Actor Stewart McLean has died aged 45, with police reportedly investigating his murder.
The Virgin River stars body was found yesterday in the Lion’s Bay area in British Columbia, Canada, on Friday.
They were identified as the actor by the Canada’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) People reported.
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McLean’s latest role was as a barfly in Virgin River, with the actor also starring in Happy Face, Arrow, The Irrational, for 22 episodes in Cloud Van Tales, and follow up Cloud Van-Demic!
Squamish Royal Canadian Mounted Police first received a missing person report for McLean on Monday, May 18. He was last seen at his home in Lion’s Bay on May 15.
After investigating, they “uncovered evidence that led investigators to believe Mr McLean was victim of homicide,” which lead them to transfer the case to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), they said in a press release, reported Page Six.
IHIT’s Corporal Esther Tupper told the paper,
“As the investigation continues to unfold, homicide investigators are working to collect and analyse evidence, review CCTV footage and conduct interviews to build a timeline of Mr McLean’s activities prior to May 15, 2026.”
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They are working in with British Columbia Coroners Service and forensic investigators to understand more about the circumstances of the actor’s death.
McLean’s friends paid tribute to the late actor, with his friend of eight years Jeff Seymour, an actor and acting coach saying that he was acting “out of character” in the days before his death.
The actor had missed a scheduled day of filming last week, with Seymour commenting to The Canadian Press, “As soon as I heard he didn’t make it on Saturday morning, I knew there was big trouble.”
Seymour said that the actor was not involved in any “nefarious activities”, nor did he run with the “wrong crowd”. Instead, he reportedly spent a lot of time reading in his rural home.
The acting coach said his friend’s death was “crushing”, and that “It’s so hard to comprehend when something like this happens. It just doesn’t make any sense. He was incredibly situationally aware.
“For the life of me, I don’t know how anybody could get the drop on Stew,” he said, “I would love to see justice served.”
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McLean’s management Lucas Talent Inc. also paid tribute to their long-time client.
“It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved client, Stew McLean,” read a statement written by talent agent Jodi Caplan on Facebook, “I was fortunate to have worked with Stew for more than 10 years.
“He was always such a pleasure to deal with – dedicated, professional, eager, and endlessly funny,” the statement continued.
“Many casting directors have reached out to share their condolences with Stew’s family and with our agency, and every message says the same thing: what a truly great guy he was, and how deeply he will be missed. Rest in peace, Stew. xo”
