Tyler Grasham, an agent who represented young actors including Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and late Descendants star Cameron Boyce, has died. He was 54.
Grasham died Friday in Los Angeles surrounded by family after a battle with cancer, a rep for Encompass, the talent agency he co-founded three years ago, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Tyler dealt with his health privately, never wanting his illness to hinder nor define him or his ability to cultivate talent,” an agency statement said. “Even throughout his illness, in which he was optimistic he would overcome, his priority and passion was his business and clients.”
Grasham was fired from APA in October 2017 after multiple allegations of sexual abuse were reported. His accusers were as young as 15 at the time of the alleged assaults, which dated back two decades, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The L.A. County district attorney’s office declined to prosecute because of an expired statute of limitations and insufficient evidence for felony charges.
“Tyler was extraordinarily proud of his five years of full recovery and sobriety. He had become active in his local church and volunteered at several charitable and recovery-oriented organizations,” the agency said. “Despite the challenges he faced in 2017, his pure devotion and perseverance to rebuild his life is nothing short of inspiring. He was incredibly proud of his clients, Encompass, and the new life he paved for himself.”
Before the accusations, which took place amid a growing chorus of #MeToo allegations in Hollywood, Grasham, a native of Stockton, California, had spent more than a decade at APA. He took a “sabbatical from the entertainment industry” before resuming his career.
Encompass will be run by Chris Solomon, who launched the Los Angeles-based agency with Grasham.