Bones Actor Dies at 41

Actor Heath Freeman, best known for his two-year run as a serial killer on Bones, has died at the age of 41. His manager, Joe S. Montifiore, confirmed his death to NBC News on Tuesday without giving the circumstances. He called Freeman "a brilliant human being with an intense and soulful spirit," whose "life was filled with deep loyalty, affection, and generosity towards his family and friends, and an extraordinary zest for life." He was "extremely proud of his recent film work and was very excited for the next chapter of his career," Montifiore added. Freeman appeared as Benjamin Frank on NCIS in 2003, as serial killer Howard Epps on Bones from 2005 to 2007, and as Gavin Dillon on legal drama Raising the Bar from 2007 to 2009, per People.

He'd come a long way from his first TV role as a guest star on a 2001 episode of ER. He had recently completed two films: Devil's Fruit, which is in post-production, and Terror on the Prairie, which is due to be released next year. Gina Carano, his co-star in the latter film, mourned Freeman on Instagram on Monday. "I was just giving you a big wrap party hug a week ago," she wrote. "I wanted to keep you for a lifetime and now I am going to carry you for a lifetime in my heart." Freeman was also remembered by model and actor Shanna Moakler. "Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my dear friend Heath Freeman, talented actor, director, producer, outstanding chef and a solid friend," she wrote on Instagram. In the comments, she said Freeman "passed in his sleep" at his Austin home on Sunday. (More obituary stories.)