. While the 12 years he spent as Screech meant that any other role would be untouchable in terms of pop culture impact, Diamond also appeared in episodes of "The Wonder Years." After his time on "Saved by the Bell" came to a close, Diamond gravitated towards projects that embraced his status as a former child star, with minor roles playing himself in films like "Big Fat Liar" and "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

In January 2021, Diamond had recently turned 44 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. The beloved '90s star immediately began treatment for the disease, including a round of chemotherapy, but on February 1, 2021, he lost the fight against the disease within just several weeks of his diagnosis. While reflecting on the late actor's life and sudden death to CNN, his former manager Roger Paul stated, "Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful."

Arriving in theaters in 1964 and going on to dominate that year's domestic box office, "Mary Poppins" has since become one of the most recognizable titles ever produced by Disney which, considering their extensive catalog, is truly impressive. The musical tale begins when a nanny skips out on the job of watching a pair of mischievous children, Michael (Matthew Garber) and Jane (Karen Dotrice), only for them to be visited by a mysterious woman who flies in on a magic umbrella.

One of just three films that Garber starred in, it goes without saying that his role in "Mary Poppins" was his most acclaimed and memorable, shouldered by appearances in "The Three Lives of Thomasina" and "The Gnome-Mobile." Sometime after his career as an actor ended, however, an adult Garber found himself in India. While abroad, the former "Mary Poppins" star contracted hepatitis, which ultimately led to his death at the age of 21 on June 13, 1977.

After just a year of acting, Adam Rich landed the role that would make him famous at the age of 8. Starring as Nicholas in the comedy-drama series "Eight is Enough," the show saw stressed-out parents Tom (Dick Van Patten) and Joan Bradford (Diana Hyland) tackling a life with eight children, Rich also starred in plenty more projects through the decade. Episodes of "CHiPs," a lead role in "Code Red," and voiceover work on the "Dungeons & Dragons" animated series all meant that the young actor managed to keep busy.

As we've seen, it can be difficult for child stars to continue the successes of their youth into adulthood, which rang true for Adam Rich. After the '80s, he made an appearance in a single episode of "Baywatch," before almost completely retiring. In 2003, he was another actor who made a guest appearance in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," which would wind up being the last time the "Eight is Enough" star would be in front of the camera. Unfortunately, he wound up on the wrong side of the law, with a pair of arrests in 1991 and 2002, as well as entering into rehabilitation for drug addiction. Nearly 20 years later, and at the age of 54, Rich suffered an overdose after using Fentanyl that proved fatal on January 7, 2023.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, may be the victim of abuse, or is having suicidal thoughts, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

• Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.