Isabelle Tate’s “9-1-1: Nashville” co-star is remembering the late actress.
Tate died from a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease on Oct. 19, per her talent agency, The McCray Agency. She was 23.
Hunter McVey told People on Thursday that he was “shocked” by the news.
“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,” the actor, 26, said. “I was terrified, nervous, and after each take we would get to exchange a couple words which were always supportive from her. I got the pleasure of talking with her after the scene and she had such a great energy.”
McVey added that it was evident Tate “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,’” he concluded. “Prayers for her family.”
Tate appeared on the pilot episode of the Ryan Murphy-created series as Julie.
The Oct. 9 episode saw Julie getting a lap dance from McVey’s Blue after a fellow patron blocked her line of sight and called her “hot wheels” due to her being in a wheelchair.
LeAnn Rimes and Chris O’Donnell also star on the drama.
The Post learned that “9-1-1- Nashville” will have an “in memoriam” card for Tate at the end of next week’s episode.
The McCray Agency posted their own tribute to Instagram, penning, “We are deeply saddened and completely heartbroken to share that Isabelle Tate passed away on October 19th. She was 23. 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.”
The talent company added on Thursday that Tate passed away “peacefully” and her family “requests privacy as they deal with this sudden and shocking loss.”
The McCray Agency posed a link for followers to donate to the CMTA, the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, explaining: “In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Izzy’s memory be made at the same link.”
Tate previously opened up about having the progressive neuromuscular disease in 2022.
In a candid Instagram post, the actress explained she was diagnosed with the condition at 13.
Tate said the condition “weakens my leg muscles over time,” which caused her to need to use a wheelchair.
“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,” Tate elaborated. “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 added, “I would’ve 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.”
According to her obituary, “Isabelle loved volunteering her time to all things, particularly animals – her idea of a fun outing was visiting an animal shelter and doling out lots of love.”
The obituary went on to describe Tate as an “aspiring actress,” who was “the life of the party,” “full of fire, a fighter” and “never once making excuses for the fact that she might have a disability relative to others.”
Prior to landing a role on television, Tate went to Middle Tennessee State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business.
Tate is survived by her mother, Katerina Kazakos Tate, stepfather, Vishnu Jayamohan, father, John Daniel Tate and sister, Daniella Tate.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
