Samuel Monroe Jr., an actor who made his screen debut in the trailblazing 1993 film Menace II Society, has passed away.
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The Tales from the Hood and The Players Club star, who had been battling meningitis and MRSA pneumonia in recent months, died on Aug. 26, per Complex. He had reportedly been placed on life support back in April.
The actor’s mother, Joyce Patton, confirmed his death in a heartbreaking post on social media.
“I want to thank all of my Facebook family and friends new and old for praying for Samuel Monroe, Jr., my son,” she wrote alongside a candid snapshot of her son. “But today God called him home. Please honor my final request to pray for the family, especially his 3 children.”
The Los Angeles native burst onto the film scene in The Hughes Brothers’ Menace II Society. He went on to appear in the spoof Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Tales from the Hood (alongside Snoop Dog) Set It Off (alongside Queen Latifah and Vivica A. Fox), and Ice Cube’s The Players Club.
Per IMDb, Monroe also had an impressive TV career. His small-screen credits include Patti LaBelle’s sitcom Out All Night, two episodes of NYPD Blue, Southland and Black Jesus.
Meanwhile, he’s listed as having an upcoming project, a comedy film titled Extra’d Out, in pre-production.
The actor leaves behind his mother and three sons.
Samuel Monroe Jr. was 52.