Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here with heartbreaking news. While I'm nowhere near as eloquent as Eric Vespe ("Quint") or Jeremy Smith ("Mr. Beaks") when it comes to expressing sorrow for a public figure, I'm here simply because I care. By now a good number of you have heard the news, but for those who have not, it breaks my heart to report that actor Ben Woolf has indeed passed away earlier today. Last Thursday, while crossing Hollywood Boulevard just east of the 101, Ben was struck by the side mirror of an SUV. He had been receiving treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center since the accident, even getting bumped from "critical condition" to "stable condition" until a stroke took him away this afternoon.

I first became aware of Ben when he scared the hell out of me as "Infatata" on Season One of AMERICAN HORROR STORY. I was incredibly happy seeing him return to the twisted play land of AHS in FREAKSHOW where he played "Meep," a geek of sorts who bit the heads off chickens. He brought a genuine sincerity to Meep that was incredibly endearing and grounded the character. The skill involved in taking a character that performs the grotesque and yet forces you to truly route for him... that doesn't just happen, it takes an incredible amount of talent and skill. While I primarily knew him from AMERICAN HORROR STORY, Ben had a handful of roles in films like DEAD KANSAS, UNLUCKY CHARMS, WOGGIE, and others. Oddly enough, Ben only treated acting as his side job and primarily spent his time as a preschool teacher, once more proving what kind of man he was - someone with patience who wanted to give back. Admiration for the man's acting roles is one thing, but I have incredible respect for his "day job" of choice, one in which he no doubt provided love and support to children who weren't his own.

Ben's family has released the following statement to his fans:

"We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all of the world for our beloved Ben. He touched so many hearts in his 34 years. His memory will live on within each of us and within his work." 

"Thank you everyone for your love."

One of his more memorable physical features was his height. My god, aside from the difficulty of acting, at 4'4'' (due to pituitary dwarfism) he did what most of us only dream about - he went after his dreams. While it's easy to look at yourself and create all sorts of excuses for not going after what you want in life, this man stared adversity in the face and forced his dreams into fruition. If anything, please let Ben's incredible hard work and talent shed some sort of inspiration on your life to go after what you want and not let anything stand in your way. This man set out to entertain. He set out to have fun and bring unique characters into our homes. He went out and educated kiddos. While I'm truly upset at his passing, even without knowing him personally, he's impacted my life and plenty of others.

He will be missed. He will be mourned. He will not be forgotten.

Sadly,

Mike McCutchen

"Muldoon"