Actor Spencer Lofranco has died at the age of 33 on Tuesday, November 18, his family has confirmed.
The Canadian star was best known for roles in Gotti and Jamesy Boy, having started his career in 2012 with the role of Conrad Hartman in At Middleton.
News of his death was confirmed by his brother, Santino, who shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram.
He described his brother as a "legend" who "changed people's lives", adding, as reported by Metro: "To the legend @roccowinning. My brother. You lived a life only some could dream of.
"You changed people’s lives, and now you are with God. I will always love you and miss you Bear. RIP."
According to reports from TMZ, Lofranco's death is being investigated by authorities in British Columbia.
Lofranco's cause of death has yet to be determined, per the outlet.
The young star had decided to pursue a career in acting at the age of 17, despite his father's wishes that he should become a lawyer or hockey player.
In a 2014 featured in Interview, Lofranco described himself as a naturally funny child who was "always trying to make people laugh and always the center of attention", meaning a career in front of the camera came naturally to him.
His big break came with the lead role in Jamesy Boy which he booked after doing summer acting classes before a year's conservatory at New York Film Academy.
He revealed that he "understood" the character of James Burns because he could identify with the working class boy who spent his youth in and out of detention centers.
Lofranco told Interview: "James and I were both troubled and we were sent to institutions for juveniles - I was sent to a military high school and James had been institutionalized when he was very young.
"My parents were divorced; his parents weren’t together. There was a lot of drugs and alcohol and abuse in his family growing up. There were just a lot of similar things that we had to deal with, so we could to relate each other."
While James's father had left him, Lofranco credited his own father, lawyer Rocco Lofranco, with "saving" him in his youth.
He added that if he hadn't become an actor, he would have liked to pursue humanitarian work in Africa, helping to better the lives of children.
His other acting credits include roles in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken (2014), short film Home (2015), and Gotti (2018) in which he played John Travolta’s on-screen son.
Our thoughts remain with Lofranco's family, friends, and fans at this difficult time.