Brandis, 27, hung himself two weeks ago but didn't leave a note, stymieing friends and fans as to his motive.
The actor was best known for his portrayal of crewmember Lucas Wolenczek on two seasons of Steven Spielberg's underwater sci-fi series, SeaQuest DSV--a role that launched dozens of teen magazine covers and made Brandis a heartthrob with young female fans.
According to police, a friend of Brandis' called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on November 11 to report that Brandis had attempted suicide by hanging. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital but he died the next day.
"Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life," said a statement from Paul Peterson, president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors.
Brandis got his show-biz break at the tender age of six when he landed a recurring role on One Life to Live and appeared in numerous commercials. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as L.A. Law, Murder She Wrote and Who's the Boss?
He racked up leading roles in movies such as 1991's The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter and Rodney Dangerfield's 1992 comedy Ladybugs but was relegated to secondary roles in more recent projects, including the Farrelly brother's Outside Providence in 1999 and Bruce Willis' WWII action flick Hart's War in 2002.
He was an only child, who is survived by his parents, Greg and Mary Brandis.
Birthdate: April 13, 1976
Birthplace: Danbury, Connecticut
Date of Death: November 12, 2003
Occupations: Actor, Model
Claim to Fame: Played boy genius Lucas Wolenczak on SeaQuest
Significant Other(s):
Tatyana Ali, actor (ashley from the fresh prince of bel aire)
Family:
Father: Greg Brandis, former firefighter, food distributor
Mother: Mary Brandis, former teacher, personal manager
Factoids:
Played a recurring role on the daytime soap One Life to Live at age six.
Education:
Valley Professional School; California
