9-1-1: Nashville‘s Hunter McVey is speaking out after costar Isabelle Tate‘s death at age 23, weeks after their scene together on the show aired.
“I was shocked to hear the news,” McVey, 26, told People in a statement on Thursday, October 23. “I didn’t know Isabelle prior to filming, but I couldn’t have asked for someone better to work with on one of my first ever days on set.”
McVey recalled how Tate made his experience on set better, adding, “I was terrified, nervous, and after each take we would get to exchange a couple words which were always supportive from her. I [had] the pleasure of talking with her after the scene and she had such a great energy.”
He concluded: “You could tell she brought joy to a lot of people. I’m thankful I got a chance to work with Isabelle and that a part of her will live on forever in the pilot episode of 9-1-1 Nashville. Prayers for her family.”
A rep for Tate reflected on the actress’ death in a separate statement.
“I’ve known Izzy since she was a teenager and she recently returned to acting. She booked the first series she auditioned for, 9-1-1 Nashville. She had a wonderful time,” Kim McCray shared via Instagram. “Special thanks to [Mark Fincannon and Shelby Holt] for casting her and [Caroline Locorriere] for that wonderful encouragement and nudge back to the acting world. Also to Lora Sorrentino for making her set experience a good one. My heart goes out to her wonderful mother [Katerina Kazakos Tate], her sister Daniella, family and friends. I was so lucky to know her and she will be greatly missed by so many.”
Tate’s death was confirmed via Facebook on Wednesday, October 22, following a health battle.
“Isabelle was full of fire, a fighter, never once making excuses for the fact that she might have a disability relative to others,” read her obituary. “She was also quite musically inclined, often spending hours writing and recording songs with friends and even publishing a few. What she loved the most though was spending time with family and friends, always the life of the party. Her sister was her best friend and her mom was her shining beacon of light.”
Earlier this month, Tate appeared in the 9-1-1: Nashville series premiere as a girl who attended the club where Blue (McVey) danced as a stripper before becoming a firefighter. Tate previously opened up about her health issues after being diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease when she was 13.
“I don’t usually get vulnerable on this app, but l feel like this is something I have to share that’s been going on in my life. When I was 13, I got diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease that weakens my leg muscles over time,” she wrote via Instagram in 2022. “When I was first diagnosed, I couldn’t fully understand what it was or grasp what it could be. Over the years, I was going on with my life and would notice little things get more difficult for me, but not so much where it stood out to me significantly.”
Tate revealed that her condition “really progressed,” writing, “I’ve come to terms that if I want to live my life to the fullest I need to use a wheelchair at times. This has been a difficult journey for me because having to accept help and surrender to the progression of this condition has been extremely hard.”
At the time, Tate said she wanted to focus on making the most of her opportunities.
“While I was trying to come to terms with this, I really did find that I lost myself in certain ways. I hated that it was not only breaking me down physically, but I was allowing it to also break down my spirit,” she continued. “I would have never expected something like this to happen to me, as most of us wouldn’t. I don’t know why these were the cards I was dealt in life, but I can’t change it so I’m choosing to embrace it and not let it define me.”
She concluded, “This has really changed my perspective on life, and if I’ve learned anything from this it’s to appreciate the little things that are easily taken for granted. You really never know what someone else is going through, so please always be kind and compassionate.”
After her death, Tate’s agency revealed she died from a rare neurological disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. According to Mayo Clinic, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease “is a group of inherited conditions that cause nerve damage. Inherited conditions pass down through families. This damage mainly is in the nerves of the arms and legs, called the peripheral nerves. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease also is called hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy.”
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