Ryan Dunn, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe: Movie Stars Who Died Young

Live fast, die young may be a saying that has been applied to rock and roll over the years, but it fits nicely into the lives of many Hollywood stars. In an industry that demands its stars maintain their good looks and wholesome appearance at all times, perhaps the question here shouldn't be 'Why do so many actors end up drug-addled half-wits', and more 'How come it doesn't happen to more of them?'

Ever since cinema replaced theatre as the entertainment of the masses, the film industry has been awash with scandals, binge sessions to end all binge sessions, and - almost as if it comes with the turf - tragic and untimely deaths.

James Dean wasn't the first Hollywood star to come to a premature end, and nor has he proven to be the last. Sometimes the star's demise is truly tragic, sudden and shocking - witness Bruce Lee or Jean Harlow - but just as often, their ends come as a result of their own hubris and never-ending need for more booze and alcohol.

Here we take a look at some of Hollywood's most iconic figures, and the terrible and sudden end they met.