Cameron Boyce, an actor best known for his roles in the Disney Channel series “Jessie” and the “Descendants” TV movie franchise, has died at age 20.
“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,” a Boyce family spokesperson told ABC News on Saturday night. “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.”
The exact cause of death has not been disclosed.
At age 9, the freckle-faced Los Angeles native made his acting debut in the 2008 horror film “Mirrors” and then appeared in the 2010 blockbuster comedy “Grown Ups” as one of the sons of Adam Sandler’s character.
In the early 2010s, he starred as mischievous Luke Ross opposite Debby Ryan’s title character in “Jessie,” which ran for four seasons on the Disney Channel. He then played Carlos de Vil, the son of “101 Dalmatians” villain Cruella de Vil, in the “Descendants” series of movies for the cable network.
The third film in the musical fantasy franchise, which also stars Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson and Booboo Stewart as high school-age children of classic Disney villains, is set to debut on Friday, August 2.
“From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents with the world. As a young man, he was fueled by a strong desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives through his humanitarian work,” a Disney Channel spokesperson said. “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.”
Boyce, who posted a selfie to his 9.4 million Instagram followers on Friday, had recently been cast in the HBO pilot “Mrs. Fletcher,” starring Kathryn Hahn as a single mom whose son has gone off to college.
“Everyone involved with ‘Mrs. Fletcher’ is shocked and heartbroken by the news of Cameron’s passing,” the show’s creator, Tom Perrotta, said in a statement. “He was only twenty–way too young–but he was an extroardinarily gifted and seasoned actor, and a lovely, soulful human being. I’m sure I speak for the entire cast and crew when I say that he was a wonderful friend and colleague, and will be sorely missed by all of us. We send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”