TMZ reports that former Dream Street member turned actor Chris Trousdale has passed away at the age of 34. The site reports that Trousdale reportedly died from complications due to the coronavirus. He passed away on Tuesday night in California. A representative for Trousdale wrote in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the passing of Chris Trousdale on June, 2, 2020 from an undisclosed illness. He was a light to so many and will be missed dearly by his family, friends and fans all over the world. Although it felt like he belonged to us all, the family is requesting that you respect their privacy at this time of grieving. Should you wish to make a donation in his honor, please give to ASPCA.”
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His bandmade Jesse McCartney wrote a tribute to him on Instagram, writing: “We were young kids with budding talent who shared an overwhelming love for music and performing. Chris, in my opinion, was the most popular among us, who had a way of drawing every eye to what he was doing on stage. As an incredibly trained dancer, he would pick up an entire dance number in a matter of minutes; something that would take us days. I truly envied him as a performer. We were a part of something people never get to experience in an entire lifetime at the tender ages of 12 and 14. Although we were a band for only 3 years, at that age, it feels like a lifetime and we built a real brotherhood. In later years, we would grow apart as our lives would take different turns, but I would often reflect on our early days together and think about how exciting it all was. My deepest sympathies go out to his mother whom I know cherished him dearly. RIP Chris. I’ll never forget your smile.”
Trousdale began his career at the age of eight years old, appearing in a touring production of Les Misérables, appearing on stage with Ashley Tisdale. Afterward he starred in the musical on Broadway where he starred with Ricky Martin and Lea Michele. He would continue to work in the city and appear in the group The Broadway Kids, which helped catch the attention of music producers Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow.
Trousdale’s career took off after joining Dream Street in 1999, a group assembled by Baldonieri and Lukow. He along with band mates McCartney, Greg Raposo, Matt Ballinger, and Frankie Galasso made up the boy band and performed together until 2002. They created two albums while together, a self-titled album in 2001 and “The Biggest Fan” in 2002, and released a few singles along the way with “It Happens Every Time,” charting to the #48 position in the United States.
After Dream Street disbanded in the early 2000s, Trousdale went on to record some solo singles and duets with artists like Play and Nikki Cleary. He would go on to make appearances on film and in television, appearing in movies The Candlelight Murders, Gone Astray, and Dance-Off. Trousdale also appeared on Disney’s Shake It Up, the soap opera Days of Our Lives, and even in the pilot episode for Lucifer.
(Cover photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Beverly Center)
