Jenna Ortega remembers Cameron Boyce's 'sweet' audition moment

Five years after his death, Jenna Ortega remembers a beautiful moment with her late friend Cameron Boyce from the early stages of their career.

The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The star recently recalled a moment when he intervened in an “awkward” audition they both had as teenagers, before Boyce died at the age of 20 from complications from an epileptic seizure.

“The last time I saw my boyfriend Cameron Boyce – I knew him since I was 11 or 12 and we were supposed to kiss,” she said in an interview with French broadcaster Canal+ about the audition. “And he knew me since I was 11 or 12. That was a few years later, 15, 16, [he] came in, we were supposed to be love interests.

“But because he obviously felt weird and was a little older… we both just looked at each other and thought, 'No, we can't do that.' And it was so sweet because I was uncomfortable and it wasn't easy auditioning. And then we wished each other well.

“I remember being really grateful that he did that,” Ortega added. Her Beetlejuice Co-star Catherine O'Hara called Boyce a “gentleman” because of the move, and Ortega agreed.

Boyce – known for his roles in Adult, Jessie, progeny And Mrs Fletcher — died in his sleep on July 6, 2019. His family determined at the time that his death was caused by an “ongoing medical condition” that was later determined to be epilepsy.

“It is with the deepest of our hearts that we report that we lost Cameron this morning,” a family spokesperson said in a statement. “He passed away in his sleep from a seizure that was the result of a chronic illness he was being treated for. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him.”

“We are deeply heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we mourn the loss of our beloved son and brother,” they added.

Boyce's family founded the Cameron Boyce Foundation in his honor with the goal of curing epilepsy by funding research, education and awareness campaigns.