American actor Cameron Boyce has died at 20 years old.
News of his death has been confirmed by Disney, as well as by his family who spoke to ABC News.
“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” a family spokesman has said. “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure, which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated.
“The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him.
“We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother.”
On June 5 Boyce shared this image of himself Facetiming his mother and father, Libby and Victor Boyce, on Instagram:
Boyce was known for his roles in Disney's Descendants and the TV show Jessie. He made his acting debut at nine years old in horror film Mirrors and went on to appear in Adam Sandler movie Grown Ups.
His charity work
Disney has paid tribute to the young actor, saying: “From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents with the world. As a young man, he was fuelled by a strong desire to make a difference in people’s lives through his humanitarian work.”
The young actor was also known for his charity work. In 2017 he helped raise money for the Thirst Project, an initiative to bring clean water to poorer countries. He raised almost $27,000 (Dh99,000) in 40 days.
At the time he described charity work, and using his loyal following of more than 8 million Instagram followers to raise money, as a “no brainer”.
“He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and, above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson and friend,” the spokesperson for Disney added. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family, cast mates and colleagues and join his many millions of fans in grieving his untimely passing. He will be dearly missed.”
He last shared an image with his 8.1 million Instagram followers less than 24 hours before his death. It was an artistic profile photograph taken from an i-D magazine photo shoot.
Tributes to his life
Tributes to Boyce have been flooding in, including one from Descendants director Kenny Ortega.
“Cameron, You left a big piece of your heart for those of us who knew and loved you in this life and you left with a big piece of our hearts today. We will continue to carry your loving spirit forward. You are our forever boy,” Ortega wrote on Instagram. “In your short time on this earth you lit it up with your incomparable talent and goodness. I will be forever grateful to have known and worked with you. Thank you for sharing your amazing gifts with us all. God Bless you and may God watch over your Incredible and loving Family during this difficult time. Only Love.”
Many others have paid tribute to his “precious life” on social media. YouTuber Ricky Dillon has said he is “absolutely heartbroken”.
And American actor Rome Flynn has said: “Rest in heaven Cameron Boyce. Such a delightful soul Prayers to his family.”
TV host Emile Ennis Jr Tweeted: “Just found out that Cameron Boyce has passed away and I don’t know how to process the news. Doesn’t feel real. R.I.P.”
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