Johnny Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Lewis
Lewis at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival at the premiere of the film Palo Alto
Born	Jonathan Kendrick Lewis (1983-10-29)October 29, 1983 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	September 26, 2012(2012-09-26) (aged 28) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Accidental death as a result of a fall
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2000–2012
Children	1

Jonathan Kendrick Lewis (October 29, 1983 – September 26, 2012), also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, was an American film and television actor. He was best known for playing Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series Sons of Anarchy, and for other television roles such as Gilby in The Sausage Factory (2001–2002), Pearce Chase in Quintuplets (2004–2005) and Dennis "Chili" Childress in The O.C. (2005–2006). Lewis also appeared in supporting roles in the films Underclassman (2005), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), Felon (2008) and The Runaways (2010).

Early life

Johnny Lewis grew up in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks. He was the middle child of Michael and Divona Lewis. Both parents were practicing Scientologists, and Lewis was himself a Scientologist for most of his life. After finishing school, Lewis left home at the age of 18 to pursue an acting career.

Career

Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens, with guest starring roles in Boston Public (2000), The Guardian (2001) and American Dreams (2002), among others. He made his feature film debut in 2004, in New Line Cinema's Raise Your Voice, and followed that up with Miramax Films' Underclassman in 2005. He co-starred as Pearce Chase, one of five siblings on the Fox series Quintuplets, and appeared in the movie Raise Your Voice (2004) alongside Hilary Duff. Lewis also guest starred in four episodes of the Nickelodeon television series Drake & Josh as Scottie, one of Drake's bandmates, and from 2005 to 2006 he played Dennis "Chili" Childress on The O.C., another Fox series. He had a guest spot during the fifth season of Smallville.

Lewis also starred in the film Magic Valley (2011), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. He became well known for his role as prospect biker Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series Sons of Anarchy.

Personal life

Lewis dated American singer Katy Perry from 2005 to 2006. In mid-2009 he learned that he and his then-girlfriend, actress Diane Gaeta, were expecting a baby. The couple had split up by April 6, 2010, when the couple's daughter, Culla May, was born, but briefly attempted sharing a residence. Lewis eventually moved out, after which the couple engaged in a "long and painful" custody battle that Lewis ultimately lost.

Religion

Although Lewis was raised in a "Jewish-oriented household", his family also practiced Scientology; his parents attained the highest available level within the Church of Scientology, called "Operating Thetan Level VIII", or OT VIII. However, Lewis left Scientology in his early 20s.

Psychiatric diagnosis

On October 30, 2011, Lewis suffered head injuries from a high-speed motorcycle accident. Lewis started manifesting bizarre and illogical behavior from that point on and concurrent to his ensuing legal troubles.

Death

On September 26, 2012, Lewis and his 81-year-old landlady, Catherine Davis, were found dead at Davis' home in Los Angeles. It was later determined that Lewis had killed Davis before falling off the roof of the house they lived in.

Lewis' family has spoken out about his history of untreated head trauma, leading some to speculate that he developed a psychological disorder.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Lewis para niños