Child Stars

A Look at Notable & Celebrity Deaths from January 2025 Week 3

Here are the most recent deaths in the national news, as reviewed and fact-checked by the Legacy.com news team in the third week of January 2025.

Claude Jarman Jr. (1934–2025), star of The Yearling

Claude Jarman Jr. was a former child star, best known for his performance in the 1946 movie “The Yearling.” 

Colin Petersen (1946–2024), original Bee Gees drummer

Colin Petersen was a child actor, musician and record producer best known as the original drummer for pop legends the Bee Gees.

Benji Gregory (1978–2024), child actor from ALF

Benji Gregory was a child actor best known as Brian Tanner, the son on the 1980s sitcom “ALF.” 

Darryl Hickman (1931–2024), child actor known for The Grapes of Wrath

Darryl Hickman was a child actor best known for playing Winfield Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath” and Danny in “Leave Her to Heaven.” 

Larry Collins (1944–2024), rockabilly guitar great 

Larry Collins was a West Coast musician and songwriter known for his aggressive rockabilly style and for co-penning songs like “Delta Dawn” and “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma.” 

Evan Ellingson (1988–2023), actor in CSI: Miami 

Evan Ellingson was an actor known for such movies and TV shows as “My Sister’s Keeper” and “CSI: Miami.” 

Marc Gilpin (1966–2023), Jaws 2 child actor 

Marc Gilpin was an actor who, as a child, played the son of Police Chief Martin Brody in “Jaws 2.” 

Betty Ann Bruno (1931–2023), child actress from The Wizard of Oz 

Betty Ann Bruno was a longtime reporter and television host for KTVU in San Francisco, as well as a former child actress and one of the last surviving cast members of The Wizard of Oz.

Robert Blake (1933–2023), star of In Cold Blood, Baretta

Robert Blake was an actor who starred in movies and TV shows including “In Cold Blood” and “Baretta” before being acquitted of killing his wife in 2001.

Ted Donaldson (1933–2023), child star in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Ted Donaldson was a child star of the 1940s known for movies including “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” and the Rusty series.

<strong>Austin Majors (1995–2023), NYPD Blue actor</strong> 

Austin Majors was an American actor best known for his role as Theo Sipowicz on the police drama “NYPD Blue.”

Lance Kerwin (1960–2023), “James at 15” star

Lance Kerwin was an actor who starred in the 1970s TV drama “James at 15” and miniseries “Salem’s Lot.”

Adam Rich (1968–2023), “Eight Is Enough” child star

Adam Rich was an actor who starred as a child on “Eight Is Enough.”

Mickey Kuhn (1932–2022), last surviving “Gone With the Wind” cast member

Mickey Kuhn was the last surviving credited cast member of the 1939 smash “Gone With the Wind,” having played Beau Wilkes as a child actor.

Jonshel Alexander (2021), "Beasts of the Southern Wild" actor

Jonshel Alexander starred as Joy Strong in the 2012 movie "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

Dean Stockwell (1936–2021), “Quantum Leap” star

Dean Stockwell was an actor whose long career included memorable roles on TV in “Quantum Leap” and in movies including the original “Dune” and “Married to the Mob.”

Jane Withers (1926–2021), child star and “Josephine the Plumber” in commercials

Jane Withers was an actress who was a child star in the 1930s and later became known for Comet cleanser commercials, where she played Josephine the Plumber.

Lee Aaker (1943–2021), child star on “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”

Lee Aaker was a child actor in the 1950s and ‘60s, best known for starring as Rusty on TV's “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.”

Houston Tumlin (1992–2021), child actor in “Talladega Nights”

Houston Tumlin was an actor known for playing Walker Bobby, the son of Will Ferrell’s character, in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.”

Bonni Lou Kern (1941–2020), original Mouseketeer

Bonni Lou Kern was an original Mouseketeer who appeared on the first season of the popular Disney  ‘The Mickey Mouse Club.’

Lorenzo Brino (1998–2020), played Sam on “7th Heaven”

Lorenzo Brino was a child actor who played Sam Camden on “7th Heaven” from 1998 through 2007.

Jason Davis (1984–2020), voice of Mikey Blumberg on “Recess”

Jason Davis was an actor best known for providing the voice of Mikey Blumberg on the Disney Channel’s “Recess” from 1997 to 2001, as well as in the show’s spinoff movies. He had roles in movies including “Beverly Hills Ninja” (1997) and “Rush Hour” (1998), and made TV appearances on shows including “Roseanne” and “7th Heaven.” At the time of his death, Davis was working on a TV show called “The Two Jasons.”

Sue Lyon (1946–2019), star of “Lolita”

Sue Lyon was an actress best known for starring in the title role of Stanley Kubrick’s controversial 1962 film adaptation of “Lolita.” Lyon was 14 when she was cast in the role of a girl who attracts the attention of a pedophile, and she was new to acting — she had just a few small screen credits and some modeling experience when she reportedly beat more than 800 other young actresses to get the role. She won a Golden Globe Award for most promising female newcomer for her performance. Lyon continued her acting career throughout the 1960s and ‘70s before leaving it behind after her final film, “Alligator,” in 1980.

Philip McKeon (1964–2019), “Alice” star

Played Alice’s son Tommy on the popular sitcom..

Karen Pendleton (1946–2019), original Disney Mouseketeer

Karen Pendleton was one of the original Disney Mouseketeers who appeared on the “Mickey Mouse Club” children’s television series for all four seasons, from 1955 until 1959. She was one of the youngest performers in the cast and was known for singing the show’s closing song with fellow Mouseketeer Cubby O’Brien. She left show business after the series ended. Paralyzed from the waist down in an auto accident in 1983, she became an advocate for people with disabilities. Pendleton appeared on “Mickey Mouse Club” reunion shows and at fan conventions.

Denise Nickerson (1957–2019), played Violet Beauregarde in “Willy Wonka”

Denise Nickerson was a former child actress best known for playing Violet Beauregarde, the gum-chewer who turns into a blueberry, in the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

Cameron Boyce (1999–2019), star of Disney's "Descendants"

Cameron Boyce was best known for starring as Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil, in the Disney Channel franchise "Descendants."

Dennis Day (1942–2018), Original Disney Mouseketeer

Dennis Day was one of the original Mouseketeers, appearing on Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club" during its first two seasons from 1955 through 1957.

Jackson Odell (2018) “The Goldbergs” actor

He played Ari on the popular sitcom…

Doreen Tracey (1943–2018), original Disney Mouseketeer

One of the original Mouseketeers on "The Mickey Mouse Club" who also worked as publicist for Frank Zappa.

Heather Menzies-Urich (1949–2017), played Louisa von Trapp in "The Sound of Music"

She also starred as Jessica 6 on TV’s “Logan's Run.”

Heather North (1945 – 2017), the voice of Scooby-Doo’s Daphne

Heather North first entered show biz as a child in the 1950s, singing and competing in pageants. As a young adult in the 1960s, she began appearing on television in shows like “My Three Sons,” “Gidget,” and “The Monkees.” She co-starred alongside Kurt Russell — and a chimpanzee — in the 1971 Disney movie “The Barefoot Executive.” But what most fans will affectionately remember her for is her thirty-year stint on "Scooby-Doo," performing the voice of danger-prone Daphne Blake.

Blake Heron (1982 – 2017), former child star dies at 35

Blake Heron, the actor best known for starring in 1997 film “Shiloh,” died Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, according to multiple news sources. He was 35.

Henry John “Hank” Deutschendorf II (1988–2017), Ghostbusters actor

One of the twin brothers who shared the role of Baby Oscar in “Ghostbusters II.”

Erin Moran (1960 - 2017), played Joanie on Happy Days

Erin Moran, the actress best known for her role as Joanie Cunningham on the 1970s sitcom “Happy Days,” died Saturday, April 22, 2017. She was 56.

Christine Kaufmann (1945 - 2017), German-Austrian actress

The German-Austrian actress was Germany's first winner of a Golden Globe Award.

Remembering Patty Duke (video)

A video tribute to the actress and mental health advocate.

Swingin' in the Season with Sammy

Sammy Davis Jr. , aka , was no ordinary entertainer. In fact, his life and career were rather extraordinary.

Billy Chapin (1943 - 2016), child actor of the 1950s

Billy Chapin, a child actor who was popular in the 1950s, died Dec. 2, 2016, according to multiple news sources. Chapin was 72.

Bobby Breen (1927 - 2016)

Bobby Breen, a former child star best known in the 1930s, has died at 88.

Child Actors

Child stars are a very special sort of actor. They make us laugh, cry and believe — sometimes before they're even old enough to walk. Since the dawn of the movies, we've been delighted by child stars like MickeyRooney, Shirley Temple, Gary Coleman and many more. Join us as we pay tribute tostars who found their fame at an early age with this photo gallery of child actors.

Patty Duke (1946–2016), Oscar winner for The Miracle Worker

Actress Patty Duke won an Academy Award as a teenager for "The Miracle Worker" and went on to have a long and successful career.

Charles Herbert (1948 - 2015), child star in The Fly

Charles Herbert, a former child actor whose credits included dozens of movies and television shows, died Oct. 31 of a heart attack. He was 66. The death was announced by actor Paul Petersen, who acted with Herbert in the 1958 movie "Houseboat" that starred Cary Grant and Sophia Loren.

Kevin Corcoran (1949 - 2015)

Kevin Corcoran, the actor who played the youngest son in the 1957 Disney classic "Old Yeller," has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 66.

Natalie Wood Grows Up

Natalie Wood was one of the rarest types of actors — one who seamlessly transitions from child star to teenage ingénue to adult stardom.

George McFarland, AKA Spanky

To a generation of "Our Gang" fans, George McFarland was simply Spanky...

Remembering Annette Funicello (1942–2013)

Annette Funicello's fans pay tribute and rememberall the things that made America love her.

Remembering Roddy McDowall

Roddy McDowall was one of those rarest of actors: a child star who went on to a long and successful career as an adult...