Actor and celebrity photographer Brad Everett Young has died at 46 after a tragic car accident on Sunday, September 14, on the 134 Freeway in California. According to his publicist, Paul Christensen, Young was driving alone after attending a movie screening when another car, going the wrong way, collided with him. Young was pronounced dead at the scene.
Born on July 24, 1979, in Danville, Virginia, Young was the middle child of three. He grew up with a strong creative streak, editing both his high school newspaper and his college news magazine at Averett University. Originally, he came to Los Angeles planning to attend medical school, but the city had other ideas. “LA was just the place where I could make those decisions with all the job opportunities the town offered,” he told Hollywood Life in 2015. In his first month, he auditioned for a TV series, booked it, and joined the Screen Actors Guild. He later said, “I absolutely fell in love with everything in this business and the journey and strength it takes to accomplish what you want in it.”
Young’s acting career began in the late 1990s. He appeared in shows like Boy Meets World, Felicity, Charmed, 90210, Grey’s Anatomy, and Numb3rs. His film credits included Love & Basketball (2000), Charlie’s Angels (2000), Jurassic Park III (2001), I Love You, Man (2009), The Artist (2011), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2017). While he rarely landed leading roles, he quickly developed a reputation for being personable and professional.
Photography became Young’s second act. A fixture on Hollywood red carpets, premieres, and award shows, he built a portfolio that included Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, The Hollywood Reporter, People, and Variety. He photographed stars like David Harbour, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, Emma Caulfield Ford, Kevin Daniels, Harvey Guillén, and Gilles Marini. Christensen described Young as someone whose eye “could capture both the glitz of celebrity and the quiet humanity behind the flash.”
Colleagues and friends expressed shock at his passing. General Hospital star Chris McKenna shared, “Brad was such a talented, funny, warm, caring guy. He donated his time, his talent, he raised money for underserved schools and the world is darker today without his light.” Jen Lilley added, “We’d eat pie and cake and talk about our Virginia roots. You loved your mom and brother more than life. I just have no words for all I’m feeling.”
Brad Everett Young leaves behind a brother, Chris, and countless fans, friends, and students inspired by his work.
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