Co-Creator of ABC’s ‘High Potential’ Inspiration Dies Suddenly: Nicolas Jean Was 63

French screenwriter Nicolas Jean, who co-created the hit series that inspired ABC’s High Potential, has died suddenly at the age of 63.

The death of Jean, who co-created the series HPI (Haut Potential Intellectuel), was announced by the French writers’ guild SACD on social media. Jean died suddenly on Sept. 29, they wrote in a tribute, which did not reveal his cause of death.

“Nicolas Jean entered the industry thirteen years ago and had a meteoric rise. Self-taught, with an atypical background that enriched his fictional stories, he quickly established himself as a talented and essential screenwriter on television,” wrote SACD administrator Florence Philipponnat.

“He had a gift for freely inventing original concepts, freeing himself from imposed constraints. And he knew how to intelligently surround himself with creative writers to develop them with him, because he was passionate about sharing and generosity.”

Jean, whose credits also include Tomorrow is Ours (Demain nous appartient), The Mantis, Impatients, and Promethea, is best known for HPI, which starred Audrey Fleurot as a struggling single mother of three whose detective skills lead to her being hired as a consultant by the serious crime squad.

The show was eventually adapted into ABC’s High Potential, which stars Kaitlin Olson as single mom Morgan Gilroy with an exceptional mind, “whose knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual partnership with a by-the-book detective.”

Tuesday’s midseason finale for Season 2 of the procedural paid tribute to Jean during the closing credits. “In Memory of Nicolas Jean,” read the title card that showed on screen.

In addition to Olson, High Potential also stars Daniel Sunjata (Adam Karadec), Javicia Leslie (Daphne Forrester), Deniz Akdeniz (Oz), Amirah J (Ava Gillroy), Matthew Lamb (Elliot Radovic), Judy Reyes (Selena Soto), and Season 2 newcomer Steve Howey (Jesse Wagner).