31 Bolaji Badejo: Alien Actor’s Sickle Cell
Bolaji Badejo was a 6-foot-10 Nigerian visual artist who portrayed the original xenomorph in “Alien” (1979). His height and slender body convinced Ridley Scott that he was the perfect choice for the villain. Tragically, he passed away from sickle cell disease at the age of 39.
32 Michael Berryman: Hairless Actor
Actor Michael Berryman suffers from hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, which means he doesn’t have hair, sweat glands, or fingernails.
33 Ernest Hemingway: Hemochromatosis Tragedy
A major factor in Ernest Hemingway’s suicide was his diagnosis of hemochromatosis, a disease that causes the inability to metabolize iron and results in both mental and physical deterioration. This condition ran in his family, and tragically, his sister, brother, and father had also committed suicide.
34 Charles Oliveira: UFC Champion’s Childhood Struggle
UFC Champion Charles Oliveira, born into a poor family in a favela in Brazil, was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and also had a heart murmur at the age of 7 and was told he would never walk again. His determined mother responded, “We don’t accept that.” She then sold snacks and discarded cardboard on the streets to help fund his training.
35 Mel Blanc: Voice Legend’s Smoking Habit
Mel Blanc, known as the “man of 1000 voices” and famous for most of the Looney Tunes characters, began smoking cigarettes at the age of 9. He was later diagnosed with emphysema and finally quit smoking at the age of 77.
36 Rowan Atkinson: Stammering Actor Technique
Rowan Atkinson suffers from a stammer, so he uses over-articulation as a technique to overcome problematic consonants, such as ‘B’.
37 Jerry Orbach: Late Diagnosis
Jerry Orbach, who portrayed Lennie Briscoe on the original Law & Order and voiced Lumière in Beauty and the Beast, was diagnosed with cancer less than two years into Law & Order. Despite being diagnosed more than a decade before his death, his disease was not publicly known until weeks before his passing.
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38 Casey Kasem: Abduction Controversy
In 2014, a few months before the death of Casey Kasem, the actor who voiced Shaggy from Scooby Doo and was the former host of American Top 40 was suffering from Lewy body dementia and was involved in a highly publicized abduction case by his current wife. She reportedly stole medical equipment to keep Kasem alive on her own.
39 Mark Ruffalo: Brain Tumor Survivor
Mark Ruffalo was initially set to appear in the movie “Signs” but had to drop out when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Joaquin Phoenix took over his role. Fortunately, the brain tumor turned out to be benign, and after surgery, Ruffalo suffered from partial facial paralysis for a few weeks before eventually making a full recovery.
40 Magic Johnson: HIV Awareness Efforts
After Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV, many NBA players expressed concerns that he shouldn’t play because of the potential risk of contamination if he had an open wound.
