Before he was out of his teens, Freddie Prinze was already a popular television and comedy star, and then he died at age 22. His career lasted less than five years, but he still left a large legacy with his show Chico and the Man, his appearances on celebrity roasts, and his stand-up.
In 1979, CBS made a television movie about Prinze's life titled Can You Hear the Laughter?: The Story of Freddie Prinze. Producer Peter Greenberg said of Prinze, "He never got a chance to think. He was moving too fast." By 16, Prinze was already using cocaine, and he took tons of Quaaludes, according to Entertainment Weekly. His big break came in 1973, when he had a great performance on The Tonight Show, leading to his sitcom-starring breakthrough the next year on Chico and the Man with co-star Jack Albertson.
By 1977, however, Prinze had become depressed and dependent on drugs. His marriage was crumbling, and he worried about being separated from his child. On January 28, 1977, while his manager Marvin Snyder was present, Prinze shot himself in the head and died the next day, per The New York Times. His death was originally declared a suicide, but Prinze's family launched a civil case, leading to his death being declared accidental because of the actor's hobby of playing Russian roulette, according to CBS News.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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