“Degrassi: The Next Generation” actor Jahmil French, who was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award, has reportedly died at age 29.
French, who was best known for his role as Dave Turner on the teen drama series, died Monday, but the cause of death was not publicly released, his spokesperson confirmed to New York Daily News on Tuesday. He appeared in about 150 episodes of “Degrassi: The Next Generation” between 2009 and 2013 on Canadian network CTV.
The Toronto native was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Canadian Screen Awards in 2018 for his performance in the film “Boost.” He most recently starred in Netflix’s “Soundtrack,” a musical series, alongside Jenna Dewan, Paul James, Callie Hernandez and Madeleine Stowe, in 2019.
“You will always hold such a special place in my heart,” Melinda Shankar, who played his love interest on “Degrassi,” wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for being one of the most talented, compassionate, kindest, funniest friends I have. You were so loved. Sharing some of my fav pics over the years to highlight his bright light. I’ll miss our dance offs.”
Several friends and costars posted about the young star’s death Tuesday.
His “Degrassi: Next Generation” costar Annie Clark said she recalled French always being full of energy and a “joy to be around” while filming the show. Clark, who portrayed Fiona Coyne on the show, began on the series the same season as French in 2009. The show, which was a sequel to “Degressi,” ran for four seasons.
“Heartbroken over the loss of our friend Jahmil French 💔We started on Degrassi the same year and I’ll never forget the day I met him,” Clark recalled in an Instagram post that included photos and video of French. “The video on the last slide is how I always think of him. He was such a special person and I’m so grateful for the memories we made. I still can’t believe it. Gone way too soon. He will be so missed by us all.”
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