The first African American actor to play Jean Valjean on Broadway's "Les Miserables" died on Friday, the theater company has confirmed.
The Broadway history maker Kyle Jean-Baptiste, 21, lost his life after falling from a fire escape in his mother's house in New York, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The New York Police Department said the investigations believe that the tragic event was accidental. Jean-Baptiste was reportedly sitting on a fire escape in the fourth floor of an apartment in Brooklyn with a 23-year-old woman. Police said he stood up, slipped and then fell backward to the ground, according to Chicago Tribune.
In a statement, the company said, "The entire Les Miserables family is shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle, a remarkable young talent and tremendous person who made magic - and history - in his Broadway debut. We send our deepest condolences to his family and ask that you respect their privacy in this unimaginably difficult time."
The youngest star to perform as Jean Valjean also played the role of a constable and Courfeyrac on a regular basis. He first performed as Jean Valjean, his dream role according to CNN, on July 23 when Ramin Karimloo was on vacation.
"I did not immediately think of it as making history. This was my dream since I was a little boy," Jean-Baptiste said to PlayBill after his historical performance. "This incredible team of creatives presented an opportunity to play a part I have dreamed of playing since I was introduced to theatre, and I am forever grateful. I felt a huge amount of responsibility to do right by them and to honor this iconic material."
The Broadway community expressed their sadness of the actor's death, with composer Lin-Manuel Miranda saying it's "unimaginable." Josh Gorban said, "He was just getting started. So sad. My condolences as to family and cast."
"Les Miserables" returned to Broadway two years ago and was Jean-Baptiste's Broadway debut. A cleveland.com report said he was invited to join the cast in May right after graduating from Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio with a degree in music theatre.
Watch his performance as Jean Valjean singing "Bring Me Home."
