Stan Kirsch death: Highlander TV series star and Friends actor dies, aged 51

Actor appears in the season one 'Friends' episode titled 'The One With the Ick Factor'

New York

Tuesday 14 January 2020 20:42 GMT

Stan Kirsch appears in Friends episode

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Stan Kirsch, who starred in the Highlander TV series and in Friends, has died at the age of 51.

The actor died on 11 January at his home, according to documents released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Kirsch’s death has been ruled a suicide.

His death was announced on Facebook, on the page that had been created for Stan Kirsch Studios, the acting school Kirsch co-founded with his wife Kristyn Green.

“Dear friends, we tragically lost our beloved Stan Kirsch on January 11th,” the message states. ”We will be closed for the next two weeks as we process and grieve. He was so loved and we are all just devastated. Thank you for your understanding and respecting our privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”

Born on 15 July, 1968, Kirsch began building his TV career in the Nineties. He was introduced in the pilot of the Highlander TV show Highlander: The Series in 1992 as Richie Ryan, a role he kept for five of the show’s six seasons.

Kirsch also played Ethan, Monica’s underage love interest, in the season one Friends episode “The One With the Ick Factor”. In the episode, Monica, unaware of Ethan’s real age, begins dating him, but breaks things off when she realises he’s 17.

After Highlander: The Series, Kirsch kept acting, scoring additional credits in programmes such as the TV shows JAG and Invincible.

He and Green created Stan Kirsch Studios in 2008 in Los Angeles.

For confidential support in the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123. In the US, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

You can also contact the following organisations for confidential support:

https://www.mind.org.uk/

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk