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Once a young actor with lots of talent makes it in Hollywood, it doesn’t take long for their fans to begin imagining where their career will take them in the years to come. Will they provide the world with lots of stunning performances and will they become massive stars?
Tragically, it is far too common for young people who are full of talent and passion to pass away long before they accomplished everything they could. Of course, the same holds for young actors on the rise as some up-and-coming stars have taken their last breath far too soon.
Due to the massive success of the Descendents films, there are millions of people who want to know all they can about the series’ stars like Booboo Stewart. If you asked most of those fans to name stars who died too soon, there is one name that is likely to come up, Cameron Boyce.
Even though Cameron Boyce clearly made his mark on his fans and his former co-stars still miss him, his family were the people who were most profoundly impacted by his loss. With that in mind, it should go without saying that Cameron’s sister Maya’s life has been deeply affected by his passing.
Maya Boyce’s Tribute To Her Brother Cameron Boyce
After Cameron Boyce first took up acting as a child, he grew up in front of cameras. Seen in movies like Mirrors, Eagle Eye, and Grown Ups, Cameron also became a Disney Channel star. One of the stars of the show Jessie from 2011 until 2015, Cameron also headlined the Descendents movies.
After everything that Cameron Boyce accomplished in Hollywood, the talented young actor seemed so full of life and like he had endless potential. Despite that, on July 6th of 2019 Cameron passed away from an epileptic seizure at only twenty years old.
Five days after Cameron Boyce passed away, his sister Maya Boyce somehow found the inner strength to write and post a touching tribute to him on Instagram.
“Yes, he died. Yes, I’m sad. Cameron was my best friend. He is someone I will always idolize. His smile could light up a room, unlike anyone else’s. He was perfect. He always said that if you have a voice, you have the privilege of using that voice for change, and he did not take that idea lightly.
“He understood his responsibility as someone so many kids would look up to. Cameron always went out of his way to be giving and kind. He did more with his 20 years of life, than most people ever could with 100 years. He was actively charitable.”
“He traveled the world. He made creativity and art his life’s mission, and he encouraged others to do the same. Of course, I am devastated. I will be for the rest of my life. But what I’m holding onto, and what I encourage you to hold onto as well, is the memory of his endless optimism.”
“He was sunlight wearing shoes. I can confidently say, he wants us to celebrate, grow and persevere. Yes, he died. Yes, I’m sad. I’m also happy, and grateful. I was with him hours before he died. It was normal and fun. We said ‘I love you’. He was happy.
“I spent 17 years knowing what it was like to be loved by Cameron Boyce. That is the most beautiful gift I have ever received.”
How Maya Boyce’s Life Changed After Cameron Boyce’s Passing
Given what Maya Boyce wrote about her brother Cameron Boyce, it seems clear that the siblings were close. With that in mind, it should go without saying that Maya must have gone through an extremely difficult period of mourning and she will never fully recover from his loss.
On top of the emotional impact that losing her brother clearly had on her, Maya Boyce’s life seems to be different now due to her efforts to keep Cameron Boyce’s memory alive. As Maya explained to Teen Vogue in August of 2021, she was involved in the creation of The Cameron Boyce Foundation.
“[The Cameron Boyce Foundation] was basically borne out of us trying to figure out how to continue his work. He was really passionate, and it felt weird that [after his death] all of those goals were just going to end — beyond artistically, his goals of helping people and using his voice for change.”
“I don't think any of us could stand for that just stopping. So it sort of became a family passion project to try and keep his legacy alive.”
At the time of this writing, Maya Boyce isn’t listed as a member of “The Team” on The Cameron Boyce Foundation’s website. However, based on her description of the charity’s formation, it seems very likely that she has an influence over it, or at the very least she is emotionally invested in it.
As a part of that same Teen Vogue interview, Maya Boyce revealed that she was taking theater in college, although she didn’t seem sure if she would go on to graduate.
“I’m going to see if I want to finish college; that's a question I need to ask myself. I really enjoy it, but I still want to make sure that I'm doing what's right for me.”
Even though Maya Boyce seemed unsure about college, she did come across as a lot more definitive about her ambitions for the future. As it turns out, Maya continued to have the same career of choice that she had before her brother Cameron Boyce’s passing.
“I want to act when I get out of college, which has always been my plan. And Cameron was always very, very excited for me to find my own identity, because we became creative around the same time, and we sort of came up with the ideas to act on our own.”
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