Grant Imahara death: Mythbusters, White Rabbit Project host and Star Wars engineer dies suddenly, aged 49

TV personality is credited with updating R2-D2 for a new generation of Star Wars films

Grant Imahara, the host of MythBusters and Netflix series White Rabbit Project, has died, aged 49.

The electrical engineer and robotocist died suddenly from a brain aneurysm.

“We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” a representative said on Monday (13 July).

Imahara won fans after replacing Scottie Chapman as host on MythBusters in 2005. He left the show in 2014 and, two years later, reunited with his co-hosts, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci, for White Rabbit Project.

The series saw the trio investigate events from pop culture, science and history.

Byron paid tribute to Imahara on Twitter, writing: “Sometimes I wish I had a time machine.”

Another of Imahara’s Mythbusters co-hosts, Adam Savage, wrote: ”I’m at a loss. No words. I’ve been part of two big families with Grant Imahara over the last 22 years. Grant was a truly brilliant engineer, artist and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON. Working with Grant was so much fun. I’ll miss my friend.”

After graduating from the University of Southern California, Imahara found work at Lucasfilm’s THX and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) divisions. He participated on the production of films including The Lost World: Jurassic Park, AI: Artificial Intelligence and George Lucas’s Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Grant Imahara with his ‘Mythbusters‘ and ‘White Rabbit Project’ co-hosts, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci (Rex Features )

Imahara is credited for installing new lights onto R2-D2, updating the droid for a new generation.

He is also remembered for creating Geoff Peterson, the famous robotic sidekick on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.