Verne Troyer was one of the shortest men in the world; he stood at a height of 2 feet 8 inches (0.81 m). He was a well-celebrated actor who is famous for his role as Mini-me in Austin Powers, as well as for his ability to rise above his physical challenges to becoming the man he was. Once the shortest actor in Hollywood, Troyer was also one of the most renowned, having appeared in almost everything from TV shows to films and music videos.
Some of his most popular works include TV shows like Shasta McNasty and Jack of All Trades, movies like Baby’s Day Out and The Love Guru, and other web series. He also appeared in music videos, including D12’s My Band and video games such as Let It Die, among others. Although he is late now, we were super curious to find out everything we can about the unique actor. Here’s what we got.
Verne Troyer’s Early Life and How He Became Famous
Born on January 1, 1969, in Sturgis, Michigan with two siblings, Verne had cartilage-hair hypoplasia dwarfism, which made it impossible for him to have normal growth. He was raised by his parents who were poor factory workers that had to struggle to survive and raise their children.
After graduating from Centreville High School in 1987, he started his career in the entertainment industry. It all began when he did a stunt double in the comedy movie Baby’s Day Out, which went on to become a very popular movie around the world. His amazing performance and stunt act continued with several other comedy movies like Dunston Checks In, and as an alien in Men In Black (1997).
Despite his average role, Verne Troyer’s earnings started to flow in after he became one of the most adored characters in different movies. His fame continued with movies like Mini-Me and Goldmember, after which he grabbed a lot of requests for roles. His expressive comedy performance won him good reviews from critics, as well as a legion of fans. He also appeared once in the ABC reality television series Celebrity Wife Swap, where he traded lives with Hines Ward, a retired NFL player.
One of his greatest performances was his roles as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies. For this, he got to walk home with over a million dollars. As an actor, the man got a lot to show in income and wealth. He also had a few things to show for his efforts, including a nomination by the former Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 2000 when he got listed as one of the Best Supporting actors in the comedy series – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
For the same movie, he got other nominations from the MTV Movie Awards, including Best Musical Performance and Best Fight. Before this, he was nominated for the Razzie Awards for the Worst Supporting Actor for his role in The Love Guru. Before his death, the actor was yet to win anything big in the form of awards or even nominations.
He was a Rich Man
Best known for his silent but expressive comedy act, Verne Troyer’s net worth a few years before his death was estimated to be $10 million. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain his fortune as by the time of his death, he had already lost a huge part of his fortune, and his estate was estimated to be worth only $150,000.
According to court documents, he had $140,000, $80,000 in cash, as well as an Audi S4 that he barely used. As a result of it being celebrity memorabilia, the value of the car is put at $20,000. He accumulated such figures through his many performances on Television and also the big screen. Amongst his biggest movies are Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember, which have grossed in over $600,000 globally.
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Who was Verne Troyer’s Ex-Wife and Girlfriend?
Verne Troyer was once married to a model, Genevieve Gallen. However, like everything about him that had a touch of drama, his marriage also had its drama; the union collapsed as soon as it started. The union went down as one of the shortest marriages in Hollywood, lasting only a short while before it was annulled in 2004.
Genevieve Gallen is not exactly a celebrity. She gained fame as a playboy model, as well as a Yoga trainer who mainly became famous for her relationship with the late actor. Her childhood and early life were not out of the ordinary. She met Verne sometime between 2001 and 2002, and they soon fell for each other. It didn’t take the model too long before she decided to move in with the actor. For the next two years, they remained as a couple before they decided to become man and wife in 2004.
The couple tied the knot on 22nd January 2004. 24 hours was all it took for Gallen to realize that the two years she spent dating Troyer was not worth it, and so she filed for a divorce, claiming her husband was a sex-addict, alcoholic, and an abuser. Meanwhile, Genevieve Gallen was not the only woman he dated in his lifetime. Verne also dated another model, Ranae Shrider in 2008. Ranae was a waitress before she later became a model and actress.
The relationship between them did not last long also before it came to an end, followed by unhealthy accusations. If we are to believe what his ex-lover, Ranae Shrider has to say about the actor, then he has a rather very complex life. According to her, he spends most of his time googling his name on the internet and sending her around on errands as though she was his “slave.” 5 feet 6 inches taller than Verne, Ranae said her ex-lover has a very mean behavior, and he drinks a lot. Even though he had managed to acquire a handsome net worth, she claimed that he gave her jewelry from an arcade machine.
After the 40 years old man and the 23 years old woman met, she moved in to live with him but had to pay half of the rent even though she was working as a waitress in a fast-food restaurant, while she does other things. Even with all that he has, he is still very “cheap,” and couldn’t easily let go of money or things. She also claimed he is depressed and angry with the world.
On his part, Verne Troyer sued his former lover for the intentional infliction of emotional distress and battery. He claimed in the suit that Ranae terrorized him, and at a point, she picked him up and threw him on the floor. Before then, there was a sex tape of the couple that was mysteriously leaked. The next woman in his life was Brittney Powell, a German-American actress who started dating the actor in 2007. The couple remained together until he died in 2008. Although they did not have any kids together, Brittney had a child from a previous relationship.
What Led To His Death?
Verne Troyer died on April 21, 2018, at the age of 49. Although at first the cause of his shocking death was not known, it was later ruled a suicide due to alcohol poisoning after too much of it was found in his system. Before then, he had previously revealed his battle with alcohol addiction.
After his death, his body was cremated, and his ashes were interred in Michigan at the Colon United Methodist Church Columbarium in Colon, St. Joseph County.
