Verne Troyer, who played Mini-Me in two of the Austin Powers comedy films, has died at the age of 49, according to statements posted to his social media accounts Saturday. Troyer was 49. No cause of death was immediately released. He was hospitalized earlier this month after emergency responders in Los Angeles went to his home, according to media reports.
Troyer, who was reportedly 2 feet, 8 inches tall, once joked with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in 2002 that after gaining fame as Mini-Me he would go out in public with a hat and sunglasses on, “but it just doesn’t seem to work.”He added: “I’m still trying to get used to it. I’m just adjusting day by day. So you know, it’s — I don’t know. It’s — I’m just enjoying it and taking it one step at a time.” According to the Internet Movie Database, Troyer was in 58 movies and television shows. He played Mini-Me, the diminutive clone of Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil, in “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”
He broke into entertainment as the stunt double for a 9-month-old baby in the 1994 film “Baby’s Day Out.” Among his other roles are Griphook the goblin in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Love Guru & The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.