What Was Beneath Verne Troyer's Tragic Passing? New Doc Investigates Actor's 2018 Suicide
Late actor Verne Troyer passed away on April 21, 2018, at the age of 49 after decades in show business.
Troyer initially entered the film world as a stunt double. He had been approached by the then-president of Little People of America in search of a stunt double for a character in John Hughes' film Baby's Day Out in 1994, and later took on stunt double roles and minor appearances in films such as Men in Black, Jingle All The Way and My Giant throughout the 90s.
The actor found acclaim as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films. He went on to star as Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Keith Lemon: The Film and joined the sixth season of Celebrity Big Brother. He also made TV appearances in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Scrubs and Two and a Half Men.
However, the world was shocked when he passed away from what has been attributed to as suicide by alcohol poisoning, which caused several organs to fail.
In a new episode of the REELZ series Autopsy: The Last Hours Of..., airing Sunday, July 25, world-renowned medical examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter investigates Troyer's passing, using medical evidence to unravel the truth behind the star's early death.
In a resurfaced clip, the late actor admitted that he was recognized everywhere he went and could not hide beneath sunglasses and a baseball hat like many other stars can.
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In April 2018, he had been hospitalized after emergency responders went to his home in Los Angeles. One year earlier, Troyer announced that he was being treated for alcohol addiction, having almost died from alcohol poisoning in 2002.
"Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles," the statement announcing his death read. "Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much."
"Depression and suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside," the statement added. "And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help."
Hunter revealed that Troyer’s stature of only 2 feet 8 inches was the result of Cartilage–hair hypoplasia, which is a rare genetic disorder and is believed to be the reason he was smaller than others with Dwarfism.
"What's interesting about Verne's early life it seemed that growing up his childhood was relatively normal and that his size was almost ignored but all that seemed to change when he hit Hollywood," Hunter noted.
"Wherever he went, he was probably stared at," Aliens, Clowns & Geeks director Richard Elfman said of the "pressure" Troyer was under. "He was exceedingly small, it was just a tough life for him."
There is much more to learn when Autopsy: The Last Hours of… Verne Troyer airs on Sunday, July 25, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on REELZ.
Watch REELZ on DIRECTV 238, Dish Network 299, Verizon FiOS 692, AT&T U-verse 1799 and in HD on cable systems and streaming services nationwide. Find REELZ on your local cable or satellite provider at www.reelz.com
