'American Horror Story' News: Ben Woolf Dies After Being Struck by SUV
Diminutive "American Horror Story" actor Ben Woolf passed away in the hospital after being hit by a car last week.
Ben Woolf, the American actor who portrayed Infantata and Meep on the FX cable TV series, "American Horror Story," succumbed to a stroke while in the hospital, four days after being struck by an SUV's side mirror in Los Angeles. He was 34.
Four-and-a-half foot tall Woolf, whose short stature allowed him access to unique roles suited to his height, was jaywalking on a Hollywood street when he was clipped on the head by a passing SUV's side mirror.
Woolf was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where his condition improved from critical to stable in the days following the accident, but passed away when he suffered a stroke on Monday. The driver of the SUV was not charged for the accident on account of the actor jaywalking when it occurred.
Woolf, whose pituitary dwarfism condition landed him distinctive roles in Hollywood, played Thaddeus Montgomery, aka Infantata, a creature cobbled together from pieces of another child in the first season of the show. In the fourth season, he appeared as Meep, a geek oddity whose only vocabulary was the sound of his name ("Meep!"), and known for biting off the heads of small animals.
"He was a tremendous professional and an incredibly kind person, beloved by the 'American Horror Story' family," show producers and FX said in a statement they released to NBC. His publicist referred to him as a hard-working professional and a caring individual.
Apart from his roles on television, Woolf worked as a preschool teacher to supplement his income. Unmarried, Woolf is survived by his immediate family, and his dog Lisa. His memorial service will be scheduled in Santa Barbara in the weeks following his passing.