WARNING: This article includes discussions of mental health and suicide.
Boston Homicide Detective Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) starred across seven seasons of the hit police procedural drama Rizzoli and Isles. One of the most fondly remembered supporting actors on the show was Lee Thompson Young, who played Barry Frost. Frost is a detective who partners up with Rizzoli, and doesn’t let the fact he can’t stand the sight of blood stop him from doing his job.
But it was at the beginning of the show’s fifth season that the character was suddenly killed off. The explanation was he had died in a car accident while driving home from vacation.
In real life, it was during the filming of the penultimate episode of Season 4 in 2013 that police were called to 29-year-old Young’s apartment after he hadn’t shown up for work that morning. Tragically, Young had taken his own life.
Showrunner Jan Nash explained to TV Guide, “We realized that we had to have [Frost] die so we could deal with that loss the same way the people on the show had dealt with Lee’s loss.”
The on-screen eulogy given by Rizzoli for Frost in the second episode of Season 5 is particularly moving, and many of the tears of the cast are very real.
Executive producer Janet Tamaro said in a statement: “We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, gentle, good-hearted, intelligent man. He was truly a member of our family. Lee will be cherished and remembered by all who knew and loved him, both on- and off-screen, for his positive energy, infectious smile, and soulful grace.”
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.
