Remembering her costar. Mindy Sterling is remembering the best of her Austin Powers costar Verne Troyer after his death.
“I heard about it a couple hours ago. I was just devastated,” Sterling, 64, told Us Weekly exclusively on Saturday, April 21, at the 2018 CATsravaganza in Hollywood. “I can only say that it was such a pleasure to work with him. He was really one of the sweetest and most gifted and talented men I’ve known. He worked so hard on everything that he was given.”
The pair worked together in the Austin Powers films, which were first released in 1997. “He was such an addition to Austin Powers and the family. It’s very sad to see him struggle and go through whatever he went through, and then to die,” added the actress, who played Frau Farbissina.
Troyer’s death at age 49 was confirmed just hours before the Saturday event. “It’s really young, but I know that he had some medical stuff that he always really had to work through,” the iCarly alum told Us. “I just hope that he is at peace, and I want him to know how much he was loved and revered and how he was respected in the business.”
After news of the actor’s death broke, Mike Myers, who played the title character in the comedy franchise, also spoke out about his costar‘s passing. “Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him,” the 54-year-old actor said in a statement to Us of Troyer, who played, Mini-Me. “It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.”
Troyer’s rep confirmed the actor’s passing to Us in a statement on April 21. “It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today,” the statement read. “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.”
The actor’s cause of death is not yet known.
