We have some sad news to share today, as it has been confirmed that actor Pedro Miguel Arce has passed away at the much too young age of 46. Arce had over eighty screen acting credits to his name, but may be best known for playing the roles of Pillsbury in George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead and the character Felix in multiple episodes of the Guillermo del Toro series The Strain. It has been said that Arce passed away after “a brief battle with cancer”.
Here’s the message that was posted to Arce’s Instagram account: “It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the loss of our beloved Pedro Miguel Arce this afternoon, December 9. After a brief battle with cancer, Pedro passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family. Thank you for your visits, cards, and support during this difficult time for Pedro and our family. He lived his life so beautifully and brought light & love to so many. Although Pedro’s life ended before we were ready, the time that he spend in our lives was memorable and full of joy. He will forever be in our hearts.”
Born in 1976 in Managua, Nicaragua, Arce played football in high school and college. He then became a sought-after bouncer in the clubs of Toronto – and while working at one of those clubs, he was discovered by an acting agent. His screen debut came in the 2001, Daniel Baldwin-directed action movie Fall: The Price of Silence. Over the last twenty-one years, he earned credits on such films and TV shows as Mutant X, CSI: Miami, How I Met Your Mother, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Las Vegas, Are We Done Yet?, Step Brothers, Flashpoint, Warehouse 13, Unrivaled, Kill Speed, The Transporter, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Think Like a Man Too, True Detective, Slasher, Taken, The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez, Bad Blood, Polar, The Christmas Setup, In the Dark, and Diggstown. And, as mentioned before, Land of the Dead and The Strain. He didn’t have a whole lot to do in Land of the Dead, but still managed to make his character Pillsbury come off as one of the more likeable, endearing characters in the film.
Arce also produced several short films, including one called A Gift, which he wrote and directed.
Our sincere condolences go out to Pedro Miguel Arce’s family, friends, and fans.