SAYATA

Hard to believe he is dead. He was a good actor.

News:
Tributes poured in Monday as word spread that "Boston Legal" actor and 2001 Waukegan High School graduate Justin Mentell had been killed in a one-car accident in rural Wisconsin.

"Justin was one the most talented young actors I ever worked with," said Lake County filmmaker Patrick Read Johnson, who directed Mentell in " '77," an autobiographical film. "He was also one of the most humble, good-natured and evolved people I've ever known. The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, indeed."

According to the Iowa County Sheriff's Department, the 27-year-old actor was pronounced dead at the scene after wreckage from his 2005 Jeep was spotted by a passing farmer around 8:37 a.m. Monday.

Reports state that the Jeep drove off the shoulder of state highway 39 west of Moscow Road, near the town of Mineral Point. The vehicle went down a steep embankment and struck two trees, and Mentell, who reportedly was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected.

Chief Deputy John Pepper said that while rescue crews arrived on the scene just before 9 a.m., it is likely that the crash took place before sunrise.

"It looks like he had been there for several hours," Pepper said. "There are a lot of trees in that area, so if you were driving on 39, you wouldn't be able to see the vehicle. The farmer was traveling on Moscow Road after the sun came up, and he saw the Jeep in a field."

Pepper added that there was "no indication" that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash. Routine toxicology reports won't be available for six to eight weeks.

Mr. Mentell was born in Austin, Texas, and moved to Waukegan with his mother, Alicia, who is superintendent of recreation for the Waukegan Park District. He played youth football in the Waukegan Chiefs program and became an accomplished speedskater, being named to the Junior National Team by U.S. Speedskating in 2000 after placing fourth overall at the national championships.

At Northern Illinois University, Mr. Mentell majored in fine arts and starred in such stage productions as "Never the Sinner," and he spent one summer as a camp counselor at the Jack Benny Center in Waukegan teaching acting and improvisation. He graduated from NIU in 2005.

His professional career began with roles in independent films that included "Gotham, Ill." (2004), which was filmed in Waukegan.

Also in 2004, Mr. Mentell appeared as a skater in the 1970s roller-disco comedy "Roll Bounce," filmed in and around Chicago. His big break came in the summer of 2005, when he landed the role of junior associate Garrett Wells on ABC's "Boston Legal."

After finishing his stint with "Legal," Wells scored film credits that included "Palo Alto, CA" in 2007 and last summer's "G-Force" with Nicolas Cage.

Lake County artist James Zahn, who met Mr. Mentell on the set of "Roll Bounce," said the young actor had come back to his roots recently after spending time in Los Angeles.

Nah, the pictures doesn't look so much gay and I so I guess it is just you looking gay. :-)

Couldn't resist.