‘School of Rock’ actor Kevin Clark dead at 32, hit by car while biking.
Kevin Clark, the child actor who played Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones in the 2003 film “School of Rock,” died after being fatally struck by a car while riding his bicycle. He was 32.
Clark was riding east on Logan Boulevard when he was struck by a vehicle heading south on Western Avenue, a witness and the driver both told responding officers.
Clark was biking in the Chicago neighborhood of Avondale early Wednesday when a Hyundai Sonata struck him at 1:20 a.m., police told the Chicago Sun-Times. The driver of the vehicle — a 20-year-old woman — was issued citations in response to the incident and released, police said.
Clark had been biking home when he was killed, his sister said, according to TMZ.
Paramedics rushed him to the Illinois Masonic Medical Center but he was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m.
In response to the news, “School of Rock” star Jack Black, 51, shared a touching tribute on Instagram, writing, “Devastating news. Kevin is gone. Way too soon. Beautiful soul. So many great memories. Heartbroken. Sending love to his family and the whole School of Rock community.”
In the post, it appeared the two had reunited in Clark’s adulthood.
“School of Rock” was Clark’s only film credit. At 12, he scored the role of the outspoken boy drummer despite his total lack of acting experience — and thanks entirely to his ability to actually play the drums, he told TMZ. His mother, Allison Clark, told the Sun-Times he started playing the drums when he was just 2, “hitting pots and pans in the basement.” A friend brought him to the movie audition.
“He just kind of shined,” his mother told the paper of his performance at the audition. “He took it on right away, but he never really acted afterward.”
After starring in School of Rock with Black, Clark continued pursuing drumming. Most recently, he played in the band Jess Bess and the Intentions, which made its debut performance on Saturday at Legendary Wooden Nickel in the Chicago suburb of Highwood.
Rivkah Reyes, who played Katie in the movie, called Clark a “big-hearted, warm human”, adding he frequently attended her stand-up and sketch comedy shows.
