Rene Kirby, the actor best known for his role in the 2001 film 'Shallow Hal', has died at the age of 70. He passed away on July 11 at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, after a two-month hospitalisation.
His brother Jon confirmed the news to Seven Days, revealing that Kirby had been treated for kidney, bladder and oesophagus issues, as well as multiple infections. He had previously survived throat cancer but lost the ability to speak after the removal of his larynx.
Born in Vermont with spina bifida, a condition causing scoliosis, leg paralysis and difficulty walking, Kirby nonetheless became a state champion in swimming and skiing. He worked for IBM for 20 years before being scouted by filmmaker Peter Farrelly in 1999 while Farrelly was directing 'Me, Myself and Irene'.
Farrelly cast Kirby as Walt in 'Shallow Hal', starring alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black. In a 2023 interview with the Burlington Free Press, Farrelly said: 'Rene’s a guy we met in real life, on our travels, in Burlington. He’s not the kind of guy you see in a movie. You see him in Burlington, but you don’t see him in the movies. There’s a disconnect there.'
Kirby later appeared as Phil Rupp in the 2003 Farrelly brothers film 'Stuck on You', and had a small role in the 2005 television series 'Carnivàle'.
