American actor and producer Heath Freeman, best known for playing serial killer Howard Epps for two seasons on the hit TV series Bones, has passed away. He was 41. No cause of death has been listed yet. The news of Freeman's death was first reported by reality TV star and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, who posted a picture of the two of them along with an emotional note. She wrote, "Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my dear friend Heath Freeman, talented actor, director, producer, outstanding chef and a solid friend. You will be so dearly missed and I will cherish every amazing memory we all had.... and we have a lot of great ones!! Godspeed. #ataloss". See Shanna’s post below:
Heath Freeman's manager Joe S. Montifiore has also confirmed the news of Freeman’s death in a statement to Deadline: "We are truly devastated at the loss of our beloved Heath Freeman. A brilliant human being with an intense and soulful spirit, he leaves us with an indelible imprint in our hearts. His 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. His remarkable legacy as a son, brother, uncle, friend, extraordinarily gifted actor and producer, consummate cook, and man with the most infectious and spectacular laugh, will live on forever. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him."
Freeman gained popularity for his portrayal of Howard Epps, the first serial killer to appear on the first two seasons of Bones. He studied acting and film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and the University of Texas at Austin and has made appearances on a number of big TV shows. He also featured in an episode of ER in 2001, including appearing on NCIS, The Closer, Without a Trace, and Raising the Bar to name a notable few shows. Freeman's final screen projects include director Michael Polish’s upcoming film Terror on the Prairie, starring Gina Carano and Devil’s Fruit, which is in its post-production stages.