Eddie Hassell, ‘The Kids Are All Right’ and NBC’s ‘Surface’ Actor, Dead at 30 After Being Shot

Eddie Hassell, who starred in the Oscar-nominated movie The Kids Are All Right and NBC’s Surface was shot and killed in Texas Sunday morning. The actor was 30. His representatives told Variety Hassell was shot during what appears to be a carjacking. The incident is still under investigation. It is not clear where in Texas, the alleged shooting took place.

Hassell was born in Corsicana, Texas, on July 16, 1990. He made his acting debut in 2004, appearing in episodes of Joan of Arcadia and Oliver Beene and a short called Birth of Industry. In 2005, he scored a lead role in Surface, a short-lived NBC series starring Lake Bell and The Conners actor Jay R. Ferguson. The science fiction series starred Bell as an oceanographer whose submersible is attacked by a mysterious life form. Hassell appeared in 10 of the show’s 15 episodes, playing Phil Nance.

After the show was canceled, Hassell resumed picking up guest roles in shows, appearing in ‘Til Death, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Southland, and Bones. In 2010, he starred in The Kids Are All Right, which starred Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. The critically acclaimed film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress for Bening, Best Supporting Actor for Ruffalo, and Best Original Screenplay. Hassell’s other films include 2012, The Family Tree, Jobs, Warrior Road, and Bomb City. His last role came in 2017’s Oh Lucy!. In 2013, Hassell had a recurring role in the first season of Lifetime’s Devious Maids.

Aside from his life as an actor, Hassell was an avid surfer, despite being born in Texas. “Skateboarding’s been a huge part of my life; it also got me cast in commercials. I was into horseback riding and rodeos in Texas and when I moved to L.A., I got into skating,” Hassell told Elle in 2013. “I did all my own stunts. I’m into anything with a board: surfing, wakeboarding.”

In that same interview, Hassell reflected on working with Ashton Kutcher, who starred in Jobs as Steve Jobs. “When I was a kid growing up, I watched him on That ’70s Show and Dude, Where’s My Car?” Hassell explained. “A lot of kids in my generation see him as an icon, so I was excited going in. I expected a super-happy-go-lucky, goofy guy, but he’s very professional and business-oriented. He stays in character the whole time, between takes. But he’d also do things to keep everyone loose, like cracking jokes or hooking up his iPod to loudspeakers and blasting Fun. I definitely learned things from him.”