Johnny Lewis
| Johnny Lewis | |
|---|---|
 Lewis at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival at the premiere of his film Palo Alto |
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| Born | Jonathan Kendrick Lewis October 29, 1983 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 26, 2012 (aged 28) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Accidental fall[1] |
| Other names | Johnny K. Lewis |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–2012 |
Jonathan Kendrick "Johnny" Lewis (October 29, 1983 – September 26, 2012), also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, was an American film and television actor.
Lewis is best known for playing Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series Sons of Anarchy. He also appeared in supporting roles in the films Underclassman (2005), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), and The Runaways (2010).
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Career [edit]
Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens with guest starring roles in Boston Public (2000), The Guardian (2001) and American Dreams (2002), among others. His debut feature film performance premiered in 2004, in New Line Cinema's Raise Your Voice, and he followed that up with Miramax Film's Underclassman in 2005. He co-starred as Pearce Chase, one of five siblings on the Fox series Quintuplets, and appeared in the 2004 movie Raise Your Voice alongside Hilary Duff. He guest-starred in four episodes of the Nickelodeon television series Drake & Josh as Scottie, one of Drake's bandmates. He played Dennis "Chili" Childress on The O.C. from 2005 to 2006.
He starred in the 2011 film Magic Valley, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Lewis was well known for his role as prospect biker Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX original series Sons of Anarchy.
Personal life [edit]
Religion [edit]
Lewis was born to a Scientologist family, he starred in Scientology training films, and was a sponsor of the Scientology drug rehabilitation front group Narconon.[2][3] Lewis left the Church of Scientology in his early 20s.[4]
Legal troubles [edit]
Lewis was arrested three times between 2011 and 2012. In January 2012, he struck two men in the head with a bottle while engaged in a fight. He pleaded no contest to charges of assault with a deadly weapon in the case.[4] The second arrest came about six weeks after the first, with Lewis accused of attempting to break into a woman's home. He pleaded no contest in that case as well. Considering the cases, a probation official expressed that he was "very concerned for the well-being of not only the community but that of the defendant", that he suffered from mental health issues as well as chemical dependency, and that Lewis would "continue to be a threat to any community he may reside in".[4] Lewis was released from a Los Angeles County, California, jail in mid-September 2012.[4]
Death [edit]
On September 26, 2012, Lewis and an 81-year-old woman, Catherine Davis, were found dead at a home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, California. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) found Lewis' body on the home's driveway.[5] Davis was found dead inside the dwelling, which appeared to have been ransacked. Broken glass and a dead cat were found in the home, as well.[4] Davis' death is being investigated as a homicide, in which Lewis is a suspect. According to multiple reports, police were called to the scene after neighbors heard the 81-year-old woman screaming.[5]
Neighbors told police they saw a man jump the fence on the Davis property, assault a homeowner and painter next door, then jump back over the fence.[5] According to the LAPD, Lewis then either fell or jumped from the home's roof, garage, or patio.[5][6][7][8] An autopsy report released on November 29, 2012 stated that Lewis did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system when he died. Lewis had a history of drug abuse, leading to speculation by his attorney that the actor may have suffered a drug-induced psychosis when he allegedly killed his landlady.[1] Toxicology reports came back negative for marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, psychedelic drugs or anti-psychotic medication. The autopsy report did indicate he had suffered partial strangulation and had fingernail marks on his neck when he died.[1] There was no indication that Lewis had been pushed or jumped from the roof in an act of suicide. His death was ruled accidental.[1]
Filmography [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Raise Your Voice | Engelbert "Kiwi" Wilson | |
| 2005 | Pretty Persuasion | Warren Prescott | |
| 2005 | Underclassman | Alexander Jeffries | |
| 2007 | Palo Alto | Nolan | |
| 2007 | Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem | Ricky | |
| 2008 | One Missed Call | Brian Sousa | |
| 2008 | Felon | Snowman | |
| 2010 | The Runaways | Scottie | |
| 2011 | Lovely Molly | Tim | |
| 2011 | Magic Valley | John | |
| 2012 | 186 Dollars to Freedom | Jorge |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7th Heaven | Norton | Episode: "Tunes" |
| 2000 | Malcolm in the Middle | Cadet Martin | Episode: "Therapy" |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Desmond | Episode: "Surprised by Gravity" |
| 2001 | Undressed | Ray | Unknown episodes |
| 2001-2003 | Boston Public | Bodhi | 4 episodes |
| 2001-2002 | The Sausage Factory | Gilby | 13 episodes |
| 2002 | The Guardian | Ted Popper | Episode: "Mothers of the Disappeared" |
| 2002 | Yes, Dear | Ricky | Episode: "Making Babies" |
| 2003-2004 | American Dreams | Lenny | 7 episodes |
| 2004 | Drake & Josh | Scottie | 4 episodes |
| 2004-2005 | Quintuplets | Pearce Chase | 22 episodes |
| 2005 | Smallville | Gabriel Duncan | Episode: "Hidden" |
| 2005-2006 | The O.C. | Dennis "Chili" Childress | 9 episodes |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Tad Sidley | Episode: "Up in Smoke" |
| 2007 | Eight Days a Week | Television film | |
| 2007 | Bones | Enzo Falcinella | Episode: "The Priest in the Churchyard" |
| 2007 | Shark | Michael Hackford | Episode: "Student Body" |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Truitt "Spider" Leland | Episode: "Spiders" |
| 2008-2009 | Sons of Anarchy | Kip "Half Sack" Epps | 26 episodes |
| 2009 | Criminal Minds | Eric Ryan Olson | Episode: "Zoe's Reprise" |
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d McCartney, Anthony (November 29, 2012). "Actor who apparently killed landlady not on drugs". Associated Press via Yahoo news. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
- ^ Baker Machado, Sheena Rao, Alexis L. Loinaz and Melanie Bromley. "Johnny Lewis' Scientology Link: Sons of Anarchy Star Was "Born Into the Church," Source Says". News. E1 Online. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ Dillon, Nancy; Cavaliere, Victoria (September 28, 2012). "‘Sons of Anarchy’ actor Johnny Lewis was 'out of control' before rampage, championed Scientology drug-treatment program before rampage". nydailynews.com. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Risling, Greg (September 28, 2012). "Warning signs seen before actor's violent end.". Associated Press via Yahoo News. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Suspect in killing of Los Angeles woman was actor". AP via Yahoo! News. September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ 'Sons of Anarchy' Actor Johnny Lewis Found Dead -- Suspect in Bizarre L.A. Double Death TMZ.com, September 27, 2012
- ^ Johnny Lewis Dead: 'Sons Of Anarchy' Actor Found Dead Outside Los Feliz Woman's Home The Huffington Post, September 27, 2012
- ^ "Katy Perry's ex, Johnny Lewis, found dead". Toronto Sun. September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
External links [edit]
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