Who was River Phoenix? … the reluctant star. River grew up with four siblings … David Berg was the founder of a Christian sect known as the Children of God. John and Arlyn were sent by the sect to Venezuela. Too Young to Die s1e6: River Phoenix
The talented River was soon getting work … Stand By Me made River Phoenix a star … He was repeatedly voted the world’s favourite TV star. ibid.
Running on Empty made River Phoenix the most promising star of his generation. ibid.
River Phoenix won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival. As an actor he had scaled the heights. ibid.
Dark Blood was River’s last film, shot in the mountains of Utah. ibid.
On 31st October 1993 River Phoenix died of a mixture of heroin and cocaine. ibid.
Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. Her life was marked by triumphs and tragedies. She was a Hollywood star, a goddess on stage, and the most famous drug addict of her day. Too Young to Die s1e7: Judy Garland
‘The Wizard of Oz has been seen by more people than any other movie in history.’ ibid. biographer
‘She needed to take off weight and they did that with pills. It was some kind of speed that she took.’ ibid. personal assistant
Within fifteen years Judy Garland made over thirty films. She was the most commercially successful star of her time. ibid.
On 22nd June 1969 Judy Garland died in London of an overdose of tablets. She was 47 years old. Her body was flown to New York for the funeral. ibid.
He was a star who didn’t want to be, certainly not one from Hollywood. He wanted to be an actor pure and simple: an actor from New York. Philip Seymour Hoffman refused to be typecast. He seemed to fit every film perfectly. Too Young to Die s1e8: Philip Seymour Hoffman
‘A truly kind wonderful man and one of our greatest actors – ever.’ ibid. Mia Farrow tweet
The news of Philip Hoffman’s death in February 2014 hit an exceptional number of people exceptionally hard. ibid.
‘The greatest character actor of his generation.’ ibid. Jack Garner, film critic
He demonstrated his versatility in over fifty films; he was nominated for an Oscar four times, and was awarded one. He appeared in the theatre on Broadway and off of Broadway and was regarded as one of the top stage actors. ibid.
He was found dead in his apartment from an overdose of heroin. ibid.
Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932 to American parents: Sarah, an actress, and Francis, an art dealer. They lived in Hampstead along with Elizabeth’s brother Howard and spent summers at a holiday cottage at Cranbrook, Kent. Elizabeth’s early years were privileged and secure. A Life in Ten Pictures: Elizabeth Taylor, BBC 2021
By the age of 18, Elizabeth Taylor was one of Hollywood’s sought-after leading ladies. And her private life was box office too. ibid.
Elizabeth Taylor’s fire job as an independent actor was the defining role of her entire career – Cleopatra was an epic in every sense. ibid.
I worry about what people think and then I do what I want to do anyway. A Life in Ten Pictures s2e1: Carrie Fisher, BBC 2024
Greenway Drive, Beverly Hills: Where but Hollywood would Carrie have been born? ibid. Ruta Lee, family friend
Carrie Frances Fisher was born in 1956 to Hollywood royalty. ibid.
After only a year at drama school Carrie landed the role of Star Wars female lead, rebel leader, Princess Leia. ibid.
Bruce Lee’s image is famous around the world. But this handful of photos tells a different story. A Life in Ten Pictures s2e2: Bruce Lee
‘Bruce Lee’s weakness was not knowing when the stop.’ ibid.
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco in 1940. ibid.
Long Beach: Bruce’s performance that day sent shockwaves through the martial arts community. ibid.
Robin Williams’ image is famous around the world. But this handful of photos tells a different story. A Life in Ten Pictures s2e3: Robin Williams
Robin Williams was born in Chicago in 1951. ibid.
Robin had joined improvised comedy groups but soon decided to step out on his own. ibid.
On September 14th 1978 the first episode of Mork and Mindy aired on ABC. ibid.
Elizabeth Taylor: the unofficial queen of Hollywood. Two times Oscar winner and star of over forty films including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She was the first actress to bag one million dollars for one movie. Her high-octane love life resulted in eight marriages, marked by passion and excess, by diamonds. Her many addictions threatened to destroy her. Elizabeth Taylor: A Fierce Love aka The Story of Elizabeth Taylor, Channel 5 2021
She was born in London in February 27th 1932 to a life of privilege. Her parents were Americans who moved in high society. ibid.
[Eddie] Fisher left Debbie Reynolds for Liz … She was brazen about it. ibid.
This latest affair with Burton would cause an international sensation. ibid.
No-one plays a tough ruthless hard-hearted prick like you do. The Sopranos s6e7: Luxury Lounge, Little Carmine to Ben Kingsley, with Chris, HBO 2006
On screen we saw the master fool, a cheeky comic character with great musical talent and a physical prowess which made Norman Wisdom Britain’s biggest and most bankable film star of the fifties and sixties. His was a natural talent. Norman Wisdom: His Story, BBC 2012
They regularly stole food to survive. ibid.
He walked from London to Cardiff to look for work. ibid.
Norman had no choice but to live on the streets … Salvation came in the form of the army. ibid.
He became the Flyweight champion of the British troops. ibid.
He de-mobbed to launch himself as a variety artist. ibid.
Rank’s The Trouble in Store ... broke box office records. ibid.
The Square Peg … An authoritative figure memorably played by Edward Chapman: ‘Mr Grimsdale!’ ibid.
The Bulldog Breed and On the Beat … Throughout the 1950s and 60s Norman was one of the nation’s best loved film stars, seldom out of the news. ibid.
‘Growing up with Norman Wisdom as your dad was as much fun as you can imagine.’ ibid.
By the 1970s Norman was a screen and stage star, but the pressure was now on to make it in television. ibid.
BAFTA established Norman as a serious actor. ibid.
‘You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off.’ The words are as famous as the celebrated movie they came from and associated for ever with the giant star who spoke them. Sir Michael Caine: Britain’s greatest ever film actor. Michael Caine: The Man & the Movies aka Michael Caine in His Own Words, Channel 5 2021
‘I was in the army from 1951 to 1953, I was conscripted, and called up. I was a very unwilling poor soldier. I hated discipline.’ ibid. interview with David Frost
‘I killed myself becoming an actor really. And I just defeated that shyness.’ ibid. 1984 interview
The Ipcress File: Michael Caine’s performance won plaudits … His name above the title; star billing at last. ibid.
Alfie: His next role would be one that would confirm Michael Caine’s status as a major movie star. ibid.
‘A fear of going backwards to where I came from.’ ibid. referencing driven need to work hard
Marilyn was found dead in the bedroom of her Hollywood home. Autopsy: Marilyn Monroe
There were eight different types of drugs around her when she died. ibid.
Nembutal ... Marilyn was already being prescribed chloral-hydrate for her sleeplessness ... Nembutal on top of chloral-hydrate was like signing her death warrant. ibid.
It’s unusual for a single drug to be the cause of death, Autopsy: Phillip Seymour Hoffman
He’s found dead with a needle in his arm. ibid.
Could it be the quality of the drug he was taking? ibid.
Keith Ledger was Hollywood’s rising star … At 3:36 pm on 22nd January 2008 Ledger was pronounced dead in the bedroom of his New York apartment. He was just 28 years old. Autopsy: Heath Ledger
Keith Ledger battled drug use, personal life in crisis and the psychological trauma of playing The Joker. ibid.
He’d been fighting off a nasty cold … He’s tired. He’s exhausted. ibid.
There were no illegal drugs in his system. ibid.
The presence of prescription drugs in his system at the time of his death … Diazepam … Doxylamine … Temazepam … Alprazolam … Zoloft … Hydrocodone & Oxycodone. ibid.
‘Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night.’ ibid. Heath to journalist
The medical examiner concluded that Heath died as a result of the abuse of six prescription drugs. ibid.