Johnny Lewis
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jonathan Kendrick Lewis (October 29, 1983 – September 26, 2012), also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, was an American film and television actor. He played Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series ''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...
'', and other television roles such as Gilby in ''
The Sausage Factory ''The Sausage Factory'', also known in the United States as ''MTV's Now What?'' or ''Much Ado About Whatever'', is a teen sitcom that followed the lives of four friends in their junior year at West Boulder High School. The four friends were Zack ...
'' (2001–2002), Pearce Chase in ''
Quintuplets ''Quintuplets'' is an American sitcom that aired 22 episodes on Fox from June 16, 2004 to January 12, 2005. The program starred Andy Richter and Rebecca Creskoff and shared some of their experiences parenting teenage quintuplets. Synopsis The ...
'' (2004–2005), and Dennis "Chili" Childress in '' The O.C.'' (2005–2006). He also appeared in supporting roles in the films ''
Underclassman ''Underclassman'' is a 2005 American action comedy film directed by Marcos Siega and starring Nick Cannon, Shawn Ashmore, Roselyn Sánchez, Kelly Hu, Hugh Bonneville, and Cheech Marin. It was released on September 2, 2005, had been originally se ...
'' (2005), '' Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' (2007), '' Felon'' (2008), and ''
The Runaways The Runaways were an all-female American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. The band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are "Cherry Bomb", " Hollywood", "Queens of N ...
'' (2010). After an accident in 2011, he developed a brain injury which would lead to his arrests and ultimately his death, an incident where he killed his landlady before falling off the roof of the house they lived in.


Early life

Lewis grew up in the
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' ...
neighborhoods of North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks. He was the middle child of Michael and Divona Lewis. His parents were practicing Scientologists and Johnny was himself a Scientologist for most of his life. After finishing school, he left home at the age of 18 to pursue an acting career.


Career

Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens, with guest starring roles in '' Boston Public'' (2000), ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' (2001), and '' American Dreams'' (2002), among others. His debut feature film performance premiered in 2004, in
New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
's '' Raise Your Voice'', and he followed that up with Miramax Films' ''
Underclassman ''Underclassman'' is a 2005 American action comedy film directed by Marcos Siega and starring Nick Cannon, Shawn Ashmore, Roselyn Sánchez, Kelly Hu, Hugh Bonneville, and Cheech Marin. It was released on September 2, 2005, had been originally se ...
'' in 2005. He co-starred as Pearce Chase, one of five siblings on the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
series ''
Quintuplets ''Quintuplets'' is an American sitcom that aired 22 episodes on Fox from June 16, 2004 to January 12, 2005. The program starred Andy Richter and Rebecca Creskoff and shared some of their experiences parenting teenage quintuplets. Synopsis The ...
'', and appeared in the movie '' Raise Your Voice'' (2004) alongside
Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...
. He
guest star In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...
red in four episodes of the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
television series ''
Drake & Josh ''Drake & Josh'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows two teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite opposite personalities. The ser ...
'' as Scottie, one of Drake's bandmates, and from 2005 to 2006, he played Dennis "Chili" Childress on '' The O.C.'' Lewis also had a guest spot in the third episode of ''Smallville'' season 5. He also starred in the film ''Magic Valley'' (2011), which premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
. Lewis was well known for his role as prospect biker Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series ''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...
''.


Personal life

Lewis dated American singer
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
from 2005 to 2006. In mid-2009, Lewis learned he and his then-girlfriend, actress Diane Gaeta, were expecting a baby. The couple had split up by April 6, 2010, when the couple's daughter, Culla May, was born, but briefly attempted sharing a residence. Lewis eventually moved out, after which the couple engaged in a "long and painful" custody battle that Lewis ultimately lost.


Religion

Lewis was raised in a "Jewish-oriented household", though his family also practiced Scientology; his parents attained the highest available level within Scientology, called "Operating Thetan", or OT VIII. He starred in Scientology training films, and was a sponsor of the Scientology drug rehabilitation group
Narconon Narconon International (commonly known as Narconon) is a Scientology organization which promotes the theories of founder L. Ron Hubbard regarding substance abuse treatment and addiction. Its parent company is the Association for Better Living ...
. Lewis left the
Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...
in his early 20s.


Legal troubles

Lewis was arrested three times between 2011 and 2012. In January 2012, he struck two men in the head with a bottle while engaged in a fight. He pleaded no contest to charges of assault with a deadly weapon in the case. The second arrest came about six weeks after the first, with Lewis accused of attempting to break into a woman's home. He pleaded no contest in that case as well. Considering the cases, a probation official expressed that he was "very concerned for the well-being of not only the community but that of the defendant", that Lewis suffered from mental health issues as well as chemical dependency, and that Lewis would "continue to be a threat to any community he may reside in". Lewis was released from a
Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...
, jail on September 21, 2012, five days before his death.


Psychiatric diagnosis

On October 30, 2011, Lewis suffered head injuries from a high-speed motorcycle accident. Though an MRI was recommended, and Lewis' father scheduled MRI tests twice, Lewis refused to take them. Lewis's father also states that he "pursued and encouraged psychiatric treatment for his son. It was Johnny who refused to comply." He started manifesting bizarre and illogical behavior from that point on and concurrent to his ensuing legal troubles. Bill Jensen reported in ''Los Angeles'' magazine that Lewis and his attorneys pushed for rehab for marijuana addiction. When Lewis rejected this, they pursued rehab for alcoholism, to avoid trial. In early August 2012, Lewis was well enough to be granted provisional out-patient status. He made a deal with the District Attorney of the San Fernando Court - his freedom for "time served". Lewis was assured that he would likely just spend a couple more days in jail, no more. The couple of days turned into nearly two more months, during which he suffered a severe downturn in health and spirits. He was released from jail September 21, 2012.


Death

On September 26, 2012, Lewis and his 81-year-old landlady, Catherine Davis were found dead at Davis' home. Davis was known in Hollywood for operating the Writers' Villa, a bed-and-breakfast for up-and-coming performers, directors and writers, in her home. Lewis, who had previously lived there in 2009, had recently moved back in. Police were called by neighbors after Lewis violently attacked two people at the property next door and Davis was heard screaming. Officers from the
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
(LAPD) found Lewis' body on the home's driveway. Davis was found dead inside the house with severe head injuries; her pet cat was also found dead in a bathroom. Neighbors reported that Lewis had jumped over a fence to the next-door property, assaulted a house painter and the homeowner (to whom Lewis had earlier introduced himself as "John, your new neighbor"), and then jumped back over the fence onto Davis' property. According to the
LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
, Lewis then either fell or jumped from the roof, garage, or patio of Davis' house. His death was investigated as a homicide, and it was later determined that he had killed Davis by manual strangulation and blunt force trauma to her head. An autopsy report released on November 29, 2012, stated that Lewis did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system when he died. He had a history of drug abuse, leading to speculation by his attorney that the actor may have suffered a drug-induced psychosis when he allegedly killed his landlady. Toxicology reports came back negative for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, psychedelic drugs, or anti-psychotic medication. The autopsy indicated he had suffered partial strangulation and had fingernail marks on his neck when he died. There was no indication that Lewis had been pushed or that he jumped from the roof in an act of suicide. His death was ruled accidental. Lewis' family has spoken out about his history of untreated head trauma, leading some to speculate that he developed a psychological disorder, which led to his sudden spurts of violence. ''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...
'' creator
Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on ''The Shield,'' and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of ' ...
tweeted about his death: "It was a tragic end for an extremely talented guy, who unfortunately had lost his way. I wish I could say that I was shocked by the events last night, but I was not. I am deeply sorry that an innocent life had to be thrown into his destructive path. Yes, it's day of mourning, but it's also a day of awareness and gratitude. Sadly, some of us carry the message by dying."


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Johnny 1983 births 2012 deaths 21st-century American male actors Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in California American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors American murderers American former Scientologists Jewish American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles American people convicted of assault