40% of the 2005 Best Actor nominees

[cthulu2016]

have died of drug overdose in the 9 nine years since.

The 2005 nominees for Best Actor were:

Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote
Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
David Strathairn in Good Night and Good Luck
Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow
Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line

[frazzled]

1. Maybe SAG needs to look into this

Their best (male) actors are succumbing to addiction in significant enough numbers to be a real issue for the union. Treatment might be one area of use; but another might be to put a prohibition on hiring users (like doping in sports). That might get these guys clean before it kills them.

[B2G]

2. Drug test actors?

What about musicians? There won't be anyone left.

[Egnever]

5. No thanks

I don't subscribe to the idea everyone needs to be saved from themselves.

[frazzled]

6. Themselves can do whatever they want

It's about the profession and the industry.

[shenmue]

3. Wow

[frazzled]

4. You neglected to mention

that Joaquin Phoenix's older brother River Phoenix, truly a talent, also died of drug overdose ... at age 23. That puts this group in the 60% category, if you add in close relatives.

[theHandpuppet]

7. Joaquin Phoenix would be surprised to learn that he's dead

You must be thinking of River Phoenix, Joaquin's older brother, who starred in films such as "Stand By Me."

[StopTheNeoCons]

10. OP said 40%, so just the 2 top names have died..nt

[Orrex]

11. Hm... 40% of five is...

[cthulu2016]

12. As surprised as Heath Ledger would be to learn that he's alive

[hlthe2b]

13. That is 2/5.... which doesn't sound as dramatic as 40%, but surely doesn't suggest a real trend

when one considers how many would have been nominated for that and supporting actor categories.

I'm not downplaying the sad fact here nor the loss, nonetheless.