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Austin Powers’s Verne Troyer Dead at 49

Verne Troyer. Photo: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Dr. Evil’s beloved Mini-Me in the Austin Powers franchise, has died at the age of 49. TMZ reports that Troyer — who was born with achondroplasia dwarfism — had been hospitalized and on life support since earlier this month, where he was brought in for alcohol poisoning. (He had long been open about his struggle with alcoholism and checked into numerous rehab facilities through the years, TMZ notes.) “He was baptized while surrounded by his family,” his family added in a statement. Besides Austin Powers, Troyer became a prominent face in the reality show industry since the final movie premiered in 2002, appearing in shows such as Celebrity Juice, Celebrity Wife Swap, and The Surreal Life, as well as other comedy films like The Love Guru and Pauly Shore Is Dead.

Update, April 22: Mike Myers, who starred alongside Troyer in the Austin Powers films, released a statement to mourn the loss of his friend and collaborator. “Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him,” he wrote. “It is a sad day, but I hope he’s in a better place. He will be greatly missed.”

Austin Powers’s Verne Troyer Dead at 49