Lee Thompson Young found dead at his Hollywood home aged 29
Former Disney child star Lee Thompson Young has been found dead at his Hollywood home aged 29.
Police in North Hollywood have not given an official cause of death, but Lee Thompson Young’s manager, Paul Baruch, said the actor “tragically took his own life”.
Lee Thompson Young rose to fame in the Disney series The Famous Jett Jackson, where he played a teenage secret agent.
More recently Lee Thompson Young portrayed a Boston police detective in the series Rizzoli & Isles.
“Lee was more than just a brilliant young actor, he was a wonderful and gentle soul who will be truly missed,” Paul Baruch said.
“We ask that you please respect the privacy of his family and friends as this very difficult time.”
Lee Thompson Young’s body was found at his home by police on Monday morning after he failed to show up for work on Rizzoli & Isles, where he played Barry Frost, a bright but squeamish police detective.
The show, which also stars The Sopranos actress Lorraine Bracco, has just been commissioned for another series.
“We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, gentle, good-hearted, intelligent man,” series producer Janet Tamaro said in a joint statement with the TNT network and Warner Bros.
“Lee will be cherished and remembered by all who knew and loved him, both on and off screen, for his positive energy, infectious smile and soulful grace.”
Lee Thompson Young was born in South Carolina in 1984 and moved to New York aged 12, where he landed the lead role in The Famous Jett Jackson.
The Disney series, which ran for three series and was turned into a movie, was eventually cancelled in 2001.
Lee Thompson Young went on to start opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the sports movie Friday Night Lights and Jamie Foxx in the made-for-TV movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.
In 2009, he guest-starred in the TV series Scrubs and he played a sensitive FBI agent in FlashForward.
Lee Thompson Young also starred in the music video for the Sugababes single About A Girl.
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