Chris Gauthier, known for his roles in "Once Upon a Time" and Zack Snyder's "Watchmen," has died at 48.
The news was confirmed by the actor's talent agency, TriStar Appearances, which noted Monday in a statement to USA Today that Gauthier died Friday after a "brief illness."
"As a beloved character actor, Chris shared his talents with so many of us both on television and in film," the agency said in its statement. "His loss is felt not just by his fans but by those of us who were lucky enough to know him more personally."
Gauthier's management, RED Mgmt, also confirmed the actor's death Monday in a statement to USA Today.
"He was a kind, witty, passionate and empathetic man and we will all miss him dearly," the statement read. "Our hearts go out to his family that he spoke of with such love and pride and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time."
Chad Colvin, a partner agent at TriStar Appearances expressed his shock on social media upon learning of Gauthier's death.
"When his wife reached out to me yesterday with the news, I wept tears of disbelief for hours. It's taken me til now to fully mentally and emotionally steel myself to write this," he wrote.
"Without Chris and his enthusiasm and dedication, I wouldn't be where I am now," he added.
Gauthier portrayed William Smee in various episodes spanning Seasons 2 to 7 of the ABC fantasy series "Once Upon a Time," which starred Ginnifer Goodwin. Additionally, he played Shack in the 2003 film "Freddy vs. Jason."
He also appeared in the 2009 action-drama movie "Watchmen" as Seymour and the 2002 romantic comedy "40 Days and 40 Nights" as Mikey.
Gauthier's acting credits extend to numerous Christmas television films, like "Paper Angels" and the "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" series. His latest role was in the 2023 Hallmark holiday movie "Ms. Christmas Comes to Town."
Additionally, he is set to appear in two upcoming projects: the comedy sci-fi series "The Triple Eight" and the horror film "Chimera's Ghost."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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