| Josh Ryan Evans | |
| Birth Name: | Joshua Ryan Evans |
| Birth Date: | January 10, 1982 |
| Birth Place: | Hayward, California, U.S. |
| Death Place: | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 3feet |
| Other Names: | Josh Evans |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1994–2002 |
Joshua Ryan Evans (January 10, 1982 – August 5, 2002) was an American actor who became known for his role of Timmy Lenox in the soap opera Passions. Evans was ages 17 to 20 during his tenure on Passions, but had the appearance and voice of a small child due to achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. He was 3inchesft2inchesin (ftin) tall.[1]
Born in Hayward, California, Evans began his career at age twelve, appearing in various television commercials. He made his film debut as a toddler in Baby Geniuses in 1999. The following year he played the role of the young Grinch (Jim Carrey's character) in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He also appeared as General Tom Thumb in the A&E original movie P.T. Barnum. Evans also had guest spots on Ally McBeal, 7th Heaven, and .[2]
In 1999, Evans began portraying Timmy on the soap opera Passions. Evans' character was a doll that the evil witch Tabitha Lenox brought to life with magic. For his work on the series, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000 and won two Soap Opera Digest Awards in 2000 and 2001.
The character of Timmy was intended to become an angel and remain a presence on the show, but the storyline had to be rewritten after Evans' death.
On August 5, 2002, two years after How The Grinch Stole Christmas was released, Evans died while undergoing surgery to correct a congenital heart condition.[1] [3] He was cremated and his ashes interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills. On the day of his death, his character Timmy on Passions also died and was aired on the same day.
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1997 | Family Matters | Stevil | |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Oren Coolie | |
| 1999 | Being (voice) | ||
| Hey Arnold! | Third Grader (voice) | ||
| 7th Heaven | Adam | ||
| P.T. Barnum | Tom Thumb | ||
| Rugrats | Small Boy (voice) | ||
| 1999-2002 | Passions | Timmy | |
| 2000 | How The Grinch Stole Christmas | 8-year-old Grinch |
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series | Passions | Nominated | |
| 2000 | Soap Opera Digest Awards | Favorite Scene Stealer | Passions | Won | |
| 2001 | Soap Opera Digest Awards | Outstanding Male Scene Stealer | Passions | Won | |
| 2000 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a Soap Opera - Young Actor | Passions | Nominated | |
| 2000 | YoungStar Awards | Best Young Actor/Performance in a Daytime TV Series | Passions | Won |