An actor who most of us see on our screens each Christmas tragically died just two years after starring in The Grinch.
The iconic Christmas movie is widely watched each year and holds a special place in many of our hearts.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas came out in 2000 and follows Jim Carrey’s iconic character as he attempts to ruin Christmas for Whoville.
During the movie, you might remember a flashback scene where we see a young Grinch at school, and he was played by Josh Ryan Evans.
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Evans – standing at three feet two inches tall – was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and faced numerous heart-related health issues throughout his life.
Despite these challenges, his passion was acting, and he began his career at the age of 12 after spending much of his recovery time watching TV.
Much like Carrey, Evans’ role as the young Grinch required hours in the makeup chair – around five and a half hours for each shoot – but Evans relished the experience, per the Daily Mail.
Director Ron Howard, who initially intended the part to be a minor role, was so impressed by Evans’ performance that he expanded it significantly.
Howard reflected: “Evans generated a lot of heart for the story.”
Beyond his role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Evans also gained recognition for his portrayal of Timmy Lenox on the soap opera Passions.
His work earned him a Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Award for Best Young Actor in a Daytime TV Series.
Evans was also known for his unique character, a living doll, which became a central part of the show’s storyline.
Tragically, Evans passed away in August 2002 from complications related to his heart condition during a medical procedure. He was just 20 years old.
On the same day, NBC aired an episode of Passions in which his character, Timmy, also dies.
The episode, which had been filmed weeks earlier, was later dedicated to Evans’ memory, and plans to bring his character back to life were canceled following the young actor’s death.
Evans’ Passions co-star Juliet Mills, who played the character of Tabitha Lenox, described him as “a showbiz kid through and through” and noted the surreal coincidence that he died on the same day his character did.
“That’s what he loved more than anything — showbiz. It was a legendary thing to do [to die the same day as his character did on screen]. He made a big bang when he went.”
