It's easy to think of famous people as somehow immortal, but beneath the fame and the glamour, they're just as human as the rest of us. They might live in a different world than most, but they all go to the same place as everybody else when the time comes. In homage to these music, film, and sports icons, Bored Panda has compiled this list of the famous last photos taken of many of the most beloved people who have ever lived. Including the infamous 27 club members - a "club" of musicians and actors who all have died aged 27. Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Amy Winehouse are just a couple of them. Since there's no scientific proof of increased death risk when reaching 27, it seems almost like some black magic.
From Hollywood actors and rock stars to ex-presidents and sporting heroes, these last photos of celebrities below serve to remind us that life is short and death is inevitable, so make the most of it while you can. And though most of these people's legacies will carry on for decades, no one is safe from being forgotten.
Scroll through our list of last celebrity photos below.
#21 Leonard Cohen, 82, 1934 - 2016
This photo of Leonard Cohen was taken on Oct 13th, 2016 at the launch of his final album 'You Want It Darker' in L.A. He died peacefully during his sleep on November 7th, with cancer said to be a contributing cause. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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67points
#22 Anton Yelchin, 27, 1989 - 2016
This photo of Anton Yelchin was his last self portrait posted on his Instagram. Three days later on June 19th, 2016, the 27-year-old actor died in a freak car accident outside his home. Yelchin's Jeep rolled backwards down his driveway, trapping him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence. The Jeep crushed his lungs, and he is believed to have died within a minute of impact. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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66points
#23 Bob Marley, 36, 1945-1981
This photo of Bob Marley was taken in Munich, Germany, a few months before he died of cancer May 11th, 1981. At this point his weight was just 35 kilograms. Marley had a dark pigment melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, under his toe that spread throughout his body and lead to his eventual passing. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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#24 Candy Darling, 29, 1944 - 1974
This is a photo of Candy Darling on her deathbed, taken shortly before she died of lymphoma on March 21, 1974. In a letter written on her deathbed and intended for Andy Warhol and his followers, Darling said, "Unfortunately before my death I had no desire left for life ... I am just so bored by everything. You might say bored to death. Did you know I couldn't last. I always knew it. I wish I could meet you all again." The transgender actress was best known for her role in Andy Warhol's films, and as a muse for the band 'Velvet Underground.' (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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61points
#25 Paul Walker, 40, 1973-2013
This is a photo of Paul Walker, taken while he was leaving a charity event. Moments later the red Porsche, driven by Roger Rodas, would crash into a concrete lamp post and caught fire, killing both men. The investigation into the crash concluded that the car's speed – between 80 mph (130 km/h) and 93 mph (150 km/h) – and age of the tyres were the primary reasons behind it. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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60points
#26 Kurt Cobain, 27, 1967 - 1994
This photo is taken from a Nirvana photo shoot about five months before Cobain died. It was the last formal photo shoot Nirvana ever did before the songwriter took his own life at the age of 27. Cobain was found with a high concentration of heroin and traces of diazepam in his body, and had a troubled history of addiction and depression. He died on April 5, 1994, having shot himself at his home in Seattle. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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60points
#27 Amelia Earhart, 39, 1897-1937(1939)
This photo of Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, was taken shortly before departure on an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe. On July 2nd, 1937, the plane disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean in unresolved circumstances. The mystery surrounding her disappearance, along with her celebrity status at the time, has led to a great many claims and conspiracy theories around her doomed final flight. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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55points
#28 John Candy, 43, 1950-1994
This photo of John Candy was taken on the set of the film 'Wagons East.' On March 4th, 1994 while the film was still in production, Candy suffered a heart attack in his hotel room in Durango City, Mexico. He had struggled for some years with weight-related health issues. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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53points
#29 Lucille Ball, 77, 1911-1989
This photo of Lucille Ball was taken at the Academy Awards on March 29th, 1989. Ball suffered an aortic rupture on April 26th, 1989, and died at her home in Los Angeles. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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50points
#30 Whitney Houston, 48, 1963 - 2012
This photo shows Whitney Houston seen leaving Tru Hollywood club two days before her death. On February 11th, 2012 Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, submerged in the bathtub. Toxicology results revealed the presence of prescription and non-prescription drugs in her system, and the manner of her death was listed as accidental drowning. She passed away aged 48. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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50points
#31 Jim Morrison, 27, 1943-1971
This photo of Jim Morrison was taken on June 28th, 1971, together with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. Morrison died of a heart failure in Paris on July 3rd in the bathtub of his apartment, allegedly of a heroin overdose although there is some uncertainty surrounding the exact cause. Morrison is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, which has become one of the city's most visited tourist attractions. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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48points
#32 Diana, Princess Of Wales, 36, 1961-1997
On 31st August 1997, Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. This photo shows her car speeding away from the Ritz in Paris At around 12:20 a.m. Princess Diana is looking back at the pursuing paparazzi. Seconds after the picture was taken the car went into the tunnel, where the driver lost control and crashed into a pillar. Diana was critically injured but died later that morning in the hospital. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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48points
#33 Elvis Presley, 42, 1935-1977
This photo of Elvis Presley was taken at Graceland in the early hours of August 16th, 1977 having just visited the dentist. Later that day Presley had a heart attack and died in his bathroom, having had complications due to a drug habit and a weak heart resulting from this. He had suffered from a range of health issues brought on by his notoriously hedonistic lifestyle including drugs and an indulgent diet. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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47points
#34 Prince, 57, 1958-2016
This is the last known photograph of Prince, taken outside a Walgreens pharmacy near his home in Minnesota. He spent his final hours at home alone, and was discovered unconscious in an elevator more than 13 hours after he was last seen alive. Prince died from the accidental overdose of the opioid pain medication Fentanyl, there were no signs of suicide or foul play. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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46points
#35 Robert F. Kennedy, 42, 1925-1968
This photo of Robert Kennedy was taken moments after his shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles by Sirhan Sirhan on June 5, 1968. He died early the next morning. After his arrest, Sirhan said, "I can explain it. I did it for my country." Sirhan said he was motivated to assassinate Kennedy by his support for Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
44points
#36 Tupac Shakur, 25, 1971-1996
This photo of Tupac Shakur was taken moments before he was shot several times in a drive-by shooting. The shooting occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 7, 1996. Shakur died from his wounds six days later while in hospital. While allegations involving Shakur's rival at the time The Notorious B.I.G surfaced soon after the shooting, these were never proven and the case investigating the shooting of Tupac Shakur remains unsolved. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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42points
#37 Abraham Lincoln, 56, 1809-1865
This photo of Abraham Lincoln was taken sometime in March, 1865. Lincoln was shot in the head by well-known actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on April 14th, 1865, in Washington DC. He died the following day. He was the first of four American Presidents to be assassinated while in office. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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41points
#38 George Harrison, 58, 1943-2001
This photo of George Harrison was taken for the booklet of Jools Holland's album Small World, Big Band, released in 2001. Harrison had written the song "Horse to the Water," which featured on the album. Harrison was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997 and treated with radiotherapy, which was thought at the time to be successful. He publicly blamed years of smoking for the illness. In 2001 he was treated for lung cancer, and passed away on Nov. 29th, 2001, in Los Angeles. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
39points
#39 River Phoenix, 23, 1970 - 1993
This the very last picture of River Phoenix, taken 2 days before his death. On the evening of October 30th, 1993, Phoenix was to perform with his close friend Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, at a Hollywood nightclub partly owned at the time by actor Johnny Depp. During the early morning hours of October 31st, 1993, Phoenix suffered a drug overdose, collapsed outside and convulsed for over five minutes. Toxicology studies showed high concentrations of morphine and cocaine in his blood, as well as other substances in smaller concentrations. The cause of death was listed as acute multiple drug intoxication. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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39points
#40 Bill Paxton, 61, 1955 - 2017
This photo was taken at Bill Paxton's last public appearance, the 2017 NAACP Awards. He is pictured with his co-star from the movie 'Training Day,' Justin Cornwell. Two weeks later, on February 25th, 2017, Paxton died at the age of 61 from a stroke, a result of complications following heart surgery. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
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38points