Cameron Boyce was a Disney Channel star for most of his young life. The 20-year-old actor died less than a month before the premiere of Descendants 3, making last night's debut heartbreaking for fans to watch. At the end of the broadcast, the network aired a nearly 3-minute tribute to the star of Jessie and the Descendants films. Cameron had also made appearances in Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up, Liv and Maddie, and Bunk'd. Watch the video "For Cameron":
I love that Disney Channel's tribute took an upbeat tone, instead of being mournful. It leaves you with a smile. The video features his Jessie and Descendants co-stars -- including Debby Ryan and Sofia Carson -- gushing over Cameron's talent and swag, with so many happy smiling, dancing shots of the actor. You can see how much joy he brought to everything, and how much fun he had in his brief time entertaining the world.
He even made Michelle Obama laugh, and was thrilled about it!
The video is captioned "You mean everything to us" with heart emojis. It ends with a message of positivity for the young fans.
Before the Descendants 3 premiere, star Dove Cameron opened up about how she first met Cameron Boyce, and then how she learned of his death. "Devastated" was too small a word for her experience, she said. Boyce's past co-stars also paid tribute, sharing their shock at his death.
On August 1, ABC News had an interview with Cameron Boyce's Descendants cast and director Kenny Ortega, with everyone sharing their memories of him:
Cameron Boyce died July 6 after a seizure, and his death was confirmed by the coroner to be tied to his epilepsy. To say it shocked both fans and his co-stars was an understatement. He still has a few on-camera projects coming up -- including a role in the HBO comedy Mrs. Fletcher, which premieres this fall; plus playing Simon in the series Paradise City; and playing the role of Cal in a movie called Runt.
The Cameron Boyce Foundation was established after his death, aiming to provide young people with "artistic and creative outlets as alternatives to violence and negativity" and using "resources and philanthropy for positive change in the world." His legacy lives on.
