Who did Chris Gauthier play in 'Once Upon A Time'? Character explored as English-born Canadian actor dies at 48

Canadian actor, Chris Gauthier tragically passed away on February 23, 2024, from a short illness. The news of the 48-year-old actor’s passing away was confirmed by Chad Colvin on Facebook. Calvin penned an emotional message on the platform, writing:

"A world without you in it is a much darker place."

Furthermore, Chris Gauthier’s representatives also confirmed the news and shared a statement:

“We can confirm that our friend and client, Chris Gauthier, passed away on Friday morning, February 23, at the age of 48. As a beloved Vancouver-based character actor, Chris shared his talents with so many of us both on television and in film. His loss is felt not just by his fans but by those of us who were lucky enough to know him more personally.

The statement further continued:

"On behalf of his family, we do ask for privacy during this time so that they are able to grieve properly."

Chris Gauthier is best known for his role as William Smee in ABC’s Once Upon A Time. Furthermore, he was also known for his other works like Need for Speed: Carbon, Eureka, The Butterfly Effect 2, The Foursome, Watchmen and even Freddy Vs. Jason.

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Who was William Smee? Details about Chris Gauthier’s role in Once Upon A Time explored

As actor Gauthier tragically passed away on February 23, 2024, people are remembering his performance as William Smee in Once Upon A Time. Having appeared in more than one season, Smee was a man who stole magical objects.

However, upon meeting Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, the two strike a deal - The Dark One promises to make William immortal if the latter gets him a magic bean. The story grips the audience as the season sees William’s struggles to get the magic bean.

William AKA Chris Gauthier was again seen in season 2 of the show, where he was working for Belle’s father, Moe. The season saw him kidnapping Belle as a part of Moe’s plans. Chris Gauthier again makes a comeback in the show with season 3, where he returns to the Enchanted Forest with the rest of the Storybrooke gang.

Based on the character of Mr. Smee from Peter and Wendy, Chris received many awards for his performance in the show, which ran for a total of 7 seasons, from 2011 to 2018. The series, which aired on ABC, was a fantasy adventure drama based on a fantasy world.

Other than Chris, the other cast members were Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Jared S. Gilmore and Raphael Sbarge. The show was created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. The show also received a number of nominations and awards, including the People’s Choice Award in 2012, the 2011 Satellite Award, and many more.

As news of Chris' death was made public, social media users are now mourning his sad demise. At the moment, the family has not issued any statement.