Cameron Boyce
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Cameron Mica Boyce (May 28, 1999 – July 6, 2019) was an American actor. He began his career as a
child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...
, appearing in the 2008 films ''
Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...
'' and ''
Eagle Eye ''Eagle Eye'' is a 2008 American action-thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and with a screenplay by John Glenn, Travis Adam Wright, Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott from a story by McDermott. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan ...
'', along with the comedy film '' Grown Ups'' (2010) and its 2013 sequel. His first starring role was on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
comedy series '' Jessie'' (2011–2015). Continuing to work with Disney, Boyce achieved further prominence as Carlos, one of the title characters in the musical fantasy '' Descendants'' film franchise. He appeared in all three television films from 2015 to 2019, in addition to various spin-off media. He also starred in the titular role of Jake in the second and third seasons of the
Disney Junior Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
series ''
Jake and the Never Land Pirates ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' (titled ''Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' for the fourth season and associated merchandise) is an American animated musical and interactive preschool children's television series shown on Disney Junior ...
'' (2012–2014). Boyce was featured as the lead of
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years ...
comedy series '' Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything'' (2015–2017). Ahead of the ''
Descendants 3 ''Descendants 3'' is an American musical fantasy television film, and the third installment in the ''Descendants'' series, following '' Descendants'' and '' Descendants 2''. It is written by Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon, and is directed ...
'' premiere in 2019, Boyce died at the age of 20 due to complications from epilepsy. Posthumously, he headlined the thriller film ''
Runt In a group of animals (usually a litter of animals born in multiple births), a runt is a member which is significantly smaller or weaker than the others. Owing to its small size, a runt in a litter faces obvious disadvantage, including difficulti ...
'' (2020) and was a series regular on the
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supernatural thriller ''
Paradise City "Paradise City" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut album, ''Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). Released as a single in January 1989, it is the only song on the album to feature a synthesizer. The song pea ...
'' (2021).


Early and personal life

Boyce was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 28, 1999. Boyce was born to an African-American father, Victor Boyce and a Jewish mother, Libby Boyce. His paternal grandmother, Jo Ann Boyce (née Allen), was one of the Clinton Twelve, the first African-Americans to attend an integrated high school in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, in 1956, as ordered by ''
Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...
''. His paternal grandfather was from the Caribbean. Boyce lived in the Los Angeles area with his parents and his younger sister, until he moved in with former co-stars
Karan Brar Karan Brar (born January 18, 1999) is an American actor. He portrayed Chirag Gupta in the '' Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' film franchise and Ravi Ross on the Disney Channel Original Series '' Jessie'' and its subsequent spin-off '' Bunk'd''. Early ...
and
Sophie Reynolds Sophie Anne Reynoldson, known professionally as Sophie Reynolds (born April 2, 1999) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ashley Parker in '' Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything'' and Isabel McKenna on '' L.A.'s Finest''. Li ...
in May 2019. He was trained in breakdancing, hip-hop, modern dance, jazz, tap dance, and ballet. His favorite style was breakdancing, and, along with four of his friends, he was a member of the breakdancing crew "X Mob".


Career

In May 2008, Boyce made his debut as a child actor in the music video "
That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed) "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)" (often shortened to "That Green Gentleman") is a single by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, from their second studio album '' Pretty. Odd.'' The song was the second song written by the band after ...
", appearing as a younger version of
Panic! at the Disco Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
guitarist
Ryan Ross George Ryan Ross III (born August 30, 1986) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work as the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the band Panic! at the Disco before his departure in 2009. Ross and former Pani ...
. In July 2008, he appeared in '' General Hospital: Night Shift'' as a recurring character named Michael. In August 2008, he made his feature film debut with a starring role in the horror film ''
Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...
'', as well as appearing in the mystery-thriller film ''
Eagle Eye ''Eagle Eye'' is a 2008 American action-thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and with a screenplay by John Glenn, Travis Adam Wright, Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott from a story by McDermott. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan ...
'' that fall. In June 2010, Boyce starred as Keith, the spoiled son of
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...
's character, in the comedy film '' Grown Ups'' and appeared later that same year showing off his dance skills on the web series ''
The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers ''The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers'', commonly called ''The LXD'', is a 2010–2011 American web series that premiered on Hulu. The series follows two groups of rival dancers: The Alliance of the Dark, who are the villains, and The Legion of E ...
''. In April 2011, Boyce made a guest appearance on
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
series ''
Good Luck Charlie ''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...
'', and later that month he was one of the featured dancers in a
royal wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...
tribute on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's '' Dancing with the Stars''. In June 2011, he had a small role as one of Judy's classmates in the family comedy film ''
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer ''Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer'' is a 2011 American comedy film based on Megan McDonald's '' Judy Moody'' book series. Directed by John Schultz from a screenplay by McDonald and Kathy Waugh, it introduces Australian actress Jordana Beatty ...
''. In August 2011, he was one of the featured dancers on Disney Channel's comedy series ''
Shake It Up Shake It Up may refer to: * ''Shake It Up'' (Boney James & Rick Braun album), 2000 * ''Shake It Up'' (The Cars album), 1981 ** "Shake It Up" (The Cars song), the title song * "Shake It Up" (Divine song), 1983 * "Shake It Up" (Koda Kumi song), ...
''. In September 2011, Boyce was cast in the starring role of Luke Ross on Disney Channel's comedy series '' Jessie''. During pre-production of the series, the role of Luke was originally intended to be a boy named Hiro adopted from Korea, but casting directors were impressed with Boyce during the audition process and ultimately decided to recreate the role specifically for him. In 2015, Boyce was one of the main cast members in Disney Channel's '' Descendants'', playing Carlos, the son of
Cruella de Vil Cruella de Vil is a fictional character in British author Dodie Smith's 1956 novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians''. A pampered and glamorous London heiress and fashion designer, she appears in Walt Disney Productions' 17th animated feature ...
. He later reprised the character for the animated shorts '' Descendants: Wicked World'' and in the sequels ''
Descendants 2 ''Descendants 2'' is an American musical fantasy television film. It premiered as a Disney Channel Original Movie on July 21, 2017, and was simulcast on Disney-owned networks ABC, Disney XD, Freeform, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies. It is th ...
'' and ''
Descendants 3 ''Descendants 3'' is an American musical fantasy television film, and the third installment in the ''Descendants'' series, following '' Descendants'' and '' Descendants 2''. It is written by Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon, and is directed ...
'', the latter of which was released posthumously. In March 2018, Boyce was cast in the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
comedy television pilot ''Steps'', in the role of Becker, and was also cast in the indie film ''
Runt In a group of animals (usually a litter of animals born in multiple births), a runt is a member which is significantly smaller or weaker than the others. Owing to its small size, a runt in a litter faces obvious disadvantage, including difficulti ...
'', in the role of Cal. In January 2019, Boyce had joined the cast of
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
's '' Mrs. Fletcher''. In April 2019, Boyce performed in the music video for "
Almost (Sweet Music) "Almost (Sweet Music)" is a song recorded by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier for his second studio album, '' Wasteland, Baby!'' It was released on 16 January 2019 as the third single from the record, peaking at number eight on the Irish Singles ...
" by Hozier. He choreographed the dance with dancer Christine Flores, who appeared in the video alongside him. In September 2019, it was announced that his clothing line called Archives, co-founded by him and stylist and designer Veronica Graye, would be released in November 2019. On July 14, 2020, a year after Boyce's death, the
Alex Winter Alexander Ross Winter (born July 17, 1965) is a British-American actor and filmmaker. He played the slacker Bill in the 1989 film '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' and its sequels ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' (1991) and '' Bill & Ted Face ...
-directed documentary ''Showbiz Kids'' debuted on HBO. The film, which is about childhood stardom and its effects, includes interview footage of Boyce. It is dedicated to the memory of Boyce and former child actress
Diana Serra Cary Diana Serra Cary (born Peggy-Jean Montgomery; October 29, 1918 – February 24, 2020), known as Baby Peggy, was an American child film actress, vaudevillian, author and silent film historian. She was the last living person with a substantial car ...
who had died on February 24, 2020. Just prior to his death, Boyce was to begin production with Sandler on a new project. The project he was due to star in with Sandler, ''
Hubie Halloween ''Hubie Halloween'' is a 2020 American mystery horror comedy film directed by Steven Brill, co-written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, who also stars in the title role, and co-starring an ensemble supporting cast consisting of Kevin James, J ...
'', was released on October 7, 2020, with a dedication to Boyce that read, "In loving memory of Cameron Boyce. Gone way too soon and one of the kindest, coolest, funniest, and most talented kids we knew. You live on forever in our hearts and are truly missed everyday."


Death

On July 6, 2019, Boyce, aged 20, was found unresponsive at his home in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Authorities were called, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. According to a statement made by Boyce's family, Boyce died in his sleep "due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated". An autopsy was performed, but release of a cause of death was deferred pending further investigation. On July 9, 2019, Boyce's family confirmed that his death was caused by an
epileptic seizure An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with los ...
and that Boyce was previously diagnosed with
epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
. The autopsy results were released by the
Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner (formerly the Department of Coroner) was created in its present form in Boyle Heights on December 17, 1920 by an ordinance approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, ...
on July 30, 2019, confirming Boyce's cause of death was due to
sudden unexpected death in epilepsy Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a fatal complication of epilepsy. It is defined as the sudden and unexpected, non-traumatic and non-drowning death of a person with epilepsy, without a toxicological or anatomical cause of death det ...
. His body was cremated and his ashes were returned to his family.


Philanthropy and legacy

In the span of 40 days in 2017, Boyce helped raise over $27,000 for the Thirst Project, which helps bring clean water to underdeveloped countries. In September 2019, Thirst Project officially changed the name of the Pioneering Spirit Award to the Cameron Boyce Pioneering Spirit Award, to honor his work with the organization. He also supported
United Way of America United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...
's initiative to end homelessness. He helped raise money for the HomeWalk in 2015, and continued to do so up until the end of his life. In May 2019, he participated in the opening ceremony of the 12th annual HomeWalk in downtown Los Angeles, one of the largest public events to end homelessness in the United States. Boyce also worked closely with It's On Us, a social movement created to raise awareness and fight against sexual assault on college campuses for both men and women. He also worked with the Lucstrong Foundation, which provides grants to families with children who are diagnosed with
sickle cell disease Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red b ...
and are going through the
bone marrow transplant Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood in order to replicate inside of a patient and to produce ...
process. His final humanitarian project was called Wielding Peace, a social media campaign in conjunction with Delaney Tarr, co-founder of
March for Our Lives March for Our Lives (MFOL) was a student-led demonstration in support of gun control legislation. It took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 sibling events throughout the United States and around the world, and wa ...
. In Boyce's own words, the campaign would "help fight against gun violence by showing celebrities and survivors 'wielding' a new kind of weapon — one of unity."


The Cameron Boyce Foundation

Following Boyce's death in 2019, The Cameron Boyce Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
through
Network for Good Network for Good is an American certified B Corporation software company that offers fundraising software and coaching for charities and non-profit organizations. The company was founded in 2001 by America Online (AOL), Cisco Systems and Yahoo! ...
that provides young people artistic and creative outlets as alternatives to violence and negativity and uses resources and philanthropy for positive change in the world. On July 25, 2019, the foundation disclosed the first project to be carried out was Wielding Peace, which officially launched on August 16, 2019. The foundation later donated $8,000 to Thirst Project to build a well in Uganda.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games and web series


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyce, Cameron 1999 births 2019 deaths 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male actors African-American Jews African-American male actors African-American male child actors American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors Daytime Emmy Award winners Deaths from epilepsy Jewish American male actors Jewish American philanthropists Male actors from Los Angeles Neurological disease deaths in California Philanthropists from California