Click to play videoNew Delhi: 28-year-old Oscar nominated actor Heath Ledger's untimely death suspected to be due to a drug overdose, seems to be yet another tragic instance where the stars of showbiz live fast, only to die young.
James Dean who battled alcoholism and depression before recklessly driving to his death at 24 immortalised his star status as the rebel without a cause. Or, like the original candle in the wind, Marilyn Monroe, whose mysterious death in her LA apartment still raises whispers of conspiracies many decades later.
Even for those who don't play the celeb game, dying young only seals their celebrity.
Hollywood will always remember River Phoenix as one of their most talented hopes.His death at 23 from a drug overdose outside the Viper Room came as a shock for the industry, which saw him as their new star after crictically acclaimed performances in films like My own Private Idaho and Running on Empty.
Showbiz lost yet another talent when rock icon Kurt Cobain took his own life at 27 after battling drug addiction and depression. Cobain, widely seen as the musical spokesperson for Generation X with his angst-ridden lyrics, was always at odds with the massive success of his band, Nirvana.
Last year, model Anna Nicole Smith's death from an accidental drug overdose unleashed a circus of skewed relationships and paternity tests that gave the tabloids just as much fodder as the playboy model's colourful and often sordid life.
Ironically, for Hollywood's young and restless it's a usually tragic end that preserves fame and beauty better than botox.
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