Remembering his mini-me. Mike Myers paid tribute to his Austin Powers costar Verne Troyer in a heartfelt statement on Saturday, April 21, after learning of the actor’s death.
“Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him,” the Saturday Night Live alum said in a statement to Us Weekly. “It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.”
As reported earlier on Saturday, the diminutive actor — who played the mini version of Myers’ Doctor Evil character in 1999’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and its 2002 sequel — died at the age of 49.
“It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today,” his rep said in a statement to Us. “Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. 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 everyday.”
The statement described the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone actor as “a fighter when it came to his own battles,” adding that “over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately, this time was too much.”
Troyer’s cause of death has not been revealed but the statement also referenced depression and suicide, adding, “You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside.”
The star, who was 2 foot 8 inches tall, had previously been admitted to rehab for alcohol addiction and was hospitalized on April 2 after a friend called police to say that Troyer was “extremely upset, drunk and suicidal.”
