Joshua Ryan Evans (January 10, 1982 – August 5, 2002) was an American actor who became known for his role of

Timmy Lenox Timmy Lenox is a fictional character from the NBC/DirecTV daytime drama ''Passions'' portrayed by Josh Ryan Evans. The actor died of a congenital heart defect the very day his character Timmy died on the show and donated his heart to Charity Stand ...

in the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Passions ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and ...

''. Though he was 17 years old when ''Passions'' debuted, Evans had the appearance and voice of a small child due to

achondroplasia Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance whose primary feature is dwarfism. In those with the condition, the arms and legs are short, while the torso is typically of normal length. Those affected ha ...

, a form of dwarfism. He was tall.

Early life and career

Born in

Hayward, California Hayward () is a city located in Alameda County, California in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 162,954 as of 2020, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda Coun ...

, Evans began his career at age 12, appearing in various commercials. He made his film debut as a toddler in ''

Baby Geniuses ''Baby Geniuses'' is a 1999 American family comedy film directed by Bob Clark and written by Clark and Greg Michael based on a story by Clark, Steven Paul, Francisca Matos, and Robert Grasmere, and starring Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Kim ...

'' in 1999. The following year he played the role of the young

Grinch The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He is best known as the main character of the 1957 children's book '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' He has been portrayed and voiced by many different actors, including Boris Karloff ...

(

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...

's character) in ''

How the Grinch Stole Christmas ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' is a Christmas children's story by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who tries to cancel Christmas by st ...

''. He also appeared as

General Tom Thumb Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 – July 15, 1883), better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", was an American dwarf who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P. T. Barnum. Childhood and early life Bo ...

in the A&E miniseries ''P.T. Barnum''. Evans also had guest spots on '' Ally McBeal'', '' 7th Heaven'', and '' Poltergeist: The Legacy''. In 1999, Evans began portraying

Timmy Timmy, or sometimes Timmie, is a masculine name, a short form of Timothy or Tim. This variation is popular as a nickname and is commonly used when someone is young, but is often used in adulthood. It is a version of the Greek name ( Timόtheos ...

on the soap opera ''

''. Evans' character was a doll that the evil

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

Tabitha Lenox ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and pro ...

brought to life with magic. For his work on the series, he was nominated for a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

in 2000 and won two

Soap Opera Digest Awards ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977 until 1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...

in 2000 and 2001. The character of Timmy was intended to become an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

and remain a presence on the show, but this entire storyline was quickly rewritten after Evans' death to excise the character (although one already-filmed scene was eventually aired, showing Timmy in

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

, as a sort of coda).

Death

On August 5, 2002, Evans died during a medical procedure in San Diego from complications related to a

congenital A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

heart condition. He was 20 years old. The death scene Evans had previously taped for ''Passions'' aired the same day that he died. The episode was dedicated to him. Evans was cremated and his ashes interred in a

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Josh Ryan Evans and Achondroplasia
at About.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Josh Ryan 1982 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Actors with dwarfism American male child actors American male film actors American male soap opera actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Male actors from California People from Hayward, California