12 Sitcom Stars Hiding a Dark Double Life

Twelve sitcom stars lived a second life the cameras never showed — from a secret stage persona to a federal prison cell to an unsolved murder. From a comedian who insisted his foul-mouthed alter ego was a real person, to a family-man star who had served time for drug trafficking before fame, to a beloved hero whose private tapes ended in a murder nobody has solved, this countdown follows twelve documented double lives — the screen image, the hidden life, and what happened when the two collided. Counting down: Andy Kaufman, Bob Saget, Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke, Tracey Gold, Lori Loughlin, Dustin Diamond, Matthew Perry, Desi Arnaz, Woody Harrelson, Tim Allen... and at number one, the Hogan's Heroes star whose second life ended in a murder that remains unsolved. The fake thing was never the person. It was the image. The Sitcom Files — classic TV, re-examined. Photos: archival photographs, used for commentary and criticism.