Descendants Director Kenny Ortega Remembers Cameron Boyce

News broke early this morning of the death of Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce. The 20-year-old actor died in his sleep on Saturday night from a seizure brought on by an ongoing medical condition.

Boyce was best known for his role in the Disney Channel series Jessie. He also played the son of Cruella de Vil in Disney Channel’s Descendants films. Descendants director Kenny Ortega took to Instagram to pay his respects to Boyce, writing, “Cameron May the Love and Light you spread throughout your brief life, soar you with flight into the heavens above. You were already an Angel in life. The Legacy you leave is magnificent! Love You My Forever Boy. . .”

Disney fans have also shared their grief on social media. Many now look towards the release of Descendants 3 as a bittersweet occasion.

Boyce’s other Disney roles included appearances in Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Liv and Maddie, Austin & Ally, Good Luck Charlie, and Shake It Up. Former Shake It Up star Zendaya offered her own remembrance of Boyce on social media.

“From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents with the world. As a young man, he was fueled by a strong desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives through his humanitarian work,” said a Disney Channel spokesperson in a post on the D23 fan club website. “He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and, above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson, and friend. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, cast mates and colleagues and join his many millions of fans in grieving his untimely passing. He will be dearly missed.”

Boyce’s career outside of Disney television included roles opposite Kiefer Sutherland in Mirrors, Shia LaBeouf in Eagle Eye, and Adam Sandler in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. Sandler also shared his thoughts following Boyce’s death on social media.

In 2017, Boyce received a Daytime Emmy Award with Disney XD for “Outstanding Promotional Announcement” for his participation in the series “Timeless Heroes — Be Inspired,” which celebrated Black History Month. He appeared in the series alongside his grandmother Jo Ann Boyce, one of the Clinton 12, the 12 black teens who were first to integrate into public schools in Clinton, Tennessee.

Boyce was also an active humanitarian. He was involved with the Thirst Project, a non-profit organization spreading awareness of the global water crisis. He launched a campaign on his birthday that raised more than $27,000 to build two wells in Swaziland. In 2018, Boyce was awarded the Pioneering Spirit Award, the organization’s highest honor, at Thirst Project’s ninth annual gala.