Cameron Boyce was one of Hollywood’s rising stars, most memorably in Disney Channel’s “Descendants”. Did he have a twin?
Cameron Boyce did not have a twin. He was born on May 28, 1999 in Los Angeles, California to an Afro-Caribbean/African-American father, Victor, and a Jewish mother, Libby. Cameron was survived by a younger sister, Maya, but the pair were not twins.
For more on Cameron Boyce’s family, read on.
The Clinton Twelve
Cameron Boyce’s paternal grandmother, Jo Ann Boyce, was a member of the Clinton Twelve. The Clinton Twelve refers to twelve black students who were the first to be integrated into historically white schools in the south of the United States, in this case, Clinton High School in Tennessee.
This integration brought outrage from white supremacist groups but the group of students made the walk to the school together each day. Local Baptist minister Reverand Paul Turner, a white man, was even assaulted for escorting the Clinton Twelve to school in a show of his solidarity.
In 2016, Disney Channel and Disney XD aired a short feature on the subject for Black History Month, with Cameron Boyce and his grandmother, Jo Ann Boyce, talking about the importance of Clinton High School in the history of desegregation.
Cameron’s Parents
Jo Ann’s son, Victor Boyce, has Afro-Caribbean and African-Amerian ancestry. His partner, Libby, is Jewish. They were living together in Los Angeles when they had their son, Cameron, who was born on May 28, 1999, and continued to live there for the rest of Cameron’s life.
Cameron appeared in a number of comedies, such as “Grown Ups”, where he played Keith, the son of Adam Sandler’s character. His big break came when he signed with Disney, first in the role of Luke Ross” in Disney Channel’s comedy “Jessie” and then as Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, in “The Descendants”.
He was a keen dancer and trained in a number of forms, including modern, hip-hop, jazz, tap dance, ballet, and breakdancing, which was his favorite style.
Throughout his life, Cameron was a strong supporter of charities, raising $27,000 in 2017 for the Thirst Project, a group that is dedicated to providing clean water in countries where it is a rarity.
He also worked closely with groups trying to end homelessness, fight sexual assault, and put a stop to widespread gun violence.
After his tragic passing in July 2019, the Cameron Boyce Foundation was founded in his memory, seeking to give young people the opportunity to express themselves creatively and artistically, as well as raising money for causes that Cameron held close to his heart.
Maya Boyce
Cameron’s younger sister, Maya, has been open in sharing some of her memories of her. Maya, who was three years younger than Cameron, posted on social media that Cameron was her best friend and someone she would always idolize.
She also referenced his charity work, saying that he always said “if you have a voice, you have the privilege of using that voice for change”, and that he did “more with his 20 years of life than most people ever could with 100 years“.
Maya said that she was devasted and would be for the rest of her life but also encouraged his fans to hold on to “the memory of his endless optimism”, calling him “sunlight wearing shoes”.
Rather than Cameron’s tragic death due to complications from epilepsy, she believes that he should be remembered as a great example and that the best way to pay homage to him is for people to do their best to be kind and charitable. She said that she could “confidently say, he wants us to celebrate, grow and persevere.”
Cameron Boyce should be seen as a reminder that, even if our lives can be tragically short, it’s still possible to make a significant positive impact on the world.