Cameron Boyce Said ‘Giving Back’ Is ‘The Greatest Way to Fulfill Yourself’ in Final Interview Before Untimely Death
Doing good until the end. Cameron Boyce spoke about the importance of charity work in his final interview before his untimely death on Saturday, July 6.
“There’s a long line of difference makers in my family,” the late actor told Haute Living in May. “I’m following in the footsteps of some really strong men and women who have showed me what it means to give back; it’s the greatest way to fulfill yourself. Every time I talk to someone who shares that similar passion, we talk about how there aren’t many feelings more euphoric. Changing someone else’s life positively changes yours for the better as well.”
The California native explained how he motivated others to help out in their daily lives. “Many people have the heart to give back, but a lot don’t know how to,” he said. “I try to be the bridge for those people — whether that means getting them involved in one of my campaigns or inspiring them by showing them a blueprint of how to get others engaged.”
The Jessie star also went into detail about his diverse background — his father, Victor Boyce, is black, and his mother, Libby Boyce, is Jewish. Additionally, his grandmother, Jo Ann Boyce, was part of the Clinton 12 — a group of Tennessee students who attended the first integrated public high school in the south in the 1950s.
Clearly, his grandmother had quite an impact on him. “Her story doesn’t just inspire me … it hits home with everyone who stops to listen to it,” he said. “She and the other 11 students set the stage for our generation to come together. We have to ensure — especially with some of the controversy plaguing us now — that we continue to push towards dreams that have yet to be realized. Equality in its truest sense.”
He added, “She’s a huge part of who I am. Being African American and Jewish, I have plenty of ancestors and family members that I can look to for strength, and more importantly, for a grateful outlook on life. Every one of them clawed and scratched for my sister and I to be in the position we’re in today.”
After the news broke, Cameron’s family released a statement about the 20-year-old. “It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” a family spokesperson said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure, which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him. We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother.”
We are thinking of Cameron’s family and friends during this difficult time.
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