‘Shallow Hal’ Actor Rene Kirby Dies at 70 After Lifelong Battle With Spina Bifida

Actor Rene Kirby, best known for his role in the 2001 Farrelly Brothers comedy movie Shallow Hal, has died. He was 70.

According to the Vermont-based publication Seven Days, Rene died at the University of Vermont Medical Center on Friday, July 11. His brother, Jon Kirby, told the outlet that Rene had been hospitalized for two months due to infections and complications with his oesophagus, kidneys, and bladder.

Rene was born with spina bifida, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is a condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly.” Due to the condition, Rene had no use of his legs, though he never let it stop him from an active lifestyle, including biking, skiing, and acting.

He appeared in two Farrelly Brothers films, including the Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow-starring Shallow Hal. Rene played the role of Walt, a man who, like himself, was born with spina bifida. He later featured in the 2003 comedy Stuck On You, starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twin brothers.

In addition to his film work, Rene also appeared in an episode of the HBO drama Carnivàle in the 2005 episode “The Road to Damascus,” playing the character Hoppy.

Rene opened up about his condition in a 2008 episode of Seven Days’ “Stuck in Vermont,” where he said he’d never pitied himself for his situation. “Life’s too short to be doing that,” he said, calling himself “a gimp without a wimp.”

“Walking on my hands is just all I’ve ever known,” he added. “I’ve never thought of myself as disabled.”

Outside of acting, Rene was an accomplished high school gymnast and carpenter, helping his brother Jon remodel several houses over the years. Jon also noted that Rene had worked for IBM for 20 years and, in recent years, had enjoyed online stock trading.

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Rene’s sister, Cheryl St. Amour, told Seven Days that her brother survived throat cancer a few years ago, but the treatment required the removal of his larynx, so he lost the ability to speak. Jon also shared how Rene hadn’t ridden his bike since last fall.

“He had gotten to the point where he really couldn’t get up on it anymore,” Jon stated.

Rene is survived by his mother and six siblings. His father passed away three years ago.

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