Actor Verne Troyer, who became famous for his role as Mini-Me in "Austin Powers" with Mike Myers, died at the age of 49 on April 21. The cause of death has not been revealed but it has been reported that prior to his death, he was baptized.
An official statement posted on the actor's social media accounts confirmed his death. The statement alluded to the actor's years of struggle with alcoholism and depression.
"During this recent time of adversity he was baptized while surrounded by his family," the official announcement on Instagram read. "Depression and suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside."
A few weeks before his death, Troyer was reportedly brought to a psychiatric hospital in Los Angeles. His publicist also posted the update on his social media accounts and asked for prayers for his recovery.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, Troyer revealed that his family from Michigan is Amish. His parents, however, left the religion when he was still a child because his father thought "many people in the faith were hypocritical."
Some Troyer family members, especially on his mother's side, are still practicing the religion. The actor shared that what he loved the most about growing up Amish was its closeness as a community as everyone supported each other, especially during hard times, he told The Guardian.
Troyer, who stood at 2 feet 8 inches because of dwarfism, also said that everyone in his family is average-sized but he was never treated differently. He was still asked to do his share of work, such as feeding their farm animals and carrying wood for the kitchen.
Hours after his death, Troyer's dad, Reuben, was seen sobbing as friends outside the actor's home comforted him.
