Debby Ryan Posts Heartbreaking Video From ‘Celebration Of Life’ For Late ‘Jessie’ Co-Star Cameron Boyce
Debby Ryan said her final goodbye to her friend and co-star Cameron Boyce, and she gave fans a look inside a heartbreaking celebration of the late actor’s life. Ten days after Cameron Boyce died in his sleep of an epilepsy-induced seizure, the beloved 20-year-old Disney Channel star’s life was honored in a bittersweet celebration with family and friends, People reports.
Ryan, who co-starred with Boyce for four seasons on the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie, posted an Instagram video from the gathering, which featured a dedication table in Boyce’s honor. The video, which readers can watch below, showcased a table adorned with framed photos of Boyce, his artwork and items he once wore, including sunglasses, a patch-covered denim jacket and a Los Angeles Lakers T-shirt. A note from the Boyce family also encouraged friends to write down their favorite memories of the late actor.
In a caption to the video, Ryan remembered Boyce as “an effervescent soul” who attracted art and community. Ryan also described the gathering as a “deeply bittersweet celebration of a life we were so fortunate to intersect with,” and revealed that Boyce’s mom told her that her son is their “compass.” The actress noted that all directions have pointed to “love and light and togetherness.”
Debby Ryan’s poignant video comes a few days after she broke her silence on Cameron Boyce’s death. The Jessie star previously posted a throwback clip of her hugging Boyce’s character, Luke Ross, in a scene from the Disney sitcom. Ryan also posted a photo tribute to Boyce, in which she revealed she can’t make sense of his premature and sudden death.
“He was blameless and relentlessly joyful,” Ryan wrote of her late Jessie co-star. “He was good. Through and through. …I love him so much. Forever.”
In addition to his roles on Disney Channel hits Jessie, BUNK’d and the Descendants movie franchise, Cameron Boyce was an avid humanitarian who recently received the Pioneering Spirit Award after raising more than $30,000 for the Thirst Project to build two wells in Swaziland. According to CinemaBlend, Boyce’s award was presented to him by his best friend and fellow Jessie co-star, Karan Brar, alongside Descendants director/choreographer, Kenny Ortega.
In the wake of the young actor’s death, the Boyce family has launched a charitable foundation, The Cameron Boyce Foundation, as a way to honor his legacy. The charity’s aim is to provide “young people artistic and creative outlets as alternatives to violence and negativity” and to use “philanthropy for positive change in the world.”
Cameron Boyce’s final Disney role in Descendants 3 premieres August 2 on The Disney Channel.
