Actor Verne Troyer, best known as Mini-Me from Austin Powers, has passed away at the age of 49.
 

 

It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday. He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude. On film & television sets, commercial shoots, at comic-con’s & personal appearances, to his own YouTube videos, he was there to show everyone what he was capable of doing. Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know. Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much. During this recent time of adversity he was baptized while surrounded by his family. The family appreciates that they have this time to grieve privately. Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Verne’s name to either of his two favorite charities; The Starkey Hearing Foundation and Best Buddies. Photo by @paulmobleystudio

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According to the statement above, Troyer suffered from depression and battled with alcohol addiction. While there is no word on the cause of death or the location of where Troyer was found, the statement released on his social feeds suggests that he could’ve taken his own life.

“Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help.”

After appearing in Austin Powers next to Mike Myers as Dr. Evil’s sidekick, Troyer became one the bigger celebrities in Hollywood and morphed into a pop-culture superstar despite suffering from dwarfism and standing only 2’8.”

Troyer becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, and appeared in two of the three Austin Powers movies, and also appeared in the 2001 “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” movie.

One of his more notable films  he appeared in was “The Love Guru,” which Myers directed, wrote, produced and acted in. The film stared Myers, Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake. He played Punch Cherkov, a hockey coach who struggled to garner respect from his players because of his staTure, presenting a perfect contrasting image of what you’d expect from a coach.

Warning, the following videos are NSFW.

Several Hollywood stars shared their condolences with the Troyer family – including Myers – and recalled some of their most fondest memories.

Most recently, Troyer had started his own YouTube channel that had over half a million suscribers. He posted comedy skits, cooking segments, with his most recent video of him describing his pet peeves.

RIP Vern, and thanks for making all of us laugh.