What Happens when an Actor Dies While Shooting a Movie

With the tragic and sudden death of Heath Ledger now over a week old, the old show business adage, "The show must go on" leaps into the story. At the time of his death Ledger was part of two projects, The Dark Knight which is a sequel to Batman Begins with Ledger playing the Joker (and if you have seen the trailer you can see Ledger is going to make a creepy villain) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus for Monty Python-alum and director Terry Gilliam.

The question becomes what does a studio do when one of their actors dies while the movie they are appearing in is still in production?

In Ledger's case it is good news/possible bad news for the respective directors. The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan is well into post production on the film and has confirmed Ledger was finished filming with no re-shoots to be done. What hasn't been mentioned is whether Ledger had any looping (when an actor comes in to re-record his dialogue) to complete? Seeing that the release of the movie is still six months away you can imagine Nolan and his team have plenty of work still to do.

The news may not be as good for Gilliam. Filming on Parnassus is only halfway complete though it is unknown how big Ledger's part was. It is known that Ledger, who had just returned from filming in London, had more scenes to shoot and was preparing to leave the next weekend for Vancouver. At this point Gilliam is trying to save his movie in one of two ways. He is trying to assemble enough footage of Ledger that wouldn't have been used to compensate for what is still to be filmed or, since Ledger played some sort of character involved in true magic, there is talk that whenever Ledger's character moves from place to place he could appear via performances of other actor's playing the same role.

Either way Gilliam is in a bind. He either has to do a little movie magic of his own or re-write to explain Ledger's disappearance from the film. Of course that can't happen as long as the writers remain on strike.

Directors don't plan for such unforeseen tragedies such as this. How can they? And on the rare occasions that it happens there are tough decisions to be made. Sometimes directors merely have to contend with illness and make difficult decisions. What they base it on is likely how much of the role is complete and the relationship with the actor.

Director Billy Wilder faced this dilemma twice and handled it differently both times. While making the 1964 farce Kiss Me, Stupid, Peter Sellers suffered a heart attack. Sellers had only been on the film a few weeks and he and Wilder were clashing. Wilder decided to replace Sellers (with Ray Walston) instead of waiting. Just two years later while making The Fortune Cookie, Walter Matthau suffered a heart attack. Matthau had only completed a few scenes but Wilder elected to shoot around Matthau and then ultimately shut down production until Matthau was fully recovered. Though not noticeable unless you really look for it, there is a scene pre-heart attack when Matthau climbs some steps to a door. When he walks through, post-heart attack, he is clearly slimmer. It was Wilder's good fortune to keep Matthau as he would deliver what would become an Academy Award winning performance.

Other directors, such as Francis Ford Coppola, have no choice but to wait it out. While shooting Apocalypse Now in the Philippines star Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack so massive that the 38 year-old actor was given last rites. Coppola had already replaced Harvey Keitel with Sheen a few weeks into filming and was already so far in debt he could do nothing else but wait. He shot a few scenes without Sheen using his brother (who was there to visit his ailing brother) for shots where we see the character from behind. Most notable is the scene when the boat they travel in is deluged by natives shooting arrows at them. (Incidentally it is Sheen's brother who provides the narration of the film. Once it was decided to use narration Sheen was off shooting another film so Coppola used his brother who sounds just like him).

Some directors end up taking a major chance on an actor who is ill mostly because of the actor's tenacity in wanting to work. In 1959 John Huston cast Clark Gable in the most physically demanding role of his career in The Misfits. Despite health issues Gable insisted on doing most of his own stunts. Three days after Gable completed his role he suffered a massive heart attack. Eleven days after that he died at 59. Four months later his only son was born. In 1967 director Stanley Kramer and actress Katherine Hepburn had to put their salaries up as collateral because Columbia Pictures refused to insure the seriously ill Spencer Tracy for Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? To make it as easy as possible Kramer shot scenes with Tracy only in the mornings and sent him home every day at noon. Ten days after Tracy completed his role he died of a heart attack at 67. In 1978 director Michael Cimino cast John Cazale, best known as Fredo in The Godfather I & II, for his new Vietnam film The Deer Hunter. Cazale had recently found out he was dying of bone cancer which he privately revealed to Cimino. Cimino decided to keep it secret but Universal got wind of it and refused to insure him. Cimino and Cazale's fiancée, a young actress named Meryl Streep volunteered their salaries but Universal held strong on replacing Cazale. Finally Cimino and Streep threatened to walk off the project and Universal relented, agreeing to allow the actress and director to put up their salaries. Cimino shifted the shooting schedule around to accommodate Cazale and shot every scene he was in first. Cazale finished the role and died soon after at 42. It would be another nine months before the film was released.

The following is a list of some of the actors who died while shooting a movie and what happened to the project in its aftermath.

JOHN CANDY - Candy was in Durango, Mexico shooting Wagon's East, a western comedy co-starring Richard Lewis in early 1994 when he was stricken with a sudden, fatal heart attack. Candy had completed a majority of his performance but still had a few scenes to go. The script was re-written enough that the remainder of his scenes either excluded him or used a body double seen only from behind. The film was released later that year to scathing reviews and bombed at the box office.

JAMES DEAN - Two of the three movies James Dean made in his career, East of Eden and Giant were released after his tragic death. He would earn Oscar nominations for both films. Giant was still in production at the time of his death though it is widely believed Dean had completed his role. During post-production director George Stevens discovered that a speech Dean delivers at the end at a banquet was inaudible as Dean had mumbled so much. Stevens was forced to edit and move many of the lines to Rock Hudson and others. Giant was a critical and box office smash and would be Warner Brothers highest grossing film of all time for 22 years until Superman was released in 1978.

JEAN HARLOW - Hollywood's first major sex symbol, Harlow was the first "blonde bombshell." Howard Hughes put her in his 1930 film Hell's Angels where Jean muttered the immortal line, "Would you be shocked if I changed into something more comfortable?" Harlow would appear in several films with Clark Gable and cemented her star status in the 1933 all-star comedy Dinner At Eight. In 1937 Harlow began production on Saratoga again starring with Gable. During production she suffered from uremic poisoning and kidney failure and would sadly die at the age of 26. Harlow had a few significant scenes to film and the studio decided to re-cast the part but was persuaded to change their minds after a public outcry from Harlow's most ardent fans demanding to see her one more time. The remainder of her scenes were long shots and from behind using a double. The film was a sensation at the box office.

BRANDON LEE - The son of famed martial arts star Bruce, young Brandon had begun to etch out a film career of his own having had minor hits starring in Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire. Lee was starring in The Crow based on a popular underground comic book when he was filming a scene in which he gets shot after walking in to his apartment and finding thugs attacking his girlfriend. The gun used to shoot at Lee's character had been used earlier and had malfunctioned in a way unnoticed by the crew. A projectile from an earlier dummy squib had lodged in the barrel and when the next squib was put in the chamber, the projectile fired with great force and hit Lee in the stomach. He would die a few hours later at the age of 28. Lee was just one week from completing the movie and three weeks from getting married. Director Alex Proyas insisted the film could be completed and the studio gave in when Lee's mother (Bruce's widow) and fiancée supported his decision. The remaining scenes were shot with a stunt double and Lee's face was digitally added in post production. The film was a big hit and spawned several lesser sequels.

RIVER PHOENIX - Phoenix was a popular young actor starting with Stand By Me and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1988's Running On Empty. He was one of a small group of young actors considered among the best in his generation. Sadly on Halloween night 1993 Phoenix collapsed and died outside The Viper Room, partly owned by Johnny Depp, from an overdose of heroin and cocaine. He was only 23. His death came while he was filming the thriller Dark Blood which was almost 90% finished. Unfortunately the remaining 10% featured Phoenix extensively and it was deemed impossible to finish without him. Director George Sluizer pushed for re-casting the role but the studio balked at throwing more money into the production. Sluizer had no choice but to shut the film down and it was shelved for good, never to see the light of day. Incidentally, in tribute to Phoenix, Johnny Depp arranged to close The Viper Room every Halloween in Phoenix' honor, a tradition that continued until 2004 when Depp sold his interest in the club and new owners took over and abandoned the tribute.

TYRONE POWER - Power was a debonair actor most popular in the 11930's and 1940's films such as Blood and Sand, In Old Chicago, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Jesse James, The Mark of Zorro and The Black Swan. Disillusioned with the roles he was getting as the 1950's rolled around, Power took to the Broadway stage and quite successfully at that. But Power was still under contract and continued making sub-par films. In the mid 50's Power had a career resurgence with The Eddy Duchin Story, The Sun Also Rises and Witness For The Prosecution. In 1958 Power went to Spain with his wife of 5 months to make Solomon and Sheba. In November, over 2 months into filming, Power and actor George Sanders were filming a swordfight duel when Power collapsed and died of a massive heart attack at the age of 44. Two months later his wife would give birth to their son. The film was 70% finished but Power had too many vital scenes remaining to complete it. Director King Vidor was given permission to re-cast and start over which he did with Yul Brynner now in the lead. If you look very closely during the duel scene you can still spot Power in a few of the long shots.

OLIVER REED - Reed was a tough British actor as well known for his hard drinking lifestyle as he was for his films. Reed was a steadily working actor from the 1960's but probably achieved his greatest success in the U.S. in the 1970's with such films as The Devils, The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, Tommy and Burnt Offerings. The 80's and 90's saw many films - mostly bad and a growing drinking reputation. Reed often tired of talking of his drinking habits and probably his most famous appearance in the last 20 years of his life was on David Letterman when he quickly became irritated at Letterman's pressing questions about his drinking (Letterman no doubt thought he was good to go as one of Reed's famous drinking partner, Richard Harris, often appeared and told delightfully witty drinking stories to an always amused audience) and Letterman had to cut to a commercial when it appeared Reed might become violent. In 1999 Reed landed his best role in years when he was cast in Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Reed had cut down his drinking dramatically and tackled his role feverishly. During a two day break of filming in Malta Reed went to a pub with friends and proceeded to charge up a bar bill over $1000 - much of it he drank himself. While sitting in a booth Reed keeled over dead of a heart attack at the age of 61. Ridley Scott had to do some fast scrambling. He re-wrote the ending so Reed's character would be killed off (and shot using a double) and eliminated everything else that couldn't be handled by another character. What little remained was shot with a double with Reed's face digitally inserted into the shot.

ROBERT SHAW - Shaw was a fiery actor/writer who hit the big time (despite an Oscar nomination for A Man For All Seasons and appearances in such hit films as From Russia With Love, The Sting, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3) with his role as Quint the shark killer in Jaws. Shaw was in high demand and would appear in no less then 7 movies over the next three years including Diamonds, Swashbuckler, Robin and Marian, Black Sunday, The Deep and Force Ten From Navarone. Shaw was overworking and stressing over his writing career which was most important to him. In 1978 he traveled with his family to Ireland to shoot Avalanche Express. His health was declining some and it was evident to the producers who moved forward anyway. On a Sunday off from filming Shaw was driving with his wife and children through the Irish countryside when he fell ill and pulled over. He got out to walk it off and dropped dead of a heart attack at the age of 51. The few scenes that Shaw had left were re-written to exclude his character. Shaw's voice was so weak that all but just a few lines had to be dubbed by an impersonator (a poor one). Ironically, two months earlier the film's original director, Mark (Peyton Place; Earthquake) Robson died suddenly of a heart attack. The film was finished but the end result was a mess and was quickly forgotten.

NATALIE WOOD - The beautiful Ms. Wood, so successful as a child and young adult actress had seen her career decline in the late 1960's. In the early 1970's she would remarry actor Robert Wagner and purposely stopped working to raise a family. Her career consisted mostly of television movies in the 70's with the exception of 1975's comedy Peeper with Michael Caine. In 1979 she was ready for a comeback but good scripts are often hard to come by so she had to settle for a co-starring role in a very bad disaster movie called Meteor. In 1980 she starred with George Segal in the little seen romantic comedy The Last Married Couple In America. In 1981 Wood began work with Christopher Walken on Brainstorm for director Douglas Trumball. Trumball was best known for his visual effects work on 2001; The Andromeda Strain; Close Encounters and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Wood believed working on a cutting edge adventure with top visual effects might be her ticket to a career comeback. On Thanksgiving of that year Wood drowned near the end of the film's production. For the next year studio executives fought with Trumball (who contractually had final decision on this) as to whether the film could be completed. Execs wanted to shelve the film and collect the insurance while Trumball felt he could finish the film using a stand-in. Ultimately Trumball won out (though this battle cost him the chance to ever direct a Hollywood film again) and the film was completed and released almost two years after Wood's death. The critical reaction was mixed but the film failed to find an audience.