10 Actors Who Died While Filming a Movie John Ritter died at the age of 54 while filming the sitcom 8 Simple Rules in 2003. He collapsed on set and was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered a tear in his aorta. Despite emergency surgery, he passed away later that evening. Steve Irwin died in 2006 at the age of 44 while filming the underwater documentary Ocean’s Deadliest. He was pierced in the chest by the barb of a stingray, causing massive heart damage. Jon-Erik Hexum was only 26 whe