Fans have been moved to tears by Jenna Ortega’s touching final interaction with Cameron Boyce before his untimely passing.
Ortega recounted the story while promoting her latest film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, revealing that Boyce stood up for her during their last encounter.
The two actors had a long history, having met when Ortega was just ’11 or 12.’ Both rose to fame through their roles on Disney Channel.
Ortega became known for her role in Bizardvark alongside co-star Jake Paul, while Boyce gained popularity for his performances in the Descendants series and Jessie.
In an interview with French TV outlet Canal+, Ortega shared that one of their last meetings was during an audition.
This occurred when Ortega was around 15 or 16, making Boyce about 18 or 19 at the time.
She recounted how a casting agent asked them to kiss for the audition, a request that Boyce refused.
“The last time I saw my friend Cameron Boyce — I’d known him since I was like 11 or 12, and we were supposed to kiss and he knew me since I was 11 or 12,” she explained.
“This is a few years later, 15, 16, [we] came in, we were supposed to be love interests.
“But because he obviously felt weird and he was a bit older, he was like — we both just kinda looked at each other and we were like, ‘No, we can’t do this.’”
“And it was so sweet because I was uncomfortable and I was having a hard time. .. And then, we wished each other well.”
Catherine O’Hara, who was also part of the interview, praised Boyce as a ‘gentleman,’ a sentiment Ortega agreed with.
The emotional story has resonated deeply with fans, many of whom still grieve Boyce’s premature death.
Boyce, who was beloved by his Disney Channel peers, passed away at the age of 20 in 2019.
He died in his sleep following a seizure.
One fan commented on the interview via Twitter: “He really was such a gentleman- a very sad loss to the world.”
Another pointed out the awkwardness of the situation: “That’s a really sweet memory of Cameron. It’s also disappointing that it was up to Jenna and Cameron, the kids in the situation to acknowledge that something was weird. Where were the adults?”
A third fan remarked: “He was so rare, him being gone hits every single day.”