Eminem's Stunt Double Ryan Shepard Dead At 40

Ryan Shepard, who acted as Eminem's stunt double during numerous memorable performances, has passed away at the age of 40.

According to a report TMZ published on Sunday, February 12, Shepard lost his life after he was hit by a pickup truck as he was attempting to cross the street in Kennewick, Washington. The driver was not injured and stayed at the scene to talk to police. Shepard was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors could not save him. His brother, Kyle, said the incident happened at 2:45 a.m. on January 31. Shepard acted as "The King & I" MC's stunt double and photo stand-in during the early 2000s.

His most notable gig to date was when he became Em's superhero character, Rap Boy, at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards. Shepard also worked with Eminem during his 2002 Anger Management tour and traveled around the world with the rapper to countries like Japan and parts of Europe. Off the stage, he also appeared in D12's music video for "Purple Hills," in which he portrays the Detroit rapper.

Outside of his work for Em, Shepard was known as an intelligent creator. He went on to work at Disney as a ride mechanical engineer. He was also hired at Elon Musk's SpaceX as a test automation engineer.

A funeral service was held for Shepard back on February 4. He was survived by his two daughters ages seven and eleven. So far, Eminem has not publicly addressed his former stunt double's passing.

Rest in peace, Ryan Shepard.