Evan Ellingson's co-star Abigail Breslin pays tribute to the actor after he tragically passed away aged 35.
On November 5, it was announced that Ellingson, who was best known for his recurring role in CSI: Miami as well as the 2009 movie My Sister's Keeper, had died in his home in Fontana, California.
The news was first reported by TMZ and later confirmed by Deadline through a statement by the San Bernardino County Sherriff coroner's office. The cause of death is pending following an autopsy conducted that was allegedly conducted the following morning, according to the coroner’s website.
Ellingson’s final movie role in My Sister's Keeper, directed by Nick Cassavetes, sees him take on the role of the son of Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric and the brother of Abigail Breslin. The film, based on Jodi Picoult’s 2004 novel, also starred Sofia Vassilieva and Alec Baldwin.
In the wake of the actor's untimely death, Breslin has now paid tribute to him.
Taking to Instagram, the 27-year-old opened up about her friendship with the late star, stating that his life on Earth was "devastatingly short."
"Evan Ellingson was a kind, funny and extremely talented human being," she started alongside an image of them as children. "He played my big brother in a film I did called My Sisters Keeper. 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."
She continued: "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.
While the actress admitted that she "didn’t keep in touch a lot with him after the film", 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," Breslin said before adding: "Evan, I know Heaven will welcome you with open arms. Your time on this earth may have been, devastatingly, short. Your humor, exuberance, kindness and bright light will linger forever. Sending you peace on your journey to the great beyond and who knows... maybe one day, I’ll meet you in Montana."
After signing off at the bottom, the star re-edited the piece adding a disclaimer which asked people not to speculate about the nature of Ellingson's death especially considering the fact that the details had not yet been confirmed anyway.
The 35-year-old's family also released a statement stating that while the actor relapsed during his battle with addiction, he was dedicated to helping others recover themselves.
"Our family is heartbroken by the sudden passing of our beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, Evan," they said in the statement to NBC News.
"Evan was one of the most caring individuals who loved Jesus with all his heart. He had a sweet, child-like spirit with a smile that could light up a room. He was always thinking of others and wanted to use his own struggles with addiction to help people find hope," it continued.
Expanding upon his relapse after three years of sobriety, they added: "He was passionate about pointing individuals to resources for help. While in the end, he fell in his earthly battle with addiction, he was able to choose Jesus as his Lord and Savior and receive eternal life with Him. We already miss Evan and cherish every moment of joy, laughter and love that he brought to us and so many others."
His father also told TMZ that the late star was in a sober-living home, having dealt with addiction in the past, but was on the road to recovery, and the news of his death was a "complete shock" to the family.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.
If you or someone you know is battling addiction, please reach out for help and contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) or go to https://findtreatment.gov/