Rip Jonathan Brandis

[Myr]

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,12971,00.html

 

Jonathan Brandis' Apparent Suicide

by Sarah Hall

Nov 21, 2003, 12:50 AM PT

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Actor Jonathan Brandis, who began his television and film career as a child, died November 12, the victim of an apparent suicide. He was 27.

 

Brandis was best known for his portrayal of crewmember Lucas Wolenczek on two seasons of Steven Spielberg's underwater sci-fi series, SeaQuest DSV, for which he won a 1993 Young Artists Award, catapulting him to teen idol status.

 

The actor got his start at age six, when he landed a recurring role on the soap One Life to Live and appeared in numerous commercials. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as Murder She Wrote and Who's the Boss?

 

Brandis earned his first starring film role in 1990's The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter. He went on to appear in 1992's Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield and more recently in the Farrelly Brother's Outside Providence in 1999.

 

Police said a friend of Brandis' called 911 from his apartment just before midnight on November 11 to report that the actor had attempted suicide by hanging. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital but he died the next day.

 

Paul Peterson, president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors, released a statement expressing his sorrow over Brandis' death.

 

"We are left with a sense of helplessness and perhaps even anger that this thoroughly unexpected death occurred when we have spent years developing resources to deal with any and all crisis situations," Peterson's statement read. "This one hurts. What more can we say?"

 

The Los Angeles coroner's office performed an autopsy, but won't announce the cause of death until Brandis' blood and toxicology results are returned, which could take up to six weeks. However, according to Peterson, initial reports showed no sign of drugs in Brandis' system.

 

"Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life," Peterson stated.

 

Brandis reportedly left no suicide note. He was an only child, who is survived by his parents, Greg and Mary Brandis.

[Myr]

It's a terrible shame. He'll be missed as an actor and as a person.

My heart goes out to his family.

[Sparhawk]

This is sad.

[wep363]

Such a waste!!!

[Guest Sherlock Holmes]

What roles did he play on Murder She Wrote? That is one of my favorite shows and I probably saw him on it all the time.