Verne Troyer’s Most Memorable Film Roles

Verne Troyer, who died Saturday at age 49, was more than just Mini Me in the Austin Powers sequels.

He was a beloved figure, inspiring people around the world to be whoever they want to be, no matter what limitations you might face. Troyer appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, stealing scenes from his co-stars whenever he could.

Troyer’s death was announced by his family on Instagram, three weeks after he was hospitalized after police received a report of him being “suicidal.”

“Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday,” his family said.

The statement continued, “He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude. On film & television sets, commercial shoots, at comic-con’s & personal appearances, to his own YouTube videos, he was there to show everyone what he was capable of doing. Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know.”

Here is a look at his memorable film roles.

Photo credit: Instagram/ Verne Troyer

Mini-Me in ‘Austin Powers’

After several bit parts, Mike Meyers and director Jay Roach cast Troyer in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999. In the film, and the 2002 follow-up Austin Powers in Goldmember, he starred as Mini Me, Dr. Evil’s sidekick.

“‘Me and Mike Myers had great chemistry between us. He improvises a lot and when he improvises you have to [do it too]. You have to be quick on your feet. [Mini-Me] was an important role for me, it put me where I am now,” Troyer told the Daily Mail in 2014.

Percy in ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’

Troyer also developed a relationship with filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Before Austin Powers, he had a small role in Gilliam’s adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In 2009, Troyer appeared in Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the film Heath Ledger was making at the time of his death. Troyer played Percy in the film.

Coach Punch Cherkov in ‘The Love Guru’

Although The Love Guru is one of the most critically drubbed films of all time and effectively ended Myers’ career as a major movie star, he did give Troyer a big part in the 2008 movie. Troyer starred as Coach Punch Cherkov.

In his 2014 interview with The Daily Mail, Troyer said he would like to think he would still be famous no matter what his height was.

“If I was average [sized] I would hope that I would still have been in a position where I’m at. I would hope that people see it isn’t just the size. It’s also the talent, the artist inside me,” he said.

The Gnome in ‘Gnome Alone’

In 2014, Troyer starred as a gnome in the horror movie Gnome Alone. The film was finally released in January 2015. Although it was not critically praised, it showed off Troyer’s acting skills.

Dr. Phreak in ‘Bubble Boy’

In 2001, Troyer starred in Bubble Boy with Jake Gyllenhaal as Dr. Phreak. The film was directed by Blair Hayes. Gyllenhaal starred as a man who had to live in a plastic bubble because he did not have an immune system. He builds a portable bubble suit and tries to stop his childhood sweetheart from getting married.

Griphook in ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’

Troyer played the goblin Griphook in the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, the voice heard in the film was from Warwick Davis. When Griphook appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Davis played the role.

In 2015, Troyer told The Guardian he was the only short person in his family.

“All my family is average-sized, apart from me,” Troyer explained. “I didn’t really think about my size until I got older, a few years before high school. It had never really fazed me that much. I never got much trouble off other kids either, although there was one incident in third grade where a kid who was much taller than me called me the M-word [midget], which is very offensive. So without even thinking, I just jumped in the air and punched him in the nose. He never bothered me again.”

Verne Troyer in ‘Postal’

In Uwe Boll’s 2007 adaptation of the Postal video game, Troyer played himself. In one scene, he is thrown into a pit of chimpanzees.

Troyer also loved video games. In his 2015 Guardian interview, the actor said he became the “cool uncle” when he took his nephew to the E3 video game conference.

Verne Troyer in ‘College’

The 2008 college comedy College also featured Troyer as himself. The film featured teens doing things Troyer would never be allowed to do himself as a child. He grew up in an Amish community with strict parents.

“My parents were strict on discipline – if we did something wrong, we got the belt. I certainly learned right from wrong more quickly because of it. I get that it’s a controversial issue nowadays and I don’t necessarily agree with it – it’s just how it was back then,” he told The Guardian.

Pinocchio in ‘Pinocchio’s Revenge’

Early in his career, Troyer appeared in several roles that required him to wear a complete suit or be a stunt double. For example, he played creatures in Men in Black (1997) and Wishmaster (1997). In 1996, he appeared as Pinocchio in the horror movie Pinocchio’s Revenge. The tagline for the movie was “Evil Comes With Strings Attached.”

YouTube Star

Troyer’s most recent memorable role was not in the movies or television. In recent years, he became a social media celebrity with his YouTube channel, where he had over 634,000 subscribers. His most popular one was a December clip in which he opened a Tesla car made just for him. The video has over 6.6 million views.