Obi Ndefo, the actor best known for his role as Bodie Wells in “Dawson’s Creek,” has died. He was 51 years old. The cause of death was not given.

Ndefo’s death comes ten years after he lost both his legs in a hit-and-run accident. The actor had just left a yoga class on his way home and visited Erewhon Market before he was hit.

Ndefo’s death was confirmed by his sister on Facebook. Nkem Ndefo captioned a photo of herself and her brother with the words: “Heartbroken over the loss of my younger brother

and knowing that he has finally found peace

.”

Ndefo appeared in 10 episodes of “Dawson’s Creek” as the boyfriend of Joey Potter’s older sister Bessie (played by Nina Repeta). His other roles include “Stargate SG-1,” “Angel,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Crossing Jordan,” “NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in February 2020, Ndefo stressed that he tried to stay as positive as possible after a hit-and-run accident in which he lost both legs. “What happened to me is just so horrible. Why would I make it worse by feeling bad about it?” he explained.

Ndefo eventually returned to teaching yoga to children and proposed a series called “Juice Bar,” which the author describes as “a slightly satirical, playful look at a health food department store, much like Obi’s beloved Erewhon, but with a touch of Willy Wonka, where harried city dwellers with a variety of modern problems seek remedies of all kinds, from magical herbal potions to every kind of New Age cure.”

Mary Margaret Humes, co-star of “Dawson,” posted a tribute to Ndefo on Instagram. “These words do not come easily to me.

“I find it hard to comprehend that you have left us, my dear friend,” she wrote. “You were and will always be a shining light. What an example of pure, unfiltered love and perseverance you have been as you have faced life’s challenges of late. I will cherish all of our messages of love and support for one another over the past few years. Rest in peace, sweet warrior.

.”

Obi Ndefo was born on October 29, 1972. He graduated from Yale University’s drama school and was the founder of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Arts Alliance for Humanity.

The post Obi Ndefo, the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ actor who lost both legs in hit-and-run crash, dies at 51 appeared first on TheWrap.