The following article is from Eonline:

Actor Jonathan Brandis, who began his television and film career as a child star, has died, the victim of an apparent suicide. He was 27.

Brandis was best known for his portrayal of crewmember Lucas Wolenczek on two seasons of Steven Spielberg's underwater sci-fi series, SeaQuest DSV, which catapulted him to teen-idol status.

Police said a friend of Brandis' called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on November 11 to report that Brandis had attempted suicide by hanging. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital but he died the next day.

Paul Peterson, president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors, released a statement expressing his sorrow over Brandis' death.

"We are left with a sense of helplessness and perhaps even anger that this thoroughly unexpected death occurred when we have spent years developing resources to deal with any and all crisis situations," Peterson's statement read. "This one hurts. What more can we say?"

The Los Angeles coroner's office performed an autopsy, but won't announce the cause of death until Brandis' blood and toxicology results are returned, which could take up to six weeks. However, according to Peterson, initial reports showed no sign of drugs in Brandis' system.

"Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life," Peterson stated.

Born April 13, 1976 in Danbury, Connecticut, Brandis got his start at age six, when he landed a recurring role on the soap One Life to Live and appeared in numerous commercials. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as Murder She Wrote and Who's the Boss?

Brandis earned his first starring film role in 1990's The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter. He went on to appear in 1992's Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield and more recently in the Farrelly brother's Outside Providence in 1999.

Brandis reportedly left no suicide note. He was an only child, who is survived by his parents, Greg and Mary Brandis.

You can find it here:
http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,12971,00.html

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