Houston Tumlin, who played young Walker Bobby alongside Will Ferrell’s Ricky Bobby in “Talladega Nights”, died at age 28 of suicide, TMZ reported.
Tumlin, who lived in Pelham, Alabama, shot himself in the head on Tuesday at 4:30 pm, according to Shelby County coroner Lina Evans.
His girlfriend, whose identity has not been revealed, would be inside the house at the time of death.
No letter or indication of intention to commit suicide was found.
Tumlin’s role as the outspoken son of a 10-year-old racing driver in 2006’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” is his only actor credit.
Just a month ago, he shared an affectionate memory of the film with his colleague and child actor Grayson Russell. “@Graysoncrussell tell me a set of more beautiful ‘brothers’. I’ll wait, ”he wrote on his Instagram page.
As an adult, he served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, according to TMZ, in addition to other professions.
A Twitter user who claims to have been in the Army with him wrote: “SGT Houston Tumlin came to me as PVT Tumlin. He showed a lot of spirit, promise, positive energy and was (without a doubt) one of my best soldiers in my company. It came ready to work. Please check each other out. Get help if you need it. We need you.”
He attended Victory Christian High School and graduated in 2011, according to Wrap. A Twitter user who identified himself as Tumlin’s classmate said he was “one of the funniest guys”.
“Some of you must know who you are. This is Houston Tumlin, also known as ‘Hooty’. He was ‘Walker’ in ‘Talladega Nights’ (son of Will Ferrell), ” they wrote in a tweet. “I graduated with him and he was one of the funniest guys I have ever met. He passed away recently, and words cannot describe how difficult it is. Friend RIP. “
The same friend also paid tribute on Instagram. “Words cannot describe how much it hurt to see that you passed away @_tumlin_,” he wrote. “You always made everyone laugh and you will be sorely missed. I will never forget when we set up that skit and I was almost suspended by him in high school. “
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or send the word “Home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.