[steffieweffie]

Someone on imdb.com mentioned he was on Celebrities Uncensored a few days before he died. They said he looked shocked that paparazzi wanted to talk to him. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

I'm still in shock as well. It's always sad to see a life end, but when it isn't a natural death or if they died so young, it even worse.

[Phee]

I'm finding it really strange that his death has effected me the way it has. Celebs die all the time, and I'll pause for a minute and think, "Gee, that's really sad," but then I'll pretty much forget about it.

Maybe it's because I was so obsessed with the guy, so I felt some kind of attachment to him or something. He was a big part of my life for a couple of years. I can remember standing there looking through all the teen mags from the US (I'm in Australia) that had all those awesome Jon articles, and I'd have to decide which one to buy because I couldn't afford to buy them all.

It was like a ritual whenever my friends and I went shopping on the weekends. I'd have to stop and check out the Jonathan Brandis articles in the mags. I can remember the feeling when I'd turn a page in the mag, and see a brand new pic of him, full page size, with those stunning blue eyes staring up at me, and it'd just make my whole damn week! [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img]

Then I'd go home and sit on my bedroom floor and cut out all the new Jon goodies I had to add to my collection.

There was another girl that I hung out with at school, and she was a huge Jon fan too. She'd bring her collection of Jon stuff to school, and if she had articles that I didn't have, she'd let me photocopy them in the school library so I could take them home and add them to my own collection.

Perhaps it's because I spent so many hours thinking about him, imagining what I'd ever say if I got to meet him, day dreaming about marrying him [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img], so in some warped way it's like I kinda knew him...my own version of him anyway. Maybe that's why I'm so sad that this particular celeb has passed away. Maybe that's why the thought of him being in such desperate pain that it drove him to kill himself just breaks my heart. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

OK, so now I'm totally rambling, and you probably all think I'm some crazy obsessed stalker type person or something, but seriously, I can't believe I'm so genuinely sad that he's gone. Makes me wish I had have looked him up more often to see what he was up to. Maybe even sent him some fanmail, telling him how awesome I thought he was and how many hours of happiness he'd brought me back in my highschool days. Telling him that I'd watched "Ladybugs" so many times I could recite the whole movie word for word.

OK, that's enough outta me for one post, sorry to go on like that for so long. Just trying to make some kinda sense as to why this was such a horrible shock to my system. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] I remember when River Pheonix died, and there were all these girls at school crying and I thought, "Geez, it's not like you knew the guy, it's not the end of the world or anything." Well, now I guess I can kinda understand where they were coming from.

Edited to add that I just re-read that post and I totally do sound like some obsessed freak or something. But honestly, I'm really quite normal...most of the time. [img]smilies/look.gif[/img]

[ 11-23-2003: Message edited Phee ]

[steffieweffie]

Phee, I did the same thing. I don't think you're crazy or anything. His death is a shock. For me, it's like, I thought the next time I would hear about him would be about a new movie he was in, not about his death. He's young, and I grew up loving him as an actor. He is the first actor I grew up with that has died.

[Phee]

Thanks Stefanie, I don't feel quite so crazy now. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I found a Jon message board here. There's someone on there who's said they're gonna make a clip of his brief appearance on "Celebrities Uncensored", so I'll be keeping an eye out for it.

Oh, and if you go here you can download the first 8 minutes of his movie "The Year That Tembled", which I believe will be out on DVD sometime soon, (I think I saw a post on that message board about it).

[*M*L*3602]

It truly is sad to think about. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] I also thought I'd post something here that I posted on a yahoo board:

I'm not sure if Jonathan committed suicide or not, but it sure sounds as if he did. If that is so, then I might be able to shed a little light on that. As someone who has had two uncles take their lives and thought of doing the same in the past, I can understand why so many choose suicide. I don't think it's the right answer, but it's hard to know what it's like unless you've experienced it. It's much like being swallowed up by a black hole. Some may try to help, but they are like tiny stars billions of miles away and so far out of reach. Eventually it consumes you and all you can think about is how negative life is towards you. How you wish it would end. How you wish you were never born. You often ask yourself why life has been so cruel to you. In the process, you focus so completely on the negative memories, that the positive ones just fade into nothing and all that's left are the negative ones. It's a very suffocating like feeling and so hard to cope with. At this point, you are so far down that escape seems impossible and you can no longer hear anyone trying to help you. You start to focus on release and how to get it and death seems like the only solution. It's not that you don't care about those you will hurt when you leave behind. You are just too absorbed in your pain and the darkness of it all and the focus of ending that pain, that it just doesn't register that your release will only pass the pain onto those you left behind. Like when you are obsessed with something, you tend to lose focus on everything else. Your mind is completely set towards that goal and you overlook everything and everyone else. Not on purpose, mind you, but obsessions tend to consume you until you can't think of anything else but that obsession. It's just a horrible experience to go through and extremely hard to break the cycle. Like you've been re-programmed and now have to figure out how to program yourself back to the way you were before and overcome all of your pain and inner demons all at the same time. Sadly though, most people don't get the chance to snap out of it and realize what will happen if they continue down that path and then it is too late. I'm not sure what caused Jonathan Brandis to become consumed by depression. Whatever it was, I at least hope he's found the peace that he was unable to find here. And I hope his family and friends can find the strength to carry on and keep his memory alive. It's always sad to hear about anyone dying, but suicide is a great tragedy since it can be avoided and wasn't that person's time to go.

If he did committ suicide, then maybe that will help some to understand why.

~Leslie

[Phee]

Leslie, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. [img]smilies/hug.gif[/img] It's an absolute tragedy that anyone could ever be in that position and feel that way. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

I found a site with a whole heap of Jon pics. Hopefully this link will work. I was looking through the pics in the General section, and remember almost all of them from my own collection. I asked my mum tonight if she knew if all my old Jon pics were still lying around somewhere, and she said she'd look for them even though I'm sure I did get rid of them. I told her that I remembered her saying to me that I should keep them because one day I might want to look through them all again. Should have listened to her!!

This one was one of my all time fave Jon pics...

click for bigger version
Yes indeed, I spent much time drooling over that pic and imagining that "come hither" look was meant just for me. [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img]

I plan to watch some seaQuest eps tomorrow. Got most of my old videos back from my parents' place tonight. Hopefully the quality it still alright so I can watch them properly. I was looking through the seaQuest section on that site I posted the link for, and I can actually remember exact scenes just from looking at certain pics. I was so addicted to that show and Jon was the reason I began watching it in the first place. [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img]

[algernonsidney]

Originally posted by last beautiful girl: This is a nitpick, but it was suicide? All the reports I've read have said different things -accidental overdose -suicide But anyway, it sucks. He was pretty cool.

That's an important reminder. I don't think there has been a complete autopsy. And there is the possiblity of murder, too. Murderers often try to make deaths look like suicide. It's best not to speculate with this very sensitve topic.

Chris

[algernonsidney]

Originally posted by *M*L*3602: It truly is sad to think about. I also thought I'd post something here that I posted on a yahoo board.

This is the most insightful and intelligent observation I have ever read on the subject of suicide. It is also the most intelligent thing I have ever read on Fan Forum.

Ultimately, people don't kill themsevles. They just die of depression. It's not a decision that people simply make on the spur of the moment.

It's a demon I have been fighting since I was eight years old. This was back in 1979. There was a space station called the Skylab that was falling to the Earth. Naturally, there was worry about where it might land--it burned up in the atmosphere. I said to my father: "I hope it falls on me. I hate life."

I haven't made the attempt, but have been close to trying it numerous times. I faked an attempt at 14. I have been to numerous therapists and programs (most of which were wastes of time and money). I have one right now that may be the solution--I can't tell.

I felt like I finally had it beat in 1999. Then in early 2002, I was reading Final Exit by Derek Humprey--a "how-to" on helping terminally ill people die. I am moving next year, hoping that will be a permanent solution. But it gets harder and harder to believe in anything when there is just one failure after another.

Most people don't know what this feels like. Trust me when I tell you that you are fortunate that you don't know. I certainly don't think anyone deserves to feel it.

I know this is rather personal, but Fan Forum is one place wehre I hold nothing back. Some of you may notice that I sometimes post rather angrily. For a lot of men, like me, anger is a natural anti-depressant.

Ignorance sometimes is bliss.

Chris

[HamScout's Honor]

I must admit that I am still in shock and several times I have almost cried at this news. I loved Jonathan Brandis, in seaquest and the never ending story II and Lady Bugs. I too had his pics up on my wall back then and even today he has been one of my favorite young celebs. IT saddens me a lot seeing as he was just a year older then I am myself.

I still have a lot of pics of him in my collection and I will surely have to get my hands on copies of Lady bugs and the never ending story II just so I can have something of Jon. I want his movie too. Just so sad to see someone so young go out that way. I hope he has found some peace. He will be greatly missed.

Who ever made that comment about hollywood is very much right. Teen Idols are built up so high then they falter and sometimes those actors don't know what to do. It is a very sad fact but true. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[steffieweffie]

algernonsidney, I'm sorry that you've been dealing with depression for so long. My bout with depression was caused by medical problems and I'm sure it's quite different from yours, but I sympathize.

The thing about depression is, some people don't realize they are depressed.


I hope Jonathan's family is doing okay. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[Phee]

algernonsidney, I hope and pray that you do find a way to put your pain in the past and move on to live a long and happy life. [img]smilies/hug.gif[/img]

This is from the LAPD's website....

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE Thursday, November 20, 2003 "Actor Jonathan Brandis’ Suicide Investigation" Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department, Wilshire Area Homicide Unit, is handling the death investigation of 27 year-old actor Jonathan Brandis. On November 11, 2003, at about 11:40 p.m., a friend of Jonathan Brandis called police to report that the actor had attempted suicide at his apartment, located in the 600 block of Detroit Avenue. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire department responded and transported Brandis to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where he eventually died from his injuries. Brandis was pronounced dead by hospital staff on November 12, 2003, at about 2:45 p.m. An autopsy will be performed by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the official cause of death is still pending. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is requested to contact Wilshire Area Homicide Unit, at 213-473-0460. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at the Detective Information Desk, at 1-877-LAWFULL, 1-877-529-3855. This news release was prepared by Public Information Officer Jason Lee, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.

That's from the 20th though, and pretty much anything I've read which has been written after that has said that there has now been an autopsy and while it's a suspected suicide, they're still investigating it, so who knows, it may very well turn out that there was foul play involved.

I noticed that that pic I posted isn't showing up anymore (it was right after I posted it but seems to have disappeared). Anyway, if you go here, then click the "Idol Gallery" link, and then select "B" on the page that opens, then scroll down til you find his name, there are hundreds of pics in there.

[NaiveYetChubby]

I just saw this on another board, and when I saw the topic I thought, it can't be that Jonathan Brandis. How tragic. I loved him in SeaQuest and Never Ending Story 2. My sympathies go out to his family.

In E! Online's story, it mentions that he was born in Danbury, CT. That's the next town over from where I live. I had no idea he was from the area.

[ 11-23-2003: Message edited NaiveYetChubby ]

[olivious]

[img]smilies/bawl.gif[/img] He was so gorgeous. This always happens! Why do I say things about celebs dying? They always die after I talk about it! That's it, never again. I won't mention any celeb ever dying again...ever! I am so jinxed.

I loved him! So hot! And so cute in The Neverending Story. Damn, I loved Sea Quest so much. He was engaged to Alyssa Milano. [img]smilies/cry.gif[/img]

[Phee]

I think at one stage there was a rumour that he'd been engaged to Alyssa, (I remember rumours about her being engaged to someone, but don't remember if it was Jon, it was a few years ago I think), but I don't think he ever actually was. During my lurking around on the Jon board I found, it seems that he had a girlfriend who's in a band I've never heard of. He also used to date Tatiana Ali, (who played the younger daughter in Fresh Prince of Bel Air with Will Smith in case you don't remember who she is).

I went to watch my old seaQuest tapes today. Put one in and checked to see where it was up to. Was a scene from one of my fave eps, and it was a closeup shot of Jon. [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img] Then I went to rewind the tape, and I guess the tape must have been dusty or something, (it had been sitting on a shelf for some years), coz it totally screwed up the heads on the VCR. [img]smilies/pout.gif[/img]

[ 11-24-2003: Message edited Phee ]

[*Krissy*]

Wow, I'm also shocked by this. It's very sad. I loved Jonathan on seaQuest too, he was why I watched the show. He was also in a made for tv movie with Tatyana Ali called Fall Into Darkness. I think I remember him more recently from that. It's on Lifetime a lot.