Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta was found dead on Tuesday, January 7.
The showrunner’s body was discovered in a Miami hotel room, where he had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Variety reported on Tuesday. Horta was 45.
The Florida native was best known for his work on the ABC comedy, which starred America Ferrera and ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2010. The show’s lead shared her sadness and sympathies with her TV costars and the late writer’s family.
“I’m stunned and heartbroken to hear the devastating news of Ugly Betty creator, Silvio Horta’s death,” the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star, 35, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday. “His talent and creativity brought me and so many others such joy & light. I’m thinking of his family and loved ones who must be in so much pain right now- and of the whole Ugly Betty family who feel this loss so deeply.”
Vanessa Williams, who played Wilhelmina Slater on the comedy, expressed her thoughts about the man who she described as full of “passion” on Instagram.
“Still in shock after hearing the tragic news of our #uglybetty creator #silviohorta 💔,” Williams, 56, captioned a photo of herself with the late TV writer. “His creativity and passion will be missed by so many of us that worked with him. May he Rest In Peace.”
“I will be forever indebted to this sweet, brilliant man. 💔,” Michael Urie, who played Marc St. James on Ugly Betty, wrote on Twitter after hearing the sad news.
Actor Christopher Gorham who starred on two of Horta’s series, Jake 2.0 and Ugly Betty, also took to social media to share his feelings over the producer’s death.
“Silvio Horta gave me two of the greatest opportunities in my career with Jake 2.0 and Ugly Betty. I will be forever grateful for his creativity, his enormous heart, and his friendship,” the Insatiable star, 45, wrote via Instagram. “His family was his world and my heart goes out to them tonight. Let’s all take care of each other.”
Horta majored in film at NYU and got his big break when he wrote the screenplay for Urban Legend in 1998. He went on to executive produce The Chronicle as well as Jake 2.0, Ugly Betty and a short film called Horror Movie: The Movie in 2012.
In 2015, he wrote The Curse of the Fuentes Women, which he also produced. According to Variety, he had a project with Mary J. Blige in development at Fox in 2018.
