Cameron Boyce

**Cameron Mica Boyce** (May 28, 1999 – July 6, 2019) was an American actor. After making his first acting appearance in a Panic! at the Disco music video, he made his film debut in *Mirrors* in 2008, and then went on to star as Luke Ross in Disney Channel's comedyseries *Jessie*. He had also starred in feature films *Eagle Eye*, *Grown Ups*, and *Grown Ups 2*, and was also known for other roles such as Carlos in the *Descendants* television films and as Conor in Disney XD's comedy series *Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything*. Boyce had also done voice acting for various works, such as Jake in *Jake and the Never Land Pirates* and Herman Schultz in *Spider-Man*.

On July 6, 2019, it was announced by family members that Boyce died at the age of 20 due to an epileptic seizure.

## Early and personal life

Boyce was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 28, 1999. His father is of Afro-Caribbean and African-American descent. His mother is Jewish. His paternal grandmother, Jo Ann (Allen) Boyce, was one of the Clinton Twelve, the first African-Americans to attend an integrated high school in the south, in 1956, as ordered by *Brown v. Board of Education*.

Boyce lived in the Los Angeles area with his parents and his younger sister, until he moved in with former co-stars Karan Brar and Sophie Reynolds in May 2019. His favorite style of dance 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 television debut in the Panic! at the Disco music video "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)", appearing as a younger version of the guitarist Ryan Ross. 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*, as well as appearing in the mystery-thriller film *Eagle Eye* that fall.

In June 2010, Boyce starred as Keith, the spoiled son of Adam Sandler'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*.

In April 2011, Boyce made a guest appearance on Disney Channel's comedy series *Good Luck Charlie*, and later that month he was one of the featured dancers in a royal wedding tribute on ABC'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*. In August 2011, he was one of the featured dancers on Disney Channel's comedy series *Shake It Up*. 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 in Disney Channel's *Descendants*, playing Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil. He later reprised the character for the animated shorts *Descendants: Wicked World* and in the sequels *Descendants 2* and *Descendants 3*, the latter of which will be released posthumously.

In March 2018, Boyce was cast in the ABC comedy television pilot *Steps*, in the role of Becker.

In July 2018, Boyce was cast in the indie film *Runt*, in the role of Cal.

In January 2019, Boyce joined the cast of HBO's *Mrs. Fletcher*.

## Death

According to a statement by Boyce's family, on July 6, 2019, Boyce died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles "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 and that Boyce had previously been diagnosed with epilepsy. His body was later cremated and his ashes returned to the 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. He also supported United Way'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 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. His final humanitarian project was called Wielding Peace which was a social media campaign in conjunction with Delaney Tarr, co-founder of March For Our Lives. 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

The Cameron Boyce Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in Los Angeles 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. The foundation was established in 2019 through Network for Good to honor Boyce's legacy in the wake of his death, receiving notable support from actors Debby Ryan, Karan Brar and Sophie Reynolds, among others. As of July 17, 2019, the methods the foundation will use to carry out its goals have not yet been announced. Additionally, the amount of funding and endowment resources maintained by the foundation has not been disclosed.