Lee Thompson Young, RIP: Remembering the Late Jett Jackson Star

This rising Hollywood actor was on the road to stardom before his tragic death

By Josh Grossberg Aug 19, 2013 8:17 PMTags
Lee Thompson YoungDr. Billy Ingram/Getty Images

The entertainment world is mourning the passing of Lee Thompson Young, former star of the Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson, who died in an apparent suicide early Monday at the age of 29.

As news of his death spreads, E! News takes a look at the life of this talented young actor who was beloved by those who knew him:

He Had a Dream: At the age of 10 growing up as the son of divorced parents, Young portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King in a play called A Night of Stars and Dreams, sparking his love for acting and decision to pursuit it as a full-time career.

Enter the Mouse House: Two years after moving to New York, in 1998 Young landed the titular role for which he became most associated with, playing Jett Jackson in the Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson. This show-within-a-show followed Jett, a famous young actor who lives in the fictional Wilsted, N.C., and when he's not juggling family, friends and school, is playing a spy named Silverstone who works for Mission Omega Matrix (aka "Mom"). The program ran for three seasons and spawned a 2001 TV movie.

Bound for the Big Screen and Small: Putting Disney behind him, Young parlayed his Jett success into feature film parts, most notably in 2004's high school football drama Friday Night Lights and 2006's Akeelah and the Bee. Other credits include The Hills Have Eyes 2, the TV movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story opposite Jamie Foxx, and guest shots on such shows as The Guardian, Kevin Hill, South Beach, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Scrubs. Before he died, the thespian played Det. Barry Frost, Jane Rizzoli's partner in TNT's Rizzoli & Isles.

TNT

He Had Superhero Powers: Young did a turn in the TV series Smallville playing Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, one of the founding members of DC Comics' Justice League. The 2006 episode in which he debuted had him playing a former Metropolish High School football star who's brought back to life after dying in a car accident, and given a Robocop-style makeover complete with a cybernetically enhanced endoskeleton. In a future episode titled "Justice," Victor breaks up with his girlfriend and cited fellow Leaguer Green Arrow as the friend who kept him from taking his own life in despair.

A Suicide Connection? On ABC's sci-fi drama FlashForward, which ran from 2009 to 2010, Young played FBI agent Al Gough. However he was unceremoniously killed off after his character committed suicide to prevent his flashforward from becoming a reality.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).