Chance Perdomo, Star of ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ and ‘Gen V,’ Dies in Motorcycle Crash at 27

This undated photo provided by Shelter PR shows Chance Perdomo. Perdomo, who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V,” has died at age 27, following a motorcycle crash, his publicist said, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Gray Hamner/Chance Perdomo and Shelter PR via AP)
This undated photo provided by Shelter PR shows Chance Perdomo. Perdomo, who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V,” has died at age 27, following a motorcycle crash, his publicist said, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Gray Hamner/Chance Perdomo and Shelter PR via AP)
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Chance Perdomo, Star of ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ and ‘Gen V,’ Dies in Motorcycle Crash at 27

This undated photo provided by Shelter PR shows Chance Perdomo. Perdomo, who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V,” has died at age 27, following a motorcycle crash, his publicist said, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Gray Hamner/Chance Perdomo and Shelter PR via AP)
This undated photo provided by Shelter PR shows Chance Perdomo. Perdomo, who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V,” has died at age 27, following a motorcycle crash, his publicist said, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Gray Hamner/Chance Perdomo and Shelter PR via AP)

Actor Chance Perdomo, who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V,” has died at age 27 following a motorcycle crash.

“On behalf of the family and his representatives, it is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Chance Perdomo’s untimely passing as a result of a motorcycle accident,” a publicist said in a statement issued Saturday evening.

The statement said no one else was involved in the crash. No details about the crash, including when and where it took place, were immediately released.

Perdomo most recently played Andre Anderson on the first season of “Gen V,” the college-centric spin-off of Amazon Prime’s hit series “The Boys,” set in a universe where superheroes are celebrities — and behave as badly as the most notorious.

Perdomo’s character was a student at Godolkin University, founded by the sinisterly omnipresent Vought International corporation, where “supes” train; his power involved the manipulation of metal.

Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television, the makers of “Gen V,” said the show’s family was “devastated by the sudden passing.”

“We can’t quite wrap our heads around this. For those of us who knew him and worked with him, Chance was always charming and smiling, an enthusiastic force of nature, an incredibly talented performer, and more than anything else, just a very kind, lovely person,” the producers of “Gen V” said in a statement. “Even writing about him in the past tense doesn’t make sense.”

It wasn’t immediately clear from the statements how Perdomo’s death would affect production on the show, which also featured Jaz Sinclair, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Shelley Conn among its sprawling ensemble cast.

One of Perdomo’s most famous roles was as Ambrose Spellman, a lead character on “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” The four-season show was a far cry from the Melissa Joan Hart-fronted “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the Netflix show set its Archie Comics characters a town over from the titular location of Aguirre-Sacasa’s “Riverdale,” and employed a more spooky and salacious tone than its forerunner — although some of the original “Sabrina” actors came calling.

Perdomo’s character was a cousin to Sabrina Spellman and a powerful warlock who specialized in necromancy and is initially under house arrest. He often served as a sort of voice of reason on the show, which wrapped in 2020. He starred alongside Kiernan Shipka, Miranda Otto, Tati Gabrielle, Ross Lynch and, again, Sinclair.

Perdomo, who was Black and Latino, was born in Los Angeles and raised in England.

“I was always getting into fights until I put my energy into acting. Then my grades picked up, and I became president of the student union. Before that, I was similar to Ambrose being so pent up. He doesn’t know what to do with his energy because he’s trapped,” Perdomo told them.us in 2018.

“At the same time, he’s very open and loving. I identify with that now more than ever, because being away from family for so long really puts things into perspective. No matter the occasion, if I get that FaceTime or phone call from mom or my brothers, I’m picking it up right away. It’s family first for Ambrose, and I’m the same way,” he continued.

Perdomo also acted in several of the “After” movies and is credited in the upcoming “Bad Man” alongside Seann William Scott and Rob Riggle.

“His passion for the arts and insatiable appetite for life was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth will carry on in those who he loved dearest,” the statement from Perdomo’s publicist said.



Future of Cinema Clouded by Uncertainty, Venice Jury Chief Huppert Says

 The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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Future of Cinema Clouded by Uncertainty, Venice Jury Chief Huppert Says

 The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)

Cinema has been weakened in recent years and its survival cannot be taken for granted, French actress Isabelle Huppert said on Wednesday as she took charge of the main jury at the Venice Film Festival.

The 11-day event draws together film-makers from around the world, giving them an invaluable opportunity to promote work that might otherwise not gain global prominence.

But beyond the Venice Lido's glamorous red carpet, movie veterans worry about the future of the industry: box office sales have not yet recovered from the COVID pandemic, raising questions about the long-term financial viability of movies.

"What concerns us all is that cinema continues to live on as much as possible. We know that it has been weakened in recent times," Huppert said at the traditional news conference to mark the start of the world's oldest film festival.

"I am not a director, I am only an actress, but we know what it represents in terms of courage, endurance, solitude, determination, to ... make a film," she added, saying her goal was to help cinema keep going "for as long as possible".

"But that's why a festival like Venice exists, it's like an ecosystem that is more necessary than ever to proclaim these values. So I'm really happy to be here," Huppert said.

Huppert, 71, has appeared in over 120 films and has won the best actress award twice at Venice, in 1988 and 1995. She and her family also run two small art house cinemas in Paris.

Global cinema box office takings are estimated to have hit almost $34 billion in 2023, according to data from Gower Street Analytics, an increase of 30.5% on 2022, but still 15% below average annual returns from 2017-2019, before COVID hit.

However, sales have declined again this year in the United States - the biggest movie market in the world, setting alarm bells ringing.

US director Debra Granik, who is the head of the jury for Venice's more experimental Horizons section this year, thanked Huppert for addressing the "elephant in the room".

"That's why we all showed up here because we want to see this art form thrive,” Granik said.

The Venice festival opens on Wednesday night with the world premiere of Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", which is being shown out of competition. The event ends on Sept. 7 when Huppert will announce who has won the top Golden Lion award.