O ator Verne Troyer, conhecido pelo papel de ‘Mini Me’ em Austin Powers, morreu este sábado, aos 49 anos. O anúncio, segundo o jornal britânico The Guardian, foi feito num comunicado divulgado nas páginas do ator nas redes sociais. O ator norte-americano tornou-se famoso por entrar nas comédias de Austin Powers, personagem interpretada pelo ator Mike Myers. Nos filmes, o ator de apensaa 81 centímetros de altura, interpretava o “Mini-me”, um clone em miniatura do vilão Dr.Evil.

Embora não tenham sido divulgadas as causas da morte, Verne Troyer tinha sido internado no hospital no início do mês devido a problemas de alcoolismo. No comunicado publicado nas redes sociais, a família descreve Verne como um homem “extremamente atencioso” e que gostava de “fazer toda gente rir e de fazer toda a gente feliz.”

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It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday. He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude. On film & television sets, commercial shoots, at comic-con’s & personal appearances, to his own YouTube videos, he was there to show everyone what he was capable of doing. Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know. Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much. During this recent time of adversity he was baptized while surrounded by his family. The family appreciates that they have this time to grieve privately. Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Verne’s name to either of his two favorite charities; The Starkey Hearing Foundation and Best Buddies. Photo by @paulmobleystudio

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O último filme da saga Austin Powers, o Goldmember, foi lançado em 2002, mas Verne Troyer entrou noutros filmes, como Harry Potter e a Pedra Filosofal (2001), o Guru do Amor (2008) e Parnassus – O Homem que Queria Enganar o Diabo (2009). O ator também apareceu no vídeoclip Beautiful Stranger (tema criado para o filme Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) de Madonna, em 1999. Também participou em reality shows.

Em 2015, em declarações ao The Guardian, Verne contou que “cresceu Amish”, mas os pais acabaram por abandonar a religião quando este ainda era criança. Na mesma entrevista, o ator contou que toda a sua família era “de tamanho médio” e que ele era a exceção. O ator confessou ainda que não pensou no seu tamanho “até envelhecer” e que essa nunca foi uma característica que o incomodasse.

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