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Death is tragic, whether or not the person who died was a friend, acquaintance, or someone who made us laugh and cry on a movie screen. I have been affected personally by the deaths of several movie stars over the years, either because I loved their work and would miss being entertained by them, or because their death came too soon.

One of the most recent movie star deaths that affected me deeply was Heath Ledger's tragic death due to an accidental overdose of varied drugs. I remember the first time I saw Heath in the movie Ten Things I Hate About You. Aside from the fact that I thought he was adorable, I was so impressed with the talent he possessed and was certain he would become a star, one day able to compete with the likes of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Heath proved me and many others right with brilliant performances in Brokeback Mountain, Monster's Ball, and his Oscar winning turn as the Joker in the latest Batman movie. Heath's death was tragic and senseless and he will be missed.

I remember when I heard that John Ritter had died. It was one of those things that came so unexpectedly and out of the blue and made no sense to anyone, including me. He was young with a beautiful wife and daughter and still at the top of his game in his career with the success of his new show, "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter". I grew up watching John Ritter on television and his death brought sadness to me, as well as to many of his other fans.

River Phoenix died in the prime of his life and his career. He is one actor that I will always feel sad when thinking about, as I wonder what went through his head as he took the drugs that would ultimately end his life. River no doubt had a successful career ahead of him, but as with many young celebrities who become too famous too fast, he had no idea how to deal with his success and most likely felt drugs was the only way to cope.

Some of the best comedic talents of our time came from the hit late night sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, some of the most tragic deaths of movie stars and celebrities have also been associated with the show. Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Phil Hartman, and John Candy; all actors who got their start on SNL, met tragic and untimely deaths and have been missed by many fans, me included. Although I had a great fondness for each of these talented actors and comics, the SNL comedian I miss the most is Chris Farley.

Chris had an incredible sense of humor, and he never failed to make me laugh out loud. He made fun of himself and his shortcomings, and he did it with a charm and style that was not expected of him. To this day, every time I think of "A van down by the river", I laugh, even if it's just a random thought in my head. Chris Farley died way too young of a drug overdose that reflected a life of over indulgence in almost every aspect. I miss his humor and his humility and am sorry I did not get to see him join the ranks of Will Ferrell and Bill Murray as one of the greatest comedians to come out of SNL, as I'm sure he would have been.

Death is painful and death is tragic. Death is inevitable, even for movie stars, who often seem larger than life. There are those who wonder how people can be so affected by the death of someone they don't know. We do know them, though. We see them every day on television and in movies. We hear about their lives on the news and in magazines so often that we come to care about what happens to them, and this means grieving their deaths as we would grieve for a friend. There are celebrities that I grieved for, but am glad I was able to enjoy their talents for even a short time, as well as thankful that I can still enjoy their best work on the small and big screen.

Learn more about this author, Debbie N.
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