Posted on 04/21/2018 3:03:03 PM PDT by ethom
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.
Troyer was 49. "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."
No cause of death was released. Troyer, who was reportedly 2 feet, 8 inches tall, once joked with CNN's Wolf Blitzer 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." 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." 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." 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."
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Too young to go. RIP.
Poor guy was probably hung like a steer.
He went ‘on purpose’.
It’s very sad. I wonder if he had any other underlying health issues (like Hervé Villechaize had). HV committed suicide when he was 50.
Well, in Goldmember, Michael Caine did say his nickname was “Tripod”.
I’m 6’3, and can’t get the @ss that He had!
Cartilage-hair hypoplasia is a disorder of bone growth characterized by short stature (dwarfism) with other skeletal abnormalities; fine, sparse hair (hypotrichosis); and abnormal immune system function (immune deficiency) that can lead to recurrent infections.
People with cartilage-hair hypoplasia have unusually short limbs and short stature from birth. They typically have malformations in the cartilage near the ends of the long bones in the arms and legs (metaphyseal chondrodysplasia), which then affects development of the bone itself. Most people with cartilage-hair hypoplasia are unusually flexible in some joints, but they may have difficulty extending their elbows fully.
Affected individuals have hair that is lighter in color than that of other family members because the core of each hair, which contains some of the pigment that contributes the hair’s color, is missing. The missing core also makes each strand of hair thinner, causing the hair to have a sparse appearance overall. Unusually light-colored skin (hypopigmentation), malformed nails, and dental abnormalities may also be seen in this disorder.
The extent of the immune deficiency in cartilage-hair hypoplasia varies from mild to severe. Affected individuals with the most severe immune problems are considered to have severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). People with SCID lack virtually all immune protection from bacteria, viruses, and fungi and are prone to repeated and persistent infections that can be very serious or life-threatening. These infections are often caused by “opportunistic” organisms that ordinarily do not cause illness in people with a normal immune system. Most people with cartilage-hair hypoplasia, even those who have milder immune deficiency, experience infections of the respiratory system, ears, and sinuses. In particular, the chicken pox virus (varicella) often causes dangerous infections in people with this disorder. Autoimmune disorders, which occur when the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body’s tissues and organs, occur in some people with cartilage-hair hypoplasia. Affected individuals are also at an increased risk of developing cancer, particularly certain skin cancers (basal cell carcinomas), cancer of blood-forming cells (leukemia), and cancer of immune system cells (lymphoma).
Some people with cartilage-hair hypoplasia experience gastrointestinal problems. These problems may include an inability to properly absorb nutrients or intolerance of a protein called gluten found in wheat and other grains (celiac disease). Affected individuals may have Hirschsprung disease, an intestinal disorder that causes severe constipation, intestinal blockage, and enlargement of the colon. Narrowing of the anus (anal stenosis) or blockage of the esophagus (esophageal atresia) may also occur.
He used what our Creator gave him to great advantage.
LOL.
Wow. He definitely seemed to attract beautiful women.
Suicide. :(
He was a big-time alcoholic.
RIP
Sad. RIP.
The last “Austin Powers” movie is already 15 years old...time really does fly.
I never saw the third one, looked crappy to me.
It’s worth watching once, just to see how they wrap up the series.
I’m both a Michael Caine fan and an Austin Powers fan, so seeing it was a must. But it was definately the weakest of the three Austin Powers movies.
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