Josh Ryan Evans
Encyclopedia
Joshua Ryan "Josh" Evans (January 10, 1982 – August 5, 2002) was an American
actor who became known for his role of Timmy
in the soap opera
Passions
. Though he was 17 years old when Passions debuted, Evans had the appearance and voice of a small child due to achondroplasia
, a form of dwarfism
. He was 3' 2".
, Evans began his career at age 12, appearing in various commercials. He made his film debut as a toddler in Baby Geniuses
in 1999. The following year he played the role of the young Grinch (Jim Carrey
's character) in Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. He also appeared as General Tom Thumb
in the A&E
miniseries P.T. Barnum. Evans also had notable guest spots on Ally McBeal
, 7th Heaven
, and Poltergeist: The Legacy
.
In 1999, Evans began portraying Timmy
on the soap opera Passions
. Evans' character was a doll that the evil witch Tabitha Lenox
brought to life with magic. For his work on the series, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award
in 2000 and won two Soap Opera Digest Awards
in 2000 and 2001.
The character of Timmy was intended to become an angel
and remain a presence on the show, but this entire storyline was quickly rewritten after Evans's death to excise the character (although one already-filmed scene was eventually aired, showing Timmy in Heaven
, as a sort of coda).
Evans is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in the Hollywood Hills
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor who became known for his role of Timmy
Timmy Lenox
Timmy Lenox was a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV daytime drama Passions portrayed by Josh Ryan Evans. In an ironic twist of fate, the actor died of a congenital heart defect the very day his character Timmy died on the show and donated his heart to Charity Standish.-Character's...
in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
. Though he was 17 years old when Passions debuted, Evans had the appearance and voice of a small child due to achondroplasia
Achondroplasia
Achondroplasia dwarfism occurs as a sporadic mutation in approximately 85% of cases or may be inherited in an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that is a common cause of dwarfism...
, a form of dwarfism
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
. He was 3' 2".
Early life and career
Born in Hayward, CaliforniaHayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, Evans began his career at age 12, appearing in various commercials. He made his film debut as a toddler in Baby Geniuses
Baby Geniuses
Baby Geniuses is a 1999 family-oriented comedy film directed by Bob Clark, rated PG for "some rude behavior and dialogue". It stars Kathleen Turner and Christopher Lloyd....
in 1999. The following year he played the role of the young Grinch (Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
's character) in Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. He also appeared as General Tom Thumb
General Tom Thumb
General Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton , a dwarf who achieved great fame under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.-Early life:...
in the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
miniseries P.T. Barnum. Evans also had notable guest spots on Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
, 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
, and Poltergeist: The Legacy
Poltergeist: The Legacy
Poltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian horror television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society known as the Legacy, and their efforts to protect humankind from occult dangers...
.
In 1999, Evans began portraying Timmy
Timmy Lenox
Timmy Lenox was a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV daytime drama Passions portrayed by Josh Ryan Evans. In an ironic twist of fate, the actor died of a congenital heart defect the very day his character Timmy died on the show and donated his heart to Charity Standish.-Character's...
on the soap opera Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
. Evans' character was a doll that the evil witch Tabitha Lenox
Tabitha Lenox
Tabitha Lenox is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists from the NBC/DirecTV daytime drama Passions. Tabitha has been played by Juliet Mills since the show's debut in 1999. Mills continued in the role when the show moved from NBC to DirecTV's The 101 in September 2007...
brought to life with magic. For his work on the series, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
in 2000 and won two Soap Opera Digest Awards
Soap Opera Digest Awards
The Soap Opera Digest Awards were an awards show held by the daytime television magazine Soap Opera Digest. The awards were founded in 1984 to replace the less-lavish Soapy Award; those awards shows had run since 1977. The Soap Opera Digest Awards are meant to promote excellence in the soap opera...
in 2000 and 2001.
The character of Timmy was intended to become an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
and remain a presence on the show, but this entire storyline was quickly rewritten after Evans's death to excise the character (although one already-filmed scene was eventually aired, showing Timmy in Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
, as a sort of coda).
Death
On August 5, 2002, Evans died from complications related to a congenital heart condition. The death scene Evans had previously taped for Passions aired the same day that he died; the episode was dedicated to him.Evans is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in the Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1997 | Family Matters | Stevil Double | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia... |
Oren Koolie | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Baby Geniuses Baby Geniuses Baby Geniuses is a 1999 family-oriented comedy film directed by Bob Clark, rated PG for "some rude behavior and dialogue". It stars Kathleen Turner and Christopher Lloyd.... |
Baby dance double | |
| 1999 | Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show's premise focuses on a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends... |
Third Grader (Voice) | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Poltergeist: The Legacy Poltergeist: The Legacy Poltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian horror television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society known as the Legacy, and their efforts to protect humankind from occult dangers... |
Being (Voice) | 1 episode |
| 1999 | P.T. Barnum | General Tom Thumb General Tom Thumb General Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton , a dwarf who achieved great fame under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.-Early life:... |
Miniseries |
| 1999 | 7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... |
Adam | 1 episode |
| 1999–2002 | Passions Passions Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008.... |
Timmy | Unknown episodes |
| 2000 | Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas | 8-Year-Old Grinch |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Daytime Emmy Award Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming... |
Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys since the 12th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in 1985. The award category was originally called the Outstanding Young Man in a Drama Series... |
Passions | Nominated |
| 2000 | Soap Opera Digest Awards Soap Opera Digest Awards The Soap Opera Digest Awards were an awards show held by the daytime television magazine Soap Opera Digest. The awards were founded in 1984 to replace the less-lavish Soapy Award; those awards shows had run since 1977. The Soap Opera Digest Awards are meant to promote excellence in the soap opera... |
Favorite Scene Stealer | Passions | Won |
| 2001 | Soap Opera Digest Awards | Outstanding Male Scene Stealer | Passions | Won |
| 2000 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Best Performance in a Soap Opera - Young Actor | Passions | Nominated |
| 2000 | YoungStar Awards | Best Young Actor/Performance in a Daytime TV Series | Passions | Won |
External links
- Josh Ryan Evans and Achondroplasia at About.com