Verne Troyer
Actor
January 1, 1969 – April 21, 2018
Verne Troyer, known to most by his memorable role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers Trilogy, died on April 21, 2018 at the age of 49. His cause of death has not been released, however a statement posted on his social media eluded to him struggling with a lifelong battle with adversity and stated “depression and suicide are very serious issues.”
Verne was preceded in death by a long list of notable celebrities who dedicated their lives to making people happy while struggling with depression themselves.
Verne was born in Sturgis, Michigan to Susan and Reuben Troyer. He and his siblings, Davon and Deborah, were raised Amish before his parents eventually left the practice, but Verne visited his Amish relatives frequently. He applauded the way his parents raised him, giving him the same responsibilities as the rest of his family.
“They never treated, me any different than my other siblings. I used to have to carry wood, feed the cows, pigs, and other farm animals.”
His film career started as a stunt double for baby and child actors. His debut was in 1994 doubling for Baby Bink in the movie Baby’s Day Out. In his most infamous role of ‘Mini-Me’ in 1999, the director Jay Roach was so impressed with his performance that he rewrote the role to have more screen time and eliminated the characters death at the end of the second film. Griphook in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as well as Percy in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus were some of his other notable roles. Throughout his prolific career he appeared in 30 films, 25 television shows, and one video game.
Though he never saw his 2-foot 8-inch height as an impediment, according to those who knew him, Verne’s life was pockmarked by adversity. Many times, he was victorious over his affliction with alcoholism and depression, always focusing on making people smile.
“Vern was the consummate professional and beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.” – Mike Myers
He was a very active member of the online community Reddit, where he posted frequently chronicling his daily life and trying to humor its members. Recently he posted a video showing off his child-sized Tesla, highlighting all of the specialized features. In response to a fan thanking him for making him laugh for the first time in a while, he said, “To get comments and reactions like this, is one if the reasons why I love doing what I do. Thanks for the nice words and I’m glad I could put a smile on your face.”
Verne will be remembered for his desire to make people happy.
“Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message every day.” – statement from his social media.