[Deathwatch] Josh Ryan Evans, actor, 20

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

"Passions" Star Josh Ryan Evans Dies
Tue Aug 6, 2:35 PM ET
By Marcus Errico 

Josh Ryan Evans, whose "Martimmy"-swilling living-doll character Timmy
swiped many a scene in NBC's daytime soap Passions, has died. 

Plagued by health problems throughout his 20 years, the 3-foot-2-inch
actor had been admitted to a San Diego hospital for treatment of a
congenital heart condition. Doctors were weighing whether to perform
heart surgery on the actor when he died Monday night, an NBC
spokesperson confirmed. 

Aside from his heart trouble, Evans suffered from achondroplasia, a
genetic condition that restricts cartilage growth and physical
development and was responsible for his diminished stature. 

But Evans parlayed his tiny size into Tinseltown fame. "I love my
life," he told E! Online two years ago. "Acting is not only what I do,
it's what I am. I can't imagine spending my life doing anything else." 


He'll be best remembered as Timmy on Passions. Evans joined the soap in
1999, playing the creation of resident witch Tabitha. As dolls go,
Timmy was sort of an anti-Chucky, acting as Tabitha's conscience and
spending most of his time pining for Charity and downing Martimmys--a
nonalcoholic martini-like concoction. (Evans included a Martimmy recipe
on his Website, joshryanevans.org.) 

"We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of Josh Ryan
Evans," reads a statement from NBC. "He was a truly unique talent with
a remarkable spirit. He will be sorely missed by his Passions family
and by all of us at NBC." 

Timmy was arguably Passion's most popular character, and Evans earned a
Soap Opera Digest Award as Favorite Scene Stealer and a Daytime Emmy
nomination for the part. 

Ironically, Evans' death came on the same day his ailing character
Timmy bid adieu to his Passions pals. 

NBC says Evans had taped the show weeks ago and was scheduled to have a
temporary hiatus while doctors decided whether the actor needed heart
surgery. However, this being a soap opera--and even loopier than most
other daytime dramas--Timmy was supposed to be resurrected when Evans
was ready to return to the series, likely at the end of the summer. 

Those plans have been scrapped, say the Passions publicist, and the
show will leave the Timmy story line as it ended yesterday, with the
character dying. Producers are recutting future episodes to remove
scenes involving Timmy. 

Born January 10, 1982, in Hayward, California, Evans launched his
show-biz career in commercials, playing a dancing baby in an ice-cream
spot. He subsequently scored guest gigs on TV shows like Family
Matters, 7th Heaven and Poltergeist: The Legacy. 

His first notable part, however, was as child-prodigy lawyer Oren
Koolie on Fox's Ally McBeal ( news - Y! TV). He also appeared as the
young Grinch in Ron Howard's big-screen Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole
Christmas, played Tom Thumb in the A&E miniseries P.T. Barnum, did the
dancing for the baby in the 1999 film Baby Geniuses and contributed
voices to Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! and Rugrats. 

Evans is survived by his parents, Cheryl and Chuck Evans, and his older
brother, James. A memorial service is being planned for later this
week.