What role did Obi Ndefo play in Dawson's Creek? Actor passes away at 51

Obi Ndefo, best known for playing Bodie in the 1998 American drama series Dawson's Creek, passes at 51. Obi's sister Nkem Ndefo posted a picture of herself smiling with him on August 31 announcing news of his death,

"Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother and knowing he's finally at peace."

Nkem Ndefo in a September 2 Instagram post revealed the cause of his death. As per the post, Obi’s “heart gave out” after fighting a “longstanding battle” against Orthorexia, an eating disorder. Nkem also urged users to make a donation in the actor’s name to support research on autoimmunity in eating disorders.

Obi Ndefo had lost his legs after an accident on August 17, 2019, after getting hit by a vehicle. According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor was packing up groceries after a visit to a supermarket in Los Angeles when he was hit by a SUV. According to People Magazine, a GoFundMe page was set up and raised around $200,000 for the actor to get prosthetic legs.

After graduating from Yale University's drama school, Obi became an actor and a yoga teacher and has an extensive filmography including roles in The West Wing, The Jamie Foxx Show, West Wing, Stargate SG-1, and more.

---

Dawson's Creek co-stars pay tribute to Obi Ndefo

After news of Obi Ndefo's death was posted by his elder sister Nkem Ndefo, many of his co-stars from the show, including Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson Leery's mother on the show, took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late actor and posted a behind-the-scenes video on Obi Ndefo on September 1.

"These words don't come easy. It's hard for me to conceive that you have left us, my dear friend. You always were and always will be a bright shining light. What an example of pure unfiltered love and tenacity you set as you faced life's challenges of recent."

Humes added that she will "cherish all of our messages of love and support to each other over the past few years."

His character "Bodie" on the show was a chef in Capeside who partners with Dawson Leery's mother at the restaurant Leery's Fresh Fish.

Katie Holmes, who played the role of Joey Potter in the series, also paid a tribute on September 1 by posting a screenshotted image of Obi on her Instagram stories saying,

"He was wonderful to work with and such a kind man. I send prayers and grace to his family. Rest in Peace."

---

After losing both his legs in an accident in 2019, Obi Ndefo told the LA Times that he "couldn't live in this world without becoming sort of like an Olympic athlete of certain things." Weeks after the incident the actor was back to practicing yoga, and photos of him doing pullups on a bar while wearing prosthetic legs made the waves online.

In addition to being an actor and a yoga teacher, Obi Ndefo founded the Los Angeles-based non-profit Arts Alliance for Humanity focusing on providing arts education programs to the community. According to YaleNews one of Obi's career goals had been to expand opportunities to actors irrespective of their background and abilities.