‘Shiloh’ Star Blake Heron Died of a Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

Blake Heron, the actor best known for his starring role in 1996’s Shiloh, passed away in September. Investigators have now confirmed that Heron’s death was the result of an accident overdose on the opioid drug Fentanyl.

Heron was 35 years old at the time of his passing. His death certificate, obtained by The Blast, lists his cause of death as the “effects of multiple drugs.” Heron was taking medication for anxiety, nerve pain, high blood pressure and allergies, in addition to recreational use of Fentanyl.

Fentanyl was responsible for many deaths in 2017, including the accidental overdoses of rapper Lil Peep, Prince, Tom Petty and many others. The CDC warns against Fentanyl and its analogs, which are leading the opiate epidemic in the United States.

Heron had a long and well-documented struggle with drug abuse. Shortly before his passing, he completed a stint in a rehabilitation program. He was reportedly found unresponsive in his Los Angeles apartment by his girlfriend, who called 9-1-1. Emergency workers rushed to the scene to administer Narcan, which can be used to revive the victim of an overdoes. In this case, it was too late.

While best known for his appearance as Marty Preston in Shiloh, Heron wasn’t shy about his drug addiction later in life. In 2017, shortly before his death, he even appeared in a movie called A Thousand Junkies. The indie film took a hard look at the day-to-day lives of drug addicts and the moral and emotional pendulum they live on.

The film was critically acclaimed, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Alameda International Film Festival.