WatchMojo counts down their picks for the top 10 famous people who tragically died while performing or because of an accident related to their performance. The list includes:
10. John Eric Hexam - died after playing Russian roulette with a gun loaded with blanks while on set.
9. Karl Wallenda - fell to his death while performing a high-wire walk.
8. J.I. Rodale - died of a heart attack while being interviewed on the Dick Cavett show.
7. Leslie "Les" Harvey - was electrocuted by an ungrounded microphone during a sound check.
6. Vic Morrow - was killed along with two child actors in a helicopter crash while filming a scene for Twilight Zone: The Movie.
5. Brandon Lee - was unintentionally shot with a faulty prop gun while filming The Crow.
4. Owen Hart - fell to his death during a wrestling stunt when a quick-release mechanism malfunctioned.
3. Tommy Cooper - died of a heart attack while performing a live magic show.
2. Steve Irwin - was stabbed in the chest by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary.
1. "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott - was murdered by a gunman while performing with his band Damageplan.
The list excludes Harry Houdini, whose death was linked to a backstage assault.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. John Eric Hexam died on the set of the CBS TV series "Cover-Up" in 1979 while playing Russian roulette with a gun loaded with blanks.
2. Karl Wallenda died in 1978 after falling 10 stories during a high-wire stunt in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
3. J.I. Rodale died on the Dick Cavett show in 1971 due to a heart attack.
4. Leslie "Les" Harvey died on stage in 1972 after being electrocuted by an ungrounded microphone.
5. Vic Morrow and two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, died in 1983 while filming a scene for "Twilight Zone: The Movie" when a helicopter crashed on top of them.
6. Brandon Lee died in 1993 after being shot by a faulty prop gun on the set of "The Crow".
7. Owen Hart died in 1999 after falling 78 feet during a WWF pay-per-view event when a quick-release mechanism malfunctioned.
8. Tommy Cooper died in 1984 after suffering a heart attack on stage during a live performance.
9. Steve Irwin died in 2006 after being stabbed by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary.
10. Dimebag Darrell was murdered in 2004 while performing with his band Damageplan, shot by ex-marine Nathan Gale.
Additional facts:
11. John Eric Hexam was 26 years old when he died.
12. Karl Wallenda was 73 years old when he died.
13. J.I. Rodale was 72 years old when he died.
14. Leslie "Les" Harvey was a guitarist for the band Stone the Crows.
15. Vic Morrow was an American actor.
16. Brandon Lee was the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
17. Owen Hart was a professional wrestler.
18. Tommy Cooper was a British comedian and magician.
19. Steve Irwin was a wildlife expert and TV personality.
20. Dimebag Darrell was a musician and member of the bands Pantera and Damageplan.