The actor Verne Troyer has died, according to a statement posted to his social media pages on Saturday. He was 49.
Verne Troyer: a life in pictures Read more
Troyer, who was 2ft 8in tall, found fame in Mike Myers’ Austin Powers spy spoof movies as Mini-Me, a clone of the villain Dr Evil. The last Austin Powers film, Goldmember, was released in 2002.
Other roles included Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Coach Punch Cherkov in Myers’ The Love Guru (2008) and Percy in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). Troyer also appeared in Madonna’s video for her 1999 song Beautiful Stranger and made appearances on reality TV.
Myers said on Saturday: “Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honour of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.”
Having experienced struggles with alcoholism, Troyer was admitted to hospital earlier this month. His family announced his death in a statement posted to Facebook and Instagram.
“It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today,” the statement said.
“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.”
The actor Marlee Matlin tweeted that Troyer had “a lovely smile with a caring and big heart, he helped raise money [for Starkey Hearing Foundation] for free hearing aids for deaf and hard of hearing people. RIP.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Troyer with Mike Myers as Dr Evil in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Photograph: New Line/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
Baywatch star Carmen Electra shared a snap of the two of them on Instagram in which she can be seen holding Troyer in her arms. She simply posted “R.I.P Verne Troyer” along with the image.
The Troyer family statement added that “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.”
In 2015, he told the Guardian he “grew up Amish, but my parents left the religion when I was a child”.
He also said: “All my family is average-sized, apart from me. I didn’t really think about my size until I got older, a few years before high school. It had never really fazed me that much.”
His parents, he said, taught him “to be optimistic and independent. They made me feel that I could do anything I set my mind to, which has really helped me. They didn’t make allowances for me because of my height. I had to do everything my brother and sister had to do.”
Troyer’s family statement did not give a cause of death but it added: “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.”
Verne Troyer, the actor best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Power films and one of the shortest men in the world, has died. He was 49.
The news was announced in a post to his official Facebook page.
“It is with great sadness and incredible heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today,” the statement reads. “Verne was an extremely caring individual…[he] hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday.”
The statement also made allusions to depression and suicide, and encouraged people to “be kind” to one another because “you never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside.”
In addition to his credits in “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” Troyer also acted in the first Harry Potter film as Griphook the goblin. He had more than 25 other film credits to his name, including roles in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “The Love Guru,” and “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.”
Born January 1, 1969 in Michigan, Troyer was raised in the Amish faith for a time, but his parents eventually left the religion. He graduated from Centreville High School in 1987.
Troyer’s unusual height of 2’8″ was a result of achondroplasia dwarfism. He has stated that his parents “never treated me any different than my other average-sized siblings. I used to have to carry wood, feed the cows and pigs and farm animals.”
The actor had struggled with alcohol abuse in the past, nearly dying from alcohol poisoning in 2002. In 2017, he announced he would be checking into a treatment center in a post to his Facebook page.
Read the full announcement of Troyer’s death below.
“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.”
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(CNN) Verne Troyer, who played Mini-Me in two of the Austin Powers comedy films, has died at the age of 49, according to statements posted to his social media accounts Saturday.
Troyer was 49. No cause of death was immediately released.
He was hospitalized earlier this month after emergency responders in Los Angeles went to his home, according to media reports.
"Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh," a statement posted to his social media said. "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 every day."
Troyer, who was reportedly 2 feet, 8 inches tall, once joked with CNN's Wolf Blitzer in 2002 that after gaining fame as Mini-Me he would go out in public with a hat and sunglasses on, "but it just doesn't seem to work."
He added: "I'm still trying to get used to it. I'm just adjusting day by day. So you know, it's -- I don't know. It's -- I'm just enjoying it and taking it one step at a time."
According to the Internet Movie Database, Troyer was in 58 movies and television shows.
He played Mini-Me, the diminutive clone of Mike Myers' Dr. Evil, in "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
Myers, in a statement issued Saturday, called Troyer the "consummate professional and a beacon of positivity."
"It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed," Myers said.
The role grew
Troyer told Oprah Winfrey in 2016 that the character wasn't initially supposed to be in the film much.
"I had no idea how famous this character was going to be," he said. "Once we started rehearsal, Mike (Myers) kept adding more parts."
Mini-Me died in an early version of the "Spy Who Shagged Me" but a crowd at a test screening became upset, Troyer said, so they reshot some scenes.
Mini-Me didn't talk during the movies but sometimes let out a squeal or mimicked what Dr. Evil was doing.
Battled adversity
The statement announcing his death said he had undergone a "recent time of adversity."
"Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles," the statement added. "Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much."
The statement told people to be kind.
"Depression and suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside," it said. "And always know, it's never too late to reach out to someone for help."
In April 2017, Troyer announced on Facebook that he was being treated for alcohol addiction, something he had fought in the past.
Started as a baby's stunt double
Troyer once told British talk show host Jonathan Ross that he had a rare type of dwarfism called cartilage-hair hypoplasia
He told Ross he used his height to his advantage. He broke into entertainment as the stunt double for a 9-month-old baby in the 1994 film "Baby's Day Out."
He also appeared as Mini-Me in music videos.
Rapper Ludacris posted a photo to Instagram, writing: "R.I.P. Verne Troyer aka Mini Me. You made it to that #1 Spot Glad we got to make history together. #goontosoon #love."
Gonna miss my lil buddy! @VerneTroyer RIP homie the whole world's gonna miss you! pic.twitter.com/8iw721BhD0 — T❍mmy L33 (@MrTommyLand) April 21, 2018
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee tweeted: "Gonna miss my lil buddy! @VerneTroyer RIP homie the whole world's gonna miss you!"
Troyer told CNN that he grew used to being a short person in a tall world.
"Well, for me, I guess, I don't know what it's like to be tall," he said. "So I grew up like this and you know, you just adapt to every situation."
Verne Troyer, the actor widely known for his role as Mini-Me in Austin Powers, has died aged 49.
A statement posted to his official Facebook page described him as “an extremely caring individual”.
Troyer struggled with depression and alcohol addiction. Earlier this month, he was admitted to hospital in Los Angeles, although his representatives did not say why.
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today,” the statement on Facebook said.
“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.”
It continued: “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.
“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.”
He was recently baptised while surrounded by family, the message added.
Troyer starred as Griphook in the first Harry Potter film, and made a series of appearances on reality TV programmes, including Celebrity Big Brother in 2009.
In 2014, he appeared as Mini-Me in the music video for rapper Ludacris’ “Number One Spot”. Following his death, the musician said in an Instagram post: ”RIP Verne Troyer aka Mini Me. You made it to that #1 Spot. Glad we got to make history together.”
Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum said in an Instagram post: “I love you Verne Troyer, and will miss you my friend, you were always a joy to be around. Rest in peace my brother and see you on the other side.”
West Wing star Marlee Matlin tweeted following the announcement, describing the actor as having a “lovely smile with a caring and big heart”.
American glamour model Carmen Electra shared a photograph of the two of them on Instagram in which she can be seen holding Troyer in her arms.
Singer Vanilla Ice and American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth also posted images of themselves with Troyer following the news of his death.
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Last year in April, Troyer spoke his difficulties with alcohol, releasing a statement saying: “I’ve battled alcohol addiction in the past and while it’s not always been an easy fight, I’m willing to continue my fight day by day.”
Troyer was born in Michigan on New Year’s Day, 1969, to poor Amish factory workers, growing up on a farm in the small town of Centreville.
The middle of three children, he was brought up in a strict household but said his parents left the religion when he was an infant.
Born with Achondroplasia dwarfism and reportedly one of the world’s smallest men, he almost died from “cot death” as a baby, but said his small stature did not restrict his ambitions.
He told The Guardian in 2015: “All my family is average-sized, apart from me. I didn’t really think about my size until I got older, a few years before high school.
“It had never really fazed me that much.”
Troyer’s first taste of show business came in 1994, performing as a stunt double in the film Baby’s Day Out.
But it was in Mike Myers’s Austin Powers spy comedy series that he found worldwide recognition as Mini-Me, a clone of villain Dr Evil, in the late 1990s.
His much-mimicked trademark pinky-to-the-lip pose in the films was instantly recognisable.
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Additional reporting by agencies
