Ever stop to think about what makes certain Hollywood stars your favorite actors? Very often, it’s because they are so good at bringing the most fantastic scenarios to life. For example, the most unassuming actor may be able to pull off the role of a coldblooded killer, and by the time the credits roll, you’ll be amazed at how realistic their every move and line really were.
Unfortunately, some Hollywood stars are able to convincingly play killers for a very depressing reason: they’ve actually killed people! From accidents to grisly homicides, history is rife with tawdry tales of actors killing other people. Afterward, the actors’ lives were never the same…and after you learn who these actors are, your own life may never be the same, either!
Who are the celebs with blood on their hands, and just who the heck did they kill? Keep reading to find out!
Matthew Broderick
Looking at him onscreen, it’s almost impossible to think of Matthew Broderick as an actor who has killed someone. He became famous for movies like War Games and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and basically cemented his reputation as America’s very own boy next door. Unfortunately, he got into some major trouble decades ago when he was far, far away from America.
Back in 1987, he was dating Jennifer Grey, a fellow actor who ironically portrayed his sister in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The two of them were on vacation in Ireland and driving a rented BMW to take in the sights. Unfortunately, this trip ended in tragedy when Broderick drove into a Volvo, instantly killing passengers Anna Gallagher and her mother, Margaret Doherty.
Broderick and Grey both survived, though Broderick was banged up and experienced amnesia from the event. He was charged with careless driving and ultimately ended up paying a fine of only $175. The actor has since described how traumatizing this event was, but many critics still think he got off light compared to his transgression.
Alec Baldwin
One of the most high-profile cases of a celebrity killing another human being happened very recently. Alec Baldwin starred in and produced a movie called Rust, and he had to fire a revolver as part of a scene. Tragically, the prop revolver had live rounds in it, and he ended up injuring director Joel Souza and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
This freak accident kicked off fierce speculation about who was at fault. Baldwin was the obvious suspect, and at first, the star insisted that he hadn’t even pulled the trigger. A later investigation concluded that he must have pulled the trigger on the gun, but the star maintains that he was told the gun didn’t have live rounds.
Eventually, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter along with armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She was responsible for checking the weapons and was ultimately found guilty because she didn’t check the gun before it was fired. As for Baldwin, the charges against him were eventually dismissed altogether amid the surprising revelation that the prosecution was withholding evidence.
Charles S. Dutton
If you’re a fan of Charles S. Dutton, then it’s nearly impossible to imagine him killing anyone. That’s because he has a reputation for being a gentle soul who would never hurt anyone else. While that’s true of the Dutton you know and love, he wasn’t always the same man that he is today. And once upon a time, a very different Dutton pulled off a nearly inconceivable act.
Dutton had a rough upbringing in Baltimore, where it wasn’t uncommon for people to start fights. In a later interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actor/director opened up about why he spent nearly a decade in prison. “My manslaughter conviction came from a fight with a guy who stabbed me seven times,” he said. “I wrestled the knife from him and killed him. Got 18 months [in 1967]. Then got three years for possession of a weapon and another eight years tacked on for a fight with a guard.”
That might sound crazy, but Dutton ultimately owes his current career to his time in prison. It was in jail that the actor got stabbed in the neck, and this made him vow to change his ways. True to his word, Dutton completed community college while in prison, applied for Yale’s drama scholarship, and generally began improving his life from the ground up. The result was an all-new Dutton, and the world is that much better for it.
Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart doesn’t have the clout she once did, but this ‘90s legend popped up in some our favorite shows like 90210 and some of our favorite movies like Scream 2. Unfortunately, her real life was a bit like a horror movie in 2001 when she hit and killed a nine-year-old boy named Jorge Cruz Jr.
He didn’t die right away, and Gayheart paid for his medical costs and, later, his funeral costs and counseling costs for his parents. She didn’t contest her vehicular manslaughter charge and subsequently received a fine of $2,800, 750 hours of community service, and three years of probation. She also settled with the family out of court and later admitted to engaging in self-destructive acts for about a year over her guilt. Years later, she still seems haunted by the accident.