Rizzoli & Isles production stops after star’s death

Production on the new season of TNT’s procedural Rizzoli & Isles has halted following actor Lee Thompson Young’s apparent suicide.

The 29 year-old Thompson Young, who played detective Barry Frost on the crime series, was found dead at his home in LA on Monday. His manager subsequently told US news outlets the actor had committed suicide.

Production on the latest episodes of the show were stopped upon news of Thompson Young’s tragic passing. Last week, TNT commissioned a fifth season of the show to launch in 2014.

A joint statement from Turner Broadcasting System-owned TNT, show producer Warner Bros. and Rizzoli & Isles executive producer Janet Tamaro said: “Everyone at Rizzoli & Isles is devastated by the news of the passing of Lee Thompson Young. We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, gentle, good-hearted, intelligent man.

“He was truly a member of our family. Lee will be cherished and remembered by all who knew and loved him, both on- and offscreen, for his positive energy, infectious smile and soulful grace. We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to his family, to his friends and, most especially, to his beloved mother.”

Thompson Young was a former Disney teen star, taking a lead role in Disney Channel’s The Famous Jett Jackson. He also appeared in Friday Night Lights, FlashFoward and Scrubs before landing his role on Rizzoli & Isles.