Once Upon a Time star Chris Gauthier dies at 48 following brief illness

Actor Chris Gauthier has passed away aged 48 after a short illness.The Luton-born star, who was best known for his role as William Smee in Once Upon A Time and his Ronald in Supernatural, was confirmed to have died by his talent agency TriStar Appearances/Event Horizon Talent.The agency released a statement which read: "We can confirm that our dear friend and client, Chris Gauthier, passed away on Friday morning, February 23, at the age of 48."As a beloved Vancouver-based character actor, Chris shared his talents with so many of us both on television and in film.

His loss is felt not just by his fans but by those of us who were lucky enough to know him more personally."Chris is said to have passed "suddenly and unexpectedly following a short illness", the Mirror reports.The statement added: "On behalf of his family, we do ask for privacy during this time so that they are able to grieve properly."The late actor appeared in several episodes of ABC's Once Upon a Time show between 2012 and 2018 as his character of William Smee who is a member of Hook's crew on the Jolly Roger.His other credits include playing Vincent in Syfy's Eureka from 2006 to 2012 and Phil in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events from 2017 to 2019.

He's also appeared in shows like Supernatural, Smallville and Harper's Island during his career and voiced the character Neville in the video game Need for Speed: Carbon, which was released in 2006.Devastated fans and former colleagues have paid tribute to the late star on social media following the sad news.

Colin O'Donoghue, who played Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones on Once Upon a Time, wrote on Instagram: "Rest in Peace, Chris! Heartbroken!