Skye McCole Bartusiak

Skye McCole Bartusiak (September 28, 1992 – July 19, 2014) was an American child actress and child model. She appeared in '' The Patriot'' (2000), ''Don't Say a Word'' (2001), as Rose Wilder in '' Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder'' (2002), as Megan Matheson on season 2 of '' 24'' (2002–03), ''Boogeyman'' (2005), and '' Kill Your Darlings'' (2006).

Early life

Skye McCole Bartusiak was born on September 28, 1992 in Houston, Texas, to parents Helen (née McCole; 1956–2015) and Donald Bartusiak. Her brother, Stephen Dylan (1985–2023), was also a child model.

She attended St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School and Lutheran South Academy in Houston, and she graduated from Laurel Springs School in Ojai, California, in 2010.

Career

Bartusiak first starred in Stephen King's ''Storm of the Century'' as young Pippa Hatcher. In 2000, she appeared in '' The Patriot'' as the youngest child of a militia leader portrayed by Mel Gibson. She played the young Marilyn Monroe in the TV miniseries ''Blonde'' and the psychiatrist's daughter in ''Don't Say a Word'', both in 2001. She also played young Charlie McGee in '' Firestarter: Rekindled'' and Megan Matheson during season two of the television series '' 24'' (2002–2003).

Bartusiak made an appearance in the short film ''The Vest'' in 2003 and played the part of The Girl in ''Once Not Far from Home'' in 2005. She also tried her hand at theater, playing in ''The Miracle Worker'' with Hilary Swank at the Charlotte Repertory Theatre in North Carolina.

In 2003, Bartusiak returned to period drama with ''Love Comes Softly'', and a year later, she played young Jackie in ''Against the Ropes'' with Meg Ryan. In 2005, she received main billing for her role as Franny Roberts in the hit horror film ''Boogeyman''. She starred in the "Kids" episode (season 1, ep. 19) of hospital drama series ''House'', and took a lead role as Sunshine in the 2006 film '' Kill Your Darlings'', playing a troubled teen willing to do anything to get the attention of her busy father.

Death

On July 19, 2014, Bartusiak died at the age of 21 in her apartment behind her parents' Houston home.

Shortly after Skye's death, her mother, Helen, told CNN and the Associated Press that Skye's boyfriend found the actress sitting up in her bed. Helen began CPR on her daughter before the arrival of paramedics, who then worked "for 45 minutes" to resuscitate her.

Her mother said Skye "had been healthy and did not drink or do drugs", but had recently been experiencing epileptic seizures, which she believed had likely played a role in her daughter's death. However, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled in October 2014 that Bartusiak's death was an accident. The "combined toxic effects of hydrocodone and difluoroethane with carisoprodol" were listed as the main cause of death.

A memorial service was held in Houston six days later; her brother Stephen told mourners: "If you want to know what makes Skye happy, go out and plant a tree."

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartusiak, Skye Mccole
1992 births
2014 deaths
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Accidental deaths in Texas
Actresses from Houston
American child actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
Deaths from epilepsy
Drug-related deaths in Texas
People with epilepsy