Parents of Disney Star Cameron Boyce Speak Out After His Death

Victor and Libby Boyce, parents of Disney star Cameron Boyce, say their son was “in a place where he was truly happy” before his July death at the age of 20.

“The night he passed away, we were out to dinner with him, just hours before. It was a completely normal, beautiful family night out to dinner,” Victor Boyce told ABC’s Good Morning America in an exclusive first interview after his son’s death. “There was no indication that anything was wrong. I mean, there’s no way to know in hours my son would be dead. It was just staggeringly crazy and horrible. We were texting that night.”

Boyce died in his sleep from “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy,” a report from the Los Angeles Country Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed. “He didn’t want his epilepsy to define him, either,” Libby Boyce said.

“It didn’t, it didn’t. It didn’t define him,” Victor added. “He wasn’t scared. He never complained about anything.”

“Never. He loved life,” Libby said. “He was kind of in a place — this is for me the hardest thing — he was in a place where he was truly happy. Cameron was always happy, never a negative thing came out of his mouth, never. But he was just really finding his groove.”

The late Boyce was an advocate for the non-profit Thirst Project, an organization that aims to spread awareness of the global water crisis, and was once awarded the Pioneering Spirit Award for his efforts with the organization.

“He was really getting into the charity stuff, really getting into what he wanted to do with his voice, which is what we always told him to do,” Libby said. “Use your voice, use it to make positive in the world. And that’s what he was starting to do.”

Disney Channel aired a special tribute for Boyce following the premiere of Descendants 3, where the actor starred as Carlos. The memorial video was the latest tribute to the actor who was remembered by past and present Disney stars across social media, including Boyce’s Jessie co-stars Peyton List and Skai Jackson.