A terrible curse or an accident? Five actors who died after filming horror movies

Not many people like to watch horror movies, and acting in them is a challenge that not all actors accept. And it's not a matter of a banal script or an uninteresting plot, but the fear of being surrounded by an eerie aura that often hovers on the set during horror filming. Moreover, in Hollywood there is a whole category of horror films that are called "cursed" because they are marred by tragic events, namely death.

OBOZREVATEL will tell you about the actors who died after filming cult horror movies. Some fans believe that the death of their idol is mysteriously connected with their involvement in horror, while others try to stick to the theory that it was purely an accident.

Brittany Murphy, "Something Wicked"

Brittany Murphy's death came as a big shock to moviegoers around the world. The 32-year-old actress was at the peak of her popularity when suddenly her heart stopped beating. The worst part is that it happened in the midst of filming the mystical thriller Something Wicked, where the star played the role of a psychiatrist named Susan. The official cause of death was pneumonia, complicated by iron deficiency anemia and a drug overdose. However, some time later, the actress' husband, producer Simon Monjack, died under the same circumstances. The Department of Health then voiced an additional version that the cause of death of both could be a fungus.

Jack McGowan and Vasiliki Malyaru, "The Exorcist"

The Exorcist (1973) has become known as one of the scariest films in the world. Its creation story contains mystical events that added even more horror to this project. In particular, during filming, there was a fire that damaged the sets, and later lightning struck the Catholic cross used in the movie. The producers were so frightened by what was happening that they even invited a priest to bless the entire crew. Unfortunately, this did not help. In total, 9 people died during and after the shooting of the film, including actors and technical staff.

Among them were Jack McGowan, who played the role of Burke Dennings, and Vasiliki Malyar, who played Mary Karras. It is reported that McGowan contracted the flu during the epidemic in London and died of complications on the day of the premiere. And Vasiliki Malyar, who was already 89 years old at the time of filming, died of "natural causes," according to medical reports.

Bela Lugosi, "Plan 9 from Outer Space"

Bela Lugosi can be considered the official face of Dracula in old American horror. He played werewolves and vampires in dozens of scary movies. Shortly before his death, the actor met the famous director Ed Wood, who was called "the worst director in history." They even began to collaborate - Lugosi appeared in more than one of the director's films. The last project in which the actor participated was the sci-fi horror Plan 9 from Outer Space. Lugosi died of a heart attack during filming. At that time, only ten minutes of footage had been shot. After his death, Voodoo had to use archival footage of the actor to finish the work.

Alia, "Queen of the Damned"

The winner of three American Music Awards and two MTV VMAs, who was also nominated for five Grammys, tragically died at the height of her fame and success in 2001 at the age of 22. Aaliyah was the victim of a plane crash - the plane she was flying in crashed in the Bahamas. The most interesting thing is that the singer was not supposed to board the plane that day, but at the last minute she adjusted her plans and decided to fly. And the worst part is that a month before the tragedy, Aaliyah played the vampire queen Akasha in the film adaptation of Anne Rice's gothic novel Queen of the Damned. Her character later became the main antagonist of the film. Fans still share theories that the young star's death was no accident.

Dominic Dunne, Will Sampson, Julian Beck and Heather O'Rourke, "Poltergeist"

This cult film, like The Exorcist, is marred by a chain of tragic events. Dominique Dunne, who played the role of Dana Freeling, was the first to die four months after the film's release. She was only 22 years old at the time. The young actress was attacked by her ex-boyfriend and tried to strangle her. The celebrity fell into a coma, from which she never came out.

The next victim was Heather O'Rourke, who played Dana Freeling's younger sister. At the time of filming the first part, she was only six years old. The young actress said goodbye to Poltergeist in the summer of 1987, and in 1988 it became known that she had died. The 12-year-old girl, according to doctors, died of a congenital disease that led to an infection and subsequent septic shock.

The third in this tragic list is Will Sampson, who played the shaman Taylor in the horror movie. According to some insiders, the actor really believed that the movie set was "cursed." Moreover, he performed an ancient Native American ritual that was supposed to "exorcise demons" and protect everyone involved in the film. The ritual didn't work, and Sampson died after a risky heart and lung transplant. This happened a few months after the release of the second part of Poltergeist.

In the same second part, viewers can see a gloomy preacher played by Julian Beck. He also died literally right after the movie was completed. It is reported that the actor was diagnosed with cancer before the start of filming.

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