AUDIO AND VISUAL | POETRY | CHAT ROOM | SONG LYRICS | HOME PAGE 2 | PICS OF AN ANGEL | PICS PAGE 2 | LETTERS FROM THE FANS | BRANDIS MISC | Biography | Filmography | News and Gossip | NEWS AND GOSSIP PAGE 2 | NEWS AND GOSSIP PAGE 3 | BRANDIS TIDBITS | Mailbag | Related Links | Contact Me

Home

LOVING YOU FOREVER- A TRIBUTE TO JONATHAN BRANDIS
News and Gossip

Jonathan Brandis' Death a Suicide
Tue Nov 25,11:20 AM ET

By Lia Haberman

Jonathan Brandis' death has officially been ruled a suicide, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed Monday. But why the onetime child star took his own life may remain a mystery.

E! Online's Jonathan Brandis fact sheet
News: Jonathan Brandis' Apparent Suicide
Former child stars--an E! Online special report

Photo
E! Online Photo

 

Brandis, 27, hung himself two weeks ago but didn't leave a note, stymieing friends and fans as to his motive.

The actor was best known for his portrayal of crewmember Lucas Wolenczek on two seasons of Steven Spielberg's underwater sci-fi series, SeaQuest DSV--a role that launched dozens of teen magazine covers and made Brandis a heartthrob with young female fans.

According to police, a friend of Brandis' called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on November 11 to report that Brandis had attempted suicide by hanging. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital but he died the next day.

"Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life," said a statement from Paul Peterson, president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors.

Brandis got his show-biz break at the tender age of six when he landed a recurring role on One Life to Live and appeared in numerous commercials. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as L.A. Law, Who's the Boss? and Murder, She Wrote.

He racked up leading roles in movies such as 1991's The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter and Rodney Dangerfield's 1992 comedy Ladybugs but was relegated to secondary roles in more recent projects, including the Farrelly brother's Outside Providence in 1999 and Bruce Willis (news)' WWII action flick Hart's War in 2002.

He was an only child, who is survived by his parents, Greg and Mary Brandis.

'Seaquest' Actor Dies Of Possible Suicide
Brandis Was 27

POSTED: 10:49 a.m. EST November 21, 2003
UPDATED: 2:06 p.m. EST November 21, 2003

The Los Angeles County coroner's office is conducting an investigation into the death of actor Jonathan Brandis.

Jonathan BrandisBrandis, who was 27, died Nov. 12. Los Angeles police are saying the death was a possible suicide.

Police said a friend of Brandis called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on Nov. 11 to report Brandis had attempted suicide.

Paramedics took Brandis to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died the next day.

Brandis appeared in a string of roles on television, commercials and film, including two seasons on Steven Spielberg's "SeaQuest DSV." He also starred in the television movie based on Stephen King's "It," voiced a role for the series "Aladdin" and made guest appearances on such shows as "L.A. Law," "Full House," "Blossom" and "The Wonder Years."

On film, Brandis appeared in "The Never Ending Story II" and "Ladybugs," and more recently "Ride With the Devil" and "Hart's War."

The coroner performed an autopsy but the cause of death will not be announced until the results of blood and toxicology tests are returned.

ACTOR JONATHAN BRANDIS DEAD AT 27


LOS ANGELES - Jonathan Brandis (news), who from an early age appeared in a string of roles on television, commercials and film, including the starring role in 1991's "The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter" and two seasons on Steven Spielberg (news)'s "SeaQuest DSV," has died. He was 27.

The county coroner's office is investigating the Nov. 12 death, which was reported by the Los Angeles Police Department as a possible suicide, Lt. Ed Winter of the coroner's Investigations Bureau said Thursday.

The coroner performed an autopsy but the cause of death will not be announced until the results of blood and toxicology tests are returned. The investigation could take as long as four to six weeks.

Police said a friend of Brandis called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on Nov. 11 to report Brandis had attempted suicide. Paramedics transported Brandis to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he died the next day, police Detective Gene Parshall said.

The office of Brandis' agent at Innovative Artists refused to comment.

Brandis started his career in commercials and on television, landing a recurring role on the soap "One Life to Live" at age six. After moving with his family to Los Angeles at age nine, he made guest appearances on such shows as "L.A. Law," "Who's the Boss?" and "Murder, She Wrote."

Other film credits included the Rodney Dangerfield comedy "Ladybugs," and the martial arts comedy "Sidekicks" with Chuck Norris (news), and a small part in the 2002 film "Hart's War," starring Bruce Willis (news).

Brandis also starred as crew member Lucas Wolenczek in the underwater sci-fi series "SeaQuest DSV," a role that garnered him a Young Artists Award in 1993 and helped turn him into a teen idol.

Jonathan Brandis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Jonathan Gregory Brandis (13 April 1976 - 12 November 2003) was an American actor, the only child of Greg and Mary Brandis of Danbury, Connecticut.

He received his first starring role in The NeverEnding Story II, and went on to appear primarily in television roles. Of these, he is most famous for his portrayal of scientific prodigy Lucas Wolenczak in Steven Spielberg's futuristic science fiction series seaQuest DSV.

He had roles in the following television programs and movies:

  • Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987)
  • The Wrong Guys (1988)
  • Stepfather II (1989)
  • The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)
  • Stephen King's It (1990)
  • Ladybugs (1992)
  • Sidekicks (1992)
  • Aladdin (1993)
  • seaQuest DSV (1993-1994)
  • seaQuest 2032 (1995)
  • Her Last Chance (1996)
  • Born Free: A New Adventure (1996)
  • Fall Into Darkness (1996)
  • Two Came Back (1997)
  • Outside Providence (1999)
  • Ride with the Devil (1999)
  • A Fate Totally Worse Than Death (2000)
  • Hart's War (2002)
  • The Year That Trembled (2002)
  • Puerto Vallarta Squeeze (2003)
  • 111 Gramercy Park (2003)

He was thought to have dated Tatyana Ali, Heather McComb, Vinessa Shaw, and Monica Keena.

He had expressed an interest in moving his career towards more directing work rather than acting, although he recently auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Late on 11 November 2003 a friend called from Brandis' apartment to report that he had attempted suicide by hanging. He was rushed to the hospital but he died hours later. He is survived by both parents.

Actor Jonathan Brandis dead at 27

Copyright © 2003 AP Online

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES (November 21, 1:19 p.m. CST) - Jonathan Brandis, who from an early age appeared in a string of roles on television, commercials and film, including the starring role in 1991's "The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter" and two seasons on Steven Spielberg's "SeaQuest DSV," has died. He was 27.

The county coroner's office is investigating the Nov. 12 death, which was reported by the Los Angeles Police Department as a possible suicide, Lt. Ed Winter of the coroner's Investigations Bureau said Thursday.

The coroner performed an autopsy but the cause of death will not be announced until the results of blood and toxicology tests are returned. The investigation could take as long as four to six weeks.

Police said a friend of Brandis called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on Nov. 11 to report Brandis had attempted suicide. Paramedics transported Brandis to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he died the next day, police Detective Gene Parshall said.

The office of Brandis' agent at Innovative Artists refused to comment.

Brandis started his career in commercials and on television, landing a recurring role on the soap "One Life to Live" at age six. After moving with his family to Los Angeles at age nine, he made guest appearances on such shows as "L.A. Law," "Who's the Boss?" and "Murder, She Wrote."

Other film credits included the Rodney Dangerfield comedy "Ladybugs," and the martial arts comedy "Sidekicks" with Chuck Norris, and a small part in the 2002 film "Hart's War," starring Bruce Willis.

Brandis also starred as crew member Lucas Wolenczek in the underwater sci-fi series "SeaQuest DSV," a role that garnered him a Young Artists Award in 1993 and helped turn him into a teen idol.

Jonathan Brandis dies at 27


Associated Press
Nov. 21, 2003

LOS ANGELES - Jonathan Brandis, who from an early age appeared in a string of roles on television, commercials and film, including the starring role in 1991's "The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter" and two seasons on Steven Spielberg's "SeaQuest DSV," has died. He was 27.

The county coroner's office is investigating the Nov. 12 death, which was reported by the Los Angeles Police Department as a possible suicide, Lt. Ed Winter of the coroner's Investigations Bureau said Thursday.

The coroner performed an autopsy but the cause of death will not be announced until the results of blood and toxicology tests are returned. The investigation could take as long as four to six weeks.

Police said a friend of Brandis called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on Nov. 11 to report Brandis had attempted suicide. Paramedics transported Brandis to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he died the next day, police Detective Gene Parshall said.

The office of Brandis' agent at Innovative Artists refused to comment.

Brandis started his career in commercials and on television, landing a recurring role on the soap "One Life to Live" at age six. After moving with his family to Los Angeles at age nine, he made guest appearances on such shows as "L.A. Law," "Who's the Boss?" and "Murder, She Wrote."

Other film credits included the Rodney Dangerfield comedy "Ladybugs," and the martial arts comedy "Sidekicks" with Chuck Norris, and a small part in the 2002 film "Hart's War," starring Bruce Willis.

Brandis also starred as crew member Lucas Wolenczek in the underwater sci-fi series "SeaQuest DSV," a role that garnered him a Young Artists Award in 1993 and helped turn him into a teen idol.