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Local actor found dead in Los Angeles
De'Angelo Wilson played key roles in Denzel Washington, Eminem movies.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Extras
De'Angelo Wilson (left) starred with Eminem in the 2002 film
'8 Mile.' Contributed photoDe'Angelo Wilson, a Dayton native who survived poverty and foster homes to become an actor, was found dead last week in Los Angeles.
In 2001, while studying acting at Kent State University, he landed a pivotal role in "8 Mile," a film by Curtis Hanson starring rapper Eminem, and followed that up with another notable part in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, "Antwone Fisher."
The early success didn't stick: Wilson hadn't worked since 2006's "Mercy Street," and was "down pretty low," said his mother, Debra, who'd rebuilt a relationship with her son.
On Nov. 26 — the day before Thanksgiving — Wilson hanged himself in the back room of a Los Angeles business. It took authorities a week to locate his next of kin — his mother, who lacked the funds to bring her son home. He was 29.
But Wilson will be coming home, through the grace of the friends he made in Los Angeles, including the real-life Antwone Fisher, whose own story of overcoming a nightmarish childhood became a best-seller.
"He was a good guy, a fun guy, a great guy to be around." Fisher said. "It's just really hard to understand."
