WENN

Actor Verne Troyer has died, aged 49.

The Austin Powers star passed away on Saturday afternoon (21Apr18), almost three weeks after he was hospitalized following an incident at his home in Los Angeles.

Sources told TMZ a concerned friend called emergency services and described the actor as being extremely upset, drunk, and suicidal. Paramedics responded, and Verne was transported to a hospital for possible alcohol poisoning.

The star has been battling alcoholism for some time and last year (17) he was admitted to a hospital for treatment. He later checked into rehab.

Troyer, who was born with the genetic disorder achondroplasia dwarfism and was one of the world’s shortest men, began his Hollywood career in 1994 as a stunt double in Baby’s Day Out. He also appeared in Jingle All the Way, Men in Black, Pinocchio’s Revenge, and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, before landing the role that would make him an international star – Mini-Me in 1999’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

He reprised the character for Austin Powers in Goldmember, and reteamed with director and star Mike Myers for The Love Guru. His other film credits included Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He recently completed work on what will be his final film, Hipsters, Gangsters, Aliens and Geeks.

Verne also appeared on TV in comedies like Lemon La Vida Loca, Scrubs, and Trailer Park Boys, and became a reality TV regular thanks to U.K. and U.S. shows like Celebrity Juice, Celebrity Wife Swap, Celebrity Big Brother, and The Surreal Life.

He was briefly married to yoga instructor Genevieve Gallen in 2004.