Disney Channel actor Cameron Boyce, known for his roles in the Descendants and the TV show Jessie, has died. He was 20.
His death was announced on Saturday by his family, who said he died in his sleep after a seizure from “an ongoing medical condition.”
“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” a spokesperson said on behalf of the Boyce family. “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,” the spokesperson added.
Boyce, who was mixed race Black—his mom is white and Jewish; his dad is Black American—identified as “Bl-ewish.”
“I’m a lot of different European,” Boyce said in a 2017 Raw Pages interview. I know my grandfather is from the Caribbean. And my grandmother is… You know, I’m sure they both have lineage in Africa because I’m Black. I like to say that I’m Bl-ewish, I’m Black and I’m Jewish. So you know, me and Drake, we got that in common.”
Boyce was the grandson of Jo Ann Boyce, who was one of “The Clinton 12,” the first Black students to desegregate a state-supported high school in Clinton, Tennessee, in 1956. During Black History Month 2016, Boyce honored his beloved “Nana” on the Disney Channel.
The young actor made his acting debut in the horror film Mirrors at 9 years old before joining Adam Sandler in his movie, Grown Ups.
He was a favorite on the Disney channel show, Jessie, in which he starred as Luke Ross for four seasons. The Descendants film series made him even more famous.
“From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents with the world,” said a Disney Channel spokesperson. “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, castmates, and colleagues and join his many millions of fans in grieving his untimely passing. He will be dearly missed.”
He was next set to appear as a series regular in HBO’s new show, Mrs. Fletcher, and the TV spinoff of the film American Satan.
Our thoughts are with the actor’s family and friends.