Stars who lived fast and died young

The 28-year-old actor's body was found by his housekeeper in his Hollywood apartment and police believe his death may be drug-related.

Here are some other famous names to die before their star burned brightest.

River Phoenix

When he died from a massive drugs overdose in October 1993, River Phoenix was already an Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated actor.
The 23-year-old won plaudits for performances in Stand By Me, My Own Private Idaho and Sidney Lumet's Running On Empty, for which he received the Oscar nomination.
He also played a young Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade and was widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation.
He died outside a Hollywood nightclub from an overdose of heroin and cocaine.

Michael Hutchence

The lead singer of rock band INXS was found dead in his hotel room on November 22, 1997, aged 37, apparently from auto-erotic asphyxiation.
He had a string of relationships with famous women, including model Helena Christensen, singer Kylie Minogue and broadcaster Paula Yates.

Kurt Cobain

Cobain's band Nirvana were credited with shifting guitar music into its '90s grunge phase with their album Smells Like Teen Spirit.
On April 8, 1994, the singer and songwriter was found dead in his home in Seattle aged 27, from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.
He had recently checked out of a drug rehabilitation facility and been reported missing by his wife, Courtney Love.
In his suicide note, Cobain quoted a Neil Young lyric stating: "It's better to burn out than to fade away."

Brad Renfro

The 25-year-old American actor, who made his film debut in The Client at the age of 11, died a week before Heath Ledger, on January 15, the day after he reportedly spent the previous evening drinking with friends.
He had a series of run-ins with the law, being cautioned for drug and under-age drinking offences and even once attempting to steal a 45ft yacht.
In 2005 he was arrested while buying heroin, and the following year spent 10 days in prison for this offence and for drink-driving.
In his short career he had starred opposite actors of the calibre of Sir Ian McKellen, Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon.

Jeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley got his break in the music industry when his first album, Grace, was released to widespread critical acclaim.
After touring, he moved to Mississippi to work on new material and on May 29, 1997, went swimming in a tributary of the great river.
He had not taken drugs or been drinking, but was sucked under by a strong current and the 30-year-old's body was found three days later.
Hallelujah, a Leonard Cohen song from Grace, was later listed as one of the 500 best songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

John Belushi

The acclaimed comedian and actor was found dead in a rented bungalow in Los Angeles in March 1982 aged 33.
The star of cult musical comedy The Blues Brothers was known for his drug abuse, and the cause of death was given as a lethal injection of cocaine and heroin.

Anna Nicole Smith

The one-time Playboy model became known for her relationship with the wealthy 89-year-old oil magnate J Howard Marshall, who she married at the age of 26.
She died aged 39 from an accidental drug overdose in February last year after a bitter legal battle for a share of her ex-husband's riches.