A spokesperson for the Boyce family confirmed the death of actor Cameron Boyce, best known for his role as Luke Ross in the Disney Channel TV show Jessie and for playing Carlos in the Descendants TV movies. He was 20.
Here's the statement shared by the family Saturday evening, explaining Cameron Boyce's tragic death:
It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron. 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.
As the Boyce family revealed in the statement to ABC News, Cameron Boyce's death is said to be tied to a seizure connected to an ongoing medical condition, which was not disclosed. I can only imagine their shock and pain right now.
By age 20, Cameron Boyce already had a thriving career in Hollywood. Starting in 2008 he had major roles in movies like Mirrors and Eagle Eye, then played the role of Keithie Feder (one of Adam Sandler's kids) in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. Adam Sandler reached out with condolences at the loss of his former on-screen son:
On TV, Cameron Boyce had the major role of Luke Ross in Jessie, which ran from 2011 to 2015 on the Disney Channel. He also played the role in a couple of episodes of the Jessie spinoff Bunk'd.
Cameron Boyce also voiced the main role of Captain Jake in Season 2 and Season 3 of the Disney Junior animated series Jake and the Never Land Pirates.
And Cameron Boyce played Carlos, the teenage son of Cruella de Vil and loving pet parent to Dude the dog, in the Disney Channel's three Descendants movies. Descendants 3 is set to premiere on Disney Channel on August 2, 2019.
A Disney Channel spokesperson shared a statement on Cameron Boyce's death:
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. 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. 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.
According to ABC's press page bio for The Descendants, Cameron Boyce was also a humanitarian, and was particularly outspoken for Thirst Project, a non-profit organization that provides awareness for the global water crisis. Last year, Boyce launched a campaign on his birthday that raised more than $27,000 to build two wells in Swaziland and continues to actively advocate on their behalf. In April of 2018, Boyce was honored with the Pioneering Spirit Award at Thirst Project’s ninth annual gala. The award was presented to him by fellow actor and friend Karan Brar as well as Descendants director and choreographer Kenny Ortega.
Cameron Boyce was also reportedly filming a series regular role for the HBO show Mrs. Fletcher. He's also set to be seen in the TV series Paradise City, and he filmed the role of Cal in the thriller Runt, which is reportedly in post-production.
Cameron Boyce has more than 9 million Instagram followers, and this photo of himself is his most recent post, just from one day before his death:
Fans are flooding his comments and the rest of social media with sadness and memories.
Cameron Boyce left us way too soon, but he will be remembered and very much missed.
