Actor Cameron Boyce has died at the age of 20. Boyce was one of the lead stars of the Descendants franchise, a series of Disney Channel movies about the children of iconic Disney antagonists. Boyce portrayed Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, and will appear posthumously in Descendants 3, set to release next month.
Boyce was born and raised in Los Angeles. Prior to his 10th birthday, he appeared in numerous mainstream productions, including a recurring role as Michael "Stone" Cates Jr. in the soap opera General Hospital: Night Shift. Boyce also worked with iconic New French Extremity director Alexandre Aja on the 2008 thriller Mirrors, starring Kiefer Sutherland. In addition, he landed a supporting role in the 2008 spy film Eagle Eye, featuring Anthony Mackie and Rosario Dawson. By 2010, Boyce booked a blockbuster role in Grown Ups, portraying Adam Sandler’s son, and reprised the character in the 2013 sequel, Grown Ups 2. In pop culture, Boyce is perhaps best known for starring in the Descendants series, which first premiered in 2015. He also starred as Luke Ross in the Disney Channel comedy series Jessie, and reprised the role in both Ultimate Spider-Man and the spinoff series Bunk’d.
According to Variety, Boyce’s family released a statement acknowledging his death. The actor reportedly died from seizure complications during his sleep, the “result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated.” Boyce will posthumously appear in the upcoming HBO comedy series Mrs. Fletcher, in which he portrays the college roommate of Jackson White’s character. Mrs. Fletcher stars Kathryn Hahn, and was created by Tom Perotta, who previously developed his novel The Leftovers into an acclaimed HBO series. Boyce will also appear posthumously in the feature film Runt, a thriller directed by William Coakley.
On social media, Boyce’s fans and collaborators are remembering the late actor. The aforementioned Sandler posted an image of Boyce, along with a message in which he describes him as “Too young. Too sweet. Too funny.” Sandler goes on to thank Boyce and offers a message to the late actor’s family. Meanwhile, British performer Gregg Sulkin tweeted about Boyce, whom he describes as “Always respectful and always a class act.” Sulkin also notes that he recently intended to reach out to Boyce, and that he admired his fellow Disney star. Sulkin had a role in Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, and currently portrays Chase Stein in the Hulu series Runaways.
Over the past decade, Boyce established himself as a promising actor, both in feature films and television. He worked with A-list stars, and was primed to reach the next level of his career with Descendants 3 and Mrs. Fletcher. Cameron Boyce will be remembered for his acting work, but social media reactions reveal that he’ll also be remembered as a loyal and caring friend.
Rest in Peace Cameron Boyce: May 28, 1999 - July 6, 2019
Source: Variety