One director called Jean Peters one of the greatest film sirens of all time, but she just wanted to play gritty roles. While her best bud Marilyn Monroe took all the glamorous parts, Peters was in her own world playing unconventional roles like pirates and a woman who lived in a swamp. When she met and married billionaire Howard Hughes, she put Hollywood behind her and became wrapped up in his bizarre and isolated world. Only a ferocious woman like Peters could find the strength to claw her way out.

As far as TV goes, there was nothing squarer than the 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch. But behind the scenes was quite a different story. Forbidden secrets, angry feuds, and legendary on-set hookups fueled the drama. And when the show ended after five seasons, like a virus, it would not let go of these actors.

Joey Bishop was the comedian, actor, and TV show host who warmed up audiences before his fellow Rat Pack members crooned their way into their hearts. But a feud between Bishop and Frank Sinatra sent him packing from the pack. His exile from the infamous Rat Pack came with consequences.

The folk quartet The Mamas & the Papas became hugely famous for their sweet vocal harmonies. Unfortunately, things behind the scenes were as unharmonious as you could get. Somehow, the California dreamers and their dysfunctional ways pulled Denny Doherty, a nice guy from eastern Canada, into their chaos. The Mamas & the Papas only spent a couple of years in the limelight, but it would take Doherty the rest of his life to recover from the trauma.

Jane Fonda has shapeshifted so dramatically over nearly nine decades that even her own daughter once called her a chameleon. Think about it: Who else has gone from screen siren to Oscar-winning icon to fitness tycoon to women’s rights warrior to counterculture firebrand? Thank goodness her famously envied body is strong, because only someone that tough could weather more betrayals, heartbreaks, and scandals than any one person should ever face.

Patrick Swayze oozed the kind of charm that puts bums in seats at the multiplex. He was a triple threat, as he was able to do action movies, romance, and could even dance like a pro. Of course, a perfectionist like Swayze was not about to sit back and be comfortable with box office appeal. What had always eluded him was the respect of critics. As it became clear that his life would come to an abrupt and early end, he had one final shot at critical acclaim.