Verne Troyer, best known for playing Mini Me in the ‘Austin Powers’ movies, has died at the age of 49.
The actor’s death was announced on his official Facebook page by his reps in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The cause of death has not been revealed.
It reads: “It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today.
“Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday.
“Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much.
“Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside.
“Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help.”
His death comes just weeks after he was hospitalised in Los Angeles, although it was not revealed why.
Verne became a household name after starring as Mini-Me, the hairless sidekick of Mike Myers’ Dr Evil in two of the three ‘Austin Powers’ films.
His co-star was one of the first to pay tribute. In a statement Mike Myers said: “Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honour of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.”
He starred in over two dozen films during his career, including 2001’s ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, playing the banker goblin Griphook, and as Percy in Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ (2009).
In 2009 he appeared on the UK version of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ and also made several appearances on ’Celebrity Juice’ and in Keith Lemon’s ‘Keith Lemon: The Film’.
The British comic paid tribute to his friend on Instagram, writing: “Fun times. Gonna miss that little dude. Magical powers to his family and many many close friends x”
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