Verne Troyer, 49

Verne Troyer died mysteriously at his home today. He was 49. No official cause of death was given, but the death announcement on his official Instagram media notably mentioned “depression” and “suicide.”

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

A post shared by Verne Troyer (@vernetroyer) on Apr 21, 2018 at 12:58pm PDT

Troyer, born with a rare type of dwarfism called cartilage-hair hypoplasia which cause him to stop growing at 2’8″, broke into Hollywood as a stunt performer. His first project was Baby’s Day Out, where he provided stunt work for the 9-month olds playing the lead.

His big break in front of the screen was when he was cast to play Mini-Me, the clone of the villainous Dr. Evil in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The role was supposed to be a minor one, but positive response to Troyer’s performance led to more scene with the character being added. He reprised the role in 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember and reunited with star Mike Myers in 2008’s The Love Guru.

“Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed,” Myers said in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly on Saturday.

Troyer parlayed his Austin Powers fame into other movie work, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bubble Boy, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnasuss.