'Absolutely heartbreaking': Tributes pour in as 'Once Upon A Time' actor Chris Gauthier dies at 48

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Chris Gauthier, famous for his roles in 'Supernatural', 'Once Upon a Time', and 'Smallville', died on Friday, February 23, according to his management.

As per Variety, the 48-year-old's cause of death was said to be an unspecified brief illness. Gauthier is survived by his wife, Erin, and his children. 

Life and legacy of Chris Gauthier

Chad Colvin of TriStar Appearances took to Facebook to share the tragic news, writing, "When his wife reached out to me yesterday with the news, I wept tears of disbelief for hours. It’s taken me til now to fully mentally and emotionally steel myself to write this."

He went on to comment on Gauthier’s legacy, stating, "Chris was the literal textbook definition of a character actor. You may not have known his name but you knew his face, you knew his voice, and you knew that if he was onscreen, you were in for a helluva ride."

He continued, "Whether he was standing toe-to-toe against Clark Kent on 'Smallville' as the Toyman, tormenting Dean on 'Supernatural', on deck with Hook as Smee in 'Once Upon A Time' or in guest roles in the numerous productions he was in, he ALWAYS gave it his all when the camera was rolling."

Colvin further remembered him for being his second celebrity client after he joined the "talent repping business almost nine years ago."

According to his IMDb profile, Gauthier was born on January 27, 1976, in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. He later crossed the pond to make his name in the show business.

His acting credits on TV include 'Harper’s Island', 'Sanctuary', 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', 'Legends of Tomorrow', 'Charmed' and 'Joe Pickett'. He has also appeared in several movies including '40 Days and 40 Nights' (2002), 'Freddy vs Jason' (2003), 'Watchmen' (2009), and 'Agent Cody Banks'. 

His friend, Corrine Wright, paid tribute through a heartfelt Facebook post where she celebrated Gauthier's on-screen characters, noting, "What can I tell you about my friend Chris Gauthier? A lot.

She mentioned, "He was killed by Jason in Freddy Vs Jason. He played a security guard and then a ghost on Supernatural. He was Toymaker on Smallville. He was Vincent on Eureka. And Smee on Once Upon a Time."

"He worked with Anthony Hopkins, Robin Williams and a host of other actors who all speak very highly of how great a person he was. But most of all? He was my friend," added Wright. 

She further stated, "Chris will be missed by so many people. I am so very sad that he is gone. Far too soon... I’ll be cheering for the Canucks to win the cup this year for you. And I will drink a pint in your honour when they do. Rest in peace. Forever a friend."

Tributes pour in after Chris Gauthier's tragic demise

The official account of Hallmark Channel posted a sweet tribute to Gauthier, writing, "We are sorry to hear about the passing of Chris Gauthier. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans."

A fan noted, "Sad to hear. I’ve enjoyed his work on screen for many years. Deepest condolences to his friends and family," and another added, "Chris, rest in love.🙏🏽🙏🏽🕊️🕊️Your smile on the screen was amazing. Praying for Chris family and friends 🙏🏽🙏🏽."

"Oh no, I think he was on Once Upon a Time! He was so young 😭😭😭😭💔💔💔," said a person. 

Mourning fans flooded the comments section of Colvin's tribute post to Gauthier to share their condolences. 

One said, "I am crushed an stunned. He was an amazing person!" Another added, "Amazing person and actor. Losses like this are so difficult to accept. Thankfully we do have many wonderful memories of his life and work. May laughter and love be his companions on this next adventure." 

A person mourned, "Oh this is sad! I just watched him in a SPN episode yesterday. I always liked any show that he was in. My heart goes out to his family and friends."

"ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING...I first saw him in Supernatural...I LOVED IT WHEN HE SAYS 'THE LAZER EYES'...I just loved his character🥺❤️," said an ardent follower. 

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