Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the “Austin Powers” movies, died Saturday. He was 49.
While no cause of death was revealed, a post on Troyer’s official social media accounts spoke of the diminutive actor’s “recent time of adversity” with depression, noting he had recently been baptized.
“Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much,” 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.”
Troyer was taken to hospital early this month for unknown treatment. The actor spoke about his problems with alcohol during another hospital stay a year ago.
He was born in 1969 in Sturgis, Michigan.
One of the world’s shortest men at just two feet eight inches (81 centimeters) due to achondroplasia dwarfism, Troyer first entered show business as a stunt person in “Baby’s Day Out” (1994). “In 1993, I was working for Sprint in customer service, and a friend of mine who was the president of LPA – Little People of America got a phone call from the producers of ‘Baby’s Day Out,’ and they were wondering if there was anyone close to a stand-in size,” he recalled in a 2012 interview with Hollywood Chicago.
“I guess they searched worldwide and couldn’t find anyone. I sent in my picture, and they flew me out to Hollywood to meet with them. Two days later, they offered me the job, and I quit my job at Sprint.”
