{{distinguish|Lea Thompson}} {{Short description|American actor (1984–2013)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Lee Thompson Young | image = Lee Thompson Young.jpg | caption = Young in "Heavy Metal" (''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles''; 2008) | birth_date = {{Birth date|1984|2|1}} | birth_place = Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|8|19|1984|2|1}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = Lakeview Memorial Gardens, York, South Carolina | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1998–2013 | alma_mater = University of Southern California }}
'''Lee Thompson Young''' (February 1, 1984 – August 19, 2013) was an American actor who began his career as a teenager, playing the titular character on the Disney Channel television series ''The Famous Jett Jackson'' (1998–2001). As an adult, major roles included playing Chris Comer in the movie ''Friday Night Lights'' (2004) and Boston police detective Barry Frost on the TNT police drama series ''Rizzoli & Isles'' (2010–14).
==Early life== Young, who was of African American heritage, was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of Velma Elaine (née Love) and Tommy Scott Young.<ref name=State>{{cite news|last1=Holleman|first1=Joey|title=Columbia native turned TV star takes own life|url=http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/19/2929113/lee-thompson-young-actor-and-columbia.html|access-date=June 15, 2014|work=The State|date=August 19, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023015202/http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/19/2929113/lee-thompson-young-actor-and-columbia.html|archive-date=October 23, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lee Thompson Young Biography (1984-)|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/40/Lee-Thompson-Young.html|website=Film Reference|publisher=Advameg, Inc.|access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref> He was in the second grade when his parents' marriage ended, and he went to live with his mother. At age ten, he portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in a play called ''A Night of Stars and Dreams'' by Dwight Woods at the Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater of Greenville, South Carolina.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lee Thompson Young: Brilliant young actor and a gentle soul|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/lee-thompson-young--brilliant-young-actor-and-a-gentle-soul-20130820-2s7wy.html|access-date=June 15, 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=August 20, 2013}}</ref> It was then that Young decided he wanted to become an actor.
==Career== Young moved to New York City in June 1996, but it was not until the next year that he auditioned for the part of Jett Jackson in ''The Famous Jett Jackson''. He filmed the pilot and found out in June 1998 that the Disney Channel had picked up the show; it would go on to become a Disney Channel Original Movie in June 2001. Young also starred in ''Johnny Tsunami'' (1999), another Disney Channel Original Movie, as Sam Sterling. Although the movie was successful, he did not reprise the role in the sequel, ''Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board'' (2007), which was taken over by Jonathan McDaniel.
In 2002, one year after the cancellation of ''The Famous Jett Jackson'', Young had guest spots in the CBS series ''The Guardian''. He also had a part in the movie ''Friday Night Lights'' (2004), portraying Chris Comer. He then portrayed Charles Becnel in the Jamie Foxx movie ''Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story'' (also 2004). Lee appeared on UPN's TV drama series ''South Beach'', and he portrayed Victor Stone (known in DC Comics as Cyborg) in a fifth-season episode of the television series ''Smallville'', in 2006; he reprised the character in the Season Six episode "Justice" (airdate January 18, 2007), and in the Season Nine finale "Salvation" (airdate May 14, 2010).
Young appeared in the feature film ''Akeelah and the Bee'' (2006), playing Akeelah's brother Devon. He played National Guard rookie Delmar in ''The Hills Have Eyes 2'' (2007). In 2009, Young played a cocky surgical intern in the hit comedy show ''Scrubs''. It is revealed that his character had been overweight during childhood. The character becomes involved in a romance with one of the medical interns.
Young played the role of Al Gough, an FBI agent, in the ABC television drama ''FlashForward''. He was written off the show in episode 7, when his character committed suicide to prevent the death of an innocent civilian.
He made an appearance on the Fox drama ''The Good Guys'' as the brother and business partner of an arms dealer. His last acting role was playing Barry Frost, partner of Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) on the TNT drama ''Rizzoli & Isles.''
==Personal life== Young graduated with honors from the University of Southern California, where he majored in cinematic arts and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Young enjoyed writing and wrote the screenplay for the 2007 short film ''Mano''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-01H6/mano/ |title=''Mano'' (2008), a film by Brad Tiemann |publisher=Cinema.theiapolis.com |access-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref>
==Death== On August 19, 2013, Young did not show up to film an episode of ''Rizzoli & Isles''.<ref name=LVS>{{cite web|work=The Las Vegas Sun|title=Actor Lee Thompson Young found dead at age 29|url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/aug/19/actor-lee-thompson-young-found-dead-age-29/|first=Lynn|last=Elber|date=August 19, 2013}}</ref> Police were called to do a wellbeing check on him at his Los Angeles apartment, where he was found dead.<ref name=State/> His manager stated that the 29-year-old actor had died by suicide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lee Thompson Young Ex-Disney Superstar Dead|date=August 19, 2013 |url=http://www.tmz.com/2013/08/19/lee-thompson-young-dead-disney-dies-friday-night-lights-the-famous-jett-jackson-rizzoli-and-isles/|publisher=TMZ|access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Lee Thompson Young found dead|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/08/19/lee-thompson-young/2672055/|work=USA Today|publisher=Gannett Company|first=Donna|last=Freydkin|access-date=August 19, 2013|date=August 19, 2013}}</ref> Police confirmed the cause of death as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.<ref name=Yahoo>{{cite news| title= Former Disney Channel Star Lee Thompson Young Found Dead | first= Kelly |last= Woo | publisher= Yahoo! | url= https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/report--former-disney-channel-star-lee-thompson-young-found-dead-182359895.html |date= August 19, 2013 | access-date= August 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819183546/https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/report--former-disney-channel-star-lee-thompson-young-found-dead-182359895.html|archive-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref> Young had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, for which he had been taking medication, and had been suffering from depression before his death.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/lee-thompson-young-suffered-bi-polar-disorder-article-1.1480009 |author= Nancy Dillon| title=Lee Thompson Young suffered from bipolar disorder before suicide: coroner's report|work=The New York Daily News|date= October 8, 2013}}</ref>
After funeral services at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Young was interred at Lakeview Memory Gardens in York, South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lee Thompson Young's Death Certificate Released, Suicide Confirmed|first=Zach|last=Johnson|date=September 4, 2013|work=E!|url=http://ca.eonline.com/news/455299/lee-thompson-young-s-death-certificate-released-suicide-confirmed}}</ref> A memorial service was held on the Paramount Studios lot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/452051/lee-thompson-young-memorial-held-angie-harmon-in-tears-at-service-for-rizzoli-isles-costar|title=Lee Thompson Young Memorial Held, Angie Harmon in Tears at Lee Thompson Young Memorial|website=E!|date=August 23, 2013}}</ref>
Young's family later launched the Lee Thompson Young Foundation in an effort to help remove the stigma surrounding mental illness.<ref>{{cite web|title=Family breaks silence on actor Lee Thompson Young's suicide|url=http://www.wistv.com/story/25861144/family-breaks-silence-on-actor-lee-thompson-youngs-suicide|website=wistv.com|date=February 2, 2016 |publisher=Franklin Media and WISTV|access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable sortable" |+Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2004 |''Friday Night Lights'' |Chris Comer | |- |2006 |''Akeelah and the Bee'' |Devon Anderson | |- |rowspan=2| 2007 |''{{sortname|The|Hills Have Eyes 2}}'' |Delmar | |- |''Mano'' |Machito |Short film |- |2010 |''Bastard'' |Passenger 1 |Short film |- |2012 |''Just an American'' |Curtiss Jackson | |} {| class="wikitable sortable" |+Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1998–2001 |''{{sortname|The|Famous Jett Jackson}}'' |Jett Jackson / Silverstone |Lead role (65 episodes) |- |1999 |''Johnny Tsunami'' |Sam Sterling |TV Movie |- |2001 |''Jett Jackson: The Movie'' |Jett Jackson / Silverstone |TV Movie |- |rowspan=2| 2002 |''Philly'' |Steven Hicks |Episode: "There's No Business Like No Business" |- |''{{sortname|The|Guardian|The Guardian (TV series)}}'' |Levi Mooney |5 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 2003 |''Jake 2.0'' |Prince Malik Namir |Episode: "The Prince and the Revolution" |- |''The Jersey'' |Himself |Episode: "Origins: Part 2" |- |rowspan=2| 2004 |''Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story'' |Charles Becnel |TV Movie |- |''{{sortname|The|Proud Family}}'' |Teen Bebe (voice) |Episode: "Twins to Tweens" |- |2004–2005 |''Xiaolin Showdown'' |Jermaine (voice) |2 episodes |- |2005 |''Kevin Hill'' |Levi |Episode: "Homeland Insecurity" |- |2006 |''South Beach'' |Alex Bauer |5 episodes |- |2006–2007; <br>2010 |''Smallville'' |Victor Stone/Cyborg |3 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 2008 |''Five Year Plan'' |Mutabi |TV Movie |- |''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' |Agent Stewart |Episode: "Heavy Metal" |- |rowspan=2| 2009 |''Scrubs'' |Dr. Derek Hill |3 episodes |- |''Lincoln Heights'' |Julian |Episode: "Bully for You" |- |2009–2010 |''FlashForward'' |Al Gough |8 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 2010 |''{{sortname|The|Good Guys|The Good Guys (2010 TV series)}}'' |Eric Williams |Episode: "Small Rooms" |- |''{{sortname|The|Event}}'' |Corporal Bell |2 episodes |- |2010–2014 |''Rizzoli & Isles'' |Det. Barry Frost |Main role (56 episodes) |- |2012 |''CSI: NY'' |Kelvin Moore |Episode: "Unwrapped" |}
==Accolades== {| class="wikitable" |- style="text-align:center;" !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Association !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Category !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Nominated work !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Result |- |1999 |rowspan=3|Young Artist Awards |Best Performance in a TV Drama or Comedy Series – Leading Young Actor |rowspan=4|''The Famous Jett Jackson'' |{{nom}} |- |2000 |Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Leading Young Actor |{{nom}} |- |rowspan=2|2001 |Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – Leading Young Actor |{{nom}} |- |Gemini Awards |Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series |{{nom}} |}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0949810}} *{{Find a Grave|115731729}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Lee Thompson}} Category:1984 births Category:2013 deaths Category:2013 suicides Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:Male actors from South Carolina Category:American male child actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Male actors from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Suicides by firearm in California Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Male suicides Category:Actors and actresses who died by suicide Category:20th-century African-American male actors Category:21st-century African-American male actors