Chris Gauthier dead at 48: Once Upon a Time and Supernatural actor dies after short illness as fans pay tribute

CHRIS Gauthier, who starred in Once Upon a Time and Supernatural, has died aged 48.

The actor’s talent agency TriStar Appearances/Event Horizon Talent confirmed the heartbreakingnews in a statement.

They told TVLine: “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.”

According to his manager, Gauthier “passed suddenly and unexpectedly following a short illness."

It added: “On behalf of his family, we do ask for privacy during this time so that they are able to grieve properly.”

Gauthier played some much-loved roles, including Neville in Need for Speed: Carbon and William Smee in Once Upon a Time.

He also had a recurring role as Café Diem owner Vincent in the SyFy Channel's popular series Eureka.

Tributes have been flooding in for the much-loved actor.

Colin O’Donoghue, who played Captain Killian ‘Hook’ Jones on ABC TV show Once Upon a Time took to his Instagram page to honour his friend.

He wrote: "Rest in Peace Chris! Heartbroken! My love and thoughts go out to Erin and the boys! You will be missed brother! You were the real captain!!"

Once Upon a Time co-showrunner Adam Horowitz wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “So sad to hear of the passing of Chris Gauthier. Such a kind, sweet, and talented person. You will be missed.”

As well as his numerous TV appearances, Gauthier also appeared in a number of films, such as Watchmen, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Agent Cody Banks and Freddy vs. Jason.

Gauthier was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, on January 27, 1976.