How Did Verne Troyer Die? 'Austin Powers' Actor Hospitalized Before Death

Verne Troyer, the actor who famously played Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies died at the age of 49, Saturday.

"Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday," a statement posted on his Instagram page read.

Although the statement did not specify Troyer’s exact cause of death, it did mention his recent struggles which could be pointing to his year in rehab and the fact that he was hospitalized earlier this month for alcohol poisoning.

"Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles," the statement added. "Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much."

The statement also mentioned some probable causes of his death, without affirming any single cause. More than anything, it asked people to be kind and understanding to each other and not to belittle mental health issues.

"Depression and suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside," it said. "And always know, it's never too late to reach out to someone for help."

The statement concluded by requesting Troyer’s fans to donate to two of the charities that the actor supported — The Starkey Hearing Foundation and Best Buddies.

Troyer once told British talk show host Jonathan Ross that he had a rare type of dwarfism called cartilage-hair hypoplasia, a condition which caused his height to get restricted at two feet and eight inches, CNN reported. According to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, people with the condition also tend to suffer from fine, sparse hair (hypotrichosis) and abnormal immune system function (immune deficiency) that often lead to recurrent infections.

He entered the entertainment business by playing the stunt double for a 9-month-old baby in the 1994 film "Baby's Day Out." However, his claim to fame was playing Mini-Me, the diminutive clone of Mike Myers' Dr. Evil, in "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Austin Powers in Goldmember."

In 2016, Troyer told Oprah Winfrey that even he was surprised at how well his character was received by the public, which caused his role to get extended.

"I had no idea how famous this character was going to be," he said. "Once we started rehearsal, Mike (Myers) kept adding more parts."

He also starred in movies such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Men in Black” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,” and popular TV shows like “Scrubs,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “Trailer Park Boys: Out of The Park.” Troyer also had his own YouTube channel called Cooking With Verne Troyer, Newsweek reported.

All in all, Troyer starred in 58 movies and TV shows during his lifetime. In 2004, Troyer was married to Playboy model Genevieve Gallen. They divorced the same year. He was most recently linked to actress Brittney Powell.