Cameron Boyce, best known for his role as the teenage son of Cruella de Vil in the Disney Channel franchise “Descendants,” died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 20.
A statement from his family said he had died in his sleep of a seizure stemming from an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated.
Mr. Boyce was born on May 28, 1999, in Los Angeles, the son of Libby and Victor Boyce.
According to his biography on the Disney Channel, Mr. Boyce was a dancer who got his acting start in commercials, then on television and in film. He appeared alongside Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups” and “Grown Ups 2.” His other film credits include “Mirrors,” “Eagle Eye” and the indie feature “Runt.” He also starred in the upcoming HBO series “Mrs. Fletcher.”
He played Carlos Oscar de Vil in “Descendants” and “Descendants 2.” “Descendants 3” is scheduled for release in August.
His spokesperson said Mr. Boyce had used his celebrity to advocate for those without a voice, including the homeless. Last year, he was honored for his work with the Thirst Project, bringing awareness to the global water crisis and raising more than $30,000 for the organization to build two wells in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, to bring clean drinking water to the region.
In 2017, he received a Daytime Emmy Award with Disney XD for his participation in the series “Timeless Heroes — Be Inspired,” in honor of Black History Month. He appeared alongside his grandmother Jo Ann Boyce, one of 12 black teenagers known as the Clinton 12 who had been the first to integrate public schools in Clinton, Tenn., according to his Disney Channel biography.
Robert Iger, the Walt Disney Company chairman and chief executive, said Sunday on Twitter: “The Walt Disney Company mourns the loss of #CameronBoyce, who was a friend to so many of us, and filled with so much talent, heart and life, and far too young to die. Our prayers go out to his family and his friends.”
Several of Boyce’s co-stars reacted to his death on social media Sunday.
Mr. Sandler said on Twitter: “Loved that kid. Cared so much about his family. Cared so much about the world. Thank you, Cameron, for all you gave to us. So much more was on the way. All our hearts are broken.”
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