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Gwyneth Paltrow adds to list of gruesome death scenes

Warning: Spoilers for various Gwyneth Paltrow movies follow.Gary Busey is famous for dying in movies, but Gwyneth Paltrow is starting to give him some competition. The Oscar-winning actress has met some gruesome and weird demises in her 20-year career, and "Contagion," opening Sept. 9, adds another to the list.'Malice' (1993)Murdered and dumped in a garden. 'Se7en' (1995)Head chopped off and gift-
/ Source: TODAY contributor

Warning: Spoilers for various Gwyneth Paltrow movies follow.

Gary Busey is famous for dying in movies, but Gwyneth Paltrow is starting to give him some competition. The Oscar-winning actress has met some gruesome and weird demises in her 20-year career, and "Contagion," opening Sept. 9, adds another to the list.

'Malice' (1993)

Murdered and dumped in a garden.

'Se7en' (1995)

Head chopped off and gift-boxed for husband Brad Pitt.

'Sylvia' (2003)

Head not chopped off. Head voluntarily placed inside oven instead.

'Country Strong' (2010)

Overdose of drugs, alcohol, wounded-bird-obsession, diva antics and twangy singin'.

'Contagion' (2011)

The trailer tells you immediately that Paltrow dies in the film’s opening moments, but what impressively gross moments they are. She coughs and hacks, sweats and shakes, she’s flushed then pale, her face a gray mask of confusion. And that’s all before her awesome mouth-foam-spewing convulsive seizures — the kind they invent MTV Movie Awards to honor — and multiple expressions of sallow, panic-stricken terror, making for what may be the craziest movie poster image of the year. To tell you what happens next would take too much of the fun out of this best movie death of 2011.

What's Paltrow's best death scene? Which other actors are famous for expiring onscreen? Discuss with us on Facebook.

Dave White is a critic for movies.com.