Disney star Cameron Boyce's 'sudden' death was due to his epilepsy, says coroner

The 20-year-old actor was pronounced dead at home on July 6

Officials from Los Angeles coroners have said young Disney actor, Cameron Boyce, died unexpectedly from epilepsy. He was pronounced dead at his home on July 6. AP 

Young Disney actor Cameron Boyce's death has been described as a "sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy" by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. The office made its autopsy findings public on Tuesday, July 30.

The 20-year-old actor was found unresponsive at his North Hollywood, California home on Saturday July 6, and pronounced dead at the scene.

It had previously been stated by a family spokesperson that the Descendants actor had died due to an ongoing medical condition; no specifics were revealed at the time.

Since Boyce's death, Disney Channel has cancelled the red-carpet premiere of Descendants 3, and announced that the Friday August 2 premiere telecast of the film will be dedicated to his memory.

The Descendants franchise follows the stories of four children of Disney's most famous villains, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, Snow White's Evil Queen and Jafar.

Ahead of the broadcast, Boyce's co-star, Cameron Dove, has released a new image from the TV film, which features her late co-star. The below photo shows Boyce as Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil; Dove as Mal, the daughter of Maleficent; Sofia Carson as Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen; and Booboo Stewart as Jay, the son of Jafar.

Losing the 'brightest of lights'

News of Boyce's death was confirmed on July 7 by a family spokesperson.

“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” they said at the time. “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.”

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.

Disney paid tribute to Boyce following his death, saying in a statement: “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.”

“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.”