‘He will always be a shining light’: The Goldbergs actor dies suddenly
Jackson Odell at the premiere of Forever My Girl in West Hollywood on January 16, 2018. Photo: Getty
In Hollywood’s latest apparent suicide, actor Jackson Odell has died at the age of 20.
Best known for his recurring role as Ari Caldwell on ABC’s family comedy The Goldbergs from 2013 to 2015, Odell was found “unresponsive” on June 8 at his home in the Los Angeles suburb of Tarzana.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office is investigating the death, but there are no suspicious circumstances, it has been reported.
Lt Rudy Molano said on Sunday an autopsy would be completed within a couple of days.
“The Odell family has lost our beloved son and brother, Jackson Odell, on Friday,” his family in a statement posted on Twitter.
“He will always be a shining light and a brilliant, loving and talented soul. He had so much more to share. Our family will always carry that truth forward.”
The family continued, “We are now going to try to make sense of our immeasurable loss privately. We will not be making anymore statements.”
— Jackson Odell Music (@JaxnTweets) June 10, 2018
The death is the fourth reported celebrity suicide in less than a week.
Accessories designer Kate Spade, 55, committed suicide at her New York home on June 5, and chef Anthony Bourdain, 61, apparently took his own life on June 8 in a hotel room in France.
Ines Zorreguieta, 33, the sister of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, was found dead in her Buenos Aires apartment on Wednesday night.
Odell’s career also included small roles on Private Practice, Modern Family, iCarly and Arrested Development.
Involved in show business for eight years, he starred in the 2011 film Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer with Heather Graham.
Modern Family actor Ariel Winter mourned his loss on social media, remembering the episode they shot together on the hit show.
“Devastated to hear about the passing of Jackson Odell,” wrote Winter, who met him when they were 12.
“We didn’t talk much as we entered our high school years, but I’m glad I got to spend time with him before his end.
“Very hard for me to hear about anyone passing away, but someone so young really saddens me.”
Also a singer-songwriter, Odell wrote several original songs for the soundtrack of 2018 movie Forever My Girl, including Wings of an Angel which American Idol contestant Lauren Alaina sang for the film.
Proud to have co-written some of the songs performed by these artists. https://t.co/Q3RfoDx89R
— Jackson Odell Music (@JaxnTweets) February 2, 2018
I'm so excited to be a part of the soundtrack for #ForeverMyGirl. Wooooo hooooo. Here's a link to listen to #WingsOfAnAngel 🕊👼🏼 ❤️💃🏼 https://t.co/u6bS0eofNb @4evermygirl
— Lauren Alaina (@Lauren_Alaina) February 1, 2018
Odell posted several covers and original songs to YouTube, including one of John Mayer’s, Dreaming with a Broken Heart, sung when he was 14, which has more than 16,000 views.
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