He entertained millions with his comedic skills, but like so many great clowns, it seems Verne Troyer was crying for help on the inside. Sadly, he has left us, and in his wake, a Facebook appeal for depression and suicide awareness.
Troyer was best known for his role as Dr. Evil’s small clone “Mini-Me” in the two Austin Powers sequels, but while his casting could have easily been a cheap sight gag, Troyer’s near-wordless performance attested to his great physical skills as an actor and a comic. It was that physicality that got him his first big break in the movies, as a stunt double for the title character of Baby’s Day Out.
Raised Amish in his early years, Troyer left the religion early with his family, and made his big-screen acting debut as the killer marionette in the decidedly non-canonical Pinocchio’s Revenge. Under various costumes, he also played a creature in Wishmaster, an ice-cream sundae in some Ronald McDonald live-action shorts, a baby gorilla in Mighty Joe Young, and Griphook the goblin in the first Harry Potter film. In the end, he’d become most famous as himself, on shows like Trailer Park Boys, Boston Public, and reality shows like The Surreal Life, Welcome to Sweden, and Celebrity Big Brother. On some of them, his struggles with depression came to the fore.
It may seem like meager consolation now, but he leaves behind a legacy of laughter and happiness, not because of what he looked like, but because of what he did with his abilities to elevate the roles he found himself in.
Mini-Me, you completed us. Rest in peace.
Image: New Line Cinema
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