Following the news of Tyler Sanders cause of death, the family of the late actor have released a pair of statements advocating for mental health awareness. “Tyler was an ambitious, hard-working actor who was dealing with deep and persistent depression,” David Sanders, Tyler’s dad said in a statement. “Although actively seeking treatment, Tyler struggled to find relief and chose to experiment with drugs. Tyler fell into drug use, not as a way to have fun socially, but rather as an attempt to overcome his profound mental health struggle. While we continue to mourn his death, we are determined to share Tyler’s story in hopes of furthering the conversation around this pervasive issue.”
“Losing Tyler due to fentanyl poisoning has been incredibly difficult,” Ginger Sanders, Tyler’s mother, added. “I want others to understand that we are a family much like all other families who never thought this could happen to us. Tyler had a strong support system and still could not overcome his persistent depression. Perhaps because of his depression, Tyler sought out deep connections and to bring those around him joy. While Tyler quietly fought his inner battles, he was outwardly determined to make sure no one felt as he did. Tyler loved the Lord, loved people and did his best every day. It is our sincere prayer that our story might save others.”
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In addition, it’s also been confirmed that in the wake of Tyler’s passing, the “Do More 4 Tyler” initiative has bene formed. Put together by Joe Nussbaum, the director of Tyler’s hit show Just Add Magic: Mystery City, the group will help train young actors and their families regarding addiction and mental health struggles, including regular check-ins.
“One of the greatest joys of making kids TV is the opportunity to work with talented, enthusiastic, dedicated young actors like Tyler,” Joe Nussbaum said. “Tyler was so focused on his acting career that he would often write “Do More” on his hand to remind him to work to achieve his goals. Now, it’s our turn to “Do More”. In Tyler’s honor, myself and industry colleagues throughout kids TV have come together to form the “Do More” Initiative. We want to improve how the industry approaches the mental health of our youngest and most vulnerable colleagues – child actors.”
You can learn more about the Do More 4 Tyler initiative here. Our original story follows.
Earlier this summer came the shocking news that young actor Tyler Sanders, known to some audience members for appearing on TV shows like Fear the Walking Dead and 9-1-1: Lone Star, had passed away. At the time no cause of death was reported for the young man, but now some six months later the the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has published their report on his death. According to TMZ, Sanders death was ruled as being caused by “fentanyl effects.” The outlet adds that thee Medical Examiner’s report noted Sanders “told a friend in text messages the night before his death he was using fentanyl,” but added that his death is being ruled accidental.
Sanders previously started his acting career at the young age of 10, going on to earn a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Principal Performance in a Children’s Program after starring on Amazon Prime Video’s Just Add Magic: Mystery City. He would go on to star in some shorts and independent television shows, later earning a role on Fear the Walking Dead. He appeared in one episode in the show’s third season, playing the young version of Sam Underwood’s Jake Otto in 2017’s “TEOTWAWKI.” From there he went on to appear in an episode of The Rookie, sharing the screen with star Nathan Fillion for an episode.
Sanders is perhaps best known to younger audiences for appearing in Prime’s Just Add Magic: Mystery City, a spinoff of the children’s TV show. He played the role of Leo in the series, appearing in all ten episodes of the show’s one and only season. His most recent credit however was in an episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star, sharing a scene with stars Gina Torres and Rob Lowe. The episode revolved around a series of emergencies for the team to handle, all of which were centered on character actor Larry Joe Campbell’s Al, the father of Tyler Sanders’ character.
According to Sanders’ IMDB profile, the actor is set to appear in the upcoming action-thriller The Price We Pay, a film currently in post-production that stars Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff and is directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryûhei Kitamura. The film is currently scheduled for release in the first part of 2023.
