Chris Gauthier, Once Upon a Time and Supernatural Actor, Dies at 48

Chris Gauthier, star of shows such as Once Upon a Time and Supernatural, has passed away at the age of 48. TVLine reports that Gauthier died on February 23rd, with his manager telling TVLine that the actor “passed suddenly and unexpectedly following a short illness,” though the actual illness was kept a private matter. One of Gauthier’s biggest roles came as William Smee in ABC’s Once Upon a Time, as well as a long stint on Syfy’s Eureka as Vincent, and as shapeshifter-hunting Ronald Reznick on Supernatural. Some of Gauthier’s Once Upon a Time family sent their condolences on social media, with actor Colin O’Donoghue writing, “Rest in Peace Chris! Heartbroken!” on Instagram, and Once Upon a Time co-showrunner Adam Horowitz writing, “So sad to hear of the passing of Chris Gauthier. Such a kind, sweet, and talented person. You will be missed,” on X (formerly Twitter).

“We can confirm that our dear friend and client, Chris Gauthier, passed away on Friday morning, February 23, at the age of 48,” a statement from TriStar Appearances/Event Horizon Talent to TVLine reads. “As a beloved Vancouver-based character actor, Chris shared his talents with so many of us both on television and in film. His loss is felt not just by his fans but by those of us who were lucky enough to know him more personally.  On behalf of his family, we do ask for privacy during this time so that they are able to grieve properly.”

Along with Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, and Eureka, Chris Gauthier’s lengthy resume also includes other pop culture favorites like Psych, iZombie, Smallville, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Sanctuary, Watchmen, and CW’s reboot of Charmed.

“Chris was the literal textbook definition of a character actor. You may not have known his name but you knew his face, you knew his voice, and you knew that if he was onscreen, you were in for a helluva ride,” wrote TriStar Appearances’ Chad Colvin on Facebook. “Whether he was standing toe to toe against Clark Kent on Smallville as the Toyman, tormenting Dean on Supernatural, on deck with Hook as Smee in Once Upon A Time, or in guest roles in the countless other productions he was in, he ALWAYS gave it his all when the camera was rolling.”