Annie Walton Doyle
Evan Ellingson, the actor best known for his role in My Sister’s Keeper, tragically passed away last month.
The former child star appeared in several high-profile TV shows, such as 24, Bones and CSI: Miami.
His biggest role was as Jesse Fitzgerald in the 2009 drama My Sister’s Keeper, in which he played the son of Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric’s characters.
Ellingson’s fans were left devastated by news of the actor’s passing aged 35.
And now, the star’s cause of death has been confirmed to the public.
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Ellingson’s cause of death has since been confirmed to People as accidental fentanyl overdose.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s coroner listed Ellingson’s manner of death as an ‘accident’ on November 28.
It was known that before Ellingson’s death, he had been struggling with addiction.
Ellingson began abusing drugs at the age of 19, following the death of his brother from a heroin overdose.
The star’s father told TMZ that the actor struggled with addiction and was living in a sober-living home at the time of his death.
Following news of Ellingson’s passing, tributes to the actor came flooding in.
Abigail Breslin, who played his sister in My Sister’s Keeper, paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing: “Evan Ellingson was a kind, funny and extremely talented human being.
“Evan was a genuinely thoughtful person who cared so much about turning in the best performance, which he accomplished.
“Some of his scenes in MSK still give me chills. He was also silly, funny, a prankster, a lover of Red Bull (I hated the smell of Red Bull ) and he was energetic and the life of the party.
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“I didn’t keep in touch a lot with him after the film, but he always stayed in my mind as a wonderful and sweet soul, one I am grateful to have crossed paths with.
“My prayers and condolences are with his family at this difficult time.
“Evan, I know Heaven will welcome you with open arms.
“Your time on this earth may have been, devastatingly, short.
“Your humour, exuberance, kindness and bright light will linger forever.”
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The movie’s director, Nick Cassavetes, also remembered Ellingson in a devastating Instagram post, which reads: “My soul is crushed today.
“What a kid.”
Born in 1988, Ellingson was raised in La Verne, California, alongside his three brothers.
He had an active childhood and had a passion for surfing, snowboarding, skating, mountain climbing and scuba diving.
It was his sporting hobbies that actually led to his big break into the acting world.
Ellingson’s IMDB page states that he was ‘discovered at a skate park and was asked to not only skate for the Vans PeeWee team but to do a commercial for the Vans Company’.
His ‘unmistakable charisma and talent prompted him to be asked to do a trilogy of short films playing a character that was written specifically for him’, the page continues.
And from there, his acting career grew and grew.
Ellingson told The Philippine Star in 2009: “I never had the same experience with my friends.
“I never had more time with them. However, my childhood was a cool one. I was busy doing the things I love.
“I had no regrets because I found my passion for acting early on.”
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