Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Verne Troyer: Actor who gained fame playing Mini-Me in Austin Powers films

The performer drew praise for his comic ability yet many of his roles testify to the fight people who have dwarfism face in overcoming stereotypes

Marcus Williamson
Tuesday 24 April 2018 22:47 BST
Comments
Troyer became a recognisable face around the world but struggled with alcholism
Troyer became a recognisable face around the world but struggled with alcholism

Verne Troyer, who has died aged 49, was the American actor best known for playing the character Mini-Me in two films from the enormously popular Austin Powers franchise. Taking on the role of being a diminutive replica of Dr Evil, played by Mike Myers, he appeared first in 1999’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He was so popular that he returned for the third of the trilogy, Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).

Troyer was born on New Year’s Day 1969 in Sturgis, Michigan, the son of Susan, a factory worker, and Reuben Troyer, a repair technician.

Soon after birth, his parents discovered he had cartilage-hair hypoplasia, a genetic condition which restricts growth, leading to short stature.

He later recalled: “Growing up, my dad didn’t treat me any differently than my brother and sister who are average size. So I had to do everything that they did, which physically made me strong, made me confident.”

As an adult he was just 2ft 8in (81cm) tall, making him one of the shortest men in the world. His first film role was as a double for the baby Bink in the comedy adventure Baby’s Day Out (1994).

Interviewed as a guest on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, he recalled “I moved to Texas, I was 23, 24 and I got a call about somebody needing a stunt double for a nine-month-old baby, somebody that was agile enough... I did all the stunts.”

Although Baby’s Day Out did not go down well with critics, the high-level exposure gained him a number of other parts in films including Dunston Checks In (1996), Men in Black (1997) and My Giant (1998).

Speaking to Wolf Blitzer on CNN, he was asked how he landed the role for which he is best known, in the Austin Powers films, and whether it was Mike Myers who discovered him. He replied: “Actually, I met with [director] Jay Roach first. I got to meet Mike later and I guess, you know I was just the perfect cast – well, the perfect person to play the Mini-Me character.”

Troyer spoke of how much he had enjoyed the films and the work with Myers. “Those movies are just fun,” he said. “Mike improvs all the time so you never know what he’s going to do. You’ve got to be on your toes and try to react off of him. It’s a challenge because I don’t speak so I’ve got to try to get my point across by just facial expressions and different things like that.”

Myers in turn said of his co-star, in tribute: “Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honour of working with him.”

​Troyer went on to appear in Celebrity Big Brother in 2009.

In 2012 the charity Compass Advocacy Network (CAN) in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, was hit by thieves, who stole £1,000 that had been raised during the Children In Need campaign. The actor had recently been in Northern Ireland and had met some of those who use and benefit from the charity's services. When he heard of the theft Troyer donated a substantial sum to CAN to help it continue its work for children with learning difficulties. In a letter to the charity he wrote “I heard what happened and I just wanted to help you and the kids. Please tell them hello from me. Also, remember you can do anything you set your mind to, always be optimistic.”

Last year he had been admitted to hospital to be treated for alcoholism. He had said at the time: “While it’s not always been an easy fight, I’m willing to continue my fight day by day... I want to thank everyone that’s reached out with their messages of support, it truly means the world to me.”

Eugene Grant, a writer who has dwarfism and combats stereotypes, paid tribute to Troyer despite reservations about the roles he played. In an article for The Guardian, he wrote: “I hate the character Mini-Me – the replica, the biddable pet, the victim of violence made to appear funny. But I was moved and saddened to hear of Verne Troyer’s passing and to learn more about his struggles.”

Warwick Davis, the British actor said: “So sad to hear that my friend Verne Troyer has passed away. We shared a mutual respect for each other’s work, and I always admired his good humour and lovely nature in the face of adversity. Now, for the first time, he’ll be looking down on us all, and laughing!”

Verne Troyer, actor, born 1 January 1969, died 21 April 2018

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in