Actor Cameron Boyce suddenly passed away on July 6 at age 20, weeks before his Disney Channel movie Descendants 3 premieres in August. On Wednesday, July 24, the film’s director, Kenny Ortega, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, using his acceptance speech to share an emotional tribute to Boyce.
“Lastly, I wanted to do a shoutout. Cameron Boyce was so excited for me and wanted to be here, but he isn’t here today,” Ortega concluded, his voice cracking. “His all-too-brief appearance in this life inspired me beyond words. And many of us here, and generations of kids and families all over this world.”
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The director continued: “His extraordinary talent and loving heart will be remembered through his foundation — the Cameron Boyce Foundation — it’s been set up by his family to remember Cameron by continuing his pursuit to make positive change in the world. Cameron said, ‘We can’t take it with us, so it’s about what you leave.’”
Kenny Ortega remembers “Descendants” star Cameron Boyce: “His all-too brief appearance in this life inspired me beyond words, and many of us here and generations of kids and families all over the world” pic.twitter.com/y2gCaxPXiN
— Variety (@Variety) July 24, 2019
“And with this, I promise Cameron I will take this goodness with me, in all the days of my life,” Ortega concluded.
Boyce’s family was present at the ceremony, with his father Victor Boyce and sister Maya Boyce posing with the director and Boyce’s Descendants co-stars Dove Cameron and Booboo Stewart for a photo.
Boyce portrayed Carlos in all three Descendants films and had previously starred on the Disney Channel show Jessie.
“When I pursued Cameron for the role of Carlos in Descendants, I was told, ‘He’s really busy with Jessie,’” Ortega wrote in a piece for PEOPLE. “But I didn’t quit. Then we ran into each other at the Disney Channel offices, and I told him the idea face-to-face. That led Cameron to saying, ‘I want to do this.’ From that minute, he became like one of my own kids. He was a source of inspiration. The light he brought into the room was extraordinary.”
“Everything is about Cameron now,” he continued. “Descendants 3 is dedicated Cameron. The Cameron Boyce Foundation has been set up and has an incredible mission to give young artistic people an outlet and also to help the philanthropic causes Cameron participated in.”
“He was a young person with not only an electric gift as a performer but a big heart,” Ortega concluded. “We had plans to continue forward as creative partners, to find that next project. Now it’s not a movie — it’s supporting his family and the foundation. That’s how we give importance to who he was.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
